« October 2005 | Main | December 2005 »
November 30, 2005
I love Christmas
Every year my wife and I have a rule about buying stuff between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The rule is DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FOR YOURSELF, instead make a list so your spouse can have good ideas. This in an incredibly hard time for a gadget freak like myself. Delaying gratification is not SOP here. But it makes Christmas that much more sweet. I also love the magazines this time of year, all packed with list after list of stuff to drool for. I will be posting my items here so Alex can have a reference. Not all the things I actually want, some of them I want other people to get and will note it as such. So let's get started with the list...
#1. Renew my subscription to Men's Health. The best men's magazine on the planet. Always good new workouts as well to keep it interesting.
#2. Hydro Epic surfboard. Haven't ridden one, but I always can use a new weapon in my quiver. The idea of carbon fibre inside for strength and light weight is compelling. The only question is how do they surf and the only way to find out is to get one! I would like to try the 9' 0" Walden please...
#3. Chef'n Wisecracker crab splitter and cracker. Crabs are hard on the outside, soft on the inside. This tool opens the crabs from the inside out. Ingenius!
#4. Pumpabike Hydrofoil. What can I say, when the surf is down, I would love something else to do for a work-out on the water. This thing you pump the bike across the water. If you don't pump enough, you sink. If you do, you go up to 18mph. If Santa doesn't bring one, I am buying one after the first of the year.
#5. IRobot Scooba. Our new house has acres of concrete floors. A pain to vacume. I have held off on the iRobot vacume only, but now they tempt me with a robot vacume AND mop. Just fill it up and empty it. This is the greatest temptation to break the no buying something for myself rule yet.
#6. Nokia N80 3G phone. Can you say FAST net access that you can hook up to you laptop? Bye Bye wifi.
Posted by Martin at 10:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
I need this site
Posted by Martin at 10:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
the move to Biofuels continues to be driven by the states...
Four Governors Order Their States to Save Energy, Use Biofuels
Governors throughout the country have been wielding their powers of
executive order in recent weeks, as state agencies in Wisconsin,
Minnesota, and Texas have been ordered to save energy and New York
state agencies have been ordered to use biofuels. Last week in
Wisconsin, Governor Jim Doyle ordered the state's executive branch
agencies to hold their energy use to minimum practical levels and
directed the Secretary of Administration to issue energy conservation
guidelines. In Minnesota, Governor Tim Pawlenty ordered all state
agencies to cut energy use in state-owned buildings by 10 percent over
the next year. And in Texas, Governor Rick Perry has ordered state
agencies to submit energy conservation plans by tomorrow. See the
November 21st executive order from Governor Doyle, Governor Pawlenty's
executive order, and Governor Perry's press release at:
and
In New York, Governor George Pataki issued an executive order last
week that requires all state agencies and public authorities to
increase their purchase and use of biofuels for heating their
facilities and fueling their vehicles. The order mandates that by
2007, biodiesel must supply 2 percent of the fuel used in the state
fleet, increasing to 10 percent by 2012, at which time biodiesel will
also supply at least 5 percent of the heating fuel used in state
buildings. See the governor's press release at:
Posted by Martin at 8:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
BP forms Alternative Energy group
Looks like they are actually getting serious about alternative energy. BP Global - Press - BP Forms BP Alternative Energy. Their definition is Solar, wind, hydrogen and CCGT power generation. No threat to their oil business. Good to see an oil company put some wood behind their PR machine anyway.
Posted by Martin at 8:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 28, 2005
A funny patent plaque business
I get lots of junk mail. Most of it I throw out. Got a postcard from www.patentawards.com that I thought was a good use of direct marketing. They are basically a firm that tolls the patent databases and sends post-cards to the recent patent awardees and tries to sell you a vanity plaque for your wall. I get called like this for reprints of news articles as well. They caught my patent on: Distributed production system for digitally encoding information - US Patent 6873877 and sent me a card. I won't buy the plaque, but the offer was incredibly timely and personal. A good use of direct marketing that stuck out over the clutter. I wish more e-mail marketing was like that.
Posted by Martin at 9:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The beginners guides to all things flight related
Ah, tax dollars at work. Related to the last post, I found the NASA Glenn Research Center: Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics. Ever wanted to know who a plane or rocket flies? This is the site for you. I just spent three hours there. Wish I had had this when I was a kid and doing model rockets! There is apparently more to it than just larger engines.
