I think confronting racism is unproductive at this point. I think police need better methodology to minor traffic violations.

July 12, 2016
By Juliet Eilperin

Almost exactly three years ago, (click here) US President Barack Obama stood in the White House briefing room and said that he didn't think it would be "particularly productive" for him to convene "a national conversation on race".

But in the wake of a recent series of high-profile, racially charged shootings across the country, the President this week found himself doing exactly that.

Obama spent today preparing to address the US at a memorial service tomorrow in Dallas for five slain police officers and meeting with experts and advocates at the White House aimed at bridging the divide the between law enforcement and communities of colour.

The President met for nearly two hours with leaders of five law enforcement groups, informing them that he considered the killing of the five Dallas police officers on Friday "a hate crime" and that he would work actively to serve as an intermediary between minority activists and police....

We have been pursuing the end to racism in the USA for at least the past ten years while President Obama was running for his nomination to the Democratic Party. We aren't even treading water on this issue. We are sinking.

Police work carries the idea that every traffic stop could be a larger violation once the car and it's occupants are searched. A minor traffic violation gives police permission to rummage through a car and its occupants. That has to stop. The police should be limited to ticketing the minor traffic violation and nothing more. When that is the STANDARD, the dash cam can capture a minor traffic violation to be fined through US Mail services.

It is necessary to end the violence of traffic stops we have witnessed sweeping the country. The methodology itself is deadly. The methodology brings too much anticipation of confrontation and confrontation with deadly force. This has to stop. There are innocent people dying. That should be an alarm to the profession and changes should be engaged.

I think the police over reach their authority when seeking reasons for search and seizure of innocent people stopped for a traffic violation. 

Last week I was pulled over for a tail light that was out. I didn't know why the officer stopped me until he explained why. He gave me no reason to be upset, but, I found my hands trembling and at one point I handed him my voter registration card.

The officer gave me a warning and I thanked him. I had no idea the tail light was out. I could not believe my reaction to his actions. Subconsciously I was scared to death. The fear of the minor traffic stop had never raised sincere fear in me before, but, it did that day and I am Caucasian. I just identify with people that are victims to law enforcement. 

Deaths due to minor traffic violations has to end. Dash cams can capture the violation and the US postal service can deliver the summons to appear in court. 

It seems to me more often than not the law enforcement agencies are reaching for evidence of crime in inappropriate places, such as selling CDs and Lucys. These minor traffic violations are another example of that. They won't find drug cartel bosses riding in a car with a child in the back seat while having the trunk packed with money and drugs. There is no drug cartel member selling Lucys at the corner Mini-Mart. There is no drug cartel activities saved to CDs sold on the corner of Main Street and Vine.

The law enforcement 'at the street level' is hideous. I don't want to hear about the awesome finds police made while making a minor traffic stop. That is few and far between and American lives are more important. 

End the practice of minor traffic violation now. It stops!

Comparing Donald Trump to Richard Nixon is fatal to his presidency. Richard Nixon was demanding "The Silent Majority" to vote. The Vietnam War caused raging on USA campus across the country. Richard Nixon's law and order statements lead to the deaths at Kent State by the Ohio National Guard.

How is the heightened fear of Black men existing in 2016?

Exactly, crime is down and why are Black men still dying. How is it the societal taboo exists with these men?

July 9, 2016
By Gregg Zoroya

The number of police officers shot (click here) and killed in the USA is 44% higher than at this time last year following the Dallas ambush Thursday night that left five officers dead, according to data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. 

The deaths of four Dallas police officers and one Dallas transit officer from sniper fire during a protest in the city Thursday raised the national total of firearm deaths among police to 26. This compares with 18 at this point in time in 2015, said Nick Breul, director of research for the fund in Washington, D.C.
Breul said it was also the latest of 11 ambushes of police officers so far this year across the country, already outpacing the eight ambushes of law enforcement that occurred last year....

None of it makes sense. How can crime be down and tensions between Black men and police worse?

Don't start using money as a reason for these deaths on both side of the issue. There are reasons this is occurring and now it is getting worse and not better. Complaining about money is an opportunity and not a reason. Somehow more money paid in police salaries are going to bring the best police on the market and all the unjust killings will end. Does anyone expect me or any Black community to believe that?

