chuck kottke

Greetings to Wanderlust! Hip Hip Hooray!:)

Why is it so hard to change things that are so simple in life? Just a basic question about human nature...

Back to the topic..? I'm having a brainstorm of sorts. Thinking about cylinder walls, compression ratios, strength of materials, heat-reflective coatings, etc. The less heat lost to the walls, the more efficient the engine, and the less cooling issues to deal with - but - what is there that has a small coefficient of expansion (or that expands evenly with the larger wall material, if used as a cylinder liner), and excellent heat-reflective properties, as well as limits the wear and friction? Tall order to fill - Gold comes to mind as an excellent heat-reflective and high temp metal, but that would be one mighty expensive auto.. graphite = excellent lube and heat properties, but expansion issues, and general softness makes it wear fast.. composites might be the best, and maybe the best approach is to engineer a material at the atomic level, and then make it (from sintered compressed materials), and bombard the surface with certain elements to harden it.) Wear issues and ring seating issues.. Basically, very high compression ratios help a great deal, and the longest power stroke makes best use of the gas expansion. Since the exaust can be neutralized with bases and water, less need to worry about emissions.. Another approach is using lighter materials, regenerative brakes, and less engine, more batteries. But most practical technologists say the engine is here to stay, and it's pretty good with energy-dense liquid fuels, still a mainstay for years to come.. Since roughly 83% eff. is lost right in the engine, this seems the logical startpoint.

I need some geometry help. In an 11-dimension universe, if the universe is expanding, then what effect does this have on the geometry of the strings?:P

OOH!, Nutella is divine!! Great on toasted fresh bagette - Just had some whilst visiting friends to the north.:P Suzettes, Crepes Suzettes, that's what I recall...:)

All I can say is the critics should try performing on-stage. It's easy to take shots at someone's performances, but truthfully, none of them have probably ever attempted it themselves. And from what I've seen, I'd have to say the same thing as anniea89 - more theatrics on-stage means less focus on vocal quality, but then what is someone going to a live performance for, if not for the show?? Just my 2-pence worth.

Impeccable timing - FOX news "reporting" on the "spontaneous" tax protests, such as in San Antonio at the Alamo & elsewhere -- how they position the audience to see the issue from one side is all just a matter of observation. It's all about buzzwords and catchphrases, repeating the same old saw, and using emotionally charged language, etc. to push their ideas - to some degree of success, unfortunately.. What was the old saying? 'Tell a lie often enough and people begin to believe it's true.'

If we look at the origin of any given song, it may have many roots going back a long, long time. Once, people just played for the fun of it!:laugh3: Long live life.

You can lessen the blow to the noggin' with water (both before passing out, and in the morning, or whenever you wake up); I would recommend some lemon, lime, or orange in the water - the added C helps scavenge some of the free radicals.

hailstones

Having seen a pimp only once (standing beside a freeway in Chicagoland), I think the smiley is apt, because that's pretty much what I saw (only he was smoking a cigarette with a long cigarette holder, and had a huge pink feather in a black cap..:laugh3:)

Happy Birthday Mark!!!:drummer:

The economy fell again today, because of the cycle of job loss = purchasing losses = more job losses, and those holding shaky loans in the markets through certain commercial banks are sending jitters out on the investment floor. Well, that's the obvious, but if one silver lining comes clanking down, it will be the need for reform of the campaign finances for elected officials, so that less influence pedaling is allowed, and public air time made available for candidates for office. Wall Street gamblers must never again be allowed to tamper with the oversight mechanisms in the markets, lest we face another economic crisis like this again.. When I look at donations, I don't want to see a list of firms as top contributors; I'd like to see ordinary citizens having the biggest pull, and the firms being kept to a level no greater than the average. That's utopian in a country that worships market forces, but it's a goal to work towards; an ideal to be upheld.

And there's more good news - the price of silicon is dropping, which means the panels will be more affordable!! YAY!:)Free Silicon Price Charts

dblpost.

