IEEE Spectrum: Electric-Car Maker Touts 10-Minute Fill-up
In depth discussion about the ramifications of the Altair Nanotechnologies rapid charge batteries. Well worth a read. No doubt that changes are in the works but any new technology has its implications and side effects. To quote Gilda Radner, "It's always something."
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Crime Rate Comparison
We always think that the place we live is either worse or better than other places but is it really? Here is a comparison of the national average crime rate vs. Florida and my home state of South Carolina.
Crime Rate
What happened in 1996? Crime peaked then. We are now back to 1986 levels in the US. Interesting.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Ants have a sense of their own mortality - life - 10 October 2007 - New Scientist
Ants have a sense of their own mortality - life - 10 October 2007 - New Scientist
It appears that we humans are not the only living creatures that have a sense of their own mortality. What are the implications of this? We have always used the term "dumb animals" to describe all animals except for ourselves assuming that we had some awareness of our own mortality that was lacking in animals. Also interesting that the ants increase their risk taking the older they get which is in direct opposition to what humans usually do.
It appears that we humans are not the only living creatures that have a sense of their own mortality. What are the implications of this? We have always used the term "dumb animals" to describe all animals except for ourselves assuming that we had some awareness of our own mortality that was lacking in animals. Also interesting that the ants increase their risk taking the older they get which is in direct opposition to what humans usually do.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
I lost a good friend when Carl E. Copeland Jr. died unexpectedly at the age of 67. He and I were born just days apart in the first week of July, 1940 in Sumter, South Carolina. We didn't spend much time together until we were teenagers. Our friendship really grew strong as college students at Clemson and the University of South Carolina. It was then that we became intoxicated with the newness of art, music, literature, poetry, and life in general. We shared an enthusiasm for painting, folk music, and the daring things that young men are drawn to. As most men say when looking back at their youth, "It is a wonder we survived." We climbed mountains, drove fast cars, parachuted from planes, traveled without specific destinations, and reveled in the stream of consciousness lifestyle epitomized in Jack Kerouac's books. We never felt the need for the drugs used by Keroac's "Dharma Bums" and "The Subterreneans" as life was intense and intoxicating enough for us. Most of us became more conservative as we grew older putting at least our wildest dreams to bed in pursuit of a more conventional life but not Carl. He never gave up that lust for life and went on to paint a colorful life full of adventure and experiences few people can claim.
One day some of my friends and I were driving, a rare event since we walked most places, and saw Carl walking on the side of the road in Columbia, South Carolina near the campus of the University. We stopped and offered Carl a ride. As he climbed into the car with a very full backpack we asked where he was going. "To the freight yards to hop a freight train to California." he replied. Since we knew Carl well we never questioned his statement and delivered him to his destination with a bit of awe and fear for his safety. Carl was an art major at the University and we heard later that his professor had begged him to take the final exam as Carl was just weeks away from graduation. Carl had decided to begin his life adventure early though and nothing could sway him from his decision to start out on the pursuit of his goal. We didn't see Carl again until years later and when we did he told of his adventures starting with that day at the freight yards in Columbia.
He had done just as he said he would riding freight trains from South Carolina to California. Along the way he stopped in small towns, found work, made friends and then traveled on using his preferred form of transportation at the time, freight trains. He never carried more than he could put in his backpack. His warm personality and willingness to work gained him acceptance in each place he stopped along the way. he worked as a carpenter, handyman, and painter. He took any job that was available to earn enough money to travel on. We could only imagine all the experiences he had on this trip but he shared some of them. He told us of crossing the Rocky Mountains in an open gondola car huddled in a corner with a couple of other vagabonds as the temperatures dropped and snow began to fall. Carl, in his usual understated soft spoken style said, "I had no idea how cold it would get crossing those damned mountains."