Posted by Martin at 9:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Thinking Brayton Cycle engines
have been thinking about how jet engines work lately and came across a VERY helpful and explanatory site maintained by Nasa: Turbine Engine Thermodynamic Cycle - Brayton Cycle. Still makes the head hurt a little with all the talk of the first law of thermodynamics, entropy, isentropic compression cycles, etc. but thankfully most terms are hyperlinked to further explanations. Basically all jet engines are Brayton cycle engines. They can be more or less effecient based on how close they get to the ideal state.
Posted by Martin at 8:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 27, 2005
Pataki moves NY greener
this came over the wire last week
Great to see the progress. NorthEast has some of the highest heating oil prices in the nation and some of the worst air. Expect more of this.
Pataki mandates biodiesel use for N.Y. buildings
By 2012, at least 5 percent of the fuel used to heat state buildings must be biodiesel, Gov. George Pataki has decreed.
Pataki said Sunday he has issued an executive order that also directs state agencies to maximize the use of vehicles that burn biofuels. The order lays down a schedule of a minimum of 2 percent use of biofuels in the state's motor fleet by 2007 rising to at least 10 percent in 2012.
Biofuels can be derived from basic agricultural products, such as corn.
Pataki said the development of home-grown biofuel products will help the state lessen its dependence on foreign oil as well as being a boon to farmers.
Incentives will be made available through the state Energy Research and Development Authority to companies willing to create bio-refineries in the state.
State Agriculture Commissioner Nathan Rudgers estimates that there are as many as 2 million acres of "underutilized" farmland in the state that could sustain the crops needed to sustain biofuel refineries.
Posted by Martin at 2:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 23, 2005
Thomas Merton: Opening the Bible
Caution, if even the thought of any sort of religion or faith gives you the creeps, stop reading now.
I am not now, nor have I ever been a right wing religious ideologue. Haven't ever read the bible from cover to cover. I do hear verses most sundays in Catholic church, but much of it passes over me. My brother gave me Thomas Merton, Opening the Bible
Why bother to read the bible? Why is it still the best selling book every year around the world? How should one read it? Like a work of fiction? What are the main challenges with reading it? What are it's questions? Why is it so hard to read? All this and more in this very thoughtful slim volume from Thomas Merton. Thomas Merton is one of the greatest thinkers of all time. Even if you have never bothered to read the bible or even slightly despised anyone who would bother, you should read Merton's little book of thoughts. At least after reading it you can go back to TV, movies and your video games with the comfort that you actually made an active decision to NOT face any of the issues that the bible deals with (basically who are you and why are you here). You can go back to all the comfortable distractions that never put any stress on your brain or soul. Me? I like hard problems to solve. I like thinking about things that I don't have the answers for. Even some things for which there may not be answers. It gets me out of bed in the morning.
Posted by Martin at 9:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Philip Roth delivers a complete dud with "The Plot Against America"
I was traveling a couple weeks ago and looking for a political fiction book to feed both sides of my brain. This looked like just the ticket. I tend to like fiction told as an alternative to actual fact. Like "What if Kurt Cobain and Princess Diana had met and fallen in love" o rThat Other Lifetime: A Novel About Richard Nixon and Raymond Carver
Posted by Martin at 8:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Oops, even I get caught by web hoaxes sometimes
Thanks to a sharp reader who pointed me to: The Palace of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Apparently the slide show showing the Palace is not actually the guys house and he doesn't have 20 wives. But I am SURE he has more money than 99% of Americans who are paying today's gas prices. Mea Culpa, I will do more verification next time.
Posted by Martin at 8:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 20, 2005
Brazil is ruling the Ethanol markets, watch out
Here is a recently translated article from Exame, Brazil's equivalent of Business Week. 2005-06-22, Exame 845, 'New cycle for sugar cane'. Basically Brazil can produce Ethanol today for half the cost of the US. And a third the cost of Europe. America's Ethanol industry is protected and the politics are all tied up in sugar, etc. If we didn't have those protections, Americans today could be driving ethanol cars and buying fuel for less than the cost of petroleum gas TODAY. This is one area in which the government protection is NOT helping consumers or our national security.