So we are great people, right? We can articulate the problem. Wrong, we are not a great people because we are all talk and no resolution.

This is not resolving. Police need to stay away from minor traffic violations. Record the car license number with a video and send the owner a ticket to pay.

SEPARATE BLACK MEN FROM POLICE AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY WHERE THESE DEATHS ARE TAKING PLACE!

Sandra Bland as well was a minor traffic infraction. What happened to her was complete abuse of power from the time the cop put his top light flashers on.

Separate every citizen from the police. Send a citation through the mail no different than intersection cameras. This is ridiculous.

The day Sandra Bland was stopped, the cop was out to make money for the town. She was the second car in that same stretch of road pulled over. ONE RIGHT AFTER ANOTHER. He was looking for trouble to make his monthly quota. It is extremely obvious. He had a chance to take a traffic stop and roll it into a larger amount of money by arresting her and that is exactly what he did. It is abuse of power. Stop the police from pulling cars over for minor traffic infractions.

How many times do I have to complain about cops pulling cars over for minor traffic violations that turn into death by cop? How many times?

Peace talks between Israel and Palestine are proposed by Egypt.

10 July 2016

Before the meeting (click here) in Jerusalem on Sunday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the Middle East was at a "crucial and challenging juncture," adding that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would have a "far-reaching and dramatic and positive impact on the overall conditions of the Middle East region. Egypt remains ready to contribute toward achieving this goal."

Egypt remains a "steadfast and unwavering" supporter of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Shoukry added.

"It is no longer acceptable to claim that the status quo is the most we can achieve," Shoukry said in Jerusalem.

The talks could indicate a thawing in Israel's foreign policy in the region, after overtures to Turkey in June....

Do you want to discuss INSTITUTIONALIZED racism, then let's look at Snyder's record.

Governor Rick Snyder doesn't believe he is racist; it just happens to be Black American communities that are always causing fiscal problems.

Snyder is not a racist after all he put Black Americans in his Emergency Manager positions.

Snyder's color wheel does not include green for impoverished communities. Rick Snyder likes to institute laws that were removed in referendums in state elections because he likes being powerful. Not purposeful, simply powerful.

The cities he has victimized are all Black communities. Rather than using his power as Governor to mitigate the problems faced by Black communities in Michigan, he victimized them more by instituting a new breed of emergency manager that disregard laws of all kinds to achieve fiscal balance. 

It is impossible to achieve fiscal balance in Flint, in Detroit, Allen Park, Benton Harbor, and Pontiac only to mention a few because the income to the cities have been removed through poor economic development. The property taxes don't match the budget. 

What has Snyder done to bring about real change to build economies, especially that of the program to use Michigan's university brain trusts for start ups of new businesses? Snyder doesn't implement this program to grow an economy, he uses to sell off Michigan job opportunities to wealth managers of Wall Street and the potential jobs evaporate into profits.

When is Snyder going to be impeached?

The make believe world of Rick Snyder. This lawsuit has existed since January.

This is more of the "let's pretend" world of Governor Snyder. The law is the law is the law, REPLACE THE PIPES! 

July 7, 2016
By Chad Livengood

...Lawson rejected (click here) arguments by state attorneys that judicial enforcement of the federal Safe Drink Water Act would conflict with the EPA’s administrative enforcement of the law.

“The danger of creating inconsistent obligations for the defendants is relatively low in this case because the EPA and the plaintiffs are seeking the same result: safe drinking water for the residents of Flint,” Lawson wrote in a 25-page ruling.

“This does not appear to a case that will require intricate fact finding or the need for special administrative expertise,” the judge added. “Nor does there appear to be an administrative program that may be upset by the court’s decisions.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, Flint’s Concerned Pastors for Social Change and Flint resident Melissa Mays also are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed in January in U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Michigan.

“I hope it puts pressure on the relevant parties to replace the lead service lines in an accelerated timetable … because there hasn’t been that commitment yet,” said Dimple Chaudhary, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council....

Snyder's antics never ends.

The $550 million needs to be held in a trust account while the Snyder administration plays with it while using the courts to delay payment to the teachers.

