The Wiccan Rede


THE WICCAN REDE
Bide the Wiccan Laws we must In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. Live and let live. Fairly take and fairly give. Cast the Circle thrice about To keep the evil spirits out. To bind the spell every time Let the spell be spake in rhyme. Soft of eye and light of touch, Speak little, listen much. Deosil go by the waxing moon, Chanting out the Witches' Rune. Widdershins go by the waning moon, Chanting out the baneful rune. When the Lady's moon is new, Kiss the hand to her, times two. When the moon rides at her peak, Then your heart's desire seek, Heed the North wind's mighty gale, Lock the door and drop the sail. When the wind comes from the South, Love will kiss thee on the mouth. When the wind blows from the West, Departed souls will have no rest. When the wind blows from the East, Expect the new and set the feast. Nine woods in the cauldron go, Burn them fast and burn them slow. Elder be the Lady's tree, Burn it not or cursed you'll be. When the Wheel begins to turn, Let the Beltane fires burn. When the Wheel has turned to Yule, Light the log and the Horned One rules. Heed ye Flower, Bush and Tree, By the Lady, blessed be. Where the rippling waters go, Cast a stone and truth you'll know. When ye have a true need, Hearken not to others' greed. With a fool no season spend, Lest ye be counted as his friend. Merry meet and merry part, Bright the cheeks and warm the heart. Mind the Threefold Law you should, Three times bad and three times good. When misfortune is enow, Wear the blue star on thy brow. True in Love ever be, Lest thy lover's false to thee. Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: An ye harm none, do what ye will.
- Blessed Be -
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Legal Statement: My selection of, and comments on, products in my Blogs are neither an endorsement, nor a disapproval of a particular product or products. It is just my choice and my opinion on products I selected of many products available. I have no association with any company mentioned. I provide links to various companies so that you may easily obtain information, if desired, about products or references. Just a side note I can view You Tube videos faster and better if I link to them outside of You Tube. The connection, video and audio do not lag any when I view them this way. In doing so I no way claim any part of the videos, just the pure enjoyment of sharing them through my blog. A note about Comments: To date I have deleted or removed over 70 comments that were posted on my blog. If you can read my blog then you understand "English", I Speak, Read, and Write in English only. So if you have comments you wish to share with me about my blogs please be sure they are in "English". Of those 70 some comments that I translated in the past - they were not suitable for most people or for children to read. If you can not leave me a comment in English I will have to delete it - assuming that it is something you really do not want me to see since it is not in English. As much as I desire comments they must be in English, Thank you. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. PRIVACY NOTICE: Warning - any person and/or institution and/or Agent and/or Agency of any governmental structure including but not limited to the United States Federal Government also using or monitoring/using this website or any of its associated websites, you do NOT have my permission to utilize any of my profile information nor any of the content contained herein including, but not limited to my photos, and/or the comments made about my photos or any other "picture" art posted on my profile. You are hereby notified that you are strictly prohibited from disclosing, copying, distributing, disseminating, or taking any other action against me with regard to this profile and the contents herein. The foregoing prohibitions also apply to your employee , agent , student or any personnel under your direction or control. The contents of this profile are private and legally privileged and confidential information, and the violation of my personal privacy is punishable by law. UCC 1-103 1-308 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Mystery Mini Space Shuttle X-37B Lands in California

Or Read it here!
By LUIS MARTINEZ | ABC OTUS News



The mysterious unmanned mini-space shuttle on a classified mission has finally returned to earth.
It landed early Saturday morning at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California after weather conditions kept pushing back landing attempts the last few days.
The Air Force's X-37B, is an unmanned reusable spacecraft built by Boeing that has spent more than a year on a classified mission in space.
Measuring 29 feet in length and having a 15-foot wingspan, the unmanned reusable X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle looks like a miniature version of NASA's now retired space shuttles.
The spacecraft landed at Vandenberg at 5:48am PDT after having spent 469 days in orbit.
The craft went into orbit on March 5, 2011, but as was the case during its first launch in 2010, very little has been known about its mission or what payloads it might be carrying because its missions are classified.
That has led to speculation that the spacecraft is involved in intelligence gathering operations or the testing of new technologies.
In keeping with the scarce mission details for the X-37B, all the Air Force would say in a statement Saturday wais that the spacecraft had "conducted on-orbit experiments" during its mission.
Lt. Col. Tom McIntyre, the X-37B program manager said, "With the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet, the X-37B OTV program brings a singular capability to space technology development." He added, "The return capability allows the Air Force to test new technologies without the same risk commitment faced by other programs. We're proud of the entire team's successful efforts to bring this mission to an outstanding conclusion."
Even the initial announcement about an upcoming landing details kept the details vague. A May 30 Air Force statement said the spacecraft would return to earth in the "early- to mid-June time frame."



Designed to stay in extended Earth orbits, the X-37B remained in orbit for 224 days during its maiden mission in 2010.
This mission kept it in orbit more than twice as long this time around.
An Air Force statement announcing Saturday's landing says the X37B will launch again later this fall aboard an Atlas V booster.

40 MPG Compact Sedan Comparison - Motor Trend

40 MPG Compact Sedan Comparison - Motor Trend test Chevy Cruze Eco vs. Ford Focus SFE vs. Honda Civic HF vs. Hyundai Elantra GLS vs. Mazda3 vs. VW Jetta TDI  (Click for their link or read here)

June 11, 2012
Kim Reynolds - Photos Brian Vance

Every once in a while, an advertising claim comes along that strikes a nerve. It makes you stop and glance up at the TV screen, or flip back to that previous newspaper page to contemplate its meaning. For me, it's usually a hair-loss treatment. However, for most people, it's probably something that impacts their pocket book, and a pretty good example of that in the car business recently has been the claim of "40 mpg!"

