Free LA ZOOs lone Elephant: Write to LA City Council Today!

Thanks Jessica for forwarding me this call to action!

Subject: Write LA Council Members Today 19th (Tell Them to Free LA ZOOs
lone Elephant)

My favorite animal lovers, LA City council meets today to decide on the fate of their lone elephant who is confined by itself in an unsuitable enclosure. Elephants need space or they often die (LA zoo has lost 13 elephants to complications from illness way before their natural life span.) My email is below and so are the council peoples email addresses. It'll take you less then 5 minutes.

From: alex

To: councilmember.reyes@lacity.org; councilmember.greuel@lacity.org; councilmember.zine@lacity.org; councilmember.labonge@lacity.org; councilmember.weiss@lacity.org; councilmember.parks@lacity.org; councilmember.cardenas@lacity.org; jan.perry@lacity.org; councilmember.wesson@lacity.org; councilmember.rosendahl@lacity.org; councilmember.smith@lacity.org; councilmember.garcetti@lacity.org; councilmember.huizar@lacity.org; councilmember.hahn@lacity.org

Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 1:50:30 PM

Subject: Free LA ZOOs lone Elephant

Dear Council Members,

I am writing you to encourage you to shut down the LA Zoo Elephant exhibit and send it's single lonely occupant to a Sanctuary.

It's unacceptable that Los Angeles, a city I am generally proud of in terms of it's enlightened citizenship and forward thinking policies, would not follow the humane example of other cities and get rid of elephant exhibits which put entertainment value above the health and welfare of these very special and intelligent creatures.

There is just no reason elephants should be dying and suffering because of unsuitable conditions under our watch. Elephants also are social creatures and to leave this creature in solitude is simply cruel.

Please do right by our city, and our collective humanity and send Billy to a natural habitat sanctuary.

I implore you to please put the best interest of this great animal as a top priority. Its the right thing for our city, and for our children.

Sincerely,

Alex
http://engagedobserver.blogspot.com/

Beach House: "Used to Be" [Video Premiere]

directed by Matt Amato, is for the Used To Be 7" release.
Trains? Check.
Lone Desert Vistas? Check.
Wandering along desolate bi-ways in retro cars and vestiments? Check!

Way to go Matt!

A Tale of 2 Companies GM and Toyota

I smell a revolution brewing...

Which company would you invest in? GM or Toyota?

GM

From ABC:

All three CEOs - Rick Wagoner of GM, Alan Mulally of Ford, and Robert Nardelli of Chrysler - exercised their perks Tuesday by flying in corporate jets to DC.

Wagoner flew in GM's $36 million luxury aircraft to tell members of Congress that the company is burning through cash, asking for $10-12 billion for GM alone.

"We want to continue the vital role we've played for Americans for the past 100 years, but we can't do it alone," Wagoner told the Senate Banking Committee.

While Wagoner testified, his G4 private jet was parked at Dulles airport. It is one of eight luxury jets in the GM fleet that continues to ferry executives around the world despite the company's dire financial straits.

or Toyota

From Toyota:

A Camry Hybrid Fueled by CNG

As you very likely know, we’re big believers in the concept of hybrid vehicles. We build gas-electric hybrids in several styles; one of them, our Prius, is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in America.

But we also believe that there’s more than one way to solve a problem. One problem we’d like to solve involves the unpredictable nature of gas prices.

Gas prices are relatively low now, but they were incredibly high last summer, and could well revert to those high levels. But the price of compressed natural gas (CNG) remains fairly stable, and there’s a strong, reliable domestic supply of CNG. It just happens to be one of many alternative fuel applications being explored in Toyota’s broad sustainable mobility research and development strategy.

That’s why we built a special concept CNG Camry Hybrid that we’ll display at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday.

To convert a stock Camry Hybrid to a CNG vehicle, the gasoline fuel system was replaced with a CNG system that includes a pair of CNG tanks installed in the spare-tire well of the vehicle’s trunk. Because it now lacks a spare tire, the CNG Camry Hybrid rolls on runflat tires. And roll it does. With the proposed CNG equivalent of 8 gallons of gasoline in its tanks, the estimated range of the CNG Camry Hybrid is more than 250 miles. Link that efficiency to the price of CNG and you can see why we’re interested in this – as this is written, CNG is about a dime cheaper, per gallon, than the national average price of regular-grade 87-octane gasoline.

But price and efficiency are only the tip of the iceberg of CNG benefits. Natural gas also produces lower particulate emissions and lower levels of nitrous oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and non-methane organic gasses (NMOG) when compared with gasoline. And because CNG is so clean, potential wear and tear on an engine fueled by it is greatly reduced.

Those are the considerable upsides to CNG. There also are downsides. An important one is that there are fewer than 1,000 CNG refueling stations in the U.S., with fewer than half of them open to the public. Also, natural gas is less dense than gasoline. So a CNG engine will have approximately 10% less power than an equivalent gasoline engine. Also, a CNG vehicle’s fuel tank must be cylindrical, so it is more difficult to package than a gasoline tank, which can be shaped to conform to any available space.