July 5, 2016

By Johnathan Oosting

Lansing — Gov. Rick Snyder (click here) will appeal a court ruling directing the state reimburse public school employees for “unconstitutional” paycheck deductions, but Attorney General Bill Schuette will not represent him before the Michigan Supreme Court.

Spokeswoman Andrea Bitely said Tuesday that Schuette “is declining to provide counsel” in the case after reviewing a June 7 ruling by the Michigan Court of appeals, which held that more than 200,000 school employees were unconstitutionally docked 3 percent of their pay from 2010 to 2012 for retirement health care benefits they were not guaranteed to receive.

Instead, the Department of Attorney General will appoint a special assistant attorney general, a move that would distance Schuette from the case if the state continues its multi-year fight to retain the collected payroll deductions.

Schuette’s announcement came less than two hours before the Snyder administration confirmed it would appeal the ruling in a 2010 lawsuit filed by a coalition of school employee unions, which had urged both Snyder and Schuette to drop the case and return $550 million that has been sitting in escrow while the court battle played out.

“These payments are necessary for the long-term financial stability of the retirement system teachers rely on for health care benefits after their years of hard work come to a close,” Snyder spokeswoman Anna Heaton said in a statement. “Keeping the money in the system will help their investments continue to grow and benefit Michigan educators for decades to come."...

There is a case the Michigan Attorney General will litigate:

July 8, 2016
By Lori Higgins

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette (click here) has joined a lawsuit filed by a group of states seeking to overturn recent federal guidelines for schools on protecting the rights of transgender studentsThe U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice in May issued guidance to school districts — the most controversial of which is to urge schools to allow transgender students to use the restrooms and locker rooms that align with the students' gender identity.
The departments said at the time that the guidelines are necessary "to ensure that all students, including transgender students, can attend school in an environment free from discrimination based on sex."
Those guidelines were issued as a debate raged in Michigan over a policy being considered by the State Board of Education on lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual students. The proposed policy outlines many of the same recommendations made in the federal guidance....

Asking for peace, a demonstrator is detained.

This is not just a demonstration, it is an act of bravery.

A demonstrator (click here) protesting the shooting death of Alton Sterling is detained by law enforcement near the headquarters of the Baton Rouge Police Department in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.

"Morning Papers"

The Rooster

"Okeydoke"

The NRA is having an increasing difficulty expressing it's message.


10 July 2016
By Lois Bechett

...On an NRA News talkshow Thursday, (click here) the host, Cam Edwards, said that if black gun owners were reluctant to carry their guns because they were afraid of being targeted by the police, that was a “huge issue”.

“Self-defense is a human right,” he said. “Our right to keep and bear arms is not based on the color of our skin.”

His guest on the show, John Cardillo, a former New York police department officer, agreed that the idea that African American gun owners might be “more afraid of the police than the bad guys” was a “serious, serious problem”.

“I don’t want to see any American put their constitutional rights aside because they’re afraid of government,” Cardillo said. “If that problem exists, we need to fix it immediately.”...

"Good Night, Moon"

 The waxing crescent

6.6 day old moon

41.4 percent lit


10 July 2016
By Ade Ashford

It is now seven weeks (click here) since Mars was at opposition. The Red Planet presently shines at magnitude -1.1 and has a diameter of around 14.7 arcseconds. The Martian north pole is still tipped in our direction, but the planet’s shrinking, 90 percent illuminated disc now requires a telescopic magnification of about 125x to enlarge it to the same size as the Moon appears to the unaided eye.

By the middle of the month, the gulf between Earth and Mars will have grown to 60 million miles (96 million kilometres). The Red Planet has also resumed its prograde (west to east) motion against the stars of Libra, hence it’s drawing closer to Saturn as the weeks pass.

Magnitude +0.2 Saturn currently lies in the adjacent constellation of Ophiuchus, some 17 degrees (three-quarters of the span of an outstretched hand at arm’s length) to the left of Mars in mid-July. At this time Saturn lies 860 million miles (1,390 million kilometres) from Earth — in excess of 14 times further away than adjacent Mars.

