tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62764999914991514242024-03-12T18:30:05.683-07:00Of Reptiles and RobotsA Geographers ramblings upon information technology, people, science fiction (and science fact), environmental dangers and pyschology.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-88543754410185861402013-10-26T09:09:00.001-07:002013-10-26T09:23:27.811-07:00Red Beggar: Negotiation with Kids, Toddlers and Teenagers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@page Section1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
</style><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Parenting is hard. Who really signs up for the heavy
responsibility of managing this human being into adulthood? It comes as a shock
to most, I know. Hey, “Parenting” was never on the school curriculum and you
cannot rely on the parenting style of your parents (unless they were really,
really good).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">First things first: your child will only change in response
to you and your negotiation style and not because you “tell” them. You have
probably already found this out: you cannot “tell” your kids anything! You have
to teach. You have to let them know what is you’re objective, show them how to
act and define what is not acceptable. So the first thing you probably need to
do is: Prepare for Change yourself. Besides being a good Buddhist philosophy it
should be self-evident. If it isn’t, please refer to the relevant dharma that
suits your view on Life, the Universe and Everything.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Remember the Red Beggar saying “Keep your coins, I WANT
CHANGE!” (Credit to Banksy; it is a good slogan). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">You may be seeing “Red”. You may be looking for
“Assistance”; maybe, begging for it. Imagine a Buddhist beggar. (In
Buddhism begging is an honourable tradition and it should remind you that you
can only change yourself). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">So remember the “Red Beggar”.
</span><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@page Section1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
</style></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Why should you remember “Red Beggar”? Obviously because it
is a cunning trick to remember the simple process at the heart of this booklet:
R. E. D + B - G.- R.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OsCTdvO8NUg/UmvoT_bl1qI/AAAAAAAAAh0/TsFcqDIe0O4/s1600/Red+Beggar+Cover2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OsCTdvO8NUg/UmvoT_bl1qI/AAAAAAAAAh0/TsFcqDIe0O4/s320/Red+Beggar+Cover2.png" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@page Section1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
</style>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">So this is what R. E. D + B - G.- R. stands for: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Reason</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Empathy</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Distraction</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Bribe</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Guilt</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Refer</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">These are different type of negotiation style that you can
use as a stepped process (with a few notable exceptions which will be discussed
later). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">They are both positive and negative:
The Ying and Yang, the Dove and Hawk, Good-Cop and Bad-Cop of negotiation
styles. You’ll probably have to use them all but you can guess which are the
preferred styles.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here is a quick overview to explain the purpose of the
strategy. Each Negotiation Style has its own picture and more detailed
explanation. But quickly, here are the six styles:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">“R = Reason” is the preferred negotiation style. “If you
don’t leave now you’ll be late for school” – that’s a perfectly acceptable
premise for any parent for a child that knows what school is and the
consequences of being late.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">“E = Empathy”. Empathy requires
understanding and developing that understanding takes time. However giving
empathy and understanding about your little monster’s perfectly rational, if
uncooperative, response is often essential for you to make any further
progress. Why doesn’t he/she want to go to school? Are they sick? Or being
bullied?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">“D = Distraction”. Distraction negotiation can be as simple
as Either-We-Do-This-or-We-Do-That or it can get more complicated… in which
case you need skills...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We are now out of the happy zone and into the more
complicated space of negotiation; moving from Human-to-Human negotiation to
Parent-Child negotiation which is less effective in developing your child’s
confidence and independence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">“B = Bribe”. Bribery is quick and often successful. But you
are making a DEAL, signing a contract in virtual blood. Bribery works but you
have to worry about the invisible small print in the vaporous parchment you’ve
created.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">“G = Guilt”. Yes, once your child is old enough you can use
