KeriBlog

Back in Country Hi Hi

Jun 13 2014

I could get used to this chartered stuff. Phft, already am.

This morning when I tried to open the room safe, it had malfunctioned, and the latch was stuck. So an engineer had to rescue my passport.

Did you just have the same idea I did…

Left Tuesday, returned this afternoon, and despite being in an out-of-service zone 75% of the trip, still managed to hoover up 61 MB.

I know I said I’d blog the 3rd rally instalment today, but I’ve averaged about 4 hours sleep each night, and have moved into that next level of sleep deprivation that, although am good at and kind’ve get off on, I pay heavily for in the long run.

Because I may have out-published almost everyone this week, ha. Blogged 7 times, wrote the news, filed 3 stories and 3 photo galleries with the newspaper, and then interviewed and wrote next week’s column (“About car rallies”.)

So shutting it down and going to find food, will blog Day 3 ~~tomorrow~~ Monday.

OH!

Tonight is a full moon, on a Friday the 13th,
which won’t happen again till 2049.

Blog tag = The Planets

I’ll leave you with what I look like on a plane.

TTYT night

Questions to Think about Autonomous Cars

Jun 13 2014

When it comes to auntomous cars, I’d like to see these topics discussed more often, especially the algorithm one below.

Questions to ponder:

will parking spots become extinct?
what about securing something that is more computer than car? Protect the privacy of the vehicle’s whereabouts… or the car’s software from attack, because think that nightmare through.
will map-range anxiety replace spontaneous exploration and adventure?

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

Go get lost this coming weekend, while you still can.

***

I had a paragraph in there, about the ethics of programming the crash-avoidance algorithm, but it got cut.

What I said:

In an imminent crash involving two vehicles, what are the ethics behind the crash-avoidance algorithm? Aim for the larger object? Now all SUV drivers feel targeted, because they are, so will their insurance increase then? What if it’s programmed to hit the car best known for safety? Volvo owners won’t be happy about that.

***

Above Photo

That’s an Audi TTS.

Google gets a lot of press about their autonomous car, but back in 2010 Audi sent the roadster up a 14,000 foot mountain, “Pikes Peak”.

It was even able to register negative obstacles, as in, stuff that wasn’t there, like a cliff without a guard-rail.

Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

All. Week. Long

Jun 12 2014

Fast 3rd Day Rally Update

Jun 12 2014

Started off rocky, we were in last place, 10/10.

But we clawed back up to tie for 5th overall!

AND I drove the ‘Tail of the Dragon’.

That is a fortunate thing to be able to type. And it was AAAAAMAZING. 318 curves in 11 miles, in the rain at that. Attacked.

Really really great day. Really really wiped.

Another 12 hours on the road, got so lost, hours worth of lost, then dinner, and now I’m finishing up my story for the paper tomorrow, and my column is due tomorrow as well.

Hence the coles-notes version for now, and will catch you this weekend on the final day. I fly out at 7am tomorrow.

Here’s where this post came from, in my new goggles.

And David made me put the top down, and exposed me to the orb.

TTYT

The Mazda Adventure Rally – Day 2

Jun 11 2014

10 hours of driving today.

All along the kinds of roads that look like the ones in my imagination. Recently paved, no gravel, twist switchback hairpin hairpin, through a bright green forest that smelled so good, and no other cars.

After hours of shifting along this, I was in a meditative state, so calm, so serene.

I had to navigate like in olden times – paper maps and a highlighter.

Oh boy, how many posts around here say “woah guys, so lost”? I know. I was all “phft, I’ll just use my phone”… but most of the day there was no cel signal because we were in the deep backwoods of Georgia.