You Can Bid to Fly on Jeff Bezos Spaceship for $4.2M

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Are you interested in casually traveling to space with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos? Do you have $4 million? Read on. Tesla and Elon Musk might have dreams to go to space one day, but Jeff Bezos’s spaceship seems a lot further along in the process. Get to know Blue Origin and the New Shepard spaceship.

Does Jeff Bezos have a space program?

Jeff Bezos spaceship is called the New Shepard | Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images

Jeff Bezos founded Blue Origin “with the vision of enabling a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth.” Bezos believes that with Blue Origin, people on Earth can explore industries that need expanding in Space. With this in mind, Bezos is offering a ride on the New Shepard spaceship for a cool price of $4,240,000.

At the time of publication, the bidding was at $3,800,000. By entering a bid of $4,000,000, you agree to pay a buyer’s premium of $240,000 for a total of $4.24 million.

If that price doesn’t work, Blue Origin is also working with STEM programs worldwide to give students hands-on experience with payloads. This offers graduate-level research helping develop a full lifecycle of a space project.

But Bezos isn’t the only one aiming for space. Elon Musk is the CEO of Tesla and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and has also been hard at work at getting into space. It isn’t clear what Musk thinks of this bidding war just yet, but he has enough on his plate with the Model 3 right now.

The Jeff Bezos’ spaceship, the New Shepard

The New Shepard is a reusable launch vehicle ready for suborbital spaceflight! Mission NS-15 is the flight that people can bid on for a ride, but it doesn’t have a date yet. The New Shepard was named after the first American to go to space, Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard. The New Shepard is apparently only an 11-minute flight set to deliver payloads into space.

The internationally recognized boundary of space is called the Kármán line, which this spaceship can reach in 11 minutes. There is a pressurized capsule for the crew, with room for up to six. It contains the largest windows on any spaceship thus far.

Ring and wedge fins help stabilize the booster and reduce fuel use while the New Shepard is heading back to Earth. It also comes equipped with drag brakes to help slow the booster down. Alt fins help stabilize during ascent and assist in steering the ship back to the landing pad. The alt fins do this at airspeeds of up to Mach 4.

The New Shepard is equipped with a BE-3 (Blue Engine 3) engine. This helps propel the ship into space and restarts again to help it land safely. Blue Origin says, “the uniquely throttleable engine slows the booster down to just 5 mph (8 km/h) for landing.” The landing gear deploys during touchdown to help keep the New Shepard a truly reusable spaceship.

What does $4.2 million get you on a spaceship?

The New Shepard is fully autonomous, meaning you won’t be operating the spaceship if you are one of the lucky six people onboard. Each passenger gets a large window seat inside the environmentally-controlled capsule. Some of the benefits of this journey include a reclined seat with a five-point harness, a crew escape system, and convenient armrests for zero-g travel. There is also an infotainment screen for inflight updates.

Blue Origin has been hard at work testing the New Shepard since 2012. Thus far, it has made 15 consecutive successful missions. These missions include escape tests that show the crew how to activate the escape system during flight. Spooky!

RELATED: Consumer Reports Says to Avoid the 2020 Tesla Model S

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Who’s to Blame for the Family Car Window Decal Craze?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Most people want to stand out from the crowd, and car accessories are a fun and funky way to set your car apart. But sometimes, what starts as a small trend can explode into a viral sensation. Such is the case with those family stick-figure car window decals plastered on family vehicles everywhere for the past decade.

So, where and how did this craze originate. And why does it evoke such a visceral reaction from so many people?

The origins of family car window decals

The little stick figure families are perhaps one of the most iconic car accessories to come out of the mid-2000s. According to Drive, this trend popped up in Australia thanks to two people: chiropractor Phil Barham and graphic artist Monica Liebenow.

Barham got the idea for these decals back in 2005 when he spotted a cartoon family car sticker during a work trip in California. After heading back to his home on Australia’s Gold Coast, he met Liebenow. She began creating the designs that would eventually take the world by storm.

However, the stickers weren’t an overnight sensation. In fact, Liebenow and Barham spent several years selling the decals at local markets. They also handed them out to friends and relatives in the hopes the word would spread.

