February 27, 2007

POP gmail for domains.

It is possible to POP domain email hosted by google with another gmail.com account by using pop.googlemail.com as the server name.

February 16, 2007

Extending root level Application.cfc files

<cfcomponent extends="/.Application">
<cfset this.name="sub_application_name">
... methods ...
... methods ...
</cfcomponent>

That will force ColdFusion to look for the root Application.cfc file and retain your session management.

Since application behavoir starts in the local folder; if you use "Application" without the /. the code will fail saying something about the component cannot extend itself.

February 6, 2007

The ethanol scam

Here are some things you should know about ethanol.


  • 30% WORSE average gas mileage with e85 than 100% gasoline. Yet you don't pay 30% less.
  • Ethanol has a higher octane rating but this doesn't improve gas mileage unless your engine is knocking.
  • Since 1978, ethanol tax exemptions have cost taxpayers more than $11 billion.
  • A gallon of gasoline has about 125,000 BTUs of energy, while a gallon of ethanol contains about 84,000 BTUs, meaning that a gallon of ethanol contains about two-thirds as much energy as a gallon of gasoline.
  • It takes around 98,000 BTUs to create a gallon of ethanol, 22,000 BTUs for a gallon of gas. The ethanol industry claims that equipment will be more efficient in the future with modernized ethanol plants, but that will only get them slightly over a 1:1 ratio.
  • You may be getting short changed if your state doesn't require pumps to be labeled that they contain 10% ethanol (aka gasohol.)

Let's say you drive 20,000 miles per year in a vehicle that gets 20 miles to the gallon at $2 per gallon of 100% gasoline. Going by the ethanol price difference at the gas station down the street our example equates to $1.68 per gallon for e85. $0.32 less per gallon is a great deal right? Wrong.

  • 1000 gallons = $2000 you would have paid at the pump for 100% gasoline. $166 per month.
  • 1400 gallons = $2352 you will have to pay for e85. $196 per month.
  • You will have saved 21 barrels of oil and used 6700 bushels (375,000 lbs.) of corn.

Bottom line is that it costs more for gas, raises taxes and wastes energy. I totally support alternative fuels, but not if they are worse than oil.

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