Open Mike: Fun Facts

Think there's no obesity epidemic? Colorado, currently the skinniest State in America, would have been the fattest had they reported this year's figures just 20 years ago. Heard that one on the evening news.

Awesome infographics: Look, ye mighty, and tremble—at how, when it comes to the size of their photo assets, Flickr dwarfs the Library of Congress—and Facebook dwarfs Flickr. (Check "The World's Largest Photo Libraries.")

What country springs to mind when you think about child exploitation? Probably not Canada—but British Columbia has the most permissive child labor laws in the world, says Joel Bakan in The Globe and Mail. Children as young as 12 can work any job except in a mine or a bar, at any time except during school hours. That's worse than Afganistan or Haiti, says Bakan. Most at risk: children of recent immigrants.

Super Canon rumor: We're only three days from Nikon Day (big announcement expected on Wednesday) but the Canon 1Ds Mark 4 (question: will it or won't it be "IV"?) might be announced in October—with (or so the rumors have it) a full-frame 56 million pixel sensor. Also coming, the 5D Mark III, and possibly a cheaper full-frame DSLR with a lower pixel count than the new 5D3.

It ain't the '90s anymore: The once-hip Raiders have lost their mojo, along with the status of their swag as pop fashion, but the major U.S. sports team losing fans the fastest, according to 24/7 Wall Street, is the Cleveland Indians baseball team, which has lost 56% of its fans since 2000 (measured by attendance). But even that pales next to the once-popular beer people no longer drink: Michelob, sales of which are down 72% just since 2006.

Who'd a' Thunk? Two things you'd never guess are good to buy from Amazon: diapers and auto parts. No kidding, Amazon's deals on both are top-rated, according to CBS Money Watch. Amazon sells more than four million auto parts, most through third-party vendors, many of which are cheaper than they are anyplace else. And, with a "subscription," diapers from Amazon are less expensive than they are at Wal-Mart. Things to avoid buying at Amazon: groceries, home furnishings, and household cleaners.

The fastest car you can buy is a...Nissan: Yup. In case you've been wondering, the 2012 Nissan GT-R Black Edition is the fastest production car you can buy new in the U.S.*, faster than any Ferrari, Porsche, or Lamborghini: zero to sixty in 3.1 seconds. A 2012 model, it's been available for most of 2011—for a mere $91,000, far below the cost of many "name" supercars. Got this from Yahoo!, if I recall.

Blink and miss it: Leica Camera can't keep the M9-P in stock. B&H got a small shipment in on Wednesday, and they were gone by Saturday.

You know what they say: Oh well.

Mike
(Thanks to Adam, Vlatko, and The Week.
Photo from an Ebay auction.)

*There has been dispute over this in the comments, as I knew there would be. I don't buy it. It's too much of a stretch to call either the SSC or the Veyron "production cars." The SSC is hand-built in the dozens and at full throttle sucks down a gallon of fuel every fifteen seconds. And according to Wikipedia, the total output of Veyrons was 300, which you just might be able to call "production" volume...except that was over six years. Total sales in 2011? Nine. And according to Jeff they cost 2.7 million dollars each.

Not production cars, sez me. There are always going to be one-offs, race cars, engineering daydreams, the toys of the überrich. The list I read included only real cars that mortal people actually buy to use as cars.

But you can have the asterisk if you want it, s'okay with me...(but before you go away, have a look at this—thanks to Tee for the link. Note that that wasn't even the Black Edition.)

"Open Mike" is a series of (mostly) off-topic posts by Yr. Hmbl. Ed. that appears now and again on Sunday.

Send this post to a friend

Please help support TOP by patronizing our sponsors B&H Photo and Amazon

Note: Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. More...
Original contents copyright 2011 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Comments

[Steve Gilbert]

The Nissan may be "quickest," i.e., zero to 60 or whatever, but that doesn't make it "fastest." "Fastest" means highest top speed.

[Mike Johnston]

Steve,
Not to me it doesn't.

Mike

[Nico Burns]

@Canadian child labour laws:

Permissive laws do not mean exploitation. That would require people to have a will to do so, and in a country like Canada where such exploitation would not be generally socially acceptable, it would also require people to turn a blind eye and not publicise any exploitation.

It is also interesting that allowing children to work is considered exploitation? Could the opposite: not allowing children to work not also be considered exploitation as it means that children are then completely beholden to parents, and do not have independence. Remember that although a 12 year old is not usually fully socially developed, it would not be unusual for one to perfectly capable of working, and as a concious human, they may also have a preference for doing so.

It is also worth noting that Canada does enforce compulsory education up to the age of 16, so the children would not be missing out in this regard.

THE IMPORTANT BIT:

There is a very fine line to be drawn between protecting children from the world, and allowing them to properly influence it. However in general I do think children are taken a lot less seriously than they rightly should be (by most people). For instance, why can't children vote? They are people, and should have rights in a democracy!

Nico, (a man who was very frustrated at not being listened to as a child)

[Andrew Lamb]

The Ariel Atom V8 would eat the Nissan for breakfast.

[John Camp]

Re: Awesome Infographics.

My favorite infographics site involves economics. Fun to look at, and you might even learn something. Under each graphic is the usual group of right- and left-wingers, slagging away at each other in the comments, but you can ignore that.

http://visualizingeconomics.com

[Tom]

I forgot Michelob ever existed.

I wonder if I have any Mesabi Red in the fridge...