this dangerous negotiation method. What does this negotiation style mean? It
means outlining the negative consequences of their actions. This method works,
as dark methods often do. Use with care.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">“R = Refer”. This method is negotiation with the threat of
punishment. Frequently cited as
the “Just wait until your father gets home!” method. This method style has huge
potential for short-, mid- and long term failure so while is often used in just
about every supermarket in the land its use should be reduced to virtually
zero. Especially when you are the one being judged.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">More details in the book available <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/370712" rel="nofollow">here </a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-43678306484946004232013-03-01T06:47:00.002-08:002013-03-01T06:47:37.826-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Helen Caldicott talks about impact of radioactivity and Fukishima.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/BCvCMc-XTSI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-31152169787713219592011-05-31T14:41:00.000-07:002013-10-26T09:26:46.837-07:00You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"A few Good Men": The original story was inspired by an actual Code Red at Guantanamo Bay. Lance Corporal David Cox and 9 other enlisted men tied up a fellow Marine and severely beat him, for snitching to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Cox was acquitted and later Honorably Discharged. In 1994, David Cox mysteriously vanished, and his bullet-riddled body was found three months later. His murder remains unsolved.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-51271564739765997202010-12-05T04:23:00.001-08:002010-12-05T04:23:38.447-08:00Keeping Fear AliveManipulating people's emotions thru the big five which are: fear, hate, greed, false pride and blind loyalty is the heart of the propaganda business. It's easy to bring out the worst in people using these base emotions and this kind of pro...paganda can usually get people to believe and/or do anything once they succumb. There's that famous insight by Herman Goering to the effect that "it works like this in any country.... you can get the people to go to war (even though they don't want to) if you just tell them they are being attacked." And Edmund Burke had a good quote that "Nothing so effectively robs the mind of its ability to think or act as fear."<br /><br />Con artists are masters of using greed to dupe their victims. Almost all frauds depend on the effective use of greed.<br /><br />And the social psychologists Soloman Asch (line test) and Stanley Milgram (electric voltage test) showed how a high percentage (usually about 2/3s) of all people have such deeply rooted need to conform so as to be accepted by others which entails obedience to authority. Asch's social psychology experiments in the 1950s termed it "gestalt" (group think) and attributed a lot of the "good German" behavior to this kind of false pride and blind loyalty.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-70445544924592741802007-12-29T03:07:00.000-08:002007-12-29T03:09:06.905-08:00Original music from Ysabella Brave<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WbyUCzBJVe4&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WbyUCzBJVe4&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />Not only a great performer of classics but also original music... A YouTube media star.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-77715996768194044522007-12-28T10:06:00.000-08:002007-12-28T10:08:18.621-08:00Ysabella Brave<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DC9uAN_2_tY&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DC9uAN_2_tY&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />You can always spot star quality. This girl has it all: personality, talent and very pleasant on the eye.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-74817088669834258832007-09-16T03:19:00.000-07:002007-09-16T03:21:05.153-07:00Bin Laden Outtake - Is this a fake?<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RLnfRNQYj74"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RLnfRNQYj74" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-9903298115727661702007-09-05T04:47:00.000-07:002007-09-05T04:55:33.619-07:00RFID for humans!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/Rt6Yyj9DTtI/AAAAAAAAADk/oVzs7n_AJl8/s1600-h/20050330-verichip.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/Rt6Yyj9DTtI/AAAAAAAAADk/oVzs7n_AJl8/s320/20050330-verichip.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106687021896912594" /></a><br />I'm glad the US is actually banning <a href="http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2197977/california-senate-bans">something </a>. The California state Senate has approved legislation to bar employers from forcing workers to have RFID chips implanted under their skin. (Well, Duh!)<br /><br />RFID tags have been used for years to identify pets, track inventory and more recently in contactless smartcards and other ID systems. State Senator Joe Simitian proposed the bill after RFID developer VeriChip was licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration to sell implanted identification devices. Simitian said that, so far, about 2,000 people have had VeriChip's devices implanted. "RFID is a minor miracle, with all sorts of good uses," said Simitian. "But we should not condone forced 'tagging' of humans. It is the ultimate invasion of privacy."