[Navydoc]

Nor-LA-SD-guy I wish it were that simple. While I agree, there is no question we could build the car you are talking about, the reality is it requires an infrastructure shift to make it practical.

Remember, electricity in this country is overwhelmingly generated with fossil fuels, with nuclear and alternatives generating 10-15%. Much of the electricity comes from coal fired plants. Also, the batteries, which are the most expensive part of the car, need to be replaced/recycled as their energy retention efficiency degrades over time. A gasoline engine (or diesel) provides much more reliable power over time. Also, bear in mind when one of these cars gets into an accident and significant battery acid leakage occurs you need to call a HazMat team to clean it up. Dry cell batteries may correct this, but as of now I don’t think their capacity is as great.

I’m not saying what you’re proposing isn’t possible, but we are no where near as close as you might think to implementing the technology, and we may just ultimately be shifting our fossil fuel use around a bit, not eliminating it.

I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that if by some freak of history the electric car had become mainstream first, the internal combustion engine invented afterward would have been hailed as the greatest discovery of the age.

[Navydoc]

Nor-LA-SD-guy I wish it were that simple. While I agree, there is no question we could build the car you are talking about, the reality is it requires an infrastructure shift to make it practical.

Remember, electricity in this country is overwhelmingly generated with fossil fuels, with nuclear and alternatives generating 10-15%. Much of the electricity comes from coal fired plants. Also, the batteries, which are the most expensive part of the car, need to be replaced/recycled as their energy retention efficiency degrades over time. A gasoline engine (or diesel) provides much more reliable power over time. Also, bear in mind when one of these cars gets into an accident and significant battery acid leakage occurs you need to call a HazMat team to clean it up. Dry cell batteries may correct this, but as of now I don’t think their capacity is as great.

I’m not saying what you’re proposing isn’t possible, but we are no where near as close as you might think to implementing the technology, and we may just ultimately be shifting our fossil fuel use around a bit, not eliminating it.

I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that if by some freak of history the electric car had become mainstream first, the internal combustion engine invented afterward would have been hailed as the greatest discovery of the age.

[Navydoc]

Nor-LA-SD-guy I wish it were that simple. While I agree, there is no question we could build the car you are talking about, the reality is it requires an infrastructure shift to make it practical.

Remember, electricity in this country is overwhelmingly generated with fossil fuels, with nuclear and alternatives generating 10-15%. Much of the electricity comes from coal fired plants. Also, the batteries, which are the most expensive part of the car, need to be replaced/recycled as their energy retention efficiency degrades over time. A gasoline engine (or diesel) provides much more reliable power over time. Also, bear in mind when one of these cars gets into an accident and significant battery acid leakage occurs you need to call a HazMat team to clean it up. Dry cell batteries may correct this, but as of now I don’t think their capacity is as great.

I’m not saying what you’re proposing isn’t possible, but we are no where near as close as you might think to implementing the technology, and we may just ultimately be shifting our fossil fuel use around a bit, not eliminating it.

I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that if by some freak of history the electric car had become mainstream first, the internal combustion engine invented afterward would have been hailed as the greatest discovery of the age.

[Navydoc]

Nor-LA-SD-guy I wish it were that simple. While I agree, there is no question we could build the car you are talking about, the reality is it requires an infrastructure shift to make it practical.

Remember, electricity in this country is overwhelmingly generated with fossil fuels, with nuclear and alternatives generating 10-15%. Much of the electricity comes from coal fired plants. Also, the batteries, which are the most expensive part of the car, need to be replaced/recycled as their energy retention efficiency degrades over time. A gasoline engine (or diesel) provides much more reliable power over time. Also, bear in mind when one of these cars gets into an accident and significant battery acid leakage occurs you need to call a HazMat team to clean it up. Dry cell batteries may correct this, but as of now I don’t think their capacity is as great.

I’m not saying what you’re proposing isn’t possible, but we are no where near as close as you might think to implementing the technology, and we may just ultimately be shifting our fossil fuel use around a bit, not eliminating it.

I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that if by some freak of history the electric car had become mainstream first, the internal combustion engine invented afterward would have been hailed as the greatest discovery of the age.

[Navydoc]

I read most posts too (although I must admit, I don’t have the strength to get through the gay marriage thread), but like atr, my financial knowledge isn’t nearly developed enough to comment on this.

It’s funny, few have more years of education and training as I have (4yrs college, 4 yrs med school, 4 yrs residency, 3 yrs fellowship), and you know what? I have yet to take a basic economics course. I went to respected universities, BS from Penn State, MD from Pitt, and this was not required. They made me take speech and writing classes, but no econ. Most doctors get their econ education from the school of hard knocks, and I am certainly no exception, but I think this situation is far from ideal.

[Navydoc]

I read most posts too (although I must admit, I don’t have the strength to get through the gay marriage thread), but like atr, my financial knowledge isn’t nearly developed enough to comment on this.

It’s funny, few have more years of education and training as I have (4yrs college, 4 yrs med school, 4 yrs residency, 3 yrs fellowship), and you know what? I have yet to take a basic economics course. I went to respected universities, BS from Penn State, MD from Pitt, and this was not required. They made me take speech and writing classes, but no econ. Most doctors get their econ education from the school of hard knocks, and I am certainly no exception, but I think this situation is far from ideal.

