DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

I was feeling sort of price-sensitive about these B12 supplements, which cost $20/bottle.

But then I saw the “% Daily Value” breakout on the label: a single pill contains 84,400% of the suggested daily value of vitamin B12. I only need 100% for any single day, so 84,400% should last me for 844 days, or about 27 months. There are 60 pills in the bottle… so this bottle should last me 138.7 years.

W00t! That’s only four ten-thousands of a cent per day!

FedEx, in partnership with Environmental Defense, is beginning to convert its fleet of delivery trucks to new hybrid models that get 50% better fuel economy:

Two new trucks in D.C. bring our total number of hybrid electric vehicles delivering packages — and cleaner air — around the U.S. to 18. The first two hit the streets of Sacramento in March 2004, followed by ten more in New York City and four more in Tampa in October.

Details of the hybrid solution can be found in the manufacturer’s press release:

Eaton’s hybrid-electric powertrain effectively combines a diesel engine and electric motor to drive the vehicle. A computer determines the most efficient combination… A four-cylinder engine replaces the six-cylinder version currently used in the FedEx Express W700 delivery vehicle. The engine size is reduced because of the added power provided by the electric motor. A particulate trap has been added to the truck to further reduce emissions.

Batteries capture and store energy during the “regenerative braking” phase of the vehicle’s operation…

Eaton’s hybrid electric powertrain has been placed in the standard white FedEx Express W700 delivery truck… The hybrid electric delivery vehicle will be differentiated from the standard FedEx Express delivery vehicle only by an OptiFleet brand decal on the sides and rear of the vehicle. The hybrid electric E700 has a gross vehicle weight of approximately 16,000 lbs. and a cargo capacity of approximately 670 cubic feet.

May 1 is the beginning of PG&E’s summer rate season for “Schedule E-7” customers, which includes most PV owners. Which means it’s time to haul your butt onto the roof to wash off the panels again.

Pictured is my new panel-washing device, which turns out to be so useful it practically qualifies as a life hack. It’s a car-washing wand, about five feet long. The garden hose screws into the handle and water sprays out of the brush. It’s totally not worth the $25 the local hardware store charged me for it, but given the 8% electricity generation I’ve just regained by washing the panels, I figure this brush will pay for itself in, oh, about six years.

Following is an illustration of the only way to win an Ebay auction any more: wait until the absolute last second, and bid 29¢ more than than the next guy.

This auction closed at 12:16:50, one second after my bid was received. I nearly missed the window because I decided 3 seconds before close to revise my bid. I wasted 25¢, as it turns out.

Bidding in the last moment of an auction is called “sniping” and it is annoying as hell, unless you happen to be the winner. I’ve lost numerous auctions by $1.00 or less, in the last 10 seconds of action. And I’ve won numerous auctions the same way. In fact, most everything I’ve bought on Ebay in the past year — or failed to buy — has come down to a last-moment bidding war. I’ve saved a bit of money this way, and, probably, shaved 18 months off my life due to sniping-induced stress.