Normally I don't blog about things like this -- there's almost no point. But here's the deal...
No engine is 100% efficient. Why? Because it takes a certain amount of the energy it produces to simply run itself - all its parts, cams, valves, levers, gears, etc. The goal is always to design an engine which will put most of its energy into doing the work it was designed to do. 70% or 80% is considered pretty good operating efficiency for a piece of machinery.
So in the last few weeks, I've been watching & listening to all the mindless rhetoric spewing forth from our (the U.S.) government's various offices, chambers, and elected representatives. I'm remembering back to the battle against then president Bill Clinton's non-governmental behaviors and the tens of millions of dollars spent in pursuit of him. Or the hunt for WMDs in the Mid East. There are so many more similar instances which I just don't have the energy to type at the moment.
But you know what I mean.
I've been receiving twice-daily email messages from one political party, asking for a $3.00 donation so they can increase the already $400,000 fund to fight against the other political party. For a day. And it occurred to me: I wonder how many hungry children that $400,000 could feed TODAY? Or how many people who can't afford simple basic medical care could be seen by a doctor? TODAY.
I'm getting pretty tired of watching my tax dollars being spent on all this. This is not an engine I would use for anything - its efficiency has to be less than 10% at this point. Heck, I'd even settle for 50% efficiency.
Our "elected" representatives: Just because they're old and big, doesn't make them grownups.
No engine is 100% efficient. Why? Because it takes a certain amount of the energy it produces to simply run itself - all its parts, cams, valves, levers, gears, etc. The goal is always to design an engine which will put most of its energy into doing the work it was designed to do. 70% or 80% is considered pretty good operating efficiency for a piece of machinery.
So in the last few weeks, I've been watching & listening to all the mindless rhetoric spewing forth from our (the U.S.) government's various offices, chambers, and elected representatives. I'm remembering back to the battle against then president Bill Clinton's non-governmental behaviors and the tens of millions of dollars spent in pursuit of him. Or the hunt for WMDs in the Mid East. There are so many more similar instances which I just don't have the energy to type at the moment.
But you know what I mean.
I've been receiving twice-daily email messages from one political party, asking for a $3.00 donation so they can increase the already $400,000 fund to fight against the other political party. For a day. And it occurred to me: I wonder how many hungry children that $400,000 could feed TODAY? Or how many people who can't afford simple basic medical care could be seen by a doctor? TODAY.
I'm getting pretty tired of watching my tax dollars being spent on all this. This is not an engine I would use for anything - its efficiency has to be less than 10% at this point. Heck, I'd even settle for 50% efficiency.
Our "elected" representatives: Just because they're old and big, doesn't make them grownups.
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