How much fossil fuel does it take to make gas?

Before I changed it, Wikipedia’s entry on Cellulosic ethanol (which is as likely a technology to save the world as there is) claimed that:

It takes 1.2 gallons of fossil fuel to produce 1 gallon of ethanol from corn. This total includes the use of fossil fuels used for fertilizer, tractor fuel, ethanol plant operation, etc.

This turns out to be incorrect (see below) and I have heard variations on the argument that “more than a gallon of fossil fuels are used to make the equivalent to a gallon of gasoline out of ethanol” in conversation and on television. It seems like they appear all over the web. While I find it to be a little surprising, at first glance it at least seems plausible. However, it begs the question — how much fossil fuel does it take to make a gallon of gasoline? That turns out to be an extremely tough question to answer. (Don’t get me started on how hard it is to try to figure out how much it costs to make gasoline — although this info from the DOE helps a little.)

If we are going to consider how much petroleum is used to make chemical fertilizer, transport the corn and ethanol, and even feed the workers involved shouldn’t we do the same for gasoline? After all, we have to dredge the oil up from the ground, often ship it halfway around the world in supertankers (anyone know know the fuel economy for a Suezmax tanker?), before refining it into gasoline.

Doctors, Lawyers, and Captains of Industry

As described by the Detroit News, when legendary Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler (80% winning percentage) took over a struggling Michigan team in the late 1960’s, the more difficult practices and harsher coaching style drove 20-30 players to leave the team. For Michigan fans it is well known that he had a sign made reading “Those Who Stay Will Be Champions” and that he pretty much honored that claim by winning at least a share of 13 Big Ten titles in 21 seasons. What isn’t reported often is that one of the departing players added to the first sign: “And those who leave will be doctors, lawyers and captains of industry.” I think that’s an important part of the story.

What is Your Worth?

Hot on the heels (so to speak) of Eliot Spitzer’s resignation were the discussions of exactly what $4300 gets you from an “escort.” That was the amount Spitzer allegedly paid for two and a half hours (plus an advance) on one of the at least eight occasions that can be substantiated. Before you think me too bad a person for wondering, I submit for your consideration the article that the Washington Post saw fit to assign two journalists to write: “High-Priced Call Girls’ Lips Are Sealed.” Most interesting in the article was the value placed on the conversational skills and actual abilities as an escort — supposedly on more than 40% of the occasions an escort is hired, no sexual intercourse occurs (probably 40.1%).

Certainly, this all begs the question — what are you worth in bed? This quiz tries to find out, although it has no questions to establish conversationalist credibility.

Eating the Whole Goddamn Bag

Way back in September 1999 The Onion ran a story “Scientists Discover Gene Responsible For Eating Whole Goddamn Bag Of Chips.” Much of the gag hinged on the idea that there was a single reason, other than, perhaps, willpower, responsible for eating an entire bag of chips in one sitting. As a person who has always found snack food hard to resist, I really identified with the story, no matter how ludicrous. Despite my skepticism for simple explanations for complex behaviors, I do think there is one factor out there that might not just be responsible for eating the whole bag of chips, but for a lot of the obesity epidemic in general.

Behold monosodium glutamate. That’s right, according to a recent piece in the New York Times, everyone’s favorite excitotoxin (and bane of Ann and many other migraine sufferers‘ existence) is present in five separate forms in Nacho Cheese Flavored Doritos. Five separate flavor enhancers!

;)

It seems like we live in an age where it is more important for text to be copyright protected than grammatically correct. The New York Times, however, has a pretty funny article celebrating the proper usage of a semi-colon in a sign placed in subway cars. The article contains a tidbit about David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam serial killer who was, according to one columnist, “the only murderer he ever encountered who could wield a semicolon just as well as a revolver.”

The article also has a great quote from Kurt Vonnegut:

“When Hemingway killed himself he put a period at the end of his life. Old age is more like a semicolon.”

Presidential Politics and the Economy

No, not that economy.  Instead it is the the prostitution industry which, at least in Denver — site of the Democratic nominating convention — is expecting a lot of bangs for their bucks August 25-28.  According to San Francisco based postitute Carol Leigh, however, “It would be a lot better for the sex workers if it was the Republican convention… We get a lot more business.  I don’t know if they’re just frustrated because of the family values agenda.”

Republicans, it seems, are not the optimal convention-goer either.  Said Leigh: “Computer conventions can be lucrative.  There’s a lot of nerds that don’t get out much.”

The Accelerating Nature of the Web

We all know that the internet is nearly instantaneous, yet the rate at which information is disseminated still shocks me. The Columbia Journalism Review has an interesting blurb about how the unexpected death of Heath Ledger spread throughout the internet, specifically blogs, and how the mainstream media (MSM) caught up. There’s also a story about Fred Thompson’s recently-ended Presidential campaign and the media.

On a tangent, I found myself very much saddened by Ledger’s passing. As a numbers and facts guy, I’d made a connection to him through the fact that we were born only a day apart, and I found him to be a great actor who starred in many films I loved. I find the fact that we’ll never be able to enjoy any of his gift after “The Dark Knight” to be a great loss.

What is Southern?

One of my favorite questions with too many answers. Here’s another one. And if you get a good recipe out of it, so much the better!

LSU 38, OSU 24 — It Could Be Worse

I had pretty much managed to avoid commenting on bowl season, whether it was Michigan saving face or Ohio State again falling on their’s in the national championship game. However, I find the controversy around a picture and caption (image at the right) that appeared on the sports page of Ohio State’s student newspaper to be sadly amusing. Apparently, by merely pointing out that the response of fans, certain sports writers, and the president of the University of Georgia, are perhaps disproportionate to a two touchdown loss, The Lantern crossed a line. Their poor editor has a reasonable response, but it’s clear from the comments that comparing things is still too much for some people. If they the statement “It could be worse” was in anyway false, maybe I could see everyone’s point. But for people to get worked up over trying to maintain perspective, albeit sardonically, I think is just sad.

I am somehow reminded of the trouble I got into making sentences for our spelling words in the third grade. Given the word “wouldn’t,” I chose “I wouldn’t strip off my clothes, run through the halls, and do a dance on the principal’s desk.” Apparently this required a meeting with my parents. The really sad part was that a few weeks later my parents were called in because my sentences lacked effort.

Can we get SuperSoaked by the Sun?

I’d never heard the story of the inventor of the Super Soaker, Lonnie Johnson. He worked in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory when he invented the ultra-charged water gun, but was able to quit once the royalties came in. Then he was able to commit his life to independent energy research. The latest fruits of his labor may double the efficiency of solar power.