I picked up a home improvement tip from “This Old House” that might come in handy for those needing to get a wire into a room without damaging plaster or wallboard — using “Bad Larry” as Alan the electrician and Host Kevin O’Connor call it. “Bad Larry” is a flexible drill bit, a screw tipped auger bit to be precise, and it is able to slip into an uninsulated wall cavity to bore through bracing, headers (depending on size), floors and ceilings. Obviously one point of caution is be to know what is in that wall cavity … and above or below depending on the direction you are drilling. The last thing you want to have happen when running a new cable TV outlet is to start an electrical fire! Nevertheless, a couple sources for special wiring tools and bits not found at the average hardware store would be MyToolStore Ideal Screw Point Flexible Bits and HomeTech’s General Wiring Tools section. Feel free to comment if you have other specialty tool sources … especially if both the price and quality is good!
Contrary to a 2002 EPA study, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory published a new study showing that vehicles using B20 fuel —a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel— do not produce an increased level of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in all engines. The previous study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicated that although biodiesel (the B20 blend) showed significant reduction in most pollutants, the increase in NOx was 2% over petroleum diesel.
According to NREL’s Robert McCormick, this new “study shows that the NOx impact of B20 varies with engine design, such that some engines show a small increase while others show a small decrease. The EPA’s 2002 review was based on a data set made up primarily of data from one engine model that produces a small NOx increase. EPA uses these data to draw a general conclusion for on-highway engines that B20 causes a 2% increase in NOx. The chassis dynamometer testing along with careful review of previously published data suggest that their conclusion is not correct, and that on average B20 has no effect on NOx.”
For renewable fuel advocates, this study is promising since biodiesel is being added to more and more of the nation’s diesel fuel. Production of biodiesel is up a huge 3 fold over 2005 numbers and additional processing facilities are coming online in 2007. Also biodiesel make an excellent lubricity additive to Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel which has been introduced nationwide. This reminds me, a regular reader pointed out that owners of pre-2007 diesel should consider a lubricity additive of some kind, although a couple distributors claim their ULSD fuel is treated with additive packages for cetane boost, winter gelling and lubricity.
Hmm … what is going on? Over the noon hour (November 9, 2006) a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy from the USAF circled 6 or 7 times at about 1500 feet around West Chester, Ohio. Passersby looked up as they heard the jet engines whining and saw the flaps extended; it was in obvious slow flight configuration and well south of Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. It was unusual in that this was the first low, slow and large USAF C-5 in the past 10 years to slowly circle that many times in this area. I quickly snapped a few photos — any thoughts?
Americans have spoken … and from the looks of things it was clear that we were not happy with the status-quo. Although the change was not quite as large as the 1994 shake up of Congress, it had the same effect in creating a direction change of the same magnitude. Democrats soundly have taken the House and look to be the majority in the Senate as well. (recounts could go into December according to the morning news)
Here are three things I’ve learned from yesterday’s election:
1) Americans are unhappy with the situation in the middle east and the seemingly unchanging policies by the Bush Administration; they want a clear plan for success and the Iraqis to step forward ‘now’ in securing their country so our troops can come home.
2) We are disgusted by corruption from our elected officials; Republicans had more than their share of questionable characters. Voters wanted a clean house.
3) The Republican control legislator were elected to be the party of smaller government and of fiscal responsibility when it comes to spending tax dollars; they failed in their fiscal conservative practices. Even the GOP faithful can be heard criticizing their own party on their record of pork barrel spending.
The new cast of characters (and in my opinion there are some ‘real’ characters) are now leading the legislator. The ball is in their court and the opportunity is with the new majority leading our law making and judicial confirming body. Let’s see if they make the most of it or squander it as they have in the past. Personally … I’m not overconfident; perhaps my bias is showing through?
Americans for all our lauded democracy, have notoriously been a lazy bunch when it comes to getting to the polls to vote. This year there is perhaps more anger and splits in how successfully the bunch in Washington (and locally) are running our country, but I wonder just how angry most Americans are? According to most figures I’ve looked at, the economy is not all that bad … in fact the Dow Industrial Index has risen to all time high, unemployment is at a 15 year low, inflation seems under control, interest rates have stabilized to palatable levels and even fuel prices aren’t making people squeal. BUT then there is Iraq … a debatable war strategy with no clear cut solution. Republicans for the most part are doing their best to say, “look … no terror attacks at home and Saddam is gone,” while Democrat point to our troops policing a country that just doesn’t seem controllable and is Iraq really part of the war on terror? Besides that, corruption in political life has also tainted most incumbents and those controlling the halls of the Capital; perhaps there is a really good reason to get out and vote, but will we?
{democracy:2}
EDIT 11/8/2006: Preliminary numbers indicate that just under 40% of registered voters cast their ballots which is on par with most midterm elections. It would be interesting to know just who the other 60% would have voted for or against considering the number of very tight races.
