Re: [Biofuel] Olive branch

2007-09-30 Thread John Morris
Legal Myths: The McDonald's Hot Coffee Case

   Thanks, Keith, for sharing this information. I have known about the 
McDonald's coffee case for a long time, but have never bothered to 
research the details. I agree that the procorporate, antihuman 
attitude of much of the United States today is appalling. That's why 
I don't participate in much of mainstream US society. I prefer to 
keep my transactions at a local, individual level.

   However, having read the facts of the McDonald's case that you 
offer, I have to admit that this seems like a clear case of 
consumers' rights trampling legitimate corporate rights. There is no 
way that anyone can convince me that a person is only 20% responsible 
for pouring steaming hot coffee on themselves in their own car. 
People do not need to be warned that hot coffee will burn you or that 
a Winnebago might go off the road if you leave the driver's seat at 
70 mph. It is perfectly reasonable to assume a minimum level of 
intelligence of one's customers.
   The fact that previous burn cases had been settled for up to 
$500,000 proves nothing about McDonald's negligence. It speaks more 
to our insurance industry's penchant for settling rather than 
fighting a solid case. I've seen this personally through friends and 
family several times. The cases were cut and dried in favor of the 
defendant, but the insurance companies decided that it would be 
cheaper to settle than try the case, disregarding the black smudge 
this places on the defendants' reputations.

   Additionally, several of the other cases mentioned in Bob's post 
point out a problem with the US system that is unrelated to the 
corporate--human discussion. Three of the cases did not involve 
corporations: the man with the broken hand, the burglar stuck in the 
garage and the dog bit. In fact, the second-highest award went to the 
burglar. I guess I'm glad I don't have a garage door opener (or a 
garage door or garage for that matter). These cases make it clear it 
is not even safe to mind your own business because someone will come 
along and sue you anyway.
   While I don't support many corporate rights, I do think the US 
legal system needs to be reigned in.

John

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Re: [Biofuel] Olive branch

2007-09-30 Thread John Morris
  There is no
way that anyone can convince me that a person is only 20% responsible
for pouring steaming hot coffee on themselves in their own car.

She was a passenger, not the driver, cars are things that move, the
passenger is not in control and cannot be expected to predict how and
when the car will move, especially when pulling off, and McDonald's
not only knew that, after so many previous cases,

   That is exactly my point. She knew that she was sitting in a car 
that was about to move and yet she chose to put steaming hot coffee 
in an open container between her legs. That is a blatant disregard 
for the consequences of her own actions. The only other person that I 
could see as even remotely responsible for her burns is the driver, 
her grandson.

  they also knew that
their coffee was dangerously hot. And they had no explanation or
excuse for what can only be termed negligence.

   People like hot coffee. They expect it to stay hot for a long time 
even when they add cold creamer to it. If I sell you a hammer and you 
use it to kill someone what is my responsibility? Hammers are just as 
dangerous as hot coffee.

  Their subsequent
behaviour was callous and disgraceful. How can you call that
legitimate corporate rights?

   The mere suggestion that McDonald's is responsible in any way for 
Stella's burns is disgraceful. The fact that they offered any payment 
at all is testament to their generosity. The case should have been 
thrown out the first day the judge saw it.

Stella Liebeck was 79, an old woman, and she was seriously injured.

   Her age is irrelevant. She should have known better than to put hot 
coffee between her legs in an open container. If she was not 
competent to know better, her guardian should have been paying closer 
attention. I did not see anything in the facts of the case that 
indicated that McDonald's had been appointed to or accepted that 
position.

Other casualties were children and infants, are you going to blame
them too? Or blame their parents?

   Yes, I blame their parents in normal circumstances. So far, I have 
not seen anything that puts this or other such cases outside the 
range of normal.

  Why flail about like this when it's
altogether obvious who's to blame?

   Exactly. And why did a jury award her anything?

You present a poor case that ignores most of the explanation I
posted. Which I guess is what all the spin and disinfo is intended to
accomplish, as indeed it does.

   I read your entire post hoping to find something that implicated 
the defendant. All I found was reverse spin, no better then corporate 
spin.

All non-hypnotised Americans should be fighting tort reform tooth and
nail, for their own sakes and for their communities' and their
country's future. And ours too, probably. IMHO.

