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National PARK(ing) Day is September 19th

My friend Becky Striepe has a post over at Ecolocalizer.com talking about National PARK(ing) day, which is apparently this Friday, September 19th.

National PARK(ing) day is a one-day, global event centered in San Francisco where artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks. The event is sponsored by The Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit organization launched by REBAR, an art collective, to raise awareness about the need for more green space.

They plan on transforming over 400 spots into mini-parks. Pretty interesting. Check out Becky’s post for a whole list of the events happening.

I’m actually 100% against it though. I’m not against green space or helping the environment, but they’re doing it wrong. The Trust For Public Land wants to give the government more money to maintain public parks and land, which is an inefficient way of doing it. What they should have done when they started out in 1972, is started collecting money to buy land and turn it into private parks. They could have sold advertising, made it a for-profit enterprise and by today, they would have been much more successful. Imagine it, we could have tons of green parks and pretty landscapes, all done privately, more efficiently, and without tax money.

Check out this link for an example of that kind of private environmentalism.



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Ford Leaks 2010 Mustang Teaser Photos, Channels Death Row Records

Looking to maintain the hype over the redesigned 2010 Ford Mustang set to debut in November at the LA auto show, Ford has released a set of teaser photos of the new bodystyle . Unfortunelty, the photos are so obscure that for all we can tell, it could just as well be a 2006 Mustang GT and we’d never know the difference. Gotta love a gangsta, though.

View Gallery After Jump

 

[Photo Source: Autounleashed.com]



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Boy’s Head Run Over During Wine Parade, Alcohol Surprinsingly Not A Factor

Initially I hesitated to post this story, concerned it might be below our lighthearted, everything-always-works-out-in-the-end standards. Then, after my fourth or fifth wine cooler, I experienced an existentialist moment of clarity and I realized that we have no standards - so enjoy, folks. Spoiler alert: the kid is ok.
In Paw Paw Michigan, during the annual town festivities at the Paw Paw Wine and Harvest festival, and 8-year-old boy’s head was run over by a parade float. Apparently, the boy had been participating in the parade from the when he tripped and fell. Unable to move out of the path of the coming float o’ doom, the boy’s head bore the brunt of the collision. According to the South Bend Tribune, police reportedly rushed the boy the hospital where he is in stable condition.



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Kia Publicly Bears Its 2009 Soul, Calloused, Jaded Auto Bloggers Unmoved

Scheduled for its official unveiling at the Paris Auto Show in October 2008, Kia released photos of the finished 2009 Kia Soul a month early to an eagerly awaiting press . Cleverly sidestepping the more apt “Polly Pocket Import Car”, Kia is describing the new Soul as an “urban crossover passenger car”, obviously looking to cater to that large demographic of urban youths who are interested in compact, fuel efficient cars.

2009 Kia Soul

2009 Kia Soul


More Photos and Press Release After Jump

From Kia Motors via The Torque Report:

Kia’s sharply-stylish new segment-busting Kia Soul is set to win over minds as well as hearts at the Paris Salon de l’Automobile in October 2008 with confirmation that the urban crossover will come to Europe next year with a choice of fuel-efficient petrol and diesel engines.

Kia Soul will go on sale in mainland Europe next February with a choice 126 ps diesel and petrol engines based on the DOHC engines already fitted to the hugely successful, European-built, Kia cee’d - with a choice of manual or automatic transmissions, depending on model. Right-hand drive production is due to start in March 2009.

The diesel engine generates 126 ps at 4,000 rpm and maximum torque of 255 Nm at 2,000 rpm. The all-aluminium petrol engine also produces 126 ps at 6,300 rpm and 156 Nm of torque at 4,200 rpm.

“The Kia Soul is a brand new urban crossover car packed with chic design, liberating ideas and cavernous passenger space for active people with busy lives,” enthused Paul Philpott, Managing Director of Kia Motors Limited.

“And we can’t wait to see it on UK roads in the Spring of 2009 where its unique modern looks and strong individual appeal will make it a ‘must-have’ for everyone from young singles and couples to more mature motorists who insist on putting fun into their driving,” he added.

Kia Soul is a five-door hatchback with front-wheel drive, a high roofline and an unusually long wheelbase. The key elements behind Kia Soul’s striking appearance are its vertical measurements. Overall height is 1,610 mm but the base of the windscreen is 135 mm higher than a typical compact car, the hip-points are 120 mm higher and the ground clearance is raised by 45 mm.

Access to the new Kia Soul’s spacious interior is remarkably easy and the cabin will deliver head, leg and shoulder room that matches or beats many larger vehicles. Generous headroom (1020/1005 mm front/rear), legroom (1070/990 mm front/rear) and shoulder room (1403/1400 mm front/rear) will ensure Kia Soul can easily adapt to the changing demands of its owner when pressed into giving friends or family a lift!