Never mind the footnote that the "40" referenced is the EPA's "highway" mpg, rather than the typically lower "city" or, more meaningful, combined mileage. That doesn't really matter. An advertisement bannering any variant of "40 mpg" gets your absolute attention if you've just witnessed $65 on the gas pump when the dispenser clicked.

It's a powerful number -- 40 mpg. Car engineers do sophisticated analysis to figure out how to reach it, and the numerical game often comes down to just getting to the threshold where the number rounds up to 40.

It just so happens that we're practiced at rounding up, too -- in this instance, rounding up six significant examples of this rarified 40-mpg breed to determine if any of them are also cars you'd be happy to own.
The select six we've summoned to our investigation are the Chevrolet Cruze Eco (28/42), Ford Focus SFE (28/40), Honda Civic HF (29/41), Hyundai Elantra (29/40), Mazda3 (28/40), and Volkswagen Jetta TDI (30/42). A diesel, but no hybrids? Unlike the public's uneasiness with battery-aided driving (hybrid sales have been stuck around the 2.5-percent range), diesels are hydrocarbon kissing-cousins to their gasoline brethren. We know them. We're comfortable with them. And we were also curious to see how the Jetta TDI stacks-up against its high-tech gasoline alternatives.

" The question we started this exercise with was, "Is there actually a '40-mpg' car that you'd want to own?" Indeed, there is. "

In search of 40-mpg answers, we drove from our El Segundo nerve center to the high desert north of  Los Angeles and two destinations we normally visit for our Car of the Year programs. At the first, we grunted our way through a zillion mind-numbing laps of the Hyundai-Kia Proving Ground's 6.4-mile oval in a sequence of stepped, constant speeds to establish our fleet's steady-state fuel-efficiency.


The next day, each car was repeatedly piloted around our familiar Tehachapi real-world driving loop, a richly informative 27.3-mile mix of small-town stop-sign streets, curvy rural roads, elevation changes, and freeway miles. (Another plus is that it's 80 miles from Los Angeles' super-saturated roadways, which are ever on the brink of cardiac arrest.)

Let me explain the meaning of the results you'll see on the following pages. Each car's average Tehachapi mileage, and fuel cost per mile doing so, are obvious. But we've added a figure to this that represents how depressed this is compared with these lap's theoretical mpg modeled from our constant-speed mileages -- that is, what they'd ideally do were they unimpacted by accelerating, fidgeting with the throttle, hill-climbing, and stopping. If you don't drive, uh, very gingerly, pay attention to this one.


Testing the Car's Mileage -- and Our Patience
Measuring things like 0-60-mph times and panic stops is old hat for us. But discerning fuel mileage, that's another issue. At a cruise-controlled 60 mph, one of our cars, the Chevrolet Cruze Eco, returned 49.4 mpg. That's 0.0202 gallon per mile, or, if you were to picture that gasoline as a series of teaspoons, one burned every 4 seconds.


A Nissan GT-R can accelerate from 0 to 238 feet in 4 seconds; 238 feet I can measure. But teaspoons of gasoline? Being combusted deep within a densely packed engine? Measure this?

We've all historically computed our mileage just by filling the tank and dividing the miles driven by the gallons added. Nothing wrong with that (particularly if you correct for odometer error). But it's a slow-motion process, and when you're dealing with high-mileage cars (the Jetta TDI, for instance, has a whopping 600-mile highway driving range), it's frame-by-frame slow.


There are far more efficient data-collecting tactics for this, the best being to directly install fuel-flow meters into the fuel lines. However, for myriad reasons -- including our inside-baseball realities that test cars like ours arrive shortly before we test them and the manufacturers don't look kindly on their cars' fuel systems being tampered with -- we've avoided meters (for this round-up). Yet, there remain other good crowbars in our mileage-measuring toolbox.


To produce power, an engine obviously consumes two things: air and fuel. And at constant speeds, their ratio is predictable: 14.7 to 1 -- known as the stoichiometric ratio. It's their perfect proportion for efficient combustion, and when a car's at a steady speed under moderate load, its oxygen sensors are beavering away to keep it so.

We monitored the cars mass airflow sensors (excepting the Elantra's, which employs a different strategy), and, as long as the car is in this steady mode, knowing the air passing through the engine points directly to its fuel consumption. This is what was displayed in a filtered, averaged way on our cars' instrument panels. As a check of this information, we simultaneously logged the cars' slow decline in fuel tank level, and, after calibrating the fuel tanks (incrementally measuring their level versus gallons added), their constant-speed fuel consumption data could be backed up.


Divergence
Our driver's mileage did vary. You hear all the time that you shouldn't expect your driving to duplicate the EPA's super-scientifically derived mileage numbers. Well, before we started our Tehachapi lapping, our drivers were firmly directed to observe the posted speed limits, which inadvertently put our own mileage reproducibility  to the test. And the results were actually more divergent than I expected. Below, we list numbers -- and name names.

