The Fun of Boring and Efficient

Energy Screen of Prius II MFD : Used in Hypermiling a Prius

I have often described to others how I find automatic transmissions boring to the point of tears: especially that awkwardly silent CVT powersplit setup in my Prius. Here I explore some of the fun hypermiling techniques that a Prius driver can "enjoy" to replace the fun they lost by not being part of the gear changing process....

Commercial Space Flight History Today

The Space X Dragon module carrying re-supplies to the International Space Station has successfully docked with the aid of the Canadian robotic arm. This represents the first big step in commercial space flight, and is an epic achievement for the private sector, Space X, Elon Musk, and all of the people at NASA that participated. 

App Store Market Winning

This history of PC software has mostly consisted of large, complex and costly software packages that alienate the average computer user base from more diverse software consumption. The digital convergence of "app stores" with mobile handheld computing devices like smartphone's helped to usher in a new era of broadly affordable software. Everything in the software sector is being turned on its head as the result of the "app store" software market. 

Tea-tastic

Tea brewing in a Tea Ball
http://www.artoftea.com/catalog/images/assam_press.jpg

I first became an avid Tea enthusiast in early 2004 when I discovered it gave a good caffeine mind sharpening boost / refresher without the jittery anxiety of coffee and caffeine pills. The rest is history. Did you know that after water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world?

Bicycles Save Americans Billions

Pedaling to Prosperity:

Biking Saves U.S. Riders Billions A Year : New data highlight that bicyclists in the United States save at least $4.6 billion a year by riding instead of driving. 


The average annual operating cost of a bicycle is $308, compared to $8,220 for the average car, and if American drivers replaced just one four-mile car trip with a bike each week for the entire year, it would save more than two billion gallons of gas, for a total savings of $7.3 billion a year, based on $4 a gallon for gas.

Wasting Finite Oil

The earths crust has a finite amount of crude oil. Even when you add in the oil sands, the amount is still finite. Oil deposites in Earths crust have been exploited unsustainably since oil based fuel become widely utilized in internal combustion engines. As the era of cheap easy oil now draws to a close, what are we going to do with higher prices for everything?

Cost Per Mile To Drive ?

There is a cool calculator at this site that will give you a window into understanding what each mile you drive is actually costing you.

http://commutesolutions.org/external/calc.html

Causing Cancer

Everyone has cancer cells in their body: when some has "Cancer" that means their immune system and body health is weakened and no longer able to effectively deal with the cancer cells. The cancer cells become out of control, and then spread and cause what people call "Cancer" : In reality cancer is a process and should as such be called cancering ( a verb ) not a noun, because it is not a thing.... We develop cancer when our cancer cells get out of control. The cure to cancer is to regain control by improving our overall health with healthy lifestyle choices.... 

Throw Away Coffee K Cups :(

Plastic/ Foil/ Paper Coffee Cup Complex Waste....................

Here I focus on an emerging newfangled trend of coffee in complex little single serving material wasting throw away containers..... and one sustainable (refillable) alternative and a call for another alternative eco-friendly quick and easy totally compostable version......

Everything is Connected

The answers to all of your problems are connected.... and so is everything else....... 


Learn to live more completely, more fully and to become the change you want to see in the world by simply making thoughtful informed choices every time you choose to do anything......... 


Click "Read More" to have a gander at my exploration of this idea~ 

Are You Thoughtful?

Everything is Constantly Changing 

Everything has a history. All things in the world have an origin and a history. The known universe is made of matter and energy. The land we we stand on, the water we drink, the food we eat, the people we know, the stuff we own, every living and non living thing in our world has history. Do you ever take the time to stop and listen to someone else's story? .....

God is Love : A song the reminds me of this ~

NASA Hubble Image : Intergalactic Worship : Amen

Music frequently has a powerful emotionally affective impact on me when I listen to songs motivated by love, especially those songs motivated by the inspiration and illuminating source of love that comes to a person through faith in our compassionate, fair, loyal, generous, loving, understanding, all knowing, all powerful and ever present creator of everything in the incomprehensibly beautiful and massive universe : God.

A band known as "Switchfoot" created a song called "On Fire" that resonates as a powerful reminder of the love enhancing life transforming effect that my faith has on modifying my understanding and perspectives. I would like to take this moment in time to thank God for all of the light, warmth, light, energy, matter and love that he has so generously shared with us.

