Hi Erik > > I think a lot of us have that problem. Always too much to do, never > > enough time for keyboards! > >Yes, especially when the sun is shining!
Even it when's snowing, hmph. It snowed for a month and stopped yesterday. I never saw snow until I was 25, and then I thought it was beautiful. These days it's a bit of a struggle to see the beauty in it, mostly it's just a PITA, everything takes longer. Not only that, it's COLD! Yuk. Not living in a Mediterranean climate is a serious lapse of the imagination. On the other hand, Greece just froze over. :-( Our Muscovy ducks don't mind the snow. They complain when the water's frozen because they want to have a bath. They stand out on the pasture quite happily in the middle of a snowstorm, kept snug by a really good down waistcoat, just as good as the geese. But how and why would a tropical tree duck from the Amazon jungle know how to grow a down waistcoat? Or even what cold is? They're not related to any other ducks or geese that have down. And they don't have down on their feet, why don't their feet get cold? (That's right, I'm envious!) Er, sorry... > > I probably have an unfair advantage, in the form of a whole bunch of >> professional skills acquired over 40 years working as an information >> pro (among other things), so it might be easier and quicker for me. > > But I try to use it to make the job easier for everyone else. > >You were one of the ones who seems to manage to make time for all of >it. Not so, I'm glad it looks that way though! It's kind of minimal, I slip it in here and there, and lots of times there are things I don't catch up on. >I marvel at how much you seem to read and make intelligent replies >to. That it was essentially your job helps explain it. Yes, I >appreciate the time you put in because there have been many times >where you've sent something to the list that I've never seen before >and it's a wonderful source of info. Of course there are MANY others >out there who I also owe thanks to. Thankyou for your kind words, that's very encouraging. You're right that it's a group effort though, I also owe my thanks to it. (And it is my job, not was.) > > Agreed, it's a disgrace. Yes, it's worse for Americans, but all the > > carmakers are guilty. > >I suspect that in other countries they are required to toe the line a >little more than here. They are given far too much free reign, with >the behavior they've proved themselves capable of. The whole 'global >marketplace' and the power of multinational corporations has done us >all a lot of harm, with the exception of the 1% at the top who get the >profits. You think it's done them any real good? I wonder. >Of course on the balance it seems that Americans have it >easier than many nations that our "wonderful" government has >subjugated to give us cheaper and cheaper commodities. But look what it's done to your incomes, many or most of you, in a whole bunch of different ways. Is it really cheap? > > >Yes, the >> >newer VW diesels can also get a very good mileage, and sometimes >> >better than mine. Definitely more power. But that's with a new car, >> >with a lot of increased costs and complications across the board. A >> >quarter of a century later we should have a vehicle that would be >> >similar to what I have now as far as size/weight, but with a minimum >> >of twice the efficiency! IMO >> >> Minimum, I think. Have you read what Jack Doyle has to say about all this? > >No, I haven't. I will check it out, thank you. > > > <http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/msg20667.html> >> Fool Cells - How Detroit Plays Americans For A Bunch Of Suckers >> >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/msg10943.html> > > Driving In Circles - New Fuel-Efficiency Initiative Is More PR >Than Progress > >> Definitely a plot, Adam Smith-style: >> >> >"People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment >> >and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the > > >public, or in some contrivance to raise prices" (Adam Smith, The >> >Wealth of Nations). He said businessmen always yearn to escape from >> >price competition through collusion. >> >> No time to check right now, but I think the archives has something to >> say about the dismantling of rail in the US, and tramways. Poor >> comparison with Europe and Japan, not that they're the best > > comparisons, but it doesn't leave the US with much of an excuse. > >Yes, I think they do. At least here it's a very poorly kept secret >about the shutdown of all the trams and commuter rails back in the >early part of last century. I don't know exact dates. But the bus >companies bought them and immediately shut them down in order to >increase bus fares. A crime of tremendous proportions. That the >government STILL doesn't support commuter inter-city rail while >heavily subsidizing the highway system and airlines is also close to >criminal neglect. The most efficient way of getting from one point to >another besides a boat and it's been largely ignored. I'll have to >look it up, but I think my car actually doesn't do too bad when >compared to rail on trips. Either way, it's so much easier and cheaper >to drive my car that that's what I do. I would love for rail to be >easy and affordable. It would be great to sit back and read a book or >take a nap while headed to visit family. It's great! My favourite way to go. Maybe you'll like this (I didn't get to read a book though ...): On the Slow Train with a Skinful of Wine http://journeytoforever.org/keith/MMT/keith_train.html > > All best >> >> Keith >> >Best to you, too Thankyou - Keith >Erik _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