And spread it did. The stickers went national in 2010, and their sales numbers had climbed to over 2 million by 2012. They eventually spread to other countries, including Japan, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. 

These car window decals are available in a range of designs to suit various personalities and family structures. Options include “shopping mom,” “tennis-playing teen,” and “barbecue dad,” as well as a range of pets.

However, their cheerful ubiquity has also drawn backlash.

Criticism surrounding the craze

As with everything that gains sudden immense popularity, the family car window decals soon began to draw criticism from people who were sick of seeing the stick figures.

According to Drive, some folks have called the stickers “smug and mindless.” Others have said they become filled with rage upon spotting the decals, asking, “Why, oh why, does anyone think we care?!”

Many think these accessories are unpleasant to look at and project a falsely cheery image that isn’t representative of the challenges of family life. Drive also quotes the author of the blog Gen X Journey, who points out the lack of options for overweight mothers or “emo devil-possessed” teenagers.

Liebenow counters that “people are just genuinely proud” of their families. She notes that the stickers are a cheap and fun creative outlet and that she’s seen families of all different shapes and sizes use them.

Rumors surrounding the stick-figure car window decals

Amid the standard criticism, some rumors about these accessories have circulated throughout the years. The most recent gossip went viral on TikTok, Yahoo News reported. The TikTok user, a father of twins, stated that human traffickers would write “1F” — meaning “one female” — on the car of someone they plan to abduct. He added that family decals could be dangerous because they advertise the size and makeup of people’s families and make them easier targets for predators.

Fortunately, this rumor isn’t true. Both Snopes and the Eureka Police Department have debunked it, Yahoo News reported. Versions of this story have been around for some time, but they don’t have a clear source, and there’s no evidence of their veracity.

For such a simple car accessory, these stick-figure window decals have created quite a kerfuffle. Whether you love them or hate them, though, they don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

RELATED:  Honda Odyssey Maintenance Costs Are the Highest of All Minivans, Consumer Reports Shows

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How Long Should a Lawn Mower Last?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Buying a new lawn mower can make for an expensive endeavor. Odds are, then, you want yours to last for years to come. But how many years can you actually expect to get out of a new mower? The good news is that lawn mowers have the potential to last a surprisingly long time, especially if you take good care of them. But don’t just take our word for it. Let us explain. 

How long do lawn mowers last?

How long a lawn mower lasts comes down to how it’s treated. In fact, with the right care, a mower can last upwards of 10 years. That’s a seriously long time. But if a lawn mower isn’t properly taken care of? It might only last for four to five years. Neglect it completely, and it may only last for two years. 

“Think about that. If you take care of your lawn mower, it can last at least 5 times longer than if neglected.”

Durability Matters

It’s worth mentioning, however, that most manufacturers measure the lifespan of a mower in hours. Manufacturers then average that by how often the mower is used. Meaning, a mower that’s used three times a week likely won’t last as long as one used only once per week. 

According to Durability Matters, how long a lawn mower lasts will also depend on how big your yard is and what type of grass it will be cutting. If you’re dealing with a smaller yard, chances are your mower is going to last longer. Cutting long grass will also take a toll on the mower’s blade and motor, reports Durability Matters.

How to know if it’s time to replace your mower

Mowing the lawn. | NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The good news is that it’s pretty easy to tell if it’s time to replace your mower. In fact, according to All Green Pest Control and Lawn Care, there are quite a few lawn mower problems that could mean it’s time to replace your current lawn mower and invest in a new one.

If your lawn mower keeps breaking down or is experiencing frequent transmission or engine problems, it might be due for a replacement. If you’ve hit a rock, tree stump, or another hard object with your mower, crankshaft damage can also cause your mower to break down, signifying it might be time for a new one. 

All Green Pest Control and Lawn Care reports that if your mower’s warranty is up, it might also be time to consider a replacement. While fixing it could certainly keeping it going for years to come, fixing a mower that’s not covered by a warranty can get expensive.

Lawn mower maintenance will help your mower last

Here’s the good news. If you want your mower to last, lawn mower maintenance is the best and most effective way to go about it. In fact, according to Consumer Reports, proper lawn mower maintenance could help keep your mower going for a decade or more.

