Fly the GREENER Skies September 16, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Sustainable Living, Travel & Leisure.comments closed
Change is . . . in the air!
Some airlines and airplane manufacturers are beginning to take steps to lessen their eco-footprints.
That’s great news since air travel is expected to double in the next 20 years.
A few GREEN advances:
* Southwest and Continental have improved fuel efficiency, waste reduction, and recycling efforts.
* A French company, LISA Airplanes, is building an innovative prototype, called the Hy-Bird, to fly with zero-emissions and nearly no engine noise. Its space age design relies on solar power and hydrogen fuel cells to support the company’s claims that Hy-Bird is the first 100% eco-friendly plane. To celebrate, it’s planning an around-the-world flight.
* Virgin Airlines began testing the use of bio-fuels on passenger jets in 2008. Other airlines are following its lead: Air New Zealand, Continental, Japan Airlines, JetBlue, and Lufthansa.
* Hunt Aviation, a Mississippi based company is working on a fuel free plane. The prototype relies on helium filled pontoons and natural buoyancy for lift-offs, and on-board wind turbine and battery to power things in-flight.
* Boeing is developing a carbon neutral jet fuel made from algae, and its new commercial jet, the Dreamliner, is more fuel efficient than predecessors due to more efficient engines, lighter weight, and improved aerodynamics.
* Airbus is using lighter-weight composite materials in its new planes to increase fuel efficiency.
Until these innovative planes land on a run-way near you, a train or bus may be a better bet if you’re worried about the impact of your travel.
Another option, buy carbon offsets. Both Terra Pass or Carbon Fund use funds raised to fuel alternative energy projects.
Please put your tray tables and seat backs in the upright and locked position, and get ready to fly the greener skies!
Fun with Words: Watch It! September 16, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Joke, People, Word Play.comments closed
Today, on Fun with Words, let’s see how a few mis-directed or mis-timed words can get you into BIG trouble (and why having a sense of humor is essential to longevity in marriage).
1) Saturday morning, I got up early, quietly dressed, packed a lunch, grabbed the dog, and slipped quietly into the garage. I hooked the boat to the truck, and proceeded to back out into a torrential downpour.
The wind was blowing 50 mph, so I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad all day.
I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed with my wife, and whispered, “The weather out there is terrible.”
My loving wife of 10 years replied, “Can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in that?”
Oops!
* * * * *
2) At my high school reunion, I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table.
My wife asked, “Do you know her?”
“Yes,” I sighed, “She’s my old girlfriend. I understand she started drinking right after we split up, and hasn’t been sober since.”
“My God!” my wife exclaimed, “who would think a person could celebrate for so long?”
Ouch!
* * * * *
3) A man and a woman were sound asleep. Suddenly, at 3 o’clock in the morning, a loud noise came from outside.
The woman, bewildered, jumped up from the bed and yelled, “Oh, no! That must be my husband!”
The man jumped out of the bed naked, climbed out the window, and landed in a bed of roses. Scratched, but otherwise unhurt, he got up and ran to his car.
A few minutes later, he returned to the bedroom and yelled, “I am your husband!”
The woman yelled back, “Yeah, then why were you running?”
Ack!
Related post: Fun with Words: Premature Ejackulation
* * * * *
Inspiration: e-mail from unknown author
Spirit Lights The Way 