I wrote a little while back that I think the government should pony up for interest free loans for zero-emission/renewable-resource based power plants (photovoltaic solar was the specific class of plant that I had targeted). My thinking is laid out in the article but I’ll summarize. Investing in energy that doesn’t come from idiot nations means we can free ourselves from their idiocy (somewhat); we get a leg up on the competition because we will have the ability to run our economy at a stable cost as opposed to the wildly fluctuating costs of fossil fuels; we get to enjoy the fruits of greater environmental sensitivity in cleaner streams, skies, etc.
I was trolling YouTube and found this video:
This video makes it clear that photovoltaic solar isn’t the only option. There are options that are relatively low tech, available now, at low cost. The video states that the power plant shown has the ability to generate a stable 30 Kilowatts of energy, peaking at up to 60 Kilowatts. The power plant is a test version and is likely to improve its efficiency through various enhancements. There is little environmental impact and the whole thing cost a staggeringly little $1+ million.
It is conceivable that given a reasonable deployment of units like that shown in the video, the cost of an installation could drop even further. This low initial cost along with the requirement for only eleven acres of land on which to place such a plant, could result in quite a nicely profitable business generating clean, solar energy.
Also, given that the cost per kilowatt hour of electricity in states where this technology could be the most effective is relatively higher than the average (CA, AZ, NM, TX), shown in the middle of this page, it makes absolute business sense to seek alternative energy sources that could feed demand, taking advantage of relatively high energy costs, all the while using a renewable resource to provide protection against cost swings.
There are people who have done legitimate scholarly work on the impact of Star Wars in our society. I offer the following up as further, though anecdotal, evidence that Star Wars is perhaps bigger than we might like to think.
First, a comprehensive analysis of who was doing what in the period of time spanning the first and second trilogies:
The important thing here isn’t the fan fervor, though that’s interesting – it’s the 25 years separating these two works. Very rarely does our society maintain its focus and interest in anything for 25 years, let alone science fiction (or “speculative fiction” as some prefer). Star Trek is the only other major SF franchise that boasts the same sort of prominence in our society.
I don’t really know why I think this is a big deal, but I do. I would bet that largish portions of our society are more well-versed in the philosophies and characters of the Star Wars canon then the Bible or the Torah or American history or whatever. Star Wars is one of the few things that most of our society shares in common any more. What this will result in, I don’t know.
Schools in the United Kingdom are dropping the subjects of the Holocaust and the Crusades to prevent offending Muslim students! Madness you say? See Here.
So, is this just looking away from the elephant in the room? Why should we allow Muslims re-write history? The Holocaust incompassed many lives that died delivering (writing, documenting & such) the information about it; and now we just piss on it!?
This is a sordid piece of the West’s history; it is important to keep it close, as a lesson of what horrors we are all capable of. Also, if Muslims expect history to be re-written, is it much better than Hitler’s actions to prevent knowledge to the people?
I’m a sucker for ideas that challenge the standard thinking about business. I feel very much as if modern business doesn’t care about creativity or innovation or passion but rather could be happy with predictable mediocrity. Unfortunately, I think that its us, the workers, who suffer in corporate mediocrity – I think such environments crush the human soul.
So it was with great excitement that I found the blog Positive Sharing, the website of an author on workplace happiness. Over and over again this author shows that everything that companies want (more productivity, better quality effort) comes from simply trying to make employees happy. This doesn’t mean that employees work at massage tables. Such assumptions, when talking about workplace happiness, show a bias against workers that presumes that we are naturally lazy and need to be managed into productivity.
Rather, the presumption is that the employees that the company has hired have something to offer (and really want to do it!). It extends that presumption in a number of different ways and shows how thinking a bit differently will lead to hugely positive results for all involved.
Found this video & thought it to be an oxymoron.
They condone violence yet their suggestions through song an chant are equivalent to the “evils” they protest against.
This stuff makes me angry, just who do they think they are? Men and Women dedicate a portion of their lives to help defend the privilidges we enjoy today (including their right to demonstrate) and they are part of the evils by association.
Pah!
Back in November I wrote a blog about Mr. Tennie Pierce (Practical Jokes, Racism and Taxes). There are some that believed this would blow over and show heftily in Pierce’s favor. That does not appear to be the case yet (What Really Happened at Fire Station 5?). So again why were elected officials so willing to hand over a near 3 million dollars? Is the system flawed? Or has racism become such a charged issue, that in certain circumstances it cannot be fought? It looks like a bit of everything to me.
The video at the end of the What Really Happend at Fire Station 5?article seemed interesting to me. What I saw was a man (color irrelavant) pleading for money he deserved for being a victim, instead of a man seeking justice for being wronged. Was that worth almost 3 million dollars of taxpayer money? Even if it is such a hopeless case for the fire department, isn’t it better for the system to be played out? Let everything be exposed for the better of the many and make change. Why plead if the case is so sure cut?
Peirce and American’s have given up far more than will ever be gained with this suit.
Back in November I wrote a blog about Mr. Tennie Pierce (