When Cars Fly...

I think we all have the vision of the future where cars are flying around from here to there; highways are actually 'skyways' that have lines of vehicles scooting about in formation and everything runs smoothly. This is the future of transportation, not limited by roads and gravity. It's an idealistic vision, one that encapsulates our hope for technological advancement fully integrated into our daily lives. Well, I hate to be the Debbie Downer of the future coming back to instill doubt and disbelief, but there is no chance flying cars will ever happen. None.

Well, not as we know it. When we think of a car, we think of a vehicle that we pilot to travel from place to place. Driving these cars takes a knowledge of how it works, what pedals and levers do what and how that translates to the vehicle's output. What allows most every competent adult to drive is that these variables only occur in a 2-dimensional field. X and Y. You go forward, you go back, and you turn in between. Gravity does all the work, keeping your Z movement relatively constant according to the ground beneath the tires.

Now, compare this with the knowledge of how to drive (or pilot) a plane. The constant of the Z position is gone. A whole new plane of direction is possible, full 3-dimensional movement. Think now of the amount of traffic accidents and near incidents that happen every day. This happens within the realm of 2d driving. Adding a third dimension of movement would increase these incidents exponentially, simply because of the realm of possibility.

Let's just say for the sake of argument that a flying car would be able to move in said Z axis without worrying about the thrust/lift dynamic. It is capable of hovering and moving up and down with some sort of control. This added maneuverability is great in concept but also allows that much more room for error. Now, instead of just stopping before you hit the car dead ahead, you now must make sure you are aligned properly top to bottom, else that bumper to bumper hit becomes bumper to windshield.

Basically, a 'flying car' would just be far too advanced and prone to error to allow for a simple modification of the system of today's driving. If flying cars or flying personal transportation is to ever happen, the process would need to be fully automated. Automated to take the Z axis back out of the picture. Essentially, the 'flying' becomes a relative position; the road is off the ground and in the air. This, however leaves a bit of a logical gap. The automation process would need to be completed before the cars can fully get off the road and in the sky. But if the automation process is complete, it could be just as easily applied to the cars on the ground. Those 'skyways' of lines of cars are now placed back on the ground, where, again, things are easier to control and maneuver.

It is only when the ground itself becomes an inoperable surface to travel on that the sky becomes useful. This would be the case for over-water travel or for land that is too hospitable for ground travel. The flying cars could become an alternative to building bridges or even boats. But again, this is only possible when the full automation of the vehicles and their lanes of transport are created. Otherwise, we will be sticking to the reliable force of gravity as our co-pilot. We will never get 'flying' cars. We may, however, get 'flying' roads.

Thinner Mints

The snow is finally melting, college basketball is ramping up and good Catholics are denying themselves things they love most. Yes, Spring is finally on its way and after an incredible winter here in the mid-Atlantic, it could not be welcomed more. But perhaps a more indulgent happening of the new season is one seen only at your local school or in front of your neighborhood grocery store. I am talking of course of the annual sale of those delicious cookies by America's Girl Scouts.

Just seeing those boxes stacked up, in neat piles of single colors, gets my stomach rumbling. The fact that buying these delicious morsels helps a national community organization is just icing on the cookie. I have purchased 4 boxes so far, a variety that includes the 'even better when frozen' Thin Mints and my favorite, the coconut covered 'Samoas'. Unfortunately, these pretty little boxes do not last very long. My cherished box of Samoas contained only 15 little rings of deliciousness. I had to pace myself to keep from crushing the whole box in one sitting. This was the same deal with the Tagalongs. The Thin Mints come in 12 pack sleeves as opposed to the 5x3 tray. However, these sleeves are almost just as easy to plow through as the tray set-up, especially with a big glass of milk.

Like most everyone else, I understand how companies function and that everyone needs to make a profit. The boxes are only $3.50 a piece and some of that money actually goes to help the organization, not just the cookie manufacturer. So getting 15 cookies in one box is OK. What I am more concerned about is the actual size of these cookies. Now, perhaps I just remembered these cookies as larger, since as a kid, the ratio of my palm to the cookie would be much closer. But looking at these treats the other day, I noticed how significantly smaller they are than I had at one time imagined. Perhaps it is all a Trompe d'Oeil and the real culprit is the fewer cookies per package. Either way, my joy of caramel and sugar and chocolate is blemished by this concern.

This also relates to an observation of mine of Granola bars. I am pretty sure they were much larger years ago, but again this could be a difference in my perception as my own size grew. I also know that food items today are measured much closer in terms of calories and daily percentages and that lessening the size of these items may make them more acceptable when you look on the side of the packaging for that nutritional information. Just be sure to check that serving size. Nobody just eats 2 cookies. (*I am pretty sure the serving size for the girl scout cookies is more than 2, but I am making a point)

In all, I feel it is a combination of things that has poked a hole in my big bag of loving Girl Scout Cookies. The fewer cookies per package and smaller size are economic concerns that are out of my grasp. It is the perception issue that strikes more at my core, as it is a realization of my old age. It makes me realize I am much closer to having a Girl Scout as a daughter than a classmate. My hands will no longer be filled by 2 or 3 tagalongs. Instead of a 3 thin mint dessert after dinner, I can kill a third of a box of Samoas in between meals.

But despite my sad reflection, I still know that as each year passes, there will be a table set up outside my grocery store in early March ready to dole out some sweet nostalgia. Now if only those boxes were tax deductible...


PS - The 4th variety of cookie I bought was the Dulce de Leche kind, a small regular-looking cookie with caramel pieces. A few cold nights ago, I was dipping these little bites into some hot chocolate. One slipped and fell right into the mug. Instead of fishing it out, I decided to wait til the end and eat my cocoa soaked bite. The cookie did not last that long. In fact, it disintegrated into the cocoa and made it that much better. Caramel hot cocoa with tiny cookie pieces. I highly recommend this and since they cookies are so small anyway, they fit perfectly right in the mug.