Over the weekend I learned that all of my current and future problems have been solved. For example, I was worried about the cost of energy, but scientists recently figured out how to make gasoline out of plants. Problem solved. http://www.chemistrytimes.com/research/Money_Doesnt_Grow_on_Trees_But_Gasoline_Might.asp With the energy problem solved, America will soon be able to leave the Middle East alone. Cheap domestic energy will heal our aching economy and end any reason for International terrorism. As a nifty side effect, this plant-to-gas technology has no carbon footprint. So say goodbye to global warming. Still, I was worried I might someday die of natural causes. Apparently there was no need to worry, as I learned on 60 Minutes. A guy with some pie tins and hot dogs discovered a cure for every type of cancer. It will take a few years to perfect it, but I think I can hold on until then. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/10/60minutes/main4006951.shtml?source=RSSattr=Health_4006951 Cancer isn’t the only health problem I was worried about. I might need a new heart someday. As luck would have it, I will soon be able to grow a replacement in the lab. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/01/14/rat.heart.ap/index.html You’re probably thinking you don’t want your body to live a long time if your mind isn’t going to be sharp. No problem. Scientists have an Alzeimers vaccine in the works. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=463811&in_page_id=1770&ct=5 The other potential problem of living a long time is that the planet will get filled up with too many a-holes. Luckily we are only twenty years away from the development of the first Mars colony. I am already packing my bags. http://www.wired.com/science/space/news/2005/07/68311 With all of this good news, I am left with only one nagging concern. What if all the good news is either exaggerated or overly optimistic? Nah.
Hypertension, most commonly referred to as “high blood pressure”,HTN or HPN, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated. Hypertension can be classified as either essential (primary) or secondary. Hypertension is considered to be present when a person’s systolic blood pressure is consistently 140 mmHg or greater, and/or their diastolic blood pressure is consistently 90 mmHg or greater. Hypertension is one of the most common complex disorders, with genetic heritability averaging 30%. Hypertension can also be produced by diseases of the renal arteries supplying the kidney.
Posted by: Alexis Kenne | April 24, 2008 at 04:03 PM
in terms of the bio gas we could use bamboo instead to trees. The lifecycle is only about 6-7 years as compared to 30-40 and certain kinds of bamboo can grow up to 3ft(a little less than a meter) a DAY
you never know it might work.
but sure go ahead and complain it might actually accomplish something
Posted by: Michael H | April 19, 2008 at 10:48 PM
great, very great
Posted by: Manila | April 17, 2008 at 01:37 PM
Only 30 posts? Now I see why the media doesn't waste much energy on good news.
Posted by: Larry | April 17, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Guess again Scott.
The west stops buying oil from the ragheads.
The ragheads economy goes down the toilet.
The ragheads blame the west for ruining their economy, and start blowing shit up. Same old same old.
Posted by: Dave | April 16, 2008 at 10:32 AM
I'm a bit late as usual, but I think I know where you are coming from. In fact, it kind of falls in line with my own thinking as of late. I've even come up with a name for it. Mr Reagan had his "immortal catch phrase" and I have come up with one for our current regime. "Roony" caled it vodoo economics. I think the best term for what is going on now (and you are free to use it (and I will even even give you copyright rights for a slice of gay nities pizza ...if they are still in Buisness))... is "rumpelstilskin econimics". Think about it, our current administration is promising gold spun from straw just as long as you offer up your first born. Please, if you can come up with an argument to disprove this, let me know.
On a side note...and please don't take offense to this...there is only one person that I can possibly compare you to. And as his "official passing" is apparently
legite this time, I can only look to you as role model. I grew up Idolizing Kurt Vonnegut and he has been and always will be my coice for the infamous question "if you could meet anyone, Dead or alive (and in this case both sometimes applied).
(BTW please dont hold me responsible for that cheap set of luggage I sold you back in '88 from the luggage rack in stoneridge mall)
Posted by: Ed D | April 15, 2008 at 10:50 PM
Anyone who thinks we're only 20 years away from a Mars colony is on crack. It took 39 years to get from the first moon landing to the situation we have today, which is that it would take several years to do another moon landing.
I would bet that my as-yet-unborn grandchildren won't live to see a Mars colony.
Posted by: Rex Little | April 15, 2008 at 05:16 PM
Ahem, a little class on reading comprehension (or why to read the link before mouthing off):
The article is *actually* talking about taking CELLULOSE (usually not a viable food source for even the most starving people as the human stomach *cannot* digest it - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose) from poplar trees (which have never been a food crop as far as I know) or switchgrass (ditto) and making chemically identical petrol (gasoline) using only a small amount of initial heat. From what I can read, once the process is started it *releases* heat which can then be used to create electricity instead of coal. Seems to be more benefit than loss if the article is correct and it can be implemented reasonably soon in a commercial scale.
Posted by: dermorataman | April 15, 2008 at 04:03 PM
> Scientists have an Alzeimers vaccine in the works.
