Mercedes-Benz Club Fun--Saved by Roadside Assistance

Thanks to Adam at my friendly and helpful press fleet, I was able to secure a Mercedes-Benz CL 550 this week so I could attend the Mercedes-Benz Club of America San Francisco chapter's First Sunday Drive yesterday.

We drove a convoy of vehicles, ranging from a couple of early 70's 280 SE sedans to a couple pretty little silver SLKs to my brand new car. We were undeterred by drizzle--we even took two very short ferry rides out in the S.F. Bay Delta area.

Appealingly curving roads with nobody on them, great conversations, a nice brunch at the Ryde Hotel in Walnut Grove, and, then, a small Mercedes adventure.

On the way home, I got a message on my instrument panel that my right rear tire was losing pressure. New cars do this--they inform you of things. I pulled off into a Chevron station and was able to contact Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance. That's one benefit of driving an expensive car.

A polite young man called me and came out just a few minutes later with his ML 350 crossover with Mercedes emblazoned on it. In a few minutes (and in the rain) he applied the spare for me. He also showed me the big nail that was stuck in my tire!

The day was saved!

I wonder where the club is going on April 3?

Simon & Garfunkel Radio

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were a hugely successful folk duo in the 1960's and early 1970's. From The Sound of Silence to A Bridge Over Troubled Water, their tight vocal harmonies and compelling lyrics meant a lot to folks back then--me included--and still do.

The two occasionally perform together today, and of course Paul Simon has had a long and busy solo career.

The music from the movie, The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman, is particularly familiar. That was the vehicle that launched Hoffman's film career.

Now, I have learned that satellite radio provider Sirius XM is giving us a special Simon & Garfunkel channel. If you're a subscriber, you will find Paul and Art at 113 on Sirius and 38 on XM until March 18th.

Famous Motorcycle Journey Comes to an End

I read Che Guevara's The Motorcycle Diaries a few years ago because my son was assigned the book in English class and he had to write a paper. I enjoyed Che's adventures, and then went on to read a biography of him.

A movie was made recently that was also enjoyable and followed the book pretty closely.

Che Guevara posters were around when I was a teenager. He helped Fidel Castro in his takeover in the Cuban revolution in 1959 and with his beard and beret, was very cool to many in that tumultuous time.

His compadre on the journey, Alberto Granado, just died today, at the age of 88. Che died in 1967 while trying to stir up revolution in Bolivia.

Another Reason to Lay Awake at Night

It used to be the bomb. I had thought that climate change was the current nightmare. Now we hear that we may be causing mass extinction of species.

I guess that's not a complete surprise, really.

Researchers found that species are going extinct three to 12 times faster than would be expected if there were no crisis.

That gives Earth between three and 22 centuries to reach the point of mass extinction if nothing is done to stop the problem.

It would be the sixth time in Earth's history that this has happened--none of them recent.

We'll have to keep an eye on this one.

Uh Oh--Four Dollar Gas is Here

I drove past my neighborhood Chevron today and there it was--four dollar gas. I've found that filling my premium-ingesting Audi and BMW is already costing an extra $10 a tank.

As it happened last time, we are likely to see a move to people buying more economical cars. This time, the manufacturers are more ready than they were. Here are some suggestions:

Electric: Nissan Leaf

Plug-in Hybrid: Chevrolet Volt

Hybrids: Toyota Prius, Honda Insight

Economical small cars: Mazda3, MINI Cooper, Scion XD, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Elantra

Midsize: Four-cylinder Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata

There are many other options, and many more electric and hybrid vehicles coming soon.

The VW Microbus Returns

I have driven two different VW Microbuses in the past--my mom's 1971 Camper and a working bus in 1973 to make early morning deliveries. They were fun--but slow--and very cool.

Now, VW is showing a concept of a new model for today's world. It's smaller, and has an electric motor doing the work -- in front. The concept car's electric motor puts out 85 kW of power and an impressive 199 lb.-ft of torque. The Bulli (as the Germans have always called the Microbus), is said to be able to travel 186 miles on a charge. That would be plenty for most people.

And how about 0 to 62 mph in just 11.5 seconds and a top speed of 87 mph? That's a new one for me.

Let's hope they make it and start selling it soon. Groovy!

Christina Perri--Jar of Hearts

I was listening to the oldies channel on Sirius today and got bored so I switched over to The Pulse--"Two Thousands and Today." I listened to a few fine tracks by recent artists and then Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts came on. What a song! Despite its mood, it has a freshness that's at once familiar but also new--certainly to me.

It turns out that 23-year-old Christina is just getting started. Jar of Hearts, a beautiful but bitter song about her ex-husband, is her first "hit."

I think I'll leave it on The Pulse for a while longer--maybe catch some more exciting new artists like Christina.