History, Poetry, Security

Where your bare foot walks

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by Rumi (translation by Coleman Barks)

I want to be where
your bare foot walks,

because maybe before you step,
you’ll look at the ground. I want that blessing.

A blessing perhaps if all you want is consideration, but not such a blessing if you still get squished like a bug by someone’s bare foot (someone who has factored the costs, or is oblivious to them). An African proverb has a slightly different take on the same theme:

When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.

Do the elephants look at the ground? Would they, if the “bare foot” theory of Rumi were true?

Food, Poetry

Holy Scriptures of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

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by Chuckstar

FSM is my chef; I shall not starve.
He maketh me rigatoni with sweet sauces:
He leadeth me inside the kitchen.
He restoreth good taste:
He leadeth me to the pasta strainer for al dente’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the foodcourt lacking pasta,
I shall fear no burgers: for thou art with me;
Thy noodley appendages, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me with marinara and alfredo;
Thou annointest my spaghetti with meatballs; My plate runneth over.

Surely cappucino and dessert shall follow pasta all the meals of my life,
and I will eat in the Olive Garden forever.

Food for thought…

Energy, History, Sailing

Phone cameras are quite handy

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My pocket is now full of images…

Ghost-like clouds travelling along the shore:
huntington water

Two WWII-era B-24H bombers lay below these waters. Always gives me the creeps to sail here and know that they still haven’t been exumed and laid to rest properly:
huntington lake

(Bio)diesel technology at work…I averaged 25 mpg overall (over 40mpg on the downhill sections), compared with under 15 mpg for most other tow vehicles (including large pickups):
a-cat in tow

A Ford F-150 V6, for example, has 260 lb/ft of torque @ 3750 RPM, while a VW Passat little four cylinder has 247 lb/ft @ 1900 RPM.

My engine was practically idling up the mountains at 65 mph with the AC on (it was 110F in the valley) and I was still getting reasonable mpg. A friend who drives a giant american “dually” pickup said he almost over-heated and was barely getting 12 mpg.

On big trips I get a strong sense of security and independence knowing that my vehicle can travel fully loaded with gear over 600 miles per tank. The numbers speak for themselves, but you really haven’t towed (less than 2K lbs) in comfort until you’ve tried a modern (bio)diesel passenger car