[The_Toecutter]

When considering any ultra light EV design or concept I immediately think about how it would do climbing uphill in six inches of snow or spring mud. AC or no AC would be my last consideration.

Designing a micro EV for that task is not an issue. The design will give up some of its efficiency for more ground clearance, and AWD with proper selection of tires(rolling resistance will increase) will be a necessity, but it can be done. I think a single-seater micro EV that only needs 40-50 Wh/mile to hold 70 mph on flat ground, while still being able to competently go through 6" of snow, or climb a muddy embankment offroad, is possible. It will be heavier than and require twice as much battery capacity than a sportier version where this isn't a consideration. Due to the advantages an electric powertrain provides, theoretically you could make such a thing come close to climbing a wall.

My design can still handle 1.5" of snow, but snow was not really a design consideration, and most of my weight is over the front wheels even though the drive wheel is in the rear, so it is definitely not optimized for this, and its ground clearance is very low at ~4.5".

[The_Toecutter]

I did another ride this evening after work. Here's some more pics of the area:













































Next time, I'll try to get some of St. Louis Ave.

[AdamB]

I did another ride this evening after work. Here's some more pics of the area:

Yikes!! Some real dicey looking areas there Toe. "Gun country", as in, when you move on through there, you ought to have one on you.

Next time, I'll try to get some of St. Louis Ave.

Would that be better or worse than the previous pics?

[Newfie]

Lots of America looks that way. Lots of the world looks like that.

[The_Toecutter]

Yikes!! Some real dicey looking areas there Toe. "Gun country", as in, when you move on through there, you ought to have one on you.

There's a lot more where that came from.

I do carry a steel spike ball on a 5-foot chain. If anyone tries to rob me, they're not going to like the skull fucking they will get. I've carried guns walking through there as well.

According to the BLS, unemployment here is only 3.6%. Took me thousands of applications and a year to get a job washing dishes at minimum wage, and thousands more and another year and a half to get my current electrical engineering position. Nearly everyone I know was either working 2 jobs and living paycheck to paycheck, or looking for a job and couldn't get hired. There's also a lot of employed homeless people priced out of rent. As Mark Twain once said, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."

Would that be better or worse than the previous pics?

Not nearly as post-apocalyptic looking, but also a lot more people and crime. Hard to say which is more dangerous though. I don't at all look like I belong in the area, and to boot I look like an easy target. But this city is where I lived for much of my life, and I wasn't born into upper-middle-class privilege like most of my peers during my school years.

I can find areas as bad or worse than what I showed above. There's tens of square miles of them in my general area. Also lots of gated communities for the more well-to-do.

[AdamB]

Lots of America looks that way. Lots of the world looks like that.

The world part I get. Parts of Appalachia, sure. But in my North American travels (which admittedly don't focus on cities and industrial complexes nearby), this kind of run down decrepit looks like a homeless encampment isn't particularly common. Although there was this time during a detour in northern St. Louis once that struck me as...more run down urban...or maybe run of the mill urban....than I would otherwise find around that city.

[The_Toecutter]

The world part I get. Parts of Appalachia, sure. But in my North American travels (which admittedly don't focus on cities and industrial complexes nearby), this kind of run down decrepit looks like a homeless encampment isn't particularly common. Although there was this time during a detour in northern St. Louis once that struck me as...more run down urban...or maybe run of the mill urban....than I would otherwise find around that city.

Almost all of the rot is kept hidden from the main thoroughfares. Those who stick to the highways and main streets will see next to none of it no matter where in the U.S. they go. Much of what I've seen of the USA is a potemkin village with a facade of prosperity concealing a massive amount of rot and decay. Some areas are better or worse off than others. Even the small towns outside of my city have homeless camps with 50+ populations, but the inhabitants know they can be harassed/arrested at any time and they try to stay hidden from view, and are frequently having to relocate their camp. I've seen four homeless camps in nearby Belleville, IL, two more in East St. Louis, IL, and one in rural Wentzville.

[AdamB]

The world part I get. Parts of Appalachia, sure. But in my North American travels (which admittedly don't focus on cities and industrial complexes nearby), this kind of run down decrepit looks like a homeless encampment isn't particularly common. Although there was this time during a detour in northern St. Louis once that struck me as...more run down urban...or maybe run of the mill urban....than I would otherwise find around that city.

Almost all of the rot is kept hidden from the main thoroughfares. Those who stick to the highways and main streets will see next to none of it no matter where in the U.S. they go.

Yes...well, I backroad through America, I'm not doing a highlight reel of the cool places and normal tourist scenery where the rich might live. Yes, highways, but highways to me mean pavement, as opposed to every dirt road I can find. But those highways are also called streets, and so tooling around on streets you do get a wide band perspective on more rural blight than urban, so I will admit that urban blight isn't something I could naturally count on bumping into. But as far as I'm concerned, all urban areas have blight, are themselves a blight upon the landscape, and are best left to the locals who have decided not to do anything about it.