Oddities? Our differing driving habits had nearly 10 times the influence on the Elantra's mileage than on that of the Focus. Perhaps the Hyundai's more susceptible to enthusiastic outbursts? Mr. Martinez' idea of sticking to the speed limit was taken as more of a suggestion.
***************************************************
Driver       Cruze    Focus   Civic    Elantra   Mazda3   Jetta
Evans        43.10    38.60   39.90   38.00    39.40      42.10
Kiino         40.90    37.70   39.90   39.10    42.00      43.00
Lassa        41.70    38.10    41.00   36.70   37.90      41.20
Martinez   35.80    37.70    37.80    31.30   34.10     39.80
Average    40.40    38.00    39.70    36.20   38.40     41.60
Std. Dev     2.7          .3         1.2        3.1      2.9         1.2
****************************************************
Under Pressure
Every time gas prices spike, the AAA and the EPA nag us to check our tire pressures. After our 40-mpg test-o-rama was complete, I did a little experiment with our long-term Civic Si (the performance-opposite to our test HF). At a cruise-controlled 60 mph, with the tires set to the door sticker numbers, the Civic returned 38.42 mpg. After stopping and immediately lowering them by 5 psi, the mileage (deduced from the mass airflow sensor) declined to 38.18 mpg, or 0.6 percent. Car engineers would kill their dear old moms for 0.6 percent. And all from a little squirt of compressed air.

AutoEnginuity
To raise our data-gathering game we've reached out to Jay Horak and his OBD2 scan tool company, AutoEnginuity, which has become a leader in its field. Don't know what OBD2 is? Feel around under your dash, and you'll discover a hexagonal-shaped receptacle that technicians use to diagnose troubles and check your car's emission system. We're employing it to log speed, rpm, mass airflow, and fuel-tank level -- and, in the case of the Jetta, its diesel consumption in gallons per hour. Cool.

An Anomaly

To measure the cars' speeds accurately, we've turned to our longtime GPS pals, Vbox USA (aka Racelogic). Their data loggers have become the industry standard for GPS-data recording, and they've brought along additional units to supplement those we use for our regular performance testing. A curiosity we've noted is that all the test cars (save the Jetta) are actually traveling slightly faster than their speedometers indicate. Our best explanation is their new (unworn) tires.

'Theoretical mileage?'

We applied each car's various constant-speed mpg results -- acquired under near-perfect circumstances at the proving ground -- to every portion of our Tehachapi Loop having the same corresponding speed to calculate each car's absolutely ideal loop mileage. The difference tells us how real world roads -- and driving -- impacts those constant-speed curves.



6th Place: Hyundai Elantra



Theoretical mileage: 47.4 mpg
Actual mileage: 36.2 mpg
Percent lower: 24
Fuel cost/mile: 10.5c

In the writeups of the following cars, I'll first examine the special technicalities that make them their model's high-mpg iteration. But I can't here because the Elantra we tested is mechanically just like any other Elantra. There's no secret-sauce/high-mpg version because they don't offer a low-mpg version. Indeed, the inscrutable ease with which Hyundai's engines are delivering impressive mileage has some of their competitors genuinely scratching their heads.


Meanwhile, we're scratching ours as to why this example didn't fare better amid this six-car crowd. Exactly a year ago, an Elantra, not unlike this one, accepted the bouquet for beating out many of the same competitors (in their standard-mpg trim). To quote Rory Jurnecka at the time: "Compared with every other car here, the Elantra feels grown-up: the most compelling compromise of styling, packaging, value, efficiency, and comfort." This time? Todd Lassa: "It's electrically assisted steering feels imprecise at low speeds, requiring many tiny corrections; it's numb at higher speeds." Markus echoed this: "The Elantra's steering demands too much attention to maintain a straight-ahead path on the freeway." Notably, it has the quickest steering ratio of the bunch.


Perhaps the initial luster of the Elantra's expensive interior, resplendent features, flamboyant styling, and excellent ride quality has dimmed slightly, leaving us more starkly aware of its functional realities. Markus again: "This mainstream Elantra is devoid of any fuel-economy maximizing coaches; there's just the Active Eco button. And pressing it clearly makes the throttle less responsive -- as if there's a rubber band between the pedal and throttle butterfly." But even in normal mode, our Elantra was the test's slowest (8.9 seconds to 60 mph), despite a power-to-weight ratio second only to that of the Focus (which matched the Cruze and Jetta for quickest time, at 8.1). Some of our original compliments reappeared though, most of them having to do with that relatively plush ride quality.


And its mileage? The right way to think about this is that the Elantra is sort of like the kid with the lowest score in a CalTech physics exam. Still pretty darn good, in other words.

5th Place: Ford Focus SFE


Theoretical mileage: 47.9 mpg
Actual mileage: 38.0 mpg
Percent lower: 20
Fuel cost/mile: 9.9c


Ford has already gotten the message loud and clear that its twin-(dry)-clutch six-speed automatic transmission has been a technological stubbed toe, producing a brittle shift quality and occasionally incoherent judgments. The future of the automobile resides with its software writers, and in this instance, what's scripting the tranny's actions is a good second draft, but far from best-seller-list prose. Opined Markus, "I wonder if this transmission benefits from all the reprogrammed software tweaks recently released? It still seems to display some of the original bad behavior." And, remarkably, our test car was actually built with the wrong shifter. Markus: "It has a +/- button on it, which is not supposed to be on the SFE; and it's taken 5300 miles before anybody noticed." Maybe Ford should revert to a simple six-speed manual a la the Cruze. (I recently drove the one-speed transmission Focus EV, which really solves the problem.)