   Attacking me does not change the facts of this particular case. 
While I agree with you and ciitzen.org about the value uncapped 
punitive damage awards in general, I don't agree that they should be 
applied blindly without regard to the truth. I don't see this as a 
black-and-white issue (what issue is black and white?). Corporations 
can be wrong and evil in general and it can still be wrong to hurt 
any particular corporation for false reasons. Doing so only hurts us 
and society in general.
   This whole brouhaha is a case in point. The fact that a jury would 
award damages for such disregard for one's own personal safety opened 
up a huge opportunity for the corporate spin doctors to drive another 
nail in the coffin of unlimited punitive damages. If the only cases 
awarded such large damages involved at least a modicum of 
responsibility on the part of the defendant, many fewer people would 
be taken in by the spin doctors.

   Additionally, while tort reform is generally understood to refer to 
limitations on litigation and damages, that is not where I see the 
problem with the US judicial system. The problem is much deeper and 
widespread. Tinkering with the fender is not the make the engine run 
any more smoothly.

John

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Re: [Biofuel] Olive branch

2007-09-30 Thread John Morris
john, maybe you need to participate a little more because in spite of
your current practice you're doing a good job of sounding pretty
pro-corporate/anti-human yourself.

   Any independent thinker will occasionally do so. The issues our 
society faces are not nearly as black and white as many people would 
like us to believe.

   the jury didn't find her 20%
responsible for the spilling.  they found that by doing the spilling,
she was 20% liable for the damage that resulted.  see the distinction?

   No, I don't see a distinction. The liability flows from the 
responsibility. If she is 99% responsible and the driver is 1% 
responsible, how does 80% of the liability land on the bystander?

  furthermore, she didn't just come along and sue them anyway.  and
despite the appreciation you express for keith's post, it souods as
though you missed the point entirely, which is that you have to take
the stellas with a grain of salt.  instead you seem to agree with
their bogus purpose, and as though to defend them cite several of
their own highlighted cases (not going to bother explaining the
logical flaw in *that*), apparently without doing any independent
checking of the facts behind any of those cases.

   I don't need to do any independent checking of those particular 
cases. They could be completely fabricated for all I care. They are 
merely symbolic of the issue I wanted to bring up. I have experienced 
that issue directly through my friends and family, but it is easier 
to discuss the hypothetical cases already mentioned on this list than 
to go into the details of other cases.

John

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Re: [Biofuel] Quackbuster Busted in Court

2006-03-01 Thread John Morris
Keith wrote:
What's the difference? John Morris said it's a matter of market 
supply and demand: If people demanded health, that same system 
would provide health. No it wouldn't, that's not on the table. 
What's missing from this glad view of the inevitable democratic 
outcome of market mechanisms is the billions of dollars spent very 
effectively on telling people what to demand and only providing 
options that are deemed profitable.

   I think you missed the point of what I was saying because we are in 
agreement on what you said later in your message. My point is not 
that the system is healthy or that capitalism is ever likely to 
provide a healthy system for the masses. My point was that the system 
is designed to make money, not health. However, I and my family and 
friends are living proof that one can have health in the midst of 
this unhealthy system. There is hope for the individual even if the 
masses are being destroyed. Where there is hope for the individual, 
there could be hope for the masses if the masses could become 
individuals. If the masses refused to be duped by those who promise 
health but deliver only bills and poisons, the shams would look 
elsewhere for an easy mark. Eventually, they would die of starvation. 
However, that is a hard road to travel.

You don't really need to persuade doctors, they can be useful 
anyway, you can often get information you need from them, as well as 
some appropriate treatment, as long as it's you who's making the 
decisions and you're informed enough to do that.

   That is exactly my point. If we give up control and ask others to 
make the decisions for us, they will make decisions that are right 
for them, but not necessarily right for us.

  Alternative healthcare is available for those making their own 
choices, but it's still limited. It does constitute a real 
alternative but it's embattled and splintered as a result of being 
marginalised and underresourced, it's difficult to figure out what's 
useful and what's not.

   My view of alternative health care is not much more generous than 
my view of Western health care. There are plenty of people out there 
willing to sell you a handful of air. When using alternative health 
care, you still have to be informed; you still have to make the 
decisions.

People have to take the responsibility themselves and most people 
don't like that. They're heavily encouraged not to like it. But it's 
the first step towards real health. Health education councils etc 
often say that too.

   I totally agree.

John
-- 
John Morris
Editide
Editing and Graphic Design
1350 VT Rte 232
Marshfield, VT 05658

888-259-8216 within the USA
802-426-2017 outside the USA
802-426-2017 fax

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Re: [Biofuel] Quackbuster Busted in Court

2006-02-28 Thread John Morris
Is this a surprise?  How many people do you know, reguardless of age 
that don't take at least one prescription drug a day?

