Ford Introduces Ethanol Powered Sports Car

In a nod to alternate energy, Ford annouced a new sports sedan with roots in the Mustang design that will run on E85 ethanol fuel. It’s called the Ford Interceptor. It is shown above. The fuel it can burn, E85, is a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.

Ford says: “Our customer target for this powerful masculine sedan was a man with a family,� Horbury said. “He’s essentially a good guy, but a bit mischevious. He loves power and performance. But ultimately, he’s responsible. When he has his family on board, he values new safety technology as well as a powerful engine that runs on E-85 ethanol.�

You may have read in the ER where Rick Keene went to South America to view how ethanol is produced and used as an alternative to gasoline. In Brazil, ethanol is produced from sugar cane and fuels a major portion of their automobiles. It was Brazils response to the Opec induced oil crisis of the 1970’s, and it’s a good idea.

In the USA, ethanol is produced from corn, but its production efficiency is reportedly not as good as with sugar cane. Nonetheless, demand for ethanol continues to grow, with new production facilities coming online each year.

Revolutionary Flu Vaccine May Be At Hand

From the “us” against “phlegm” department:
There’s a DailyMail article about the possibility of a revolutionary flu vaccine that could work against all strains of the Influenza A disease. This ‘holy grail’ of vaccines would work on everything from the annual ‘winter flu’ to the ‘bird flu’. The best part is that just a few vaccinations may provide complete immunity, unlike the annual boosters are current defenses require.

Updated Google Earth Spies on City Plaza

The image above is from Google Earth, which had its photography for Chico updated just within the last two weeks. The picture is the closest zoom available and shows the new City Plaza under construction. Based on other construction landmarks around town and the colors of foliage, plus the fullness of Lake Oroville at the time, I’m estimating the image was snapped by satellite sometime in late June 2006.

Corporate Scrooge Contest

Have you ever worked for an employer that was cheap to the point of making you want to find another job? So miserly and humiliating at Christmas that you had visions of fun revenge instead of sugerplums dancing in your head?

Slate Magazine decided to have a contest for the worst corporate scrooge, and over 200 entries were submitted.

Scientists Predict Large Solar Cycle Coming

An erupting solar prominence photographed by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). [More]

In a post a few days ago I mentioned scientists discovering that global warming appears to be happening on Mars in its polar ice caps and that this was likely evidence of a solar linkage that also affects Earth’s climate. Today NASA announced in an article shown below that the next solar sunspot cycle due in 2010 is likely to be one of the historically largest in 400 years of sunspot records.

The Christmas Star

Sky of Jerusalem at 7BC-11-12 at about 7:30PM local time - Click to View Larger image

With all the hullabaloo about politically correct “Happy Holidays” greetings, as done up in electric lights on top of the Sierra Nevada Brewery, I thought the Christmas Star would be an appropriate topic.

Global Warming on Mars?

Global Warming is a hot topic here on Earth, but it may be the issue will be settled not here on Earth, but on Mars. A study of the ice caps on Mars suggests it is also experiencing a warming trend. A story about new data from NASA cites a six year study by researchers at Duke University showing that Mars may also be seeing a Global Warming trend and that both the Earth and Mars are seeing changes related to solar output.

You’ll pry my laptop from my cold, dead, hands…

Anybody who wonders what we are fighting for in the middle east should read the article below in today’s Boston Globe. In case you didn’t know, there are places where you could go to jail for just reading this.

Bombers away, the end of an era.

It was with sadness and surprise that I learned today that Bombers Baja Grill off East Avenue has closed their doors forever. They served their last Mexican food ordnance today, 12/15/06.

Bombers was known for the biggest burrito ever made (at least in Chico). There was the “missile”, the “bomber” and the “atomic bomb” which between the habeneros, beans, and the calories, was a nearly 2 pound explosive combination.

I’m not sure where they got the idea to mix bombs and burritos, but here is an early picture from the experimental days of the restaurant where they were loading planes at the Chico Army Air Base (now the Chico Airport).

Bombers was an original, so original that those corporate franchisers at Chipotle knocked off the idea I think. But unlike Chipotle, which has food served in prison cafeteria style with steel and glass ambience, Bombers food was great, and the ambience had history you could feel.

I suppose it was only a matter of time though, they had a terrible location, and competition was springing up around them. They were also nearly invisible, which goes to show it pays to advertise.

I’ll miss Bombers.

3rd Annual Red, White, & Blue Christmas

Irregardless of our political situation at home, our troops overseas and their families, always deserve the best support we can provide. For the past two years, this event gave comfort to many local families whose loved ones are serving overseas in the cause of freedom. Thanks to a great outpouring of community support, it was hugely successful. This year’s event promises to be even better.

While the sacrifice of the men and women in our nation’s armed forces is clear, what many in our community don’t know is that families of our servicemen and service women suffer even beyond the separation and the worry. Many families lose their breadwinner, and often take a large pay cut in service to our country. Sometimes it takes months for military pay to even be received as training, locations, and deployments change, leaving families to subsist on savings, borrowings, and kindness. Some families find themselves behind in rent, or leaving important bills unpaid while their loved ones selflessly serve our country.

Proceeds of this event will replenish an assistance fund used to help local military families in their time of need.

It also will provide entertainment, moral support, and inspiration. Most importantly it will provide cheer and personal contact via an Internet Video Conferencing System that will allow our troops stationed overseas to see, hear, and interact with their loved ones left behind.

On behalf of our local military families, and the members of the Chico National Guard, I ask for your support.

You can support our troops 3 ways:

1. Buy tickets to the event
2. Make a donation of goods and services for the silent auction
3. Make a cash donation.

Details are below. Thank you for your consideration. Anthony

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Support Our Troops
A Red White and Blue Christmas…The 3rd Annual Northern California Holiday Fundraiser to assist the Chico National Guard Families

• Emceed by Bruce Sessions, KPAY Radio
• Tri Tip dinner with the Soldiers families, catered by Larry Juanarena (Pat and Larry’s Steak House)
• Fundraising Silent Auction
• Guest Speakers - Entertainment, and more.

When and Where:
Chico Elks Lodge, 1705 Manzanita Ave. Chico Tuesday December 19th 2006 6PM -11PM
Tickets are $30 per person

Tickets are available at:

• California Water Service 222 Whitman Ave. Chico (Next to Costco)
• Wittmeier Auto Center, Forest Ave next to Wal-Mart in Chico
• Diamond W. Western Wear 181 E. 2nd, Street, Chico
• Coldwell Banker, 7030 Skyway, Paradise

Donations can be made out to “Chico National Guard Family Assistance� and dropped off at California Water Service Company 222 Whitman Ave Chico or at Tri Counties Bank, All Chico Locations.

If you have a donation for the silent auction, they’ll be happy to come by and pick it up. Email Sgt. Douglas Shaw at:
Chicotroops@yahoo.com