Popcorn

If anybody wants to understand why Americans have become such an obese people, they only need to go to their local theatre.

I went to the movies tonight to see the Chronicles of Narnia (which was really good). As I sat in the theatre before the lights went dim, I took a look around and noticed something. Only in our supersize-me food culture do we need to buy gallon-size cups of soda, one pound boxes of candy, and suitcase-size cartons of popcorn. Heaven forbid we go two hours without food while we sit on our fat asses. To think, we might actually starve.

The observation that really struck me wasn't the volume of food that was consumed, but rather at the rate of which it was consumed, or rather inhaled. Look around at people sitting in the theatres. Nobody pops one or two kernals of popcorn, they grab large handfuls of it and jam them into their mouths while half of it ends up on their shirts. It was disgusting and to be honest, I've been guilty of it myself in the past, just not this evening. Tonight, I was probably too full from my oversized portion at dinner.

Lutz

Whether you know of him or not, Bob Lutz has definitely made a name for himself in the automotive industry. He's worked at all three domestic companies and even BMW in his career. Within the industry he's been called the "car czar" because he's an automotive executive that actually loves cars. He's the one that has brought about projects such as the Solstice and the Viper, to name a few. When he speaks, I generally listen. The following is an excerpt from an interview that I thought I would post. Enjoy.

Bob Lutz Interview
We talk with the General's Car Czar
By Karl Brauer

Why do you think the Japanese continue to gain market share in the U.S.? Is it simply product-related or does it go beyond that?
Part of it is, of course, exchange rates. Adjusted for costs in the respective countries, the yen is just too weak. And considering the cost of doing business in the United States in U.S. dollars, the Japanese still have a cost advantage of three to four thousand dollars per vehicle, which they can either use to pricing advantage or margin advantage or putting more equipment into a car at a given price. And it doesn't matter whether they produce the cars in the U.S. or not, because a lot of the content is still imported. People say, "Well, Toyotas are built in the United States now." Yes, many are assembled in the United States, many are not assembled in the United States, and even the ones that are assembled in the U.S. contain a high percentage of Japanese or other offshore parts. The exchange rate issue is real. The other thing is, I don't think there is a real, measurable quality difference anymore. If you look at J.D. Power ranking by make — by nameplate — as opposed to by corporation, Toyota is actually now in ninth place. And Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac are ahead of Toyota. It's only when you lump Lexus and Toyota together that Toyota barely squeaks out a first-place position — a little known fact, by the way. So the reality is we've closed the quality gap but the lag in customer perception is still huge. The average person still believes that the Japanese cars' quality and reliability is head-and-shoulders above General Motors, and it simply is no longer the case.

It's going to take a while for that to get through. I would say the onus is on us to produce vehicles, which we're now doing and the Chevrolet Malibu is the first concrete example, vehicles with a much higher level of visual quality. Better panel fits, closer gaps, better door-closing sounds, better-tailored seat covers and more precise knobs and switches. Soft, low-gloss plastic parts instead of hard, shiny ones. All of those things are part of what the customer registers as a quality perception, which is why we call it "perceived quality." And your real quality can be outstanding, but if your perceived quality is off, the customer says, "Gee, I don't know, this is a pretty lousy-looking interior. I can't believe this is a good car." And you turn them off. That part we still have to fix across our whole product line and do interiors and exterior fits and finishes that tell the customer, "Wow, this thing was put together with great attention to detail and love of craftsmanship." That's really the Volkswagen and Audi secret. If you look at J.D. Power, their cars are not even average, but the way they are finished is so good that the customer thinks, "This is done with such care and love. I must have this car."

The rest of the interview can be found Here. Its an interesting read, at least to me it was.

