July 31, 2006
Think about this
It is short but interesting!
A car company can move it’s factories to Mexico and claim it’s a free market.
A toy company can out source to a Chinese sub-contractor and claim it’s a free market.
A shoe company can produce its shoes in south east Asia and claim it’s a free market.
A major bank can incorporate in Bermuda to avoid taxes and claim it’s a free market.
We can buy HP Printers made in Mexico. We can buy shirts made in Bangladesh. We can purchase almost anything we want from 20 different countries.
BUT, heaven help the senior citizens who dare to buy their prescription drugs from a Canadian pharmacy. That’s called un-American! And you think the pharmaceutical companies don’t have a powerful lobby? Think again!
Thanks Phyllis
Segway – The Next Generation?
Though it has no plans to manufacture and sell it, this is what the fine folks at Segway have been up to.
Concept Centaur combines proprietary dynamic stabilization technology with advanced propulsion and suspension systems, and an intuitive user interface to create a unique four-wheel device that is easily controllable on two or four wheels. Its full suspension and aggressive rider positioning provide an exhilarating ride for one or two people while maintaining control over a variety of terrain. Its rugged performance, zero emissions, and quiet operation make it a good low-impact way to explore the world. Its power and versatility make it suitable for a variety of indoor and outdoor recreational and commercial applications.
Intuitive user controls:
- Thumbs forward: The Centaur’s forward and backward propulsion is easily controlled by pushing a thumb throttle located on the underside of the right-hand handlebar.
- Pop a wheelie: The Centaur uses dynamic stabilization technology to limit and/or maintain the angle at which the rider experiences the device. What would normally be a dangerous maneuver on a motorcycle or ATV becomes safe and controlled on the Centaur. In addition, the rider can position his/her body in three different ways, which makes for a fun ride. This technology also allows for a high-performance design with a short, compact wheelbase – a combination that traditionally can be very difficult to control.
- Lean forward, go forward: If you’ve haven’t yet experienced the Segway HT, now is the time. If you have, you know what we mean by intuitive controls. Concept Centaur uses dynamic stabilization in a similar way. When on two wheels, the Centaur is controlled by how the rider shifts his or her weight. To go forward, lean forward. To go back, lean back.
- Simultaneous mechanical and drive-by-wire steering:
- Smart steering: The front two wheels turn left and right mechanically, which is made possible by an innovative linkage system designed by Segway engineers. The Centaur’s advanced controls software also allows the rear wheels to turn at different rates in response to data received from the rider’s steering direction. When on two wheels, steering is accomplished in the same manner, by turning the handlebar. Sensors in the vertical portion of the steering column monitor the rider’s input and sends a signal to the controller boards, which then issue a command to drive either or both of the rear wheels. Turning rate is coordinated so that even with the wheels off the ground, Centaur follows the path defined by the front wheel angles. This allows smooth transitions between two-wheel and four-wheel operation.
- No exhaust: Batteries power the Centaur, which means that there are no emissions during operation. In addition, the Centaur uses regenerative braking, which means the batteries are recharged during deceleration and hill descents.
- Quiet: Electric motors and an innovative gearbox design result in a quiet ride.
- Low-impact tires: The Centaur prototypes use the same non-marking silica-based tires as the Segway HTs’. These tires are smooth, which allows the rider to perform exciting maneuvers while having little impact on the terrain.
- Distinctive design, elegant suspension:
- A profile X-shape: The profile of the Centaur creates an “X.” Right after the Centaur was crowned a prince by the engineers, they quickly pulled in Segway’s industrial design team to integrate their vision into the product’s form and function. What resulted is a concept with a sleek minimalist design that elegantly showcases the rider, leaving the simple mechanical elegance of the underlying design visible.
- Three shocks: There are three shocks on the Centaur that absorb bumps and help the wheels maintain contact with the ground. There is one in each front “arm” and one in the rear.
- Lightweight: Concept Centaur only weighs about 150 pounds and can be easily transported in the back of a large SUV or small pick-up truck. If developed, its light weight would allow for transport on the back of small cars through a hitch-mounted rack, similar to that used for carrying bicycles.
- A profile X-shape: The profile of the Centaur creates an “X.” Right after the Centaur was crowned a prince by the engineers, they quickly pulled in Segway’s industrial design team to integrate their vision into the product’s form and function. What resulted is a concept with a sleek minimalist design that elegantly showcases the rider, leaving the simple mechanical elegance of the underlying design visible.
Environmentally friendly:
July 30, 2006
10 nasty money habits to break
The 25 Most Important Questions in the History of the Universe
- 1. What Makes No. 2 Pencils So Darn Special?
- 2. Who’s That AOL Guy Who Eerily Knows When You’ve Got Mail?
- 3. Where Does Nougat Come From?
- 4. Is There One Move That’s More Likely to Win a Game of Rock-Paper-Scissors?
- 5. Which Came First, the Can Opener or the Can?
- 6. How Does a Word Become a Curse Word?
- 7. Can a Pregnant Woman Drive in the Carpool Lane?
- 8. Why Do Battery Letters Skip from A to C? Was There Ever a B-Cell Battery?
- 9. What Does McDonald’s Have in Common with the CIA?
- 10. Why Does Hawaii Have Interstate Highways?
- 11. Why Do Most Snooze Buttons Only Give You Nine More Minutes of Sleep?
- 12. Why Do We Call Them Grandfather Clocks?
- 13. Was Turkey a Bird or a Country First?
- 14. How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck if a Woodchuck Could Chuck Wood?
- 15. We Know Nothing Better Has Come Along Since then, But Who Invented Sliced Bread Anyway?
- 16. Why Is It Called “Blackmail?”
- 17. Is It Possible to Own Property on the Moon?
- 18. Why Can’t You Tickle yourself?
- 19. Human Meat Isn’t Appetizing, But is It Healthy?
- 20. Can You Actually Sense Weather with an Injured body Part?
- 21. Why Won’t Pineapple and Jell-O® Be Friends?
- 22. What are Sea-Monkeys®, Anyway?
- 23. How Many Pounds of Chimpanzee are Needed to Defeat the Average Human?
- 24. Why are Grape-Nuts® Neither Grapes Nor Nuts?
25. How Many Licks Does It Take to Get to the Center of a Tootsie Pop?
Believe it or not, the answers to these questions are here.
Next Page »Great Dane
A man was out walking his dog. It was a huge brindle colored Great Dane. The man got thirsty and decided to stop at his favorite watering hole for an ice cold refreshing beverage. So he tied up his dog and went inside.While the man was sitting at the bar sipping a cold one, another man came running into the bar, obviously excited. The second man asked, “Whose Great Dane is that outside?”
The first man said, “He’s mine.”
The second guy, terribly distraught, said, “I think my chihuahua just killed your dog.”
The first man thinking there had been a mistake, said, “My dog is a huge Great Dane. How could your little chihuahua kill my dog?”
The second man said, “It got stuck in his throat.”
I didn’t know it was anything other than a spreadsheet.
