Driving (Slightly) Off-Course

When people say “driving songs”, it is always associated with heavy drum or smooth piano and bass rhythms. It often strikes the listeners as the songs fit you behind the wheels. Like the songs of the funk-rock band such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Diana Krall’s and Norah Jones’ slow jazz tunes.

One of my favorite bands of all time is the Irish sibling quartet, The Corrs. Their style is pop-rock sound with rhythmic beats. Their music is light rock sound, poppy and striking. The lyrics are easily relate-able. These characteristics of their music help propel their songs to the top.

The most important characteristics that also play an integral role in the music of the quartet is the band’s ethnic root. Celtic music was employed into their songwriting that is known to common Irish artists. Most of the Sharon’s violin solos are of celtic influence. That means giving a jig beat or a river dance feel to the song. Aside from this, Andrea, the lead vocalist has a hard Irish accent combined with equally prominent backup vocals by the other girls in the band.

Who will forget the sound that gave them the hits as “All the love in the world”, “Give me a reason” “What can I do”, to name a few. And also I will not forget in my list their debut song “Breathless” with a signature of their poppy and bouncy style of music. Lyrics of the songs of The Corrs reveal stories of different situations involving women or female figures. This can’t be hidden since the The Corrs is predominantly composed of women.

Their album “Borrowed Heaven” that was released in 2004 was an exception to the stereotypes.

Just like the song “Summer Sunshine” where it provides a beach party ambience. The steady measures and drumbeats provide a feeling of driving on a long highway. The song gives a relatively louder, heavier musical instruments effect and heavier distortion.

Their song, “Long Night” is one of the best examples of driving song that takes on a cruising. The song is all about a couple that recently broke up. It has a melancholic lyrics and a piano melody with sentimental feel. The song is a typical story of real life breakup where a woman is driving on a long highway as she leaves the man she loved. It is like in the movie, where the scene is supported by the heavy-hearted vibe that the violin of Sharon brings to the scene. It clearly depicts a woman who is heartbroken driving away.

For their song “Silver Strand” is a slight off-road veering along the same course. The lack of vocals of this song didn’t change the overall impact. This is with a perfect cruising-beat percussions.

Music of The Corrs are not for those maniacs on the road who driven off-road and crashed onto a big tree on the dirt. Their song is a perfect balance where on wheel is side off and the other one on the pave. This is for you who wish to travel far.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Cruising New Year to All!

National Biodiesel Board Applauds House Passage of Energy Bill

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) applauds the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of energy legislation with broad renewable fuel provisions. H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act, expands the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) in a manner that will encourage increased use of Biodiesel, and extends the federal Biodiesel tax incentive.

The Energy Bill, which passed by a vote of 235 to 181, will expand the existing RFS to 36 billion gallons by 2022. It would provide for a renewable requirement in diesel fuel, to be met by Biodiesel and other biomass-based diesel fuels. The legislation specifically requires that 500 million gallons of Biodiesel and biomass-based diesel fuel be blended into the diesel pool in 2009, gradually ramping up to one billion gallons by 2012. Additionally, the bill extends the Biodiesel tax incentive through Dec. 31, 2010, which helps make Biodiesel competitive with petroleum diesel fuel in the marketplace. (Source: The Washington Post).

Let us give credit to the efforts of Senator Maria Cantwell, a member of both the Senate Finance Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee who promotes the production and use of Biodiesel. The bill surely protects the ability of American Biodiesel producers to compete in foreign markets. My concern is, will it compete in the marketplace, here in America? There should be a viable domestic market for biodiesel. To make the bill succeed, coordination and implementation shall be accordance with the state, suppliers, processors, fuel marketers, distributors and the would be end users as well.

Among the benefits of using Biodiesel are:

• Biodiesel reduces our dependence on foreign oil

• Biodiesel reduces emissions of Carbon Dioxide that cause a lot of problem for the environment. In other words, reduces the greenhouse gas emission

• Biodiesel is an efficient fuel. For each unit of energy consumed in the production of fuel, it creates 3.2 units of energy.

If you will use Biodiesel, there is no need to change your car or there is no need for engine modification. In addition to this, there are spare parts inventories that are readily available. You don’t need to hire a special mechanics for your car. Like any other vehicles hoses need to be checked after the first 6 months. Replacement of non-compatible hoses may be necessary, but is not usually expensive and hard to find.

