chuck kottke

I'm not on msn hotmail, sorry Nick. Gmail's chat on occasion though...

Hey Nick, I'll be here as long as I can, but there is a storm approaching, so just for a while, lest my modem and computer get zapped.

Very Interesting Read Nancy! The payback time for solar photovoltaic panels is between 1.8 and 3.3 years, according to Knapp and Jester, though this may be a low end estimate. This varies of course, depending on the current and future rate for electricity, which here is around $.11 per KWh. I was hearing something about serious efforts to lower the costs of solar panels, and the prediction was that in a few years, the cost of solar panel electricity would be down in the $.08 per KWh range; good news, and none too soon! Solar Power Makes perfect sense for homes & homeowners in the desert cities first, not only do they get more sunny days, but being farther south (closer to the equator), they receive more direct solar rays, which helps quite a bit too. But it's possible even in cloudy Seattle! YAY!!:) The thing least talked about that is most effective is solar hot water panels. They generally have a shorter payback time than photovoltaic panels, and in the tropics pay back in just a couple of years. Homes in Phoenix would be ideal candidates for these as well! (or San Francisco, or Sausalito, climb on board!;)) I'm most impressed with China's embrace of solar hot water systems, this is truly well ahead of the rest of the world. Solar water heating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia One thing we do need to address, which is that while solar is great in the summer temperate regions and excellent in the sunny tropics, in winter it's pretty hard to get enough sun to keep things running smoothly. Home power systems therefore must either rely on grid power backup, or wind turbine power generation, or some other form of green energy. I was seriously considering a home co-generation system, where combined heat and lighting would provide the hot water, home warmth, and electricity during the dark, medieval months of December, January, and February. Cities are beginning to warm up to this European concept here, offering steam or hot water heat to residences, plus electricity, made from biomass waste combustion in plants. So far to go yet, hope we get there soon!!:sunny: Incidentally, it's good to know they can produce enough surplus electricity from rooftop panels to feed those hungry car batteries! Zoom! Lithium batteries can be true green, as the basic elements are both relatively common (Lithium, Iron, Phosphorous, etc.), and fairly benign in the environment. Silicon as photovoltaic cells I still prefer over those designed with rare elements, simply because of the resource availability and less detrimental mining requirements.

I took a gander at this site: One Democratic State Just wishing the flags were more interesting and meaningful! Lebanon has a cedar on it, why not put an orange or an olive tree on the United Holy Lands flag? Or whatever one wants to call the holy lands. Make the flag interesting, whatever the choice is. I think the dove would be nice because it symbolizes peace, something that if everyone looked up to, might reverberate on a daily basis. A multi-ethnic, pluralistic democratic state, the gold standard of modern nations. To protect religious freedom, but not dictate or support a particular religion, that is the better function of government.

..And if you don't like the job, you can always give em' the boot!:laugh3: if she's boot-i-ful , she's a shoe in. (poor punishment, I know, I know.. it's all MC's fault!:P)

My barber said I have red tinted highlights in my facial hair, which she thought couldn't be natural. Is that useful, or what? :laugh3: :elvis: (red tinted blond sideburns, gives me that authentic orangutan look..)

Great, a job with some soul to it! ;) er, sole, that is.. It won't be so bad, maybe you'll get some perks like free shoes!

Ah, that can relieve stress, just a day off! Today, what made me happy? Realizing the social zeitgeist of places intertwined with global phases of cultural evolution. The juxtaposition of magnetic pulls from antiquity and modernity, the need for finding a way forward, a way to motivate and bring forth meaning to life that is nourishing for the soul and for the body.

I know how it is - factory work can be awful, especially when the work is repetitive, and should be fully automated - better to be a machine technician or designer than the robot. Work like that is to me regressive, like picking cotton by hand. Alright if the products are custom - a short line of some quality items, or specially built things, like works of art or one-of-a-kinds, custom cabinets, etc. Good too if it benefits people in real need, like cacao farmers, who own small farms and grow shade-grown cacao trees. But I find myself doing small jobs for people, as long as you're respected for the work you do, it seems decent. I know how people can get sometimes though - the Daffy Duck "I'm a big tipper, fetch me a cab ol' chap!" attitude :laugh3: Be polite, deal with it as best you can Lory - and get involved with union and worker's rights movements, since it takes solidarity to move basic rights, respect, and better pay ahead. ;)

I favor a one state solution, with states within one larger state. The United Holy Lands, with the states of Israel, West Bank, and Gaza. And a flag which conveys a sense of peace - a white dove flying in a light blue sky, with the sea of Galilee a dark blue upon a green rolling land below. Maybe an olive tree, or an orange tree on the land. Make it meaningful, something that truly represents the aspirations of all its inhabitants. I think this because at one time, the united states here were just that, separate religious states bound by a common land, and commonly held human rights, and we sort of mellowed out enough to get along. Share the temple mount, treat all citizens as equals, treat acts of terror as criminal acts, and try suspects in fair courts of law, basically respect everyone's basic rights as citizens. Open up opportunities for all, stability relies upon a growing middle class.. a power sharing government, where coalitions are required, so minority views are respected, and a strong bill of rights to protect basic human rights for all citizens. The confluence of three great global religions deserves something better, to build a lasting peace that will reverberate on into the wider world.