   Me (39), all of my step children and their partners (20 to 32), 
most of my grandchildren, my father (72) and most of my friends. I 
know more people who don't than who do. I have never in my life taken 
any prescription medications despite the fact that both of my parents 
are family physicians. My point is not that health care in the US is 
anything like healthy, but that it is not forced on us. We do have a 
choice. If people make the choice to take, and even demand, the 
drugs, a system based on capitalism will provide those people with 
drugs. If people demanded health, that same system would provide 
health.

For us, it is just us, everyone we know takes them.  Doctors in this 
country tell people that what they eat makes no difference to their 
health.  Diabetics are told that sugar intake has nothing to do with 
diabetes.  Go figure.

   Some doctors do tell us that and other doctors focus heavily on 
diet, exercise, and environment. People who want to be allowed to eat 
anything and never exercise will seek out those doctors that meet 
their desire. People who truly want to achieve health without drugs 
can and do find the doctors that will travel that road with them.
   Seven months ago at 57, my wife was within weeks of a massive heart 
attack. She experienced some chest pains and went to the hospital. 
After a procedure to install a stent, she has been on three 
prescriptions. However, she is working towards addressing the issues 
(stress, blood pressure, weight, cholesterol) with diet, exercise, 
and environment. Although dubious about her ability to make the 
necessary changes without drugs, her cardiologist is very supportive 
of her trying. So far, she has reduced most of the prescriptions by 
half.

John
-- 
John Morris
Editide
Editing and Graphic Design
1350 VT Rte 232
Marshfield, VT 05658

888-259-8216 within the USA
802-426-2017 outside the USA
802-426-2017 fax

http://www.editide.us
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

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Re: [Biofuel] Hybrid Cars Burning Gas in the Drive for Power

2005-07-26 Thread John Morris
  This certainly agrees with my personal experience and analysis. In 
fact, I would go even further. My step-son bought a new 2004 Civic 
Hybrid in January 2004. The car is very nice. It comfortably seats 
four adults and the back seat is comfortable for my six-foot, 
165-pound frame. However, he has found that it gets between 30 and 40 
miles per gallon in his driving. That does not compare particularly 
favorably with the 35 to 45 my 1996 Civic gets (with over 200,000 
miles on it) which also comfortably seats 4 adults. We supported him 
spending the extra money to get it at the time, but I'm feeling 
differently now.
  I don't see the Honda Insight as particularly green either. It's a 
two seater that gets 70 miles per gallon (according to the hype, 
which gave the Civic Hybrid close to 50 mpg). That works out to 140 
person-miles per gallon at full capacity. As I mentioned, my 
five-seater 96 Civic really does get 40 mpg (with some tankfuls going 
as high as 50 mpg). That works out to about 200 person-miles per 
gallon at full capacity (with minor losses as a result of carrying 
that much weight). Even with only four people in the car, it gets 
better mileage than the fully loaded Insight. My wife and I almost 
never travel alone, so we just about always get better mileage (80 
mpg) than the Insight would get with a single driver.
  I think the hybrid concept has tremendous potential. In fact, I 
think it could go much further in performance and safety, _while_ 
getting better mileage, than current IC-only designs. Four 
independent electric motors would give full-time, fully independent 
four-wheel drive with no differentials to mess up the delivery of all 
(or most) of the power to the one wheel that has traction. 
Distributing the battery pack out to all four wheels would reduce 
electrical losses  and improve the weight distribution and thus 
safety of the car. Unfortunately, these first attempts are not going 
this route; they just tack an electric motor onto current designs. 
Given the wasteful nature of capitalism, I guess we will have to go 
through this phase to get to that place.


John

This article reports on the fact that most hybrids actually do not 
get much better mileage than standard cars. Manufacturers are using 
the electrical engines to improve performance rather than increase 
mileage; whereas improved mileage is the reason that these cars 
qualify for large tax credits.


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/automobiles/17hybrid.html?ex=1279252800amp;en=ae427a90941e848damp;ei=5090amp;partner=rssuserlandamp;em 
c=rss


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RE: [Biofuel] Propane - ABio fuel?

2005-07-21 Thread John Morris
I've seen posts from a methaneman on other lists. He seemed to have 
done a great deal of work with methane digesters. I'm intrigued, but 
I have not had time to pursue it yet. I have not been able to follow 
this much and I can't find the link to his web site any more. Good 
luck.


John


Hi Greg,  all

It's interesting you mention:


Bio Methane generally has to be scrubbed of CO2 and H2S, before it is
useable in any great amount, but, once the H2S and CO2 have been removed,
Bio Methane can be used just like NG (at lower pressure unless you use a
compressor to raise the pressure).