Everyone's got a doomsday thing in their culture's religion. Methinks it's just a way of explaining the natural phenomenon which shake us all to our cores at times. Anyhow, while the economy continues to fall (talk about doomsday!), the demand for metals is rising globally, and the rate of decline is lessening.Survey shows downturn may be ebbing - Stocks & economy- msnbc.com Current Primary and Scrap Metal Prices - LME (London Metal Exchange), COMEX, NYMEX, Copper, Aluminum, Nickel, Tin, Lead, Zinc, Iron, Steel, Specialty Steel, Stainless Steel, Nickel Alloy, Chrome, Titanium, Ferrochrome, Cobalt, Molybdenum, Antimony, Plastics

We're smart enough, strong enough, and able to leap small coffee tables in a single bound! :cool: I'm convinced it's all an application of common sense to everyday problems (which civilizations have blown past many a time, but we're not going to repeat Easter Island's troubles.. me hopes at least!). So here's my solution: (1.) get efficient fast. 95% is being needlessly wasted - we can have our cool, hot, and anything in-between without the waste. (2.) Pump sea-water and use solar desalination to make plenty of fresh water, to irrigate the dry regions of the globe so we'll have plenty of food & energy crops. (3,) Build sea-walls around major cities if and when the sea levels rise (The Netherlands does it, and so can coastal cities) (4.) Switch to a solar, wind, geothermal, biomass economy. (5.) Switch to a common elements economy - more silicon, iron, aluminum, magnesium, and earth-friendly plastics & composites. (6.) Make better durable goods - that recycle easier, are safer to make, use less resources, and are of higher quality. (7.) Establish better checks and balances (8.) Intervene if need be (we might have to seed the atmosphere with reflective dusts to reduce the climate acceleration, because if we clean up all the emissions, then more sunlight gets through, the hotter it gets. Also, we may have to 'seed' the oceans with ground rock powders (mineral nutrients) to grow more ocean life, and thus allow the oceans to absorb more CO2) (9.) recycle nuclear waste, and if not retrievable, then perhaps deposit it safely in a subduction zone on the ocean floor. (10.) Create a more humane world.

This:[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1Pu8hET2yo]YouTube - Princes Diana - Elton John - Goodbye Englands Rose[/ame]

Goodbye England's Rose (Goodbye Norma Gene), sung by Sir Elton at Lady Diana's funeral.. I'll retrieve the YouTube of it..

Where have all the flower's gone?:daisy: (anyone remember that song??)

2000 everyone thought was the "doomsday" year, and that never happened. So, I'm betting that we'll be here on Earth (we humans) and much of the life currently here for another several million years, give or take a few million. That gives us time to build the Tenochtitlan temple to honor the Aztec & Mayan Gods.;) It's all up to the sun, our solar soul.:sunny:

Trying to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.. and I think I might just be able to, given enough time. Sometimes, we inherit more headaches than we imagines at the onset..

Ever get one of those moments when you can't quite decide what to do? Like "do I restore this antique carriage, or do I not bother". It's sad to see something just go to waste, but then there's hours upon hours of work involved. It would be challenging, and I've got the time and equipment.. hmm.. but is this what I'm supposed to be doing? I know my dad used to do this stuff (build the frame bodies for the 1911 White touring car), but it's not my expertise.. It's just so sad seeing it sitting there, neglected on the scrap heap.. gosh, I could go get the 1912 Buick too, and there'd be another zillion hours of work.. But the stuff has class when it's done. Maybe I'll do it, just to prove to myself that I can. (or is this a nuts idea?)..

Well, he did mention that in his campaign - to end the unjust war in Iraq, and pursue the Taliban in Afghanistan - half of which makes sense. I wish he'd look at Johnson and see the errors before he makes them - pouring good people into a bad situation doesn't usually change things. The only way I see us "winning" the was in Afghanistan is literally moving there. It would have to become our 51st state, and that's unrealistic to say the least, and it would create a continuous angst towards the US, similar to the way Tibet views China, though a long shot of that ever being reversed (no matter how I think Tibet's people deserve their country back). We could build a Hoover dam or two, and irrigate the desert, for as long as the rivers run..

Pollen??^^ I've uncovered the plumbing for the Titanic, but it's got a few barnacles attached. ..and did you know that Buick motor car company was started by a plumber?:P