1. We always suspected that musical tastes are correlated to our character/habits, our culture and even our individual mental capacity. Some people--such as gangs of troubled youths--really do not like classical music, for instance. Other people--such as Somali Pirates--do not like listening to Brittney Spears. (Perhaps this is their only redeeming quality?) Here are 6 songs that have been used to torture and intimidate, with rather mixed success.
2. In 2012, the Obama administration finalized regulations requiring new vehicles to average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 (in 13 years), up from 28.6 mpg at the end of last year. The requirements will be phased in gradually between now and then. Many Republicans (notably Mitt Romney) opposed this doubling of the required fuel mileage, saying it was technically too difficult and predicting it would make cars too expensive. (Meanwhile, Volkswagon recently introduced the XL1, a car that gets up to 270 mpg.) So how far has the the U.S. come in fuel mileage? Does it really require great leaps in technology? Here's a list of high-fuel-mileage (and mostly inexpensive) cars made in the last 30 years:
- 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid, 48/45 mpg (city/highway), 1 liter gasoline/battery
- 1995 Honda Civic HB VX, 1.5 liter, 47/56 mpg, gasoline
- 1990 Suzuki Swift, 1.0 liter, 46/50 mpg, gasoline
- 1985 Honda Civic CRX HF, 51/54 mpg, gasoline
- 1981 Volkswagen Jetta, 41/57 mpg, diesel
- 1980 Honda CRX, 50/60 mpg, gasoline
In light of this list, the relatively expensive Toyota Prius doesn't seem quite the amazing technological breakthrough it's often touted as. It's quite possible the U.S. automakers will easily beat the Obama administration's fuel mileage regulations, not because of the regulations themselves, but because of global competition and demand for more fuel-efficient cars.
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