Our Focus SFE (Super Fuel Economy, a $495 upgrade from the SE) can only be had with this dual-clutch trans. Like the Cruze Eco's efficiency kit, it includes low-rolling-resistance Continental ContiTouringContact tires on aero-covered wheels, speed- and temperature-sensitive grille shutters, and a rear spoiler. The upshot is 2 more highway mpg, which squeaks the car into the 40-mpg game. The average of our conservatively driven, city/rural/highway Tehachapi looping was a respectable 36.7 mpg, 1.3 mpg ahead of the last-place Elantra (with no mpg-improvement package at all).


However, this Focus' absence of cruise control gave us fits during our constant-speed proving-ground lapping (steady-foot Kong drew the short straw), and it didn't make much sense to the other drivers either.


Don't mistake the Focus for a punching bag. Its handling around the figure-eight course was a hoot (only the Jetta and Mazda3 compared), its build quality impressed (shifter notwithstanding), it was quieter than the Cruze, and it has very attractive, multi-color screen graphics (unlike the Chevy's 1980s mono-green look that resembles an old Wang computer). It's a shame to let the transmission distract from all this.

4th Place: Honda Civic HF



Theoretical mileage: 53.0 mpg
Actual mileage: 39.7 mpg
Percent lower: 25
Fuel cost/mile: 9.5c


You have to wonder if, before our testing began, our cars might have had a brief conversation in the Fairfield Hotel parking lot: "So," starts off the Civic HF, breaking the ice, "this is your first high-mileage rodeo, huh? Well, relax, kids, I've been doing these things for years. You'll be just fine."


Iterations of the Civic HF have been around so long that it's a quasi-cult car now. Even when gas was cheap, there were guys who'd corner you at parties and talk your ear off about how their HF, with cardboard spats taped over their rear wheel housings, once got 67 mpg on a midnight drive down the Extraterrestrial Highway. Under a full moon. The irony is that, with this whole 40-mpg mania suddenly becoming mainstream, the reintroduced 2012 edition of the HF we sampled has gone...subtle.


What makes this HF an HF are two things: aerodynamic tweaks (a small rear spoiler, twin underbody fairings, and streamlined 15-inch aluminum wheels) plus lower-rolling-resistance tires (by 21 percent, in this case). In the HF tradition, simple things go a long way.



However, a Civic tradition we'd prefer the HF dispense with is elevated cabin noise, the main culprit being those tires. Scott Evans: "Any pebble kicked up against the bottom of the car is heard loud and clear. Wind noise is pretty bad on the freeway." Markus: "These tires seem way louder." Kiino: "Too much noise." Honda, are you listening?


Despite the racket, the Civic HF paraded its mileage-making pedigree throughout our Tehachapi laps, a close second to the manual-trans Cruze and better than the Jetta in "energy consumption," if you account for diesel's higher energy content. The HF was behind the Cruze during our steady-speed lapping, something we'd ascribe to the Honda's lacking the Cruze's tall top gear (or any sixth gear). Conversely, the Honda's very tall first five gears may have paid off in our real-world looping. So why is it in 4th place? The B-word: boring. Seabaugh: "The Civic's electrically assisted steering has next to no feel and too little effort. Combined with the underpowered engine, a missing sixth gear, interior noise, and the plastic-fantastic cabin, the HF was a lackluster driving experience." HFs of old were often eccentric, but never, ever boring.

3rd Place: Volkswagen Jetta TDI



Theoretical mileage: 52.4 mpg
Actual mileage: 41.6 mpg
Percent lower: 21
Fuel cost/mile: 9.8c


In 1905, Swiss engineer Alfred Buchi not only patented a pinwheel-like contraption called a turbocharger, but he knew exactly what he wanted to do with it: attach it to a Rudolph Diesel engine. The German's dizzyingly high-compression cycle produced herculean low-rpm torque, but as the revs rose, the engine's impressiveness declined. And that's where the turbocharger comes in: Whenever extra power is needed, the compressor just bellows in the necessary air. Much of the energy to do it is scavenged from the exhaust heat. Unfortunately, Mr. Buchi was ahead of his time.


By about 107 years -- at least far as the United States is concerned. When future automotive historians conclude when the diesel-powered car finally took off in the New World, they'll point straight at this car: the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. If you drove a diesel back in their bad old days, the Jetta is a revelation. From dead-cold, it takes just a few seconds to fire up; combustion clatter is nearly indiscernible; and the car's hearty torque imparts a sense of being briefly sucked forward, even at highway speeds.


As you can see, its fuel efficiency lives up to its reputation, and impressively, it stays that way even when you put the stick to it. However, here I need to temper all this enthusiasm with an inconvenient interlude of arithmetic.


Diesel fuel inherently packs about 10 percent more energy into each of its gallons, so you need to lower the TDI's mpg by 10 percent for a fair mpg comparison with its gas alternatives. On the other hand, diesel #2 is now costing about 8 percent more than regular grade gasoline (i.e., you're still slightly ahead of the game). But if we compute the Jetta's fuel cost per mile, the Volkswagen's actually beaten (though only slightly) by the Civic and Cruze. Worse, the TDI's base price is over $2000 dearer than those two. If these high-tech gasoline-powered cars are a headache for cost-penalized hybrids, the same goes for diesels.


Fortunately, there are other noticeable benefits to cohabitating with the Jetta. Its light and happy handling recalls that of early 3 Series BMWs, and its looks are attractively conservative (to some eyes) in a category recently gone bodywork-wild. Non-trivial points, these.

