Ford is planning to increase fuel economy by increasing its of 6-speed automatic transmissions. Weren't they recently complaining about higher CAFE standards being unfair? Funny what $3.50 + per gallon has on industry.
While 6-speed automatic transmissions are significantly more fuel efficient than four- and five-speed automatic transmissions, switching to CVT transmissions can save even more fuel. That's exactly what Nissan did -- the majority of their non-manual transmissions are currently CVT.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Vancouver
Obviously, I haven't bothered to update this blog in a while. The last post I made was enroute to Vancouver via a weekend back home (San Francisco). I spent a couple of weeks here settling in, and the rest of my time enjoying myself. What a fine town Vancouver is. And it's not at all as rainy as I expected it to be.
Sure, it rains, but it doesn't pound rain. It's more like frequent drizzles here and there. And we've had snow a few times, which is a few times more than normal according to what the locals tell me. But the many sunny days we've had here have been fantastic. It rarely gets above 6 to 10 degrees C (50 F), but it's really not that cold, since it's not very windy (at least compared to the Bay Area).
And there are women here. Lots and lots of young, attractive women. I'll just leave it at that.
The food is excellent. Especially the East Asian cuisines. The Chinese food, especially the Hong Kong fare, is fantastic, the best in North America some would say. The reason behind this is that many HK people emigrated away in the late 80s/early 90s, as they feared the 1997 takeover by China. So many came to Vancouver, since Canada has very lax immigration laws. Along with the HK masses that came to Vancouver came the chefs and restaurateurs, who brought their high standards with them.
The Japanese cuisine here is also very good. It definitely seems more authentic than the Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area, probably because of the many Japanese students who come here to study demand authenticity when they go out to eat. And the few times I had sushi were fantastic.
There are many other non-Asian options for dining as well. I've eaten at a fare share of western joints, and have enjoyed many meals. But there wasn't anything that was special enough to warrant a trip up here, especially from metro areas like the Bay Area, LA, or NYC.
That's all for now. Off to eat :-) I'll try and keep this blog updated more often that not.
Sure, it rains, but it doesn't pound rain. It's more like frequent drizzles here and there. And we've had snow a few times, which is a few times more than normal according to what the locals tell me. But the many sunny days we've had here have been fantastic. It rarely gets above 6 to 10 degrees C (50 F), but it's really not that cold, since it's not very windy (at least compared to the Bay Area).
And there are women here. Lots and lots of young, attractive women. I'll just leave it at that.
The food is excellent. Especially the East Asian cuisines. The Chinese food, especially the Hong Kong fare, is fantastic, the best in North America some would say. The reason behind this is that many HK people emigrated away in the late 80s/early 90s, as they feared the 1997 takeover by China. So many came to Vancouver, since Canada has very lax immigration laws. Along with the HK masses that came to Vancouver came the chefs and restaurateurs, who brought their high standards with them.
The Japanese cuisine here is also very good. It definitely seems more authentic than the Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area, probably because of the many Japanese students who come here to study demand authenticity when they go out to eat. And the few times I had sushi were fantastic.
There are many other non-Asian options for dining as well. I've eaten at a fare share of western joints, and have enjoyed many meals. But there wasn't anything that was special enough to warrant a trip up here, especially from metro areas like the Bay Area, LA, or NYC.
That's all for now. Off to eat :-) I'll try and keep this blog updated more often that not.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Charlotte Airport
I was in Charleston, SC for a couple weeks, and am now on my way home. My United Airlines flight from Charleston to Washington Dulles was delayed by several hours, so the United agent booked me on a US Airways flight from Charleston to San Francisco via Charlotte, and I have to say that Charlotte airport is far larger than I would have ever imagined. The best part? The free wi-fi, especially considering that most other airports charge a fee to access their wi-fi network.
I'll consider using US Airways the next time I fly down this way. Charlotte airport has been a pleasant surprise so far.
I'll consider using US Airways the next time I fly down this way. Charlotte airport has been a pleasant surprise so far.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Dulles Greenway is also retarded
The toll rates on the Dulles Greenway is just as silly as the toll collection methods of its sister highway, the Dulles Toll Road. I drove on the Dulles Greenway the other day, and was surprised to be charged $3.30. What an odd fee. Not only does this make toll collection labor intensive, but it's also such an odd number that it would seem unlikely that anyone would have exact change, effectively slowing down traffic at the toll booths.
To make matters worse, at $3.50, the weekday toll is higher than the weekend toll. I can see the reasoning behind this, but it would only seem to make traveling on the road more confusing than it should be.
Personally, I'd rather see the weekday toll at $4, and the weekend toll drop to $3. But that's just me. You see, I have this thing for nice, round numbers.
To make matters worse, at $3.50, the weekday toll is higher than the weekend toll. I can see the reasoning behind this, but it would only seem to make traveling on the road more confusing than it should be.
Personally, I'd rather see the weekday toll at $4, and the weekend toll drop to $3. But that's just me. You see, I have this thing for nice, round numbers.
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