[Navydoc]

I read most posts too (although I must admit, I don’t have the strength to get through the gay marriage thread), but like atr, my financial knowledge isn’t nearly developed enough to comment on this.

It’s funny, few have more years of education and training as I have (4yrs college, 4 yrs med school, 4 yrs residency, 3 yrs fellowship), and you know what? I have yet to take a basic economics course. I went to respected universities, BS from Penn State, MD from Pitt, and this was not required. They made me take speech and writing classes, but no econ. Most doctors get their econ education from the school of hard knocks, and I am certainly no exception, but I think this situation is far from ideal.

[Navydoc]

I read most posts too (although I must admit, I don’t have the strength to get through the gay marriage thread), but like atr, my financial knowledge isn’t nearly developed enough to comment on this.

It’s funny, few have more years of education and training as I have (4yrs college, 4 yrs med school, 4 yrs residency, 3 yrs fellowship), and you know what? I have yet to take a basic economics course. I went to respected universities, BS from Penn State, MD from Pitt, and this was not required. They made me take speech and writing classes, but no econ. Most doctors get their econ education from the school of hard knocks, and I am certainly no exception, but I think this situation is far from ideal.

[Navydoc]

I read most posts too (although I must admit, I don’t have the strength to get through the gay marriage thread), but like atr, my financial knowledge isn’t nearly developed enough to comment on this.

It’s funny, few have more years of education and training as I have (4yrs college, 4 yrs med school, 4 yrs residency, 3 yrs fellowship), and you know what? I have yet to take a basic economics course. I went to respected universities, BS from Penn State, MD from Pitt, and this was not required. They made me take speech and writing classes, but no econ. Most doctors get their econ education from the school of hard knocks, and I am certainly no exception, but I think this situation is far from ideal.

[Navydoc]

I was living overseas when I opened it 2 years ago. These are Navy Fed’s rates as of April. I completely agree that the 2.3 is crappy, that’s why I posted. It really pisses me off. When the money becomes liquid in June I may be open to suggestions on what to do with it.

Please understand, I have NEVER stated I was a financial genius. I’ll leave that to the traders in here. Most of my efforts, this blog notwithstanding, go to making myself a better physician. As I’ve stated before, I think it is extremely difficult to be a good physician AND a good businessman. They seem to require different types of minds.

[Navydoc]

I was living overseas when I opened it 2 years ago. These are Navy Fed’s rates as of April. I completely agree that the 2.3 is crappy, that’s why I posted. It really pisses me off. When the money becomes liquid in June I may be open to suggestions on what to do with it.

Please understand, I have NEVER stated I was a financial genius. I’ll leave that to the traders in here. Most of my efforts, this blog notwithstanding, go to making myself a better physician. As I’ve stated before, I think it is extremely difficult to be a good physician AND a good businessman. They seem to require different types of minds.

[Navydoc]

I was living overseas when I opened it 2 years ago. These are Navy Fed’s rates as of April. I completely agree that the 2.3 is crappy, that’s why I posted. It really pisses me off. When the money becomes liquid in June I may be open to suggestions on what to do with it.

Please understand, I have NEVER stated I was a financial genius. I’ll leave that to the traders in here. Most of my efforts, this blog notwithstanding, go to making myself a better physician. As I’ve stated before, I think it is extremely difficult to be a good physician AND a good businessman. They seem to require different types of minds.

[Navydoc]

I was living overseas when I opened it 2 years ago. These are Navy Fed’s rates as of April. I completely agree that the 2.3 is crappy, that’s why I posted. It really pisses me off. When the money becomes liquid in June I may be open to suggestions on what to do with it.

Please understand, I have NEVER stated I was a financial genius. I’ll leave that to the traders in here. Most of my efforts, this blog notwithstanding, go to making myself a better physician. As I’ve stated before, I think it is extremely difficult to be a good physician AND a good businessman. They seem to require different types of minds.

[Navydoc]

I was living overseas when I opened it 2 years ago. These are Navy Fed’s rates as of April. I completely agree that the 2.3 is crappy, that’s why I posted. It really pisses me off. When the money becomes liquid in June I may be open to suggestions on what to do with it.

Please understand, I have NEVER stated I was a financial genius. I’ll leave that to the traders in here. Most of my efforts, this blog notwithstanding, go to making myself a better physician. As I’ve stated before, I think it is extremely difficult to be a good physician AND a good businessman. They seem to require different types of minds.

[Navydoc]

One of the greatest purchases I have ever made was of a cheap OBD II diagnostic computer at my local Pep Boys. Each time the light comes on Pacific Porsche wants to charge me $130 to diagnose what’s wrong and turn off the light. It is virtually always something minor. I paid $69 for the device, it typically takes about 60 seconds to figure out the problem and tun off the light. About every 6 months my car has a cylinder misfire, which is completely benign, but causes the check engine light to come on. I figure the little machine has saved me 4 trips in the past 2 years, and I haven’t spent a dime on the car aside from routine maintainance.

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