Looking ahead to the Paris Show debut, Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer, Kia Motors Europe, commented: “Kia Soul is about surprise and style and the experience of sitting in the Kia Soul is unique. First impressions will make a big impact. Tall doors and high-mounted seats make for easy access and an airy interior, yet the ‘laid-back’ dashboard design, triple dial instrument cluster and thick-rimmed steering wheel create an unusual combination of spaciousness for passengers and cosiness for the driver generating a very special ambience.”

Kia Soul will be manufactured at Gwangju facility in Korea from November 2008. In the USA and several non-European markets a 2-litre, 142 ps petrol engine will also be available.



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Chicago Metra Plans To Shut Down Bar Cars, Underestimates Motivational Power of Alcohol When Commuting To/From Dead End Job


On Friday, the Milwaukee District West Line’s last “bar car” will celebrate happy hour for last time. Crowded and noisy, the bar is a hometown favorite with most of its passengers. Unfortunately, the number of commuters traveling by rail is growing at a rapid rate, and Metra has decided they need the saloon space to accommodate the overflow. In the Chicago Tribune, Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet explained, “We know at times the bars can be very crowded. If we eliminate them, we can allow people to get through [to less crowded cars] more easily. Some people avoid going into the bar car.” Missing the larger issue entirely, Metra was apparently absent the day Human Resources covered, “How To Cope With A Thankless Job And/Or Sexless Marriage.”

Officially referred to by Chicago’s public transit line Metra as “refreshment cars,” there are about still about 10 of the “rolling taverns” currently operating within the Metra system. There used to be several more, but Metra began slowing killing them off years ago, simply failing to renew vendor contracts when they came due. Although the American Public Transportation System had expressed concerns in the past over the potentially potent mixture of alcohol and a grueling day at work, Metra insists their motivation for shutting down the bar cars is based purely in practicality. According to Metra, the bar cars only generate around $100,000 a year annually which is downright paltry compared to what they could make off ticket sales if they replaced the mobile bars with commuter cars.

[Source: Chicago Tribune]



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BMW Recalls 200,000 Cars in US Due to Problem with Airbag System


2005 BMW X3

BMW is recalling 200,000+ vehicles because of air bag problems. The recall affects the 3-series and 5-series and BMW’s X3 sport- utility vehicle made between 2004-2006.

Apparently, the models in question have a passenger detection system built in to the vehicle, which turns the passenger side air bag on when there is someone sitting there, but turns them off when the seat is empty. This is the system experiencing problems in the vehicles. Apparently, small cracks can develop in the detection system, rendering them useless and permanently turning off the passenger air bag.

According to BMW spokesman Tom Plucinsky no injuries or accidents from the reported issue have occurred

Plucinsky said customers alerted the company when they noticed the air bag light showed that the air bag was off even though there was someone sitting in the passenger seat.

In addition to the vehicles under the recall, the ongoing investigation includes the 2004-2006 Z4, 2006 X5, 2006 6 Series and some 2004-2006 7 Series vehicles.

BMW said it would extend the warranty to 10 years without any mileage limit for the following cars: 2006 6 Series, 2006 3 Series with standard seat, 2004-2005 Z4, 2004-2006 7 Series, 2006 X5 and 2004-2006 5 Series with comfort seats.

Under the extended warranty program, BMW said any problems with the detection system mat would be replaced at no charge.



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Ford, Lincoln, & Mercurcy Consolidate Marketing Departments: Why Not?

In Step #435 of Ford’s plan to salvage the financial wreckage, Ford announced its plans to combine the sales and marketing departments for its three automobile lines, Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury.

The marketing shifts will call for the elimination of brand-specific marketing departments and will instead differentiate by car type [ie: sedan, SUV, etc]. The expected change is a part of the budget-trimming plan Ford announced in June which calls for a 15% reduction in white-collar staff. Proving that lay-offs aren’t just for the little people, among the employees turning in their pass-keys are some surprisingly heavy-hitters including both Mark Kaline and Michael Sprague. Kaline, Ford’s global media manager, was on-board for 11 years before a recent curtailment of worldwide auto sales/promotions caught him in the cross-hairs. Sprague, the head of marketing for both Lincoln and Mercury, left for the Kia Motors marketing department after 12 years with Ford.

Although probably a wise move in the interest of penny-pinching, the decision to economize really isn’t going to help distinguish the three brands as separate entities. Despite painstaking efforts by Ford in the past to create individual identities for the three lines, to the average consumer they’re still fairly interchangeable and this new plan isn’t going help much.

[Source: Automotive News]



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