TED

If you think the world is coming to an end, if you think there’s no hope for humanity, or if you just wanna get the best high out of the last bowl you smoked (whaddup Sean), I suggest you go to TED.com.

TED is a convention held annually in Monterey, California, where a bunch of cool people get together and lecture on the advancement of the world in every category imaginable. Each lecture is recorded and posted on the website, where you can comment on them, read about them, and find videos with similar focus. The cool thing about the thousand people that lecture is that most of these people aren’t only talking about these fresh ideas, like most average joe’s, but actually putting them in motion. The talks, in my opinion, are really inspiring and I can’t help but be pumped up about the future after having viewed them. The video below is a sample of what you’ll find at TED and it’s one of the most interesting ones I’ve seen so far.

Some people that see this video are more afraid of this technology than excited about it. They think that giving a manmade machine, whatever the machine is made of, the ability to reproduce, might lead to them multiplying beyond our control, taking over, and so on and so forth. My response to that is sort of an apathetic approach. I think that although that is a possibility, I know that it’s only a matter of time before someone creates a machine that reproduces, so we might as well get this over with and see what happens. Basically, I’d rather risk human existence in an attempt to advance technology, than sit around waiting to die….that’s actually more morbid than it is apathetic, but whaddaya gonna do. I swear I’m not that type of guy. I just wanna see what we can do, and who knows, maybe we’re about to uncover some technology that will extend our expiration date. 

A word to the wise before you visit, there are some boring videos with a lot of scientific jargon, so if you’re merely a layman, as am I, be prepared (you like how fancy I said that?). Having said that, the majority of the videos I’ve seen are really engaging, so enjoy.

Wow, look at the time (4:13am). I’d better go lay down and sweat myself to sleep in my flippin’ hot ass room.

How it all goes down.

Google End of the world, search videos, and this polished gem is what comes up.

The following is how it all goes down. Sort of. Lets hope California drifts off before the nukes fly off.

WTF mate?

Spears and Gibson plan world domination over Mai Tais!

That’s right.

Our favorite umbrella swinging, hair shaving, rehab junkie is teaming up with the tequila-loving Jew-hater. Look out kids, this one might get messy. The classiest news agency in the world reports

The new celebrity pals departed from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif., on Thursday morning. Back in March, the two were spotted having dinner together at the Russian restaurant, Romanov, in Studio City. According to a report in People, a source said the two are “just going away for a few days to relax.”

It is believed they will be staying at Gibson’s home in Costa Rica.

Britney and Mel used to be neighbors in Malibu.

I can predict that the two will get smashed as all hell, run through a Toys’R'Us screaming “sugar tits kids” then run over paparazzis in an eco-friendly SUV before insulting the Mayans, their Mothers, Jamie Lynn’s unborn fetus, and then (of course) Jews.

I don’t even wanna play the “what do you think their children will look like” game — but if you really want an idea, below is my composite sketch.

Perhaps this could be a good thing, two like minds coming together to save… oh who the fuck am I kidding? Are you serious. Britney and Mel are the new black. The new Bonny and Clyde. Cue the explosions and ominus score, please.

The Gays Are… Here. And still queer.

This little bit will have most of the conservatives throwing their computers out a window. MSNBC reports…

In a monumental victory for the gay rights movement, the California Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage Thursday in a ruling that would allow same-sex couples in the nation’s biggest state to tie the knot.

I thought California was gay, but this is awesome. Now we get a three day weekend for the trouble, right?

Marriage has always been a sham, ever since it was invented by puritans who hate fun. This is great news for both gays and married couples alike– why shouldn’t everyone be able to exercise their right to bicker and fight, and do it legally? How many years do you think it’ll take before the gay rights movements end, and everyone is “equal”? Church and state have never been truly divided and it seems that maybe the State is checking themselves before they wreck themselves.

A better question would be, when the hell will we all be “free”?

How long until our institutions are obsolete?

Damnnit! How long until the anarchy starts? I can tell you friends, if the end of the world requires a banana hammock and a Clay Aiken album, then I might just stay home.

E-85

The ethanol myth
Consumer Reports’ E85 tests show that you’ll get cleaner emissions but poorer fuel economy … if you can find it

The Bush administration has been pushing ethanol as a renewable, homegrown alternative to gasoline. Now, the auto industry is abuzz with the promise of its flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs), which are designed to run on either gasoline or the blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline called E85.

 

	CR Quick Take
		Despite the avid support of the Bush administration and major American car companies, E85 is unlikely to fill more than a small percentage of U.S. energy needs. E85, which is 85 percent ethanol, emits less smog-causing pollutants than gasoline, but provides fewer miles per gallon, costs more, and is hard to find outside the Midwest. Government support for flexible-fuel vehicles, which can run on E85, is indirectly causing more gasoline consumption rather than less. Most ethanol is being blended in a 10 percent mix to reduce smog-producing emissions and stretch gasoline supplies.

