Have You Seen The Green Steam Engine?

I stumbled on the Green Steam Engine as I surfed aimlessly around looking at Stirling engine related topics. I just happened to click on a link while browsing the very interesting engine page of the Red Rock Energy website.

This thing uses a patented flexible rod transmission (which is an amazing concept) and generates considerable power in a small package. Just reading about it gave me all sorts of ideas.

Be sure to check out the many photos of it on the site. Alternative energy enthusiasts will probably find their minds racing. There is even a nifty diagram that shows how it can be used to distill water.

Oh, and be sure to check out IndianaRog and the Temple of Steam, and NASA’s Thermo-Mechanical Systems Branch—which is working on Stirling Radioisotope power for deep space use.

How Do You Tell If A Community Embraces Open Source?

Have you ever wondered if there was a quick and easy way to tell whether or not a smaller city or town is apt to be geek friendly and familiar with Open Source? Perhaps you are considering relocating and want to gauge the odds of finding a home for your Open Source skillset?

There is a surprisingly easy way to do so.

[Note: Click on image below to see it in its entirety.]

Head to the office supply stores or computer stores. There is one item you will be looking for…

Mexico, The 51st State!

Who has a better plan than President Bush (or any candidates running for President) on how to deal with illegal immigration and Mexico? Why, The Dumb Blond does.

Since Mexico is probably a bigger threat to the US national security and economy than any other nation, why not take it over? She makes a good point or three…or ten. 1/5th of Mexico’s population lives in the USA, and Mexico wouldn’t survive without our foreign aid and the money sent back to Mexico by those in the USA working.

See for yourself what she has to say in her two part series on How To End Iraq War & Stop Illegals.

The Dumb Blond: Part 1 How To End Iraq War & Stop Illegals

The Dumb Blond: Part 2 How To End Iraq War & Stop Illegals

I Just Have To Say

It isn’t guns and cars that kill people. Idiots kill other people for no good reason.

There is always someone holding the gun or behind the wheel—or standing on the sideline participating in an illegal race.

It’s too bad we don’t allow all Americans over 18 to carry firearms everywhere. Those who would have been culled from the gene pool by their unsocial behavior, wolves and bears in centuries past would be quickly eliminated the moment they tried to get their 15 minutes of fame.

People fail to understand that even without cars and guns and knives, bad things will happen. That’s life. The notion that we are ever going to have a sterile world that never offends or shocks us is ridiculous. Humans are animals and will fight and kill just like animals. All the laws in the world won’t change it.

The problem isn’t the gun or the vehicle. It is the person in control of those things, their mindset, their needs and actions that lead to these tragedies.

If you make it harder for someone bent on killing to get a gun, they’ll use something else. Removing a gun from the equation only makes it harder to kill more people easily—and that is what people fear. It is not that someone might die—just so long as it isn’t half a dozen or several dozen.

So what happens when people start killing with tire irons or screwdrivers? Do we scream to make them illegal as well?

You don’t solve problems by avoiding the root issues and blaming inanimate objects which can do nothing by themselves. Yet, the world wants to delude itself into thinking that is just what needs to be done.

How come no one is clamoring to make cars illegal?

I’ll tell you why. People are willing to sacrifice those things they do not personally feel they need or use regularly. Thus, non-gun owners are more than willing to suggest everyone else should give up their guns.

Yet, cars are involved in the deaths of more people than guns in America and they don’t want to give them up. Why? Americans are more than willing to sacrifice freedoms and liberties and rights if it is convenient, but they aren’t about to if it means having to give up the means to haul their lazy out of shape ass back and forth to their cubicles and the fast-food drive-through window.

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I originally was going to use “cars kill more people than guns in America…” to be sarcastic, but then some moonbat will accuse me of being a hypocrite with my views or something. Better to just nip it in the bud.

Homemade Parabolic Mirrors And Cutting Circles On Tablesaws

Want to make your own parabolic mirrors at home to experiment with solar energy? Want to learn how to cut circles on your tablesaw? Here are two great videos that will help both woodworkers and alternative energy experimenters.

I discovered the first video some time ago on YouTube, and it shows a great way to cut circles with your tablesaw. It is by “The Wood Guy” George Berry. Check out his website at www.woodguy.com if you get a chance. This may already be familiar to many woodworkers, but I developed a serious interest in woodworking only three years ago. Before that, I mainly had an interest in carving and whittling which I have done off and on since they were introduced to me as a kid by my now departed great-uncle, Calvin McMillan.

