At The End Of The Day

Hummer Losing It's Thunder...

How can you take GM seriously as a green (throw up in my mouth over that term) company when they create the complete antithesis of that conservation notion? Well, you can't, and GM is taking a small beating over it. Hummer sales have plummeted - compare almost 72,000 units sold in 2006 to projections of 36-60% decrease in '08. 

This was the "it" vehicle not so long ago, but things will get worse.  As gas prices continue to climb, filling the H2's 32-gallon tank with $4.15 per gallon gas costs $133. 

Ouch.  And GM has apparently been caught scrambling here, as they are about to launch the biggest (or, as they call it, "most versatile") Hummer yet, the H3T, which features 4 doors and an open truck bed, 22 inches longer than the H3, and will run on paper cash (no coins) instead of gas. I'm not sure if that's really a joke.

Can't get theyah from heyah?

The most practical application of a text/pic message based technology I've seen. Ofcourse, it comes from the land of Prius and sushi.

From akibanana:
Imagine this: you step out of a train station and you don't know your way. You go to the signboard map to look for directions but you have no pen and paper to sketch down the map. Suddenly, the guy next to you whips out his fare card and taps in onto a round green button near the map. Communication between man and signboard takes place and shortly, his mobile phone rings. The map has just sent an electronic version of the map to his mobile phone.

Careful out there!

It's snowing today in Maine. The first big storm of the year. Now we have to drive more carefully and watch out for the SUV drivers who think that, because they drive those big 4-wheel drive cars, they can go faster and do things other people can't.

Is that why SUV insurance is more expensive than regular cars? Even regular cars with 4-wheel drive cost more to insure.

The word for the day is "grip."

You're in Terminal Sucks

I just flew US Airways to Detroit Don't do it. It's among the worst trips I've ever taken.

Nothing against US Airways. But, the Smith Terminal in Detroit, where their gates are, is among the worst places I've ever had to spend more than 10 minutes.

They have a new terminal scheduled to open in 2008. Until then, all they have in that terminal is one Quiznos and one nameless bar.To serve every single passenger. It's awful. And a real competitive disadvantage for US Air, and United and Southwest, which all fly out of that terminal.

I really did see that!

I have to put in a plug for some place I'd never been to, or at least stopped at, in Maine.  The new Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory is great.  On Sunday, the view to Mt. Katahdin, 60 miles out, was priceless and crystal clear.  If you're in the area, you really should stop.

Dallas cabbies need (to) change

So far, I've taken two cab rides in Dallas and both cabbies didn't have change for me.

How does a cabbie not have change? That's like a bartender not having ice.

Or something like that.

Live from Big D

I'm in Dallas right now to attend a new business seminar for advertising agencies nationwide.

There will be plenty of reports over the next 36 hours. For openers, here are some random thoughts about Dallas:

* They're proud to promote that "everything is bigger in Dallas." That's weird for someone visiting from New Hampshire

* They're serving grits at the Magnolia Hotel, but it's too early to play the whole "when in Rome" card.

* The Dallas Mavericks open their season tonight against the San Antonio Spurs. I might have to scalp a ticket.

* I almost went into Walt Gentry's Rodeo Bar last night. Almost.

The moose whisperer

As Hunter pointed out earlier this week, every state has its something. For Maine, it's lobster and moose. A California native (although a weak excuse being about as Northeastern as you can get) – I don't like lobster, and I have never seen a moose.

Well, at least not until last weekend.

"Guaranteed to see a moose" was the Google criteria, and Mainely Photos/Moose Safari fit the bill. Four hours up north and admittedly on the lookout at each moose crossing sign, we arrived at a cabin that boasts "down comforters and an inside toilet" and hunkered down (is that the term people actually use?) for two nights of all Millinocket has to offer.

At 5:30 a.m. we were picked up by a female tour guide and two Midwesterners. I was greeted with "I am the moose whisperer" and two people with fanny packs and huge hellos, who actually seemed to be people who love people. Two thoughts: too early and my fault.

Fast forward through two-packed hours of holding the van ceiling with my hand to brace the potential impact of brain injury over "mini bumps" and craning my neck to see "huge" moose tracks I only pretended to see. I was assured moose were close. At hour three and losing hope, we were 10 feet away from the elusive moose. His name was Baby (well that's what the whisperer called him) and he was about 2 years old and about 700 lbs – a mere miniature compared to our 2,000 lb Maine mascots. It was definitely exciting for about 10 minutes; the other 45 of the Midwesterner snapping pictures with his wife pulling rolls of film from her multi-level fanny pack was maybe less.

So to the whisperer. For five hours, we were told the misunderstood story of the moose, and how they really feel. She knew this because she knew all of their names, and in fact hangs out with them. Again: still too early and my fault.

But as the tour progressed and you could actually see this woman's love and understanding for these animals and the passion for her work, I admired her. If we could all do something we loved so much on a daily basis, we should all be so lucky. Just maybe not in galoshes and a polyester jumper.

Maybe next time, I'll give lobster a go?