But what does lawn mower maintenance actually entail? First, you’re going to want to be mindful of the fuel you put in your mower. Consumer Reports recommends adding a stabilizer to your mower’s fuel. You should also bleed your mower of fuel at the end of every season.

Oil changes are important too. To find out how often you should be changing your mower’s oil, be sure to check your manual. You should also keep an eye on your mower’s deck and make sure that it’s clear of debris and grass build up. Changing your mower’s spark plugs and filter should also be part of your mower maintenance routine.

Lawn mowers can last for a decade or more

Lawn mowers aren’t cheap. You probably don’t want to have to buy a new one every couple of years. That’s why, we encourage you to take good care of your lawn mower. After all, with the right care and maintenance, your mower could last for a decade or more.

RELATED: The Best Lawn Mower Brands According to Bob Vila

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Consumer Reports: Why Your New Car Not Come How You Ordered It

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The automotive industry has been hit hard by supply chain issues. Parts are hard to get or impossible to find. If you ordered a new car recently, there is a good chance the vehicle does not come as specified. Is it better to get an item faster without all of the features or wait it out? Consumer Reports says to be patient because even if you get the car you ordered, it might not be exactly as described.

How long does it take when you order a new car?

A freight train with new cars crosses a river| Photo by Robert Michael/picture alliance via Getty Images

These days, it can take a while to take delivery of a new car. Much like the construction industry, it depends on when buyers placed the order. Some cars and homes were ordered before others might have better luck at having all of the pieces in a timely fashion.

Consumer Reports says that if you are anticipating delivery of a new vehicle, there’s a good chance some features might be missing. If you are looking for a car already on the lot, it still might not have all the features promised. Some automakers, like Tesla, have pivoted to remove certain features that were holding production back.

“There are problems right now within the industry related to a variety of parts and components,” Stephanie Brinley of IHS Markit told Consumer Reports. While demand for both used and new vehicles have spiked, automakers cannot complete the new vehicles. While used vehicles might be harder to find right now, automakers don’t have all of the necessary components to complete builds.

Tesla isn’t delivering new cars on schedule

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted factories in multiple ways. Some factories do not have the workforce needed due to staff members being sick and out of work. Additionally, most places have a reduced workforce for a variety of reasons. Beyond all of that, raw materials have been hard to come by. This means loss options available on the lot and longer waits if you want a popular vehicle that needs to be ordered.

Tesla made the news recently for removing certain safety features from cars due for delivery. After that, the company also removed lumbar support from passenger seats. In the case of some features, buyers paid many of these ahead of time. Elon Musk tweeted that lumbar support was removed from Model 3 and Model Y vehicles because it was “almost never used.”

Musk also noted that the prices of vehicles were increasing due to “supply chain price pressure-industry-wide.” The brand was able to deliver some new cars this week, but then canceled the Model S Plaid+ vehicle entirely.

Be flexible, but use this to your advantage

There seems to be no automaker immune from the crunch between Tesla, Jeep, GM, and other brands. GM reported that the brand would no longer be making the 2021 C8 Corvette due to such issues. Instead, the automaker is skipping ahead to work on the 2022 version. Earlier this year, brands like Toyota, Honda, and GM shut down factories due to various issues. Some plants have been sitting idle because there are no parts to make cars with.

It doesn’t seem that these issues are improving anytime soon. Experts say the issues could last through the end of the year at least. Experts estimated that the semiconductor shortage could cost the industry $110 billion by the time it is over.

Jake Fisher, senior director at Consumer reports test center, says, “If you paid for something, but you’re getting something less, that is a negotiating opportunity.” Ask for a refund if the wait has gotten too long. Perhaps the dealership will allow you to get another vehicle with a discount. If you are set on the already ordered car, perhaps ask for something to make up for the wait. Ford was offering various accessories and driving school for those who had a delayed Bronco.

If all else fails, wait it out. Your vehicle will likely get delivered eventually. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, even if it means waiting a bit longer for your dream car.

RELATED: Recall Alert: Over 5,000 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y Cars Recalled

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