He made it to California and somehow met the right people and started applying his art in the movie business. He worked his way up as his talent began to be appreciated. I have no doubt that his the experiences he gained working his way across the country carried him far. He was at ease meeting and talking with anyone. He was willing to work hard and had an artistic talent that he put to good use in the entertainment industry. He developed an extensive portfolio of experience and became respected and loved by many in the movie and television industry. His credits included set designer on the Lowell Thomas TV show. Lowell Thomas was the writer and broadcaster who had made "Lawrence of Arabia" famous. He had a television show about his adventures traveling the world. He went on to work as art director, set designer, construction foreman, or construction coordinator on major movie and TV projects including "Summer of My German Soldier" in 1978, "Heartland" in 1979, "Swamp Thing" in 1982, "Black Rainbow" in 1989, "A Show of Force" in 1990, and "Rich in Love" in 1993. He produced and worked on a number of fitness videos and films. He then returned to South Carolina to devote his time to set design and construction on major local productions such as "The Nutcracker" and other plays. He also worked as a local artist on various commercial works. He was a master of the "Trompe l'oeil" murals. "Trompe l'oeil" murals are paintings that trick or fool the eye into believing that the scene is real. No doubt Carl's years of working in the movie industry led him to work in this medium.
One of Carl's loves was skydiving and like anything he pursued he poured himself into it attaining many thousands of jumps and a high level of expertise. He told me one Christmas during one of our infrequent meetings that he wanted to be the first person in the new year to be eating an apple while in free fall from an airplane. This was just the kind of "off the wall" experience that he could think of. He later told me that he had indeed accomplished his goal by eating an apple during the first minute of the new year. He opened his chute and landed somewhere near house and delighted in telling of the shock in the faces of the people whose party he interrupted by ringing their doorbell wearing his jump suit, goggles and helmet while carrying his parachute canopy. While telling this story Carl had that twinkle in his eye and laughter in his voice revealing his wonderful sense of humor.
My dad, Robert T. Brown Jr, had made up his mind that he would "save" Carl from his terrible vice of skydiving. Dad offered to take Carl fishing each Saturday when he knew Carl would normally be skydiving. Dad said that each Saturday a few minutes before the designated time for the fishing trip he would hear Carl's car coming down the driveway at their lake home, Tranquility Cove. Carl would tell my dad that the temptation of skydiving was great but he had overcome it to go fishing instead.
At our last meeting in Columbia, South Carolina only a few years ago Carl told me of another funny experience that illustrates his sense of humor. He would get horribly sea sick anytime he was on a boat out of sight from land. In spite of this he loved sailing and even lived on a sailboat on Lake Murray. Carl had always wanted to be able to say he had worked on a shrimp boat. This was a dream of his ever sense we rode our bicycles from Sumter to Mclellandville, South Carolina. Mclellanville is a shrimp fishing vllage and Carl was fascinated with the shrimp boats and their crews. In his usual style Carl attained his dream working on a shrimp boat but as usual he also became very seasick. During one particular voyage the boat was boarded by the Coast Guard to do one of their searches for contraband, to validate the boats documents and the crews identification papers. Carl recounted how the heavily armed coast guard crewman asked for each crew member's identification in turn. All members of the crew were supposed to be topside but Carl was still in his bunk below. An armed coast guardsman went below and demanded Carl's identification. A very seasick Carl lifted himself from his bunk showing his wallet and ID. As he lifted himself up he accidentally bumped a "Popeye the Sailor Man" toy that his niece had given him. It was one of those toys that plays a song when squeezed or bumped and it started singing "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" as Carl opened his wallet to show his ID. The coast guardsman and Carl broke up in laughter. With the ice broken the shrimp boat crew and coast guardsman laughed together and enjoyed the moment. As always when telling the story there was a twinkle in his eye and laughter in his voice.
Carl loved South Carolina and his friends and family. One of his sisters said at his funeral that "Carl was a soft spoken man who was at ease with paupers and with kings."
