August 6, 2008
The BMW 335d, a difficult diesel decision
BMW has confirmed that they are planning to release the BMW 335d in November 2008 (as a 2009 model). The 335d features a twin-turbo, diesel engine rated at 265 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque with an automatic transmission. It can do 0-60 mph in 6.2 sec. All this while getting an EPA estimated 23 mpg city / 33 mpg highway.
In comparison, the premium gasoline-powered 335i is rated at 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, and with the automatic transmission does 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds. However, it is rated by the EPA at only 17 mpg city / 26 mpg highway.
So let's do the math. On the highway (where most of the big mileage is racked up for me, and in the U.S. overall), based on the EPA rating, the 335d gets about 27% better mileage. Right now, diesel fuel is about 15% more expensive than premium gasoline. So it makes financial sense, per-mile. The penalty performance-wise? The diesel is 0.6 seconds (roughly 11%) slower to 60 mph.
Many of the other traditional disadvantages of diesel have been overcome with new technology. AdBlue-injection and the availability of low-sulfur diesel fuel have reduced emissions to meet even strict California standards. Noise and vibration issues have been reduced to the level of typical gasoline engines. With modern engine designs and better glow plugs, cold-weather starts are not a concern unless the winter temperature is regularly below zero degrees Fahrenheit. BMW has a lot of experience manufacturing diesels in Europe, so the 335d should be fairly reliable.
Of course, diesel is only available at one out of four gas stations nationwide. The fuel is "messier" in that it doesn't evaporate if spilled and has a distinct smell. The diesel engines themselves are heavier and more expensive, too.
Taking all this into account, the 335d is hardly a slam dunk, but is worth considering. I know it will be on my car shopping list next year.
July 3, 2008
Aquamacs 1.4 and style modes
My editor of choice for software development is Aquamacs. It's a Mac OS X version of Emacs that retains all the flexibility and power of Emacs but is a native Mac application that supports standard OS X shortcuts, look and feel.
The most recent version adds some nice new features, including the ability to open multiple files in tabs (similar to Safari or Firefox). However, one of the Emacs features which I rely on appears to have been changed. When I open a file, I expect a certain context highlighting style, depending on the type of file. Now, I am not an Emacs expert, but years ago I had defined the styles I liked and put them in my .emacs config file. When first switching to Aquamacs, I ended up dropping some of that info and using some of the many built in themes.
However, with this new release (1.4) it seems to ignore that information entirely, and opens files up in some default style. I am not clear why this behavior was changed. I had to dig around the Aquamacs site a bit to find the solution, and I thought I'd post it here, so it might help someone else.
The solution was to add an Aquamacs-specific line to the bottom of my .emacs:
(setq aquamacs-styles-mode t)
This made Aquamacs once again honor the style information I had set.
June 17, 2008
Defense Wins Championships
The Celtics remembered the old mantra, and played the kind of lockdown D that they had played all season in the Finals. They kept Kobe and crew off-balance from the beginning. So hats off to them, they deserve this title.
The only solace for this long-time Laker fan is that the team is young, Bynum will be back next season, and hey, even the Showtime Lakers lost to the Celtics in '84 with Magic looking overmatched. Just like them, I think this current group will be back.
May 30, 2008
Lakers Rule The West
It was satisfying to watch the Lakers knock off the Spurs in 5. They've proven they deserved that number 1 seed. I think they can defeat either of the remaining teams in the East and I'm looking forward to a great Finals.
And since I am tired of listening to conspiracy theorists, it was NOT the refs that gave them Game 4. The last play where Fisher bumped Barry may have been an uncalled foul, but on the immediately previous sequence Fisher's shot definitely grazed the rim and the 24-second clock should have been reset. Instead Kobe had only 2 seconds to throw up a shot to beat the clock. If the clock had been reset, the Lakers would have been able to run out the clock or been intentionally fouled. In either case, the last sequence wouldn't have even occurred. This is somehow never mentioned, I don't understand why. The Lakers are simply a better team right now and that is why they advanced.
May 21, 2008
And Then There Were Four...
Well I got what I wanted in the West, a Lakers-Spurs series. This should be a great matchup, and I think the winner will take it all. Somehow I don't see this one as a seven game series, one team will drive the other into submission sooner than that. I think it'll be Kobe and the Lakers. If they had Bynum, it would be a lot easier, but I still think they can do it. Prediction: Lakers in 6.
In the East, The Celtics can only seem to win at home. That won't get it done against the Pistons. I think they'll finally win one on the road, but so will the Pistons, so this one will go the distance, and once again the Celts will pull out a Game 7 on their home floor. Prediction: Celtics in 7
For old-school fans like myself a Celtics-Lakers Finals would be a blast!
