Fold-up car of the future unveiled for Europe

That’s right: a car that folds up. I don’t know about y’all, but “folding” is something I look for in clothing, not a vehicle.

The “Hiriko,” the Basque word for “urban,” is an electric two-seater with no doors whose motor is located in the wheels and which folds up like a child’s collapsible buggy, or stroller, for easy parking.

With the motor in the wheels and only a lightweight plastic cover to shield the sole passenger, I can’t imagine what could possibly go wrong. However, I’m sure that the Europeans in charge of this deathtrap car of the future have that covered.

“European ideas usually are developed in the United States. This time an American idea is being made in Europe,” consortium spokesman Gorka Espiau told AFP.

See that? Who do you think will get sued when the first casualties begin to amass? Not the Basque companies. It is an American design, after all. They see it as a city-owned vehicle to rent out for use in congested areas, and as for the speed, it would be electronically set to the city speed limits.

What cracks me up, aside from knowing the mortality rates probably will be going up across Europe, is the fact that this vehicle is completely electric, and yet most of the cities to which it is destined are having power crises. And who will be paying for the electricity used for the little buggers? Why, just impose another tax hidden among the others, because the rent of the bug cart will be slated as revenue for the city.

I can’t wait to see what happens when this thing gets hit by a Ford truck. Shit… I can’t wait to see what happens when it gets hit by a Smart Car!!!

Warren Buffett’s Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC is among U.S. and Canadian railroads that stand to benefit from the Obama administration’s decision to reject TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL oil pipeline permit.

I find it funny that Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett’s company, just happens to be centralized in Omaha, Nebraska, the very state where the envirowhackos have claimed the pipeline would destroy wetlands and agricultural productivity. As we all know, that’s the government’s job, not the pipeline’s. Oh, and if you think it’s about environmental issues, think again.

The rail option, though costlier, would lessen the environmental impact, such as a loss of wetlands and agricultural productivity, compared to the pipeline, according to the State Department analysis. Greenhouse gas emissions, however, would be worse.

So it’s ok to protect the wetlands from the evul Canuck pipeline, the study of which the State Dept. claims would take too long before the Obama Administration deadline, but not ok to protect it from greenhouse emissions that can suffocate it, right? I guess dealing with a railroad bottleneck effect, more pollution, and higher transportation costs is better than providing much needed job creation and income stability to Americans.

At least Mr. Buffett gets to profit. From the government. With our money.

G00gle™

Wikipedia™

Reddit™

My question for them is, will you be this vocal when the Fairness Doctrine and Net Neutrality rear their ugly heads again?

Virginia Elementary School Indoctrinating Third-Graders With Occupy Sing-Along: “They Want More Money, They’re The 1%. . . I’m Happy To Be Part Of The 99%”

I don’t know how things are in Virginia, but around here, it is illegal to promote any political propaganda in the school. I don’t care if any Prez has a message for the kidlets about staying in school. My folks took me out of school when Reagan spoke to the schools in the 80′s, and they voted for him. But what really bothers me aside the obvious in the lyrics, is the affirmation by the by the school board that the third graders wrote the song themselves. Here is a sample of the lyrics:

Some people have it all
But they still don’t think they have enough
They want more money
A faster ride
They’re not content
Never satisfied
Yes — they’re the 1 percent

I still remember what I was writing in Third Grade. Hell, I remember what my kids wrote. Roses were red, and violets were blue, and that was the extent of their poetry. Class warfare this early? Sorry, I don’t buy it. Eldest is 16, she reads political blogs and watches the news, and is just now coming to understand what the term class warfare means. Little One can’t grasp the concept of what 99% is, outside of a bar of Ivory Soap™. So I ask you, how do eight year olds come up with these lyrics?

But I look at every side and I’m always willing to give the benefit of the doubt. In this case, let’s say the kids did write it. You know what that tells me? If indeed the kids wrote that, then it’s golden proof that the schools do a poor job of educating, and a great job of indoctrinating. And if so, it may already be too late to stop our decline.

With about 40 arson fires across Los Angeles in the last three days, the wave of intentional blazes that started in Hollywood on Friday is the worst since the 1992 riots.

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Most of the blazes were started on automobiles, with some spreading to buildings. By Saturday night, the Los Angeles police and fire departments were leading a multiagency campaign across the county.

Unlike the muslim yutes who torched Paris and surrounding cities in 2005, these fires had no catalystic event like the accidental deaths of two juvenile delinquents. According to the city, the arsonist (or copycats) just decided to start setting fires to cars, and then to buildings, though looking at the map provided in the link, they all seem to be pretty close to Hollywood Freeway. But take heart, Los Angeles: these are fires your brave men and women in the LAFD can put out. Governor Jerry “Peace Out!” Brown has decided to burn your state, and there’s pretty much nothing you can do about it:

Californians will no longer be able to carry handguns openly in public, buy alcohol at self-serve checkout stands or purchase shark fins for their soup under hundreds of new laws that take effect Jan. 1.

Other measures bar minors from tanning beds, allow students to be suspended for cyber-bullying and require booster seats for children in cars until they are 8 years old or at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall.

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[Also included] new funding for a bullet train and a campaign to boost enrollment for food stamps as the economy remains sluggish…. [and] one allowing illegal immigrants to receive private financial aid administered by California’s public colleges. (Another permitting access to taxpayer-provided aid takes effect in 2013.)