Much of what I've seen of the USA is a potemkin village with a facade of prosperity concealing a massive amount of rot and decay. Some areas are better or worse off than others. Even the small towns outside of my city have homeless camps with 50+ populations, but the inhabitants know they can be harassed/arrested at any time and they try to stay hidden from view, and are frequently having to relocate their camp. I've seen four homeless camps in nearby Belleville, IL, two more in East St. Louis, IL, and one in rural Wentzville.

Well, that doesn't constitute much of the USA. I've spent time in Wentzville and Belleville, overnighters as a matter of fact, and the blight you speak of certainly could have been there, and as you say, might require some work to find. No different than Appalachia. But it doesn't jump out at you during any puttering tour through and around town. In order for collapse/THE END/Doom to be even noticed, the usual run down areas that are common in probably many areas around America (the world is something else altogether), those places should be the norm, easily visible, Hoovervilles sitting out in the city park across from the courthouse. Spotted from the Beltway (something possible in both Detroit and Denver I might add, Detroit being far worse). What is your opinion on Bozeman Montana? Eureka California? Del Rio Texas? And my all time favorite, Traverse City Michigan? None of them are big towns really, all different flavors and environments, and last time I was through them, nothing obvious in terms of overall degradation, although as in all towns, it just wasn't obvious.

Your pictures of the bad areas of Saint Louis are quite revealing. Would you venture a guess as to the overall percentage of area in and around St Louis that consists of these dilapidated areas, versus non-dilapidated? 5% 15%? Oh, and if you can provide me a location designated by the intersection of two streets near any of these St Louis areas, I'd love to stop by and check it out myself next time through the city. I pass through regularly and I'm fascinated by the size and extent of this kind of decay near a major and vibrant city. My recent adventures in north St. Louis have me curious.

[Newfie]

As of 2020, there are over 130,000 vacant houses in Philadelphia, clustering in North, South, and West Philadelphia. This long-term issue is gradually damaging the environment of the neighborhood and intriguing more and more troubles.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3d ... 51363ba93b

[AdamB]

As of 2020, there are over 130,000 vacant houses in Philadelphia, clustering in North, South, and West Philadelphia. This long-term issue is gradually damaging the environment of the neighborhood and intriguing more and more troubles.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3d ... 51363ba93b

I was in downtown Philly some 30+ years ago, walking through a passport at the Federal building to leave the country for a drill rig somewhere, and I was walking around downtown and thought it quite nice. Some of the places not downtown? Dicey. Maybe it has gotten better since then, although some of the pictures on the link you included would indicate maybe not.

[Newfie]

I imagine Philly is a lot like other NE towns. And I have watched it evolve over the decades I worked there. And I generally worked around the railroad tracks, industrial areas.

At one time Philly was really big in making clothes. Lots and lots if 4 and 5 story factories, mills, along the RR. But they were abandoned by the late 70’s. That also meant the jobs were gone. And Phillys population has mostly shrunk over the decades.

Gradually these multi story buildings were raised and replaced with one story metal buildings, or not. The houses are all row homes. Many are abandoned. Some blocks struggle to stay good, they must have civic associations, formal or not, and they try hard to survive. Many blocks don’t. Abandoned houses turn into crack dens, the city can’t tear them down fast enough. Sometimes vacant lots get turned into victory gardens, kinda like Detroit. Some ethnic neighborhoods have lots of family ties and survive pretty well. I would hate to live there but obviously some people do and they take care.

You get areas of gentrification. But then there are areas that had big impressive houses, near a park, that just go to shit. It is all very neighborhood specific and depends upon the social ties.

Once you loose that social cohesion, the tribe within, then its a down hill slide.

At least my observations.

[careinke]

You people certainly have a different idea what Happy Talk is than I do. Well I'm sticking to only posting stuff that makes me happy.

For example, I just discovered a new podcast, here is their website:
https://theprogressivebitcoiner.com/thepodcast/

So far I have listened to three podcasts of "The Progressive Bitcoiner," and every one was good. These are podcasts explaining why and how bitcoin can be used to advance liberal causes using real world cases. The research is deep and well documented and the participants hold a lot of credibility. Janet Yelling needs to talk with these people!!!!

I spent some time wandering around on the website above and found it well done, and very useful for looking up information. I have to say, I agreed with pretty much ALL of their conclusions even though they come at it from a completely different angle than I would. From now on I'm just going to refer my SJW friends to this site.

To my left leaning comrades, heck anybody on this site, I recommend you check it out. Oh, If you go to the FAQ part you can get transcripts.

My favorite, is episode 32 (the latest). If you are a numbers geek, this is the episode for you, because they throw a LOT of numbers around. A major part of the show was about mining bitcoin using "Waste Gasses." This is being done world wide right now, turning a liability into profit while preventing methane escaping into the atmosphere.

Some examples of waste gas included land fills, which typically flare off the gas needing constant care and maintenance costing money. Instead that gas could be used to run a generator, that will power Bitcoin Miners, that will generate enough to more than cover maintenance costs.

