Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Tired ... so very tired
A few days ago, Sen. Obama remarked in a speech that doing little things, like making sure your car's tires are properly inflated, can make a difference in the amount of gas you use. The Republicans have decided to thoroughly mock this as the most ridiculous thing ever.
Can I give you a little firsthand experience? In the past, my 2002 Saturn generally got to the three-quarters-full mark on the gas gauge around the time my trip odometer hit 100 miles (that is, after I reset the odometer to 0 when I fill the tank). Since gas prices have risen, I've made a few changes to way I drive. I speed up at a slower rate from full stops (thereby avoiding "jackrabbit starts," which waste gas). I try to coast into stops at lights and stop signs rather than keeping my foot on the accelerator to the last moment and then braking. On the highway, I've been keeping to around 56-57 miles per hour rather than the 63 or so I used to do.
And guess what? I'm getting to around 120 miles on the trip odometer at the three-quarters-full mark. That's with my AC on in the hot weather.
Can you imagine if everyone did this?
Republicans are handing out tire gauges with "Obama's energy plan" on them as a form of ridicule. Remember when they handed out "purple heart" Band-Aids on the floor of the Republican Convention four years ago to mock Sen. Kerry's service during the Vietnam War? That was a slap in the face of every veteran who earned that distinction. And this seems like slap at every American who'd like to save a few bucks at the pump.
I haven't been checking my tire pressure, by the way. But I'm going to start.
UPDATE: "It's like they take pride in being ignorant."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Most of the time I am surprised at the power of sarcasm, and how ill used it is! This is one of them. While evryone should be concerned about the environment...at least to some extent, there's always some who'll find some kinda wise ass witty retort that'll twist the entire story!
I LOVE sarcasm, but unless one has the grace and the intelligence to use it where needed, it just becomes a cheap thrill....the one's that come from leering at chicks you dare not speak to!
Pardon me if i sound angry and frustrated. had a long day. And then started my contribution to the Greenpeace effort to save Olive Ridleys in here...do read the latest post in my blog, and if you are concerned, do join the greenpeace campaign.
cheers!
PS: That was a long comment...i should sleep!
I used to drive a Saturn. A '93 SL2. It should tell you something about my feelings for that car when I tell you I was ecstatic when I traded it in on a '99 Windstar, which I had daydreams of blowing up, Mythbusters style, by packing dynamite in the wheel wells by 2004.
So, have Saturns gotten any better?
Pos -- It's my second Saturn, and I've had good luck with both. I'm almost up to 100,000 miles on this one. (I have a friend who got up to something like 150,000 miles on a Saturn with no problems.)
That said, when I run this into the ground, I'll probably buy something else. I'm not crazy about the new model. Saturn keeps making the new ones bigger and less fuel efficient. Crazy.
A -- I read about the Olive Ridley turtles in India. Very sad!
I think Kevin Drum said it best: "On the other hand, Barack Obama's light-hearted take on the GOP's weeklong juvenalia parade is impeccable: "It's like these guys take pride in being ignorant." No kidding. It's been like watching a bunch of sixth graders crack themselves up telling fart jokes." (bold emphasis mine)
I've done the same in regards to my driving habits and I asked the mechanics at my work to check my tire pressure. I went from 180 to 220 miles on a tank of gas. Even if that was his whole energy plan, it would still be better than what we've had so far.
Post a Comment