<br /><br />Some people actually want to be implanted though. Think of all those benefits like switching lights on and off automatically? <a href="http://www.bmezine.com/news/presenttense/20050330.html">(Seriously some people do think that's a great idea!)</a><br /><br />Of course this issue is a central plot theme to SAURIA. Have you checked out my book at all? ;-)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-78439448240579887322007-08-10T12:34:00.000-07:002007-08-10T13:05:35.524-07:00Skyscraper Safety<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RrzE16GgHnI/AAAAAAAAADU/iG8ZzJ7nyF0/s1600-h/safety.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RrzE16GgHnI/AAAAAAAAADU/iG8ZzJ7nyF0/s320/safety.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097165308685196914" /></a><br />Surely 9/11 is the biggest event in modern times not only politically but also for science, reason and engineering! Why can't we have a large scale and RATIONAL debate with ALL the facts? Why can't we have independent analysts investigate the Twin Tower (and WTC7) collapses? If skyscrapers are so likely to explode if there is a fire then shouldn't we stop going inside anything more than 10 stories high? How can engineers ever convince us that they are safe? WTC7 - a 48 story building with minor structural damage and a light fire exploded and collapsed in 7 seconds!!! Surely either a) ALL BUILDINGS OF SUCH HEIGHT ARE UNSAFE or b) THE BUILDING WAS DEMOLISHED WITH EXPLOSIVES - either way this is crucial information and must be investigated.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-38005524243564041032007-07-25T04:59:00.000-07:002007-07-25T05:56:42.220-07:00WTC, NY, USA, Planet Zog<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RqdIR6GgHiI/AAAAAAAAACw/Ubhsrro2xkk/s1600-h/blastfurnace%5B1%5D.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RqdIR6GgHiI/AAAAAAAAACw/Ubhsrro2xkk/s320/blastfurnace%5B1%5D.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091117376257138210" /></a><br />The illusion of the mind to create the effect of space and objects in front of us is profound and almost impossible to move away from. However, assuming the model perceived by my senses is some way an accurate reflection of "reality". And assuming that "New York" exists as recalled by from previous mental models of that environment. And that my memory retains two previous states of that environment: One with the twin towers and one without. Then I have to ponder exactly what changed the model from one state to another?<br /><br />My experience with the substance known as "Steel" is passive. It appears to be immensively strong and not known to spontaneously collapse and melt (melting point of steel is 1800 degrees C) even when hit very hard or heated to 600 degrees C (max temperature of an open fire which is less than the temperature of a gas hob). Yet apparently on certain planets, for example on "Planet Zog", steel is all wibbly-wobbly and spontaneously melts when hit very sharply with a Boeing 767.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-62441712873162953482007-07-16T14:29:00.000-07:002007-07-16T15:20:55.395-07:00Mac or PC Rap<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/Rpvr7VuQ_qI/AAAAAAAAACg/WM81Y8j1aSE/s1600-h/iMac1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/Rpvr7VuQ_qI/AAAAAAAAACg/WM81Y8j1aSE/s320/iMac1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087919608721112738" /></a><br />I have been a Mac fan since 1991. Way before Apple became cool. The reason was simple: with a Mac, I was productive. In comparison, with a PC I felt like a klutz. The difference between the 2 machines in terms of usability has narrowed somewhat since 1991 (and 1997) but there are still the packaged apps: iLife. I'm sure there are probably individual programs on the PC that are as good as the iLife programs but who has the time to work it all out. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkrn6ecxthM">If you like I'm a Mac and I'm a PC adverts then this video is a must-see: "The Mac or Pc Rap"</a><br /><br />And yet another plug for my favorite art program <a href="http://www.artlythere.com/compositor.shtml">Robert Covington's Compositor</a> - Mac users: check it out! :-)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-34789291205972409882007-07-11T15:19:00.000-07:002007-07-11T16:05:54.209-07:00The =Ultimate= Driving Machine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RpVYyI4r2jI/AAAAAAAAACY/BdXZAXqAtmQ/s1600-h/H1_SUV.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RpVYyI4r2jI/AAAAAAAAACY/BdXZAXqAtmQ/s320/H1_SUV.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086068972586785330" /></a><br />Does anybody else get a queasy feeling in their stomachs when you see those old TV cigarette adverts: an overly macho man offering an overly flirtatious female a white stick of death... The advert always stress the social interaction and not the ash fag-ends etc. And of course, not what =ultimately= would happen to the man or woman in 20 years time: the coughing, cancer and slow lingering deaths. <br /><br />I am starting to get the same feeling with car adverts... yes, they do look nice. <a href="http://www.caradclips.com/view/10373">Very cute too.