Posted by Martin at 9:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Biodiesel on the Farm workshops in Oregon in December
BIODIESEL ON THE FARM WORKSHOPS IN DECEMBER
Curious about using biodiesel on your farm or ranch, in your nursery operation or vineyard? Join us for a day-long workshop featuring experts from Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Learn about:
* production and processing of oilseed feedstock for biodiesel
(including what to do with the processing by-products),
* small scale processing options for making biodiesel on-farm,
* biodiesel use in agricultural equipment,
* storage and handling of biodiesel, and
* federal and state financial incentives for using biodiesel in
your agricultural operation.
This workshop will be held in two Oregon locations:
* 1 December 2005 at the CH2MHill Alumni Center on the OSU Campus,
Corvallis
* 8 December 2005 at the Pendleton Conference Center, Pendleton
Workshops will run from 8 am to 4:30 pm, and lunch will be provided.
Admission is $25, and pre-registration is required.
To register or if you have questions, contact Kathy Hyzy, at kathyh@oeconline.org or 503.222.1963 x105
These workshops are hosted by the Oregon Environmental Council and are made possible through a generous grant from the Lamb Foundation.
Kathy Hyzy
Program Assistant
Oregon Environmental Council
222 NW Davis St Ste 309
503-222-1963 x 105
http://www.oeconline.org <http://www.oeconline.org/> http://www.biofuels4oregon.org <http://www.biofuels4oregon.org/>
Posted by Martin at 9:49 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Amarican Trucking Association endorses Biodiesel
One of the major groups concerned about the cost implications of adoption of biodiesel has been the American Trucking Association. Last month they did the math and figured out the truth - Biodiesel is a net positive for their industry. More goods to move, better long-term economics than diesel. Here is the announcement:
ATA Endorses Biodiesel
10/21/2005
Thomas L. Gallagher Web Editor
Trafficworld.com
The American Trucking Associations is endorsing limited use of biodiesel, claiming a blend of biodiesel and regular diesel could help prevent fuel shortages, restrain fuel price increases and help reduce pollution.
The association's board of directors unanimously endorsed a resolution promoting low blends of biodiesel at the ATA management conference in Boston Oct. 15-18.(br>
"ATA is proud to endorse the use of biodiesel in blends of up to 5 percent," said Rich Moskowitz, ATA regulatory affairs counsel. "It fits in with our mission of ensuring an adequate diesel fuel supply - something important to the trucking industry. Promoting B5 is a step in the right direction."
Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases. The U.S. Department of Energy says that biodiesel is safe, biodegradable, and reduces serious air pollutants. Blends as high as 20 percent biodiesel with 80 percent petroleum diesel can generally be used in unmodified diesel engines, according to DOE.
A growing number of truckers fill their rigs with biodiesel blends, said ATA. Biodiesel blends meeting the American Society of Testing and Materials standard are available to truckers at fueling sites throughout the country.
Biodiesel is currently somewhat more expensive to produce than petroleum diesel, but rising diesel prices are rapidly narrowing that gap and economies of scale may overcome the difference if biodiesel is produced in much larger quantities. The energy yield of biodiesel is generally considered to be 3.2; that is, for every unit of fossil energy put into producing biodiesel, 3.2 units of energy are gained. A 1998 study by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture determined that petroleum diesel fuel has an energy yield of 0.843.
A controversial study from Cornell University in March 2005 determined that making biodiesel from soybean plants requires 27 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced and producing biodiesel from sunflower plants requires 118 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced.
Posted by Martin at 9:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
first biooil cogeneration project in Canada
This is not biodiesel, but BioOil which is produced by carbon cracking of garbage, wood waste, etc. LivePowerNews - your source for electric power industry news. Very interesting that there is enough power to heat the plant and power 2500 homes.
Posted by Martin at 8:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 19, 2005
Fuel Independence by 2015 bill introduced in congress
By Congressman Jack Kingston posted at || RedState.org with a long thread following. Who says Republicans don't care about fuel independence?
Posted by Martin at 10:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 17, 2005
Renewable Energy 2005 world wide report
IF you have a long plane ride print it out: ren21-2.pdf (application/pdf Object). If not just print the two page executive summary.