I remember a friend of mine, Dustin Hall, a graduate of Reed College in Portland, Oregon, just years before the passage of the Bill, used his summer break back in his freshman year and established a Biodiesel Plant in the Philippines, a country in the South East Asian region. He chose to build the plant in the Philippines because the country is rich in coconut trees. And his father spent some time in the country when he was young. And because Dustin believed that coconut oil can be used as Biodiesel, he set-up the DH Coco Diesel in the Philippines. The plant produces 156 gallons of 100 percent coconut diesel in a day. The second largest producer of Biodiesel in that country.

According to Dustin, Biodiesel is a combination of diesel fuel and used or new vegetable oils or animal fats. For example, oil used for cooking French fries or donuts can be used to make a car run. This explains why some people say that cars that run on Biodiesel sometimes end up smelling like newly fried fries from McDonalds! hahaha. Merry Christmas!

Be safe! Improve your vehicle’s handling, improve fuel efficiency and give long life to your tires. Inflate your tires with Nitrogen.

Let us review our Chemistry. Nitrogen has an atomic symbol of N and has an atomic number of 7. Nitrogen has boiling point of -195.79˚C and with a melting point of -210.0˚C. Nitrogen gas can be obtained by liquefaction and fractional distillation. Nitrogen makes up 78.1% of the Earth’s air, by volume. The air we breathe is actually 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% small amounts of gases.

Nitrogen is now the popular replacement for standard air. There are so many advantages of inflating your tire with nitrogen instead of oxygen or standard air.

• Nitrogen for Longer Pressure Retention. Nitrogen maintains longer tire pressure. It reduces the chance of a blowout. Thus, improves vehicle’s handling that you can react quickly and decisively in ever changing road conditions and situations.

• Nitrogen Improves Fuel Efficiency. With correct tire pressure brought about by Nitrogen in your tires, it lessens the rolling resistance thus maximize fuel efficiency.

• Nitrogen Extends Tire life. Ordinary air or oxygen causes oxidation. It makes rubber brittle and causes loss of tensile strength. Oxygen reacts and damages the inner tire liners. Unlike oxygen, nitrogen reacts to high temperatures and pressures.

• Nitrogen keeps you Safer on the Road. In a recent study, under-inflated tires cause 90% of blowouts. Because of the large size of molecules of Nitrogen, it stays in your tire longer because it is least permeable. It provides reliable pressure in your tires thus reduce blowout potential. Nitrogen has a cooler running tire temperature.

• Nitrogen Increases Rim Life Too. Nitrogen is completely dry. The rust on your rims is caused by condensation from water vapor and other gas that is caught in valves.

Even commercial airlines uses nitrogen in aircraft tires because it reduces the potential for water vapor freezing at high altitudes. The U.S. military and the NASA use nitrogen too, for the same reasons that commercial airlines have.

Proper tire maintenance is a big deal. Maintain your tire pressure with Nitrogen. Protect your self. Be safe.

Change your motoring habits and not your car! Improve your fuel cost problem. No special skills needed!

With gas prices on the rise, there is no better time to review what you can do to limit your fuel consumption. No need to buy expensive add-ons equipment or even a book to know more, Coz’ It will cost you more. Read this.

· Your car. Cars in poor running condition use more gasoline. Keep your car tuned up. Regular tune-ups ensure best economy; check owner’s manual for recommended maintenance intervals. And also, special attention should be given to maintaining clean air filters… diminished air flow increases gas waste. Inspect suspension and chassis parts for occasional misalignment. Bent wheels, axles, bad shocks, broken springs, etc. create engine drag and are unsafe at high traveling speeds.

· Car Air Conditioner. Air conditioning uses a lot of power. Try using a lower setting. When you use your air conditioner you get much lower mileage so use it sparingly. You also don’t need your AC on full blast for extended periods of time, turn the AC on until you feel cool enough, then turn the AC off and let the fan circulate the cool air. When driving on the highway, most of a vehicle’s power is used simply to overcome aerodynamic drag. Drivers are often told that keeping the windows rolled up, which significantly reduces drag, and using air conditioning actually results in better fuel economy than driving at high speeds with the windows open.

· Extra baggage, extra air pressure. Take unnecessary items out of the car. Extra weight affects your gas mileage. In addition, check your tire pressure. Inflate all tires to maximum limit. Each tire should be periodically spun, balanced and checked for out-of-round. Over-inflated tires can actually reduce your fuel efficiency, so don’t overfill. And not having enough air in the tires can cause a number of problems, including a potentially dangerous blow-out. Radial designs are the recognized fuel-savers; check manufacturer’s specifications for maximum tire pressures.

