Rants, Raves and Intriguing Topics

Treatment of POW’s in the War on Terror…

2006-09-28T13:41:00.000-05:00

The content in this entry is intended for adults only. I would not allow my child to read or hear me speak about what you are about to read. What I describe is not in great detail but still affects me to no end

I have been hearing much hoopla about the Administrations plans for the treatment of POW’s and the questioning techniques used on known terrorists… The policy makers and all kinds of media have this theory that those that will be effected are our soldiers that get captured in the future. Are these people watching the same war I am?

Public beheadings, bodies found executed and mutilated… How could they get treated much worse. I hate to admit this, but I found something EXTREMELY disturbing through the internet… I was curious about video files of the war in Iraq. I found a large zipped file with many videos within. I expected news accounts and clips of aircraft bombing targets.. What I found disturbed me to the core. I figured out later, that these were videos that insurgents were making while setting off IED’s (Improvised Explosive Devices). I didn’t really understand what it was that I was watching until I hit the third video that made me put it all together… I was appalled. I watched 2 of them trying to figure out what it was I was watching. Then it hit me when I watch an American helicopter pilot who had survived a crash executed with an AK47 while trying to surrender.

I immediately stopped the video and deleted all of the files. I’ve never told anyone what I had seen as it was too disturbing. Writing it is easier than speaking of it… Unfortunately I’ll never be able to delete the scene from my memory.

Whenever I hear a news clip of some high and mighty bureaucrat shooting off his or her mouth about how OUR troops will be treated because of our policy changes, the video replays itself in my memory. It makes my blood boil listening to people that are making our policies based upon our core values. We were mostly brought up in the way of treating others as we wish to be treated… This is great when dealing with like minded people with actual human emotions and morals. We are dealing with people who still believe that stoning people is OK!!!

These people have been at war for years with one another. They are accustomed to an eye for an eye mentality their entire lives.. If someone kills a member of a rival tribe, the rival tribe kills the killer and his family. We give them a cell, food water and clothing and treat them like we treat anyone else under the Geneva Convention, they are then living like Kings! This situation is much different than any other war we’ve ever been in. If we don’t make some changes, then God help us all.

Mentos and Coke

2006-07-04T09:09:00.000-05:00

I came across th i s in teresting video that sparked my memory of other things built into a coke bottle.

I recall someth ing with drain cleaner and aluminum foil, but I could never get it to work right. Of course in the movies you can use a 2 liter as a silencer for a9mm handgun, but on ly once.

This video is p retty clever...

Enjoy.

More Videos

Reality or Hoax?: Water Fuel Experimenter and Team Threatened

2006-06-14T08:54:00.000-05:00

Ken Rasmussen's research team has been working on a process that turns out to have similarities to the super-efficient electrolysis process being developed by Professor Kanarev. Rasmussen's work ceased after a member of the team was threatened at gunpoint.

by Sterling D. Allan
Pure Energy Systems News

VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, USA -- On May 16, a technician who was one of a team of garage experimenters investigating a hydrogen-on-demand technology was run off the road near a rural intersection and accosted by four white, middle-aged males in black suits, carrying Glocks and Mac tens. The assailants were driving a late model, black Lincoln Town Car.

This comes just one month after Bill Williams was similarly threatened because of his alleged experimentation with running a vehicle on a Joe cell.

The victim in this latest incident is an associate of New Energy Congress member, Ken Rasmussen, who had been working together with him on the project. Rasmussen also runs an alternative energy news service at http://www.commutefaster.com/Energy.html

A week before the incident, Rasmussen learned of the work being done by Professor Kanarev in Russia. Both use a pulsed signal, and both were seeing similar performance rates. Kanarev holds multiple patents, and is widely published. A day before the incident, a person who was interested in funding the project of Rasmussen et al., and who had been trying to reach him since November, had finally made contact.

Rasmussen reported the incident for the first time publicly in his news today. He said, "As editor of this page, my life has now been threatened by 2 loaded guns pointed in the face of a good friend."

"Using information which could only have been obtained by monitoring digital cell phones and e-mail, the assailants portrayed to the victim that they had total control over his personal life, and was told to remain silent and to not talk to government authorities." He was told that if he did not comply, a family member would be killed. The assailants produced extensive details about this target family member. The threat also included himself, his family and all associates if he did not stop work on the process immediately. The threats made actually applied broadly to anyone working on overunity.

"I'm breaking the story to warn others who might be involved in similar technologies," said Rasmussen.

Obeying the threats made to him, the person threatened has stopped all work on the project. "When happy people start acting silent and paranoid, friends get suspicious," said Rasmussen, who waited to publish this account until the necessary measures had been taken to protect the lives of those directly threatened in the incident.

At the time of the assault, Rasmussen had been in discussion with several pre-screened, suitable investors, who were waiting on Rasmussen's team to fix a final detail before attending a live demonstration.

Rasmussen addressed them publicly in today's report, saying: "For any of my previous business contacts reading this, please excuse the delay. Our lives have been directly threatened if we were to complete the item we were intending to demonstrate for you. All progress is stopped" . . . for now.

"Enormous amounts of personal information thrown in our face behind the guns proved to me NONE of the prospective investors had anything to do with the violence we experienced. These thugs knew things I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW. Their boss has digital cell phone tapping technology at the very least. Other details were probably obtained by wire tapping neighbors and friend's phones too."

In closing, Rasmussen said, "We have this kind warning to fellow experimenters who try to challenge the conventional physics being taught to students around the world. Challenge the system, the system that says oil is god, and there are paid mafia goons all over the world who will stop you for a few measly dollars. We know, because we met their guns face to face. Please continue your noble research, but PLEASE PLEASE watch your backside."

Rasmussen's words to the assailants were that if anyone were harmed, the plans for this technology would be plastered all over the Internet. He believes that cowering to bullies is not good policy.

BLOGGER NOTE:
I'll be researching this article and it's validity. I've always loved a good conspiracy theory. This sounds like a Hollywood rendition of any number of gangster movies out there. This could be a publicity stunt to get some hype on the project. I'd like to know the truth, would you? Stay tuned...

Here is a comment thread on this article.

Automotive companies and their hydrogen fuel projects:

2006-06-02T14:36:00.000-05:00

Automotive companies and their hydrogen fuel projects: (Work in progress)

BMW
Toyota
Honda
Ford
Chevrolet
Chrysler
Mercedes
Mazda

Foreign Outlook on Hydrogen Fueled Vehicles... Part 2: Australia

2006-06-01T14:15:00.000-05:00

I find it interesting that carmakers and oil companies are starting to team up to develop hydrogen fuel source options... Of course the oil companies want a piece of the action and want to keep making more money than God ever intended anyone to ever have. I can't blame them for that. But as you think about it, it puts a little more credit toward the conspiracy theorists that the oil companies have been trying to supress alternative technologies in relation to energy. It makes you wonder...

Munich/Paris.

Carmaker BMW and petroleum company TOTAL have agreed to cooperate closely in future in promoting hydrogen as a source of energy in road traffic. The two companies have signed an agreement specifying that TOTAL will set up and operate three hydrogen filling stations in Europe by the end of 2007, supporting the introduction of BMW hydrogen cars into the market.
The two companies already cooperate in Berlin in the practical testing of hydrogen as a source of energy. Acting in the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) Berlin Initiative supported by the German Federal Government, TOTAL opened a public filling station in March 2006 offering not only conventional fuel, but also hydrogen. This public filling station takes the place of the pilot test station TOTAL had already been operating in Berlin since 2002.

Before the end of this year, TOTAL will be opening another public filling station with hydrogen supply pumps in Detmoldstrasse in Munich, nearby BMW's Research and Innovation Centre, the well-known FIZ. And the decision on the third European location for a hydrogen filling station is to be taken in the next few weeks.

"Parallel to the establishment of the appropriate hydrogen infrastructure, the BMW Group is consistently promoting the introduction of hydrogen cars. Currently BMW is in a process of series development, and in less than two years we will be presenting a BMW 7 Series Hydrogen Car to the public", states Professor Burkhard Göschel, Board Member BMW AG for Development and Purchasing.