I've started gathering info on Biogas, not for where we are now but for our
planned future move, but I've not seen anything regarding scrubbing the gas.
I had wondered about the need for it. I presume the scrubbing would be done
using absorbent chemicals (trying really hard to remember my inorganic
chemistry but it seems too long ago now!!! Lol) I'd like to know if there
are any innovative solutions to the problem out there. Would water vapour in
the gas cause problems  should it also be removed? Or is all this not
needed when using it as a single domestic supply?

I'd be interested in any comments.

Best regards to all

Malcolm


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Re: [Biofuel] Propane - ABio fuel?

2005-07-20 Thread John Morris
As I understand it, methane (which can be produced from rotting 
waste) can be burned in most propane appliances with the appropriate 
slight modifications.



Is propane a Bio fuel, can it be created from bio sources?


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Re: [Biofuel] Homemade Shredder was: Compost Update

2005-07-18 Thread John Morris
  When I was growing up, I remember my father collecting large 
quantities of leaves for his garden each fall. He did not bother 
composting them; he simply tilled them into the garden in the fall or 
spring along with his regular tilling. I think he now has one of 
those round bins for compost and puts almost everything into it. He 
turns it by hand regularly and he says that the compost stays warm 
and active through most of his southern New Hampshire winter. 
Although I know that he has a chipper shredder, I don't know if he 
shreds the leaves or not.


John


Anyone have any suggestions for a homemade shredder for yard waste.  I have
used my lawn mower but, the blade gets really beat up.  Using the mower can
also be quite a struggle if I don't get to it before the rain does.  I have a
ton of oak leaves and they, alone, take a really long time to break down.  The
compost that I'm getting seems very healthy but, I can't out-pace the trees.

Thanks in advance...

Take care,
Ken


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[Biofuel] Vegetable Motor Oil (was: maximum MPG)

2005-06-29 Thread John Morris
I was curious about using vegetable oil as the engine lubricant as 
well.  Apparently it has been looked at and the lubricity is great 
but the oil breaks down quickly at high temperatures.


There are good vegetable oil engine lubricants, especially in 
Europe. Try these:


http://www.sterlinggrade.com
http://www.renewablelube.com
http://www.gemtek.com/
http://www.terresolve.com/
http://www.soypower.net/
http://www.lubegard.com/
http://www.renewableoil.com/


  Thanks for the links, Keith. I've also been thinking about 
replacements for petroleum-based motor oil lately. I maintain the 
cars for a small intentional community (13 people, 4 families). We 
currently put about 70,000 miles on our three cars each year. Two 
years ago, I switched one of them to synthetic oil with a drain 
interval of 25,000 miles or 1 year. (I'm actually doing 20,000.) The 
main advantage this has for me is that I save time changing the oil: 
once instead of four times in 20,000 miles. I spend slightly more on 
the oil, but the time savings easily makes that up. I've been very 
happy with the results and have recently made the switch with our 
second car and plan to switch the last car in the next few weeks.
  As I understand it, the base stock for synthetic oil could come 
from rotting vegetation. However, I have not found anything that 
indicates that it actually does. My impression is that they use the 
lightest gases from the petroleum refining process and work from 
there. Thus, while I have cut my use of petroleum motor oil to a 
quarter of what it was (and gained the performance advantages), I 
have not stopped using it entirely.
  Just the other day, I spent some time looking for a plant-based 
motor oil. The only one I came up with was Agro Management Group 
(http://www.agromgt.com/). They seem to have a 4-cycle motor oil, but 
they don't sell it on their web site. I have not gotten a response to 
my query. However, they recommend a 3,000-mile drain interval. From a 
time and materials point of view, they could be giving it away for 
free and it would still cost me twice as much to use that product as 
it costs me to use the synthetic oil because I would be taking the 
time to change the oil six to eight times as often. Additionally, 
while they emphasize the biodegradability of the product, I don't 
think I would be pouring it on my garden when I'm done with it. No 
matter what is in it when I put it in my engine, there will be toxic 
contaminants in it when I take it out because the engine will add 
small amounts of heavy metals from wear, leftover petroleum oil, blow 
by, other lubricants, etc. This means I still have to dispose of it 
responsibly, Also, I'd be getting rid of six to eight times as much 
of the stuff with all of the associated environmental costs of 
producing and delivering the product to my door. That does not seem 
like the environmentally sound choice. It seems to me that the 
vegetable-based products would have to come close to rivaling the 
change interval I'm getting now before I would want to switch for 
environmental or lifecycle cost reasons.
  I looked at the web sites mentioned above, but none seem to have a 
motor oil ready for 4-cycle engines. One (http://www.soypower.net/) 
seems to have a hydraulic oil (for my backhoe) available, but not 
through the web site.


