And we have lots to tell you about what Air Vehicle inventor Guy Negre and
his development team in Carros, France, are doing, including the October 9
announcement of a new Air Vehicle city transport solution called the AIRPod.
Also, all the Air Vehicles get new names!

When will the 4-door, six-seat US model be available? They expect it to be
manufactured in the US in 2010. They originally planned to take reservations for
the vehicle in 2008 but now plan do so in mid-2009 as we now anticipate demand
to far exceed the early production capability. (more…)

Since before Hurricane Ike came to town, we lost electricity.  The generator
has been my close friend for about 6 days.

My generator is a 6500 watt 13 hp JEWEL.  It takes 5 gallons of regular
gas and burns at a rate of 12 – 13 hours at a pop.  If you time it right,
you do not have to run out in the middle of the night to re-fill the tank.

I have learned alot about generators these days due to the parents going
kaput on Sunday night.  Theirs just simple wore out from years of use.  It
blew out the muffler, starting blowing oil, and then found copper windings (more…)

March 2008

What’s left of Greensburg State Bank built in 1989 is getting demolished.
Dee Corns, employee and wife of the Bank President tells of rebuilding the
bank in the same location.  They will build green using eco-block (icf).
There was a lot of material reclaimed from the bank before the demo
started.

Robert Mitchum, city council member, discusses who might be mayor. (more…)

Summer Weather is hard on your car, higher temperatures speeds up the
vehicles wear and tear. The oil viscosity, fluids and lubricants break
down more quickly, which drastically reduces the vehicles fuel efficiency.
So your car needs close attention in the summer.

You know the summer basics like checking fluids, hoses, belts and brakes.
But did you know: (more…)

What is the purpose of termites?…

Those incredibly destructive little creatures have the potential to benefit
humans in the production of biofuels. Or more precisely, the bacteria in
their stomachs. Termites process the wood they ingest in a series of stomachs,
each with a distinct set of bacteria.  Those bugs within bugs release enzymes
that break down cellulose, the sugar chains in wood, into acetate, a fatty
acid that provides the termite’s energy. Scientists with the Joint Genome
Institute at the U.S. Department of Energy, hope to develop a process to
harness the power of these bacteria on an industrial scale to break cellulose
down into ethanol and provide biofuel without using food crops as a source. (more…)

The chief advantages of tankless water heaters are a continuous flow of hot
water and energy savings. Tankless water heaters heat water directly without
the use of a storage tank. Therefore, they avoid the standby heat losses
associated with storage water heaters. When a hot water tap is turned on,
cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. In an electric tankless
water heater an electric element heats the water. In a gas-fired tankless
water heater a gas burner heats the water. As a result, tankless water
heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water.

Adults generally prefer shower temperatures of 105–120 °F (40–49 °C),
requiring the incoming cold water temperature to be raised about 55 °F
(30 °C) or more, if the hot water is later mixed with cold water. (more…)

Living in an RV really brings home the point of how much water can be reduced in any
establishment called “home”.

I wish I could say our original intentions were as honorable as water conservation,
but I would be a lying dog. When taking a shower in an RV, you tend to want to keep
the water running during the entire time. However, then you remember you only have a
60 gallon tank to hold all of your gray water. So, what to do??

Well, you learn very quickly to get wet, turn off water, soap up, turn on water,
rinse, turn off water. This goes for all water usage, brushing your teeth, or washing
dishes (whatever) very much like on a boat. But on a boat, you really are doing it
to conserve the limited fresh water. (more…)