"As a leading company in processing and marketing petroleum products in Europe, TOTAL also wishes to play a leading role in the industrial and technical development of hydrogen as a fuel. As a source of energy and from the perspective of environmental care, hydrogen offers clear benefits already proven and substantiated in practice", emphasizes Michel Bénézit, TOTAL's Director General for Refinery Operations and Marketing.

Foreign Outlook on Hydrogen Fueled Vehicles... Part 1: Norway

2006-05-31T13:57:00.000-05:00

I've had a number of posts dealing with hydrogen as a fuel source and how it can be derived from water in a relatively easy manner. Storage, however, has been the main concern about this source of energy. A number of foreign countries are working out the kinks and setting up some fueling centers along with Toyota hybrid Prius vehicles convereted to run on hydrogen instead of gasoline.

Foundation stone laid for Hydro's first hydrogen station in Norway

On Wednesday, Minister of Transport and Communications Liv Signe Navarsete laid the foundation stone for Hydro's first hydrogen station in Norway, located close to the company's Research Centre at Herøya Industrial Park in Porsgrunn.

"Throughout our entire hundred-year history, Hydro has worked to find new energy solutions. Building the hydrogen station at Herøya is an important milestone for Hydro as an energy company, for society, and not least for the environment," said Hydro’s CEO Eivind Reiten, as the foundation stone was laid.

Hydrogen contains no environmentally hazardous substances, and only water is emitted from hydrogen cars. Nine hydrogen vehicles will be connected to the hydrogen station at Herøya in Porsgrunn, which as a result will have the world’s second largest fleet of hydrogen cars. The cars are Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles, with both electric motors and combustion engines converted to run on hydrogen.

The hydrogen station in Porsgrunn is scheduled to be completed during the spring of 2007. The station will form an important intersection on HyNor’s planned Hydrogen Road between Oslo and Stavanger. The aim is that it will be possible to drive hydrogen vehicles from Stavanger to Oslo by the end of 2009, supported by junctions with local activity in Stavanger, Lyngdal, Porsgrunn, Drammen and Oslo.

Important project

"HyNor is an important project for gathering knowledge and experience regarding the use of hydrogen as fuel. This forms the background for the Government allocating around NOK 22 million in its budget for 2006 to research and development of projects connected to alternative energy and environmentally-friendly fuel, among others the project HyNor," said Minister of Transport and Communications Liv Signe Navarsete, during the ceremony when the foundation stone was laid. HyNor is a joint project with around 30 public and private partners cooperating in order to boost the use of hydrogen for transport purposes in Norway. Reiten therefore used the occasion to thank the many partners who have contributed to realising the project.
"Meeting the climate challenge requires new and more environmentally friendly forms of transport, and in this work industry has a key role – in developing new technology and seeking out new and exciting solutions," Reiten said. "Having said this, the challenge is so large in scope that change will take time, and will demand cooperation between the authorities, voluntary organizations, local communities and industry."

Hydrogen by pipeline from Rafnes

Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be produced from a range of different energy sources. It is a by-product at the petrochemical plants at Rafnes. The hydrogen from Rafnes will be transported by pipeline to Herøya. This means that the hydrogen station at Herøya will be the world’s first publicly accessible hydrogen station connected to a sizeable industrial plant.

"In the future there may be a large market for hydrogen for transport purposes, which will make connecting hydrogen stations to large industrial plants very interesting," commented Ulf Hafseld, head of business development for Hydro’s hydrogen projects.

Hydro has a broad portfolio within renewable energy, participates actively in a number of hydrogen projects in Europe, and supplies hydrogen to hydrogen stations in Berlin, Hamburg and Reykjavik.

"We believe that we will witness a broad combination of energy forms in the future. Wind power, bioenergy, solar power and hydrogen will all be important supplements to oil, gas and coal. A hydrogen society is probably still some way off, but if we are to continue to be best at finding the energy solutions of tomorrow, we must start today," commented Alexandra Bech Gjørv, Executive Vice President for Hydro’s efforts within new forms of energy.

The Hydrogen Hoax

2006-05-26T13:15:00.000-05:00

I read an article recently about how a Hoax involving Hydrogen being hailed as the greatest thing since sliced bread as an energy source. Personally, I would really like to see Hydrogen becoming the next wave of energy production. It will solve many of the problems in the United States, and we can then say to the world, "take care of your own problems, we aren't your Police force any longer."

Since many countries enjoy taking in Billions of U.S. money because of our dependence upon their oil, they have us by the short and curlies and want all kinds of special treatment by the U.S. Government. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to say "Thanks, but we won't be needing any more of your oil. We're just fine..."

Of course, this would cause other problems as well... These nations would feel abandoned, and would want to have revenge on the Uncle Sam that had been supporting them for soooo many years. But after a while, all of the zealots and nut cases will kill themselves off and leave the rest of the planet for us. All the better.

Anyway, I digress...

I read this article. The guy has some valid points. He doesn't focus on my pet peave with the argument of taking too much energy from the grid to derive hydrogen from water. The only arguemtn he puts forth on the use of wind or solar generated electricity for this use is that it's very hard to store Hydrogen. Valid? yes. But pretty weak.

Read for yourself, here's the article:

The Hydrogen Hoax

Environmentalists have touted hydrogen as the panacea for world energy challenges for decades, and as is common with populist environmentalist causes, their focus on hydrogen has caused more harm than good.

This isn’t the first time thoughtful critics – inside and outside the environmentalist movement – have called visions of the hydrogen future a hoax, but unfortunately the hydrogen zealots still aren’t listening.

First of all, hydrogen isn’t a primary fuel. It has to be produced from something else, either from electricity via electrolysis, or refined from fossil fuel, or distilled from biomass. In all these cases, using the source fuel directly would be far more efficient than converting this energy into hydrogen.

Obviously refining hydrogen from fossil fuel isn’t going to solve any energy shortages. Distilling hydrogen from biomass is equally problematic; it has the same problems all biofuels have – there isn’t enough land or water on earth to yield anywhere near the quantities of energy necessary to replace petroleum (read “Will Biodiesel Replace Crude Oil,” for a chart showing the relationship between land consumption and biofuel production). Moreover, if you are going to refine hydrogen from biofuel crops that truly make economic sense to grow, such as sugar cane, why not just burn the ethanol directly and save the energy losses from the conversion process?

Theoretically, electrolyzing hydrogen from renewable electricity and water is a way for hydrogen to make economic and ecological good sense. But this analysis neglects to consider where the electricity will come from, and more importantly, the significant conversion losses incurred when electricity is electrolysed into hydrogen. The hydrogen resulting from a process of electrolysis will have at best about 65% of the energy that was in the electricity used to make it.

If electrolysed hydrogen is then used to power a fuel cell automobile, the absurdity of its practicality becomes very clear. A fuel cell is necessary to turn the hydrogen back into electricity, and the electrical output of the fuel cell is at best only about 65% of the energy that was in the hydrogen used to make it. The compounding problem here – electricity from the grid made hydrogen via electrolysis at a 65% efficiency (best case), then hydrogen processed through a fuel cell made electricity at a 65% efficiency (best case) – means the electric motor providing traction for your fuel cell car will only be able to use about 40% of the electrical energy drawn from the grid for that purpose. Read “The 100% Electric Car,” for an in-depth explanation of conversion losses using fuel cell cars.

By contrast, a simple onboard battery can be charged and discharged at greater than 90% efficiency – a plug-in hybrid, available today, will use grid electricity twice as efficiently as a fuel cell car. Furthermore, fuel cells cost $4,000 per kilowatt (a kilowatt is about 1.3 horsepower), they use expensive materials, they degrade quickly, they take several minutes to start, they can’t tolerate cold, and vibration makes their membranes rupture. Meanwhile, batteries are cheap and getting cheaper. If you’ve got cheap renewable electricity, there are better ways to exploit that electricity than by producing hydrogen.

