Thoreau’s Walden for sure is not on everybody’s reading list over here, but the craving for the “genuine” life out there in the woods seems to become stronger with every degree of civilisation’s comfort and amenities.
My snowstorm images of the last days finally got distilled into a new small gallery, here.
I think cars of these type have become the “peacock feathers” of the current security-conscious generation, Hummer cars being the extreme example of this phenomenon. But ecologically these are not so sound. For the car manufacturers, good business for a while.
It is interesting how the look of a thing and the actuality are often quite different – these cars seem to be safer than normal ones, but they handle worse in traffic (turning over etc.). And they seem to be “green” but are in fact quite the opposite.
Well, besides security considerations these cars are bought here because the should give you that distinctive “wilderness guy” image. They greatest density of these you don’t find out where you might need them but on the boulevard (or in front of kindergardens)… But since I read “Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder” by Jo Nesbø (highly recommended reading for kids and adults), I can’t look especially at the Hummer without having to chuckle…
But for those in the market these dinosaurs with their younger SUV-brothers are still attractive… And when they now go hybrid, they even can pretend to be green. Well, the dinosaurs became extincted one day, so there’s hope.