chuck kottke

But I'd like to add what I was thinking before all this! The automobile weight issue is a hefty one. Weighing in at 3800 pounds, that's more than anyone really wants or needs in an auto - looking at bio-mimicry, we find the diving peregrine falcon, the eagle, and the kingfisher all better at collisions than any auto on the market. And no dents when they hit their targets!:laugh3: So, to mimic the natural world seems a good start, as nature's already way ahead of us on designs.. And if you want performance, the lighter the car gets, the faster it can accelerate or brake. In fact, it was the custom at one time to strip down autos to the bare engine, seat, and frame for racing purposes, since the added mass slowed the car's take-off on the dirt tracks during early racing days. Not that we should all do that!:lol: But if you think about it - all that horsepower is being bogged down accelerating two tons of machine, when it could be getting you up to speed in no time flat. Plus, stopping! Two tons, bringing that much mass to a halt takes quite a feat! Look at the racing circuit cars at dusk, and the brake discs glow red hot! Methinks we can do better.:smug:

I'll have to take you're word on it! That's because of the high compression of the Diesel, and because of the high energy content per unit volume of Diesel fuel. If one were to make a true hybrid with a Diesel engine gen-set, it would outperform even the Polo - but for now, the Polo looks like an excellent option! What's probably damaging to the environment in the Prius is the battery type, which are clean to operate, but the making of them leaves many questions about the material choices. Lithium is much better, and will probably surpass the NiMH batteries, considering the resource base. I do like the Prius, but for other reasons - mainly because it's more battery than engine, and has instrumentation that tells you how to optimize efficiency, and can be made better with the optional solar panel on the roof. I think that the Prius isn't perfect, and certainly costs plenty, but it's a step in the right direction. Better still are cars that use mostly lithium batteries, and have a backup gen-set engine for the long haul, plus a solar panel which pops up to help charge the batteries - now that would be cool! (and super-efficient) If it's power when you hit the pedal that's missing, well, electrics like the Tesla roadster show how you can get up to speed faster with electrics. And electrics aren't new - they've been around as long as the automobile has. Perhaps the snooty attitude of some who drive Priuses is part of the problem - but the basic concept is a good one! "Normal" - do we all have to conform to some standard to be acceptable? I'll choose free will, and go with the improvements - 100 years is a long time to wait for the auto to change, and now's the right time for it. Looking back, the same could be said of the automobile's off-putters in the 1890's - there were numerous laws banning cars from the roads, and a lot of people sneered at them, asking about the same question - "Why can't you just be normal, and get a horse and buggy!". Times change, and when a better idea comes along, it's only a matter of time before it becomes the norm.

What do I do for a living?:thinking: Just about anything and everything! Handyman work - which includes insulating ancient houses, putting in doors and windows, plumbing, etc... But the challenges abound! I just really needed a day off - that's all Nick!;) How's the investment world?? I confess I know just enough to avoid the ENRON's of the world, but beyond that, it's a bit of a mystery to me.

***** 5 stars!;)

:rolleyes: Hmm.. well, so that's it! I suppose so - they're a "boy band", and hence the girls are after them (and thus it was with the Beatles, Elvis, Buddy Holly, etc..). But I think there must be more to it - maybe the idea of being close to someone who can move a lot of people on an emotional level? Someone who's instantly recognizable by 1/2 the world's population? Or, a life-size Ken doll?:P I suppose it's just the nature of nature..

:laugh3:Oh god, that sign's funny! Leave it to Nick to find sanity in a world gone "polite". Sure.., well, there's the Oscar the Grouch side, but I reserve that for speaking to the wilderness. Squirrels chatter right back, so there's no sense of harm done - I rant at them, & they drop pine cones on my head... Today, I felt quite drained of energy, which is pissing me off, to tell the truth. It's too hot and humid, and everything I pry off drops a shower of rock-wool, dead lady-beetles and bat droppings onto me.. It's like that TV show "the world's dirtiest jobs".. I'm needing a day off..

But they're just people like you and I - why is it such a big deal then?

Road test, schmode test! There's always another one, so Relax - build confidence, practice, and take it again - it took me more than one try too - you'll do just fine - practice and get more accustomed to the machine.;) And I have to confess that working on old houses can be frustrating at times.. (and carrying wood is fine by me - it builds character! :>)

who

Parents and Cats??? Bodies of? Hmm.. Sounds more like forensic evidence than modeling..:confused:

Welcome Trisi to the Greatest Show in the Galaxie!!!:):sunny::flutterby::escaping: (plus we have good music, too...)

:rolleyes::laugh3: Thats... so true! But to try and change the tune a bit was all I was making an attempt at, since we know the aforementioned soo well. I think it's just for effect that some people say what they say - a plantive wail for attention tis' all.. How's the photogenic traveller these days??:)

O is for .... oregano!

Gweetings fellow space traveler Jackie!!

I have to confess that I am fearful. Fearful that exotic diseases may wipe out the beloved Cacao trees. Yes, chocolate is in a state of danger! :stunned: (and I must have chocolate!:P)

True - but diversity means we are better adapted to differing climates; it's not just for the sake of appearances that we vary from place to place on the planet. Yet that's happening anyhow, so time will show the outcome. (and I want to be the supreme Ayatollah!:P) Personally, I think it's just the natural assortment of ideas and conditions, human dynamics, synergy and history that for some extent provide the framework for building true wealth, as well the impediments to it. We are both an echo of the past, and a part of the future, a part of the whole and apart from the whole - the extent of each which we choose to bring forth affecting the outcome of our individual and collective well-being.

I hear ya Ricardo.. But it may not be that religion is the problem, but more that religion needs to be improved; In some ways, it perhaps does matter - in the sense that it can bring us together, and enhance our understanding and compassion for those in need. But to enlarge the total view encompassed, and to be more true to what we understand today would help a great deal. And giving thanks to the good earth for our sustenance is a really good thing too - more of that, and we'd be better focused on the true sustaining and life-giving forces in the world.

My piece of cinnamon pie crust is calling...:waffle::escaping:I listen to all tasty cinnamon & sugar topped pie crusts..:P

Happy Happy Birthday Ab:flutterby::waffle::sunny::daisy::hat::jester:

I thought it incredibly funny when some of the band members hid in the crawlspace at my Aunt's place, and even the "fe, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman" I uttered barely got a laugh from them. But then they were being sneaky, so as to "not be noticed"..:laugh3: Hmm.. wonder if I'll find the listening devices..?

A moving post - quite the quintessential Global thing! To post or not to post, that is the question.. And here I thought this post was going to be all about some 40K marathon!:laugh3:

:rolleyes: This is Coldplay, not Madonna!:laugh3: It's going to be about the native American dance in the time of the Strawberry Moon!:P

?? Scooby Snacks?:rolleyes::laugh3: Anyhow, 42.

I'll try and create something new - perhaps if they're interested..

:rolleyes::laugh3:Good converse.. Is this really the way it went??:cool: Actually, I think it was time for some reflective music to make waves - kinda nice trance sounds, and if you listen back to (for example) some old Steve Miller Band albums, it's been there before.