[Quietcars] Guide Horse Foundation?

[Robert Wilson]

Thanks!

We don't hear much about horses today but I read many stories about their abilities to work with people. Being from Oklahoma, I had relatives who had working horses and mules. Having been to a few rodeos, I have a great deal of respect for their abilities. In particular, calf roping and quarter horse racing demonstrate that it is a human-horse team out there.

As for the joke, it is Friday and things have been a little quiet. Speaking about critters, well parrots are entertaining.

One last news story about 'Driverless cars:'
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/02/2124104/driverless-cars-to-hit-the-streets.html

* * * QUOTE * * *
“You can buy a car today that I’d like to say is 90 percent
driverless,” said Randal O’Toole, a senior fellow at the libertarian
Cato Institute whose books include “The Vanishing Automobile and Other
Urban Myths” and “Gridlock: Why We’re Stuck in Traffic and What to Do
About It.”
In an interview last week, O’Toole noted that a
top-of-the-line 2010 Toyota Prius with its advanced technology package
— for an additional $5,180 on the sticker price — has a sophisticated
GPS navigation system, adaptive cruise control and systems for parking,
staying in lanes and avoiding collisions.
“Basically, turning that into a fully driverless car is nothing more than a software upgrade,” he said.* * * END QUOTE * * *

Note that this claim is Randal O'Toole with the Cato Institute who confirms my skepticism of "Cato" and their often loose association with facts and data. He is right about one part of the price but failed to mention this is only after choosing a 'sticker price' that starts $8,000 higher than the base model. You have to get the 17" wheels, leather seats, top-of-the-line stereo, navigation system . . . car bling . . . and then you can add the 'advanced technology package.'

Bob Wilson

----------------------------------------
> From: info at michaelhingson.com
> To: quietcars at nfbnet.org
> Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2010 13:16:48 -0700
> Subject: Re: [Quietcars] Guide Horse Foundation?
>
> Cute.
>
> Guide horses have been proven to work, but not in so a generic way as guide
> dogs.
>
> The new ADA regulations have limited service animals to dogs and, in some
> instances, miniature horses.
>
>
> The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
>      “Speaking with Vision”
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Robert Wilson
> Sent: Friday, August 06, 2010 1:02 PM
> To: quietcars at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [Quietcars] Guide Horse Foundation?
>
>
> I was reading IEEE Spectrum at lunch and they made a reference to "guide
> horses." Sure enough, I found this URL:
>
> http://www.guidehorse.com/
>
> The reason it raised my interest is my Mom raises miniature horses in
> Coffeyville Kansas. I'll forward the link to her but I know she sells hers
> and at reasonable prices. She was interviewed in the local paper and pointed
> out the miniature horses are smaller and have a more docile disposition
> compared to Shetland ponies.
>
> I get the impression using miniature horses for guide animals is still
> somewhat experimental. Any contact with this program in the community?
>
> I was about to ask about parrots because of their eyesight and intelligence
> but then I realized they really aren't tuned to ground obstacles. Still it
> reminded me of my favorite parrot joke read on the web.
>
> A magician was on a cruise line and the ship's Captain had a parrot in a
> cage. But no matter what illusion the magician performed, the parrot saw
> through it and called it out, "Its in his other hand!" or "Its in his
> pocket." The magician was getting more and more frustrated when a terrible
> storm blew up, capsized the boat, and the magician and parrot found each
> other clinging to the same piece of wood. For days, the magician and bird
> stared at each other in silent hostility until the parrot squawked,
>
> "Ok, I give up. What did you do with the boat?"
>
> Bob Wilson
>
>
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