</a> Happy Kids driving cars; people dancing in the streets; hey even cars spinning around acrobat style. Click that link and see that cute advert with kids driving an SUV again and think: those kids may never actually be able to drive that SUV. Ever. Even if we do overt the very worst excesses of the world's economy's dependence on oil, the price of oil is a one way bet: it is going to rise and driving in an SUV in say 10 years time will seem like Nero fiddling while Rome burns!<br /><br />Meanwhile we hand out models of the Hummer H1 SUVs with MacDonalds. I feel queasy again: it feels just like giving kids sweet cigarettes to me. Who does that any more?<br /><br />Consider: BMW's slogan "The =Ultimate= Driving Machine". They might be right. After the oil runs dry, imagine some post-civilization scenario, somewhere in Saudi Arabia, a goat-herder drives the last working vehicle over the desert. Yep, it could be a BMW.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-8979831681210062362007-07-03T16:29:00.000-07:002007-07-03T16:47:10.290-07:00Solartaxi - Around the World<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RordVY4r2iI/AAAAAAAAACQ/YpGk0i2V4rw/s1600-h/solartaxi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RordVY4r2iI/AAAAAAAAACQ/YpGk0i2V4rw/s320/solartaxi.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083118488968223266" /></a><br />3rd July 2007: An intrepid team of adventurers start a round the world tour travelling by a solar-powered Electric Vehicle. Hopefully this will stop jokes about needing a 24000 mile extension lead. Forget Hydrogen-powered cars, even Hybrids, Electric Vechiles are our best hope for transportation once the oil price goes completely out of control... my estimate: 2014! This gives us very limited time to transfer to a cheaper, cleaner, quieter, greener transportation system. Solar-power may not be the best option for the UK (Having just had our wettest June ever recorded) but grid electricity... hook it up to <a href="http://www.secondwind.com">wind power</a> or tidal... is the easily the best, or possibly the least-worst, fuel option.<br /><br />Good luck, <a href="http://www.solartaxi.com">Team Solartaxi</a>!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-24453271060822786272007-06-23T08:52:00.000-07:002007-06-23T08:57:40.467-07:00Festival of Words<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/Rn1CJuvR16I/AAAAAAAAACI/mlQWjLoMxFs/s1600-h/download-4.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/Rn1CJuvR16I/AAAAAAAAACI/mlQWjLoMxFs/s320/download-4.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079288689676375970" /></a><br />Carring on the cartoon theme of previous posts, here are cartoons of Simon and Alex done by "Kevin F" - Kevin F Sutherland - from the Farnham Malting's Festival of Words. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/Rn1CBuvR15I/AAAAAAAAACA/ZZrxZzPOE1g/s1600-h/download-3.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/Rn1CBuvR15I/AAAAAAAAACA/ZZrxZzPOE1g/s320/download-3.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079288552237422482" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-16623621380906429412007-06-19T16:55:00.001-07:002007-06-19T17:03:02.508-07:00Heptawing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RnhtI-vR14I/AAAAAAAAAB4/nLWiMyhQI74/s1600-h/heptawing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RnhtI-vR14I/AAAAAAAAAB4/nLWiMyhQI74/s320/heptawing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077928580907915138" /></a><br />Revealed for the first time outside of Sauria, the heptawing, flying reptile. Name provide by Louise Thorne, original art work (c) Andy Pritchard, dates from 1978 - scanned and coloured (by <a href="http://www.artlythere.com">Compositor</a>) in 2006!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-27974193516725463162007-06-01T04:57:00.000-07:002007-06-01T05:13:27.067-07:00Smart Roadster LoveWhile I wait for my EV1 (maybe a long wait) I still have to get around. My brief foray into dual fuel petrol/LPG was not successful for me; I do too many short journeys and the car took too long to click over onto LPG; I need a car that can go at motorway speeds (that rules out the GeeWhiz)... So I came up with PLAN B. We already have a small Vauxhall Astra... so what should we have for a second car that I can use for my short trips and commuting? I've always wanted one. And now I have one! A Smart Roadster! Fun, economical and fun (did I mention "fun"?) 700cc engine built by Mercedes; 55mpg: its almost a pleasure filling up! And while the car is no longer being made, I guess it wasn't economic for Smart, I highly recommend.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RmANTYS-cmI/AAAAAAAAABg/sUQDuhai4Gc/s1600-h/smart+car.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RmANTYS-cmI/AAAAAAAAABg/sUQDuhai4Gc/s320/smart+car.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071067807009895010" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-52956672325208498882007-05-15T04:14:00.000-07:002007-05-15T06:09:31.375-07:00EV1: Old Age and TreacheryJust in case somebody has not seen or heard about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car%3F">Who Killed the Electric Car?</a> then click the link and read on. It is not just a sorry tale of a motor car or "shucks, I sure hate to pay high prices at the petrol pumps", it is a tale of physcopath corporations with planetary impact way beyond the story of a single car model.<br /><br />Let's re-cap: 1980s California had a real air polluction problem. Spurred on by the likes of General Motors who had developed electric vehicles like <a href="http://www.speedace.info/sunraycer_general_motors.htm">the Solarracer</a>, the state government introduced the mandate for Zero Emission Vehicles.