[phil]

Hi Mike,

Interestingly, and linked to the obesity, I was reading in National Geographic last year that the USA's life expectancy dropped below that of the European average for the first time ever recently. Whether affluence or health-care linked I'm unsure. I believe the UK's obesity lags that of the USA's by about 10 years.

I always thought the R32 “Godzilla” was a wonderfully OTT name for a great performance car.

best wishes phil

[Winsor]

Ferrari Enzo, 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. Nice video here of the $1.5 million car going into the drink. I am sure the Nissan would do as well in that maneuver.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/watch-this-ferrari-enzo-splash-into-the-atlantic-at-2011-targa-n/

[Mike Johnston]

Winsor,
Painful video, but you can't buy a Ferrari Enzo...2002-2004, only 400 made.

Mike

[Steve Jacob]

Whereas I believe the Nissan GTR is fastest production car round the Nurburgring (no mean feat) the Bugatti Veyron World Record Edition is by far the fastest road car in absolute terms ever built at 267.81 MPH. 0-60 is 2.4s and 0-150 is 9.8!

The Nissan tops out at a "mere" 195.

I guess it depends how you define "fastest".

[Mike Johnston]

Andrew,
The Ariel isn't a production car and it isn't even road legal, I don't believe. It's purely a track car. Isn't that right?

Mike

[Mike Johnston]

" I guess it depends how you define 'fastest.'"

Steve,
Very true. A Spec Miata beats the Veyron in a tight slalom.

Mike

P.S. I don't really know if that's true, I'm just guessing.

[Alex Vesey]

The bit on obesity is distressing. We have long waged a "war" on illegal drugs, but the long-term over consumption of high fructose corn syrup (a main ingredient in colas and a host of other junk foods) and other forms of starch ("chips to go with that coal, sir?") has probably exerted far more damage to the general health of modern society.

[Jeff]

The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is the most recent record holding version, with the stats mentioned by Steve Jabob (besting the GT-R in 0-60). It eclipsed the record held by the American SSC Ultimate Aero (although the claim is that a lighter version of the Aero was capable of 300 mph).

As far as the slalom, I believe the Aero holds (or at least held a year of so ago) Road and Track's fastest time, eclipsing the Enzo. Sorry, Mike, these things are not just straight ahead fast. But, a bit more expensive than the Miata. (Aero about $650,000; Veyron SS about $2.7million).

[Mike Johnston]

I think this post needed about seven more similar items to be entertaining. Funny thing is, stuff like this seems to leap out at me all the time, but then when I get around to compiling it I either can't remember it or can't find it. Took me forever to re-find the links about the baseball team and the beer, for instance.

Mike the Ed.

[Mike Johnston]

Jeff,
Nah, I don't buy it. It's too much of a stretch to call either of those production cars. But I added an asterisk for you, just to be fair.

Mike

[toto]

A car will do 0-60 mph in under 2.8 secs, if you drive it over a cliff.

[Jeff]

** I never asked for an asterisk. :)

Didn't think you'd take these comments seriously, Mike; just amusing myself on a Sunday. One doesn't need to cite production numbers to make your point, on which I agree; the price alone does that, which is why I added that.

[erlik]

OT on OT

While this car is still a concept (it's called Concept One, after all :)), I think you should take note. 1088 BHP, 0-100 kph in 2.8 seconds - powered by electricity. Made a bit of a splash at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Funny, I wouldn't have expected to talk about a Croatian super car, and an electric one at that.

[Andrew]

Ozymandius

I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert... Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
My name is Ozymandius, King of Kings,
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

[Tee]

Guys, I think Mike is correct.

wimp.com/dragrace

All are real production cars one can walk into a dealership and, well, max out their Visa with (aha, right). As I see it, LFA and GT3 engineers should go back to the drawing board - I'd want my money back, considering what those cars claim and how much they cost. Raw performance? Where? Rubbing around that Corvette? Embarrassing, I says, never mind the GTR.

[Jeff]

Link from Tee was fun, and not surprising given stats from the competition.

The Veyron Super Sport, of course, is in a different league, as it should be cost-wise. Quarter mile time is 9.8 seconds, compared to 11.2 for the GT-R and 11.3 for the Ferrari. Put 1200 horsepower (yes, 1200) in a super lightweight body, and that's what you get...a rocket.

[Andrew Lamb]

Mike, the Ariel is road legal in the UK. Frequently see one in North London. They are insanely quick cars and much closer to the Nissan in price than the Ferraris et al of this world.

[Paris]

Regarding the Enzo video: Ouch! First thing he'll have to do is take the car and dunk it in a fresh water lake (or maybe his swimming pool) to get the salt off. Otherwise, it's a mort, for sure; not even good for parts.

[Brenden]

At the intersection of obesity and infographics - watch the epidemic unfold via the "Trends by State 1985-2010" animation at:

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html

"Zero data to 30% obesity in under 25 years..."

[NF]

That 56/54 MP prediction for the 1Ds Mk IV is hilarious. Can Canon's latest image processing chip even handle image files that size? If the 1Ds Mk IV actually has that resolution, I will eat a hat, and film it for the entire world to observe.

[Jeff K]

Bob wants beer, usually drinks Bud.
Bob is feeling a little special, decides to step up a notch and get a Michelob.
Bob decides Michelob tastes just like Bud, pours it out and buys a micro-brew instead. Bob rejoices.

Bob wants to take pictures, usually uses D90. Bob is feeling a little special, decides to upgrade to a D300. Bob realizes the pictures are really the same between the two cameras, sells it on ebay for a loss. Bob buys D700 instead. Bob rejoices.