Fuel

A fuel is any material that can be made to react so that it releases chemical or nuclear energy as heat or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but has since also been applied to other sources of heat energy such as nuclear energy (via nuclear fission or nuclear fusion).

The heat energy released by reactions of fuels is converted into mechanical energy via a heat engine. Other times the heat itself is valued for warmth, cooking, or industrial processes, as well as the illumination that comes with combustion. Fuels are also used in the cells of organisms in a process known as cellular respiration, where organic molecules are oxidized to release usable energy. Hydrocarbons and related oxygen-containing molecules are by far the most common source of fuel used by humans, but other substances, including radioactive metals, are also utilized.

Fuels are contrasted with other substances or devices storing potential energy, such as those that directly release electrical energy (such as batteries and capacitors) or mechanical energy (such as flywheels, springs, compressed air, or water in a reservoir).

Fuel (band)

Fuel is an American post-grunge band formed by guitarist/songwriter Carl Bell and bassist Jeff Abercrombie. Originally known as Small the Joy, they changed the group's name to Fuel sometime in 1994. Jeff, Jody, and Jimmy all grew up around the same small towns playing music together. They are well known for their hit songs "Shimmer" from Sunburn, "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" and "Bad Day" from Something Like Human, and "Falls on Me" from Natural Selection. The band has sold nearly four million records worldwide.

Their newest album Puppet Strings was released March 4, 2014. No original members of the band remain, except for vocalist Brett Scallions, who at one time left the band himself (2006).

History

Early years (1985–1997)

Carl Bell and Jody Abbott were in a college campus band, Wanted (along with Robert Wagner and Mark Crawford) in Henderson, Tennessee. The band Wanted transitioned into Phoenix, which was a touring band for the college primarily used to recruit prospective students. After college, the band carried on as, Real to Reel, playing local clubs in Tennessee. Lead vocalist/guitarist Brett Scallions joined the group after Bell and bassist Jeff Abercrombie saw him in a bar in Jackson, Tennessee in 1993. That same year, keyboardist/vocalist Erik Avakian joined the lineup and the band moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1994 where they played at local Pennsylvania bars and nightclub as Small the Joy. Changing the band name to 'Fuel', the band released their first EP Porcelain in 1996 and sold well locally, spawning a small radio hit with "Shimmer". The popularity of the EP brought them to the attention of Sony's 550 imprint, which released their second EP Hazleton the following year.

Fuel (hardcore band)

Fuel was a short-lived Bay Area post-hardcore musical act that created both personal and political songs, something that was unique during the "first wave" of emo in the 1990s. Fuel had a sound akin to early-Hot Water Music and especially Fugazi with twin guitars and dueling rough post-hardcore vocals. In fact, it is noted that Fuel was often jokingly referred to as "Fuelgazi." Fuel's style has been compared to the D.C. sound of many Dischord bands.

Fuel featured Mike Kirsch (of early Pinhead Gunpowder and a number of other notable punk rock bands) on guitar/vocals, Jim Allison on guitar/vocals, Aaron Arroyo on bass, and Jeff Stofan (also of Monsula and the White Trash Debutantes at one time) on drums.

In 2008, Alternative Press named Fuel as a group of significant interest in its profile of "23 Bands who Shaped Punk." Jason Black of Hot Water Music and The Draft contributed a testimony for the article citing musical influence.

Discography

Fuel released one LP “Monuments to Excess” in 1990, first on Cargo Records then repressed by Ebullition Records. Monuments to Excess was produced by Kevin Army. Army audio engineered the albums of many influential punk bands, including Operation Ivy, Green Day, The Mr. T Experience, etc. In addition, Fuel put out an EP "Take Effect" on Lookout Records, also in 1990.

Cataract

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye leading to a decrease in vision. It can affect one or both eyes. Often it develops slowly. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry vision, halos around light, trouble with bright lights, and trouble seeing at night. This may result in trouble driving, reading, or recognizing faces. Poor vision may also result in an increased risk of falling and depression. Cataracts are the cause of half of blindness and 33% of visual impairment worldwide.

Cataracts are most commonly due to aging, but may also occur due to trauma, radiation exposure, be present from birth, or occur following eye surgery for other problems. Risk factors include diabetes, smoking tobacco, prolonged exposure to sunlight, and alcohol. Either clumps of protein or yellow-brown pigment may be deposited in the lens reducing the transmission of light to the retina at the back of the eye. Diagnosis is by an eye examination.

Prevention includes wearing sunglasses and not smoking. Early on the symptoms may be improved with eyeglasses. If this does not help, surgery to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial lens is the only effective treatment. Surgery is only needed if the cataracts are causing problems. Surgery generally results in an improved quality of life. Cataract surgery is not easily available in many countries, which is especially true for women, those living in rural areas, and those who cannot read.

Cataract (beam engine)

A cataract was a speed governing device used for early single-acting beam engines, particularly atmospheric engines and Cornish engines.

The cataract is distinctly different from the Watt governor, in that it does not control the speed of the engine's stroke, but rather the timing between them.

Operation

The typical installation of a house-built beam engine spanned four floors. The cylinder and the engine driver's usual working position were located in the 'bottom chamber'. Above this were the 'middle chamber', with the cylinder top cover and 'top nozzle' (the upper valve chest), and above that the 'top chamber' or beam chamber. The cataracts were located in the lowest part of the engine house, in a chamber below the bottom chamber, along with the exhaust pipe. This space was awkward to access and not visited in normal operation.

The Walkabouts

The Walkabouts is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984. The core members are vocalist Carla Torgerson and vocalist and songwriter Chris Eckman. Although the rest of the line-up has changed occasionally, for most of the time the other members have been Michael Wells, Glenn Slater and Terri Moeller.

The band draws inspiration from folk and country music, particularly Townes Van Zandt, Neil Young and Johnny Cash, but also from other types of artists and musical styles such as Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, French chanson and Jacques Brel. Their sound is typically rich, with string arrangements and keyboards in addition to the standard rock instruments. In reviews the band's music is often described as melancholic or mellow, while Eckman's lyrics, concerning such themes as human relations, loneliness and restlessness, are often emphasized as poetic.

The Walkabouts have achieved commercial success and a strong fanbase in Europe, where they have done promotion and extensive touring since early 1990s. They have occasionally even made it high on the record charts in countries such as Greece and Norway.