Pete's Hit and Run Notes

APRIL 23....  GAS SAVER AND FUN ALERT !!!!

Ok, I don't often bore you with the details of my life, but this time I wanted to tell you how I celebrated Earth Day since I think it may help you - if you're sick of the price of gasoline like me.

I purchased an e-bike on the weekend, which in it's purest definition is a power assisted bicycle that has a battery electric motor.  I'm embarrassed to say how much fun I had riding it to work yesterday - Earth Day - for the very first time.  It's quiet, makes no pollution, looks much like a "Vespa" type scooter and is very comfortable.  I got mine from Blueavenue.ca in Toronto, and Vince delivered it right to my house personally on Sunday evening. 

The cost of recharging this in my garage each night is about six cents, yes 6 cents. Electricity for a year is less than $25 .  The bike will go (their claim - I've not gone this far yet) minimum 50k on one charge depending on hills and weight of the rider.  I plan not to ride on main roads but instead use the quiet streets so I don't have to share with cars as much.

Best of all NO POLLUTION. Clean and green fellow campers !

The bike will go maximum 32 kilometers/hour as dictated by the Ontario laws. It is legal to ride it in bike lanes and on paths shared with pedestrians. (Not sidewalks). It requires no license, no insurance. You merely must be 16 years old and you must wear a bike helmet.

People at the radio station couldn't get over the concept yesterday and were most interested to look at it out the window of the radio station

The funniest sight though is that of people as you ride by them and they notice the silence of your new e-bike.  I realize this isn't for everyone, but for me and the 12 k distance I go to and from work on the escarpment of Hamilton, I believe this will be a fun and inexpensive way to get to work.

My model is called the "QueenWest" after the notorious street in Toronto and is a cool silver colour.  If you want to check out more models where I got mine, go to blueavenue.ca and if you call to chat with Vince, tell him you heard it from "Peter in Hamilton" !

ELSEWHERE.......

Here's a laffer for you; O.J. Simpson wants to be on the next Celebrity Apprentice. According to New York Post he's aske Trump if he can be on the next edition, apparently NBC and the Donald are thinking about it but being very cautious. Has anyone told O.J. you don't get to keep the prize money? Like does he know that the winning celebrity donates the money to charity.

The woman charged in the crash involving the SUV carrying Sandra Bullock and her husband has pleaded not guilty to DUI. Don't really know how she claims that since her blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, yet her lawyer says she had only 2 glasses of wine.  Maybe the glasses were a new one litre size or something??

Gasoline across the country has spiked to an average of 1.23 a litre, that's the highest it's been since immediately after hurricane Katrina when it went to 1.26.  It's gone up an average of a nickel in the last week.

U.N. goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman urged world leaders to join the fight agains violence against women yesterday. She spoke passionately yesterday in New York at U.N. headquarters about the one third of women who will face violence in some way in their lifetime worldwide. Nicole is 7 months pregnant and very committed to her role for the Development fund for women known as UNIFEM.

If you see Miley Cyrus smiling a little more widely right now it may have something to do with the 7 figure book deal she's inked with Disney Book Group. The book will focus on her road to fame and her life growing up in Tennessee.  You'll get a glimpse of new photos, family stories and her inner circle.  Basically everything you ever wanted to know about Miley, but didn't know who to ask.

A woman in Oakville charged with not using her seatbelt is very grateful now, as she was involved in a crash immediately after the ticket and was protected from injury by - you guessed it - the seatbelt police had reminded her to wear.  She even said thank you for the ticket.  A good reason to make it click, it can save your life.