Let’s not forget that nobody’s figured out how to store hydrogen. It is the lightest substance in the universe, so storing a meaningful amount of hydrogen requires pressurization up to 10,000 PSI. Even under these densities, the hydrogen equivalent of only a few gallons of gasoline could be carried on an automobile since otherwise the pressure vessel would weigh far too much. A natural gas vehicle, by contrast, requires the gas to be stored at only 300 PSI, a vast difference. The tanks, fittings and hoses to safely store usable amounts of pressurized hydrogen haven’t been invented yet. Maybe someday hydrogen can be stored via cryogenics, or in metal substrates using nanotechnology. Don’t hold your breath.

Will scientists figure out someday how to store hydrogen in practical, economical ways? Will they ever figure out how to build cheap, safe and durable fuel cells? The answer to these questions is yes, but probably not before they figure out how to develop ultra-capacitors or cheap batteries with extremely high energy densities.

The biggest problem with hydrogen is the opportunity cost of spending billions of dollars in research on this technology and lobbying for this technology when so many alternatives exist. Use more efficiently exploited feedstocks for hydrogen to power ultra-efficient clean diesel cars, serial hybrid cars, and battery powered cars. These technologies are here now, and they are being neglected. Hoax is not too strong a word to describe the environmentalist fixation on hydrogen, a technology that will be eclipsed by better solutions long before it ever becomes practical.

Follow up on Stan's Car...

2006-05-24T09:37:00.000-05:00

This is a follow-up to the prior posting Car that runs on water...

I did some more poking around and found a video of Stan's Dune Buggy that ran on water.

Here's the video. Decide for yourself...

The more I read up on this subject the more I believe that it's possible.

I'm trying to find out more information on a news broadcast I saw the other night here on Long Island. There's a guy down in Florida who is using Solar power to run Electrolysis equipment to extract Hydrogen from water.

When I first started hearing about Hydrogen Fuel Cells around 6 years ago, I kept hearing the arguement that it takes to much energy to derive hydrogen from other products. The big push then was to derive hydrogen from oil... That makes no sense to me. Water was and is the most logical product to use to derive hydrogen. As for "too much energy" to extract... Solar and wind power are free. You can't beat that kind of cost.

When I find more information on this guy down in Florida, I'll let you all know. I'm on a mission... Somehow the X-Files quote "the Truth is Out There," Seems to fit pretty well here...

More news on Water for power...

2006-05-18T08:39:00.000-05:00

Clearwater Man Puts Technology To Work
By WILL RODGERS wjrodgers@tampatrib.com

Published: Nov 27, 2005

CLEARWATER -- Denny Klein thinks he has found a new commercial use for hydrogen technology.

Working in a small, two-room shop at the Airport Business Center, Klein, 63, said he has developed a gas that speeds welding and fusing times and improves automobile fuel efficiency 30 percent.
Although the technology Klein uses -- electrolysis -- has been around for decades, he said it's the form of gas that comes out of his electrolyzer and the characteristics of the gas that set his hydrogen technology apart.

Klein's gas is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Sound familiar? Yep, it's water.

Electrolysis is a process that uses an electrical charge in water to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen. But coming out of Klein's gas generator, the H2O 1500 electrolyzer, it's not water, he said. Klein, president of Hydrogen Technology Applications Inc., calls it HHO, or the brand name Aquygen.

"You get a huge energy response," Klein said. "But this gas is very, very safe."
Klein -- who employs eight people, four in Florida, three who handle licensing out of Kentucky and his son, Greg, in Ohio -- is no engineer. The Ohio native attended Ohio State University and Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, for business administration.

His aptitude in hydrogen technology came from self-study. He has worked alongside engineers in whirlpool spa and suntanning businesses, and says he has six employees with doctorates on his advisory board.

Klein said he has a patent pending on the gas he has been working on for 12 years. Various models of his H2O electrolyzers are being used across the country in high school shop classes and undergoing testing to be certified for use in welding shops.

Flipping a switch on his H2O 1500, Klein picks up a hose with a metal tip, creates a spark, and instantly a blue and white glowing stream shoots out of the metal tip.

He holds the tip with his fingers to prove how cool it is to the touch, unlike such a tip when oxy-acetylene is burned for welding. But the instant he sets the flame on a charcoal briquette, it glows bright orange. Then, within seconds, he burns a hole through a brick, cuts steel and melts Tungsten.

The temperature of the flame is 259 degrees Fahrenheit. But it instantaneously rises to the melting temperature of whatever it touches, Klein said. Those temperatures can exceed 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

"You can't do this with any other gas," he said.

Klein also has outfitted a 1994 Ford Escort station wagon with a smaller electrolyzer that injects his HHO into the gasoline in the car's engine. He said he has increased his mileage per gallon by 30 percent.

That also is undergoing testing from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other private motorsports companies, Klein said.

Klein said he has 19 projects in the works.

Ali T-Raissi, director of the hydrogen research and development division of the Florida Solar Energy Center, said he is not familiar with Klein's HHO or electrolyzer. But he said applying hydrogen technology in that way comes at a price.

T-Raissi said mixing the hydrogen with gasoline will require a change in the typical car engine. And creating the gas requires electricity, which comes at a cost.

"You can increase your mileage performance, but you have to ask: Am I still ahead, or am I behind?"

Klein said his formulation of hydrogen doesn't require altering an engine. And his electrolyzer cost about 70 cents an hour to operate, which he considers a bargain.

Klein said his method for introducing hydrogen into a vehicle to increase mileage is superior to hydrogen used in fuel cells.

One of the biggest challenges facing hydrogen fuel cells is storing the gas. To meet today's driving requirements, it would take a lot more hydrogen than can now be stored safely in a vehicle. Klein's HHO is made on-demand and mixed directly with the gasoline in the engine at slightly more pressure than is currently there.

He said he plans to take Hydrogen Technology, which now has private investors, public in the first half of 2006.

Watch the Video!

The clip is from Fox News 26 in Wilmington, North Carolina, and is about a startup company in Clearwater, Florida that has patented a way to extract the hydrogen in water in order to supplement or replace dependence on fossil fuels. The inventor, Denny Klein was working on a way to replace the dangerous fuels used in cutting torches when he stumbled upon this new method, which he calls HHO.

The video actually shows the process in action. What is most unbelievable is that the flame is "only slightly warm to the touch", yet the energy it emits is "hotter than the surface of the sun". Its extreme intensity instantly burns a hole in the center of brick, and in three seconds it turns a brass ball into glowing metal. What is most unbelievable is how Klein uses this energy to power his Ford Escort, which he has converted into a gas/water hybrid. A 100 mile trip took only a few OUNCES of water!

Klein has not only patented his method, but he has now offered it to the U.S. Government. And apparently the military is trying to use his process to develop a HumVee that will run on water.

To view and downlaod this fascinating video Click Here .

Car that runs on water...

2006-05-16T08:31:00.000-05:00

This isn't about one of those old combination car / boats that had been built back in the late 50's early 60's. I ran across a website that talked about a guy named Stan Meyer who was a brilliant inventor. He invented a motor that would run on tap water. This worked on the principle of extracting hydrogen from water and burning the hydrogen to power the car.

Now anyone who had to sit through High School Chemistry has seen electrolysis at work. This is where you have an electric charge passing through water. Hydrogen is released from one electrode while oxygen is released from the other. Since everyone knows that the chemical formula for pure water is H2O, you already know that there is twice as much hydrogen as there is oxygen in this liquid form, so there isn't that great a leap in logic that getting hydrogen from water is pretty simple. If my alcoholic High School Chemistry Teacher could rig up a battery, water filled beakers and some balloons, it can't be that complicated. MacGuyver he was not...

I found this site purely by accident. http://www.waterfuelcell.org/ I have been curious about alternative power options for quiet some time. Even before 9/11. Although this catastrophic event made me even more interested in alternative fuels.

I initially started researching fuel cells which everyone at that time said couldn't be done efficiently. This could still be true, but their logic seemed to be coming from left field. Anything I heard about in relation to deriving hydrogen from different sources had to do with some kind of fossil fuel. I'm not a scientist, but wouldn't you look at the most plentiful of options to derive your fuel source from? 2/3 of water is Hydrogen. Seems pretty obvious to me.