One day some of my friends and I were driving, a rare event since we walked most places, and saw Carl walking on the side of the road in Columbia, South Carolina near the campus of the University. We stopped and offered Carl a ride. As he climbed into the car with a very full backpack we asked where he was going. "To the freight yards to hop a freight train to California." he replied. Since we knew Carl well we never questioned his statement and delivered him to his destination with a bit of awe and fear for his safety. Carl was an art major at the University and we heard later that his professor had begged him to take the final exam as Carl was just weeks away from graduation. Carl had decided to begin his life adventure early though and nothing could sway him from his decision to start out on the pursuit of his goal. We didn't see Carl again until years later and when we did he told of his adventures starting with that day at the freight yards in Columbia.
He had done just as he said he would riding freight trains from South Carolina to California. Along the way he stopped in small towns, found work, made friends and then traveled on using his preferred form of transportation at the time, freight trains. He never carried more than he could put in his backpack. His warm personality and willingness to work gained him acceptance in each place he stopped along the way. he worked as a carpenter, handyman, and painter. He took any job that was available to earn enough money to travel on. We could only imagine all the experiences he had on this trip but he shared some of them. He told us of crossing the Rocky Mountains in an open gondola car huddled in a corner with a couple of other vagabonds as the temperatures dropped and snow began to fall. Carl, in his usual understated soft spoken style said, "I had no idea how cold it would get crossing those damned mountains."
He made it to California and somehow met the right people and started applying his art in the movie business. He worked his way up as his talent began to be appreciated. I have no doubt that his the experiences he gained working his way across the country carried him far. He was at ease meeting and talking with anyone. He was willing to work hard and had an artistic talent that he put to good use in the entertainment industry. He developed an extensive portfolio of experience and became respected and loved by many in the movie and television industry. His credits included set designer on the Lowell Thomas TV show. Lowell Thomas was the writer and broadcaster who had made "Lawrence of Arabia" famous. He had a television show about his adventures traveling the world. He went on to work as art director, set designer, construction foreman, or construction coordinator on major movie and TV projects including "Summer of My German Soldier" in 1978, "Heartland" in 1979, "Swamp Thing" in 1982, "Black Rainbow" in 1989, "A Show of Force" in 1990, and "Rich in Love" in 1993. He produced and worked on a number of fitness videos and films. He then returned to South Carolina to devote his time to set design and construction on major local productions such as "The Nutcracker" and other plays. He also worked as a local artist on various commercial works. He was a master of the "Trompe l'oeil" murals. "Trompe l'oeil" murals are paintings that trick or fool the eye into believing that the scene is real. No doubt Carl's years of working in the movie industry led him to work in this medium.
One of Carl's loves was skydiving and like anything he pursued he poured himself into it attaining many thousands of jumps and a high level of expertise. He told me one Christmas during one of our infrequent meetings that he wanted to be the first person in the new year to be eating an apple while in free fall from an airplane. This was just the kind of "off the wall" experience that he could think of. He later told me that he had indeed accomplished his goal by eating an apple during the first minute of the new year. He opened his chute and landed somewhere near house and delighted in telling of the shock in the faces of the people whose party he interrupted by ringing their doorbell wearing his jump suit, goggles and helmet while carrying his parachute canopy. While telling this story Carl had that twinkle in his eye and laughter in his voice revealing his wonderful sense of humor.
My dad, Robert T. Brown Jr, had made up his mind that he would "save" Carl from his terrible vice of skydiving. Dad offered to take Carl fishing each Saturday when he knew Carl would normally be skydiving. Dad said that each Saturday a few minutes before the designated time for the fishing trip he would hear Carl's car coming down the driveway at their lake home, Tranquility Cove. Carl would tell my dad that the temptation of skydiving was great but he had overcome it to go fishing instead.
