Keeping with the air theme established this week, here’s yet another approach to the air powered propulsion potential. French company, K’AirMobiles has proposed a new class of vehicle, the VPP or vehicles with pneumatic propulsion class. This would include full-fledged cars like ZPM’s from earlier in the week, EngineAir’s runabouts, and indeed, these glorified bicycles with air tanks and engines.

If the technical specifications are correct on the website, this could be a very attractive local option. The CityEl version is a 3 seater with a top speed of 40kph. The range is represented as 40-80km, which is more than enough for a runabout. The useful load is spec’d out at 240kg. What likely isn’t attractive is the survivability in such a vehicle upon catastrophic impact. Still, an interesting approach.

As is being widely reported, today marks the 5th anniversary of the occupation of Iraq. This will be a simple and short entry structured around the good, the bad, and the ugly of our actions.

The Good

• No more Saddam. He’s no longer with us and that is a good thing.
• Iraq has a chance. It’s now up to the people of the country to take control of their country and make it what they will. If only the US will allow that outcome.
• Violence has declined over the past few months. The surge, at least temporarily, has reduced casualties.

The Bad

• No Exit Strategy. There was never a question that the US would win the initial military action, but there has always been a question about how to win the peace. The question persists, unanswered.
• Al Qaeda now in Iraq. Despite what we were told 5 years ago, there was no connection to Al Qaeda and 9/11. Now, there is. That is certainly a bad outcome.
• Substantial Reputation Damage. All of the goodwill, sympathy, and support generated by the 9/11 event has been squandered. The world now sees the US as a bully occupying a country under false pretenses. Where are those WMDs?

The Ugly

• (4,000 + 300) + ??? No one really knows how many Iraqis have been killed because literally, “they don’t count.” But we do know that over 4,300 coalition combatants have offered their full-measure.
• $1,000,000,000,000,000 and 5 years. What a lost opportunity. What it we’d invested our time, attention, and resources to find a solution for energy independence instead of this foreign adventure?
• National Security Weaker Now. Despite the claims that this action has made the average US citizen safer, the opposite is true. Al Qaeda still exists, Bin Laden roams free, Iran and North Korea have entered the nuclear fraternity, and our defense capabilities are stretched very thin.

Like all things the Iraq adventure has a mixture of positive and negative outcomes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how much lipstick is applied to this pig, it’s still a pig. It was a mistake. It’s now a responsibility – given that we’ve occupied the country and toppled its leadership, we now have a responsibility to leave the Iraqis a chance for self-determination. We need to stage an orderly withdraw where Iraq (or Iraq plus the global community) charts its own future and starts to live it.

Meanwhile, back in the US, our margin call has come due. Let’s hope we can pay it.

EngineAir, of Melborne, Australia has invented a 13kg rotary air motor that will replace traditional combustion engines. Unlike the ZPM approach of using a standard piston/cylinder setup, this is a departure from traditional automotive engine design (Mazda’s combustion rotary engine has been around for awhile, but it’s far from mainstream.) This breakthrough was made by Angelo Di Pietro in 1997.

Unlike other companies, EngineAir doesn’t seem to have secured significant funding and thus has not published a production schedule for vehicles using their technology. However, if compressed air is going to be viable as a fuel, it seems to us that an approach like EngineAir’s design is more likely to be the longer-term solution than simply repurposing the cylinder/piston design.

Over at /dev/null/kevin there is a brilliant post on the seven most annoying SciFi kids…I won’t spoil the surprise, but all the kids you love to hate are represented, with a rationale for the position, and short clips of their “work.” Well worth a visit and a chuckle if you’re a fan of the genre.

In related sad news, Arthur C. Clarke is dead at age 90. The Laughing Squid entry on his passing is the best I’ve seen this far.

This morning there are two important stories about our Constitutional Rights. The first comes from the Supreme Court where arguments are being heard about the 2nd Amendment, the Right to Bear Arms. The second comes from San Francisco regarding the transit of the Olympic Torch and the establishment of “free speech zones.”

Let’s start with the Torch first. The issue at hand is China’s treatment of Tibet and the likely protest that will be spawned in San Francisco as the Torch headed for the Beijing Olympics travels through the city. Let’s be plain, San Francisco residents will protest ANYTHING at the drop of a hat, it’s part of the city’s charm. Regardless of where you stand on this particular issue, to me, the abhorrent aspect of this story is that Mayor Newsome is granting interviews talking about “free speech zones” which will “protect” us from international incident and still allow free expression.

Well Mr. Newsome, this may come as a surprise to you and the Homeland Security Administration, but this is America and America is a “free speech zone.” The notion of “free speech zones” is preposterous. Aside from a small buffer to separate protesters from the protested, there should be no limitation on free speech. Where’s the outrage around this arbitrary and wrong-minded approach?

On the Second Amendment. The passage in question says A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. It’s an awkward passage to be sure. But it was written by a bunch of people who just managed an armed insurrection to win their freedom. When taken in that context, there is no question of the intent of the founders for people to be armed. It’s odd this is even being discussed – it’s crystal clear. Now, there is a question about the march of technology and this passage with respect to what constitutes arms.

Arms are not defined, I’m not crazy about individuals walking around with nukes. The items that would fall into this category, guns and knives, should be available to any citizen in good standing (i.e., not a felon convicted of violent crime.) The thought of armed insurrection to recover our government has passed through my mind in fantasy from time to time during the last 7 years of King George’s reign. Provided an orderly transition of power to the next administration transpires, we probably won’t have to travel that route (this is tongue and cheek in case there is any confusion about what I mean.)

Know your Rights and when people are doing stupid things with them (like the Orwellian named PATRIOT Act) – say something about it at a minimum and even better, do something about it. I think I might make a trip to San Francisco protesting the “free speech zones” as an example.

Well Mr. Newsome and Department of Homeland Security, here’s a reminder of the only legal free speech zone in the US…