Despite its great distance, Saturn’s globe still subtends almost 18 arcseconds, while the northern face of the glorious 42-arcsecond-wide ring system is tipped a very favourable 26 degrees toward Earth. Look for Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, a magnitude +8.7 ‘star’ four ring diameters west of the planet on 19 July....

The future is a destination, not an optional amusement park.

The future has been lost in the USA. First World countries have been using high speed rail for at least a decade. Auto manufacturers are ready for the future in ventures that take ownership away form consumers and places all the profits of manufacturing AND rental/sharing cars in their treasuries as well.

There is nothing wrong with that if it provides the consumer to refuse auto ownership by increasing disposable income for a better quality of life or the much ignored American Dream of home ownership. 

The USA has missed the boat and employed poor judgement in passing NAFTA as well as abandoning "moral imagination" and opting for stagnation.

There hasn't been 'a future' in the USA for at least four decades. Somehow Americans thought computers were the only future they needed to understand and purchase. 

One of the reasons the future got lost is because of the grossly unfair treatment of innovation. The best example is Tesla cars. Auto dealers came up with all kinds of objections in New Jersey when Tesla wanted to market the car without a showroom. Really? 

The USA has been STUCK in old world capitalism. The USA and it's antiquated lawmakers in Washington, DC abandoned the future and instead of embracing the problems facing the USA and solving them, they let old ways and old priorities take precedent.

An entire generation of Americans had no jobs after the 2008 global economic collapse and there were very valid reasons for that. The Old Guard in Washington, DC believes population growth will take care of any needs for future employment. Not at $7.00 an hour, it won't.

The USA needs it's future back. It is up to young Americans to create their own reality. They want a future with promise. They want clean air, clean water and a safe climate for their future. It is high time the USA look at the future as a destination rather than a threat.

Auto manufacturers are ahead of the curve.

OTA keys (click here) develops and distributes e.g. purely virtual vehicle keys that can be transmitted and used wirelessly via cell phones.

June 14, 2016
By Michael Finn

An average car (click here) is unused 95 percent of the time and slowly becomes a depreciating asset. However, huge amount of money could be gained for the right business that can utilize these average cars. The brands Toyota, General Motors and Volkswagen are all in an investment race. The ride-and-share business is an incentive for car companies without the fear of non-dominant individual car ownership in the world of business.

Car business is greatly changing its judgement of investment value as told by Laura Lembke, Morgan Stanley analyst. Lembke stated that over 80 million international car sales can bring in $1.5 million, Japan Today reported. One billion of these vehicles are a total of existing stocks, while the average cost of a mile in a trip is $1 - an estimated $10 trillion is the potential market value. This helps explain the evaluations on apps car sharing services like Uber, which is valued at $62.5 billion. A huge amount compared with the world's third top-selling auto manufacturer General Motors....

March 24, 2011

By Horatiu Boeriu

The BMW Group and Sixt AG (click here) are planning a unique and innovative   car sharing venture. With effect from April 2011 onwards – initially in Munich and later in Berlin – the two companies intend to join forces in offering a modern mobility concept under the brand-name DriveNow; this new product will combine vehicles and service of the highest quality with simple, flexible usage.

DriveNow is the first car sharing concept to place an emphasis on efficient premium vehicles and comprehensive service. Vehicles may be hired and dropped off wherever the customer needs them, thus clearly differentiating DriveNow from products offered by other competitors....

This is the same old nonsense. Just let me know if we are serious about ending greenhouse gas emissions.

July 10, 2016
By Steve Hanley

Auto makers (click here) are lobbying the federal government to rethink its mandate to raise average fuel economy to 54.5 mpg by 2025. The new rules are set to go into effect in 2018. The companies have several concerns about the tighter standards, but it all comes down to selling cars. They worry that consumers will not like the changes meeting the new rules will require and that will hurt sales. The car industry is hugely important to the US economy. A decline in sales could have a ripple effect that would take some of the steam out of an economy that is just showing signs of life after the debacle of 2008....

The federal government needs to follow China's example to create a subsidy for EVs.

OR

Actually encourage mass transit. Car sales will still exist as Americans like adventure and autonomy, but, in all honesty, do they have to drive to work? I don't think so.

What is safer, commuting in cars or mass transit?