Enjoy…

The second video demonstrates a second technique for cutting circles on a tablesaw. It also shows you how to apply that to cutting mirrored plexiglass and then turning the resultant circle into a parabolic mirror. This video has me stoked and wanting to try it myself.

I list both videos here because while I like both methods of circle cutting, I don’t want to drill holes in the top of my table saw and I bet there are others out there who don’t either. By watching both videos, you ought to be able to adapt the first technique to the second and make use of a cross-cutting sled or a sled/jig of your own devising.

You can find this and other cool solar energy related ideas on the Green Power Science website at www.greenpowerscience.com. I can’t wait to make a parabolic mirror of my own! Enjoy…

Preserving America: Time To Revive The Free Soil Party

There is a growing discussion about preserving American culture and values—mainly from unchecked immigration, Islamification and the forces of globalization. This is part of the larger discussion about preserving the heritage and culture of Europe and Western civilization from the same forces.

This movement is gathering steam…if it is a movement. It is a growing recognition that Western culture is under attack by many forces and is in danger of being lost.

As it pertains to America, the time has come to revive a political party that once existed in this country. The Free Soil Party. They were active briefly just before the Civil War.

The Free Soil Party

Their platform?

“…we inscribe on our banner, ‘Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor and Free Man,’ and under it we will fight on and fight ever, until a triumphant victory shall reward our exertions.”

Source: Wikipedia

Read on…

Groups Condemn Microsoft Vista: World Needs GNU/Linux

Environmental and various social justice groups condemned Microsoft Vista and suggest that the world needs free software to be a better place. In order to safeguard the environment and foster open, freer communication among people, they want people to adopt free software.

The view is that proprietary software is created to come between people (which I agree with), and that it is driven by money and companies that hinder social activism by making those seeking social change “dependent upon software owned and exclusively controlled by entities that design their software in ways directly opposed to grassroots social change.”

Here’s a brief quote from the article by which I discovered this on the Free Software Foundation’s website about the statement and why the various groups feel it is necessary:

Derek Wall, Green Party principal speaker said, “Free software offers social activists an alternative to what Vista represents. Using free software we can further social and environmental justice without supporting growth based on waste, control and short-term profit.” He continued, “I would urge social movements to develop a migration strategy, including a commitment not to move to Vista.”

The statement highlights the disposable-computer mentality embodied in the excessive hardware requirements of Microsoft Windows Vista. Often new hardware is necessary to support new software features, but the coalition says in this case, Vista’s requirements are to enable the operating system to more effectively restrict the user at the request of media companies seeking to prevent copying of music and video files.

It is more of the sort of social conscience millions of computer users need to embrace.

World Community Grid: Help Change The World

Check out the World Community Grid if you are interested in making the world a better place. They’re out to create “the largest public computing grid benefiting humanity,” according to their site.

Do you remember Seti@Home? You used spare computing power to analyze radioastronomy data as part of a world-wide search for ET life, by running an application in the background on your PC? Ring a bell?

Well, things are buzzing right along in the field of grid computing, and now it is being used as a tool for social change. Among the problems they are using grid computing in an attempt to help solve are cures for dengue, hepatitis c, West Nile, Yellow fever, and AIDS—as well as getting a clearer understanding of human protein structures.

So, if there are times when you aren’t wandering around Second Life, playing UO or WoW, or swapping instant messages (and/or whatever else you do online), then consider donating spare CPU time to a good cause. World Community Grid is also accepting proposals from public and non-profits for research projects that would make use of their grid technology.

Companies Out To Change The World?

Check out Business 2.0’s latest list. 15 companies setting out to change the world are profiled, ranging from makers of a social web application for personal finance management to air taxis.

An interesting list. Some of the concepts are cutting edge, while others are new versions of old ideas that haven’t worked too well in the past. Still, the companies mentioned are more of the kind we need.

Well, for the most part. I’m not sure that I want to see biofuel companies that might grow into the corporate fuel juggernauts of the future being listed as ‘world changing’—at least not in a positive way. It’s good to see biofuels take off, but there’s a downside to companies who may buy up vast amounts of farm land to grow huge crops of a single type. I don’t really want to see biofuel sources displacing broad spectrum agriculture here in America (more than it already has), nor in developing countries where it is often difficult already to produce a wide variety of crops and nutrition from dietary variation can be lacking.

