Sunday, August 17th, 2008
Ten paradoxical traits of the creative personality
Creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives. Most of the things that are interesting, important, and human are the result of creativity. What makes us different from apes–our language, values, artistic expression, scientific understanding, and technology–is the result of individual ingenuity that was recognized and rewarded.
5 Reasons Why Sleeping In Every Day Boosts your Productivity
There is no hope for a civilization which starts each day to the sound of an alarm clock. -Author Unknown Sleeping in is not lazy- many individuals would actually be more productive if they slept in versus waking up early.
Solar Efficiency Record Broken
When it comes to eeking another fraction of a percentage point of power out of a solar panel, we’re pretty good at not paying attention. I mean, what’s the difference between 40.7% and 40.8% anyway? Generally these efficiency gains aren’t all that important to the future of the solar economy.
Algae Gets Another Endorsement As Biofuel Of The Future
In the world of alternative fuels, there may be nothing greener than pond scum. Algae are tiny biological factories that use photosynthesis to transform carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy so efficiently that they can double their weight several times a day, producing oil in the process — 30 times more oil per acre than soybeans.
Save the planet? Buy it
Millionaires are purchasing entire ecosystems around the world and turning them into conservation areas. Their goal? To stop environmental catastrophe.
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Posted in Current Events, Environment | No Comments »
Friday, September 28th, 2007
I was talking to my favorite brother, Jeff, yesterday. Apparently, Stephanie is having some issues with her car. Jeff is going to help out with parts and all that.
After talking about Stephanie’s issue, we started talking about what kind of car I want to get next. I have a year or two before I have to visit the dealer and trade my car in. I have whittled the choice down to two…The BMW 5 Series or the Toyota Camry Hybrid. I am really having a tough time with it.
I try to think of myself as “Green,” but it’s hard. I know that everything is “right” about the Toyota and everything is “wrong” with the BMW. One of the things I am looking at is the fuel mileage of each car. As we were talking, Jeff sent me a great link on how to find out your car’s gas mileage. I took a look at it and found out a few things. Basically, the BMW’s mileage is about 18/24 and the Toyota’s mileage is about 33/34. One is obviously better than the other’s.
Here is the problem…I know when I walk into the Toyota dealer, I will simply have to choose the color of car I want. I will already have read all I could read about the car. All I will have to do is negotiate on price. I will be sitting in a sea of Camrys. Not too exciting. Then, I will drive away in an even bigger sea of Camrys. When I walk into the BMW dealer, I will leave with a car. I know this, so I am hesitant about going there just to look. That’s the way I am. The Beamers are fast and sexy, and so am I. Yeah, right.
My brother seems to like his BMW and recommends that brand. He has a 328i…a little small for me. I want just a little more room. He likes the speed and handling. I am not a fast driver, but wouldn’t mind something that keeps up with my current Honda Accord V6. My Accord has some pep. The Camry is a four cylinder and I can’t imagine is being very fast.
The real issue is this…the Camry is very safe and kind of middle of the road. It’s quality, but not very exciting. Do I really want to be known as that boring computer dude? Oh, how techy. If I got the BMW, at least people would view me as something that I might not be. I like hiking, working and driving around to find new towns. That’s not too exciting, but at least people might think that I will run them over if they get in my way.
Can you see which direction I am leaning in? I guess we’ll see what my commute time will be in two years. That will be the big factor I look at.
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Posted in Automotive, Environment | 5 Comments »