2nd Place: Chevrolet Cruze Eco


Theoretical mileage: 58.1 mpg
Actual mileage: 40.4 mpg
Percent lower: 30
Fuel cost/mile: 9.4c


What if GM took all those great, efficiency-enhancing insights they learned while developing the Volt and applied them to a conventional gasoline-powered sedan? Actually, that's just about what the Cruze Eco is. It's no secret the two cars share platforms, but nothing trains the mind on efficiency quite like creating a car that depends on a battery (at least sometimes), and many of the Volt's teensy and seemingly improbable efficiencies have reappeared on its much better-selling gasoline-only alter ego.


For instance, the Eco shares the Volt's lightweight 17-inch wheels and low-rolling-resistance Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires, and deletes its rear-suspension's weight-adding Watts linkage. At times, the weight-savings gets almost fanatical -- the front anti-roll bar's drop links are mainly plastic and whittled with gram-reducing cavities. The fuel tank has contracted by 3.0 gallons to save about 19 pounds (an "exclusive" feature of the manual-transmission version).


Like the Elantra, its spare tire has been replaced with a can of fix-a-flat (only the Jetta actually carries a full-size spare tire; the others are minis). All told, the Eco has skinnied down by 179 pounds compared with a Cruze LTZ RS automatic we tested last year. And where weight has been added, it was for aerodynamic return: The upper grille is more aggressively shrouded, the lower one is sealed at highway speeds, and below the car are strategically placed, air-smoothing fairings. All this was on display on the proving ground, where the Cruze (with its super-tall, Eco-labeled sixth gear) posted far and away the best mileage numbers. Which might make you wonder why it isn't the clear-cut winner here.


We wanted to drive the manual transmission version precisely because of its no-compromise 28/42 mileage. But the actual heads-up match against the rest of this competitive set is the automatic version, and its 26/39 city/highway numbers are a clear step below the stickshift's. And while the engine's torque exceeded our driver's expectations, the shifter itself is so-so (ditto the clutch take-up, which caused me to stall it several times in stop-and-go traffic, despite the car having the shortest first gear). Think of the Cruze Eco manual as the almost no-compromise mileage-maker. Almost.

1st Place: Mazda3


Theoretical mileage: 50.9 mpg
Actual mileage: 38.4 mpg
Percent lower: 25
Fuel cost/mile: 9.9c


Cars with day-glo "Eco" or "mpg'"badges slapped on their fenders are as often as not automotive empty suits: little more than a tall top gear ratio sitting on a set of skinny tires.


But in the case of the Mazda3's Skyactiv engine technology, this couldn't be farther from the truth. Its 2.0-liter inline-4 is a state-of-the-argument case for advanced-technology gasoline engines, a Bach fugue of interweaving smart ideas with its engineering keystone being an eyebrow-raising 12.0:1 compression ratio. High compression ratios like this are good for efficiency, but bad for knock.


To make it work, the Mazda3's compressed intake charge is cooled by 3000psi, six-hole, direct fuel injection. The next heat countermeasure is that the ensuing combustion is contained by a small cavity at its top to the piston, and finally, long exhaust headers help prevent exhaust heat back-washing into other cylinders. As a kicker, friction has been reduced by 30 percent. Mazda has done its homework, and it showed on the road as the '3 returned better mileage than the both the Elantra and Focus.


That said, it was also the car that most caused us to glance around the room during our deliberations and silently concur that it was the one we could most enjoy driving every day. Let's listen in on the conversation: Evans: "Great-handling car, very tossable with quick steering and very good feedback. The Mazda3 is easily the most fun vehicle to drive at the Proving Ground. Digging the big seat bolsters." Martinez: "A few hundred feet into the heart of downtown Tehachapi, I could already tell it was a solid car."


Naturally, there were a few dings, too: Evans: "The transmission is a bit stingy with downshifts, and that navigation screen is just too small to be so high up and far away on the dash." But Markus summed it up perfectly: "Bottom line, this car's a sacrifice that drives like a splurge."


The question we started with was "Is there actually a '40-mpg' car that you'd want to own?" Indeed, there is -- the Mazda3.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Understanding Airgun Calibers



Crosman has a large selection of air guns in .177, .22., .25 and .357 calibers that are perfect for all types of air gunners.  Whether you need an air gun for plinking, target practice, or pest control, Crosman air guns has an option for you.  Click link above for more reading....

BioTop Natural Pools

  An alternative to chlorine pools, the BioTop Natural Pools use plants to keep water clean and clear.
I loved this photo so much I had to add it to my Blog!

Dandelion Root Health Benefits



Homesteading/Survivalism

Dandelion Root Health Benefits: 

  •  Dandelion root extract is unique, and is one of the only things found to help with chronic myelomonocytic Leukemia and it is effective in treating Breast Tumors 
  •  Detoxification of vital organs : Because of the diuretic abilities of dandelion root, it is beneficial for flushing out the Liver, Kidneys and Gallbladder. Ä°t works great to purify the blood and cleanse the system. This also makes it a good herb for Fighting Ä°nfections. It is also used for Arthritis, Osteoarthritis , Gout and Rheumatism 
  •  Dandelion tea actively ameliorates disease—it is a potent disease-fighter—and helps the body heal, helps Boost Ä°mmunity and Heart Disease, and age-related Memory Loss. 
  •  Treating Anemia : Because of the high content of iron in dandelion root, it is beneficial for building red blood cells in the body to treat anemia. 
  •  Treating Diabetes : Dandelion root has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in patients. In Europe, it's used to treat Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes. 
  •  Digestive System : Dandelion root, when made into a tea, is beneficial for relieving constipation, flatulence and fullness. 
  •  Treating High Blood Pressure : Dandelion root is a natural Diuretic. When combined with its high potassium content, it is an effective treatment to lower blood pressure. 
  •  Dandelion tea helps reduce High Cholesterol. 
  •  High Nutritional Value : Dandelion root contains vitamins A, B-complex, C and D as well as the minerals Ä°ron, Zinc and Potassium. This combination of vitamins and minerals also makes dandelion root a High Antioxidant Food. 
  •  Mood Enhancer : Due to the high amount of vitamin B-complex, dandelion root can help to stabilize mood and Treat Depression. 
  •  Dandelion root is also used to treat skin disorders such as Acne, Eczema and Psoriasis. 
  •  It is very beneficial to Menopausal Women 
  •  Laxative : Dandelion root is also a mild laxative and is used to help with regularity. 
  •  Dandelion tea helps with weight control—especially with Weight Loss. 