So the arguments I heard making this an inefficient way to get Hydrogen were pretty silly. They were saying that it would take more electricity to produce Hydrogen from water than you would get from the end product. So more fossil fuel would be burned to make hydrogen from water.

I suppose this makes sense if you only knew of fossil fuel methods of making electricity. Solar and wind power weren't considered. Neither was Nuclear power for that matter. What's wrong with this picture?

The Sun is Free... The Wind is Free... And the water is pretty much free except for the purification process... Why is this so hard to figure out?

Well this site gives you some ideas and makes you wonder how the world is really run.

I may post more information out here about similar information. Whether or not someone can get their car to run on pure water, I'm not sure. I haven't dedicated any significant time into proving or disproving it. But there are some fundamental Hydrogen extraction methods that have to be less complicated than those who are money hungry in this world. I'll keep searching and let you know what I find out...

Here are a number of articles detailing Stanley Meyer's work. Click on the images below for video of Stanley Meyer.

Poking Fun...

2006-05-02T15:36:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine sent me a link to a site that is really quite funny. The Guys name is Steve Bridges. This link takes you to a video page that has him impersonating several presidents.

So far, this is my favorite:

I'm impressed that President Bush makes fun of himself so well. This is quite entertaining... Enjoy!

Intriguing Topic: Experts Find Evidence of Bosnia Pyramid

2006-04-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

The following text was taken from another site.
Experts Find Evidence of Bosnia Pyramid

VISOKO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Researchers in Bosnia on Wednesday unearthed the first solid evidence that an ancient pyramid lies hidden beneath a massive hill — a series of geometrically cut stone slabs that could form part of the structure's sloping surface.

Archaeologists and other experts began digging into the sides of the mysterious hill near the central Bosnian town of Visoko last week. On Wednesday, the digging revealed large stone blocks on one side that the leader of the team believes are the outer layer of the pyramid.

"These are the first uncovered walls of the pyramid," said Semir Osmanagic, a Bosnian archaeologist who studied the pyramids of Latin America for 15 years.

Osmanagic said Wednesday's discovery significantly bolsters his theory that the 650-meter (2,120-foot) hill rising above the small town of Visoko is actually a step pyramid — the first found in Europe.

"We can see the surface is perfectly flat. This is the crucial material proof that we are talking pyramids," he said.

Osmanagic believes the structure itself is a colossal 220 meters (722 feet) high, or a third taller than Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza.

The huge stone blocks discovered Wednesday appear to be cut in cubes and polished.

"It is so obvious that the top of the blocks, the surface is man made," Osmanagic said. He plans to continue the work throughout the summer, "after which the pyramid will be visible," he said.
Earlier research on the hill, known as Visocica, found that it has perfectly shaped, 45-degree slopes pointing toward the cardinal points, and a flat top. Under layers of dirt, workers discovered a paved entrance plateau, entrances to tunnels and large stone blocks.

Satellite photographs and thermal imaging revealed two other, smaller pyramid-shaped hills in the Visoko Valley.

Last week's excavations began with a team of rescue workers from a nearby coal mine being sent into a tunnel believed to be part of an underground network connecting the three pyramid-shaped hills.

They were followed by archeologists, geologists and other experts who emerged from the tunnel later to declare that it was certainly man-made.

The work will continue for about six months at the site just outside Visoko, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of the capital, Sarajevo. Two experts from Egypt are due to join the team in mid-May.

"It will be a very exciting archaeological spring and summer," Osmanagic said.

The right to Life, or the right to Death

2006-04-21T07:29:00.000-05:00

I've been listening to NPR every morning on my way to work, and evening as I traverse home again. Leading the news for the most part is the sentencing process for Zacarias Moussaoui who was one of the conspirators for the 9/11 attacks.

There are people who have issues with sentencing him to death, because they believe that would make him a martyr. There are others that believe sparing his life would be a travesty of justice.

I can see both points pretty well. But I haven't heard anyone bring up this point.

What is the likelyhood that this man, whether sentenced to Life in Prison or Death, would last long enough to see his next birthday or to see his death chamber?

Prison has a way of dealing with certain types of people on the inside. Look at certain notorious killers and criminals who have committed crimes against children. When the prisoner gets inside, it's a whole new world. And not a pleasant one.

Take a moment and recall Jeffrey Dahmer. The serial killer who had murdered 16 people was killed in prison 2 years after being sentenced to 957 years in prison (15 life sentences).

I could take the time to pull up other notorious criminals that had been taken care of while in prison, but I won't bother at this point.

I believe no matter what sentence he gets, the prison system will take care of him. With this man in a prison with Americans, whether they are criminals or not, it's not likely that he will live longer than a few years. And hopefully very painful at that.

It brings me back to a bumper sticker that was popular after 9/11 about Osama Bin Laden. "It's for God to forgive, It's up to us to arrange the meeting."

In this situation I think he'll be released from this earth long before being executed or any significant number of years have passed in a life sentence. This bothers me not at all. All I really have to say is "Bye!".

Freedom of Information...

2006-03-29T09:12:00.000-05:00

Do we really need some of the information that people are fighting the government for?

I recently read an article about a Judge ruling the release of dozens more pictures of prisoners being abused at Abu Ghraib. The government had arguments that the images would provoke terrorists and incite violence against the U.S. troops in Iraq.

Hellerstein ordered the release of 74 pictures and three videotapes from the Abu Ghraib prison, potentially opening the military up to more embarrassment from a
scandal that stirred outrage around the world last year, when photos of the 2003
abuse became public.

With this information, I have to ask... Why? Why do we need to see these pictures? Is it to make it more real? We can't change what had happened. It's a terrible act that should have never happened. But do we really need to release more pictures and videos of it?

Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, said Thursday that releasing the photos would hinder his work against terrorism.
"When we continue to pick at the wound and show the pictures over and over again it just creates the image, a false image, like this is the sort of stuff that is happening anew, and it's not," Abizaid said.

I completely understand the need for the Freedom of Information Act. There are some things that the people of the United States need to know in order to make informed decision when we have the opportunity to voice our opinions and vote on the issues important to us.

What is the real point of releasing these photos and videos? Is it because of curiosity?

According to the article, the judge states:

U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said that terrorists "do not need pretexts for their barbarism" and that suppressing the pictures would amount to submitting to blackmail.

"Our nation does not surrender to blackmail, and fear of blackmail is not a legally sufficient argument to prevent us from performing a statutory command. Indeed, the freedoms that we champion are as important to our success in Iraq and Afghanistan as the guns and missiles with which our troops are armed," he said.

So these are being released because of blackmail... I don't recall anyone ever calling it black mail... I don't recall hearing any terrorist organizations saying there would be retaliations for putting out photos and videos relating to the things that happened within this prison.

So does this make it right to send out these photos? Isn't this somewhat similar to the issue with the Danish Cartoons that were published which caused rioting and several deaths?

Sure we have the freedom of speech and the freedom to information, but does that make it right to make the readily available for people to see and get upset about?

I personally feel it would be irresponsible on anyone's part to have these photos and videos released. I can not imagine one good thing that could come from doing this. There are likely to be MANY bad things that can, and likely will, happen if they are released.

Why add fuel to an already raging fire?

Global Warming Part 1 (Where Were You?)

2006-03-20T08:20:00.000-05:00

Holly and I were watching 60 minutes last night and part of the show was about Global Warming called Rewriting the Science. Of course this specific topic got me a little fired up.

Some people are very concerned about the environment. This can be for several reasons. One they feel very strongly about conservation and the environment in general. This is pretty popular and tend to have people that are involved in many organizations from Green Peace to other environmental protection groups.

I've never considered myself as a "tree hugger", although I don't have anything against anyone that has a fondness for trees. I think they are pretty, but I've never felt the need to give one a quick squeeze. I feel that this term seems to be more negative than positive, so I don't even use the term. Except in this type of situation where it's a widely realized term.

