Time.com

Time.com has changed recently and now it is a much more interesting site. It is now in partnership with CNN. Here is an article from its frontpage:

Al Gore’s Foot Soldiers

There are several ways to send a message. You can be bold and yell from a rooftop. You can be subtle and mention a theory in passing. Or if you really mean business, you can make a motion picture and, in order to reach even more people, organize an army to disseminate its message.

Former Vice President Al Gore’s 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth grossed over $20 million, earned two Academy Award nominations and was widely credited for bringing the issue of global warming into American living rooms. But Gore’s team believes there are still many regions throughout the country — particularly in the Midwest — that still have not gotten the message. Now through the Climate Project — an initiative to spread awareness and challenge citizens and governments to take action against the effects of global warming — Gore has trained nearly 1,000 of his foot soldiers to give the same presentation that he delivers in the movie. His disciples, who are required to give at least 10 talks a year, are not just scientists but volunteers from all walks of life including teachers, housewives and even celebrities like Cameron Diaz.

The Climate Project brings a personal element to groups that may have never encountered the film, says Kalee Kredier, Gore’s communications director. “The trainees have given his version of the slideshow more times than Vice President Gore,” Kredier adds. “That’s really the goal for them to reach down in where the movie and Vice President Gore cannot reach.”

Gore’s “cavalry,” as he calls them, can also do something else the movie can’t: talk back to the audience. “I can answer questions better than Gore can in the film,” said Ken Mankoff, by night a soldier for Gore and by day a computer programmer who develops models at Columbia University.

Mankoff and his fellow volunteers were handpicked from nearly 5,000 applicants based on public speaking abilities, scientific knowledge and diversity. Gore has already held six two-and-a-half day training sessions and plans to hold two more this spring — one in Nashville and another in Cambridge. Aside from travel expenses, the sessions are free for all volunteers.

During this global-warming boot camp, Gore stands in front of his cavalry for about 12 hours and explains the slide show presentation he gives in the movie. The volunteers are not required to follow a set script, but Gore offers specific advice on how to engage the audience and use metaphors to explain complex scientific information. A scientist on Gore’s staff is present during the training to answer any technical questions posed by the volunteers, and a professional speech trainer offers public speaking advice.

Although Mankoff finished training only three months ago, he already has 10 talks scheduled before March around the country, everywhere from high schools and church groups to city hall. So far, he says he has been overwhelmed by the community’s reception to the program, adding that 90% of the groups he reaches out to are eager to have him speak. “It’s a powerful presentation and people are really moved when they see it,” Mankoff said. “The movie may exist, but people are more likely to see it if they find out that some community event is occurring around it.”

Miss America 1926

Norma Smallwood was the first Native American (Cherokee) to win the Miss America crown. Featured on the frontpage of Time.com – see the photo essay about the history of Miss America at:
http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2007/miss_america/

Crank Phone Calls

I was just telling a friend about one of Aaron’s crank phone calls. Many years ago Hamish used to work for Vinod in a corner store. Hamish knew the names of everyone in Vinod’s family. So Aaron got these names, put on an Indian accent then rang Vinod. Aaron said something like: “Hi Vinod, this is Sanjay your old acquaintance from India! How is your wife Camilla? And the children Anil and Varsha? I want to take up your offer and come and stay at your place for a few weeks.” At this point Vinod has no idea who is calling….

It was very funny. I wonder if Aaron has any new calls to report. He seems to have dropped off the radar a bit…

More ramblings

I went to a party the other night and there were some guys from Europe doing card tricks. They were amazing. In one of the tricks one guy dealt a pack of cards into two piles on a table – a pile for red cards and a pile for black. He would pull a card from the pack, without turning it over, and then a girl in the audience would tell him which pile to put it on. The girl would randomly say, “Red, red, red, red, black, red, black, black…” until all the cards were dealt. Then he turns over the cards and all the cards in the red pile were red and all the blacks were black! I couldn’t believe it. I have no idea how he did it, but it was extremely impressive.

