Chovy’s Blog

Hello Barbara,

This is the 2nd time in 2 years I’ve written you.

With the recent discovery of a 25 square mile crack resulting in a floating ice shelf (BBC News 12/29/06)…I’d like to recommend you and your colleages invest for the future.

Let’s encourage telecommuting and give tax incentives for companies that allow their employees to telecommute during the regular work week. This would encourage people to drive less, resulting in cleaner air, un-congested roadways, and less dependency on oil (foreign or domestic).

My “sphere of influence” and I are willing to support those in office who are devoted to solving the climate crisis. We will voice our support globally on the Internet and throughout local action, from family and friends, to co-workers, and on the web.

Thank you,
May the ice be with you.

Anthony Ettinger
Web Developer (telecommuter)

http://chovy.com

Enter a Few Billion People…

Finding more oil does nobody any good – China and India together coming online will make our consumption look like a drop in a very large bucket in a relatively short amount of time. When I was over there (India) I was blown away by the over population and lack of any apparent EPA emissions standard.

I completely agree that we need alternative renewable sources…you mentioned ethanol, which has been said to use more gas in it’s production than what is produced…making it like paying $10 for a $5 bill.

How Much Would Hemp Seed Oil Cost?

Hemp seed oil is a viable source in addition to cane and corn and can be refined and produced for far less.

If you’ve seen “An Inconvenient Truth” you’re probably in the same boat as me…Gore says we have less than 50 years – but I’ve seen one report that says the “Point of No Return” is less than 10 years away.

Tax Breaks for Telecommute Supporters

I think companies (especially Internet-related) should take the lead and encourage telecommuting as much as possible. I’ve cut my gas bill and pollution down considerably since I started telecommuting. Governments around the world should be giving tax breaks to both employees and employers who adopt this policy on a regular basis.

$3,500 Mercedes Running on Free Vegetable Oil

There’s also vegetable oil, which is free to the consumer (or dirt cheap if you buy it at Costco). Friend of mine has a conversion kit $500 on a $3,500 1991 mercedes that now has virtually zero CO2 emissions and gets excellent milage. It’s free because the restaurants that use vegetable oil have to pay a fee to dispose of it, and more and more people are home-brewing their own biodiesel vehicles and picking it up at local sushi restaurants.

Last week the local news reported on the first “Central Coast” biodiesel refinery + distribution center in California. It’s an excellent opportunity to make some serious money as people start to adopt and more consumer choice becomes available. Not to mention it’s right in my back yard…not cross-globe shipping + delivery to get it to me.

Sun of a Sun of a Sailor

The greatest thing I see in the near future is solar power. That is an obvious one…how else do those Redwoods get to be 300 ft. tall and live for hundreds of years?

ProForm XP 90 Exercise Bike – Dead at age 3/4 of a Year. This one gets filed under “consumer advocacy”, last April 2006 I purchased the ProForm XP 90 exercise bicycle at Sears for $299.

Cheap(ly Made)

“Not a bad price” I said to myself as I ordered it online. After having had the Elliptical trainer for more than 2 years with no complaints but an abnormal amount of squeaking, I decided again to buy ProForm. However, I will never buy from that company again after my recent phone call with their service department

ProForm Exericse Bike – Broken after 8 Months

I don’t care that it only has a 90-day manufacturer’s warranty – if the product breaks in 8 months time so it’s unusable, then I should get a replacement part free. After explaining that the bike’s computer console malfunctioned for the past month and half, and finally died last night, they wanted $200 for a replacement console – on a $300 piece of equipment.

ProForm Values “Extended Warranties” Over Quality

I explained to them, that as a customer, what they are telling is to “never, ever buy ProForm products again.” And their representative refused to let me discuss it with a supervisor, then changing her story that I had actually gone through improper channels (the 800 number on the proform web site)…and should’ve called another 800 number from the user manual.

Bottom Line – Buy Schwinn Instead of ProForm

The bottom line is, while ProForm Exercise equipment is cheap, and somewhat attractive, plan on buying a new bike or exercise machine within the year. My recommendation is to forget about ProForm unless you get it free from a neighbor or friend, and look into spending an extra $100 on a better quality piece of equipment, Schwinn is one that comes to mind for exercise bikes.

For the Price of an “Extended Warranty” – I Could’ve Had a Schwinn

I could’ve spend $100 on a 1-year warranty, which would’ve *barely* saved me in this case since it was under 1 year. But that doesn’t make much sense – forget “extended warranties” and buy a better bike.