They really don't make them like they used to.

these past few months, my parents have had frequent car trouble. which does make me laugh, because the dodge dart I bought last winter has had no trouble. None. and it's over 35 years old, with over 200,000 miles on it.

If I have the option, I don't want to drive newer cars. They've got all kinds of things that tick me off. There are buzzers, there are lights, there are design flaws, all kinds of stuff that I don't have to deal with. The best thing though, is the design simplicity of the old cars. Nothing has gone wrong with my dart the entire time I've had it. in the same period of time with our mercury, it has had troubles thrice with total repair bills coming to somewhere in striking distance of $1000 (which is what I paid for my entire car)

Now, it isn't perfect. It has a few quirks, (brakes drag) and needs some TLC (transmission fluid and filter change) but that's far less technical than the computer diagnostics, and sensors upon sensors that need near constant replacing on my family's newer cars. In fact, most parts required cost less than $30.00 and I can do most of the work myself. (compared to special-order parts and taking the car to a shop.)

Even further though, is the real icing on the cake, in that I don't need to get my car inspected. that's right. no saftey inspection!!! which saves me even more money in that I can do whatever I want to this car, and still drive it on the street.

Of course though, the 1972 car I drive isn't exactly a prius, and it does burn more gas than newer cars. But, it still gets 22-25mpg in the city, and with some modifications, I think I can better that.

Overall, I recommend that anyone who wants to not need to worry about their car, become car-literate, and drive a classic car. They'll cost you less to buy, less to operate, they're more reliable, and above all that, they are COOL!! My car's a 1972 dodge dart, 4-door sedan. Which, even when it was first released, was the definition of "boring car" but now, it garners more looks from people than cars that cost 30 times as much. I love it, and I really don't want to be forced to drive much anything else.

About the only exceptions to the above statements are:
Really expensive supercars
DeLoreans
Pontiac Fieros
80's-90's Camaros

call me strange,
call me derranged,
call me whatever you wish,
But If you don't like me
And publicly berate me,
you'll take a long nap with the fish.

(nice poem huh? I just thought of it)

Technologies left behind: Steam

I've always been fascinated by steam engines. And I think it's a real shame they aren't sill prevalent. Theoretically, a steam enginecould be as powerful as one would like. You could move the earth with a steam engine if you just built it big enough. Just build a boiler about 100,000 miles across, set it next to the sun, and build a piston about the size of the moon, a connecting rod 1 AU long and before you know it, you're playing billiards with planets.

Okay, perhaps that's a stretch of unimaginable porportions, But My point is made. The steam engine can be built to whatever power level is desired. Just make the parts beefier and bigger, and apply more heat to the boiler, viola!! more power.

Contraptions of unimaginable size and complexity could be powered by steam, Machines of war, machines of peace, machines of whatever. All those massive, walking mechs you see in cartoons, Alot of the largest ones could only be powered by steam. (the ones the size of a car could use electric linear actuators, and ones up to about 40' tall could use hydraulics, but the REALLY BIG ONES, the building crushing, ground rumbling mechanical monsters on the other hand, are about relegated to steam power.)

Plus, if you have an appropriate heat source, steam power is completely clean, it doesn't even use non-recycleable components.

I like steam, I wish we still used it more.

Deranged thinking

Welcome all, to my blog.

First, you are probably wondering who the heck I am. I'm a mechannically inclined, Deep, foreward and backward thinking, open minded teenager. I've spent a huge ammount of time online, reading books, watching TV, and talking to people, all to further my understanding of the ways of things.

I can't speak for anyone reading this, but My views tend towards nothing. Many of my views are unpopular, and many are popular. Some are quite common among the american public, some are completely off-the-wall and unique.

I've tried to keep blogs before on various topics, but I've not been able to keep them up due to my interests petering out. So now I'm making one with no focus, just whatever comes to mind whenever it comes to mind, which I feel people need to hear.

If you haven't gathered yet, I have a fascination with machines, especially non-electronic ones. I do however have a great nack for electronics, and I've significant profeciency and understanding for someone of my age.

One may also be suprised that I have a great love of nature as well. I beleive heavily in the possibility of mechanical and biological machines coexisitng peacefully, and mutually beneficially. I follow and consider environmental concerns, and I think that if technology is used properly, we can have whatever gargantuan, terrible, inefficient machines we want without destroying the planet we live on.

My favorite technologies are:
Steam power
Clockwork mechanisms
nanotechnology
genetic engineering
bio-engineering
cybernetics
solar power
chemistry

Further Entries could be on damn near anything, oh, and by the way, I curse like a motherfucker.