· Driving the speed limit. Never exceed legal speed limit. Primarily they are set for your traveling safety, however better gas efficiency also occurs. Drive steady and try to keep a constant speed. The more your speed fluctuates the more gas you will use. Accelerate gradually when leaving stop lights. You’ve probably been told before that rushing up to stop lights and racing away from them wastes gas. Slowing zero-to-sixty times to 20 seconds instead of 10 to 15 seconds makes a big difference in mileage over the long term. Braking slowly and gently helps, too.

· Drive safely and economically. Traveling at fast rates in low gears can consume up to 45% more fuel than is needed. You no longer need to warm your car up for long periods of time, especially with new cars. And try not to idle your engine for long periods of time and travel at fast speeds in low gear. Avoid “reving” the engine, especially just before you switch the engine off; this wastes fuel needlessly and washes oil down from the inside cylinder walls, owing to loss of oil pressure. . Don’t start and stop engine needlessly. Idling your engine for one minute consumes the gas amount equivalent to when you start the engine.

· General advice. Buy gasoline during coolest time of day – early morning or late evening is best. During these times gasoline is densest. Keep in mind – gas pumps measure volumes of gasoline, not densities of fuel concentration. Choose type and brand of gasoline carefully. Certain brands provide you with greater economy because of better quality. Avoid filling gas tank to top, overfilling results in sloshing over and out of tank.

Don’t save gas, work and live like a dog and contribute to skyrocketing profits of oil companies.

Save gas, save money, save time. Visit my site. Thanks.

What is High Octane Gas? Does your car need High Octane Gas?

First thing first. The octane rating is a measure of the auto-ignition resistance of gasoline (petrol) and other fuels used in spark-ignition internal combustion engines. It is a measure of anti-detonation of a gasoline or fuel, where the engine compresses a cylinder-full of air and gas into a much smaller volume before igniting it with a spark plug. Amount of compression is called the compression ratio of the engine and a typical engine might have a compression ratio of 8-to-1.

Knocking can damage an engine. The octane rating of gasoline tells you how much the fuel can be compressed before it spontaneously ignites. When gas ignites by compression rather than because of the spark from the spark plug, it causes knocking in the engine and it is not something you want to have happening. Lower-octane gas, like “regular” 87-octane gasoline, can handle the least amount of compression before igniting. Octane ratings measure a gasoline’s ability to resist engine knock, a rattling or pinging sound that results from premature ignition of the compressed fuel-air mixture in one or more cylinders.

Switch to a higher octane level only if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money.

Benefits of using High Octane gas. Using a higher octane gasoline than your owner’s manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won’t make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner. The octane rating of gasoline is not consistent across the country, one state may require a minimum octane rating of 92 for all premium gasoline, while another may allow 90 octane to be called premium. To make sure you know what you’re buying, check the octane rating on the yellow sticker on the gas pump.

Listen to your owner’s manual. Determine the right octane level for your car by checking your owner’s manual.  Some cars with high compression engines, like sports cars need mid-grade or premium gasoline to prevent knock. In general, regular octane is recommended for most cars. There is no reason to use and pay for expensive high octane gas, unless your car was designed for such gas. It will not improve gas mileage and not improve power output as well.

Conclusion. If your car is explicitly designed for high octane gas, use it. If your car has engine knocking problems and your car manual says it’s okay, use it. Basically, where you buy your gas than which grade you purchase, the quality of gasoline and the additive package usually affect the rate of engine wear more than the octane rating.

The nicest thing for me is getting feedback from you, both good and bad. Visit my site. Thanks.

Car racers! The crash-free car is just for you. The crash-free car can predict a possible collision and react to prevent it.

The crash-free car will be equipped with V2V or vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Advanced GPS technology will track down the car’s location, speed and direction and relay the data to computers. The problem is how to communicate the data to ongoing cars that are in the path of the crash-free car.

Actually, the crash-free car is still in the experimental stage. Different auto manufacturers are currently developing all sorts of technology that will make this car available in the future.

Volkswagen, General Motors and Honda are the leading contenders in the search for crash-free car technology. General Motors has already developed a Cadillac CTS with an enhanced stability control system that can tell if the car is about to collide with the car in front of it that has suddenly stopped without warning. The car’s computer automatically activates the brakes, independent of the driver.

It will take some time for these companies to perfect the technology for the crash-free car. Once it is available, however, car collisions on the road will definitely go down.

Share with me your thoughts, experiences or even comments. Visit my site! See you!