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I don’t think there are many weddings in malls or airports but even if there were I think a trained security operative could tell the bride and groom were not fighting over the knife but about to cut a cake with it.

 

Mind you if it were an Irish wedding it could be a tougher call. 

Here is an idea that has been kicking around my head for a wee while, ever since I bought my brother-in-law a drone for his birthday.

It must be possible to have a taser carrying drone. Such a device could easily sit in a box above key security cameras in places like shopping malls and airports etc.

When suspected trouble is spotted, the drone could be instantly launched and be close to the action in seconds. The onboard camera can confirm for the operator if this is a serious event, e.g. someone trying to stab people or shoot them. If they are then the taser could be fired, hopefully leading to immobilisation of the perpetrator long enough to be apprehended.

Such a system might not only minimise the harm done by a perpetrator by getting there in seconds but also greatly reduce the risk of harm to those who have to apprehend him/her.

It wouldn’t cost that much either. Probably would require legislation though.

It wouldn’t do much good in the case of a suicide bomber or a vehicle weapon but a lot of these random nutter type events in schools, malls etc seem to be lone individuals on foot with knives or guns.

VW estimate battery cost amounts to half the manufacturing cost of a vehicle so you are right, since an ICE does not amount to that proportion of an ICE car.  The new ID.3, 77kwh battery option, is expected to give around a 340 mile range, similar to the Tesla and at around $100 per kwh should only, in theory, add  about $4000 to the basic price although I expect profit margins on top of that. We’ll see soon enough.

Not so sexy but VW are going big on EV with the new ID.3 range this coming.  Variety of trims and a choice of 3 battery sizes range 150 miles to 300+.

 

They have put out contracts for something like $40 billion worth of batteries and have a dedicated EV factory so it is way mare than just intent.  Economies of scale mean much cheaper cars, starting at around $25,000.  Their expectation is 3million a year by 2025. Price parity with ICE expected not long after.

Cutely, the engine is in back but apparently an extra one up front will become available for extra oomph.

 

 

The thing with house pricing is it is notional. A bit like share value or currency value only more so. I mean the value is only good for what is agreed. It is variable not really based on intrinsic worth despite the bricks and mortar involved. It goes up and down based on nothing more than current perceived market value.

Yes, individually, you could realise the equity in your home by selling and put the money in the bank, but say some general situation arose where everybody decided to do so? Say some circumstance or other arose whereby you had to sell your house to get food or medicine and that that was a general scenario? In that instance, house value would rapidly drop to sub equity levels. The question is, in that circumstance, where did the money go? Did it just disappear into thin air? Sure, real money has been paid in to buy the place but that means nothing if everything goes tits up.

So here you all are.

Chic McGregor. Aged 68 and 3/4 going on 21 and 1/3.

Due to family issue been virtually absent from the internet for about 6 weeks.