 ( Composting spent dandelion tea Blossoms, Leaves, and/or Roots, after drinking your dandelion tea, improves soil composition. ) ( There are very few side effects linked to using dandelion root. Allergic Reactions to the herb have been reported. People taking prescription lithium, a diuretic, medication to lower blood pressure or medication to lower blood sugar should not take dandelion root. Women who are Pregnant or Breastfeeding should consult their doctor before taking this herb. )

Solar Garden Helper Machine!











Solar Garden Helper Machine!

This is a really innovative machine to help with garden chores like planting, weeding, and picking.

It's not only helpful, but is also solar powered!

Description From Randy:

I really love gardening but I have a bad back and when it comes to staying bent over in the garden it gets rough. So I built this Helper Machine. I call it My P-Machine. Planting/Picking/Pulling weeds/Putting around the garden machine.

Frame:

The machine was fabricated out of 1" square tubing 1/8" thick. This was my first build using a welder and tubing bender so do not look at the welding to closely.

The two seats are adjustable---they will move several inches closer to the row middle or several inches farther away.

Drive System:

The drive motors, wiring harness and control were removed from a power wheel chair. The two motors operate on 24 volts and are already a gear reduction motor. Since I was using a larger rear tire than is on the power wheel chair and I wanted a lot of torque I reduced their output even more to 4.6 to 1 by using a 13 tooth sprocket on the motor and a 60 tooth on the wheels drive axle. A #35 chain connects the sprockets.

The machines top speed is about the speed of a walk but can be slowed down to a craw by using the original wheel chair speed adjust control with the joy stick pushed all the way forward. Naturally it will stop by releasing the joystick or returning it to its centered position. The machine works like a Zero turn lawn mower or a rear drive power wheel chair meaning the front tires swivel as the rear tires control the turn. No need for front wheel steering this way.

The Control can be moved easily from one side to the other so I drive it from either side. The control can also be moved to the middle.

Electrical:

I have four T-105 6 volt Trojan golf cart batteries on two racks above/behind the drive wheels so that less weight will be put on the front swivel tires. The four batteries are hooked in series for 24 volt set-up. I am using two 12 volt 80 watt solar panels hooked in series that will run through a 20 amp 24 volt charge controller to keep the batteries charged properly. The wiring was simple because I used everything off the power wheel chair including the wiring harness. I had to lengthen the wires some because this machine is so much bigger than the wheel chair.

The 24 volt battery set-up was wired to the original battery disconnect plug that was on the wheel chair battery pack, so its just a simple plug into the harness. The 24 volt solar charge controller wires hooks to the batteries in the same place as the positive and negative wires for the disconnect plug.

I had the 4 Trojan batteries, but I could also have used two 12 volt deep cycle batteries. Or, I could have used the original batteries off the wheel chair, but those batteries were going bad. So, I used what I had. I am sure the run time will be a lot longer the way I have it set-up.

After testing it, I have plans to do some more to it to make it more useful. I think it will help me so much in my BIG garden.
 

Baked Hard-Cooked Eggs



Baked Hard-Cooked Eggs (Please share!): 
www.homesteadingsurvivalism.com 
For anyone that may not know, the BEST way to make "hard-boiled" eggs is in the OVEN! Place the eggs in a muffin tray so they do not move around, turn the oven to 325 degrees, pop in for about 25-30 minutes and remove! Not only are they tastier, but they also are much easier to peel! 
(Click to join in and comment)

Orange Cleaner





Orange Cleaner - Orange peels, vinegar in a quart jar, let sit for 10 days or so…strain out the liquid and use as an all-purpose cleaner. Easy, cheap, natural, smells good!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Samsung ChromeBook 550

Why I’m enjoying Google’s newest ChromeBook






Kevin C. Tofel

Here’s a brief video overview of the device itself, the specifications and few use cases and demos, including a quick Google Talk video call to my son. (I have to break up his Minecraft addiction every few hours or so with a distraction!)Before I go on a little more about the experience, let me preface any “but it can’t run apps” or “I can’t do [INSERT ACTIVITY HERE]” comments by emphasizing a point from the video. Since we all have different needs, I’m not suggesting that a ChromeBook is the future of computing for everyone. Instead, I posit that it’s one future of computing. For some, this device won’t work, while for others, it can be a liberating tool.
Samsung ChromeBook 550

A Recipe by Fabio Viviani - Sausage and Peppers


A Recipe by Fabio Viviani
Sausage and Peppers





In tribute to the men in his life, Fabio makes a peasant meal fit for a king: spiced-up sausages, topped with his super simple marinara sauce.



