Multnomah County Judge Jerome LaBarre dismissed a nudity charge against Michael "Bobby" Hammond on Wednesday. Bobby was cycling as part of the city's annual World Naked Bike Ride. Judge LaBarre stated that "cycling naked has become a "well-established tradition" in Portland and understood as a form of "symbolic protest."
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Photo from Oregonlive.com
Judge clears nude [...]
I was not aware that law makers could get these cars subsidized. When you consider 47 out of 80 Assembly members and 16 out of 40 senators have chosen this option, how could they go wrong? The incentives are fantastic. Both houses have a large proportion of payments on these cars taken care of. The [...]
If you want a hybrid car, be prepared to wait at least 1-2 months. However, there are non-hybrids that are in some cases more fuel efficient and cheaper in the long run. Below is a list of the top cars for 2008.
10. Honda Fit (manual) 28/349. Toyota Corolla (manual) 28/378. Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD [...]
Increasingly more folks are trying their hands at making electric cars. Frustrated from waiting for Detriot to produce an affordable electric car so they've decided to do it themselves. Tackling a conversion isn't cheap nor for the faint of heart. For the DIY backyard mechanic conversion, it took 3 months and cost about $12,000. Read more about [...]
I found a nice Portland transit mashup yesterday at http://mapmash.googlepages.com/portlandmax.html. It has some nice features including links to a pdf that you can print with every Max and bus stop.
I built a similar mashup a few years ago, but never completed the project. You can see my outdated portland transit map here. Google has since [...]
More innovation from Japan… A new street car, powered by lithium battery, has been invented by the Railway Technical Research Institute in Kokubunji, Tokyo. The new transport is capable of speeds of 40 kph for 15 kilometers and can convert 70 percent of its deceleration energy into electricity which is then sent back to the [...]
Rumour has it that the 2009 Toyota Prius will use solar panels to partialy power its instruments. Read more at http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/07/07/toyota-to-sell-solar-panel-equipped-prius-next-year/
According to engadge, Volkswagen is planning to release a plug-in "Twin Drive" hybrid in 2010
http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/27/volkswagen-prepping-a-plug-in-twin-drive-hybrid-for-2010/
Why does it take the American automakers so long to do this?
London's Heathrow Airport is set to install the world's first Personal Rapid Transport system. The PRT is a fleet of 18 driverless pods for business passengers flying out of Terminal Five, with installation scheduled to be complete in less than two years. Traveling at up to 25mph, the pods will ferry passengers rapidly between their [...]
With gas prices continuing to skyrocket daily, more small cars are making their way to America. Of course, there are other reasons why these cars are more popular. "With rising gas prices and greater environmental awareness, demand for small cars is increasing."
Read the entire It's a small-car world article