So, in a state that considers itself to be a safe haven sanctuary for illegal immigrants, banning open carry while giving out more benefits to said immigrants makes perfect sense. Governor Brown is probably hoping some illegals will take the bullet train after putting a bullet through an unarmed victim’s head. But at least the sharks are safe.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced today that the Department of Defense will begin allowing Muslim and Sikh students who wear an Islamic head scarf (hijab) or a turban to participate in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC).

Now, I don’t have anything against Sikhs at all. But the whole point of JROTC is to help groom kids for a future in the military, a uniform military. But because one young woman had to transfer out of her ROTC class due to her hijab, CAIR had to make sure to exert influence.

CAIR requested constitutionally-protected religious accommodations for the girl and for future Muslim JROTC participants.

I know for a fact that Catholics cannot carry a rosary in their hands while in uniform. I have never seen a Jew wearing a yamulke while in uniform (please, correct me if I’m wrong). What I do know is that no complaints about that have ever been filed by Christians or Jews. But I guess this is where the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Soon enough, young men will be allowed to sport beards. Looking at the bright side, at least we will know who they are, and where to aim, if necessary.

I do wonder if they will let my kids show their crucifixes now.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) will announce Monday that he is not seeking re-election, a spokesman said Monday morning.

Gee, I wonder why? It’s not like he doesn’t have one of the safest seats, right? Could it have something to do with him being the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee? Or maybe it could be allegations of insider trading? Maybe the guy is tired after 16 terms serving his constituency? Or maybe he’s tired after 16 terms of helping himself to the trough?

Whatever the reason, I’m sure he will miss Intern Week™.

[Mariano] Rajoy, who first challenged for the premiership in 2004, is expected to unseat the Socialists on Sunday amid widespread unhappiness with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who has announced he will stand down after the vote.

I guess all that Cambio didn’t work out for España. This is what happens when you freak out and cave in to terrorists. This is what happens when you cave in to socialism via AGW dogma. You end up destroying your economy, and try to fix it by changing the guard back to conservatism. At least until such time as you feel you don’t need it any more.

The election in Spain is likely to mark a third change of prime minister in one of the four embattled southern EU countries – Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain – in the space of a few weeks. But Rajoy would be elected by the people, unlike Lucas Papademos and Mario Monti, the new technocratic prime ministers of Greece and Italy.

That’s right. THREE of the FOUR have changed PMs. The Socialists in Spain are trying to downplay the debacle by blaming it on banshees, minotaurs, and a disgruntled Dyonisus investors looking for a scapegoat. But every pendulum eventually swings back. Unfortunately for these countries, it may be too late.

But we can at least enjoy some Spanish eyecandy.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Thursday that the buck stopped with him over the half-billion dollar loan made to California solar company Solyndra, using a hearing on Capitol Hill to take responsibility for the failed investment while continuing to defend his actions as not politically motivated.

This imbroglio just keeps getting thicker, and that is only aided by partisan hackery, of course.

[Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO)] complained about the recent Republican decision to issue a subpoena to the White House over Solyndra despite “good-faith efforts” by the White House to comply.

What “good faith efforts”? Ignoring a subpoena is not a “good faith effort” by any definition. That falls under “obstruction” where I come from. But Chu is putting up some sort of fight, just enough to save Department face. However, the fact that he approved a restructuring of Solyndra’s debt that allowed two private investors to move ahead of taxpayers won’t look good for him, especially in light of his insisting that taxpayers still are first in line. He does keep pushing the AGW Koolaid™, though.

“When it comes to the clean energy race, America faces a simple choice: compete or accept defeat. I believe we can and must compete,” he said.

Compete?? COMPETE?? If there were anything to “compete” in, we wouldn’t need subsidies in the “clean energy” field, would we??

Does this man have any idea of the shitstorm coming his way?

Students Lose Zeal for Aiding Obama Again

Poor kids…. so disappointed in having to live in the Real World™ now that they are graduating from college and can’t find jobs.

Ms. Guerrero said that she did not blame Mr. Obama for the 13.4 percent unemployment rate that has gripped this state, and that she was still likely to vote for him. But as she looks to graduation this June and her job hunt ahead, the emotion she feels is fear, and she cannot imagine having the time or spirit to work for Mr. Obama.

{snip}

He hasn’t really addressed the young people, and we helped him to get elected.”

Hm….considering her entire state of Nevada is practically run by Democrats, whose fault is it?? And exactly what did you expect him to address? The only thing he likes addressing is a golfball across a green.

Mr. Obama’s campaign manager, Jim Messina, said there had been eight million voters ages 18 to 21 registered since the last election, most of whom were Democrats.“Their brothers and sisters started it, and they are going to finish it,” Mr. Messina said Monday. “They are storming into our office. Our volunteer numbers are up from where we thought they would be.”

Hey, indoctrination works! Guess what, Mr. Messina. Those “brothers and sisters” are seeing their brothers and sisters returning home jobless and putting further strain on the families. Just because they registered as Democrats since the last election doesn’t mean they will be voting Democrat in the next election. Hell, it doesn’t mean they will even vote!! And as for your volunteer numbers being up from where they would be, well, it’s easy when you start at zero, isn’t it?

I have hope that these kids start waking up to the nightmare they helped to foster. I’m not holding my breath, though.