Tips: Sausage 101: Fabio explains how to choose the best sausage for your needs, from the type of meat to casings. For Fabio, Pork is better because it has a higher fat content so the sausages stay crisp but juicy. Natural casings add flavor and crunch, but any casing's job is to keep the meat in shape and serve as a "juice jail." Cook low and slow to keep things juicy, with a fair amount of moisture.
Sausage and Peppers Recipe by Fabio Viviani
Yield: 2-4 servings
Ingredients:
5 links Italian sausage
1 large white onion, cut in half and sliced
3-4 tbsp. light olive oil
2 large green bell peppers, cut into strips
2 sprigs of fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Fabio's Marinara Sauce
lemon zest
Parmesan cheese
1 c water

Method: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan with a lid.
Poke each sausage link with the tip of a knife, and place in hot oil.
Caramelize sausage on both sides, then remove to a plate and set aside.
Add sliced onions to the same pan and season with salt and pepper, and cook until caramelized.
Add bell peppers to pan, add oregano, and cook for approximately 5 minutes without stirring.
Stir contents of pan and cook another 3-5 minutes.
Return the sausage to the pan. Add water and marinara sauce.
Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, until sausage is cooked through.
Serve immediately.

Monday, June 11, 2012

4 New Drone Sensors That Changed Warfare—and What Could Happen When They Come Home - Popular Mechanics

4 New Drone Sensors That Changed Warfare—and What Could Happen When They Come Home - Popular Mechanics
BY SHARON WEINBERGER
1) Aces Hy TYPE: Hyperspectral Sensor
BATTLEFIELD USE - Earlier this year the Air Force quietly deployed a new sensor called Aces Hy on its Predator drone in Afghanistan. It can see objects on the ground not visible to the human eye, such as hidden roadside bombs or illicit opium crops. Aces Hy is a hyperspectral imaging sensor developed by Raytheon Corp. Such sensors can pick up light across the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing them to detect the composition of specific objects based on their spectral "fingerprint." These sensors have been previously used on satellites and on manned aircraft like Shadow Harvest, a Defense Intelligence Agency C-130 aircraft. But they are now migrating to drones. DOMESTIC FUTURE - Hyperspectral sensors would have a variety of applications for homeland security. For example, Canadian researchers have already experimented with using hyperspectral imagery to find unmarked graves, which they believe could allow police to help find possible murder victims. Scientists also believe that hyperspectral mapping could be used to discriminate illegal crops such as marijuana from surrounding plants. Outside of law enforcement, mineral prospectors could benefit from airborne assaying, and farmers could get detailed information about their land.

2) Argus TYPE: Wide-Area Surveillance
BATTLEFIELD USE - When Gorgon Stare—a sensor system with nine video cameras—was deployed to Afghanistan, officials praised its ability to keep watch over an entire city. But coming soon is Argus, a leaner and more powerful device. Argus has only four cameras, but each has 92 focal plane arrays. Argus is expected to generate 274 terabytes of data per hour, or roughly 6 to 13 petabytes of data every one or two days, "[That's] the equivalent of 137,000 high-definition movies per hour," says Lt. Gen. Larry James, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. DOMESTIC FUTURE - In the U.S., these wide-area surveillance cameras would allow law enforcement to keep tabs on large parts of a city from above. But the need for complex multicamera systems may be fading. A state-of-the-art surveillance system called Kestrel was tested on a blimp this year during operations on the U.S.–Mexico border. The video system uses a single continuously swirling camera to monitor about 70 square miles. Such a blimp could be programmed with a velocity filter that can spot speeding vehicles. Every time the wide-area camera spots a violator, a higher-resolution camera onboard could zoom in to capture a license plate. And they aren't limited to blimps: Small UAVs could do similar surveillance over the course of a day, which would be useful to a police tactical unit that wants to know exactly who enters and exits a crack den in the hours before the cops launch a raid.


3) Multi-Spectral Targeting System TYPE: Full motion video 

BATTLEFIELD USE - MTS-B integrates an infrared sensor, a color/monochrome daylight TV camera, and an image-intensified TV camera into a single package. The full motion video from each of the imaging sensors can be viewed as separate video streams or fused together. The system offers great details, from altitudes where the aircraft cannot be spotted. National Guard aircraft UAVs already fly with these sensors. Raytheon is marketing the technology for scientific and civilian use. 
DOMESTIC FUTURE - Seeing real-time video of the ground is not necessarily new, but the amount of video is unprecedented. For example, Air Force officials say they are collecting some 1200 hours of full motion video a day, or about 35,000 hours a month. Processing all that data, though, is another matter: The amount of video collected by full-time full motion video could easily overwhelm a domestic police force. As usual, the Achilles heel of total monitoring could be the inability for anyone to use all the data in a coherent way. So instead of 24/7 surveillance, law enforcement may find better use for full motion video during specific police operations, such as public events, search-and-rescue, or response to major disasters.
4) HALOE TYPE: Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) 
BATTLEFIELD USE - These new sensors use lasers to create three-dimensional maps of ground terrain by measuring how long it takes those lasers to bounce back from the target. The Pentagon has already flown the DARPA-developed sensor system called High Altitude Lidar Operations Experiment, or HALOE, in Afghanistan. Michael Vickers, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, told an audience at a geo-spatial intelligence conference held last year in San Antonio that the military has already mapped more than a third of Afghanistan using LIDAR. This summer the Navy plans to test LIDAR on a Firescout, a robotic helicopter, to help spot pirates. 

