Replies

Hmm interesting stuff. I've never thought about nanotech as a possible energy source, makes sense once you say it though. Just so long as we don't have automated highways before I die, that's just a dystopia to me, I take such pleasure in driving a car, and so little in being a passenger. We'll see, there's some exciting stuff going on.

I think the drive train for the Segway will be the revolutionary thing (the control system is neat, but that kind of stuff is only good for low speeds, at high speeds turning the vehicle moves your body too much for tilt controlling to be safe), if it's half as efficient as they say it is it's very impressive. The worst invention in the world always has one thing about it that's cool the question is did the inventor use that cool part well. In the case of Segway I think the answer is a resounding no, but we'll see what people do with that drive train, that actually could revolutionize things. I want to know what happens when you put 6 of those engines on 4 wheels of a car instead of 2 on 2 wheels of a half assed scooter. What kind of fuel efficiency and top speed are we talking then? What can be done to this to make it run a fully loaded sedan at highway speeds for 250 miles (roughly what the average sedan gets per tank now) and how fast can you recharge it? That's what interests me in Segway.

Just so long as we don't have automated highways before I die, that's just a dystopia to me

The way I've heard about it, for the forseeable future only heavily trafficed highways would be automated. So you can go to sleep, or whatever, while commuting, but drive yourself in the country. Sounds good to me.

With all due respect fellows, and slightly off topic, someone (who, moi?) ought to write and publish an essay on how to write and read dry wit, irony, sarcasm, satire and such without the requisite laugh tracks, preambles (Bob Hope's MO: "Now I'm going to tell you a joke",) or so-called sarcasm tags.

I just happen to be reading Voltaire's "Candide" and I see no signs of any "sarcasm tags" in it. But I notice certain clues such as over the top statements, exaggeration, subversion of common cliches, outrageous claims, poses, pretended stupidity, funny word spellings, and similar devices. I saw Kinky Friedman at a book reading a few weeks ago and he explained (or complained) that he no longer did musical tours in this country because of the scandals his appearances were causing with songs like "They Don't Make Jews Like Jesus Any More" (/sarcasm tag!)

Some of us refuse to use these "sarcasm tags" here because we think we plant enough clues for critical readers to recognize the nature of our posts. Certainly, at times the clues are insufficiently clear or not strong enough but I don't think anyone in this group does it wanting to feel superior to those who just don't get it. Tongue in cheek is no longer tongue in cheek when accompanied by a laugh track and most things on television with laugh tracks wouldn't be funny without them (And aren't funny with them, either, if you axe me!) Cheers!