Oh, so it can be done....

Ron Gremban has probably been working on this "plug-in" Prius long before gas prices became an issue.

And what about Prof. Andy Frank?

University of California, Davis engineering professor Andy Frank built a plug-in hybrid from the ground up in 1972 and has since built seven others, one of which gets up to 250 mpg. They were converted from non-hybrids, including a Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Suburban. (via CNN.com)

1972. It's nearly a quarter-century since Frank built his first plug-in car. And it's been four years since he and his students participated in the first friendly U.S. competition (called Challenge Bibendum) to compare advanced-technology vehicles. Compare! That means -- and I'm speaking to you, President Bush and all those talking solely about hydrogen-based technology (speaking to you without making eye contact because your blinking makes me dizzy) -- there are multiple possibilities for hybrid vehicles. But even though this competition's been held since 2001 (since you took office, Bushie, by coincidence or on purpose?), has the Crawford Cowboy even scheduled a photo-op at Bibendum, much less paid attention to it?

It amazes me that Americans really could have given a shit about hybrids and electric cars until they had to forgo their 7-11 Slurpee because gas prices topped $2.50 a gallon. Oh, wait, that doesn't amaze me at all. Our wallets, our leisure, our pleasure, our "need" to hog the road, pollute the sky and get the luxury SUV so the kids don't have to sit too close together in the backseat are far more important in the here-and-now than what might happen to the earth in the then-and-later.

There are some of us who -- while the savings on gas would be a sweet bonus -- actually would like to drive and advocate a fuel-efficient, possibly hybridized, car because it might keep the planet in about the same condition it is right now and, oh, give us one less thing to go to war over.

Instead, as Frank says, Bush turns the focus to distractions, like hydrogen cars, which, while not a bad idea, is a long way off.

"They'd rather work on something that won't be in their lifetime, and that's this hydrogen economy stuff," Frank said. "They pick this kind of target to get the public off their back, essentially."

Instead, to keep us in the dark, our 'bright' leaders are giving us a little more light:

Daylight savings time may leave kids in the dark (via Boston Herald)

Another bonus for Bush & Co.? The darkness is one more way to explain our students' low test scores. At least teaching 'intelligent design' (HA! An intelligent 'designer' would have figured out the fossil fuel question long ago...) is more simplistic than evolution...