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Have you ever heard of a car that burns wood? I was talking to a man in his 80s who remembers riding in wood gas cars. When he was a child, gasoline was very expensive. It was easier and cheaper to get wood, so they built cars with engines on the back that burned wood instead of gasoline. There were many of these cars in Europe, too. The engine looked like a big water heater. When the car stopped, the driver or the passengers would get out and put more wood into the engine. Some people have started driving this kind of car again, especially in countries with a lot of trees like Finland. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell. You can read more such short stories at http://catchawave.jp/m/jm/)
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(Image from https://www.musclecarszone.com)

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Shotokutaishi is one of the most important leaders in Japanese history. There are many stories showing how great he was. According to Nihon Shoki, he could understand 10 people speaking to him at the same time. The other day, I turned on my computer while I was listening to my wife. I started to read an email while she was speaking. In the middle of the email, she finished what she was saying. I knew that I should say something, but I hadn’t been listening to her. I apologized and said, “What did you say?” My wife said jokingly, “I’m disappointed. I thought you were Prince Shotoku.” (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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