But after putting a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe FFV through an array of fuel economy, acceleration, and emissions tests, and interviewing more than 50 experts on ethanol fuel, CR determined that E85 will cost consumers more money than gasoline and that there are concerns about whether the government’s support of FFVs is really helping the U.S. achieve energy independence. Among our findings:

 

• The fuel economy of the Tahoe dropped 27 percent when running on E85 compared with gasoline, from an already low 14 mpg overall to 10 mpg (rounded to the nearest mpg). This is the lowest fuel mileage we’ve gotten from any vehicle in recent years.

• With the retail pump price of E85 averaging $2.91 per gallon in August, according to the Oil Price Information Service, which tracks petroleum and other fuel prices, a 27 percent fuel-economy penalty means drivers would have paid an average of $3.99 for the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline.

• When we calculated the Tahoe’s driving range, we found that it decreased to about 300 miles on a full tank of E85 compared with about 440 on gasoline. So you have to fill up more often with E85.

• The majority of FFVs are large vehicles like the Tahoe that get relatively poor fuel economy even on gasoline. So they will cost you a lot at the pump, no matter which fuel you use.

• Because E85 is primarily sold in the upper Midwest, most drivers in the country have no access to the fuel, even if they want it. For our Tahoe test, for example, we had to blend our own (see The great E85 fuel hunt).

• The FFV surge is being motivated by generous fuel-economy credits that auto-makers get for every FFV they build, even if it never runs on E85. This allows them to pump out more gas-guzzling large SUVs and pickups, which is resulting in the consumption of many times more gallons of gasoline than E85 now replaces.

 

We put the Tahoe through our full series of fuel-economy and acceleration tests while running on each fuel (see our test results). When running on E85 there was no significant change in acceleration. Fuel economy, however, dropped across the board. In highway driving, gas mileage decreased from 21 to 15 mpg; in city driving, it dropped from 9 to 7 mpg.

 

You could expect a similar decrease in gas mileage in any current FFV. That’s because ethanol has a lower energy content than gasoline: 75,670 British thermal units per gallon instead of 115,400, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. So you have to burn more fuel to generate the same amount of energy. In addition, FFV engines are designed to run more efficiently on gasoline. E85 fuel economy could approach that of gasoline if manufacturers optimized engines for that fuel.

 

When we took our Tahoe to a state-certified emissions-test facility in Connecticut and had a standard emissions test performed, we found a significant decrease in smog-forming oxides of nitrogen when using E85. Ethanol, however, emits acetaldehyde, a probable carcinogen and something that standard emissions-testing equipment is not designed to measure. But that might be a relatively minor evil. “Acetaldehyde is bad,” says James Cannon, president of Energy Futures, an alternative-transportation publication, “but not nearly as bad as some of the emissions from gasoline.”

 http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/news/2006/ethanol-10-06/overview/1006_ethanol_ov1_1.htm

This article talks about the common context of alternative fuel sources. This explains how many of the possible solutions are being effected and the ups and downs that occur. For instance on the fact that alternative fuel sources are not as bad a regular gasoline emissions. Then again who will by a car that will pretty much in a sense have to have a scavenger hunt to find a fuel station? Secondly ethanol takes alot of corn to make. So we again as a society are going to dictate what is more important to us world food or better emiisions to prevent global warming? surely ethanol will take up a substantial amount of crop fields. It looks like we as a society are going to dictate whether we live on or suffer at the rate of hunger do to the global friendly emissions.

Party at my house, December 21st, 2012! Save the date!

That’s right everyone. I’m inviting you all to a very special party at my house. There will be DJs, a dancefloor, drinks, and then of course the end of the world.

For those of you who didn’t know, the Mayans long ago predicted that the end of the world, most likely a global cataclysm, will occur on the day of December 21, 2012.

No one knows what exactly is supposed to happen, or if it’s the end of humanity. It is just speculation that the earth will respond in destruction on this day.

That gives us just over 4 years to enjoy the Earth as we know it, so mark your calendars and RSVP, we’re gonna go out with a bang!

Here are some links for more information on 2012:
http://www.december212012.com
http://www.survive2012.com

Discuss:
Will the world end on 12-21-2012?
Yes? What will happen?

Spread the Word

There is no doubt that our actions affect our environment and, as mentioned in a previous blog, our earth is heating up pretty fast. Everytime we floor it in our Hummers, replace some trees with buildings, or smoke a bowl, we’re doing a little damage to the Earth. No matter how big the action (driving a Hummer) or small (smoking a bowl), they all have an affect on our surroundings. Still, this doesn’t necessarily mean we’re all gonna burn up and die next year, we just have to be aware of it, and find healthier alternatives for our daily life.

One tool that helps to kept people informed of the latest and greatest in our culture is ”word of mouth.” This form of communication has proved since the beginning of time to be one of the most affective methods of spreading information. The only way word of mouth has transformed over the years is that it’s moved from verbal to virtual. The ever-expanding internet is spreading information about global warming everyday  through online video clips, articles, and blogs.

Global Warming has reached so many people that some of the larger corporations are coming together to get involved in the preservation of our environment and atmosphere. This would hopefully result in a longer life expectancy for the Earth, and the people inhabiting it.