Here is a bit of driving on the Birkenhead Wharf:

I’ve also been following the Presidential candidate nominations with interest. Of most interest are the Democratic candidates: Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama, John Edwards, and possibly Al Gore. I like them all, though given the choice I’d choose Al Gore. He has been doing a lot of global warming events lately, including one in a stadium that seats 10,000 people. Apparently it sold out in five hours, faster than Elton John’s event there. And when Gore speaks he tells jokes and entertains the crowd. He is re-imaging himself in the public’s eyes as charismatic and not the boring bureaucrat that he was before.

It reminds me of Bob Dole on Larry King. After losing the election Dole spoke candidly with audiences and cracked jokes. People said, “Why didn’t you campaign like that? We like that Bob so much more.” He said he didn’t think it was appropriate, but he would have had he known how much people would have liked him for it.

Regarding rumours that Al Gore is planning to run for president, he said, “I’m not running until I am.”

Quick Ramblings

I have such good intentions to keep this blog up to date, but time is scarce at the moment. I always seem to have somewhere to be and consequently don’t spend much time at home. But here are a few thoughts that I thought I’d share:

It’s snowing here and it’s very pretty! It reminds me of the last scene from the movie Cold Mountain – lots of snow gently falling. It’s cold but not unpleasant because there’s no wind. My cleets are giving me enourmous peace of mind. I was thinking today, “Why do I remember last year as being so much harder?” The answer is that the cleets make each step surer and thus there is less effort. Kind like what cruise control does for driving.

One day i went outside after having had a shower. My hair was damp and after a minute I run my fingers through my hair and it felt like I had dreadlocks! It had frozen! Apparently it’s not a good idea to touch it because the hairs can break off!

I talked to Ray a few days ago and he invited me to visit him in Panama. So perhaps I will drop by on my way home at the end of this semester. It sounds like an interesting place to visit.

I have just started a slow detox programme. This means chopping out the things that aren’t good for me. On Sunday I had a Body Scan test done. This is a machine with electrodes that are hooked up to my arm for about ten minutes. It tests for 6,000 things and determines the body’s reaction to them. It works on the same principle as a lie dectector and muscle testing. I’d heard good thing about it and it turned out to be very accurate. It can determine what minerals and vitamins are deficient, what organs are weak/strong etc. It tests for everything! It even picked up that I have been eating an organic diet because there were no significant signs of pesticides in my system. The lady who operated it had had a very good experience with it when she first tried it. She was pregnant and had been vomiting a lot and couldn’t eat anything. The same thing had cuased her to lose three pregnancies before. No one knew what was wrong with her. She took this test and the homeopathic remedy that it produced based on her results and she was instantly cured. Amazing.

I watched a movie last week called Stripes with Bill Murray from 1981. He loses his car, girlfriend and job in one day and joins the army with his friend. In the recruiting office he is asked if he has any convictions for murder, rape, drugs etc. He says, “Convictions?… No, no convictions.” Ha ha ha!

And did you know that the rest of the world calls kiwifruit “kiwis”? So when I introduce myself as a Kiwi they hear me saying, “I’m a kiwifruit.” It took me a long time to work this out. I explain that Kiwi and kiwifruit are different just like grape and grapefruit.

So that’s that’s enough rambling for now. Will try and blog more soon, but no promises…

Why Nymphos, Recycled Virgins, Yogis, and Alcoholics Likely Agree on the Meaning of Life

Paula, a good friend, is just nineteen and already a sex addict. “I need it all the time,” she admits. So she gets it… from her thirty-seven year-old boss, twenty-five year old boyfriend, and some other men and women on the side. When I ask her why she lives this lifestyle, she says, “Because I feel like myself when I’m having sex… and I can’t feel that any other time.”

Mary, another good friend, is a self-described “recycled virgin”. She had been a real virgin – and good Catholic – until early last year when her long-term boyfriend induced her into having sex. Panic attacks soon followed… then a conversation with God… then a reinvigorated commitment to abstinence until marriage. When I asked her why she was again abstaining, she said, “Because I feel more at peace knowing that I am again on the right path.”

Another friend, Brian, is addicted to yoga. “I can’t go a day without it,” he says. So he goes to the beach every morning, rolls out a yoga mat, stakes two Nepalese flags in the sand, and sinks into different yoga poses for three hours before going to his investment banking job. When I ask him why he engages in such a rigorous yoga schedule, he says, “My practice makes me feel totally connected and at peace.”