The last decade of Highway - Rail incidents - collisions, fatalities and injuries (click here) 













Ten years of auto statistics: (click here)

Three right columns, Population, fatalities per 100,000 and percentage change.

There are answers to all this CHEMICAL mess. Think EV (electric vehicle). Seriously. Do it for the kids and their tomorrows.

Fiat 500e   ($32,300)

Ford Focus Electric   ($29,170)

Kia Soul EV   ($33,700)

VW e-Golf    ($33,450)

Chevy Spark EV   ($25,995)

Renault Zoe  (£13,443 or $17,407 in today's exchange rate - See lower prices and higher sales)

Nissan LEAF ($29,010)

Tesla Model S ($75,000)

July 9, 2016
by Messenger Post

Canandaigua, N.Y.

Sometimes the bumps (click here) along your commute are not from the road but rather from the decisions made at the pump.

The Lane Ranger is reminded of this following AAA’s release this week of a study showing that quality gasoline keeps engines 19 times cleaner.

The independent laboratory testing compared gasolines that meet Top Tier standards — including such brands as Chevron, Exxon, Sunoco and Valero — with gasoline brands that do not participate in the automaker-backed program.

Among the brands tested, AAA reported that non-Top Tier gasolines caused 19 times more engine deposits than the Top Tier brands — often marketed to consumers as having enhanced, engine-cleaning detergent additives — after just 4,000 miles of simulated driving. Such carbon deposits are known to reduce fuel economy, increase emissions and negatively impact vehicle performance, particularly on newer vehicles, the national auto club warned.

“AAA was surprised to learn the extent to which detergent additives impact gasoline quality,” John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair, said in a media release announcing the findings. “As advertised, tested TOP TIER gasolines kept engines remarkably cleaner than other fuels we tested.”...

From the American Cancer Society:

Problems with MTBE (click here)

Despite its potential benefits on air quality, MTBE has some properties that can cause problems. MTBE is much more soluble in water than most other components of gasoline. If it gets in the ground, it can travel faster and farther through groundwater than other gasoline components. This makes it more likely to contaminate public water systems and private drinking water wells if gasoline is spilled on the ground or leaks out of underground storage tanks. Even fairly small amounts of MTBE in water can give it an unpleasant taste and odor, making the water undrinkable. MTBE also does not break down (biodegrade) easily. As a result, it is harder to clean up once contamination occurs.

In the late 1990s, many community drinking water supplies in areas that used a lot of MTBE were found to have detectable levels of MTBE. Since then, MTBE use in gasoline has been phased out because of concerns about groundwater contamination. Although it is not clear what effects MTBE in drinking water might have on health, many states have passed laws limiting or banning the use of MTBEA 

A study is appropriate, however, with the wide spread of contamiination in the USA there is no absolute study that would reveal it's effects. The only contained study that is possible is with animals. Those results should be extrapolated to apply to people because of the consequences.

...AThough MTBE has been used as a fuel additive since 1979, there have been no long-term studies of the ability of MTBE to cause cancer in workers or other people exposed to high concentrations. People who might have been exposed to MTBE at work often have also been exposed to a number of other chemicals, which makes studying this issue difficult....

MTBE is an "anti-knocking" additive in gasoline.

MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) (click here) is a flammable, colorless liquid that dissolves easily in water. It is part of a group of chemicals known as fuel oxygenates. Oxygenates do not occur naturally in gasoline; they are added to increase gasoline’s oxygen content. MTBE and other oxygenates make gasoline burn better, which lowers harmful carbon monoxide and other emissions from vehicles, reducing air pollution.

MTBE was first used in gasoline at low levels in the United States in 1979 to replace lead as an octane enhancer. Starting in 1992, MTBE was used at higher concentrations in some gas to fulfill the oxygenate requirements set by Congress in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAA). The CAA required the use of oxygenated gasoline in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution.

Starting in 1995, the CAA required use of reformulated gasoline (RFG) year-round in cities with the worst ground-level ozone (smog). RFG is gasoline that is specially blended to have fewer polluting compounds than conventional gasoline. As part of the CAA, RFG had to have an oxygen content of at least 2% by weight.

