Hyundai's Great All-Terrain Concept Car

Very impressed with the Hyundai concept "Walking Car."

It can drive, walk, and climb. 

I heard that this thing can even climb over walls and jump over gaps!

(Ah, I'm not going to say anything about border security with this--let's just hope the bad guys don't get this). 

This is the closest that we've come to Hollywood's Transformers.

This is much more than a vehicle for search and rescue--this is ALL-TERRAIN!

Great job Hyundai--I'd love to test drive this beauty!  ;-)

Hyundai's Great All-Terrain Concept Car

What Do You Think Of Toll Booths

The Total CIO speaks about the stupidity of toll booths.

Basically, it's highway robbery. ;-)

(Source Video: Dannielle Blumenthal)

What Do You Think Of Toll Booths

Metro Doesn't Always Get You There

So today the Washington D.C. Metro has a full suspension of service for at least 24 hours over the entire system. 

Metro says it is to check safety after a fire on the system on Monday, but the hastiness and extremeness of the action has many scratching their heads and asking "Terror Threat?"

Either way, better safe than sorry!

It's funny because just on the way home yesterday, I took this photo of what I believe is a advertisement for taking Metro (instead of driving) or for some reason I took it as that. 

Metro is supposed to get you there, but doesn't always. 

Still better than sitting in traffic or getting tickets downtown. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Metro Doesn't Always Get You There

I Couldn't Do It

No this isn't my car, but it's definitely old. 

So we were going to go sell one of our older cars tonight. 

One of the warning lights recently went on and when we took it to the dealer he told us it would be thousands to service it. 

After agonizing about it, we resigned ourselves to just getting rid of it and not investing anymore $$$ in an old car.

We went to the car to empty it and get it ready.

As I watched Dossy cleaning it out, all these memories started racing through my head--seeing Dossy behind the wheel as well the kids. 

Remembering all the good times we had driving here and there together. 

But this was Dossy's car and it was special to her and I knew it. 

I looked again at her and said, "I can't do it--let's just keep it."

She looked at me--and gave me the biggest smile. 

When we went back inside, she said to me, "You love me!"

And I said, "Of course, I do."

Now, we get the car fixed--some things you can't put a price on. 

P.S. Last week, she threatened to move out if I didn't agree to fix it. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

I Couldn't Do It

Nice Wheels

Nice convertible outside Starbucks yesterday. 

Something very freeing about a big boat car, with top down, wind blowing through your hair, and everyone looking your way. 

Anyway, these folks were having a grand 'ol time--can you blame them--looks like fun. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Nice Wheels

Closed And Closed

This is sort of hilarious.

Check out the signs on either side of the road.

- Right lane closed.

- Left lane closed.

Even more stupid, notice that the signs are reversed (the left closure sign is on the right side of the road and the right closure sign is on the left side of the road)...oops.

Thank G-d, there were three lanes--at least for a little while. ;-)

(Source Photo: Dannielle Blumenthal)

Closed And Closed

Risk In The Eye Of The Beholder

Should I do it or is it too risky?

That's a question we ask ourselves many times a day.

- Open our mouths at work or keep a lid on it.

- Run to catch that train or bus or slow down and go more carefully.

- Eat that greasy burger and fries or opt for a salad and smoothie.

- Invest in that highflier stock or put your money in the "G" fund.

The Wall Street Journal presents risk management as both quantifiable and qualitative. 

For example, a MicroMort (1 MM, and sounds like micro fart) is "equal to one-in-a million chance of death."

An average American has a 1.3MMs chance of a "sudden, violent end" on any given day. 

However, climb to the base camp at Mount Everest (at 29K feet), that's over 12,000 MM, base jump at only 430 MMs per jump, parachute 7 MM, and go on a roller coaster at only .0015 MM. 

So there you have it--statistics tell the risk story!

But not so fast, our risk calculations also take into account our qualitative values. For example, we tend to lower the risk in our minds of postpartum depression (10-15% or higher) because we value having a baby. 

Similarly, we tend to think driving (1 MM per 240 miles) is safer than flying (1 MM per 7,500 miles) because we believe we are in control of the automobile, as opposed to a passenger jet flown by a couple of pilots. 

The result, "Scariness of an activity isn't necessarily proportionate to its risk."

That means that you can easily make a mistake and underestimate risk, because of your personality or cultural and social biases. 

Rock climb at your own risk...BUT do you really understand what that risk even is or are you driven to do something overly dangerous and maybe stupid. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Risk In The Eye Of The Beholder

Riding The T-Rex

Rebecca got me on another mini-adventure today.

The T-Rex scooter had only 3 wheels, but packed quite a punch. 

We navigated Las Olas and the Fort Lauderdale Beach pretty good in this thing. 

So low to the ground, my hand could touch it, and no windshield so everything sort of just flies right through. 

It was only an hour, but as we in this touristy-way waved at the passerbys and speed around town next to the other hulking vehicles, weaving and beeping on this crazy horn, it was a fun time and a good memory. ;-)

(Source Photo: Dannielle Blumenthal)

Riding The T-Rex

When GPS Takes You Down The Wrong Path

Mashable is reporting that a team of university students from University of Texas at Austin were able to spoof the GPS receivers on an $80 million yacht with false signals and make it veer off course without anyone even noticing!

I remember a couple of years ago, I was heading to an offsite meeting for work. 

It was planned for a location that I wasn't extremely familiar with.

Of course, I turned on my GPS device in the car and set the destination.

It was a cold snowy day--the roads were iced--and it was already treacherous driving. 

But I followed the GPS directions to a T.

I ended up in someone's backyard--at a dead end--practically in the middle of a cornfield. 

I'm thinking to myself Crap!--what type of crazy GPS is this? 

Thank G-d, I had my smartphone in my pocket and I opened up the GPS app on it and set the destination again. 

Sure enough, it takes me off and running to the meeting location--about 10 minutes away!

Some things I learnt:

1) OMG, we are so very dependent on our technology; with technology gone wrong, I was stuck in nowhere land USA; with it right--I got out of there and to the correct location and thank G-d. 

2) GPS is a capability that is critical for everything from getting us to where we need to go to getting our missiles to hit on target. Take away or mess with our GPS and we end up missing the mark--potentially big time and with devastating consequences. 

3) Always have a backup, plan B. One GPS can be wrong as in this case, while the other GPS was correct. Redundancy and contingency planning is a must have, period. 

4) When you're heading down the wrong road (or you're off course in international waters), man up and admit it and make a course correction. You don't win any brownie points for continuing to drive into the cornfields. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

When GPS Takes You Down The Wrong Path

Everyone's A Backseat Driver

Someone put this lovely card on my car recently.

Hey, I know I know I'm not the best driver in the world--

BUT this is insulting. :-(

Plus a little ~~threatening~~

So, if what happens if you park better in the future--do you get a reward card instead?

And then they buff out the scratches they put on your car previously :-)

Thanks a lot!

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Everyone's A Backseat Driver