I'm kind of interested in this. I've know that Glass could have applications to the work I do every day. Even if not for me, then for a remote employee or contractor who could send back real-time data from a site for review and analysis. Or even for reference materials or two way conversations live in the field.

I'd prefer to use it as part of my plan to take over the world and destroy the Kingsmen in the process but, as they say, baby steps...

I'm generally on your side in this argument, but a manual or multi-geared transmission in an ICE is likely to fall short of the performance of a properly tuned electric drive train and control system in a wheel-spin condition. The control feedback will always be more responsive in a situation like this than an average human driver, just as a properly tuned anti-lock breaking system will always beat an average human driver in breaking performance.

Also, any type of fuel you can create for use in a compact, internal combustion engine can be burned with significantly higher efficiency in a multi-stage, regenerative fixed industrial power plant. The efficiency will more than compensate for line and battery/charging losses.

When I went on vacations with my extended family (7 of us), we didn't have a car that would fit all of us and luggage. So we rented a van. Cost me $350 for the week. I saved more than that in gasoline alone by driving a smaller car regularly. I also lived for years without a pickup truck. I borrowed or rented one if I really needed it. It's not that hard here; it might be a different story in Europe.

The difference is that a gallon of gasoline really isn't getting you much further these days than, say, 40 years ago at the efficient end of the scale whereas batteries have seen quite a large increase in energy density and overall vehicular efficiency in the same time frame and have a good deal of room left to grow.

For most drivers, and electric car in 10 years will be ideal - though there will still be outliers. Saying that electric cars are bad for most people is like saying that wireless cell coverage is bad in most of the US. That may be technically true (even the best network has far less than 50% of the landmass covered), but in a practical sense most of the population has coverage. Similarly most of the miles driven may still be ICE, but the majority of people will be fine with an electric car.

The ICE Spark is under $15k, similarly equipped, with a range of 360 miles. The base Spark EV is $26,000 and has a range of 82 miles. You're paying over $10,000 extra for the EV. On a $15,000 car. For a car with 1/4 the range. That's a pretty big difference.

Gasoline stations don't sell gasoline. The provide it as a service at near-zero margin as a way to lure you in for the high-margin food and sundries in their stores.

They'll find other ways to lure you in (like adding charging stations).

... shutting off education in Wisconsin.

I'd say that this would show up as a noticeable reduction in the dumbing down of Americans but, let's face it, the bar is pretty close to zero already so there's not much down-side movement left to go.

I hope you never learn about spotting scopes.That will scare the living fuck out of you.

In the redneck form of government, you take the law into your own hands for even the most petty of offenses. There's no need for lawyers, cops, judges or any of the like. See two men holding hands? Beat the fuck out of them. That will let them know that gay marriage isn't allowed - if you see them together again, you kill one of them and the marriage problem is solved. Don't like black people? Burn a cross on their front lawn as a warning sign if you're one of those "soft" rednecks, but the proper punishment for having dark skin is hanging. Neighbors dog is barking in the middle of the night. A couple of rounds from your .30-06 will shut that mutherfucker up and let you get a good night's sleep.

It's so much easier and safer when we all have guns and are willing to use them to solve any dispute. Just ask the NRA - they'll concur.

Your peeping Tom might be violating a law, it depends on the state.

You may be the subject of a civil suit if Tom wasn't breaking the law, and you'll probably lose on the merits. (you did willfully damage someone else's property).

Now, if you were to fire a weapon containing ball bearings and the area downrange of your weapon was not known to be free of all persons; or if your municipality specifically forbids firing a weapon* within the municipal limits, then you are violating the law.

*self-defense in the presence of a bodily threat does not make it legal, but it is a valid and positive defense to such an action.

Note: in a civil society with laws when your rights are violated and except in the case of an emergency related to bodily harm or death you are required to report the violation and a court determines the responsible and/or injured party. In an uncivil society, you simply kill / maim /destroy those things which you don't like to don't approve of. This is not Lord of the Flies nor are you the judge, jury and executioner in all disputes with your neighbors.

The good news is that, potentially, this would be tied to a large PV battery bank. He who shall not be named's battery packs are Li-ion at 400V which, if run directly, would be just over an amp and a half (about 25% of the basic battery pack's continuous delivery capacity). I agree it's not going to make a whole house system work, though. I don't do the hardcore side of ME, so I don't know what separates the typical residential 2.5-3.0 CoP of a whole house unit from the mini-splits that seem to get closer to 4.0 and can suck heat out of colder sinks. The mitsubishi in my home office is a beast, pumping out hot air even when it's 10-15F outside and the main system is hitting the resistance coil backup heat.

FWIW, AC systems for cars are actually pretty demanding - a typical system for a full sized sedan is ~20kBTU. Then again, you have mechanical compressor power to spare.

So you're saying it's impossible to do an arbitrary DC/AC to DC/AC without a massive efficiency penalty?

Did I catch a "niner" in there?

In KY, a fence is a sufficient notice against trespass (class 2 criminal trespass)

Mom still keeps you locked in the basement, huh?

Really - get out more. I know everyone on my street, at least by sight if not all by name. I know almost everyone on the next street down, at least for a block in each direction. Then again, I don't walk around with a shotgun on my shoulder so I guess I tend to be more approachable than the typical NRA fuckwad.