But they recover so well from it, that's fantastic! Their shows are superb, transcending, and truly an experience for all to treasure!

Jerusalem

Welcome The Politik :sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny: Hey, I understand how you feel about playing piano and all in public, or in a public way on the net - it's only natural if you feel your music has to live up to certain expectations, I feel the same way myself at times. But don't panic - all gems start out rough, need the final polishing of the facets and such - you're probably better than you might imagine! Keep enjoying the musical experimenting, and glad you could join in! Tell me your own Politik then

Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Guarneri

Winter in Uruguay is like late spring here, not too bad! A lovely 24C here now, but lumpy overcast cloud cover. And I had better go mow the lawn, chop the wood! :escaping:

All things come from nature, all things return to nature. What happens in-between must be in sync with natural cycles, with life itself. Behold the dragonfly, nature's helicopter - it assembles itself from the bits of other life it consumes, it flies around busying itself in nature's garden, and then it returns to the land to be recycled and born anew, as a reed, a water strider, or strands of blue-green algae. And from this, the bacteria feed, which feeds the tiny rotifer, or the mosquito larvae, which feeds the newborn dragonfly, a copy of the original with little modification. So the cycle of nature we are immutably bound to, it is our destiny to become one again with nature's cycles, and live in harmony with the natural world, for in doing so we will achieve longevity approaching immortality, and humanity's highest aspirations can be achieved. From the strength of life comes our strength; when the gears of life and the gears of progress mesh, we may be propelled to heights yet unseen. We can do better; we have the capacity, the intellect, and the ethical dimensions necessary.

From the beginning, the authors of the U.S. Bill of Rights knew the temptation of money grabs by incumbents in office. The second article of amendment proposed to the Constitution addressed one aspect of greed during that time: Article the second... No law varying the compensation for the services of the Senators or Representatives shall take effect until an election of Representatives shall have intervened. In other words, Senators and Representatives cannot increase their salaries (vote themselves a raise) during their present term of office. Of course, this amendment didn't pass..:laugh3: This is but a mild problem, compared to the election campaign contributions, TV ads, and the revolving door between Congress and private lobbying or consulting firms. Short of an amendment, every time we attempt to curb the influence of big money, the high court bangs down the gavel on reform efforts. Making it stick is the question, so end-games cannot be run around it... It's us against the world, the world of big money, that is.

Simply amazing - our future depends on the color of a charging station?..:dozey: And there are things like that here which prevent progress from happening as well. Like people getting upset because windmills block their view of the lake.. Oh sure, there's probably some way to paint the charging stations, even if the cases are made out of a slippery plastic, simply by fusing a rough material to the plastic first, then painting it, but hey, I'm just sayin'..:thinking: The planet is in peril, oceans will rise, oil may spill, beaches got covered with thick black goo, refinery explosions happen, resource wars go on and on, CO2 levels rise acidifying oceans and rainwater, forests are dying as climates change and insects devour drought-stressed trees, sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a deadly drought, But hey, just don't site a wind turbine in my back yard, or put up a gray charging station in my city - that's just unacceptable! :laugh3: Everyone else must obey the rules, except the municipality! Well, I think they're just bluffing for show, I hope you get the charging stations and electric vehicles there in Denmark Nancy! Here, we're just lucky to see electric cars on the road. The local body shop threw a fit when an Insight arrived to be fixed after an accident. They didn't know how to fix the door and get the electrical wiring fixed as well.. but they must have figured it out - so there's a learning curve. Onward, westward ho! :lol:

What about Queen Elizabeth I? :P O Tay, zen hm... let's see.. Red Butler

Happy Birthday Lore:chef::jester::sunny: ******************************* :)

Where's the thingy for the banana peels and egg shells to power it? :laugh3:

:rolleyes: I did not know that! :rolleyes: How about hmm.... how about , let's see... how about Paris of Troy.

Watching a chipmunk and a cedar waxwing eating Nanking cherries on the bush outside the window. Hey, I'm easy to please!:)

Newton, Sir Isaac

Well Done Briggins! ;) It's got that Mr. Roboto sound too! :cool: