Random Notes 12.01.04

annonifer sent me a wired news story on diesel hybrids:

Hybrid-diesel buses are currently proving the viability of the technology in a dozen metropolitan areas, including New York, Philadelphia, Seattle and Portland, Oregon. In Seattle, more than 100 hybrid diesel buses are currently in use and performing well...
[...]
The hybrid-diesel buses in Seattle are getting about 7.5 mpg, a 50 percent improvement over the buses they replaced...

the november harper's index is out:

Ratio of hours of live U.S.-convention coverage per U.S. network this year to hours of live coverage on Al Jazeera : 1:2
[...]
Ratio of Americans killed by lightning since January 2002 to those killed by terrorism : 3:2
[...]
Distance in feet traveled by the winning pumpkin at Delaware’s Punkin Chunkin Competition last year : 4,434.28
[...]
Ratio of suicides worldwide in 2001 to war deaths : 7:2
[...]
Rank of antidepressants and anti-ulcer drugs among the best-selling prescription drugs worldwide last year : 3,2

Rank of cholesterol-lowering drugs : 1

boingboing says that philly will indeed get citywide wifi:

Exciting news in Pennsylvania today, after reports of many bureaucratic challenges -- Philadelphia has reached an agreement with Verizon that will allow the city to offer free WiFi as a sort of public utility. Free like liberty, free like beer.