Archive for November, 2007
Maglev wind : is it real?
A few months ago, I saw this online. Now that it’s come back around a second time, it’s got to be true. Right?
If this turns out to be A) feasible and B) economical, this could be a serious game changer in the wind industry. One of the criticisms of wind is that it doesn’t scale as easily as fossil fuel power plants. The Maglev challenges this by scaling up to 5000 megawatts (the article says 5000 watts, but I think that’s a typo).
The part of the story that makes it most believable is that China is leading the charge in developing the technology. It’s no surprise that tomorrow’s innovative energy solution is going to come from the East.
Stay tuned and wait for a few of these giant turbines poking up on the horizon.
Filed under energy, environment, technology : Comments (0) : Nov 27th, 2007
On blogging
I’ve come a long way in my thoughts about blogs. Believe it or not, I started tadfad with the express intent to keep it entirely free of my personal narrative. I wanted to treat it more like a newspaper opinion column. Over the past three years, my focus and the voice I use here has changed significantly. (I didn’t even use the word I for a long time!)
Why do I write a blog?
I find that the exercise of writing is both stimulating and cathartic. It really helps me sort out my thoughts and develop a coherent world view. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that as I’ve written over the years about politics and economics that my theories on the world have coalesced around a unifying theory. Writing forces you to take the constant chatter that runs through your head and develop sentences that flow together in a logical flow. It’s not always easy, but it’s extremely useful in sorting through it all.
There was a time when keeping a public record of my personal views and beliefs would be taboo. That time has passed. If anything, I think that an active blog is an asset when it comes to professional development and resume building. Sure, tadfad isn’t exactly focused on one specific topic, but over the years I’ve demonstrated that I have ideas and know how to express them. This is a plus.
Finally, there’s the benefit of archiving. The beauty of the modern blog engine (thanks, Wordpress!) is that it’s very easy to archive and retrieve old posts. Every now and again I like to go back a year or two and recall what was floating through my mind back then. I eagerly look forward to hitting the 10-year milestone and cruising back through all years of data. Maybe I’ll publish my favorites in book. (Just in case the internet crashes.)
Here’s my pitch: start a blog. It’s free, it’s fun, it’s mentally stimulating, it’s a nice line-item for your resume, and it’s a great way to allow your friends/family to keep in touch. And while you’re at it, start an account on Flickr to share your digital photos.
(Plus if you really take a shining to it, you can ask Google to kindly put some ads on your site and send you some of the profits. Thanks, Google!)
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (1) : Nov 19th, 2007
$50 Gas Tank
I drive an old Volvo 850 sportwagon. Last weekend, I had a lifetime first: the $50 gas tank.
I know that there’s nothing fundamentally different between a $45 tank and the fabled $50, but I have to believe that this will have a psychological effect on people. With oil hovering in the $90’s and no significant price relief in sight, the fun fifty is going to hit more and more drivers.
We really need to seriously reconsider the economics of mass transit. The cheap motoring days of the 1990’s are long gone, and they’re not coming back. With gas at $3 a gallon, we’re each spending 10-20 cents per driven mile (for fuel costs alone!). I’m no rocket scientist but I have to believe that passenger rail could do better.
Factor in road construction, the price of automobiles, repair costs, and the environmental costs and all of a sudden mass transit is price competitive with autos. Of course, the real issue is that mass transit requires upfront investment and wise leadership. We’re not very good at that right now.
Filed under economics, energy : Comments (2) : Nov 17th, 2007
The Hood Internet : Mixtape Vol 2
Who likes mash-ups? I do!
I found these guys a while back and I’ve really enjoyed the music they’re putting out. Add The Hood Internet to your Google Reader and you will be pleased.
Filed under culture : Comments (0) : Nov 15th, 2007
OLPC : One Laptop Per Child
Negroponte’s ambitious program aiming to put laptops in the hands of children in developing nations is ready to go prime-time. Due to the harsh market realities, the OLPC group has been unable to hit their target price of $100 per laptop. Instead, they’re getting creative with a new program called give one, get one.
It works something like this: you pay $400, your donation puts one laptop in the hands of a child, and you get one laptop to donate yourself (or keep to play with). These are pretty amazing little machines, designed to be rugged and low on energy use.
I can testify first hand that exposure to computers from a young age really changes the way your mind grows and learns to use the technology. My parents always wondered why computers came so naturally to me. . . could it be that I’ve been using them since I was 3?
So here’s your opportunity to give a child the toolkit to be competitive in the modern economic environment. Chances are the next Google or Apple won’t come from the US!
Filed under education, technology : Comments (4) : Nov 14th, 2007
