AOL Tech

Norm Rhett

Member since: Oct 23rd, 2009

Norm Rhett's Latest Comments

Blog Activity
Blog# of Comments
Autoblog2 Comments
Switched1 Comment
Politics Daily2 Comments
WalletPop1 Comment
Fanhouse NFL Blog1 Comment
Daily Finance2 Comments
AOL Real Estate1 Comment
AOL Autos - Translogic2 Comments

Recent Comments:

Solar Ready Roofs: California's New Homebuilding Standard (AOL Real Estate)

Jun 2nd 2012 11:41PM The guidelines do not say you can't have a fireplace, only that the chimney must not block the best roof area for solar panels. By the way, a fireplace is about the worst way to try to heat a house. Unless it's poisioning you with smoke, all of the heated air goes up the chimney while drawing cold air into the rest of the house.

How to Save on Gas as Prices at the Pump Climb (WalletPop)

Feb 26th 2011 7:33AM Electric car drivers are sympathetic but don't care much. Some day all cars will come with a plug, either plug-in hybrid or battery only. They are a pleasure to drive, unless you like noise and vibration, and cheap to operate and maintain. All of the hundreds of people I know of who have one or more will never go back to relying completely on oil companies and their unstable suppliers.

OJ Simpson Trial at 15: A Legacy of Bad DNA, Beard Strokes, Bruno Magli Shoes (Fanhouse NFL Blog)

Oct 4th 2010 3:45PM Amen. I doubt that Simpson, even as a cuckold, was rash and violent enough for murder, but any number of bros would have been happy to avenge the shared shame. He was an accessory, but without his help the actual killer could not be identified. The Browns and Goldmans were compensated in the following civil trial and Simpson never regained his stature and wealth, so maybe justice was served.

Living On Electric Avenue Diary: Day Three (AOL Autos - Translogic)

Aug 9th 2010 2:05AM Most EVs are charged at night, when the car is not needed, the excess warmth from charging is easily dissipated, and, if you have time-of-use metering, the cost is lowest because demand is lowest. My summer rates are 31 cents/kWh during peak usage, i.e. mid-afternoon to early evening, 4.5 cents/kWh between midnight and 7AM. Power companies agree that EVs will require addition capacity only if lots of them are charged during peak usage.

Because EVs are about 70% efficient with no emissions and gas engines are about 20% plus emissions, even coal fired electricity for EVs is cleaner than the well-to-wheels emissions for gas. Refineries are among the biggest users of energy.

A major benefit of driving an EV is that maintenance is generally limited to tires and brakes. Not that you would, but you could safely sleep in your garage with the car turned on.

Living On Electric Avenue Diary: Day Three (AOL Autos - Translogic)

Aug 9th 2010 1:37AM I've been driving EVs for 11+ years. A/C takes about 10% of the energy at 65mph. Slowing to 62mph will offset that load.

Kill the Web's Dumbest, Most Annoying Symbol: The Smiley X-( (Switched)

Dec 5th 2009 6:26PM "ridiculosity"? How about using the words, in this case "ridiculousness", that are already in the lexicon. New words and expressions should only be added if they represent something new. More on topic, emoticons allow expression of subtleties and implications that would be lost if they were explicit, you fool ;)

GM confirms Chevrolet Volt to be introduced in California before nationwide rollout (Autoblog)

Dec 4th 2009 1:13AM My RAV4EV would cost me about $1.50 to drive 80 miles, but backyard photovoltaic panels make it free. Can you do that with gasoline?

GM confirms Chevrolet Volt to be introduced in California before nationwide rollout (Autoblog)

Dec 4th 2009 1:06AM Most EVs charge after midnight when usage and E-9 rates are lowest.

Americans Are Tilting Towards the Negative on Health Care Reform (Politics Daily)

Nov 9th 2009 10:47PM Other than a long list of presumably conservative and insurance company sourced statements about the predicted rise in costs, there is no explanation of why that would happen. The Congressional Budget Office predicts savings of $150 billion. More to the point, my observation that a public option cannot both undercut insurance companies and raise costs saw no rebuttal after the assertion that, "The bill will do both." Am I wrong in saying that opponents warn of driving insurance companies out or are they wrong in saying so? If insurance companies are still around, won't they be able to maintain no worse than the current cost spiral?

Americans Are Tilting Towards the Negative on Health Care Reform (Politics Daily)

Nov 9th 2009 6:04PM I have seen opponents of the public option insist that it will produce a government monopoly by driving insurance companies out, presumably with cheap government insurance. Others insist that it will dramatically increase the cost to buyers. One or the other opinion (or both) must be wrong. I believe they are just reflex rejections of anything Democrats support.