Car sharing: a new way to own and to rent

While I was looking for station information at DC Metro web site, I found the Car sharing option at many stations.

The concept is easy: take Metro as much as you can and only driven for the last part that usually takes the most time (e.g. bus transfer or where bus doesn't go). You can rent by the hour, which is very cost effective. For people living in big cities with a good Metro system (DC, NYC, Boston etc.) this is a great way to go places without all the problems associated with owning a car. Of course, you also helped to keep our planet cleaner (anything counts).

Besides Metro, they are also working with Universities, which is a very good idea to solve on campus parking problems and economic for students who avoid paying a premium on insurances.

So far there's two companies doing this:
Flexcar and Zipcar. Since the rate includes insurance and gas, there now is an incentive for the rental company to put out hybrid cars! As for Zipcar, they even have BMW or mini!

2006 Emmys: 24 and other Fox shows

They got a few good seasons, and some bad one/s. This past one is a good one but the ending of this season seems boring though. Sorry, The West Wing.

Outstanding Drama Series

• 24 FOX Winner
  
• Grey's Anatomy ABC
• House FOX
• The Sopranos HBO
• The West Wing NBC

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

• Kiefer Sutherland - 24 FOX Winner
  
• Christopher Meloni - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit NBC
• Denis Leary - Rescue Me FX
• Peter Krause - Six Feet Under HBO
• Martin Sheen - The West Wing NBC

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series

• 24 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM FOX Winner
  
• Big Love Pilot HBO
• Lost Live Together, Die Alone ABC
• Six Feet Under Everyone’s Waiting HBO
• The Sopranos Members Only HBO
• The Sopranos Join The Club HBO
• The West Wing Election Day NBC

2006 Emmys: the West Wing

A happy ending for the West Wing with Alan Alda's win in

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

• Alan Alda - The West Wing NBC
• William Shatner - Boston Legal ABC
• Oliver Platt - Huff Showtime
• Michael Imperioli - The Sopranos HBO
• Gregory Itzin - 24 FOX

2006 Emmys: Girl in the Cafe

Congratulations to Kelly MacDonald for winning the Emmy for

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

• Kelly MacDonald - The Girl In The Café HBO Winner
  
• Shirley Jones - Hidden Places Hallmark
• Ellen Burstyn - Mrs. Harris HBO
• Cloris Leachman - Mrs. Harris HBO
• Alfre Woodard - The Water Is Wide CBS

The girl in the Cafe is one of the good "made for TV" movies I've seen in the past a few years. Kelly MacDonald with her genuinen British accent, played really well the girl next to your cubicle.

And...
Outstanding Made For Television Movie

• The Girl In The Café HBO Winner
• Flight 93 A&E
• The Flight That Fought Back Discovery Channel
• Mrs. Harris HBO
• Yesterday HBO

2006 Emmys: Huff being cancelled?

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

• Blythe Danner - Huff Showtime Winner
  
• Candice Bergen - Boston Legal ABC
• Sandra Oh - Grey's Anatomy ABC
• Chandra Wilson - Grey's Anatomy ABC
• Jean Smart - 24 FOX

I can't believe Shotime cancelled Huff. It's one of the best shows in 2006! As for Blythe Danner, she's the living proof that true beauty likes wine, it only gets better when properly aged.

Boston Trip, a major mistake?

Just found out that I may have made a major mistake to fly into Boston Logan airport next month. The hotel reservation lady told me that Ted William tunnel is currently closed. This means I will have a hard time going back to the airport on Tuesday in rush hour for the 8pm flight.

Damn, just the time I thought the Big Dig is almost done. Can't believe the case study 8 years ago is still incomplete. It is now officially "classical".

Originally I planned to rent a car at Logan and drive to the suburbs. After reading this blog from Korte, I'm not sure what to do now.

Dreaming green: Granite sidewalk on Rodeo Drive to save Beverly Hills?

The city of Beverly Hills is considering replacing the new concrete sidewalks on Rodeo drive to green granite. The city manager claim that is necessary to be the "elite of the elite."

May be he's dreaming too much of green.

The construction in downtown Beverly Hills is already killing me whenever I need to cross it late in the afternoon to reach Century City. Who knows how long this will take? May be it's near-sighted, but who is seeing the future when just paid 16 million for a new concrete sidewalk?

In the end, you won't be surprised that the rich guys always win. Just like the abandoned rail tracks going through Santa Monica Blvd, they can only be used for parking lots when rich people in the neighborhood wants some peace in the morning. (Don't worry, they don't have to go to work). Those poor guys who need to go through west LA, tough luck. You are in the wrong side of the town, or ocean. Move to Bombay (Mumbai), where you can get your home-cooked lunch delivered to your office for $1 by Dabbawala, thanks to their efficient public transportation system. According to Wikipedia, the Dabbawala supply chain system achieves a six-sigma rating (99.9999% deliveries are made without error).

Off topic, if you're in Bay area and miss the home-cooked Indian food, try the Annadaata service. NY Times highly recommended it.

Please think twice before buying anything in bulk

Otherwise, you may be arrested for link to "a terrorist plot, "

unless if you are a white blond.

Who cares if they can't prove anything. As long as the stuff you're buying can be used in a terrorist plan. For example, a dinning knife, box cutter (known to be used in 9/11), or baby food (known to be used for making explosives).

That's where your tax dollor best spent.

Air travel mess and high gas prices

With all the new security measures at airports, I'm seriously thinking of driving more whenever possible. In the time after 9/11, we do need to be more defensive. Looking at the higher cost (both time and cost) on air travel and ever increasing gas prices ($3.8/g for me last week), however, we are actually losing. When we looking back 20 years later, the war on terror (or at Iraq) may not be our wisest moves against Bin Laden.