At our last meeting in Columbia, South Carolina only a few years ago Carl told me of another funny experience that illustrates his sense of humor. He would get horribly sea sick anytime he was on a boat out of sight from land. In spite of this he loved sailing and even lived on a sailboat on Lake Murray. Carl had always wanted to be able to say he had worked on a shrimp boat. This was a dream of his ever sense we rode our bicycles from Sumter to Mclellandville, South Carolina. Mclellanville is a shrimp fishing vllage and Carl was fascinated with the shrimp boats and their crews. In his usual style Carl attained his dream working on a shrimp boat but as usual he also became very seasick. During one particular voyage the boat was boarded by the Coast Guard to do one of their searches for contraband, to validate the boats documents and the crews identification papers. Carl recounted how the heavily armed coast guard crewman asked for each crew member's identification in turn. All members of the crew were supposed to be topside but Carl was still in his bunk below. An armed coast guardsman went below and demanded Carl's identification. A very seasick Carl lifted himself from his bunk showing his wallet and ID. As he lifted himself up he accidentally bumped a "Popeye the Sailor Man" toy that his niece had given him. It was one of those toys that plays a song when squeezed or bumped and it started singing "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" as Carl opened his wallet to show his ID. The coast guardsman and Carl broke up in laughter. With the ice broken the shrimp boat crew and coast guardsman laughed together and enjoyed the moment. As always when telling the story there was a twinkle in his eye and laughter in his voice.
Carl loved South Carolina and his friends and family. One of his sisters said at his funeral that "Carl was a soft spoken man who was at ease with paupers and with kings."
Sunday, September 30, 2007
In '50s, solar technology gave way to electricity - 09/30/2007 - MiamiHerald.com
In '50s, solar technology gave way to electricity - 09/30/2007 - MiamiHerald.com
Part of a good series of articles on solar energy in South Florida.
Part of a good series of articles on solar energy in South Florida.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Final Inspection of Solar System
Two days ago our system received its final inspection from our town. It is approved. Yesterday we received calls from FPL to arrange the service ticket for installing our net meter in place of the one that is there now. Once that is done we can begin selling any excess energy back to the utility. FPL was very professional and efficient in setting this meter replacement up. I was impressed. We are very close to going into official energy production with the ability to sell back to our utility.
Kohl's Activates Largest Rooftop Solar Rollout in U.S. History
Kohl's Activates Largest Rooftop Solar Rollout in U.S. History
Starting to see more and more solar rollouts. If breakthroughs come in battery technology that could be the next big thing. There are some semi secret battery technology projects underway in the US aimed at plug in hybrid autos but that same technology could apply to solar installations as well.
Starting to see more and more solar rollouts. If breakthroughs come in battery technology that could be the next big thing. There are some semi secret battery technology projects underway in the US aimed at plug in hybrid autos but that same technology could apply to solar installations as well.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Photovoltaic System Goes Live and First Test
On Thursday, August 30, 2007, our solar energy system went live. Yesterday I flipped the AC breakers off and we ran through the day on solar power. As a test, I left the breakers off last night forcing our energy to come from the batteries through the inverters. It is 7am as I type this and the inverters have turned off the AC power to the emergency circuits due to low voltage, 45 volts. The battery bank is 48 volts and the system keeps them over 50 volts during the day. The sun is coming up so the system should be waking up soon. Right now the inverters are showing ZZZZZZZZ since the sun is not up. They have turned AC voltage to the house off.
The important thing to point out is that for our test last night we made no attempt to change our habits. We watched the big tvs, left lights on, and acted as if nothing were unusual. That was our intent, to see how far we could go without trying to conserve. Now we have a base line. Everything ran through the night and the sun will be up soon. We will observe the wakeup cycle as the arrays start charging. For our next test we will use careful energy management as if a true emergency had occurred and the grid were really not available.
We know that the entertainment center is a big energy user so we would use our small tv to monitor local events. We also have our wind up radio which we would use. We would also use our LED night lighting instead of our big overhead lights. There are still some lights in the house that are big halogen bulbs and we will replace them with more conservative lighting. So, we now know that we can get through the night and possibly more if we are careful. Our refrigerators ran through the night with no connection to the grid. I consider this first test a success. Now we will monitor the wake up cycle as the sun rises.
