Category Archives: Personal

Goals

The ACTUAL Cost of an Electric Car

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

So the The U.S. Department of Energy has just released an online tool that allows you to see what the amount of electricity necessary to drive an average electric car as far as a gallon of gasoline would cost where you live. They call this the ‘eGallon’, and the U.S. average is $1.14. It goes as low as $0.83 in North-Dakota and as high as $3.69 in Hawaii where electricity is most expensive.

You can see the tool HERE.

But wait a minute. That can’t POSSIBLY be correct. I’m a big fan of EVs, but that site is a flat-out lie.

Let’s look at some numbers:

Continue reading →

Patriotism

Happy 236th Birthday, American Flag!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Today is Flag Day!

On this day in 1777 the United States of America adopted the American flag through the Flag Resolution at the Second Continental Congress: “Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

236 years later, the number of stars has increased to 50. The American flag remains a shining symbol of freedom throughout the world.

Goals

Feedly Is Number One In My Book (Thanks, Google Reader!)

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

If any of you know me, you know that I seem to always be up on the ‘latest news.’  While I’d like to say that’s a function of my big brain, eidetic memory and vast knowledge of everything … the truth is a bit more pedestrian: I read.  A lot.  I am a voracious devourer of books, media, and blogs.

So it was with some small amount of trepidation that I ventured beyond my comfort zone to find blog distiller.  For years I’ve been using Google Reader, and had been happy with it’s little quirks, and grown accustomed to it’s faithful delivery of all of my RSS feeds.  When you’re as involved in reading as many blogs, news outlets, tweets, and etc. as I am (it turns out there were 827 blogs that I subscribe to.  Who knew?), you really don’t want too much change to happen all at once. Continue reading →

Goals, National Forests, National Parks

No Mount Whitney This Year…

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Color me disappointed.  Just got the email today:

Lottery Results – Mt Whitney Lottery 2013

Dear Customer,

We are sorry to inform you that your application to Mt Whitney Lottery 2013 was not successful.

Results for Lottery Application # 6-xxxxxxx – Unsuccessful.

All remaining dates for the 2013 season will be available for web reservations beginning on April 1, 2013 through the www.recreation.gov website on a “First Come First Serve” basis. Any canceled space will return to the web calendar at random times. There is no waitlist for canceled space.

Thank you for using www.recreation.gov

Well, there’s always next year; it’s not like the mountain is going anywhere.  John Muir is famously quoted as saying “The mountains are calling and I must go.”  Apparently, for me, the mountains could not be reached for comment.