Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!!

[Bimati]

Oh my...I was about to grab a strawberry lollipop out of the pantry and kick back with some football, but now I think I'll just go fetal in the corner and weep bitterly.......What have we done????????????????

[Y33TREKker]

[South Park mode on]

"WE DIDN'T LISTEN!!!!"

[South Park mode off]

[Spike]

Oh my...I was about to grab a strawberry lollipop out of the pantry and kick back with some football, but now I think I'll just go fetal in the corner and weep bitterly.......What have we done????????????????

You maniacs! You blew it up! Damn you! Damn you all to hell!

[biju]

I hope everybody remembers their swimming lessons...

-biju.

[CrnCnn]

I'm gonna take my lessons from Kevin Costner. Was Water World Prophetic?

[Bimati]

I'm gonna take my lessons from Kevin Costner. Was Water World Prophetic?

I took golf lessons from him, and he kept trying to hold me from behind....strange.

[VehiGAZ]

To get back on topic, I routinely* drive my VX in 4-Low up to about 45 mph. It sounds like the wheels are going to come off at that speed with the engine revving high through the low gearing and the t-case locked and whirring underneath, but it's still within the rev band of the engine. Just make sure you NEVER use 4-Low on dry roads! It needs the poor traction of snow, ice, or dirt to keep the axles from winding up.

* denotes routine behavior in "winter" which has yet to come to the Northeast! And on that off-topic topic, don't whip yourself too much about global-climate-warming-change... the scientific data says that it is happening, but it's only scientific opinion that says mankind is responsible for it. This is a critical distinction, but it is one that seems perpetually lost in all dialogue on the subject. Nature is more likely taking us for a ride than we are taking it for a ride.

[kpaske]

And on that off-topic topic, don't whip yourself too much about global-climate-warming-change... the scientific data says that it is happening, but it's only scientific opinion that says mankind is responsible for it. This is a critical distinction, but it is one that seems perpetually lost in all dialogue on the subject. Nature is more likely taking us for a ride than we are taking it for a ride.

I agree with everything you say up until the last line. There is enough hard evidence out there that much of the scientific community is starting to agree that mankind is at least partly the cause of the rapid global warming trend we've been experiencing over the last several decades. Yes, there are natural fluctuations, but if you study the science a little bit, I think it's difficult to deny that mankind is having an effect. Where there is still significant debate is to what extent and what can or should be done about it.

Electric and hybrid cars are definitely a step in the right direction, but there is another issue that needs to be addressed, which is America's dependence on foreign energy. This is another hot issue that has nearly reached the boiling point on several occasions, particularly during the oil crisis in the 70's and the present war in Iraq. The problem with electric and hybrid technology is that they still can't compete with the gas powered vehicles they are intended to replace. Diesel engines use compression, which is about 30% more efficient that gasoline ignition engines, and get much better fuel economy. The diesel passenger cars on the U.S. market today are far better than their gasoline versions, IMO. The only reason U.S. passenger cars favor gasoline is because of marketing and politics (which drove the "cheap" gas we've been chugging all these years).

I believe the best interim solution is to go diesel, phasing out petroleum based energy and replacing it with renewable biofuels. An all electric car that can hold a candle to a diesel in the same price range does not yet exist and is probably many years away from being mass produced. I've put my money where my mouth is and bought a 2006 VW Jetta TDi as my daily driver, and ultimately I'd like to drop a diesel in the VX.

OK, I'm getting off my soap box now!!!

[kpaske]

Just make sure you NEVER use 4-Low on dry roads! It needs the poor traction of snow, ice, or dirt to keep the axles from winding up.

On the other topic... Do you guys agree with this? I've never heard that before. I have heard that you shouldn't exceed 25-30 MPH, which is the advice I've been heading.

[nfpgasmask]

don't whip yourself too much about global-climate-warming-change... the scientific data says that it is happening, but it's only scientific opinion that says mankind is responsible for it. This is a critical distinction, but it is one that seems perpetually lost in all dialogue on the subject. Nature is more likely taking us for a ride than we are taking it for a ride.

Well, I agree to a certain point. If you look at natural history, you will understand that planet earth is in a constant state of change. Species come and go, weather changes frequently, and there are many reasons for it.

I however personally think that mankind is just prodding some of these changes along faster. Most serious global changes take many hundreds of years to happen, often thousands. And then there are some sudden changes that can drastically affect the planet rapidly (like massive volcanic eruption, massive tectonic shifts, meteors, etc.). But humanity has caused some changes to happen in a mere 100 years. Basically a sliver in time when looking at how long life has existed on the planet.

I think that what we as a species must focus on, is not necessarily worrying about global climate changes that are going to happen anyway, but changes that we can make NOW to help better the quality of all life on earth for generations to come. Planet earth will be here for a lot longer than we will be. Nature has a way of correcting things. Some species will die out, some will survive, and that is the way it has always been. But since a certain balance needs to be maintained for us mammals, we need to think about what we can do to ensure our environment is livable for us in the future, but instead we think about what is convenient NOW, and that is why we as a species will probably not survive for much longer.

I am not very hopefull.

Bart

[biju]

Oh my...I was about to grab a strawberry lollipop out of the pantry...

MMMmmmmmmmmm.... Strawberry lollipops. :homer:

On the snow front - predicted snow yet again in the ol' Mile High. Tonight through the weekend and possibly into Monday, but nothing major... Unless MOTHER EARTH hiccups on us at the last minute...!!!!

IT'S IN REVELATIONS PEOPLE!!! - Kent Brockman

-biju.