Ethanol is ethyl alcohol, often referred to as grain alcohol; E85 is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Most ethanol is made from grain, just as moonshine is, though there is also research into making ethanol in commercial quantities from cellulosic plants--a complex process that uses plant matter such as switch grass as a base feedstock. A gallon of E85 has an energy content of about 80,000 BTU, compared to gasoline's 124,800 BTU. So about 1.56 gal. of E85 takes you as far as 1 gal. of gas.

Case For: Ethanol is an excellent, clean-burning fuel, potentially providing more horsepower than gasoline. In fact, ethanol has a higher octane rating (over 100) and burns cooler than gasoline. However, pure alcohol isn't volatile enough to get an engine started on cold days, hence E85.

Buildup lures hundreds

With billions of dollars worth of military contracts to vie for, representatives of hundreds of businesses from across the country and the Asia-Pacific region made time to be on Guam yesterday and today.

Their mission: Get as much detail as possible from the military on what types of products, services and skills would be needed for the $15 billion military buildup on Guam.

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2001: UK supermarkets slash price of drugs

British consumers are already reaping the benefits of cheaper over-the-counter medicine after a court ruling today put an end to the drug industry's price-fixing policy.

The major supermarkets are cutting the price of popular brands by over a half.

Tesco supermarket chain has said it will slash up to 40% from the price of some medicines from Wednesday, including painkillers Calpol and Nurofen. Asda and Safeway have also announced similar cuts.

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