One particular website that is reaching a wide audience is Green is Universal. Through this website you can find information on certain problems we are currently facing, discover helpful tips on how to improve the health of our planet and support other companies that are attempting to do the same. They even provide a laundry list of links to “partner sites” and “green sites.”

So get involved, spread the word, don’t let THIS happen to you.

Global Warming

All About Global Warming

 

“Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate forever.

While many view the effects of global warming to be more substantial and more rapidly occurring than others do, the scientific consensus on climatic changes related to global warming is that the average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 °C over the past 100 years. The increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing, agriculture, and other human activities, are believed to be the primary sources of the global warming that has occurred over the past 50 years.

Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate carrying out global warming research have recently predicted that average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100. Changes resulting from global warming may include rising sea levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps, as well as an increase in occurrence and severity of storms and other severe weather events.

For more information on global warming, including the long-term effects of global warming, the causes of global warming, the latest global warming news, and more, just select any global warming article or other interactive feature below. “

http://www.livescience.com/globalwarming/

This clearly explains the science behind a certain possiblity of the world ending. The article reflects how the sea will rise and gives a particular date of the possible rise in tempertures. Note that it is not stating that the world will end, but is merely stating that a rise in temperature will occur, sea levels will rise, and storms will become worse. Even so will any of us be alive to be bothered by this ? The year 2100?

A Brief History of the Apocalypse

http://www.abhota.info/end6.htm I am sorry for the link, but there is to much on the web page to post so by clicking the link you will be able to read the history of the apocalypse and see the future predictions.

 I recently ran across a web site that kind of surprised me in a sense. This website explains a majority of the history of many apocalypse predictions. Well in regard to the historic predictions of the apocalypse, they were wrong. This website shows future possibilities of the end of the world. Some of these predictions included some rather ludicrous and far fetched predictions. There were some resonable predictions such as the Mayan Chronology. Then there are of course the far fetched allegations of the apocalypse. I mainly feel that there is simply no reason to bother with these dates of the end of time. Mainly i feel this way due to the reason that when it happens will we know? Will we as a civilization be able to prevent it? Even in the sense of Global Warming I feel that it is to little to late. I think that by addings all these assumptions and creating so many false pretenses on this subject will just lead to people losing interestkind of like the girl who cried wolf.

Apocalypse? More like Impossiblypse

Recently, I was arguing with an acquaintance about when the Apocalypse was coming. For the sake of his reputation, I won’t reveal his identity, but he knows who he is. So, this shmo was trying to convince me that the end of the world was, in fact, nearing. I couldn’t believe my ears. My jaw immediately fell to the floor…literally. Yet, in my infinite wisdom, I quickly sprang back into action and countered with, “You are DEAD wrong, buddy! The Apocalypse is NOT coming.”

I was almost sure that this would do the trick, shutting him up for good, but boy was I ever wrong. This guy viciously replied with, “Go fuck yourself!” Well, suffice it to say, I was appalled to hear such an immature retort from a well-educated individual. I knew I was in for an uphill battle with this ne’er-do-well and, unless I brought some solid evidence to the table, I wouldn’t make any progress with my case.

I knew I couldn’t go the factual route, because according Stanford Achievement Test results, I’m not a man of numbers or science; AND I knew I couldn’t go the religious route, because once my priest scolded me for sneezing on the Eucharist…sorry Fr. Kinsey. Instead I used the only weapon left in my arsenal, pop culture.

After several hours of painstaking research, I came to the conclusion that there are inventors and innovators across the globe, using their knowledge of popular culture to help their community, as well as influencing others to do the same. So, assuming that the arrival of the Apocalypse is directly related to the actions of our global community (which the douche I’m arguing with would assume), I would say there is NO need to panic just yet.

Take, for instance, a young man by the name of Johnny Lee. Johnny prides himself for taking popular, inexpensive devices and transforming them into technology made more accessible to the masses. Then, he uses the Internet as a means for broadcasting his findings to the public. He has posted several online articles, such as the recipe for the Poor Man’s Steadicam.

In addition to his articles, he has produced several videos that are strewn about the Internet. One of the more popular videos involves a typical Nintendo Wii remote. Johnny Lee claims, ”In the tip of each remote is a relatively high-performing infrared camera,” and that this can be used to create an “interactive whiteboard” that can be used in schools worldwide. Although there are several other devices with similar capabilities, Johnny states, ”Nintendo has sold over 13 million Wii game consoles…this makes the Wii Remote one of the most common computer input devices in the world.” Read more about it here.

 He demonstrates this device on the video below.

So, if used, the device will cost the schools virtually nothing, as opposed to getting a “real” virtual whiteboard for thousands of dollars. Johnny has posted several of his videos along with instructions at his website.

He also mentions, towards the end of the video, how the public should embrace video sharing websites and use them as a tool for education. Through his videos alone, millions of people all over the world are learning about his advancements, and thousands are even building their own versions of it.

As you can see, there are people out there attempting to connect with others, spreading encouraging information to as many people as possible. By relating to the masses through popular devices (this particular case being video game electronics), people like Johnny Lee hope they will encourage others to jump on the bandwagon and make our global community more “user-friendly.”