I love this story first reported in Automotive News. Ford Motor Co. is telling its Texas dealers to help out Texans without power by supplying F-150s equipped with generators. “Due to the urgent and unprecedented weather situation in Texas, a number of our local dealers are using all-new Ford F-150s equipped with Pro Power Onboard to help in their communities,” Ford spokesman Mike Levine said in a statement, noting there are about 415 trucks on dealer lots in Texas that can help immediately. The new F-150, which debuted last year, gives customers the option to turn their truck into a mobile generator. Ford’s 2-kilowatt generator is optional on the Ford F-150 2.7-liter EcoBoost, 5-liter V8 and 3.5-liter EcoBoost. That amount of power will run an electric heater, television, mini-fridge and other small appliances at the same time, Ford says. I love this kind of ingenuity. Makes me proud that I am a lifetime Ford owner.
Speaking of ingenuity. For the ninth time, the U.S. landed a craft on Mars. Perseverance, or Percy for short, is an unmanned craft that will gather material to answer the question of whether life ever flourished on the Red Planet. Thursday’s achievement is something for which we should all be proud. For someone who grew-up in the heyday of space exploration of the 1960s and 70s, this kind of thing excites me.
| After my post on Thursday, I was intrigued with how many articles I read today blasting the Texas Governor for blaming the power outage on the Green New Deal and wind turbines. He tried to make it a political issue rather than a leadership issue and many people were not buying it. I cannot understand why it is so hard to say that in an effort to keep our independence from federal oversight and to save money the investments in our grid were not made to handle this once in a generation winter storm and we are now paying the price. The decisions were made long before his term as governor. Words matter and people can handle the truth when it is given to them straight. |
| In Michigan the seven day average of reported covid cases has dropped below 900 which is a significant decrease from the highs of over 7,000 in mid-November. The seven day average death rate has dropped below 20 as compared to above 120 in early December. The number of hospitalizations has dropped below 850 as compared to nearly 4,300 on December 1. All of this is very encouraging. I hope the local school boards can see to it to get the students back in school full time. |
| Today David Goricki of the Detroit News ranked his top 25 blue chip Michigan high school boys basketball players in the state. It is interesting that the top 3 rated players belong to Ypsilanti Prep Academy. This is a school that did not even exist last year and is not a member of the MHSAA. It was started by Emoni Bates’ dad as a way to showcase Emoni’s talent and get around the MHSAA restrictions of playing games with schools from other parts of the country. Since all of the players attended Michigan high schools last year, I am sure they would have been on the list anyway. It just rubs me the wrong way. |
| Quote of the Day: Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell talking about Michigan’s defense. “You’ve got to take advantage of any opportunity that you can get. Their defense is so efficient. They don’t give you a lot of easy baskets. Against them, you don’t have a lot of margin for error.” |
| Orchid of the Day: To the Texas Ford Dealers for reasons mentioned above. Onion of the Day: To former MLB player and Detroit Tiger Johnny Damon and his wife for getting arrested yesterday for DUI and resisting arrest. Damon blew over 0.3 on the breathalyzer, which is over three times the legal limit. He and his wife were both handcuffed and taken to jail. |
Were those F150s powered by gasoline ⛽ diesel or wind ,solar?