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The EPA has launched a new commercial promoting energy conservation in the home. Wonderful, except the tone of the ad seems to advocate giving up on trying to make vehicles more fuel-efficient. One of the characters in the commercial explains that energy use at home can result in double the greenhouse gas emissions of a car. This might be true, but most households have more than one car.

Officials at the EPA say that these spots were commissioned by a branch that promotes energy saving appliances; they did not intend to send a message about automobiles. However, the ad spends a fair amount of its airtime showcasing some of the comical ways one of the characters has tried to make his old Buick burn less gas.

Even if the people responsible for the Energy Star program aren’t charged with reducing auto emissions, it seems like they should attempt to send the message that conserving energy wherever you can is a good idea.

You can view the different commercial spots on the Energy Star website.

It looks like the Republican National Convention is turning into a showcase for the tactical uses of bicycles. Not only will we be able to see the “Bikes Against Bush” project action, but Times Up will also be organizing several events to coincide with the RNC in August.

Their schedule of events starts on Friday August 7th 27th with a special Critical Mass, then on Saturday, there will be a Bike National Convention (BNC). On Sunday they will have the first of several Bike Blocs that will be happening throughout the RNC.

If you want to get some practice in before August, there is a Critical Mass ride on the last Monday of every month @ 7PM on the North Side of Union Square.

via Gothamist

Fredhead has a wonderful photo essay, Commute New York City, documenting some of the common images seen during a typical New York City commute. Somehow, the view through his lens is much more interesting than from (under)ground level. The other photofeatures on the site are also worthy of perusal. There are some especially striking images from the New York Botanical Garden that shouldn’t be passed up.

via Boing boing

I picked up a Griffin iTalk this afternoon because I needed to record a meeting, and my tape recorder had finally died. As I was riding downtown to my meeting, I wondered if I would need to install any software for the iTalk. Since this was a last minute purchase, having to install software would have blown me out of the water. Fortunately, the only installation needed was to place the iTalk atop the iPod.
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A student at Parsons is working on Bikes Against Bush, a project that will be used as a sort of interactive, mobile protest tool:

“Bikes Against Bush” transforms ordinary bicycles into Internet enabled, tactical media weapons for non-violent, creative resistance to the RNC. First and foremost, “Bikes Against Bush” is a wireless bicycle consisting of an ordinary bicycle with an embedded laptop computer, a bluetooth-enabled cell phone affixed to the handlebars, a bluetooth-enabled GPS device, and a webcam. Additionally, “Bikes Against Bush” incorporates a homemade, robotic printing device consisting of a series of spray-chalk aerosol cans that can print chalked text messages on streets and sidewalks while the bicycle is in motion. Once an initial prototype bicycle is created, I will work with various creative resistance groups opposing the 2004 Republican National Convention to replicate the design.

It will be interesting to see this in action. Another excellent use for this device would be to mark out the routes for bicycling events such as ESAR. In the past volunteers went out several days in advance to mark the route, as a consequence, many of the markings were faded or obscured by the time a cyclist needed them. If the device can be attached to a bicycle, it seems as if it would be easily fit to a motorcycle as well. With all the turns noted on a map, the “Bikes Against Bush” GPS enabled motorcycle could mark the route just prior to the event.

via Boing boing

On Saturday June 19th, the Olympic torch relay will be following what might be the most indirect route from 30th Street in Queens to Times Square. At least the organizers managed to route the torch through all five boroughs. The route map (PDF) shows some over water routes that will surely be covered by boat, but wouldn’t it be so much more exciting to watch if they were swimming?

Matt Law has a good first hand account of what happens when a straphanger retrieves their cell phone from the subway tracks without the aid of an MTA worker.

Moral of the story: It’s a cell phone, just let it go.