Why are we showing you a photo of nice house? Well, because this house was once little more than a series of those large, metal shipping containers. Really.

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Why buy a hybrid when you can have more power, better comfort, similar mileage and a far better looking vehicle for less money? How does one do this you ask? You buy a Volkswagen Jetta TDI that will get 45 mpg. In fact a couple recently broke a world record in which they drove a 2009 Jetta TDI through all 48 states and averaged 67.9 mpg!!!

I found that some Prius owners are upset they are not getting the manufacturers rated 60 mpg, their real world is closer to 43mpg. Also, there is a concern as to how the hybrid would hold up over the years and the cost to replace the batteries.

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Ever since I watched Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, I was shocked to learn how urgent it is that we need to be responsible with the way we live. What is it that we are leaving to our future generations? I would not want our kids to ask us one day “Why didn’t we do anything when we had the chance?” Contrary to popular belief that most of the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere is from our vehicles, the true culprit is from coal burning power plants. Consuming less energy is our most direct way of saving our environment.

A housing project in IJsselstein, Holland, sets a great example of what we can do by using solar energy, one of the cleanest forms of renewable energy. Traditional crystalline solar panels cost about $50 per square foot. They are made with silicon wafers produced by the ‘price-gouging’ tech industry An alternative thin film solar panel, unlike crystalline panels, are made by depositing a layer of semiconductors onto glass or a flexible polymer. A third of the price per square foot of crystalline panels, the black or dark purplish thin film panels don’t make the building seem a sci-fi movie set. The only downside of thin film (which incidentally is the same technology that fuels your trusty solar-powered calculator and digital watch) is that it’s about half as efficient as crystalline panels. Since thin film is so cheap, the easy solution is to use more panels to achieve the same energy output. The upside is that you can integrate this thin film right into the architecture of your home or building without the characteristic “panels on the roof” look.

One nice example of this is found in the IJsselstein project homes. These become very attractive multilevel solariums – each unit almost completely encased in photovoltaic panels. Can you see them?

The glass cladding with the thin film panels provides over 30 percent of the total energy needs of each house. This “solar glass” also helps the 1,400 sq. ft. space feel larger and more open.

Yes, the upfront cost is higher than traditional construction. But the energy savings assure future ROI. But the biggest savings is in a positive environmental impact. That’s priceless…

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(The Nike Air Max+ 2009 Running Shoe - super lightweight comfort that's loaded with technology)

To help me jump start back into exercising, I needed  a new pair of running shoes.  So of course they needed to have style – so that meant Nike was the only choice.  I tried on a pair of Nike Air Max + 2009 and  WOW! – I got way more than I expected.  These shoes are a BEAST!  Honestly, they are the most comfortable and light weight shoe I’ve ever worn – and they look great with my jeans. By no means am I a marathon runner, however, when I lace-up these bad boys, mentally I feel I can run that 26.2 mile goliath.

With that said,  the Nike Air Max + running shoe will be my ride to conquer my first half marathon.  Yup, I’ve committed myself for the Kaiser Permanente run in San Francisco next Spring.  I love the feel and support of my run with these shoes.  I even took a closer look under the hood of my ride and was totally blow away by the innovative technology.  The full-length cushion foam mid-sole and Max air unit will keep my 40(+) year old knees and hips happy.  This shoe also features a breathable upper mesh with ultra-strong Flywire technology for incredibly lightweight support and fit to my disjointed feet.  I don’t look so lop-sided when I run anymore.

My size nines only weigh 12.8 ounces – the weight of a can of Coke.  Besides the incredible style and technology I can measure and monitor my progress toward my goals by simply placing a sensor under the sock liner of the shoe.  Its Da Bomb!  This little sensor can measure my pace, distance, time elapsed and calories burned.  This information is transmitted wirelessly to the receiver for real-time feedback. And on top of that, I can upload this info to the Nike+ website to track my training progress and connect with other runners around the world.  This pricey ride is worth every penny.

(Nike Air Max Technology - Insert the sensor in one shoe, sync it to your iPod, and get all your running stats - wirelessly!)

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