For the past several years, I've started feeling more and more strongly about the use of fossil fuels. This is probably stemming from the attacks on 9/11. Like the majority of Americans on that day, I recall everything in great detail as I heard the news over the radio on my commute into work. I hadn't experienced this phenomenon before, but had heard numerous people describe it when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Many people could recall every minute detail of those moments.

In retrospect there are a few other historical events in my life time that have similar but lesser effects than 9/11. When President Reagan was shot and wounded I was practicing the Piano before going to my piano lessons. When the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on take off it was my Freshman year. The news was brought to us while I was in my typing class. I even recall that I was wearing a Space Shuttle T-shirt that day. (We had recently returned from a vacation down to Florida where we were hoping to see the launch of the shuttle.)

I'm curious what events others recall and where they were when historic events occured during their life time. These are the events of our life-times that everyone has shared in one degree or another.

I'd like to give this topic the focus that it needs. I will be breaking this subject up into several parts to give it the attention it deserves. Please read the article, Rewriting the Science and video, then read the follow-up posts here.

Straying from the negative...

2006-03-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

I've found myself falling into the very traps that I despise. I'm not a big fan of watching the news, mostly because of the fact that 95% of it is all bad. The only time you hear the nice news is at the very end of the broadcast, where heroic person risked life and limb to save a cat or dog from an untimely demise.

The news is setup this way for one reason and one reason only. It's a business. Businesses are supposed to make money. The televised and type written news is a part of a business to make money. So how does reporting the news make money? Ratings. To get ratings, people have to watch it. This is where sensationalism comes into play. If there are no burning buildings, horrific homicides or natural disasters, it's time for the news to make something small seem like a HUGE problem...

I don't like it... I'd like to be given the facts and be allowed to draw my own conclusions from those facts.

In the spirit of this, I'm going to tone down on the ranting and the raving. I'd like to shift focus to issues that are more enlightening and more fun. It may not get me ratings, but what do I care? I don't get paid for blogging. This is all for fun anyway...

Stay tuned for some fun topics...

Rising Jet-fuel prices to create a leg-room tax

2006-03-15T08:17:00.000-05:00

While getting ready for work this morning, I saw a story on the news about a $15 increase in fair price for an aisle seat.

Northwest Airlines is increasing the fair for aisle seat and exit row seats and the reasoning behind this is because of rising jet-fuel costs and cost-cutting competition. So to try to make more money, they have to raise their prices to compete with their cost-cutting competition. It doesn't completely make sense to me, although I completely understand that the airlines are hurting because of jet-fuel costs.

Analysts are saying the next step is charging for checking your baggage. Other airlines have been charging for food and other services that had always been free in the past.

But here's the thing that I can not comprehend. Why is it so easy for them to raise the prices of flights because of jet-fuel costs? Apparently it's easier for them to raise the prices than to fight with the over-rich oil companies for lower fuel costs.

I heard on the news recently that the big oil companies have had the largest boost in revenue ever...

The industry's third-quarter profits jumped 62 percent to nearly $26
billion as Exxon Mobil, the nation's biggest oil company, posted the fattest
corporate profit in history. Oil company's stocks are up some 40 percent
from a year ago, giving big gains to shareholders.

A hearing being held by Congress is looking at a "windfall tax" to get funds to help low income families cope with rising fuel costs for heating and transportation.

The contentious hearing came as consumers face a jump of 50 percent or more in
home heating bills this winter and gasoline prices have surged 20 percent this
year. At the same time, oil company profits have soared.

So it appears that Congress is trying to do something about the rising fuel costs... Are they?

"To my constituents, today's hearing is about shared sacrifices in tough times
versus oil company greed," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. "Working people
struggle with high gas prices and your sacrifices appear to be nothing."
"In the midst of pain, in the midst of suffering, the public sees headlines about
record profits," Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, pointed out.

Yes, in the midst of pain and suffering the oil companies are boasting record profits. I can only see this making the investors warm and fuzzy, not those that actually depend on the product in their day-to-day lives.

I'm happy that Congress is looking into this problem of the CEO's of the oil companies gouging the American People. Answer me this. Why is Congress looking into taxing their profits, instead of making them loer their profit margin? They all profitted immensely from natural disasters that killed many American citizens. Do they need all these extra billions?

Why is Congress focusing on getting tax money out of the profits instead of asking them why they are raping the American people at the fuel pumps. And in the process putting many airlines into Bankruptcy Court.

Could it be that the oil industry is so embedded into our government that Congress won't take a stand and do something about this? Am I the only person that cringes when I hear of how much money the oil companies are making as I look at the pump scroll through how much money is pouring into my tank?

When is there going to be a change? Is our Government going to do anything about it? Or are the lobbyists and the oil companies the one's that truly run this great nation of ours...

CNN Special Report full coverage

Oil gains as demand back in focus
Oil executives back before Congress
Gas prices up even as crude falls
Exxon Mobil hikes capital spending

Fattening up the little ones...

2006-03-07T08:01:00.000-05:00

A friend sent me this article, I'll highlight some key words...

Study: Almost half of kids will be fat by 2010

March 6, 2006

LONDON -- Nearly half of the children in North and South America will be overweight by 2010, according to a report today by the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity.

In the European Union, about 38 percent of all children will be overweight if present trends continue -- up from about 25 percent in recent surveys, the study said.

"We have truly a global epidemic which appears to be affecting most countries in the world," said Dr. Philip James, chairman of the International Obesity Task Force.

The percentages of overweight children also are expected to increase significantly in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

'It's like the plague is in town'

"They're being bombarded like they are in the West to eat all the wrong foods. The Western world's food industries without even realizing it have precipitated an
epidemic with enormous health consequences," James said.

He said children are "being exposed to the world's marketing might," arguing that governments should step in. "There needs to be a ban on all forms of marketing, not just television adverts." Because obese children tend to carry the problem into adulthood, doctors say they will tend to be sicker as they get older, suffering from heart disease, stroke and other ailments stemming from their weight.

"This is going to be the first generation that's going to have a lower life expectancy than their parents," Dr. Phillip Thomas said. "It's like the plague is in town and no one is interested."

AP

Plague, Global Epidemic, ENORMOUS health consequece... These key words sum up this article as a scare tactic, or just a way to get people to read it. It's all in the wording. You use the correct words to invoke a feeling. In this case a feeling of fear. I didn't intend to comment on the choice of words in this article, but I figured this would be an easy enough place to start. Considering the main point they are trying to make is an important one, BUT they are aiming the blame in the wrong direction...

So kids are watching tv, looking at road signs on their way to and from school on the school bus and they see what every other commuter and television audience sees. Advertisements from numerous companies trying to sell fast food with gimmicks. 95% of the food isn't good for us, but it sure tastes good (most of the time).

Here's the thing. Who's to blame for fattening up the kids of today? Is it really the advertising and the fast food restaurants? Nope! I'm pretty sure everyone would agree that it's the parents that are to blame. It's way too easy to be driving home from work and decide, man I really don't want to cook tonight. Golden arches up ahead... BINGO!

You know what? I'm guilty of it too... I take the easy way out just like anyone else. But here's the thing. We may do it once a week. To me, this seems a little too much. But to others this is a drop in the bucket. If you drive past the red-light-district of fast food, which every community has them now, you have these pretty little places just sitting there enticing you with their tasty treats. It's hard to resist. Now look at the line-up around the building of patrons waiting to get their goodies. Who's there?

Do you see the neighbor-kid Billy or Katey and their friends encircling the building like a bunch of buzzards circling thier prey? Again, the answer is no... You see mini-vans and SUV's wrapped tightly around the building just waiting for those juicy burgers and fries.

Simply put, if you are going to blame someone, blame the parents. Take the time to spend making dinner with the kids and keep it healthy. A special treat of fast food every now and then is fun, but like everything else, keep it in moderation.

When I was a kid, it was a special treat to get food from McDonald's. It didn't happen all that often, but when it did, it was a special thing. The same thing goes for constant treats of soda for every meal and snack. When I was growing up we had movie night on Friday's with soda and popcorn. This was the coolest thing for me, because I would get my own bottle of Coke, just for me. This was the only time of the week that I had soda. It was special, and I loved it.

