Biofuels - Alternative Sources of Energy

Biofuels are produced by converting organic matter into fuel for powering our society. These biofuels are an alternative energy source to the fossil fuels that we currently depend upon. The biofuels umbrella includes under its aegis ethanol and derivatives of plants such as sugar cane, as well aS vegetable and corn oils. However, not all ethanol products are designed to be used as a kind of gasoline. The International Energy Agency (IEA) tells us that ethanol could comprise up to 10 percent of the world's usable gasoline by 2025, and up to 30 percent by 2050. Today, the percentage figure is two percent.

However, we have a long way to go to refine and make economic and practical these biofuels that we are researching. A study by Oregon State University proves this. We have yet to develop biofuels that are as energy efficient as gasoline made from petroleum. Energy efficiency is the measure of how much usable energy for our needed purposes is derived from a certain amount of input energy. (Nothing that mankind has ever used has derived more energy from output than from what the needed input was. What has always been important is the conversion—the end-product energy is what is useful for our needs, while the input energy is just the effort it takes to produce the end-product.) The OSU study found corn-derived ethanol to be only 20% energy efficient (gasoline made from petroleum is 75% energy efficient). Biodiesel fuel was recorded at 69% energy efficiency. However, the study did turn up one positive: cellulose-derived ethanol was charted at 85% efficiency, which is even higher than that of the fantastically efficient nuclear energy.

Recently, oil futures have been down on the New York Stock Exchange, as analysts from several different countries are predicting a surge in biofuel availability which would offset the value of oil, dropping crude oil prices on the international market to $40 per barrel or thereabouts. The Chicago Stock Exchange has a grain futures market which is starting to “steal” investment activity away from the oil futures in NY, as investors are definitely expecting better profitability to start coming from biofuels. Indeed, it is predicted by a consensus of analysts that biofuels shall be supplying seven percent of the entire world's transportation fuels by the year 2030. One certain energy markets analyst has said, growth in demand for diesel and gasoline may slow down dramatically, if the government subsidizes firms distributing biofuels and further pushes to promote the use of eco-friendly fuel.

Michael Phelps' unusual diet

MICHAEL PHELPS' DIET

Breakfast: Three fried egg sandwiches; cheese; tomatoes; lettuce; fried onions; mayonnaise; three chocolate-chip pancakes; five-egg omelette; three sugar-coated slices of French toast; bowl of grits; two cups of coffee

Lunch: Half-kilogram (one pound) of enriched pasta; two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise on white bread; energy drinks

Dinner: Half-kilogram of pasta, with carbonara sauce; large pizza; energy drinks

That combination may not sound very healthy, and at a staggering 10,000 calories, would feed five average men for a day.

But the menu is reportedly all in a training day's eating for champion swimmer Michael Phelps, who won 8 gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Source

I'm surprised he can even move after all that!

Beijing ticket scam

How sad that fraudsters have to sully the excitement of major events by selling non existant tickets to the gullible. The latest of such scams is the Beijing Olympics ticketing scam.

The mastermind behind the Beijing Olympics ticketing scam is believed to be a Briton with a long history of fraudulent ticket schemes, and it is not the first time Australians have been caught in his web.

Terance Shepherd, 49, a London online tout, was planning to "go out in style", a former colleague warned last year, after a British newspaper exposed another of his websites, online ticketshop.com, for selling non-existent World Cup tickets for England matches for as much as $6000 each.

Shepherd, now believed to be hiding in Barbados, had planned "one last massive sting" before retiring, Sydney private investigator Ken Gamble, who has been tracking the fraudster's activities since 2003, said yesterday.

Mr Gamble has compiled a dossier that includes more than 150 online ticketing websites allegedly operated by Shepherd, including olympictickets beijing2008.com, most of which have been registered to a company in Phoenix, Arizona.

More here

Google Street View goes live in Australia, Japan

Street View, the driver's-eye view on Google Maps, made its debut in the United States, but it's now available in Australia and Japan, too.

The Street View service has raised privacy hackles in some quarters, but it's helped me navigate in areas I've never visited: What does the house I'm visiting look like? Or the street corner where I'm supposed to get off the bus? Or where exactly is that big-box retailer?
Google also is extending Street View to Europe, and in the process is gathering data that will let it create 3D models as well.
To alleviate privacy concerns, Google blurs faces in Street View.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10006040-2.html

Check it out at http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/

Angelina Jolie Gives Birth to her twins

PARIS — Angelina Jolie's doctor says the actress has given birth to a girl and a boy. Dr. Michel Sussmann told The Associated Press that Jolie, the babies and Jolie's partner, Brad Pitt, "are doing marvelously well."Sussmann confirmed a report in the local Nice Matin newspaper that Jolie gave birth to a boy, Knox Leon, and a girl, Vivienne Marcheline, by cesarean section on Saturday night.He told the AP on Sunday morning that the boy weighed 5 pounds and the girl 5 pounds

Portugese Chicken. Yum!

I bought this Portuguese chicken the other day from the local "gourmet" butcher and it was delicious so I looked around for a recipe. This one from lifestylefood.com.au would appear to be the closest.

3 Red Peppers
2 Crumbled Dried Chilli's
6 medium Halved And Deseeded Red Chilli's
4 Roughly Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
Lemon Juice
2 Boneless Chicken Thigh Fillets

Method

Grill peppers on all sides until skin is blackened. Place in a plastic bag and leave to cool. Peel away the skin, halve, deseed and roughly chop
To make the piri piri sauce, put the peppers, dried and fresh chillies, garlic and coriander into a food processor. Add enough olive oil to make a loose paste
Spread half of the piri piri over the Chicken and marinate for 4 hours
Mix the remaining paste with tablespoon of olive oil and red wine vinegar to make a dressing
Set the BBQ to hot and cook chicken both sides until crispy and brown
Serve with lemon wedges, salad leaves, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and crusty bread

Easy Holiday Recipes also has some yummy recipes!

Pitch Black 2008

If you are wondering what the noisy jets around Darwin's Top End are doing at all hours of the day and night, it is the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) are hosting an international contingent of aerial units for the biennial Pitch Black air combat training exercises, this year held jointly with Malaysia, United State, Thailand, Singapore and France.

Up to 3000 service men and women from Australia and countries including the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and France will support the exercise, with ground crews and aircrews operating some of the most sophisticated military systems employed in the world.

An additional 60 aircraft from the RAAF and participating Forces will deploy to RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Tindal, near Katherine. Fighter, strike, early warning, air-to-air refuelling and transport aircraft will combine with selected surface forces and systems to simulate and evaluate operational planning and tactics in war-like conditions.

Gallery

A Royal Thai Air Force F-16 arrives at RAAF Base Darwin in preparation for Exercise Pitch Black 08.

More Darwin and Territorian information can be found here.

Maroons win!

QUEENSLAND have matched the State of Origin winning record, smashing New South Wales 30-0 in a stunning display at Suncorp Stadium.