Most car companies have invested significant research into hydrogen and none more than German car manufacturer BMW— see BMW Hydrogen Cars. If you have ever contemplated how hydrogen might work in replacing petroleum, the video clip below showing a BMW Hydrogen7 car might bring the future a step closer. I suspect that eventually we’ll see ‘hydrogen’ as fuel for our cars … whether it will be in a tank or in a fuel cell is something to ponder?
With the election looming, I suspect many will be using the new electronic voting machines for the first time. I’ve heard stories about fraud (nothing solid), tech articles on hacking and references to the weak expertise of poll workers in handing this new equipment. HBO produced a special called “Hacking Democracy” that targets Diebold, a company that makes electronic voting machines, that might not be all that accurate, but plays right into people fears. This kind of story is primarily sensationalizing the flaws and questionable actions from the past, but the truth is a bit more dull — Diebold is a respectable company offering secure products from banking to voting. I suspect that if we were to compare voting accuracy today to that of the past, we might find out that accuracy has actually improved?
And about that HBO story … below is a short clip that offers a little balance.
While reading an email the other day, someone mentioned a great Internet video clip from Europe. Since I’m not posting much this weekend, I thought today would be a good day to include it. The video is unique in that it has 4 Radio Control Technology wireless cameras to record an aerobatic flight in Yverdon, Switzerland. The clip gives a great overall view of what flying high performance single engine airplanes is like and includes views from the ground as well. I would like to check these great quality cameras out myself. By the way, the plane in an experimental Votec 322b equipped with these tiny cameras blended with a few clips from the ground as well. It runs 5 minute and is excellent.
I’m loafing a little in posting since I was somewhat busy and tired yesterday from the week away from home. Nevertheless, I’ll post a cellphone photo updating the prices at the public biodiesel pump I usually fill my VW TDI at. Note that priced dropped a couple pennies from the fill up on Tuesday.
Also in keeping the John Kerry trend alive (groan), here’s a simplton video clip from one of the late night shows …
😀
The ‘fall out’ from John Kerry’s gaffe on Monday is blitzing across the country and has made its way to and now back from Iraq in a photo message. Some creative and obviously politically active soldiers have made their voices heard in a big way … and the photo is worth a thousand words. Since the ‘strike one and two’ on Monday and Tuesday, the Democrats and John Kerry team have been spending their time on defense rather than offense as the mid-term election looms in less than a week. John Kerry should be thankful that he is not up for re-election as most Democrats who were once seeking his support have canceled his campaign trail visits. If the debate over Iraq wasn’t so serious, one might find it humorous to watch a lifetime politician digging himself into a hole.
I picked up a home improvement tip from “This Old House” that might come in handy for those needing to get a wire into a room without damaging plaster or wallboard — using “Bad Larry” as Alan the electrician and Host Kevin O’Connor call it. “Bad Larry” is a flexible drill bit, a screw tipped auger bit to be precise, and it is able to slip into an uninsulated wall cavity to bore through bracing, headers (depending on size), floors and ceilings. Obviously one point of caution is be to know what is in that wall cavity … and above or below depending on the direction you are drilling. The last thing you want to have happen when running a new cable TV outlet is to start an electrical fire! Nevertheless, a couple sources for special wiring tools and bits not found at the average hardware store would be MyToolStore Ideal Screw Point Flexible Bits and HomeTech’s General Wiring Tools section. Feel free to comment if you have other specialty tool sources … especially if both the price and quality is good!
Americans have spoken … and from the looks of things it was clear that we were not happy with the status-quo. Although the change was not quite as large as the 1994 shake up of Congress, it had the same effect in creating a direction change of the same magnitude. Democrats soundly have taken the House and look to be the majority in the Senate as well. (recounts could go into December according to the morning news) 
people squeal. BUT then there is Iraq … a debatable war strategy with no clear cut solution. Republicans for the most part are doing their best to say, “look … no terror attacks at home and Saddam is gone,” while Democrat point to our troops policing a country that just doesn’t seem controllable and is Iraq really part of the war on terror? Besides that, corruption in political life has also tainted most incumbents and those controlling the halls of the Capital; perhaps there is a really good reason to get out and vote, but will we?
Most car companies have invested significant research into hydrogen and none more than German car manufacturer 
fraud (nothing solid), tech articles on hacking and references to the weak expertise of poll workers in handing this new equipment. HBO produced a special called 
While reading an email the other day, someone mentioned a great Internet video clip from Europe. Since I’m not posting much this weekend, I thought today would be a good day to include it. The video is unique in that it has 4 
The ‘fall out’ from John Kerry’s gaffe on Monday is blitzing across the country and has made its way to and now back from Iraq in a photo message. Some creative and obviously politically active soldiers have made their voices heard in a big way … and the photo is worth a thousand words. Since the 