HIPPO DOES NOT EAT DWARF

Oh, thank God.  Click here.

DON’T SELL YOUR FMD

Suggested here in March at $38 and change, the stock closed at $54.80 yesterday.  My smart friend says: hang on.  It could be a very good few years. 

DON’T BET ON A STRONG DOLLAR

Randy Kirchhof: “Have a look at this, from the CIA World Factbook.  Now find the United States on it.”

ETHANOL

David D’Antonio: “Steve Baker says that a large chain of Canadian gas stations has converted to 10% ethanol.  While it might not get to 40 below here in Eastern Massachusetts, stickers on the all the gas pumps I’ve seen have heralded the changeover from MTBE to (up to) 10% ethanol.”

Richard Factor:  “Using my arguably excessive driving, Stephen Gilbert makes an important point.  As he says, I ‘still used 632 gallons of gas in a 20 month period.’  But I also saved that amount simply by getting a Prius.  To save most of the second 50% – the 632 gallons I did use – I would have stop going to work.  (Would this wreck the economy?  Not in my case!)  This points up an interesting dichotomy:  On the one hand, ‘Hey, Jack – this is America and I can do what I want.’  But on the other, consider that virtually every driver on the road – commuting, vacationing, delivering – is spending those minutes or hours or days WISHING HE WERE SOMEWHERE ELSE.  If that doesn't DEFINE ‘senseless waste of human life’ I don't know what does.  Maybe the most productive way to protect the environment is to seriously reconsider how much of this to-ing and fro-ing is really necessary.  As you’ve mentioned, hybrids are wasted on those such as you who are able to work at home.  Perhaps high-speed communications links, ‘telepresence’ equipment, and other innovative ways to avoid travel can be as much of a boon as is the hybrid vehicle in reducing pollution.”

F Perhaps.  Though for some people, I think there's no place they’d sometimes rather be than in their cars between work and home, listening to the CD of a KISS tribute band (or Jersey Boys), away from the capricious boss, the insane coworkers, the angry customers, the screaming children, and the nagging spouse – although I would not know about any of that because I work alone, my partner never nags, and our dozen nieces and nephews are an unalloyed joy.