<br /><br />GM as with any large scale organisation responded in two ways: positively, they commissioned the EV1 using the same young, enthusiatic team that built the Solarracer and negatively, trying it dammest to halt the ZEV legislation.<br /><br />I don't think GM expected the EV1 to be anything except a huge flop. They certainly tried their hardest to stop its own product succeeding. The management team expected the young team to produce a lemon of a car (they didn't, they in fact produced probably the finest Electric Vehicle available in the world at the time!), they put a young inexperienced team in charge of selling the car (who against expectations, went out selling with missionary zeal!). But thereafter the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Corporation-Mikela-J-Mikael/dp/B0007DBJM8">will of the company</a> succeeds: the manufacturing lines are starved of resources, the design team is not immediately informed of new battery technology, the advertising was, frankly, perverse and finally there were "surveys" conducted to new owners to warn them away from the car!!! <br /><br /><a href="http://ev1-club.power.net/">As the EV1 owners club (now a largely quiet bunch) chronicles in its archives up to 2000, it was really hard for anyone to get hold of one of the cars!</a>. The site is now dedicated to the "Who Killed the Electric Car" documentary.<br /><br /><br />But the ultimate method of killing the car was the most effective: GM didn't sell the car, the car was leased! That way as soon as the ZEV legislation was removed (as soon as Bush got into office) then, the car was towed away and CRUSHED! In the documentary, you may find this hard to believe, but your heart really goes out to the owners that had clubbed together to stand guard over the last 70 EV1s in a GM compound, waving a giant cheque for $1.9million, protesting "We want our EV1s!". The police move in. There are arrests. The cars are loaded up, carried away and then smashed to pieces. <br /><br />Check out YouTube for the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsdUfAEIEos">EV1 "last ride"</a>. March 2000. No commentary, just the quiet, quiet drive of the EV1 zipping around californian streets before it was reclaimed by GM for crushing. The EV1 looks and sounds just like the 1950s vision of the Future Car. It brings a tear to my eye that I won't have that experience. Look at the photo... a line of EV1s: that's how it should have been.<br /><br />It's the same old story of old age and treachery beating youth and enthusiasm. Don't assume there are hydrogen cars coming along anytime soon. Hybrids too could be just bait and switch! Meanwhile we go to war over Oil, and California still has an air pollution problem. <a href="http://www.stwr.net/content/view/1767/37/">There is more to this story</a> but I've written enough. Check out the links.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Who-Killed-The-Electric-Car/dp/B000MGBPHO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/202-7935840-2787867?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1179231083&sr=8-1">Go buy or rent the DVD. </a>It has 5 star rating. It's not just me that feels this.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RkmiLZvD-XI/AAAAAAAAABY/M7Zjmqt_JG4/s1600-h/cars.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RkmiLZvD-XI/AAAAAAAAABY/M7Zjmqt_JG4/s320/cars.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064757572725373298" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-36168754213822688042007-04-23T16:11:00.000-07:002007-04-23T16:35:39.328-07:00Marie Antoinette World<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/Ri0947V53LI/AAAAAAAAABQ/Pcs5Q5w3Yro/s1600-h/Marie+Antoinette+World.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/Ri0947V53LI/AAAAAAAAABQ/Pcs5Q5w3Yro/s320/Marie+Antoinette+World.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056766004818468018" /></a><br />I was watching the film Marie Antoinette on TV. Hmmm rather suspect movie. Nice visuals though. Marie danced and played and lived in a world of her own while the nation disolved into anarchy and met an untimely end. Then I watched David Attenborough's State of the Planet. Earth can hardly sustain 6 billion people. It will 11 billion in 5 years. The connection is rather simple. We are all living, at least in the west, in Marie Atoinette World. I hope, when it comes, the revolution will be gentle.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-59070065713011451322007-04-22T06:43:00.000-07:002007-04-22T06:55:14.965-07:00The Little Robot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RitpOLV53KI/AAAAAAAAABI/LkEsBiweFhk/s1600-h/little+robot+2+inv.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RitpOLV53KI/AAAAAAAAABI/LkEsBiweFhk/s320/little+robot+2+inv.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056250698937261218" /></a><br /><br />Cartoon of "The Little Robot" circa 1996. Designed for ease of animation. Way before I considered that the Segway would and could make it reality.