Category: Solar car

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Solar car

[326] Of UM Solar Car Team 2005

While I was wasting my precious time, I accidentally opened up my now-defunct diary. The entry was motivated by possibly, the most humorous experience I have ever experienced yet. It was about Mirai, Ivan, Jaz and me, to and fro Ann Arbor, Michigan and some place in Ohio.

The entry could be found here.

God. I miss those people. I missed Mirai. I missed Ivan. I missed Cole. I missed a lot of the others. I missed the days I spent with the team during the weekends at Ypsilanti. I don’t know why I’ve stopped attending the SCT 2005 meeting. I really don’t.

Recently, the car that I helped build, Spectrum, had a race against the solar car team from Western Michigan University. Proudly, Spectrum won, finishing 50 seconds ahead of its rival. Also, the team has updated their website. it looks better than the one that we had for 2003.

Wish the SCT 2005 all the best. May you guys recapture the champion title from Missouri Rolla in 2005 whereas SCT 2003 had failed.

I’ll never forget that 3 miles. I wonder what would have had happened if we didn’t make it. Oh, what fun!

Categories
Economics Environment Personal Solar car

[259] Of Malaysia, the center of software piracy

Malaysia, the center of the world software piracy. Proof – MS Longhorn has been released in the street of Johore Bahru. Of course, the OS is still under the alpha version, yet to be completed.

The only answer to piracy is Linux – the open source OS.

p/s – Russia has finally, unofficially refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. It’s disappointing but not surprising. However, it’s not a formal no yet. So things might be brighter than it seems to be. But then sadly, as the author of EnviroSpin Watch has put it, “The politics are even more complex than the science!”

pp/s – My sister has received admittance into the University of Adelaide, Australia. Yea! If I’m going to the World Solar Challenge in 2005, I have a place to stay!

Categories
Solar car Sports

[228] Of World Solar Challenge 2003

A Dutch team, Nuon backed by the European Space Agency (ESA) has just won the World Solar Challenge 2003 in Australia. Second place was booked by a well known Australian team, Aurora while Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) secured the third place. So this actually means MIT managed to overthrone Michigan as the best performing varsity team in WSC. Nuon Solar Team is not a varsity team regardless what the Dutch claim.

The next major solar challenge will be the Hellas Solar Car Race (also known as Phaethon 2004) in Greece, in conjuction with the 2004 Summer Olympic. Currently, more than 10 teams have confirmed their participation in the race. Michigan unfortunately will not be joining the race.

So, I guess 2005 is the target.

But in any case, Celta is in Amsterdam for a Champions’ League match today. Ajax should be able to make Celta flying back crying to Spain. Update to follow.

Categories
Personal Solar car This blog

[216] Of a new semester

The first few weeks of the semester seem to be very good to me.

First of all, I’ve rejoined the Solar Car Team and applied into the leadership rank. Through this, I hope to join the 2005 race crew. The team will be racing in both the ASC, of which Michigan failed to qualify last July and the WSC 2005 in Australia.

Though I really want to join the crew and seriously want to commit my time to the team, I am currently having a problem with it. If my study schedule runs at its current steam, I’ll be graduating a semester earlier, seven months short of the ASC 2005. And so, currently I am trying to reduce my pace in any way possible.

Zooming back to present time, at hand, I am in the field hockey team and will be up against MSU in Lansing. Admittedly, its just a recreational team but I couldn’t remember when the last time a recreational sport team had gone this far.

This semester is going to be sweet.

Furthermore, The __earthinc has expanded its influence in the blogosphere. It has attracted a modest numbers of people and the visitors are no longer are limited to my circle of friends. This might be the result of me participating forums and newsgroups. The other factor is the search engine. The search words linked to The __eartinc usually could be categorized to the environment, politics, science and sports. Frequently this site has been ranked top ten in various search engines for various searches concerning soccer (especially about Ajax and Holland), economics and the environment. And the best thing is, the search word Eugen Slutsky, the economist that derived the demand equation in The Law of Demand, ranked The __earthinc No. 13 out of 179 on Google and 13 out of 119 at Yahoo!.

The average number of visitor has also risen. Right now, for the past four months, the average have been over 200 people, with average unique visitors (a number of visitors with unique internet protocol addresses per month) may well made up about half of that figure.

I guess, after almost 2 years online, this site is going strong after all. After almost 2 years, my life is heading uphill after a bad fall.

To those of who have helped making is site relatively successful compared to other small sites, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Categories
Environment Solar car

[189] Of Missouri-Rolla wins

University of Missouri-Rolla won the Solar Car Race, as expected. They also managed to break the record set by the University of Michigan Solar Car Team 2 years ago.

Congratulations but now, it’s time for World Solar Challenge in Australia. Michigan is still comtemplating on joining. As for me, I can’t risk to not attend the Fall semester.

Nevertheless, I will still be the background crew for the team.

Quote of the day
“…Consumerism in the end will leave this world nothing but a broken shell. Unlimited wants and a limited rock to live on. We better find a way to travel the stars soon.”
– wyldwulfwytch, in a forum concerning whaling industry.