We don't give our kids soda at home at all. The only time my 6 year-old son has soda is when we go to the movies. Again, a special event. He knows that 95% of that tub of popcorn is his and he gets to share the soda with Mom and Dad. He loves it this way, and we keep it special. My 2-year-old doesn't touch the stuff. She doesn't like the bubbles. Just as well...

One last note on soda and weight issues with children.

I heard on NPR yesterday that a study was done in Boston dealing with sugary drinks and weight gain for teens:

Sugar Drinks a Source of Weight Gain for Teens

by Allison Aubrey
Morning Edition, March 6, 2006 · Researchers say a simple way for teens to lose
weight is to stop having sugary drinks. Doctors at Children's Hospital in Boston
found that teenagers who replaced soda and juices with calorie-free beverages
lost about a pound a month over a six-month trial. (Audio Link)

Hhmmm... Interesting thought. Now granted, a pound a month isn't that much. But they didn't change their diet at all, other than substituting for the sugar loaded beverages. Nothing else in their lifestyle changed.

It's all a matter of education and moderation. I like the fast food as much as anyone else. But I do enjoy cooking too. It's not that hard to whip up something at home that's not going to put your kids at risk for health problems down the road.

Please share your thoughts with me and tell me if there's anything I may have missed. I think I'm pretty on the mark with this one...

He, She... WHAT??? For Crying Out LOUD!

2006-03-06T21:13:00.000-05:00

What is wrong with people?

A friend of mine sent me a link to an article that moved him enough to send it on to me... In fact I found out later that he spent 25+ minutes ranting and raving about it in his cubicle. So I suppose this is the appropriate medium to discuss this... I'll supply the text so you don't have to navigate away... My responses will be color coded...

Teacher to Return After Having Sex Change

By JOHN CURRAN, Associated Press Writer Tue Feb 28, 4:18 AM ET

EAGLESWOOD TOWNSHIP, N.J. - To students at Eagleswood Elementary School, she used to be Mr. McBeth. Now, after undergoing a sex change, 71-year-old Lily McBeth is ready to return to teaching as Miss McBeth. Uh... Ok???

Despite criticism from parents, the school board on Monday stood by its decision to allow McBeth to resume working as a substitute teacher. Wow... What were they thinking? Were they thinking of what's best for the children? Or of how to try and hide from the issue to stay out of court?

After two hours of public debate and a private meeting with McBeth and his/her lawyer, the board took no action on calls by several parents to bar McBeth from
returning to the school where he/she taught for five years before becoming a woman. I'm beginning to feel a queezy... I try to put myself in the place of these kids... What kind of mess are they going to become after seeing this situation?

"It was magnificent," McBeth said afterward. "You saw democracy in
action."
McBeth, a retired sales executive who was married for 33 years and
had three children, underwent gender reassignment surgery last year and
re-applied for his/her job under his/her new name. This could not
really be happening. This has to be an episode gone bad from Ali McBiel or
Boston Legal. Is Alan Shore hiding around the corner waiting to burst out some
off the wall comment as William Shatner mutters his character's name "Denny
Crane"? YES, It's really happening. Why were there no psychotherapists invovled this all this? Wouldn't they have a some insight into what this would do to these kids?
McBeth on Monday told the school board and the crowd that he/she loves teaching and children, and looks forward to returning to the classroom. Loves teaching children... How about that... He/she is only thinking of getting to teach again. Couldn't possibly imagine that his appearance would completely scare the hell out of these kids? Nope, I love teaching and I want to look this way, I don't care what anyone else thinks... What about the kids?

"This is not something I got into just as a whim," he/she said. Well if he/she put so much thought into it, the thought must have crossed his/her mind that the kids could be traumatized by his choice.

Several parents said children in the school, which consists of kindergarten through sixth grade were not old enough to understand the concept of changing one's gender. Wow, there's a thought out of the blue! Who could imagine such a thing?

"I, as a parent, am appalled to have this issue brought into my child's psychology," Steve Bond said. Ditto my friend, Ditto!

Vincent Mustacchio predicted "chaos" at the school when the students learned of McBeth's surgery. This is probably a fair assessment. I'd say worse than that, but there may be children present.

Young children will be confused by the conflicting appearance of McBeth, who has a deep voice and masculine features but otherwise looks like a woman, other parents said. And I thought some of my teachers growing up were unattractive... YOW!

"I will not allow you to put my kids in a petri dish and hope it all turns out fine," said Mark Schnepp, who had taken out an ad in a local newspaper urging parents to turn out for the meeting. Truer words could not be spoken... I would not want my
children to be put into a social experiment just because a 71 year old man
decides to become a woman... I would pull my kids from school and probably file
suit for mental anguish toward a minor.

Several people spoke in support of McBeth, including three transgender people, two former students of McBeth's and a handful of others, saying that the fact that he/she is a good teacher was more important than whether he/she appears as a man or a woman in class. "They could only find two former students? Gee you'd think there would be more to choose from if he/she had been teaching for 5 years already...

"There's really nothing to fear because a person is transgender," said Karina Mari, a mother of three school-age children who said she has transgender relatives. Fear? I don't think the adults are afraid of McBeth... The kids will be confused at first and will eventually end up collectively spending millions on therapy. It's hard enough for
a grown adult to understand the complexities of the transgenered, but to force
it on defenseless children is ridiculous. McBeth made a life choice and should accept that this is not a place to search for acceptance.

School board attorney Paul Carr said McBeth was a good teacher who
had received favorable reviews during his/her tenure
as a substitute. That's fine... how much are these kids going to absorb as they stare blankly at the ugly lady with the creepy voice?

Earlier this month, the board voted 4-1 to accept his/her application to return to the
classroom. It's unclear how soon McBeth will resume teaching, Carr said. That depends on the need for substitutes and the availability of certified teachers who get priority when a spot opens up, he said. This is the key phrasing... Since he/she is a substitute they could possibly not need his/her services... That's a small consolation. All it takes is once...

Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, a gay rights advocacy group supporting McBeth's bid to resume teaching, called the school board's action historic. Historic is probably the right choice of a word. This is the key decision on the part of a school board to show what kind of decision NOT to make to get re-elected to your position.

Wow... I still can't believe the world we live in today...

I was 20 when I saw my first transgendered person. I was working in a restaurant when this 6' 5", I'm not kidding, woman walked through the lobby and waited in line to be seated... The stubble was evident on his/her face and the flowered dress looked alarming. Actually 6'5" is probably too short. He had to duck to get through the doorways!

I was in shock for the remainder of the day. I had this puzzled look on my face and people thought there was something wrong with me... I probably looked constipated...

I personally have nothing against peoples sexual preferences. To each his or her own.

It's time for me to calm it down and show the rational side of this issue.

If this were in any other workplace like a normal office, it would be a completely different situations. Adults have the capacity to understand the depth of this topic. Children do not. If this persons choice does not affect the work that he/she does, then that's fine. But this is working with children... How can there not be questions and distractions and confusion in this situation. It's impossible.

McBeth made a choice. With that choice came the responsibility to live a certain way. In this type of work he/she should make the choice to find something else to do with his life choice. If there's the slightest chance that it would affect even one child, then sorry... Find a different industry to work in...

This is only my opinion...

Outsourcing to India

2006-03-03T08:54:00.000-05:00

I have mixed feelings about outsourcing to India… I have been in the tech industry for over 8 years. About half that time I’ve spent doing helpdesk support of one kind or another. As anyone knows that has ever spoken with tech support about their Dell / HP / Compaq computer knows, most of the support for this has been outsourced to India long ago…

Although I don’t like it, I completely understand the business stand-point for this. It’s the bottom line… Saving money. Unfortunately you end up losing a good amount of quality in the process. Plus, the unfortunate bi-product of this is that someone that may be difficult to understand is trying to explain a subject that is difficult enough to understand without trying to decipher what the person is trying to tell you.

It’s just easier to understand someone that can explain the answers in easy to understand methods. I can talk techie with one person that understands this stuff and then simplify everything down to analogies of running water and farm equipment. Being able to do this is critical to the support process if you want to have a quality call center.

