| Energy Independence Is Stupid (Updated)
Instead everyone wants the costs to go and at same time the demand to decrease. Politically need to link security, economics, climate change, and Apple Pie together and put a surcharge on non-renewable energy supplies and redirect that money into renewables. And understand it will take time (as in a decade or two) to make a sizable shift. True energy independence might be obtainable but not in my lifetime. We can certainly make very significant reductions in oil imports if we wished but political will has not been there. .
Shelter hoping for hometown help
Jamie Riley is a dog's best friend, and not just to her own pets, but to those without homes too. "Everyone has their niche when it comes to trying to help someone or something, and I've always been a big fan of helping animals," she said. Riley, along with friends and coworkers, annually organizes the "Food for Pets" fundraising drive which has for the past five years provided food and supplies to the animals at the Kenai Animal Shelter, the Soldotna Animal Control Center and Alaska's Extended Life Animal Sanctuary in Nikiski. This year Riley hopes she has found another way to help pound puppies and cast-off kitties, through Hamburger Helper's "My Hometown Helper.com" project. "I heard ads for it on the TV and radio, and thought it might be one more way to help homeless pets," she said.
Trails Day aims to get people on track
Last year's rain and warm temperatures washed out the annual Winter Trails Day showcase at Weston Ski Track, but the on-snow show that introduces cross-country skiing and snowshoeing to novices will go on. "We have a tremendous base of natural and man-made snow," said Weston manager Mark Jacobson. "Unless it is pouring rain, we will have the event." More than 20 cross-country ski and snowshoe centers across New England are taking part in the national Winter Trails Day Saturday, designed to get newbies hooked on snowshoeing and cross-country skiing with free lessons, tours, and gear demonstrations. In its 13th year, Winter Trails Day is organized by the manufacturer's group SnowSports Industries America through a partnership with the Cross Country Ski Areas Association and American Hiking Society.
Govt. braces for key security standard
The arrival of the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201 is being met with a mix of optimism and anxiety. If it works out, the standard could provide a framework for adoption outside the federal government. But more immediately, government agencies are concerned about its costs and practical implementation. The Department of Defense, the government's biggest user of smart cards, is most worried. "We expect we're going to have to make some changes," says Mary Dixon, deputy director at the department's Defense Manpower Data Center. The group has issued more than 3 million smart cards based on the older Government Smart Card Interoperability Specification (GSCIS ). In comments to NIST last December on the draft standards document, the Defense Department said FIPS 201 would force a "costly re-investment" that would "require [Department of Defense] to re-deploy desktop middleware to 2.2 million [Defense Department] computers," update 3.5 million Common Access cards and "impose an unproven solution with no supporting product." The government did not release estimated costs to pay for Bush's mandate.
McCain Declares Cuba Policy a Success
Senator John McCain declared our policy of containment towards Cuba a success and declared his support for an independent Kosovo in a conference call with bloggers this afternoon. He made some opening remarks focusing on foreign policy before taking questions and I had the opportunity to ask him to expand his thoughts. He challenged Barack Obama's statement in last night's debate that he would sit down and talk with Raul Castro without precondition. McCain said he'd be happy to hold talks once they have free elections and release their political prisoners but not before. In my questioning, I noted that we had managed to have unconditional talks with the likes of Joe Stalin and Chairman Mao. While conceding that point — although noting that our marriage of convenience with Stalin quickly fell apart once our common foe was defeated — he thinks Raul is a particularly bad fellow[1] and that, more importantly, our holding talks would increase his legitimacy and possibly extend the reign of Communism over that country.
BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept
Yesterday, DailyTech reported on VW's intention to bring a diesel-electric hybrid Golf to market. The hybrid powertrain would boost fuel economy to nearly 70 MPG on the small two/four-door hatchback. BMW also has diesel-electric hybrids on the brain with its new Vision EfficientDynamics concept vehicle. The concept is based on the X5 Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) and uses a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder Variable Twin Turbo diesel engine. The diesel motor develops 204 HP and 295 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the previous BMW X6 ActiveHybrid concept vehicle which was a full hybrid, the Vision EfficientDynamics is a mild-hybrid vehicle. A 15kw generator boosts total power to 221 HP, while regenerative braking steps in to help power the vehicle's electrical systems and recharge the rear-mounted lithium-ion battery pack.
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