Here's a good article discussing some of the challenges facing automakers as they try to bring electric cars to market.

Nobody in America currently sells a plug-in hybrid. Some seriously brave hackers have converted a Toyota Prius or two. And that’s about it. General Motors wooed a covey of press at the Detroit auto show with the Volt, their collective dream of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The spinmeisters say it may be on the street in three years, if it’s able to fly General Lee style over a fat, flaming obstacle: batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are currently our best electricity storage devices. They serve the lap-top and cell phone world nicely– at least for the moment. Compared to other batteries, they’re fairly light. On the downside, they catch fire if their insides are exposed to oxygen; not a great feature in a car. But it’s not an impossible situation. The all-electric Tesla Roadster uses an array of 6,831 lithium-ion cells, deploying a number a safety devices to keep it from becoming Tesla toaster.

The other downside: weight. While the two-passenger ultra-light Tesla can get away with schlepping a bunch of batteries, a mid-size sedan, pick-up truck stuffed with a bed full of peat moss or an SUV full of Boy Scouts, sleeping bags, tents and scarves are going to struggle just to get rolling.

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Unless you live in a cave you probably know all about the whole astronaut love triangle story, but I have to mention how hilarious I find it all. The part that really gets me is that during her 900 mile trip to stalk the victim, Astronaut Nowak wore diapers so she wouldn't have to stop. Now, I suppose that because astronauts wear special absorbent undergarments during takeoff and landing, this is slightly less odd. But the real question is was she wearing the space diapers when she frantically drove cross country? Or were these plain old Huggies? These are the things I need to know.

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Check out all the Super Bowl ads. Then check out Marvin Harrison's weird reaction to seeing the Snickers mechanics kissing ad. Then see where the inspiration for the Budweiser slapping ad may have come from.

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Cut Copy / "Hearts on Fire" (left-click YouSendIt)
The soon-to-be-released debut single from Cut Copy's sophomore LP is downloadable below. It's not a remarkable departure from what you've come to expect: Daft Punk meets New Order, with Dan Whitford saying stuff about "Hearts on Fire" over and over. It's not great, it's not bad. They even have have a Peter Hook-like bass part (3:13 in) to make me feel smart about the New Order comparison that I always make, as well as a sax part that I hope was played by a guy wearing Ray-Bans and a white blazer. If this song were to have its school picture taken, it definitely would have gotten the laser background.

Travis / "Big Chair" (left-click YouSendIt)
Contrary to what I said last week, this song is apparently not the lead single to Travis' next album The Boy With No Name, which comes out May 7th. However, it's better than the song that is the lead single, "Closer," which they were streaming on their MySpace last week. I have to say this song has been a favorite in the week or two since I first heard it, and I'm cautious optimistic the new album will be at least 50% not awful.

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Mendieta: You cannot strike a ball better than this

There's no washed up former European star I'd rather see join MLS than my first favorite soccer player, Gaizka Mendieta, and he's now been linked with a possible move from England to the US. I became a fan of his when he captained Valencia to back-to-back Champions League finals in 2001 and 2002, and I even left my intermediate macro final about 45 minutes early so I could catch all of the 2002 final against Bayern Munich (they lost on PKs). Anyway, he had some great games for Middlesbrough the past few years but has gotten lost in the shuffle this year. He's certainly past his best days but definitely has the skill to still be effective, especially in MLS. Check out the above goal as well as this gorgeous goal he scored in the Copa del Rey Final in 1999.


The best of Clint Dempsey: Did I already post this?

Meanwhile, the best (or at least the most entertaining) American soccer player, Clint Dempsey, is getting some minutes for Fulham while he gets back into shape (remember he hasn't played regularly in months). I was kind of ticked when he left the Revolution because I never made it down to Foxboro to see him play in person, but then it occurred to me that I saw him score the USA's only goal of the World Cup in June. We were sitting right near the corner flag he ran towards after he scored.

If you don't mind really random, innocuous highlights from his games in Englad, check out:

Slide tackle and backheel in his debut vs. Spurs
Couple plays vs. Newcastle
Nearly scoring vs. Stoke in the FA Cup


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Good news! The Reverend Ted Haggard, who lied about having sex with a dude before finally admitting he's a liar, is now cured. And it only took three weeks of rehab.

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If you haven't already seen it, go over to Deadspin to check out Peyton Manning doing the tango as a middle schooler.

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I generally think it's hard for a tuner to improve on something as perfect as a stock Ferrari, but I'm digging what Hamann did to the 599 Fiorano. The black rims actually look pretty good, though getting rid of the Ferrari prancing horse badges was going too far.

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Wisconsin cops are honest.

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Eagles coach Andy Reid's son is a huge idiot.

Britt Reid was arraigned on nine counts including making terroristic threats, possession of a controlled substance and a felony charge of carrying a firearm without a license. Reid did not speak to reporters as he left court with his attorney after posting bail.

Reid got into an argument with another motorist Jan. 30, pointing a handgun at the man and laughing before driving off, prosecutors said. The other driver managed to get the license plate number of Reid's black SUV and police traced it back to Reid's parents.

The other motorist described the driver with the gun as "a white kid trying to act like a gangster."

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Farmers need love too.

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Tough to block a shot better than Gerald Wallace does here on Al Harrington.

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This week's reminder that drunk people do dumb stuff.

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Here's Andy Dick being forcibly removed from the Jimmy Kimmel show for repeatedly touching Ivanka Trump. What this shows us is that Andy Dick is a drunk, Ivanka Trump is hot, and Ivanka Trump is really boring.