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-29958918091383736772007-04-15T09:16:00.000-07:002007-04-15T09:27:18.147-07:00Segway in PalmaMy friends Paul and Tess have just been on Holiday in Palma and took a Segway tour. They came across the tour centre by accident - it was down a side street and seemingly not doing great business. The tour operators did seem pleased to see them. So Paul and Tess - their first time on a Segway - did an hour's tour and found it very tiring towards the end. This included familarising themselves with the balancing and the controls. Pretty good going, I think! They also had one of the Mark 1 Segways with the twist grip to turn rather than the Segway i2 where you lean to turn. I do heartily recommend the i2s rather than the Mark 1s - more fun, less chance of crashing into people and cars (which is very much less fun!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RiJRXqOl7kI/AAAAAAAAAA4/vKMcxe300ek/s1600-h/paul+and+tess+segway.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RiJRXqOl7kI/AAAAAAAAAA4/vKMcxe300ek/s320/paul+and+tess+segway.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053691198777454146" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-82169356160169225632007-03-25T07:54:00.000-07:002007-03-25T08:07:56.349-07:00Segway Offroad Outing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RgaQQ5OkntI/AAAAAAAAAAs/ySv4hm4ecX8/s1600-h/segway2+brighter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RgaQQ5OkntI/AAAAAAAAAAs/ySv4hm4ecX8/s320/segway2+brighter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045879052429467346" /></a><br />So, Segway Tours UK, run by the charming Mike Reeves, gave me a 1-2-1 lesson on offroad Segwaying. I think "Segwaying" will be in 2020s used in the same way that we currently say "skiing" or "scuba-diving". Yes I think it will be a big leisure pursuit. While skiing and scuba-diving is done by relatively fit, able and "young" (Yes, I know not always the case), Segways are for a great form of transport for just about anybody that can stand up!!! <br /><br />Mike Reeves believes that they will be a school of Segwaying: Bronze, Silver, Gold, whatever, in the same way that there are ski schools. The differnce being that going from Bronze to Gold will be somewhat quicker and achieved with less effort than a ski-school or the scuba-diving PADI open water qualifications.<br /><br />Bronze: basic skills and tortoise speed settings<br />Silver: off-road and faster speed settings (Maximum of 12mph)<br />Gold: Confidence on both off-road, fast speeds, nighttime, golfclub carrying and ability to train others!<br /><br />You heard it here first!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-1047098621997788542007-03-21T02:44:00.000-07:002007-04-11T12:08:52.305-07:00Space Madness<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_madness">Space Madness</a> has an entry into wkipedia! I guess I must learn how to update wikipedia! :-)<br /><br />In the meantime, the madness on planet Earth is centred in our household on the Wii :-)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-17875221496019623192007-03-13T14:41:00.000-07:002007-03-21T02:40:35.292-07:00BBC Horizon "My Pet Dinosaur"BBC2 Horizon programme <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/broadband/tx/petdinosaur/">"My Pet Dinosaur"</a> discusses the evolution of dinosaurs to an intelligent, walk-upright creature just like the creatures within <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/398240">Sauria</a>. My kids once asked me where did the Saurian Reptiles come from? And I have to explain about how it was the humans that travelled to planet Sauria; the reptiles were there, evolved from dinosaurs (just as postulated in the TV programme). Sauria is a bigger planet than Earth and any impact from asteroids in early planetary history did not completely wipe the dinosaurs out as happened on Earth. Assuming otherwise parallel evolutionary development paths, this allowed the intelligent reptiles to eventually dominant the planet. At least, until those pesky humans turned up! Anyway, this was not explained in the book just alluded to, since it was obvious to the (fictional) central character of the book and a first person account! Perhaps I should add that to a revision of the book... Anyway the TV programme has an image of a humanoid-like reptilian not dis-similar to the creatures inhabiting Sauria. Interesting!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-87160918472606969362007-03-09T09:12:00.000-08:002007-03-09T09:18:42.379-08:00Space MadnessAs predicted in <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/398240">Sauria</a>: <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/28/hail_delay_duct_taped_spacemen/">Space Madness!</a> Mind you all sort of strange things are happening at NASA... if some writer wrote sci-fi about <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6426013.stm">that love triangle</a> nobody would ever believe it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RfGWPM2btOI/AAAAAAAAAAc/z0NWpNM0Y7M/s1600-h/_42541663_ap203bodywave.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LsRzODd9cyw/RfGWPM2btOI/AAAAAAAAAAc/z0NWpNM0Y7M/s320/_42541663_ap203bodywave.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039974645896033506" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276499991499151424.post-67744335432118195052007-03-05T16:21:00.000-08:002007-03-09T04:05:37.248-08:00Segway Robot - Just add RobotIn the fact-is-stranger-than-fiction category... Segway have already developed the <br /><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/20/segways-rmp-platform-for-nerdy-robots/">"Robot Platform" - click here to see the details!</a><br /><br />Now all I need to do is invent an artificial intelligence with a whimsical sense of humourto to produce the remainder of the Little Robot! :-)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0