Tesla Model S

I'm sure you remember my post on the Tesla Roadster and how it was epically fantastic, super fast, very expensive etc. Check this out!

It's Tesla's next production car called the Model S. It is another all electric vehicle requiring absolutely no gasoline. It is available with three different battery packs - 160 mile range, 230 mile range, and 300 mile range. It charges like the Roadster does, in any grounded outlet. It has a 45 minute quick charge option to get you going when you need to. It is a bit slower than the Roadster, with 0-60 in 5.6 seconds and a top speed of only 120 mph. (When do I drive faster than 120 mph?) I'm thinking it took some stylistic cues from the Aston Martin Rapide:

Tesla Model S

Aston Martin Rapide

The Model S doesn't use it's long nose to house a super powerful V12, so the hood actually opens to storage space, much like the Porsche 911. 

The best part of this car is the price. Competing cars price out like this:

• BMW 7 series hybrid (17/26 mpg) starts at $102,300 in the USA
• Lexus GS450h (22/25 mpg) starts at $57,950 in the USA
• Mercedes S400 hybrid (19/26 mpg) starts at $87,950 in the USA

And the Model S (drumroll please!) has INFINITE mpg and starts at $49,000. I think we have a winner.

MRI

Yesterday in my Cognitive Psych class, we were talking about various ways to examine the brain, and when we got to fMRI's, all I could think of were these:

Watermelon

Corn on the Cob

Cantelope

The Other Boleyn Girl

 

I recently saw this movie for the first time, although I have owned it for a very long time. I honestly thought it was going to be quite boring, but it was FANTASTIC! It's a little long, at just under two hours run time, but well worth it! It is all about Anne Boleyn and her sister, Mary. They are both forced upon King Henry VIII by their father and uncle in order for their family to obtain a higher status in England. The king is a very promiscuous man who continuously flits from woman to woman, but cannot seem to get the Boleyn girls off of his mind. Definitely worth seeing. Oh, and to top it all off, Jim Sturgess, the hottie from Across the Universe and 21, plays George Boleyn. <3

Sleeperstar

In June, I got a phone call at work from some guys that were stranded on the side of the interstate a few miles away. We were super duper slow, so although we rarely do this, I went to pick them and their tire up so we could get it replaced for them. Turns out, they were a band (named Sleeperstar) on their way to Milwaukee for Summerfest! Sweet!

They hooked me up with a copy of their new album and a band tee for helping them out, which was both unexpected and awesome. Long story short, I listened to the cd on my way home and it only came out to be ripped to my computer for iPod-age. I love it! They are fantastic and should definitely be downloaded by all!

Here's some pics from their blog of the rescue:

"Naked" Motorcycle Riders

Today's post on stupid people is dedicated to "naked" motorcycle riders.

Yesterday, I actually saw a passenger on the back of a motorcycle on the interstate wearing a bikini top, daisy dukes, and NO HELMET. It was disgusting. Don't people care at all if they live or die? According to 2003 statistics from the Department of Transportation, helmets are 37% effective in preventing fatalities in motor vehicle collisions. This 37% takes into account that a helmet will not prevent a rider from injuries incurred to parts of the body other than the head. (So, a helmet will not save you from a bumper through the abdomen, but hey, we can't all win.) Although there is a HUGE decrease in helmet usage. 2000 statistics indicated that 71% of motorcycle riders were wearing helmets compared to the 2003 stats that indicated only 58% of riders using helmets.

These statistics are only referencing accidents in which the motorcycle was killed. Imagine how many people who were not wearing helmets DID NOT DIE, but sustained serious head injuries... and are now getting crayons and coloring books for the remainder of their birthdays. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, riders not wearing helmets are three times more likely to sustain serious brain injuries than those riders wearing helmets.

It's a no brainer (pun intended) that motorcyclists should protect themselves. In a study conducted by the University of Southern California, 900 motorcyclists who had been involved in accidents were surveyed. Sixty percent of them were not wearing helmets at the time of the accident, and 53% of the unhelmeted riders said that they were not wearing helmets because they "simply had no expectation of accident involvement."

Ground Zero Mosque

It's been in the news for weeks - That Muslims are intent on building a mosque at the site of the fallen WTC.

Picture Courtesy of Google Maps Street View

There are a few fallacies in the coverage by the widespread media. Firstly, the "mosque" is not really a mosque at all. The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy defines the word "mosque" as "A Muslim house of worship with at least one minaret, a tall, slender tower with balconies, used for calling the faithful to prayer." The proposed use of the building is actually as an Islamic community center. One part of the building will be dedicated to prayer and worship, but that is not the solitary function of the community center. In addition to the mosque portion, there will be a performing arts center, a swimming pool, a gym, and various other public spaces. The finished product will even offer a public memorial to the victims of 9/11. (Even if it was a mosque, what happened to freedom of religion?)

Secondly, the community center is not located AT ground zero. It is located a little over two blocks away from the former site of the twin towers. This is an interesting page on what else in NYC is located the same distance from ground zero. If we can allow people to stick singles in a stripper's thong within two blocks from a sacred site, then why can't we let them honor a deity and support the lower Manhattan community?
  
For accurate information on this project, visit the PARK51 website.