chuck kottke

Hmm... well, it does take approximately as much energy to make a new car as a typical car uses in fuel in it's lifespan (which is around 12 years). A good idea, if the car you start with is reasonably efficient. If it's only half as efficient, you're better off with a new one. But the world is weird - if we stop buying new cars, then the global economy would crash, and that would lead to massive unemployment, and a downward economic trend (worse than this one!). So, I would advocate pushing for electrics & true hybrids, and let the sunshine on solar panels or wind turbines provide the EMF & UMPH. Best if the car is built with renewable energy, and the materials are earth-friendly.:) Engines are so incredibly inefficient, that's a good area of research to be in; Electrics will do fine, but the time to recharge, and the bulk of the batteries leads one to realize the value of the energy-dense liquid fuels, such as bio-diesel, or even hydrogen stored in an adsorber like zeolites.. I think that engines will progress a great deal further. At 25%-35% efficiency, there's a lot of room to grow; and powerplant size needn't be so large for performance sake, if we continue to perfect electric drive systems.

:rolleyes:*8PM Class??* What are you learning/ not learning, Carla?:laugh3::P

Jesus was Jewish without a doubt, and he was probably put to death by the decision of the Roman Governor of Judea; but to convert Romans to Christianity, this story was later changed to make the Pharisees the guilty party, hence allowing the spread of the religion without offending the new converts. Ash Wednesday, the day when the ashes of palms are spread on the forehead.. I remember seeing fellow students in school with the ash smeared on their foreheads as well. It's usually smeared in the shape of a cross, but correct me if I'm mistaken? Anyhow, as a tale of the triumph of better social values for society over corruption and the abuse of power, the Jesus stories are a good thing. The love of humanity is one of the strongest traits expressed, and the acts of selfless caring for the needy shows a high degree of emotional intelligence. The act of allowing someone the opportunity for change, and not to engage in revenge killings nor harsh punishments metered out by imperfect members of society seems in keeping with the tone of the Jesus stories - more compassion, less harsh retribution. If only less hardness of hearts would prevail in the world today, we would all be better off..

Sellings things on Ebay.. bills keep coming due, relentless as the noon day sun.:sunny:

Actually, I wouldn't mind a car like that myself... Here's a bit of information on a free piston engine generator, which might be ideal for a true hybrid design:28890yy.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Carbon Challenges Silicon: Valley in California may change name to carbon valley.:P Carbon nanotubes' next target: solar cells - Ars Technica

Bye, Carla!;) I'll keep my eyes and ears posted for a good used laptop, it you're interested??

I've read the bible, but can only remember so much of it. I suppose one can construe many things that are not directly mentioned in the bible, as it's somewhat a matter of 'referencing the old testament from the new' and then looking at the various verses for meaning. Perhaps not demanding regular attendance, but keeping the sabbath holy, doing the offerings (but how many Christians sacrifice lambs?), and obeying the 'law' in the Hebrew bible, plus baptism, and the often forgot philosophical moral tales. Yes, it does sometimes become a place where a few individuals get delusions of power, and can become abusive in their methods to control others in attendance. Probably one reason I haven't gone to church in a long, long time actually..

HI Carla!:):):) I am well, & thanks for asking! Here's a hug to cheer you up!:hug: I wish I could help you.. I just gave a G4 Powerbook to a friend, but it had some funny quirks, so needed a little fixing. Hmm..:thinking: here, we have places that refurbish computers that just need a little fixing. They sell for a very small fraction of their original cost, and are quite affordable; have you any places like that in El Salvador? I would like to help, but I'm just getting by myself in the winter months... I keep telling myself to get busy with Ebay items, and then I doddle the time away! Hmm.. it'll take some time before I can offer a computer.:\

:rolleyes: Welcome Caitlyn! Have fun exploring the board, and it's wild acrobatic Coldplayers!:P:laugh3:

Hola Carla, Isabella, & Vivi!:) What's the trouble? Someone needs an old laptop??:confused:

Makes good sense! GM needed something to bring back interest in the company; maybe the new Volt is going to be one of their top sellers! Something more on the Aptera from Reuters:Spaceship-like car to hit U.S. roads | Video | Reuters.com

:laugh3:Amusing, but it's an interesting concept - just how far has their popularity spread? I suppose the net has estimates..:thinking:

:laugh3:I thought the same thing once! But considering that they've made major improvements, it stays fresh for concertgoers, while still retaining the basic sound (and yes, that has driven some artists mad, having to perform the same song over and over and over..).:laugh3:

Isabella, you are far too important to be a mere ruler of a country! You're the Ambassador of Love to the World!:hug::sunny::heart: (I must now retire to this floopy mattress from the planet of floopy mattresses..) Bye!

but I wanna be a stalker..:disguise::laugh3:

I've decided you're President Of Antarctica, a totally cool place.:cool:

:rolleyes4:Sometimes, but sometimes I'm about as thick as a brick!:thinking::laugh3: Thanks for the words of praise, if only I can live up to them... Isabella, you're not only smart, but emotionally intelligent, a trait that is a blessing in today's world! .. And Carlita is the future President of El Salvador!;) (&Bryce will become the future president of Antarctica, which is more important than you might otherwise think, once the Earth really gets hot!)

But facial hair is natural for us guys! Do you want real, or fake? (and why the heck do we grow facial hair anyhow? There's a mystery! maybe, it was attractive at one time..)

Still hooked on "Walk On", albeit yesterday's hits for them; I'll have to give the latest efforts a listen!! How many fans do you think they have worldwide??

Yes, it's nice that you have a stable place! Get that Economics Prof to stand on his head once - A Rush of Blood To the Head might help his teaching!:laugh3:

Hello Isabella!!:)

Hola Carla! What's new in the land of paradise & sunset beaches?:)

Hello Malcom-Edge! To be inspired. To find passion in a new direction, or a variant of an existing one; to reach for an empowering emotional drama, from somewhere, and for a purpose. This is what creates the spark, the sparks that ignite passion and bring burning forth new music in the hearts and minds of the musical creative geniuses. Sometimes experiments are risky, though, and I think U2 has tried some experiments, and as anything new goes, it may take some 'krauisening' to perfect each form. Coldplay has done the same, and an indie band had more lateral freedom to try different things; to probe the depths of the human experience. Less experimenting but more perfection of existing forms has given them some beautiful pieces as of late, and I'm glad they've chosen that route - and truthfully, I was glad to hear the more positive music from them. I'm not sure if that's so much from Eno as it is just a general transition; What do you think is the case?

It seems that the underlying problem is simply the money which has flowed from the least scrupulous businesses and groups, into the politician's pockets, and the resulting deregulation and favoritism through legislation caused more of the same in a sort of "rush to the gate" to get in on the deals. Now things have gone to the point where the cards have begun to fold in upon themselves, and there's an effort to slow or stop that process; it still belies the fact that it's a house of cards. And giant corporations become bureaucracies unto themselves, almost like quasi states.. Hmm.. and the call for reform in campaign finance is fizzing or fizzled? What would it take to remove the corrupt justices from the Supreme Court; those who decided the Supreme Court had the right to decide the election for Bush in 2000?... and I'm betting those same justices are obstructing the needed reforms in the campaign finance system, to the delight of Wall Street's most unscrupulous actors, and the dismay of the rest of the country. I'm heading over to look at how Justice John Paul Stevens voted, and what his opinion was in the cases regarding campaign finance. Something tells me we need to make it clear that we have the right to fair elections - meaning a fair process to candidate races, or else these pseudo-conservative political actors will continue to gum up the process of reform. In the end, even the economy cannot escape the graft which has taken hold.