1-800-GOOG-411: Google's 411 service

Zero emmissions, Honda Clarity is here.

Honda is introducing the Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle to Southern California in 2008. It is only available if you live in Santa Monica, Irvine or Torrance areas. These cities have Honda hydrogen fuel cell stations. The mileage with a fill-up is approximately 270 miles. Mainly for local driving, but I suppose driving to San Diego, Santa Barbara, mountain and desert areas would be in that mileage range. It is lease only, $600 a month for 3 years and includes service. Honda is also working on a home energy station which would heat and power your home as well as converting natural gas into hydrogen for your Clarity. They claim it (home fuel cell generator) will save you 30% on your home utilities.
Personally I feel a rechargable battery vehicle would be more efficient and economical and of course accessable to all. Read more about it here.

Thanks to Mike Adams, creator, and artist Dan Berger.

Luz's comment below reminded me of this great green idea.

If you live in San Francisco or Portland, Ore., you can even rent a living Christmas Tree (starting at $75 for a 7-foot Douglas fir) that will be delivered to you, then picked up after New Year’s to be replanted in areas such as parks and school districts.

For $60 and up, San Diegans can adopt a living potted tree—delivered by singing, dancing elves, we kid you not—that comes with its own adoption certificate, plus care and feeding instructions. When the merrymaking is over, the elves return to pick up the tree for replanting in areas destroyed by the Cedar Fire in San Diego

Japan stops humpback whale hunting

Japan has backed down from a highly controversial plan to hunt endangered humpback whales off Antarctica, after fierce criticism by Australia. The Japanese whaling fleet, however, still plans to hunt almost 1,000 whales this season

But, there is always a "but" read here from Voice of America

Bio Battery by Sony

How sweet it is...

Sony announced the development of a bio battery that generates electricity from carbohydrates (sugar) utilizing enzymes as its catalyst, through the application of power generation principles found in living organisms.

Test cells of this bio battery have achieved power output of 50 mW, currently the world's highest level for passive-type bio batteries. The output of these test cells is sufficient to power music play back on a memory-type Walkman.

I read elsewhere that the case for the battery will be made from a vegatable based plastic. Full story from Sony

Congratulations Ottmar Liebert

For your Grammy award nomination in the New Age catagory and for your outstanding album One Guitar. If I were a member of the Grammy organization I would do as many faithful Chicago voters do, and that is to vote early and vote often.

No more coffee pleasure

As some of you know I was seriously ill for about month. I am ok for now. But I am curious about one thing. I have lost all interest in tasting or smelling that morning cup(s) o'coffee. We're talking talking 40+ years of enjoying java. What happened?
I don't know.
I developed my taste for coffee when I was very young, maybe 9 or 10. When visiting my grandmother she would set me up with a small cup of very sweet and creamy(evaporated milk) coffee usually a brand of decaf called Sanka, against my mothers wishes. I kept it a secret until now and I told my 88 year old mom, and her response was "she did what!"
Well, I did try a cup and it was totally unappealing and bitter; one sip and I threw it out.
Does anyone out there know why this happened?

10.3 oz = 200 books

Amazon's Kindle is a wireless reading device. I saw Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos being interviewed by Charlie Rose a couple of weeks ago and thought I would look into this thing

Buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute.
More than 90,000 books available, including 100 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers.
New York Times® Best Sellers and all New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise.
Free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.
Top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbes—all auto-delivered wirelessly.
Top international newspapers from France, Germany, and Ireland; Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and The Irish Times—all auto delivered wirelessly.

Here is the link to Kindle. Besides the paper that is not being used, just imagine college students being able to download their texts into something that weighs like a paperback. This is amazing, and so is the price at $399.00. Have to put your name on a waiting list if you want one now. You know somehow the smell and feel of a book is comforting.

Solar Decathalon Winner is..............Germany

The Solar Decathlon joins 20 college and university teams in a competition to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered home. The winner was Technische Universität Darmstadt. I could live in a home like this if it were walking distance to a Trader Joe's, a good coffee house, a half-price bookstore, a sangha and friends with similar interests.