Amen Lord God ~
Love Aaron

See the music video of the song referenced in this posting on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pskjyxykBiE

First Around the World With Solar Energy

Image From : http://www.planetsolar.org/

This solar powered ship has successfully traveled around the world with a crew of 4 running completely on solar power from a 93KW solar array running a 20kw electric motor...... 

TED : Reinventing Fire : Future Energy

Come check out this video on TED : its about how we can free our future from the economic ruin of foreign oil and toxic coal power with clean, profitable, abundant, efficient renewable energy sources, smart grids and electric passenger vehicles. 

http://www.ted.com/talks/amory_lovins_a_50_year_plan_for_energy.html

HST : Computer Astronomy

Hubble Space Telescope : Amazing Perspective into Gods Creation

Launched in April of 1990, this solar power space telescope has given humans the most breathtaking views of the final frontier like nothing else in history. Ground based telescopes are limited by our "fuzzy" atmosphere... When we collaborate with a common shared goal, look at what we create. Our desire to view deeper into the universe of God's amazing creation is granted by this collaborative work of publicly funded national applied science. The images that are created from Hubble's cameras are stitched together, and have become iconic examples to remind us that we are really, really, really small. I also enjoy how the images from the Hubble, on the internet and through computers have democratized accesses to views of the universe from the coolest telescope every created. I was inspired to post this blog posting and the previous blog posting by a talk called "How Great is Our God" by Louie Giglio.

Hubble "Mystic Mountain"

"Mystic Mountain" : Image From : http://hubblesite.org/gallery/printshop/ps52/

Inspired by "How Great is Our God", I was looking through the Hubble Space Telescope Gallery and came across this amazing image. I enjoyed this one so much that I printed it, framed it, and hung it in my Office. Click "read more" to learn more about it...

How Great is Our God

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtpTk2ENq7o

This is an Amazing Talk : Enjoy it for free on YouTube 

Ford CEO Mulally on The Verge

Joshua Topolsky interviews Ford CEO Alan Mulally
http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/3/2993611/the-verge-interview-ford-ceo-alan-mulally

Josh and Alan sit and discuss the future of Ford in the context of sustainability, innovation, history, science and technology. One of the more inspiring interviews I have ever had the pleasure of watching. 

Go check it out on The Verge 
http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/3/2993611/the-verge-interview-ford-ceo-alan-mulally

Or Check it on YouTube 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oTUjg4b3_zg

Kindle vs Printed Books

Canon S95 Photo of my 3rd Gen 6in Kindle :) 

Many pundits have claimed there is a dark-side to the e-readers, like the Amazon Kindle. They use absurd assumptions in their "footprint" calculations. Lets examine the facts and you decide whether or not printed books are better or worse for the world than digital books and e-readers..... click "read more" to continue exploring this topic....

Are Social Networks Causing Social Division ?

Image From : http://goo.gl/itALg

Email, Texting, Facebook, Twitter and Blogs : Time vampire digital communications that rob people of real life interaction.... Is there a hidden cost to all of this tweeting and bookfacing? ... click "read more" if you want to explore this idea....

Seattle is Sunny ; The Truth

Image From : http://goo.gl/MR9lf

I have often bemoaned the gloomy "grey" local weather~ was my groaning out of alignment with reality ? YES !!    After examining the facts, I have to admit that I was wrong...... With these new facts in mind I have been emboldened to take my bicycle where I never thought of taking it before.... I am going to ride with warmer clothes and gloves and snowboarding goggles and so forth and brave more of the year "organic vehicle" style..... The truth sets us free~ Check out the facts by clicking "read more" and jump on your bicycle! 

Occupy May Day 2012

From : http://goo.gl/625Ib

I am not out in the street protesting today: but I am with the peaceful protesters in spirit. Why, you might ask are people in the Occupy Movement ? Lets examine why people are pissed off and protesting... you might be surprised that they are angry and protesting about the same issues you find frustrating....... click "read more" to learn what is driving the occupy movement....

Living Healthy is Better

Image From : http://goo.gl/og95u

There are simple choices you can make to improve your health. Being healthy is not about living longer, its about being healthy and fully functional while you are alive so that you can live life to the fullest. Lets examine some simple things you can choose to improve your overall health.... click "read more" if you are interested...

Are Mormons Christian ?

From : http://goo.gl/Y5nLr 

Recently I came across material that concisely conveys the core philosophical differences between mainstream Christianity and the Faith of Latter Day Saints... have a look by clicking "read more" if you are interested......