Treatment of POW’s in the War on Terror…

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

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.




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Reality or Hoax?: Water Fuel Experimenter and Team Threatened

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:

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

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

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

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.