A fourth friend, Fernando, is a self-described alcoholic. After a hard day of construction, he goes to the bar and orders a “cold one”. Then another and another… until he enters a state of sober, reflective intoxication. When I ask him why he isn’t more worried about his drinking habits, he says, “When I drink, I feel alive and real… and I can’t get that with anything else.”

How interesting this is! Human beings use promiscuity, chastity, yoga, and alcoholism to get to the same place – a place where we feel alive, human, connected, and at peace!

From avanoo.wordpress.com.

Cold Snap

We had a real cold snap a few days ago. Now Fairfield is as cold as a witch’s tit. Everything is covered in ice and getting around is much slower, but at least it’s not windy. I’m glad winter has finally arrived, as it is supposed to. I was wondering if winter had passed us by this year.

Thankfully, I have a pair of Get-A-Grip’s. This marvellous invention fits to the bottom of my shoes and provides perfect grip even on sheet ice. There are six little steel spikes on each foot providing sure footing for me while everyone else struggles to stand up.

Still waiting

Still waiting for the telephone company to fix the internet. Is it that all Telecoms around the world are bastards?

Last night I watched a documentary called “The Ground Truth” which interviews Iraq vets. The thing about these vets is that they’re all either my age or younger.

In this Iraqi war of terror, they have no definable enemy, no battle lines, no clear reason for being there, but are told they’re there because of 9/11. The soldiers say that there is no honour in what they’re doing there. Consequently, they say that psychological damage to the troops will be even worse than Vietnam.

I read today that Jim Anderton compared Iraq to Vietnam and got criticised for it – could the parallels be any closer? What is Bush thinking with this silly idea of a troop surge? I’ve noticed that even Republicans these days are distancing themselves from Bush.

Hi Y’all,

The internet is down in my room so I can’t post much, or even read my emails! Apparently the problem is with the telephone cable and the telephone company has to sort it out.

Will hopefully resume posting soon…

A.

Bugatti Veyron

This is an awesome car. Below is taken from Wikipedia.

According to Volkswagen, the final production Veyron engine produces between 1020 and 1040 metric hp (1006 to 1026 SAE net hp), so the car will be advertised as producing “1001 horsepower” in both the US and European markets. This makes it the most powerful production road-car engine in history. Peak torque is 1250 N·m (922 ft·lbf).

Top speed was initially promised to be 252 mph (406 km/h), but test versions were unstable at that speed, forcing a redesign of the aerodynamics. In May 2005, a prototype Veyron tested at a Volkswagen track near Wolfsburg, Germany, and recorded an electronically limited top speed of 400 km/h (249 mph). In October, 2005, Car and Driver magazine’s editor Csaba Csere test drove the final production version of the Veyron for the November 2005 issue. This test, at Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track, reached a top speed of 253.2 mph (407.5 km/h).

The Veyron is the quickest production car to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) with an estimated time of 2.5 seconds. It also reaches 200 and 300 km/h (124 and 186 mph) in 7.3 and 16.7 seconds respectively. This makes the Veyron the quickest-accelerating production car in history. It also consumes more fuel than any other production car, using 40.4 L/100 km (5.82 mpg) in city driving and 24.1 L/100 km (10 mpg) in combined cycle. At full-throttle, it uses more than 125 L/100 km (2.1 mpg), which would empty its 100 L fuel tank in just 12.5 minutes. The car’s everyday top speed is listed at 234 mph (377 km/h). When the car reaches 137 mph (220 km/h), hydraulics lower the car until it has a ground clearance of about 3 1/2 inches (8.9 cm). At the same time, the wing and spoiler deploy. This is the “handling” mode, in which the wing helps provide 770 pounds (3425 newtons) of downforce, holding the car to the road.[2] The driver must, using the key, toggle the lock to the left of his seat in order to use the maximum speed of 253.2 miles per hour (407.5 km/h). Theoretically it can go faster but it is electronically limited to 253.2 miles per hour (407.5 km/h) to prevent tire damage. The key functions only when the vehicle is at a stop when a checklist then establishes whether the car—and its driver—are ready to enable ‘top speed’ mode. If all systems are go, the rear spoiler retracts, the front air diffusers close and the ground clearance, normally 4.9 inches (12.4 cm), drops to 2.6 inches (6.6 cm).