The important thing to point out is that for our test last night we made no attempt to change our habits. We watched the big tvs, left lights on, and acted as if nothing were unusual. That was our intent, to see how far we could go without trying to conserve. Now we have a base line. Everything ran through the night and the sun will be up soon. We will observe the wakeup cycle as the arrays start charging. For our next test we will use careful energy management as if a true emergency had occurred and the grid were really not available.
We know that the entertainment center is a big energy user so we would use our small tv to monitor local events. We also have our wind up radio which we would use. We would also use our LED night lighting instead of our big overhead lights. There are still some lights in the house that are big halogen bulbs and we will replace them with more conservative lighting. So, we now know that we can get through the night and possibly more if we are careful. Our refrigerators ran through the night with no connection to the grid. I consider this first test a success. Now we will monitor the wake up cycle as the sun rises.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Wunder Blog : Weather Underground
Wunder Blog : Weather Underground: "Every year now, we see news articles about coastal surveys, that seem to indicate a lot of people living on the coast aren't ready for hurricane season. Whether that is the case or not, one of the things from this year's survey noted was, 'One out of three (34%) do not know if their home is located in an evacuation zone.' Well there are a lot of things that remain to be fixed or improved regards hurricane preparation on the coast, but this is one that can be taken care of!
If you live in Florida, you have access online to the best emergency management website in the country: FloridaDisaster.org. Included on this website are storm surge maps for coastal counties. For instance, if you live in Pensacola, you can pull up the Escambia county map and see, to some extent, what category hurricane would flood your area: "
If you live in Florida, you have access online to the best emergency management website in the country: FloridaDisaster.org. Included on this website are storm surge maps for coastal counties. For instance, if you live in Pensacola, you can pull up the Escambia county map and see, to some extent, what category hurricane would flood your area: "
Monday, July 23, 2007
Old Version Downloads - OldApps.com
Old Version Downloads - OldApps.com
This is a wonderful site to have as a bookmark. Are you one of many who have found the new Itunes 7 to be a huge resource hog on your PC? You can downgrade to older versions on this site. Not only Itunes but most of the popular programs are archived here.
This is a wonderful site to have as a bookmark. Are you one of many who have found the new Itunes 7 to be a huge resource hog on your PC? You can downgrade to older versions on this site. Not only Itunes but most of the popular programs are archived here.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
St. Cloud Times | AP News
St. Cloud Times | AP News
This article discusses the drought in Florida and the search for storage north of Lake Okeechobee. What it does not address is the fact that what is known as "The Upper Chain of Lakes" could have adequate storage but their use is severely limited because development has been allowed to occur on the shorelines. Intensive use of the shorelines by private owners limits the lakes use for water storage. If the stage in the lakes is allowed to fluctuate outside of a narrow range the land owners raise hell. They have boats and docks all along the shorelines so if the stage is allowed to go too low they cannot get their boats in the water and their docks do not reach the water. If the stage is allowed to go high enough for some additional storage then their docks and yards are flooded. This essentially eliminates using the many lakes in the Orlando and Kissimmee areas for much storage. Restoration of the Kissimmee River back to a more meandering state with marshes is a worthwhile effort but lets point to the real problem, development of the shorelines in the Upper Chain of Lakes.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
NPR : The Exoneration of Larry Peterson
NPR : The Exoneration of Larry Peterson
The greatest injustice is the conviction of an innocent man. Listen to this story of Larry Peterson. He did not lead an honorable life but did not commit the murder and rape he was convicted of. DNA advances and analysis of the evidence using the new technology freed this man who spent 17 years of his life in prison for a crime he did not commit. He maintained his innocence during this entire time. His release was largely due to the Innocence Project.
Listen to his story by clicking on the "Listen" link on the NPR page.