Gay

Me: Do you know how I know you're gay? You have a rainbow bumpersticker on your car that says "I love it when *balls* are in my face".
Biz: do you know how i know you're gay? Cause you're gay... and you can tell who other gay people are.?
Me: do you know how i know you're gay.... how... your dick tastes like shit
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?... you tasted my dick
Me: yeah that probably makes me gay
Me: do you know how i know you're gay... you macramed yourself a pair of jean shorts
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?... you like Coldplay
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you like the move "maid in manhattan"
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?... I once saw you make spinach dip in a loaf of bread/
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you wear baby blue track pants
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay... youve checked out my ass in said track pants
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you listen to john stamos
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay... you watch Full House
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? cause you're gay and you told me
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay... cause youre gay and you kissed me
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? cause when you were doing me, you gave me a reach around
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay, cause when I was giving you a reach around you liked it
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you asked steve to join you and beth one night
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay... you are masturbating to this conversation as we speak
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you had a purple car
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay,,, you had a saturn
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you were in the college of communications and yet never met any girls there
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay... youre still college and havent met any girls
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you like soul decision
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay? you do too
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you like to drink blue shit from glass boots
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay? because youre only doing single shots, when im doing doubles of blue shit from galss boots
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you ride a cock rocket
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay? because im gay and you wanted to be my roommate
Me: do you know i know you're gay? because you're gay and wanted me to rape you once i was your roommate
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay?... you have a blog
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you read it
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay? you think this should be put up on your blog
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you can read my mind
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay?... only gay guys can have their minds read
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you were drunk sophomore year and came out to me
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay? youre not coming out to the PSU bowl party in Philly
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you won't pay for my plane ticket... because you know if i come... you'd hit on me in front of beth
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay?.... youve already hit on me in front of beth
Me: do you know i know you're gay? you grabbed my ass after i hit on you in front of beth
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay?... you licked the sweat off my balls after playing b-ball in the IM building junior year
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you never used your guitar skills to pickup girl in the freshman quad
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?... you didn't come out to the strip club with me, budura, wayne, b, and misha senior year
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? your screenname is a reference to your penis
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay? you moth waters everyimte you think about the size of my penis
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you've watched an episode of sex in the city with me
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay?.... i came back to my dorm room sophomore year, to find you in my room by yourself
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? steve's chest hair turns you on
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay? ... you never wanted teems to hang out with us sophomore year so we could be alone together
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you should be working but instead you're talking to me about being gay
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay?... youd rather be working than bullshitting on the computer
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you like stevie wonder's music from the 80s
Biz: do you know how i know youre gay?.... you've hung out in Chumlee's.... on several occasions might I add
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you're jealous that i didn't invite you
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?.... because I found out from you that the basement of Willard is the meeting place for gay orgies at night
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you dressed up as me for halloween
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?.... you have never washed those clothes since
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you taught me how to play britney spears music on the guitar
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?... I taught you the one key to keeping girls interested beyond 3 mins that you can play guitar by teaching you britney spears, and you were still never able to get laid
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you were in the band in high school
Biz: do you know how i know you were gay?... you were in the choir and music theatre productions in high school
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you were never able to seal the deal with vanessa
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?... youve sucked her penis
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you're really good at Name That Tune and know every grandma song in the game
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?... you never seald the deal with Carrie
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you wear Axe
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?... you used to make out with the drain pipe everytime I took a shower
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? it was only after you showered with Kodroff
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?.... I was grossed out by hearing Kodroff having sex in the other room, you were turned on.
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you never complained as much as I did about Kodroff playing Steeley Dan all the time
Biz: do you know how I know your gay?... the smell of Kodroff's nast curry shit, gave you an instant hard-on like Viagra
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you have to think of men in order to have sex with beth
Biz: you know how I know youre gay?... you have to be with men in order to think about sex
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you got beth a strap-on for christmas
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?.... I had to ask your expertise on helping me pick a good one out
4:25 PM
Me: do you know how i know you're gay? you sat in the wet spot on my bed after i had sex in it with a girl sophomore year
Biz: do you know how I know youre gay?... you didnt tell me it was there, hoping I would sit in it

Wow

In a speech today, President Bush actually took responsibility for taking the country to war based on false intelligence... finally. At last he grew a pair of balls and made himself accountable for what we already knew. "The Buck Stops Here" is a saying for a reason. My respect for him actually grew a little today. Maybe tomorrow, he'll tell us how his religious beliefs are a fraud, used to garner more conservative backing... you know like John Kerry's "Hunting" trip.