The Veyrons’ brakes utilize unique cross-drilled and turbine vented carbon rotors, which draw in cooling air to reduce fade. Each caliper has eight[2] titanium pistons. Bugatti claims maximum deceleration of 1.3 g on road tires. Prototypes have been subjected to repeated 1.0 g braking from 194 to 50 mph (312 to 80 km/h) without fade. With the car’s fearsome acceleration from 50 to 194 mph (80 to 312 km/h), that test can be performed every 22 seconds. At speeds above 124 mph (200 km/h), the rear wing also acts as an airbrake, snapping to a 70-degree angle in 0.4 seconds once brakes are applied, providing 0.5 g (6 m/s²) of deceleration.[2] Bugatti claims the Veyron will brake from 252 mph (406 km/h) to a standstill in less than 10 seconds.[2] The braking is also so evenly applied that the car will not deviate from a straight path if the driver lets go of the steering wheel, even with the brakes fully applied starting from close to top speed. [1]

Reviews
Gordon Murray, designer of the McLaren F1 (which at the time of creation was billed as the fastest production car ever built) said the following about the Bugatti Veyron in UK auto magazine evo during its development period:

“The most pointless exercise on the planet has got to be this four-wheel-drive 1000 horsepower Bugatti. I think it’s incredibly childish this thing people have about just one element—top speed or standing kilometre or 0-60. It’s about as narrow minded as you can get as a car designer to pick on one element. It’s like saying we’re going to beat the original Mini because we’re going to make a car 10 mph faster on its top speed—but it’s two foot longer and 200 kilos heavier. That’s not car designing—that just reeks of a company who are paranoid.”[citation needed]

However, after the car had made production, Murray went on to write an article for another UK auto magazine, Top Gear conceding a lot of his past resentment of the car.

“One really good thing, and I simply never expected this, is that it does change direction. It hardly feels its weight. Driving it on a circuit I expected a sack of cement, but you can really throw it at tight chicanes.”

He also declared in the article that: “The braking is phenomenal,” “The primary ride and body control are good too” and “It’s a huge achievement.”[citation needed]

The trend of backtracking on negative comments about the Veyron continued when prominent UK car show host Jeremy Clarkson declared on Top Gear that it was “The best car ever made” after initially saying it was ridiculous and would never exist.[2] He would later extend this by saying he would spend the night with British reality TV star Jade Goody to get his hands on one.

The Veyron was then proclaimed the Top Gear Magazine Car of the Year along with the Toyota Aygo and its Peugeot and Citroën clones.

The Veyron was also declared the Grand Award winner for the Autotech catergory of 2006 by Popular Science magazine.

Trivia
*According to Jeremy Clarkson, the host of Top Gear, in a speed race, if the McLaren F1 were allowed to reach 120 mph before the Bugatti started, the Bugatti would still be the first to reach 200 mph.

*In one of Top Gear’s races, Richard Hammond and James May attempted to beat Clarkson in a race across Europe using transport other than a car, from Italy to England to transport a truffle. Clarkson used the Veyron, while Hammond and May used a variety of transport, with May flying the Cessna 182 due to his newly obtained pilot’s licence, and the use of the Eurostar, when it was revealed that May was not qualified to fly at night.[3] Apparently, so far, Bugatti has not given Top Gear approval for a Power Lap in the Veyron, an attempt at the record time, now held by the Koenigsegg CCX (with the Top Gear spoiler).

*The Veyron’s handbrake features ABS, allowing it to be used to stop the car in case the main brakes fail.[21]

*The Transformers: Cybertron character Crosswise transforms into a noticeably modified Veyron.

*According to Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear, Volkswagen’s cost per Veyron is approximately £5 million (ie VW would lose £4.25 million on each Veyron sold). However, one should note that this is not the price to produce one vehicle, but rather the cost of the entire Veyron project divided by the number of vehicles produced at that time.

*At full throttle the Veyron can empty its fuel tank in just 12 minutes.