Author: bill

The Economics of the Total cost of ownership of Electric Cars

The economics of electric driving are not apparent until you dig into the numbers, then you find out why electric drivers are so happy.   While gasoline prices fluctuate with the OPEC market place; electricity is a regulated commodity.   With ‘normal’ Leaf driving (not heavy footed :-)), you can expect to get about 4.1 miles to the kilowatt.   Palo Alto Utilities, where I live, has a three tiered rate which at the top end costs 18 cents per kilowatt.

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Re-learning to drive electrically

Wow, I never knew what a strange and wonderful world driving an all electric car can be! It very much reminds me of the parable of the two guys in the cave who are freed after a long confinement and they run out into the sun and their eyes burn from exposure, the first person endures the pain and can see the wonders of the world, the second runs back into the cave.  I feel like owning an electric car at this stage you’re faced with this conundrum: Continue reading “Re-learning to drive electrically”

The new two car eco-family

our new leaf being charged at the dealer's

Thinking about a Plug-in Hybrid? How about a Chevy Volt?   Why not go all the way to the future and get a Nissan Leaf?   When we were shopping for new cars recently, we test drove the Volt, as a Prius loving family, I was excited to try a new generation, a battery powered car with an electric backup, the reverse of the gas powered battery backup design I was used to in the Prius.   The test drive went well, except the dealer had us test drive a volt that had not been charged.   It drove well, but we were actually test driving a 41 MPG gas car. Continue reading “The new two car eco-family”

My perfect TV Box

“Little boxes on the console, little boxes with ethernet, little boxes on the console and they are almost just the same.  There’s the Roku, and the Tivo, there’s the Yamaha and the Etherswitch, there’s the macintosh, and the keyboard.  And they’re all made out of ticky tacky and they have remotes that are all the same.”  Apologies to Malvina Reynolds and her 1962 hit. Continue reading “My perfect TV Box”

De-Comcasting: Now Internet and “Digital Starter”

I started this process at a Comcast bill $165.39 a month for a family of 5 with upgraded internet (12 Megabits/second) for $50 a month.  The rest of the bill roughly $115 a month was for ‘Digital Preferred’ Service with two HD TV’s and an HD TIVO.  Today I called Comcast and downgraded to ‘digital basic’.  I’m returning a cable modem and an HDTV receiver.  As of today,  the new bill will be $115 a month.  The final bill, I’m hoping will be about $48, when TV is fully removed.  That represents $1,408 a year.  Buys a lotta lattes. 🙂

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De-Comcasting: What’s that hanging off your house dude?

HDTV Antenna

Antenna

I bought some 1 foot 3/4 inch plumbing pipes,  2 90 degree elbows and 2 flanges, painted the mess with white paint and used concrete screws, and a masonry bit to put 8 screws in the stucco.  This will definitely hold!  I installed the antenna and pointed it in the generally correct direction. I purchased 100 feet of raw cable, and a 50 foot pre-made cable and a splitter (1 in, 2 out). Continue reading “De-Comcasting: What’s that hanging off your house dude?”