Another use is to cap and capture leaking oil wells, especially abandon ones with no traceable owners. All of the sudden it is profitable to do that, no government money needed, heck the government can steal some of that profit too.

Of course the classic is flaring oil wells required for isolated wells. It costs a lot to build a flair tower and tens of thousands a year in maintenance. Now you don't need a flaring tower at all and make money off your methane. Bitcoin is digital energy.

Another point brought up in this episode was most first world liberals don't see a use case for bitcoin. This is true because most first worlders actually DON'T have a real use case for bitcoin. But the poor, the displaced, and unbanked do. Thousands of Ukrainian refugees took their wealth with them to Poland. Afghani women can make their own transactions and be their own bank since they are not allowed a bank account.

They also brought up the fact, during the record heat wave over the Texas power grid there were NO blackouts or brown outs, the head of the grid attributed it to the added flexibility he had due to bitcoin miners.

Tie all this in with the Forbes article Tadana posted in another thread about Big Oil and Big Coal backing renewables in order eliminate the nuclear industry, and it opens a whole new world to examine. What could possibly be happier than that?

PEACE

[Newfie]

Carinke,

Thanks for steering us back in track to happiness.

[AdamB]

Of course the classic is flaring oil wells required for isolated wells. It costs a lot to build a flair tower and tens of thousands a year in maintenance.

Nonsense. If your new and exciting "burn energy to pretend to make money" website told you this, they just discredited themselves as idiots on par with bell shaped curve enthusiasts.

Perforated steel pipe bolted vertically with the equivalent of a bic lighter strapped to the top of the stack to relight it when it goes out on occasion, you tell me how that costs tens of thousands of year in maintenance. Stack is out? Flick the bic. Move on. The pipe costs $100. Perforating it requires a drill. How much do you think the bic lighter costs? $1000's? A month?

Flaring gas is bad. If someone can take the flared gas and turn it into power, good. Using it to mine bitcoin is stupid, but humans do stupid regularly so it isn't a surprise, but the electricity can certainly have value in all sorts of other places. Which is why when you can you put it into a pipe and move it along to where it does the most good.

[vtsnowedin]

My electric utility is a small co-op that gets 100% of it's power from renewable sources. One major fraction(68%) comes from the landfill gas at Vermont's only remaining landfill. The gas power a couple of locomotive sized caterpillar engines.
As an armchair general I hate to see gas flared to no purpose. Don't drill the hole until you can recover and sell the gas. Not feasible economically, I know, but it chafes my frugal Vermonter's cheeks.

[C8]

Lots of America looks that way. Lots of the world looks like that.

People get too wrapped up in how a place looks. There is a lot of love in run down places, and many a celebrity has committed suicide in a beautiful mansion. I like to judge a place by the people.

[Newfie]

I agree, and I hang out in some rather poorer spots.

Yet there is something to be said for prosperity. Not ostentatious BS, but being able to keep a good plate, a dry head and a safe haven. Those are the bits missing in the areas I highlighted.

[AdamB]

Lots of America looks that way. Lots of the world looks like that.

People get too wrapped up in how a place looks. There is a lot of love in run down places, and many a celebrity has committed suicide in a beautiful mansion. I like to judge a place by the people.

So...you go hang out in the projects, see if and who robs you blind and presumably doesn't kill you for your wallet when you don't shuck it for them fast enough, and assuming you survive, then make your assessment? How many times has this worked out for you? It might sound facetious, but I've done just this but in more rural areas...turns out it helps to have been raised hick and backwoods, so projecting the ambiance isn't difficult, and generally you get out with your wallet and your life. Helps to dress the part, drive something that looks local, and don't show fear. Only place it hasn't work for me has been on an Indian reservation. The rules are entirely different there.

[AdamB]

I agree, and I hang out in some rather poorer spots.

Same here. Flyover country to me is land of the free and home of the brave as compared to cities.

[careinke]

Of course the classic is flaring oil wells required for isolated wells. It costs a lot to build a flair tower and tens of thousands a year in maintenance.

Nonsense. If your new and exciting "burn energy to pretend to make money" website told you this, they just discredited themselves as idiots on par with bell shaped curve enthusiasts.

Perforated steel pipe bolted vertically with the equivalent of a bic lighter strapped to the top of the stack to relight it when it goes out on occasion, you tell me how that costs tens of thousands of year in maintenance. Stack is out? Flick the bic. Move on. The pipe costs $100. Perforating it requires a drill. How much do you think the bic lighter costs? $1000's? A month?

Flaring gas is bad. If someone can take the flared gas and turn it into power, good. Using it to mine bitcoin is stupid, but humans do stupid regularly so it isn't a surprise, but the electricity can certainly have value in all sorts of other places. Which is why when you can you put it into a pipe and move it along to where it does the most good.

Thanks for taking the time to Not actually check this out. It gives me my second verification you are in the deliberately ignorant crowd. Saves me a lot of time responding to you.

Peace