A Toyota Prius ...

Bought a 2004/2005 Toyota Prius :

Well, one can dream, right? :) Dreams of a better world, where vehicle engines no longer idle, where people consume with care and not with abandon, where "chasing growth" gives way to "maintaining sustainability" ...

Well, the last time this happened was with a Honda Integra Type R. Nothing much, considering that the free training course that came with my Canon digital camera re-visited the macro function, which I already knew, and explained some other things - which I weren't too sure about (Tv/Av modes, etc).

Why do people buy toy cars / diecast scale models? Lots of people simply go for the Ferrari's, Lamborghini's and whatnot. Nice to hold a dream in your hand. I've had my share of that part from way back. But instead of "mere" red Ferrari's, I have a handful of McLaren F1's and Jaguar XJ220's, in 1/18 scale. Those were the superlatives. They don't make McLaren F1's any more, and you need to be a Sultan of Brunei or something to actually own a few real ones.

... but the dreams are different now. Power is one thing. The continued well-being of your family, friends, countrymen - and species is another. Sure, in the grand scheme of things, plonking down a $20K downpayment for a Prius or Civic Hybrid may not count for that much.

Would you rather wait for Technological Singularity, First Contact, or The Final War For Resources? "Rome", or "Trantor"? I don't have a good answer. Unless someone has a working time machine or something, neither does anyone else.

(2005-06-12 00:09:09 SGT) [Musings] Permalink

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