CNN article

Hold

I have a problem with cell phones. They lack a function that we could all use. Sometimes we can't answer the phone calls we get even though we want to. Have you ever been in a place where you couldn't take a call but if given a small amount of time, would want to? For instance, I was in the Engineering Library today when I received a phone call. I had three options.

• Answer the phone and disturb the students around me craming for finals
• "Bitch button" the call and send it to voicemail
• Answer the call, tell whoever is calling to hold on and then walk outside to the hallway to continue the conversation

The problem is that each options pisses off or confuses someone. So I came up with a solution. Its a variation of a "hold call" button that is typically used during a phone conversation.

Here's how it works: When the phone rings you can either a) answer the call b) bitch button the call or c) play a selected message to the caller and hold the call until I'm able to answer it. It would be great. For instance, I select one of the pre-recorded messages that I set up and it tells the caller that "I'm in a setting uncondusive to using my cell phone, please hold while I get to an appropriate location."

It definitely would have helped today.

Lights

Carson Williams, an electrical engineer by trade, spent $10,000 on his christmas lights display. The display features choreographed lights set to music that plays over the FM band using a low power FM transmitter into the cars of passing motorists. The twelve minute display features three songs: Frosty the Snowman by the Jackson 5, God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood, and Wizards of Winter by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The display was on during the week of Thanksgiving and has attracted so much attention that there has actually been a car accident between two motorists who decided not to park the car to watch the show. This has actually prompted the local police to ask the owner to shut down the display.

I don't know about you but I'd be severely pissed if I had spent $10,000 and countless hours programming the computer-controlled lights only to them shut down two weeks before Christmas. Then again, I'm not crazy enough to set this up.

Video Download

Collegian

I opened the opinion section of the Daily Collegian today and was amazed at a certain, hypocritical, and selfish letter to the editor.

Penn State isn't "for the kids." After shutting down the Delta Sigma fraternity, the head of Fraternity and Sorority Life at Penn State, Kevin Kerr, informed the members of Delta Sigma that the punishment also prohibits participation in the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Council Dance Marathon ("Fraternity loses status, residence," Nov. 29).

As a member of the fraternity, I cannot express how upsetting this news is to our members. We are willing to forego the benefits of being a fraternity (floor passes, name recognition, etc) and will not even step foot in Rec Hall during Thon if we are allowed to go canning and anonymously donate the money we make.

In the past, we have consistently stayed in the top 10 list of organizations to raise money for Thon, and we want to continue to help our Thon child. As of now, the university is telling us no -- they are forbidding us to help raise money for kids with cancer.

I hope the university realizes that their decision to not let us participate is not only hurting us, it's hurting the kids.


Mike O'Brien
Member, Delta Sigma fraternity

Sound ridiculous? I definitely thought so. So, I decided to respond by submitting my own letter to the editor.

In response to Mike O'Brien's [Delta Sigma banning hurts Thon children], boo hoo. Your complaints have fallen on deaf ears. You're complaining that because your fraternity lost its status, you can't participate in THON as a fraternity. Go figure. You go on to complain that because you're fraternity is not recognized, brothers and alumni can no longer donate in honor of the fraternity. This is ridiculous. If you were truly "for the kids" just as you are asking Penn State to be, you would have no problem donating anonymously. Don't complain to me about not being able to get your greek letters in the top ten list of contributors.

David Snyder
Senior - Mechanical Engineering

Hybrids

The Wall Street Journal
By Holman W. Jenkins Jr.
Nov. 30, 3005


Dear Valued Hybrid Customer:

We at the Toyota Motor Corporation are writing to address certain misconceptions that have arisen about your Toyota Prius model, which we are proud to note is driven by many celebrities, including Prince Charles and HBO's Larry David.