DOMESTIC FUTURE - In the U.S., police already use LIDAR as an alternative to radar to catch speeders. Such road monitoring could be more widespread if these sensors are mounted on UAVs, since unmanned aircraft can stay airborne for such a long time. LIDAR could also be used to spot hidden drug labs. City planners and architects could use the technology to map areas before building, and emergency relief workers could use LIDAR to gauge the damage to remote areas after a storm or other cataclysmic event.

Glenn Beck signs 5-year $100 million radio deal - Yahoo! News


AP By RYAN NAKASHIMA | Associated Press
– 9 mins ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Conservative talk show host Glenn Beck has signed a five-year, $100 million contract to continue his morning radio show with syndicator Premiere Networks Inc.
The details were confirmed Monday by a person with direct knowledge of the deal. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the deal and requested anonymity.
The contract was earlier reported by The New York Times.
It marks a big pay bump for Beck. His last contract with the Clear Channel subsidiary was reportedly for $10 million a year in 2007.
The Glenn Beck Program is the nation's third-highest rated radio show behind The Rush Limbaugh Show and The Sean Hannity Show. Those two shows are also syndicated by Premiere.
Over the past five years, Beck's audience has grown nearly 50 percent and the number of stations carrying his show has doubled to more than 400.
Forbes Magazine estimates that Beck, 48, makes $80 million a year. He parted ways with Fox News Channel last year after his TV show's audience size shrank and advertisers staged a boycott following his comment that President Barack Obama had "a deep-seated hatred for white people."

Take That FOX NEWS!

Quiz: Can You Pass These 10 Secret Fitness Tests? | Summer Shape-Up - Yahoo! Shine

Quiz: Can You Pass These 10 Secret Fitness Tests? | Summer Shape-Up - Yahoo! Shine

Sunday, June 10, 2012

(Click to read full article.)

Well IMHO either DRIVE or TEXT. I want to drive and enjoy the trip. This is why I have someone sitting next to me to handle Navigation and Communication!!  NOW if you want to provide me with a DRIVER then I will handle the Navigation, Communications and Web Surfing!!



 Key2SafeDriving=No Texting while driving.

There are apps (offered here) for the smart phone that can help prevent texting while driving. There are even devices that you can plug in to your OBDII port that blogs texts and phone call in the car or vehicle. (IMHO, this is overkill or useless to me, because the driver can remove the device at anytime. The device needs to be installed whereas the driver is the only person it would effect. An if the OBDII is already in use the then what? We need mulitple OBDII ports for sure! About 90 percent of American adults think texting and driving should be outlawed, a Harris Interactive poll sponsored by Pinger instant voice messaging service found. And yet, 57 percent admit sending a text while driving.


So how about  An autonomous car, also known as robotic or informally as driverless or self-driving car, is an autonomous vehicle capable of fulfilling the human transportation capabilities of a traditional car. As an autonomous vehicle, it is capable of sensing its environment and navigating on its own. A human may choose a destination, but is not required to perform any mechanical operation of the vehicle.
Autonomous vehicles sense the world with such techniques as laser, radar, lidar, GPS and computer vision. Advanced control systems interpret the information to identify appropriate navigation paths, as well as obstacles and relevant signage. Autonomous vehicles typically update their maps based on sensory input, such that they can navigate through uncharted environments.

There have been several programs around the world. In June 2011 the state of Nevada was the first jurisdiction in the United States to pass a law concerning the operation of driverless cars. The Nevada law went into effect on March 1, 2012, and the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles issued the first license for a self-driven car in May 2012. The license was issued to a Toyota Prius modified with Google's experimental driverless technology.[1]


Yes I know there are pro's and con's to this concept. Just as there is with anything new or old, REMEMBER the Second Amendment (Amendment II) to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights) PEOPLE still argue over this issue!!!

Texting is Distracted Driving!


Information on the dangers of distracted driving, brought to you by Chrysler, Car and Driver, and Txt U L8r.


Also visit Key2SafeDriving.

How does it work... The Key2SafeDriving product is a patented technology that will not allow texting while driving, includes mobile phone software, a hardware key and web services, which when combined, provide a way to monitor, report and regulate mobile phone activity while driving.

Easy Install: Key2SafeDriving is easy to implement and can be installed by anyone within a matter of minutes. No tools are required.
Cost-Effective: Key2SafeDriving is a cost-effective solution that doesn’t require GPS or expensive hardware to implement, no contracts, or long term commitments. Just a one time purchase.
911 Support: Drivers maintain the ability to make emergency calls from their cell phone when Key2SafeDriving is activated in Safe Driving Mode. Drivers can also call two other preprogrammed numbers or use hands free devices to make and receive calls.
Effective: Key2SafeDriving is not a cell phone ‘jammer’, but reroutes calls directly to voice mail and sends automated text message responses saying that the driver will respond when they have safely reached their destination.
Safe Driving Score™: Key2SafeDriving will soon release our Safe Driving Score™, which may be used by insurance companies to provide discounts for safe drivers. It compares your driving behavior to other drivers on the road. The Safe Driving Score™ is based on a patent pending technology called Risk Mileage™.
Web-based Management: Key2SafeDriving offers a full suite of profile management capabilities that provide the administrator with complete control of customizable notification and reporting functions.
Tamper Proof: Attempts to disable or bypass Key2SafeDriving are logged by the system and notification can also be sent by email or text message to the administrator.
Available Now: Currently, Key2SafeDrving is available in English for North American customers and can be programmed for other countries to meet their emergency calling requirements.

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