Glad your glass is half full. Mine is 2/3 empty. In the space of four days, CNN has run pieces which say that:
- you are 4 times more likely to contract Alzheimers if you have clinical depression before age 60;
- you are much more prone to dementia if you have a high percentage of belly fat (not any other kind of fat). As it happens, I'm svelte & even muscular everywhere EXCEPT my belly.
Two strikes! Ah, well, maybe I'll enjoy the global warming.
Helm
Posted by: Helm2Lee | April 15, 2008 at 01:27 PM
Apparently there is Rife Technology that has been around for a while that can cure cancer....
http://www.herbrep.com/ (miracle 6)
Posted by: Tigershire | April 15, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Wouldn't it be funny when we do colonize Mars, that we find evidence of a bio-fuel production facility...
Posted by: Jon P | April 15, 2008 at 09:10 AM
You used very small type today.
Posted by: Sam | April 15, 2008 at 08:29 AM
This will not end any reason for International terrorism,
Posted by: Sanjay | April 15, 2008 at 06:27 AM
Isn't the thing about the plant-based gasoline, or biofuel, that huge swathes of rain-forest are being cleared to make way for the crops required to produce it, the result being that the pros of biofuel are far outweighed by the cons....and to cap it all off, in the UK from today, a % of the fuel that goes into our tanks must be made up of biofuel - thing is, nobody told us about it until the media found out.
Posted by: G | April 15, 2008 at 05:10 AM
Perhaps there will be an alternative to Mars.
Posted by: Craig | April 15, 2008 at 04:02 AM
I have better news. It is how to live life after death. This ensures that even if you die by mistake, it tells you how to enjoy your life after death. The best, you do not have to pay insurance :)
Posted by: Vijay | April 15, 2008 at 03:54 AM
nice
Posted by: Christian Bross | April 15, 2008 at 03:52 AM
Plant fuel, I am sorry to say has a massive carbon footprint though not in the expected manner. While the fuel may burn cleanly, it does have some issues when it comes to producing it.
To fill the tank of one SUV you the same amount of grain which would feed one human for one year. But the money is so attractive that there are already a number of farmers converting fields that use to grow food for humans to growing fuel instead.
And if potential worldwide food shortages is not enough, Brazil is already planning to double the rate of deforestation of the Amazon in order to accomodate those farmers who want to grow fuel.
Time recently did an article on this scam.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1725975,00.html
Posted by: Cedric | April 15, 2008 at 02:51 AM
In addition to my last comment, global food crisis is now on the first page of cnn.com:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/15/whitehouse.food.crisis/index.html
More on that carbon footprint here:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/02/24/eco.biofuels/index.html
"Converting rainforests, peatlands, savannahs or grasslands to grow fuel crops releases CO2, in some cases a staggering 420 times more CO2 than from burning fossil fuel, the report says." Whoa, right?
Here's a cool design idea: let's make green jeans with "zero carbon footprint" on the ass.
Then export all humans to Mars.
Posted by: nemezide | April 15, 2008 at 01:33 AM
Biofuels are bad. Zero carbon footprint my ass:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1725975,00.html
Also, the production of biofuel is increasing world hunger by lessening food supply and driving up prices.
Soon we will be 50 feet under water OR eaten by the world's hungry, whichever comes first.
Posted by: nemezide | April 15, 2008 at 01:14 AM
You may find that, due to the fact that there is a bio-fule subsidy on production in the USA and a similar subsidy on consumption in Europe, some people are making a heck of a lot of money producing in the USA & selling in Europe.
Posted by: Rod | April 15, 2008 at 12:00 AM
You forgot to mention that by turning food into gas in order to participate in traffic jams, you are also solving the problem of obesitiy.
(You would not import food from countries where people are starving, would you.)
Posted by: Urs | April 14, 2008 at 10:53 PM
Na! What I'm worried about is what if
-- those scientists die before completing their researches.
-- terrorists get hold of LHC and destroy the world.
-- Nature stops producing those plants and chemicals that are making you and those scientists so hopeful.
Such a negative person I'm!
Posted by: Promythia | April 14, 2008 at 09:25 PM
may i complain about this smaller font? i hate anything breaking my habits
Posted by: rd | April 14, 2008 at 08:17 PM
"This will not end any reason for International terrorism, but it will reduce the funding for it."
Have you heard of many people throwing Inter-Continental-Ballistic-Rocks (ICBRs of course) lately?
Although, I heard that shooting a gun wildly into the air could eventually launch some bullets into orbit, then rain them down in a heavenly storm directed at the people worshiping the wrong god (or comet)Of course, you must scream something along the lines of God is Great while doing it.
Otherwise, life looks good for the next 20 minutes while they figure out that cold fusion... I mean all of the above somehow fails (I see the glass as half empty, I wonder where the other half is)
On a side note, is the font small for anyone else?
Posted by: js | April 14, 2008 at 07:34 PM