Another thing that's out there is a conversion kit for the old Jaguar E-type, that replaces the classic engine, gearbox, and fuel tank with an electric motor and batteries. Apparently it gets significantly faster acceleration than the original and has a range of around 150 miles. The one that's been shown off at car shows is a one-off but there's talk of producing them in bulk as the battery pack is more or less a drop-in replacement for the Jaguar straight-6 engine.
]]>In addition, the bulk of Russian help seems to have come from outside the US, from social and Twitter bots, the programs that convincingly emulate genuine user support or opposition to whatever topic their owner selects. (Deutsch Welle has a good introduction to bots -- http://www.dw.com/en/the-rise-of-political-bots-on-social-media/a-19450562; Google also, "social media dashboard tools platforms").
Actual Russian contracts with American social media platforms in contrast, were only a small part of their effort and were entirely legal, as was made clear in congressional hearings this week.
In addition, the effect of 52 US Code 30121, which Eric mentions, seems to be muddied by its definition of those "foreign nationals," who are not allowed to help in a US election as not including American citizens (the implication is, even if acting as a foreign national's agent), nor any non-citizen who not been admitted to the US as a permanent resident.
Finally, the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which might cover the Russian-related activities of, among others, Trump's campaign manager Paul Manafort, is, for a variety of reasons, is generally unenforced (see Vox's article at https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/11/3/16596484/fara-foreign-agents-registration-manafort-enforcement-scandal ), so much so that there was some surprise that the Mueller investigation even bothered.
]]>I, and perhaps you, would put the results of Trump's record so far in terms of competence. Trump's lawyers, in impeachment proceedings before the House of Representatives, would put them in terms of a plain-dealing captain of industry and pillar of the economy who has sacrificed his golden years in order to return the nation to a common-sense path, being hobbled by the spiderweb of finicky rules and arbitrary taboos imposed by generations of Washington courtiers and hangers-on, bent on maintaining their bloodsucking sinecures at the expense of poor working families.
This is close to what Trump himself is arguing in his current complaint that he, just because he's trapped in the unfortunate position of being president, can't order the country's security apparatus to persecute Hillary and others who, he is sure, had to have been doing something illegal: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/predatory-aggressive-and-childish#more-1093512
]]>But then I thought of the Ford Anglia conversion someone tried to sell me, must be nearly 30 years ago, with a V8 in it. I think something like that might be interesting to annoy Audi drivers with.
Finding a sensible chassis/suspension to handle lots of acceleration in a meek-looking package might be harder though.
]]>That wasn't quite what I was asking (should have been more precise). Those with more money than sense will buy their supercars, no doubt. What about the 20-year-olds? What will they do, when cars are no longer a thing you own?
]]>In Oregon five years ago, I happened across a rather good show of the type in which proud car fans display their autos -- this one included antique and classic cars, muscle cars, hot rods, pretty much the gamut. And both those showing and attending were almost entirely geriatric. (Since then I have seen others where there were at least some young people in attendance, so the culture has not entirely changed). http://www.seasideoregon.com/car-show/
]]>Ah, I wasn't referring to empties-for-recycling but empties-for-reuse, and I certainly want my deposits back. There's a law hereabouts making the shops take the multipath bottles of types they sell back and paying out their deposit.
Regarding paper receipts: you cannot prove that you bought the thing elsewhere, you can prove that you bought a thing of the type elsewhere recently, and I have had unpleasant discussions with shop security when I was picking up a few things on my way home by bike about that. The way around that is telling one of the check-out people that you're taking $thing inside, but that only works for a very limited number of things and as an exception.
Supermarket-type shops (i.e.: not the butcher and baker) hereabouts explicitly ask you to leave your bags in your car, too; customers dropping by on foot or by bike are officially unplanned-for. There is no reason to expect that early adopters of self-driving taxis would be better off.
]]>