This is where the companies are falling down on their ratings is with their support. I used to rave about Dell and their support structure before the use of outsourced support. It was their support model that made them pass all the other companies. When they outsourced their support when in the toilet. Which reflected on their sales. They have since moved support back to home and have climbed back up from the gutters in relation to support…

You can pretty much train a monkey to answer a phone. Getting it to read a script takes a little more training, but you can’t give them the knowledge it takes to be a good tech support analyst. I’m not trying to put down the people of India. I am sure there are well trained analysts there as well, but, it’s hard to relate to someone from a different country and simplify troubleshooting. That’s the inherent problem with it.

Of course the other issue I have with it is that it takes jobs away from people here in the U.S. This is an obvious point. This morning I heard on NPR where they were saying that companies should look at competition with Indian companies as an opportunity. But what about the workers? Companies can save money by outsourcing. Great! How does that help Joe Tech who has a family to feed. Sorry Joe, we have to let you go…

I grew up in Michigan with a very Automotive driven economy. In the late 70’s and into the 80’s it wasn’t uncommon to see bumper stickers that read “Buy American” because of the competition from Asian automotive companies. I can see the correlation in reference to call centers now as well. I personally won’t boycott any products or go radical, but it would be nice for the news media to hit from the angle of those that will actually be affected.

To lighten the mood, here are some funny cartoons that have been circulating around the office. These are not Child friendly in language, so make sure you watch them away from the kids… They are also not Politically Correct either. For this I apologize for anyone that is offended by them…

Politics...

2006-03-02T08:52:00.000-05:00

I try to pay as little attention to politics as possible. In general it appears that the majority of those involved in politics are in the game for themselves, rather than really making a difference for the people they represent. You hear more and more of the corruption and the mud-slinging in the news every day and it just makes me ill. I really feel for those politicians who really do care and want to make a difference. They appear to be in the minority. How unfortunate...

As I think about it, that's why I don't like watching television during the election seasons. All the mud-slinging just gets out of hand. I never get to really know who stands for what during the broadcasts, I end up having to do my own research to get the real story and read between the lines to get it there as well.

When it comes to the negative comments flying back and forth to tear one candidate down or the other, it reminds me of something my parents used to say to me often as a child. "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

I think this phrase would be the ultimate to putting an end to mud-slinging. Could you imagine a candidate getting blasted during a debate and when it's his turn to speak calmly addresses the microphone with this: "When I was growing up as a young boy, my parents taught me something very valuable. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. So in response to my opponent as to his character, I have nothing to say. As to the issues at hand, I have positive responses to his negativity."

I'm curious if in our society he would be considered a hero, or would be ostracized for not "playing the game". I hate politics.

I suppose if I followed the lessons that my parents told me I wouldn't even be writing this rants and raves page. So I guess I've said more than enough about this...

Wire Taps

2006-03-01T20:50:00.000-05:00

This has been going around and around for quite a while now. The whole situation with President Bush having the secret domestic phone taps put on all over-seas calls. Which could, and has, created the need for more traces done on calls within the U.S. depending on what is found in any over-seas conversations that could be questionable.

I really don't see what everyone is so upset about. Yes, technically it's probably an invasion of privacy. If someone wants to listen in on my phone calls and try to pick out key words like Bomb, President or key locations around the U.S., Feel free. I have nothing to hide. In fact they'd find it pretty boring to listen to me talk with my nearly 2-year-old daughter over the phone.

Here's the thing. A very well known president once said, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." This is true more now than it was back 200 + years ago. The author of this quote was Thomas Jefferson.

I'm curious how others feel about this situation of the government wire taps. My personal opinion as I said before, is that I have nothing to hide. If there's a chance that further attacks on innocent Americans can be stopped because of the wiretaps, go for it. I'd like to know truly how many people are outraged about the wire-taps. Sometimes it looks like the news broadcasters are looking for reasons to create a sensational story, along with those politicians looking to get their faces and names in the paper and on the TV screens.

As for politics and politicians, I'll have more to say on that tomorrow. Please let me know your thoughts on this one...

Customer Service... (Cable Company)

2006-02-28T13:06:00.000-05:00

I have another story about the move into our new home. This one deals with the fun part of every move changing and setting up the utilities and services to the house.

For the most part everything transferred over just fine. Except for one part… Cable service. Now one wouldn’t think this would be a complicated matter.

1) We already had an account with Cablevision
2) The former owners of the house also had Cablevision for cable service
3) We were moving from one end of the Village to the other

Seems pretty simple and probably happens many times per week.

Well it turned into a hugh complicated mess… go figure...

When we moved to New York we signed up for cable television and cable internet access. Everything was great, we had very few problems. When we were set to move into our new house, they told me it was going to be a breeze. They checked to make sure there was already a hook up there. The girl was friendly and mentioned that the previous owner had recently shut her account off so transferring us over was no problem, someone would be over the following Friday to set everything up… Oh boy…

The same day that I called they shut off the account at our apartment. Not a big deal since we would be moving the next day anyway. After we moved I decided to check out to see if the cable worked. It did… Sort of... The basic cable worked but our digital boxes were useless. The Internet would also not work yet.

I called them on the day they were to come out to work on the cable and they said that it was the following Friday they would be coming out… Great.. I had to get the Internet up and running for Holly to be able to do her work!

So I call customer service. Talked in circles for a while with a person who was clueless and finally got the supervisor who was nearly as clueless at the rep I was speaking with… Grand…

She insisted that I could not get to the internet without having the tech’s come out to set up the equipment. I told her that I have been a computer tech for eight years had am very capable of setting up this end, nothing needs to be adjusted here, it’s on the cable company side that a line of information needs to be changed to make it see our modem.

She insisted that she knew better. So I entered this line of questioning:

Matt: So what you are telling me is that I don’t have any cable access right now, that is why I can’t get to the Internet.
Supervisor: Yes.
Matt: So I also can’t see anything on cable until they come out here?
Supervisor: That’s right (sounding smug)
Matt: So explain to me why I’m watching CNN over basic cable, in my house that has no cable connection. Supervisor: (long pause) I’m not sure.
Matt: So I can receive information from the cable company, this tells me that I’m connected. The modem that I have has the Mac Address: (whatever the hell it was) and should be able to have YOUR team connect it to this account.
Supervisor: (sheepishly) I’ll have to do some checking and call you back.

Needless to say I never got a call back, but I had the Internet running an hour after I was off the phone.

I HATE INCOMPETANCE!!!

This seems to be the running theme with our cablevision company. For three months we were fighting with them over the billing. It seems that they created a new account for us and never cancelled the old one. Then tired to charge us for the cable boxes that were never returned…
WE WERE STILL USING THEM!!!

I swear it was like pulling teeth with these people. After four months of fighting we finally have everything figured out but it was a royal pain.

I dealt with the technical issues at the start but Holly dealt with the billing issues. It was a team effort and we finally prevailed. It seems like the old saying of: “the customer is always right.” Has been changed to “the customer is always wrong and we will screw them over whenever possible.” Sad that it feels this way, but it seems more often than not that this is the case.

Please feel free to comment. I’m curious about how others are experiencing their customer service with other companies.

Judicial Breakdown...

2006-02-24T08:09:00.000-05:00

The new hype is about the death penalty out in California. Apparently a pair of doctors were to observe the process of Michael Morales who was to be put to death by lethal injection for torturing, raping and murdering a 17-year-old girl 25 years ago.

A federal judge ordered the officials at San Quentin State Prison to have licensed medical personnel take part in an execution. These doctors refused to take part because of ethical considerations. They were of the understanding that they were there to observe.

The whole reason this came about, was because of a study done on post mortem toxicology reports of past executions. In these studies there was a concern that the condemned may have felt pain before they succumbed to the lethal cocktail of drugs.

Felt some pain...

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!!!

I suppose this may be offensive to those opposed to the death penalty, but if there's a fraction of a second of pain before death for someone who tortured, raped and murdered a 17-year-old girl, I'd say that's not enough!