Posted by Martin at 10:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
First meeting of Northwest Energy Angels group today
I have been talking to people in the region about starting an energy focused angel group for some time. With the help of NWETC: Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative it happened and we had our first meeting today. Standing room only in a room built for 25 people we received 38 RSVPs and over 20 regrets that will come to the next meeting. I gave an overview presentation of what brought me from tech to energy and why everyone in the room should focus on Energy Technology. Here is the presentation: NW Energy Angels 111705.pdf. We had two companies present, Optimum Energy with a set of technologies for reducing chiller energy drain in large buildings and WesTtech Energy with an innovative silent vertical axis home wind turbine. I am quite hopeful that this is the start of something good that we will have meetings every two months. Keep posted for more.
Posted by Martin at 10:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
VLC rules for DVD
Thanks to this thread: Applications: DVD Decoder software for pointing me to the Video Lan Client open source project. I have some VOB files that are ripped DVDs. They are dvd's that I made myself from home movies. I want to watch them on my IBM X40. Windows won't play them without paying for extra software. Quicktime won't play them. Real wants exta software and I hate that player like the pleague anyway. No free player software for DVDs. So I finally find this free open source thing. Works great. They need to work on the menu interface for navigation a little more, but not a biggie. Now I can watch my home movies on the plane finally!
m
Posted by Martin at 9:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 16, 2005
Where do our Oil $$ go?
Watch this slide show. You will see what $3 gas goes to buy. gas prices
Posted by Martin at 11:08 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Deconstructing Crichton
I am not a scientist. I am a fan of fiction. I sometimes read Michael Crichton, but tend to find him way too Hollywood for me. So it seems is his new book "State of Fear" that basically says global warming is not a problem. Thankfully there are thoughtful people: RealClimate � Michael Crichton’s State of Confusion L’�tat de confusion de Michael Crichton who have deconstructed the book. I am quite frustrated when popular media treats science in such a lighthanded way. The real problem is that most people reading Crichton for entertainment won't bother to think past the bad science in the book and will take the conclusion as "science". I am not going to bother with the book.
Posted by Martin at 8:05 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Gosh my timing is good on pensions
Yesterday I posted about the pension overhang as the next big bubble to burst. Today: Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Senate Passes Bill to Shore Up Pensions The Senate passed (97-2 this is a no brainer) a bill to shore up company funding of pension plans, estimated to bu underfunded by $450 Billion. That is a BIG number. Guess who picks that up? Yes the tax payer through the PBGC. Think the National debt is bad? Think the war is expensive? Think it is costly to clean up Katrina? Think about picking up that tab. So in uncharacteristic form, the Senats is moving early (ish) on this and trying to force companies to catch up funding over the next 7 years (oh, those poor airlines have 20 years). Sounds good eh? Make the suckers pay. But what does it mean for earnings? What does it mean for restatements? GM got downgraded to junk and their stock took a big hit when they decided to account (only partially) for their underfunded liability. Think what will happen when companies fully fund the pensions. Earnings will tank. Look through your stock portfolio. Sell the ones with large underfunded liabilities. Buy companies without pension plans.
Posted by Martin at 7:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 15, 2005
The next bubble is not housing, it is pensions
What is the #1 potential bomb waiting to explode in the US economy? The popular press would have you believe it is the housing bubble. It is not, it is our underfunded pension liability. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation just released their 2005 financial statements: PBGC Releases Fiscal Year 2005 Financial Results Guess what? The recent bankruptcies of United and other old world industries have shifted tens of billions of dollars of pension liabilities from the private sector to the quasi public sector. How does the PBGC meet it's underfunded liabilities? You guessed it tax payers. Nice game huh? Shift liability from the shareholder to the taxpayer? I can give you a very long list of private debts I would like to make public debts. A large reason we are in this mess is that lax accounting rules have allowed corporations to pump up earnings by not funding their pensions. GM's debt was recently downgraded to junk status and the stock crashed when they were forced to make a $13B restatement of earnings to reflect their underfuned pension liability. If you looked at the three major car companies they basically don't make any money and only exist to pay their pensions for retired employees.
What does all this have to do with entrepreneurship and startups? Everything. If you can start a company today in an industry with a heavy pension burden, you may be able to get a competitive position out of the gate due to your lower fixed cost liabilities. I think it is time to start a car company.
Posted by Martin at 7:43 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 14, 2005
STM made Newsweek also
A sister company to Seattle Biodiesel in that Nth Power has also invested is STM Power, makers of sterling engines. They made the Newsweek story also: Ten Eco-Friendly Companies - Next Frontiers - MSNBC.com. They have run our biodiesel and glycerine in their engines and it burns well. Go STM.