John

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Re: [biofuel] Fuel Saver Pro

2004-01-26 Thread John Morris

Hi Leo,
  I tried what must be a similar product a few years ago on my '96 Honda
Civic CX with about 150,000 miles on it at the time. After about six months
and 15,000 miles I found no change in mileage or power. The seller offered
a money back if I was not satisfied, but was nowhere to be found by the
time I had finished my tests.
  I found better improvement in mileage by switching from conventional to
synthetic motor oil. Nine months after I switched to Amsoil, I took a trip
from Vermont to Wyoming and recorded a 10-15% improvement in mileage. I'm
thinking about trying a bypass filter next to extend the drain interval.

Best,
John

Hi Keith,
I am new to this group and really enjoy learning about alternate fuels.
I am wondering if anyone in this group has tried out this gadget?
Thanks and have a wonderful weekend!
Leo




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Re: [biofuel] NY Times Article on Barre, VT Diner Which Serves Food Grown Mostly Locally

2004-01-16 Thread John Morris

  Hey, that's cool. We don't read the NYT, but we do eat at this
restaurant. On top of the good politics, it's really good food.

John

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/11/magazine/11DINER.html

Investors are lined up behind Murphy, and, incongruously, some
are using the F-word -- franchise -- and talking about taking it
regionally, even nationally.


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Re: [biofuel] Synthetic Oil and Grease

2003-09-06 Thread John Morris

Maud
  Last year I was planning a trip from Vermont to California. I mentioned
my plans on another list looking for restaurant suggestions and an Amsoil
dealer contacted me suggesting I give their oil a try.. The main selling
point is that they claim you can go 25,000 miles on an oil change, thus
dramatically reducing your use of materials and not using any fossil-based
oil at all. Secondary selling points are that you may get a slight
improvement in mileage due to the synthetic's higher lubricity and the
engine should last longer with less sludge accumulating. Finally, if you
normally change your oil at 3,000 to 5,000 miles, you will save money and
time by changing the oil every 25,000 miles. The oil itself costs about
four times the cheap dino oil, but you use a fifth to an eighth as much oil.

  I tried it out in my 1996 Honda Civic. At the start of the trip the car
had 214,000 miles on it and was running like almost new. It did have a
slight knock when it started that would go away as the engine warmed up. On
the way out to CA, I tracked our mileage very carefully. In San Bernardino,
I flushed the engine and filled it with synthetic, same grade as I had been
using. On the return trip, I again tracked the mileage very carefully. We
have since driven about 30,000 miles and changed the oil once (at 234,000).
The only difference we have noticed is that the cold-start knock has gone
down significantly. We still get right around 40 mpg and the oil still
comes out of the drain plug looking black and ugly. However, it is nice to
change the oil once or twice a year (filter at 10,000-12,500 per Amsoil)
and throw away a quarter of the used oil we were generating. At this point,
I'm changing the oil at 20,000, mostly because it's hard to believe I can
go 25,000 having grown up with the 3,000 mile mentality.
  When I was researching the switch, there were many testimonials from
truckers and other heavy equipment operators who have gone 100,000 to
400,000 miles on the same oil through oil analysis. Most of these were on
web sites selling the stuff, but I did find a few uninterested parties that
spoke favorably of the oil.

  I have nothing to sell. I know that Amsoil is not the only brand out
there, but I like the company and their attitude, so I will be sticking
with them. I'm planning to switch our other two cars to synthetic and I'm
thinking about it for our aged backhoe as I rebuild the various components
and repair the leaking seals (no point in using synthetic if much of it
ends up on the ground).

  The guy who turned me on to it is at [EMAIL PROTECTED], but there is no
special reason to buy through him. My impression is that he deals mostly
with large fleet contracts  Small users do just as well to buy directly
from Amsoil (http://www.amsoil.com/), although you may be able to find it
locally.

Good luck with your 300 DT.
John

I'm starting to working on getting my newly-acquired 1984 Mercedes
300 DT (I have no manuals) into roadworthy condition.

What are my options (if any) for synthetic oil and grease so I can
avoid fossil fuels associated with a lube and oil change? Is there
anything biofuel-related that I should consider when selecting new
tires?

Thank you.

Maud
St. Louis, MO


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