The CAA did not specifically require MTBE to be used as the oxygenate in gasoline. Gas refiners could choose to use other oxygenates, such as ethanol. But MTBE was the main oxygenate in RFG in some areas outside the Midwest, mainly for economic reasons and for its blending characteristics. Unlike ethanol, MTBE could be shipped through existing pipelines, and its volatility is lower, making it easier to meet the emission standards....

MTBE began it's use as a gasoline additive (it's only purpose for existing at all) in 1979 because it was easier on existing pipelines. NOT.

30 August 2001

Chicago, August 30 -- MTBE, a common gasoline additive, (click here) has been found in gasoline sold throughout the Midwest even though it is not routinely used there, researchers reported today at the 222nd national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest (and oldest) scientific society.

The researchers analyzed regular unleaded gasoline samples from more than 200 sites in Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. They found MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) in more than 70 percent of the gasoline samples, even though the additive has seen limited use because ethanol is the main oxygenate for reducing air pollution in these states, says Reynaldo D. Barreto, Ph.D., an associate professor at Purdue University North Central in Westville, Ind., and the study's lead investigator.

"MTBE is not supposed to be there," he says. The unexpectedly widespread presence of the chemical in gasoline samples suggests there is a "ticking time bomb" that could adversely affect drinking water, Barreto cautions....

...The most likely source of the MTBE is tankers, storage tanks and pipelines that once carried reformulated gasoline and subsequently carried nonreformulated gasoline, says Barreto. He believes that a complete ban on the controversial additive is needed to prevent its spread.

MTBE came under intense scrutiny after numerous studies showed it can leak from underground storage tanks and other sources to contaminate the drinking water supply. Although its toxicity to humans is unclear, MTBE can make water undrinkable due to its foul smell and bad taste.

No one knows the exact extent of the contamination, but a growing number of studies have detected the chemical in drinking water samples throughout the country. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced plans to reduce or eliminate use of MTBE. It could be replaced with ethanol, another oxygenate, or specially formulated gasoline with fewer smog-causing emissions....

China is going EV! See, the USA is the largest and most antiquated polluter of greenhouse gases on Earth.

July 8, 2016

The problem of widespread air pollution (click here) in major Chinese cities is well-known both inside and outside of China. Lesser known are the government efforts to address the issue—one of which is the rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EV).

For years, the promise of EVs to contribute to a cleaner future for global transit has struggled to gain traction in developed countries. For example, in the U.S., we are far from the Obama administration’s goal of getting 1 million plug-in electric vehicles on the road by 2015, and last year, sales of electric vehicles, in fact, declined in the U.S. By contrast, EV sales in China quadrupled last year, leading the country to eclipse the U.S. as the global leader in such sales. The Chinese government hopes its EV sales will reach 3 million a year by 2025....

Who is the biggest polluter of Earth with no moral imagination? That is correct, the USA.

February 18, 2014

In a surprise announcement, (click here) Chinese EV subsidies have been extended as the government grapples with an epic pollution problem and slow green car sales. Despite its many cities literally choking to death on their own smog though, the government has yet to implement any meaningful changes to its transportation policy.

The Chinese EV subsidy program first began in either 2008 or 2009, and though some heralded it as the beginning of an electric car revolution, confusion and limitations have made for poor electric car sales. These subsidies were generous, with incentives as high as $9,800 for an electric car, $5,800 for a plug-in hybrid, and over $80,000 for the purchase of an electric bus....

With lead removed from car emissions, along came MTBE.

Methyl tert-butyl ether

(CH₃)₃COCH₃

tert or tertiary or of the third order

CH3 is methyl. One carbon and three hydrogen.

(CH3)3 - methyl molecules connected to a common carbon

butyl is when there are four carbons. In this case it is C4H9. 

Butyl is derived from butane. Butane has a formula of C4H10.

The molecule C4H10 was broken down to form MTBE. The four carbons remained hence "butyl."'

Ether is any of a class of organic compounds that has an oxygen atom attach to two carbon atoms.

The diagram of MTBE has one oxygen atom. It is the red one. It is between two carbons. 

C0CH3 is the other half of MTBE, hence the word ether in the name.

A total of five carbons in this molecule.