Posted by Martin at 5:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Seattle Biodiesel in Newsweek
Nov. 21 issue on newsstands now: Ten Eco-Friendly Companies - Next Frontiers - MSNBC.com. Good summary of 9 other companies making a difference. First time I have been in Newsweek. That is cool.
Posted by Martin at 5:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 13, 2005
roller Derby is back
Last week I went to a couple of the NW Film Forum's events showcasing films about Roller Derby. Let's Roll - Films on Wheels. They also showed highlights of the first season of Rat City Rollergirls which was a blast! Seattle Biodiesel will be sponsoring the champions of the league, the Derby Liberation Front next year. Look for announcements of the schedule.
Posted by Martin at 12:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 11, 2005
PBS NOW exposes Big Oil tonight
PBS Exposes Big Oil Tonight
Posted by Martin at 7:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Seattle City Light is now officially carbon neutral!
The PI reports today that Seattle City Light has achieved its goal of having zero net carbon emissions.
Posted by Martin at 2:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 7, 2005
Send your own reporter to Iraq
Tired of reading whitewashed reports from the front? Send this guy: The Fourth Rail there for you. I just gave him some $$ and have been enjoying the good reporting he has done so far. Looking forward to dispatches directly.
Posted by Martin at 5:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Being a Republican in Seattle
Matt Rosenberg called me today and pointed me to a story he wrote on being Republican in Seattle. Seattle Weekly: News: Blue City Conservatives by Matt Rosenberg. This last election cycle I couldn't keep the Bush signs in my Queen Anne yard. My car with a Bush sticker on it had the window broken, the rear view mirror torn off and was keyed many times. All for a sticker. One day a guy pulled up behind me at a stop sign and jumped out of his car and ran up to my window. Fearing the worst, I didn't want to put the window down, but he was smiling so I did. He said "Hey I just wanted to meet the other Republican on Queen Anne." I am constantly amazed at the lack of tolerance from the so-called party of tolerance.
A return to respect for individual opinions and conversations rather than yelling matches would do us alot of good.
Posted by Martin at 10:52 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
November 6, 2005
Network Magic 2.0 good, but waiting for 3.0
For the last month I have been using Network Magic 2.0 from the Ignition Partners portfolio company Pure Networks. Today my trial expires and I have to decide to buy or not. It is with much regret (since I am investor in the company) that I am not buying this version but am going to wait for the next.
Here is a high level overview of my home LAN.
Cable modem with Comcast going into a
Linksys WRT54GX firewall/router
going into a DLINK gigabit router for the WIRED lan.
1 iMAC connected wireless on 802.11b
1 dual Pentium server with 4TB RAID connected gigabit wired Windows XPpro
1 HP desktop Pentium Windows Home gigabit wired
1 Dell laptop connected 802.11b
1 IBM x40 laptop connected 802.11g
1 MAC mini connected wired gigabit
I installed the Network Magic 2.0 trial on the ibm x40 laptop and the HP desktop.
Here is what I like about the software:
1. Home networking is a pain in the butt. I am the Sys Admin at home as many of you probably are. Network management was designed for sysadmins not humans. There is a HUGE need for software that makes it easier for humans to run small LANS at home. Network Magic 2.0 has made a good whack at this category and is the best I have found.
2. The automatic public sharing of files and folders through a Network Magic proxy server. Why pay for third party hosting for FTP or even web site when there is extra capacity on my home computers in both CPU, memory and bandwidth? Because my ISP changes the IP address all the time and resolving the DNS is a problem. This is all solved by Network Magic's proxy server fixing an IP address and routing it to my home computer even as the ISP monkey's with the IP address. Great feature.
3. Auto discovery of devices worked will on the MS portion of my LAN.
Here is what I don't like and why I am waiting for 3.0
1. The auto install did not recognize my firmware on the Linksys Wifi Router. I got a message "router not recognized". When I went to their site it said the router was supported and gave a firmware version 1.02.06. My router had version 1.01.10. I had to go to the Linksys page, download a firmware upgrade and intall it then re-run the Network Magic wizard. This time it recognized it. Strike #1, my mother won't do a firmware upgrade to use your product! The message was wrong as well. It should have said firmware version not supported and offered to upgrade it for me. I already gave the wizard my admin password for the router. I know this is more programming, but this is the level of integration that will get my mother to use it.
