Thursday, September 21, 2006
Monday, September 18, 2006
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Amnesty International is Wrong, America is Right
Well according to George anway...
It's all in the body language
Carole Coleman, Washington Correspondent, asks the US President whether he understands the opposing view of his policies
It's all in the body language
Carole Coleman, Washington Correspondent, asks the US President whether he understands the opposing view of his policies
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Stephen Wiltshire - A Beautiful Mind
Taken from www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk
As a child, Stephen was mute and did not relate to other human beings. Aged three, he was diagnosed as autistic. He had no language, uncontrolled tantrums and lived entirely in his own world.
As a child, Stephen was mute and did not relate to other human beings. Aged three, he was diagnosed as autistic. He had no language, uncontrolled tantrums and lived entirely in his own world.
At the age of five, Stephen was sent to Queensmill School in London, a school for children with special needs, where it was noticed that the only pastime he enjoyed was drawing. It soon became apparent he communicated with the world through the language of drawing; first animals, then London buses, and finally buildings. These drawings show a masterful perspective, a whimsical line and reveal a natural innate artistry.
Aged eight, Stephen started drawing cityscapes after the effects of an earthquake (all imaginary) as a result of being shown photographs of earthquakes in a book at school. He also became obsessed with cars and illustrations of cars at this time (his knowledge of them is encyclopaedic) and he drew most of the major London landmarks.
In 1987, the BBC QED programme, 'The Foolish Wise Ones', featured Stephen's astounding talent. The programme was devoted to three autistic savants: musical, mathematical and artistic. Stephen was introduced by Sir Hugh Casson (past president of the Royal Academy), who described him as "the best child artist in Britain". Stephen's work has since been the subject of numerous television programmes around the world, and the writer and psychologist, Oliver Sacks, has devoted an essay to Stephen in his book An Anthropologist On Mars (Picador 1995). Stephen is the only artistic autistic savant in the world whose work has been recorded and published since his childhood. His third book - Floating Cities (Michael Joseph, 1991) - was number one on the Sunday Times bestseller list.
http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant/wiltshire.cfmSunday, September 03, 2006
Friday, September 01, 2006
The DIY manual for the 21st century
A new website, Videojug ("Life Explained. On Film"), has a growing range of videos showing you how to do various everyday tasks.
1,500 days until the Peak
Oil powers 80-95% of all transport, 50-75% of all oil is used for transportation, 99% of all lubrication is done with oil products, 95% of all goods in the shops get there using oil, 99% of our food involves oil or gas for fertilisers, agrochemicals, tilling, cultivation and transport. Oil is the most important source of primary energy on the planet accounting for 36.4% of all energy. What do current high oil prices tell us? The market is saying ‘send more oil!’. Economics need a balance of supply and demand, they assume that high prices bring new demand, yet high prices have failed to bring any new supply to meet this demand. In the Third World, high oil prices are already having a huge impact.
Demand is now starting to come down to reach supply. So why are supplies peaking? We are not finding enough new oil. We are not developing new fields fast enough, our old fields are getting very tired. In 2005 we found 5 bn barrels, and we used 30 bn, a ratio of 6:1.
Demand is now starting to come down to reach supply. So why are supplies peaking? We are not finding enough new oil. We are not developing new fields fast enough, our old fields are getting very tired. In 2005 we found 5 bn barrels, and we used 30 bn, a ratio of 6:1.
- Click here for more
- View the ASPO-5 Speakers' Presentations here
Oil crisis by 2010
Higher petrol taxes to deter people buying as much, strict petrol rationing and Adelaide production of small fuel-frugal cars were urged yesterday by an Australian group concerned with "peak oil".
That is when world oil production peaks. After that, shortages will occur.
Visiting Adelaide, Chris Skrebowski, a trustee of the Oil Depletion Analysis Centre and editor of the Energy Institute's Petroleum Review in Britain, said "peak oil" was real and imminent.
"Peak oil is when flows can't meet the required demand," he said. "This will cause an economic tsunami." Mr Skrebowski, addressing a Committee for Economic Development of Australia gathering, said that of the world's 18 largest oil fields, 12 were in production decline.
Few large discoveries were being made, with the prediction of even less new oil in coming years.
"Oil supply will peak in 2010-11 at around 92 to 94 million barrels a day," he said. "We have just 1500 days to peak. Collectively, we are still in denial."
Bruce Robinson, convener of the Australian Association for the Study of Peak Oil, said petrol rationing would help make supplies last as long as possible.
Biofuels would mitigate the oil shortage problem but were not the main solution. Hydrogen fuel-cell cars also were not the answer.
"South Australia could lead the way," he said. "There's a golden opportunity for SA's car industry to make an AusCar, a modern version of the 'people's car' Volkswagen.
"Not something with a 3.8-litre V6 engine but something small, lightweight and fuel-efficient."
CARSguide liftout: New fuels up to pace
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