Our pioneering gasoline-electric hybrid, introduced in 1999, has become an object of adoration to the world's enlightened car buyers. Our competitors, including America's Big Three, are rushing out hybrid vehicles of their own. Unconfirmed media reports say that we at Toyota intend to double our hybrid output to 500,000 vehicles next year. Along with other members of the auto industry, we will be lobbying for tax breaks and HOV privileges for hybrid vehicles.

However, any romance entering its seventh year tends to go stale. Some purchasers have begun to question the practical value of our Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. You may be aware that a survey by Consumer Reports found that our vehicles achieve considerably less mileage (some 26 percent less) than the sticker rating implies. This has led to some unflattering media stories.

Let us assure you that the Prius remains one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the road. Toyota applauds your willingness to spend $9,500 over the price of any comparable vehicle for the privilege of saving, at current gasoline prices, approximately $580 a year.

And should the price of gasoline rise to $5, after 10 years and/or 130,000 miles of driving, you might even come close to breaking even on your investment in hybrid technology.

We recognize that our customers have an "emotional" relationship with their vehicles. This transcends even the regrettable truth that driving a fuel-efficient car does not yield any substantial benefits for society if it doesn't save the owner money.

Contrary to any loose statements made by our marketing partners in the environmental community and media, petroleum not consumed by Prius owners is not "saved." It does not remain in the ground. It is consumed by someone else. Greenhouse pollutants are released. Also, please note that the warranty and owner's manual say nothing about reducing America's dependence on foreign oil. This is not an oversight. The Prius is an "oil-dependent" vehicle. It runs on gasoline, supplied by the same world market that fuels other vehicles.

The Toyota Corporation regrets any misunderstanding our marketing may inadvertently have caused (or may cause in the future).

We share your belief that the days of the internal combustion engine are numbered. Further research by our economists suggests this will happen when the price of gasoline rises high enough to make alternative technologies cheaper than gasoline-powered cars.

We at Toyota want you to know we recognize this effect and have taken steps to compensate with the rest of our vehicle lineup.

Our 2006 Tundra pickup will be equipped with Toyota's new eight-cylinder engine, making it every bit as much of a gas guzzler as any American pickup. We are also redirecting our efforts to use our Hybrid Synergy Drive to increase power output rather than reduce gasoline consumption.

Take our new hybrid SUV, which produces 38 more horsepower but gets the same mileage as our conventional version. A New York Times reviewer wrote, "One question lingers after driving the 2006 Lexus RX400h: How did it come to this, that Toyota is now selling a hybrid gas-electric vehicle with no tangible fuel economy benefits?"

We hope this corrects any misimpression caused by our latest slogan ("Commute with Nature"). Hybrid technology is not "green" technology. Like heated seats or flashy exterior trim, it's merely an expensive option that generates large markups for the Toyota Corporation and its dealers.

You will share our pride in the latest figures from J.D. Power & Associates, which show that the Prius continues to move off a dealer's lot in just eight days, compared to 36 days for a Honda Civic hybrid. Clearly, our customers are willing to pay handsomely for the privilege of showing themselves behind the wheel of so conspicuously virtuous a vehicle.

But we are also a far-seeing corporation. We recognize that the Prius's distinctiveness may be a wasting asset for reasons outlined in this letter. Other motorists may see the Prius operator and think "sucker." Our lawyers advise us this may affect your car's resale value. Toyota regrets any inconvenience.

We want you to know that Toyota remains committed to advancing hybrid technology just as long as our customers are willing to make it worth our while. Our esteemed competitor, Nissan's Carlos Ghosn, was recently quoted saying, "There's such a buzz today that no CEO of a car manufacturer dares to say his real opinion of hybrid because he's accused of being retarded."

Another esteemed competitor, GM, has suggested that hybrid technology is best deployed in city buses, where large fuel consumption and stop-and-go driving might actually make it economically sensible.

These are just two examples of the short-sighted, stick-in-the-mud marketing instincts of our fellow automakers that are helping to make Toyota the largest car company in the world.

Yours Truly,
The Toyota Corporation.