There are already reports warning of dire consequences to creating a biofuel industry. I think biofuel is something that should be done on a small scale, and as part of localized living economies.

Now, the company that I really liked and think is going to be the big winner? Raydiance, a company that produces ultrashort pulse lasers. What makes USP lasers cool is that they don’t heat up areas of materials around where the beam is being directed. That means its great for medical and nanotechnology related uses. They are fitting USP lasers into small packages and making them more affordable and practical is likely to equate into climbing share values

However, I also have my reservations about the company. The mere fact that they have a hyphenated domain name makes their entire marketing department suspect. Hey, what can I say? Poor branding practices often hint at other problems lurking among those making the big decisions.

Still, I think that with what seems to be a highly polished product they are likely to grow quickly. It doesn’t appear they have gone public yet, but when they do, it will be an IPO worth getting in on.

In The Space Of A Heartbeat, In The Span Of One Breath

I’m not sure what to think of this story, except that is sad in so many ways.

The CEO of a Chinese toy manufacturer committed suicide when the company’s products were recalled due to use of lead-based paint. It is apparently common in China for disgraced officials to commit suicide, but what makes this case sad is that it is not clear that this fellow was allowing this to happen intentionally.

It seems that his best friend sold him the paint, which had too much lead in it. It is easy to see how in China, with the newness of modern capitalism and the size of the population and the employment/working conditions that any manufacturer would feel a lot of pressure to succeed. Yet, the constant drive to maximize profit and feed the monster of the bottom line is a rotting disease in the minds of modern humankind.

Sometimes, you simply need what will work, and what will get you by…and not the best or the most. Quite often, the path to the most is the worst way to travel.

As I have said before, I truly believe those companies and individuals who cannot or will not embrace the principles of living economies—and the notion that an acceptable return (as opposed to a maximum return) is inherently better not just for business, but for life—will find themselves struggling in the business world of the future…

Every Now And Then…

You see so many wasted opportunities and wasted lives, most of which is the result of a crappy society and an even worse government. Family is often only the vaguest of notions in America anymore, but you have no control over it. Someone else—who never lost a moment’s sleep over you or your family or your story—does. There’s no justice to be found in our legal bureaucracy which is nothing more than a job protection racket for attorneys, judges, and companies operating private prisons.

Sometimes it all just gets you down, but you manage to shake it off. Sometimes, it’s harder to do.

Sometimes, it feels like no matter what one does, you are trying to bail water out of a sinking boat with a paper cup in the middle of a terrible storm.

To my friend who went missing a couple weeks ago, I hope you are safe—wherever you are.

Roz Savage Starts Solo Row Across Pacific

Already the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, Roz Savage is aiming to be the first woman to row solo across the Pacific. Less than 24 hours ago, she finally caught a break in the weather and set out.

I have no doubt she’s going to pull this one off. After reading about her, there’s nothing to say but that she’s an amazing woman. And, amazing people can do amazing things.

I am particularly interested in following her efforts because my curiosity demands it. It’s the sort of thing I would love to do first of all, and secondly, I am curious about the blogging and Internet connectivity issues that she faces on her trip. You see, she’s going to be blogging through the trip, and her posts will be remotely posted.

Apparently, her blog is powered by SailBlogs.com, which is tailored for intrepid adventurers of the sailing variety. They offer different plans to suit different needs. I have heard of a few different setups people have used to update others on their ocean voyages, ranging from text messaging to shortwave relay to satellite relay. I like the fact that blogging at sea is a reality, as it is simple and personal—but, also because it appeals to my techy side.

I discovered Roz’s planned trip on National Geographic’s Adventure website (which is great), and had to take a peak at her website. The more I read, the more I want to head out on my own ocean adventure. The wheels are turning, plans are being made.

Soon…

Why American Democracy Is Failing

American style democracy is showing many flaws and weaknesses—something that it began doing quite some time ago. However, since the start of the 21st century, hairline fractures have turned into major cracks in the foundation. And they continue to grow.

Our government is failing in all the fundamental requirements and responsibilities of a government: national defense, secure borders, opportunities, looking out for the interests of those who consent to be governed, and providing for future generations into posterity…

Update On Air Powered Cars

A while back I mentioned a unique car that had been designed and built in India, that runs on air power. It appears now the car is going into production, and is slated to make appearances in at least 12 different countries.

The bad news is that it will not be making an appearance in America. The construction of the vehicle and its performance in crash tests are likely to keep it out of the American market.

That’s a shame, because this is an idea whose time has come…