Cash for Carts October 19, 2009
Posted by Joey in Environmentalists, Politics, Toys.Tags: Electric Vehicle, Golf Carts, Subsidy
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Just when you thought the US government couldn’t get any stupider, comes the news that golf carts qualify for an electric vehicle tax credit. Around my neighborhood, there are several families that have golf carts, and you see them running around, kids aboard, every weekend. I’ve yet to see one at a grocery or convenience store, so let’s not get the illusion that somehow these subsidies are “good for the environment”. The golf carts are just toys for the upper middle class.
Golf Cart Subsidies – WSJ.com.
We thought cash for clunkers was the ultimate waste of taxpayer money, but as usual we were too optimistic. Thanks to the federal tax credit to buy high-mileage cars that was part of President Obama’s stimulus plan, Uncle Sam is now paying Americans to buy that great necessity of modern life, the golf cart.
The federal credit provides from $4,200 to $5,500 for the purchase of an electric vehicle, and when it is combined with similar incentive plans in many states the tax credits can pay for nearly the entire cost of a golf cart. Even in states that don’t have their own tax rebate plans, the federal credit is generous enough to pay for half or even two-thirds of the average sticker price of a cart, which is typically in the range of $8,000 to $10,000. “The purchase of some models could be absolutely free,” Roger Gaddis of Ada Electric Cars in Oklahoma said earlier this year. “Is that about the coolest thing you’ve ever heard?”
The golf-cart boom has followed an IRS ruling that golf carts qualify for the electric-car credit as long as they are also road worthy. These qualifying golf carts are essentially the same as normal golf carts save for adding some safety features, such as side and rearview mirrors and three-point seat belts. They typically can go 15 to 25 miles per hour.
Why Would Anyone Want A Robot Copy of Himself? February 9, 2009
Posted by Joey in Culture, Toys.Tags: Look A Like Doll
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Really, these dolls creep me out.
Mini-Me: The robot doll that looks and sounds just like you.
For some it would be the stuff of childhood nightmares, but a Japanese company is creating robot dolls that look just like their customers.
The ‘Look A Like’ dolls were displayed by LittleIsland president Hiroaki Koike at the annual Gift Show in Tokyo.
Customers place their order for a robot doll along with a photo of who they would like it to resemble and six months later they receive a spookily similar ‘Mini-Me’ in the post.
Toys for That Budding TSA Employee January 10, 2009
Posted by Joey in Toys.Tags: Playmobil, TSA
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Turn your kids into good little nazis with Playmobil Security Checkpoint.
My favorite Amazon review:
Thank you Playmobil for allowing me to teach my 5-year old the importance of recognizing what a failing bureaucracy in a ever growing fascist state looks like. Sometimes it’s a hard lesson for kids to learn because not all pigs carry billy clubs and wear body armor. I applaud the people who created this toy for finally being hip to our changing times. Little children need to be aware that not all smiling faces and uniforms are friendly. I noticed that my child is now more interested in current events. Just the other day he asked me why we had to forfeit so much of our liberties and personal freedoms and I had to answer “well, it’s because the terrorists have already won”. Yes, they have won.
Virtual Girlfriend November 16, 2008
Posted by Joey in Software, Toys, Weird Stuff.Tags: Virtual Girlfriend
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This is just about the cleverest use of a webcam I’ve ever seen, and quite possibly, the most perverted. Via Boing Boing.
$400 Million Mega-Yacht with Submarine, Missile Defenses October 6, 2008
Posted by Joey in Toys.Tags: mega-yacht
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Gizmodo is at it again with the mega-yachts. This time it’s a mere 550 ft long. Wonder where the owner is gonna park it? It’s way too big for any dock short of those used by supertankers or luxury liners. Anyway, complete article in What Bailout?: Chelsea Football Club Owner Building $400 Million Mega-Yacht with Submarine, Missile Defenses.
Russian billionaire and Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich is building a $400 million mega-yacht. Yawn, you say? You have two? OK, well, this yacht has its own submarine. And armor plating with bulletproof glass. And little boats that fit inside the bigger boat. And a frickin’ missile defense system that will alert he and his crew of 70 former SAS soldiers that there be pirates in those waters. It should be noted that Abramovich’s other yachts—the 377 ft. Pelorus, 282ft Ecstasea and 160ft Sussurro—all pale in comparison to the 550 ft. Eclipse, and do not include missile detection systems. You can never be too safe, right?
The Eclipse, so named because Abramovich desires that it overshadow all other boats at sea, also includes an escape submarine, just in case pirates or other rapscallions make it on board. The submarine seats two, so Abramovich and his gorgeous girlfriend Daria Zhukova, 26, can make a hasty flight to safer waters or go down to 160 ft. deep while his hired guns secure the decks.
Quite possibly the ugliest mega-yacht ever built September 23, 2008
Posted by Joey in Toys.Tags: mega-yacht
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I wonder why Gizmodo, which labels itself “The Gadget Guide”, would write about a boat that cost 150M Euros to build. Nevertheless, this mega-yacht may be the most hideous design I’ve ever seen. You’ll need to visit the article itself if you want to admire the exceedingly ugly design, as I can’t bear to post a mug shot of the boat. A sampling:
This is A, a giga-yacht that looks like a cross between a First World War battlecruiser, a submarine, and a spaceship. The A is 387 foot long, with three pools, one master suite, six guest suites, and rooms for 42 staff. Or 42 trained evil Spectra ninjas. The scale of this thing is just mind-blowing, you just have to look closely at the side gate, which seems big enough to hold a dozen of torpedo boats.
Get your own belt-fed machine gun September 4, 2008
Posted by Joey in Toys.Tags: NERF, Toys
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A NERF belt-fed machine gun, that is…