We want to underscore the fact that the CNG Camry Hybrid is just a concept vehicle. This concept vehicle is a statement that we intend to include CNG in our diverse portfolio of future alternative-fuel R&D. Our purpose in building it as a concept is to demonstrate the efficiency and adaptability of Hybrid Synergy Drive, and to demonstrate that we continue to work with a variety of powertrain concepts to ensure that we have products that meet the current and future needs of our customers on a global basis. We think you’ll find the CNG Camry Hybrid interesting. So if you’re visiting the LA show, feel free to drop by and take a look.

GM must be allowed to fail. Bankruptcy is the best, most efficient way to re-organize this company. Their management is living in a make believe world, much like the French monarchy in 1788. Their private jets parked in DC speak volumes louder than their testimony before congress. I say OFF WITH THEIR HEADS! On this, Mitt Romney and I agree.

Nic passes the Morning Becomes Eclectic torch to Jason Bentley

Congratulations Jason Bentley. We'll miss you Nic.

From KCRW:

With a passion for music and culture, host Jason Bentley diligently serves up the hypnotic pulse of modern city life and club culture.

How to Address the American Automotive Industry Crisis

Let's face it, we're gonna have to do something about the mess this guy got himself into, but let's do it smartly. From everything I read and hear, this is the best way to address Detroit's failure to provide products that Americans want to buy.

How to Address the American Automotive Industry Crisis

1. Perform an assessment of global auto industry financial landscape with the goal of creating a level playing field. Some auto companies outside the US already receive government support in various ways. Germany is a part owner of Volkswagen. Japan invests heavily in battery technology research that has directly benefitted Toyota. Our government ought to do a similar job supporting our auto industry, but not exceed what I'd call a "global average auto industry subsidy." Let's figure out what that average is and give Detroit the same support.

2. Provide tax incentives to promote the roll out of hybrid and non-carbon based transportation vehichles. Give hefty tax breaks for buyers of full electric cars, lesser tax breaks for buyers of hybrid cars, no tax breaks for buyers of traditional gas powered cars, and hefty tax penaltys for buyers of gas guzzelers. Spend the tax money on investments in new energy technology, creating high paying jobs!

3. Do away with the fleet fuel economy standards and apply a gas tax to spur consumers to choose fuel efficient cars. Rather than mandating that Detroit sell a fleet of vehicles with some minimum average fuel economy, instead apply a gasoline tax that will encourage consumers to buy fuel efficient vehicles. This does away with the loopholes that allow 8 mpg SUVs to fill our streets. Rubbish! No More! Spend the tax money on investments in new energy technology, creating high paying jobs!

4. Any car company that accepts US Taxpayer Funds can no longer lobby or sue government agencies.

eBay doesn't want my business

eBay continues to suspect that I might be a peddler of counterfeit goods, and insists that I only list one branded item every month or so, depending on their mood. Since their process for deciding who is restricted or what level of restriction is placed on a given account is secret, we're all left to guess what our limits are, or if Terri (Office of President of eBay, my pal) is to be believed, we should "test" our limits from time to time to guess what they are. I thought I had garnered enough positive feedback, and I was ready to suck up to the Borg and try my luck. Here goes...

Dear Ms. eBay,

Thank you for choosing my account for special restrictions on branded items. Without knowing the qualification requirements, since they are a closely guarded secret, I believe that I would qualify to have those secret restrictions raised based on the fact that I have built a long-standing and consistent positive history of selling such items. I believe I may be eligible to have these limits raised and would like Ms. eBay to review my limits.

Best,

69fasty

My letter to Senator Barbara Boxer regarding the upcoming transportation bill

I got an alert from the LACBC today that pointed to the Rails to Trails initiative. Their goal is:

to build on the success of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program in SAFETEA-LU. The goal: empowering dozens of communities to each advocate for $50 million in federal funds to make focused investments in infrastructure and programs to shift automobile trips to walking and biking. The campaign aims to double the federal investment in active transportation in the next reauthorization.

I wanted to make sure my senator, Barbara Boxer, was aware of my position on this incredible opportunity to make good on the potential of bicycle transportation infrastructure investment. Here's my letter. I encourage everyone to take action and contact their senators today.

Honorable Senator:

I wish to let you know how important it is to me that the next federal transportation bill creates walkable and bikeable communities. I am a cyclist here in Pacific Palisades and greater Los Angeles. I find it appalling that there is not a greater emphasis on non-car transportation, specifically bicycle transportation corridors throughout Los Angeles. Transportation studies consistently show that the majority of trips are 3 miles or less, well within the ability of bicycles if safe bicycle transportation corridors existed. I believe that it is imperative for my city and state's future to embrace bicycling as a viable and relevant transportation option. I encourage you to look at the success of cities like Portland Oregon or Copenhagen Denmark to see how the quality of life improves when government invests in bicycle infrastructure. Less congestion, cleaner air, reduced dependency on foreign oil, healthier americans, lower health care costs are a few of the benefits of investing in bicycle infrastructure. I totally support the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's 2010 Campaign for Active Transportation to provide communities across the country with $50 million each to invest in biking and walking that will clean our air, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve public health, reduce congestion and improve quality of life.

Your Pal,

Alex