What happened to the days of the gallows, Guillotine, the axe wielding headmen in the hood. Of course I can't leave out the Electric chair. Obvious pain involved in these methods of execution.

When they use lethal injection now it's a breeze! Oh the fellow may be nervous and upset about being sentenced to death, that's only natural. They give him/her (must not be sexist) a sedative and put the poor person to sleep, then give a series of drugs to stop their breathing and then the heart.

What is wrong with the judge that felt this was a good reason to have medical personnel involved. Above that, if doctors don't want to do it because of their oath then there should be trained professionals that don't take an oath that get paid pretty well to do it. I'm sure there are plenty of medical school drops outs that would take the job. For that matter, transfer Dr. Jack Kevorkian out of Michigan into San Quentin. Why not have the best of the best take care of the rest...

Please feel free to comment on this one. This couldn't be more ridiculous in my opinion.

The Radicals and the Pacifists…

2006-02-23T08:41:00.000-05:00

There has been many comments in the news of late about the cartoonist depictions of Mohammed with a bomb under his turban. Like most everyone I thought it was pretty stupid to publish something like this. But the irony of the whole thing is that the Muslims were upset that their religious symbol had been depicted as a violent terrorist that they decided the only way to react to it was with violence.

Hhhmmm… let me get this straight. You, as a people, are upset that a stereotype was placed upon you as being violent terrorists. So to prove to everyone that this couldn’t be farther from the truth, you decide to riot and ransack buildings of a foreign nation. Because we all know, the Danish government had everything to do with what their press decided to publish.
That was my first impression of the situation.

I then heard Steve Inskeep interview Ahmed Aub Laban a Muslim activist in Denmark.

Muslim Society Official Explains Mission Against Cartoon
AUDIO

Morning Edition, February 8, 2006 · Protests against cartoons depicting the prophet
Muhammad have led to a number of deaths and damage to Danish missions in several countries. The Danish cartoons came to worldwide attention in part because of Ahmed Abu Laban, the religious director of the Muslim Society in Copenhagen.
Steve Inskeep talks to Laban.

I highly recommend checking out the audio. What caught my ear in this interview is that he sent the cartoons to multiple locations around the world trying to get support. However, a number of the cartoons were images that had never been published. What's that about?

Ahmed: We do not put them up here. We don’t like to put oil on fire...
Steve then asks him specifically about these cartoons were “…offensive in part because they depicted the Prophet Muhammed as violent. Do you think it is appropriate that people have protested those cartoons by burning embassies and killing people?”
To summarize he denounces all attacks and violence and says it is not what should have been done. It is counterproductive to their cause.
Steve: Do you regret that this has gone so far.
The answer surprised me.
Ahmed: The same way the Mr. Ford would regret that he produced a nice car and it has been used in the wrong way to kill himself or to kill someone else.
Steve: So you are not to blame?
Ahmed: No, no no.

So I wouldn't be to blame for yelling fire in a crowded movie theater if I saw fire in the film? Am I far off on this?

The only place I had heard it mentioned, in all of the broadcasts about this issue, about there being cartoons that were distributed that had not been published, was from on this broadcast. Why is that?

And why would you send something out like that which would put people into a frenzy of rioting and not feel badly about the outcome? Then compare it to an inventor of the automobile. I can barely see the correlation. It’s a stretch at best.

Anyway, I don’t understand the issues dealing with the Muslim/Islamic people. I have nothing against anyone based on their religious beliefs. They could believe the moon is made of cheese and worship the giant rats that live there, I don't care. If they don’t bother anyone with your beliefs and respect that others may have different beliefs. To each his or her own. Why is this so hard to live with?

On my way in to work the other day I heard a news story about an explosion over-night at a Shiite Mosque in Iraq. This was a very holy special place for the Shiites and it was bombed…

This made me start to think. (something has to, might as well be this...)

A long time ago, people used to be persecuted in the Christian faith as well. The Coliseum had the mazes where Lions would hunt the Christians, many wars were fought about Christianity as well. Where have those days gone? Why doesn’t this happen anymore?

Aside from the brainless hick that decides to burn down Baptist churches in the south, you don’t get to hear about many problems between the different religions in the United States. Maybe I’m wrong. I could be living in my own little world. I like it here.

At some point they have to realize that there’s more to life than fighting about who’s God is better. It reminds me of the kids in school saying “My Mom can beat up your Mom!” It’s the same mentality. It’s a little more entrenched in the psyche than that, but still the same.

Feel free to comment on any of my rants. I’d like to hear other’s opinions as well.

I thought this would lighten the mood of this post a bit... Hope you enjoy it.

Rants, Raves and Intriguing Topics...

2006-02-22T10:14:00.000-05:00

This will be my first parallel posting. I've had a number of ideas for topics to put out on the blog and thought that I'd prefer to leave the Long Island Engel Home to more family topics and events. I’ve created a new blog called Rants, Raves and Intriguing Topics where I’ll discuss events in the news that move me, new technologies or just something that I need to just rant and rave about. Hopefully it will be entertaining and thought provoking. I welcome all comments as I discuss anything and everything.

My first topic will be about BioDiesel and an article / news video clip from CBS News.

I've been doing some research lately on BioDiesel. I mentioned in a previous message about some of the research and my method of getting the information. Since then I've been getting a lot of information on the BioDiesel industry and how it appears to be growing more and more.
To give you a practical view of what BioDiesel is and what it does here’s a good link.

A quick definition of BioDiesel: BioDiesel is derived from nothing less than vegetable oils. It can be pretty much any kind of oil. Extraction from soybeans is the most common, but there are others that tend to have a higher yield per acre that may be making a better option in the near future.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not much of an activist. I’ve never been into the tree hugging thing. Although I like trees in general, I’ve never met one that seemed to need a hug. Every now and then I hear something on the news or on NPR that piques my interest. BioDiesel is one of them. Although I don’t own a Diesel powered vehicle, the concept of BioDiesel makes me consider getting one.

The process of making BioDiesel is fairly simple. So simple in fact that you can make your own in your own garage. Yes, I said your own garage. If you don't have a garage you could make it in a shed if you like it takes up about as much room as a furnace and a hot water heater. Here's a link on how to make your own.

Holly and I were watching 60 Minutes the other night and saw a clip about global warming. This reminded Holly of a clip she had recently seen about a group of high school students who built a BioDiesel vehicle after school in their shop class. You can read and watch it here. There are many companies racing to become the leaders in BioDiesel production. I've found one that I think could be a viable company to invest in. I may discuss this at a later time. What I find enlightening in this news article and video, is that a group of troubled high school students that everyone else had given up on were responsible for building a vehicle that can run completely on fuel derived from vegetable oil. The following excerpt from the article sums it up pretty well:

"We made this work," says Hauger. "We're not geniuses. So why aren't they (the Automotive Industry) doing it?"

Kosi thinks he knows why. The answer, he says, is the big oil companies.

"They're making billions upon billions of dollars," he says. "And when this car sells, that'll go down — to low billions upon billions."

Recently General Motors (GM) has been putting out advertisements that say their vehicles will work with BioDiesel. What’s not so well known is that any Diesel vehicle made after 1992 can run on B100 (100% BioDiesel).

A number of states are requiring that all diesel fuel sold be a mixture of BioDiesel; At least 3%. Many are keeping the amount low where others are making it a B20 20% Biodiesel 80% petrol diesel. Some municipalities are requiring all road crew vehicles, bus lines and school buses to use the “green fuel”, as they like to call it.

Many people are saying that this is a great concept, but (there always has to be a but in there somewhere), there is a belief that there could never be a total switch from petrol diesel to BioDiesel because the production could never meet the need. There just isn’t enough space to grow enough crops.

Even so, reducing our dependence on foreign oil is an attractive reason along with pumping money into our own economy.

I’m continuing to research more about this. If you are curious I can post more information at a later date. Feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts on this. I welcome the opportunity to chat about it.

Topics like this one will be posted on the new blog (Rants, Raves and Intriguing Topics) Feel free to check it out!