No News is...

I don't really have any new news. I have been busy between southern Lebanon and work here in Beirut, as well as working on my car. Yes, it seems no matter where I live I can't get away from the fact that every car I own has problems. This time it is the brakes. I fixed them once, then something else broke on them so I took it to the mechanic... I think the problem was actually worse when he gave it back. I have learned that mechanics in Lebanon, although cheap, do not know how to fix cars. I would say 'you get what you pay for', but I think here you actually get less than that.
In other news I am starting work on an inexpensive, sustainable resource water filter. It will use sand and bacteria to filter dirty water. The style of filter is called a SlowSand filter or BioSand filter. I am doing just for fun in my spare time, so it may take a while to get results. It is going to take the place of my Bio Gas generator as my pet science project, which is producing gas, but not much as I don't have a ready supply of animal feces. I also have abondonded making Bio diesel because Methanol is way too expensive here, although I am still interested in using the by-product glycerin to make soap. However, since these are projects I mostly do in my spare time I don't expect much to be done in the near future, since freetime is something I seem to be lacking these days.
On a completely unrelated subject, Lebanon is trying to get into the Guiness Book by making the largest plate of Hummos and Tabouli. They are trying to get everyone to make Hummos and Tabouli and bring it to downtown Beirut on Saturday...There are tens of thousands of homeless , displaced, and poverty stricken persons in Lebanon, and peoples big concern is getting into the Guiness Book....
OK, I am done rambling. I just thought I'd post something since nobody else in the blog world seems to be alive any longer (hint hint) :)