2. Network Magic found all my devices in MSHome domain but did not discover my MACs. I don't know why and I don't want to know why. Network management software that is supposed to mask technical problems for me is supposed to figure things out like how to see MACS on a Windows network. Strike #2, not finding the MACs.
3.. It is not abundantly clear how to make public on the network my shared folders. First the folders have to be shared in windows, Network Magic doesn't offer to share folders that are not already shared in window. Then for the folders that are shared it offers me to "convert" the folder. That is not a very comfortable word. Why convert? Will it now not be usable on Windows? "Convert" is a scary word. Find another one. So I "convert" My Docs on the HP desktop and go to the IBM X40 to do the same and receive a message "folder already exists". Now if you are targeting average home users, they are probably just letting Windows put things where the default is. This means more than one PC will have the same folder name that is to be shared. Network magic should recognize this and cover for it. If I rename the folder on one PC then Windows won't know where to put things, etc. Strike #3, sharing folders is hard.
4. Like many people my main computer is a laptop. Network MAgic 2.0 was obviously designed only for desktops that never leave the LAN they were set up on. When I took my IBM x40 to Boston on a business trip and connected it to the WIFI network in my hotel, Network MAgic gave me a message saying it was "protecting" my files since I was on an "unknown network". Now all my shared folders don't work. I know why they are doing this because they don't have management of the new WIFI hub. But this is not an elegant failure. They should maybe have some lower level of functionality that DOES work on public networks. Strike #4, inelegant failure on public Wifi networks for portable devices.
5. Node versus LAN management. Let me explain. Each copy of Network MAgic only manages the files and folders on that PC. I can't manage Network Magic folders on another PC. This is a problem. It means I have to go to each PC and manage the properties of NM on that PC. Hell, in Windows I can manage PCs using remote terminal. NM gives me a network view of all the resources but doesn't let me manage any but those on my own PC. Strike #5, single node management versus LAN resource managment.
There are a couple of other nits, but those are the big ones. I love the product category. The Pure Networks people are going in the right direction. I am confident that 3.0 will be the version that gets me to whip out my credit card. I am looking forward to it.
Posted by Martin at 2:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Here is some simple software I would like
So I have been using Ebay quite a bit lately. I like how they have a link directly to all my listings by user name. That is cool, but very 1990. In the new blog/web 2.0 world, that should be a java script include command that auto generates a link list like I have for AllConsuming.net. In my blog template I would like to have the javascript and it just loads whatever I have to sell there in the list at page load time. If I don't have anything it is blank. As it is now I have to consciously post an entry when something is for sale. Wouldn't be that hard to write as a web service. Anyone?
Posted by Martin at 12:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Sennheiser PXC 250 noise canceling headphones for sale
More cleaning out. eBay: Sennheiser PXC 250 noise canceling headphones (item 5827470934 end time Nov-13-05 12:31:06 PST)
Posted by Martin at 12:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 4, 2005
Kyocera Finecam SL300R for sale
I just got the Casio EXILIM EX-S500 so out with last year's camera. eBay: Kyocera Finecam SL300R, GREAT Camera! (item 7560490335 end time Nov-11-05 21:01:35 PST)
Posted by Martin at 9:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 3, 2005
Minnesota runs into a quality glitch with Soy biodiesel
Minnesota temporarilly suspended their B2 mandate for 10 days due to "off spec" soy biodiesel found at the oil refinery. The report onReuters.com is the best I have seen. While we do not have any information as to what the "off spec" issue was, this does reflect the difficulty many producers are having with soy as a feedstock and scaling up to produce large quantities of biodiesel. It takes the extensive R&D a company like Seattle Biodiesel is making to stay on top of these issues and quickly implement process improvements to stay ahead of the curve. It is interesting that the diesel refinery "found" the out of spec fuel. I wonder if Minnesota has a third party testing system to take any potential bias out of the equation.
Posted by Martin at 7:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 1, 2005
On the Radio this morning
If you have an odd desire to hear my voice, click here and listen to me on the CEO spotlight this morning on KIRO 710 radio in Seattle.
Posted by Martin at 3:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack