February 2009

We often heard about biofuels, but do you know what it is? Do you know the importance of it in our environment as well as our economy today? How long has man started looking into biofuels?

Man had started studying the alternative fuel for as early as the 19th century. So what is biofuel? The term “biofuel” applies to any form of matter produced from organic (once-living) matter. It is produced or derived from renewable sources like corn, soy, etc…

Now, what are the benefits of using biofuels, you say? This is actually the best way of reducing the smoke emitted from the greenhouse gas build-up that causes the greenhouse effect. This is also considered or can be looked upon as an alternative to fossil fuels that are now limited in resources. The uses of biofuel has grown or exapnded throughout. The primary or most common biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel.

Here, we will focus on biodiesel. What it is, is an all-natural and renewable alternative fuel for diesel engines made from vegetable oils, mostly soy and corn. It contains no petroleum and is actually nontoxic and biodegradable. One particular example under biodiesel that we are going to discuss on is the Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO). How a Waste Vegetable Oil can be used as an alternative fuel is another achievement attained by man’s quest for advancement. As technology evolves, so does man’s needs and the rapid growth in the population drove us to find other ways to maximize our resources; thus man discovered ways in making WVO as biofuel.

How does engines that are designed to burn diesel fuel work using biofuels? It is done by lowering the viscosity of the vegetable oil to allow it for proper atomization. Its conversion is a long process, and takes several weeks to convert it to where it can be used as a biodiesel for car engines; but there is a better way to minimize conversion time, by using WVO centrifuge. The WVO centrifuge is not new, but if adjusted right with precision, it actually performs better than any WVO filters.

So where can we find these waste vegetable oils? Hard to believe, but it can be found right in your own kitchen! Large suppliers of Waste Vegetable Oils are restaurant outfits. They convert this Waste Vegetable Oil this into a biofuel by simply adding methanol and lye and presto! Instant biofuel!

So, why go for alternative fuel? To save on costs and keep the environment, clean for our next generation.

Go out and find that special classic car Go out and don’t hesitate, there’s a world of good condition Darts out there. Buy a Dart now before the price goes up! You won’t regret it.

Nothing prepared us for how much fun we’ve had.
Vicente and I have counted on our 1972 Dart now for nearly three years. For that length of time we’ve been very happy with the car. We live in rural Kansas, near Rush Center, and we enjoy touring in the car during the spring months. My opinion is I’d say it’s a particlarly great toy for the money.

Almost from the minute we received the Dart we’ve been enjoying it heartily. We drove to visit my wife’s uncle in Mississippi numerous times over the year. The Dart does well on gas and has not given us a lot problems in terms of service.

The Dart is in pristine condition, having been restored in the last two years. The previous owners seem to have taken it upon themselves to fix it up over the past 19 years. Our previous car, a Bentley, had plenty of issues and we weren’t depressed to scrap it.

The first order of the day was to insure the vehicle. For our metlife classic car insurance we went with a company called Hagerty Insurance. We signed up for the policy completely online, using their excellent web site. We found the company by reviewing the information on classic cars. It’s an awesome resource for finding the best deal on hot rod insurance. We insured the Dart for a fraction of what Nationwide wanted.

I don’t regret for a minute buying our Dart. While 1972 was just a blur to me, our car helps us relive those bygone days.

Other 1972 Dart Cars

[phpbay]1972 Dart,10[/phpbay]

I took the weekend off and entered a local show-n-shine here in Puyallup, Washington. It was organized by the local Sheriff by the name of Nestor Zanten. The Sheriff is a film freak from way back, having a small part in the film “H.C. Hagedorn”. A love of cars was grown over the years.

I entered my 1950 Mercury in the cruise with the intention of taking home a prize. I spent four hours getting the Mercury. I had done my car history search on the Mercury by going over to decode this for a check at the accuracy of the car. After considerable research there I found that my Mercury was very rare!

I entered my car and took first place! | was totally floored that my little old Mercury had so many people hanging around it. Next year will be even bigger.

You know the thing I definitely dislike?

I am revolted by smokers.

For real, smokers make me want to vomit.

This Thursday my son and I visited Clementes Fine Foods in Rye, Arizona.



The general vibe was very exciting. While watching some sports on the TVs my son and I tucked into one of the most undercooked dinners my son and I ever ate



I’ll share images of the restaurant in the morning.

When I was an MBA student as part of a management course I had the opportunity to conduct a culture assessment at the organization where I was working. The organization was somewhat new to me. I had been hired as a senior manager only a year before and the ability to quantify and analyze the organizational culture was a new concept to me.

As an employee in any type of organization can attest organizational culture is as prevalent and as varied as individuals themselves. Organizational culture is enduring and complex and may have both a positive and a negative effect on the staff and the workplace. In many ways culture will determine the survival of an organization over the long term, especially in volatile industries.

The organizational culture assessment that I participated in didnot provide any surprises regarding the existing culture most people with any level of sensitivity can get a sense of what type of culture is prevalent in an organization. What was surprising were the results from the survey to determine what type of culture staff would prefer to see the organization develop.

The assessment we used to assess the organization culture used questions that sought to determine and enumerate such organizational traits as symbols organizational espoused values and beliefs Then the espoused beliefs and values were compared with the symbols and culture identified through the written survey and staff interviews.

The assessment determined that the existing culture was very hierarchical and quite clannish. The staff also indicated, through the anonymous written survey that they would prefer the culture to be more adhocratic and less hierarchical while at the same time being slightly more market culture and clannish. This showed the positive and optimistic view of the staff towards change.

Understanding the organizational culture can help you to understand why change does not take place, or why a project fails. It will also help you to determine where to strive to make changes to the culture.

In todays financial climate it seems that it is quite a sensible idea to buy a second hand car. There is no reason why they should not be reliable if you buy them from a trusted source or do your homework on the car before you buy it. It also makes excellent financial sense in that as soon as the new car is driven off the forecourt it starts to lose money, whereas a second-hand car has already made this loss.

When you take the plunge and buy used you can usually afford to go for a more upmarket model than if you were buying new.

Maybe a disadvantage to buying used would be that financing is often more expensive although this could be offset by cheaper insurance rates. If however you prefer to lease a car then a used car is not a viable option. You could also be missing out on the latest gadgets and safety devices and I suppose there is nothing better than feeling that you are the first owner of a brand spanking new car!

Let’s face it a lot of first time buyers of cars are youngsters who really cannot afford the expense of a new car.

One of the most popular cars for teens is the Honda Civic.The Civic is one of the best small sporty cars around and is quite fairly priced. This car is really fuel efficient and is very safety orientated with antilock brakes, front seat side airbags and side curtain airbags which are standard on all models. It has a body shell which is designed to withstand an impact with a much heavier vehicle. There is the choice of a flashy coupe or a more sensible sedan.

The Mazda 3 has earned itself a reputation for being economical and fun to drive. It has plenty of power, great looks and exceptional handling.

Another firm favourite is the Ford Focus because they are relatively cheap plus they have a system which allows the use of ipods and cell phones with voice commands which mean the driver can keep their eyes fixed firmly on the road.The sporty 2 door Focus coupe is popular as it offers the same amount of back seat and trunk space as the four door version.

The car that the teen driver will probably be best suited to must surely be the safest and also the most economical to drive.

Do you know the only thing I absolutely think is awful?

I am revolted by celebrities.

No seriously, celebrities are disgusting.

This Wednesday we planned to goto Coffee Shoppe in Ronceverte.



The restaurant was very exciting. After some small talk we consumed a completely tasteful servings we had ever had



I’ll share images of the good later.