Strollerderby : hybrid cars

Return of the son of stuff YUPPIE parents like

Brett Singer — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Because too much is never enough. And besides, didn't you want to see this photo at least one more time?

1. Organic everything: from a commenter. I've succumbed to some of this, partly because, living in Manhattan, the cost difference isn't as great as it used to be, and sometimes the quality is better. I also admit that I feel less guilt giving my kids "organic" pre-packaged crap than I do giving them "chemical-laden" pre-packaged crap. It's still crap, but it's ORGANIC crap.

2. Classes and activities: yes, from the same commenter. She said, "mommy and me classes" but in my experience it's much more than that. Around here, it seems like everyone has their kids doing something all flippin' day. A parent once told me that she didn't understand why Kindergarten went until 3pm; she wished it ended at noon so her kid could take advantage of everything Manhattan had to offer. I replied that I thought Kindergarten should go until 8pm. We don't talk much anymore.

3. Kids' music that parents can enjoy: All parents have benefited from the boom in kiddie rock. While I am of course very glad that children's music has evolved beyond Raffi (who really isn't that bad) and Kidz Bop (which is), sometimes this preciousness can go a little too far. Sure, anything by Dan Zanes or The Dirty Sock Funtime Band is better than Barney's Greatest Hits, but a little James Taylor, Peter Paul and Mary, The Beatles – lots of great "adult" music out there that kids might like.

4. Taking their children to live rock 'n' roll shows: "Alternadad" Neal Pollack brought his little one to see The Hives, a rather loud quasi-punk act. I spotted two sets of parents who had dragged their children to see Yaz at the Beacon theater (I myself was dragged by my wife, but that's another story). When commenters on Gawker are giving good parenting advice ("Neil [sic], seriously--ear plugs"), you know something is out of whack in the universe.

5. Anything that isn't made of granite. At least after we found out about the radiation.

For more, click here.

image: nostalgiacentral.com

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More stuff YUPPIE parents like

Brett Singer — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:00:00 GMT

If you want to know why YUPPIE is written in CAPS, check out the comments on Redsy's post.

Also, a word of explanation for our younger readers: "yuppie" is a term that was coined in the 1980's. It means "Young Urban Professional." Obnoxious spin off terms include "buppie" (black urban professional) and "guppie" (gay urban professional, which is at least vaguely amusing). In general, I think that the term "yuppie" is (like myself) color-blind, so we'll just stick with that. (My color-blindness mostly means I need help choosing ties, but it also refers to non-clothing related issues.)

And now – the stuff!

1.   Fertility treatments: maybe this is a Manhattan thing, but I've seen several signs in drug store windows advertising help getting your health insurance to help pay to get you pregnant. My theory (unfounded and unresearched) is that there are a large number of parents having children later in life, and also a huge number of older dads starting second families with their second wives.
2.   Wooden toys: this is from a commenter, and it's totally true. I fully expect some "mompreneur" to start selling unadorned two-by-fours in colorful packaging. (Hang on, I need to copyright that idea.)
3.   SUV's: hopefully the price of gas will put the kibosh on these. There are other ways to schlep a family around town.
4.   Hybrid cars: for the parents who don't want SUV's. It's all about extremes, people.
5.   Feeling entitled to brunch: In some cases, even men want to emulate the Sex and the City gals.

For more, click here.

image: nostalgiacentral.com

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Top 5 Nerdy Cars with Great Gas Mileage

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Sun, 25 May 2008 22:01:00 GMT

Clearly, many of us are willing to make sacrifices in the face of high gas prices and a flailing economy, but just how far are you and your family willing to go?

Did you know that the Geo Metro actually gets the same or better gas mileage than the super hip Brad Pitt Driving Prius?

Here are 4 other cars that make up for their nerdy rep with kicking gas mileage:

1. Pinto - Yes, it's ugly and might blow up if you're rear-ended, but this baby is so horrid, it's chic.

2. Festiva - Lovingly called the "tuna can" in my family, this baby often topped out at 50 mpg highway miles.

3. Subaru Justy - Like justice, but cuter. The Subaru Justy could fit two beach blankets and a toddler and maybe an angry ex-, but not much more than that. But 3 cylinders will buy you a lot of trips to the local 7 Eleven, as long as you're not in a hurry.

4. Yugo - They don't make these puppies anymore (thank God??), but if you can find one, prepare yourself for some serious gas savings. Can you say "serbo-croatian engineering"?

This list reads like the parking lot at my high school. You may not be able to fit in your entire crew, but with all the gas savings, you won't mind. Meanwhile, some of these cars are mustering a come-back, thanks to E-Bay Motors, so if you're going to trade in that Suck U V, you better giddyup.

Greenhouse: Hybrids Rule at the Auto Show

Amy Kuras — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:06:00 GMT

Here in the home of the American auto industry, we're hip-deep in one of our major annual events: The North American International Auto Show. And interestingly, the major themes running through the show this year are at odds: big, brawny gas-guzzling trucks like the new Ford F-150 pickup (seriously, people, they introduced this car by having actual cattle thunder down our major downtown street) and green cars.

Hybrids are the order of the day, with Saturn, Toyota, Chrysler and others showing cars that will run on both gas and electricity. Other talked-about introductions, like the soon-to-be available smart (sic) ForTwo, run on gas but get something like 40 miles to the gallon.

While some, like the smart car seem impossibly teeny for the average stroller-toting, dog-hauling, Costco-shopping family, others like the Saturn Vue Green Line hybrid available this fall look like any other big tall family crossover or minivan.
And some just look freakin' cool, like the Chrysler ecoVoyager concept pictured here. The car would have a lithium-ion battery pack that would power up to a 40-mile commute, plus another that could be charged up to handle long trips of about 300 miles.

Cars are probably one of the biggest sources of pollution for most families. Living here, where it seems every third person chooses the most obnoxious gas-hog truck or SUV they can afford with their auto-company employee discount, I tend to lose perspective on the rest of the world. How do you cut down on the environmental impact caused by driving? Shorter commutes, choosing the Camry over the Hummer, or limiting the driving you do? Do you, or would you, own a hybrid?

Photo: Chrysler