The greatest injustice is the conviction of an innocent man. Listen to this story of Larry Peterson. He did not lead an honorable life but did not commit the murder and rape he was convicted of. DNA advances and analysis of the evidence using the new technology freed this man who spent 17 years of his life in prison for a crime he did not commit. He maintained his innocence during this entire time. His release was largely due to the Innocence Project.
Listen to his story by clicking on the "Listen" link on the NPR page.
St. Cloud Times | AP News
St. Cloud Times | AP News
I was saddened to read of the death of Don Herbert, TV's "Mr. Wizard." Back in the 50's watching his show was one of my favorite things. He was very talented at popularizing science for those of us were were kids at that time. I was surprised to read in this article that he was an Army Air Corps pilot during Warld War II. See also his web site at http://www.mrwizardstudios.com/
A lot more information is also available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Herbert.
I was saddened to read of the death of Don Herbert, TV's "Mr. Wizard." Back in the 50's watching his show was one of my favorite things. He was very talented at popularizing science for those of us were were kids at that time. I was surprised to read in this article that he was an Army Air Corps pilot during Warld War II. See also his web site at http://www.mrwizardstudios.com/
A lot more information is also available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Herbert.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Use science, not politics on state's water emergencies
Use science, not politics on state's water emergencies
Nat Reed points out opportunities for the South Florida Water Management District's new board members in this article in the Palm Beach Post. This is certainly an accurate overview of the challenges faced by the new board on many fronts. Mr. Reed addresses the fact that the District needs to restore the partnership between the state and the federal government. This partnership was built over years of negotiation and effort but since the year 2000 has been largely dismantled. I agree with and respect Mr. Reed's view. Hopefully the new board will too.
Nat Reed points out opportunities for the South Florida Water Management District's new board members in this article in the Palm Beach Post. This is certainly an accurate overview of the challenges faced by the new board on many fronts. Mr. Reed addresses the fact that the District needs to restore the partnership between the state and the federal government. This partnership was built over years of negotiation and effort but since the year 2000 has been largely dismantled. I agree with and respect Mr. Reed's view. Hopefully the new board will too.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
St. Cloud Times | AP News
St. Cloud Times | AP News
Indian artificacts, boats, large steam vessels, and fishing boats exposed from Lake Okeechobee's low levels.
"More than 17 sites have been identified in Palm Beach County's part of the lake in the last three months. They are scattered over miles of terrain. The drought has bared a rim around the lake up to a mile and a half wide at some points.
Indian artificacts, boats, large steam vessels, and fishing boats exposed from Lake Okeechobee's low levels.
"More than 17 sites have been identified in Palm Beach County's part of the lake in the last three months. They are scattered over miles of terrain. The drought has bared a rim around the lake up to a mile and a half wide at some points.
"It looks like it's part of one of the American Indian settlements that were there - people that were intentionally interred at some point," said State Archaeologist Ryan Wheeler."
St. Cloud Times | AP NewsSunday, June 03, 2007
New Roof
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| From Re roofing Pro... |
We now start on our solar energy projects. The first is to reinstall our solar hot water heater which was removed for the re roofing. After that we plan on installing a 4,400 watt photovoltaic system on our south and west roofs. None of this will be visible from the street but it will give us a fair measure of independence from the grid without relying on conventional generators in the event of a power outage. In addition, unlike a conventional generator that only runs in an outage, the photovoltaic system will be generating electricity every day to offset its cost.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Speed Test
For all my geeky friends who know what this means here are the results of my latest speed test since upgrading my DSL connection.
Monday, May 28, 2007
The beginning of the end for analog TV - Engadget
The beginning of the end for analog TV - Engadget
Who knew? Our analogue TVs and radios will become obsolete in February of 2009. Will our existing TVs work with the new digital transmitters? Only with the addition of a converter box. I know this news has been out for a while but according to everything I read and see the big box retail stores are brimming with inventory of analogue TVs which will be obsolete after the Super Bowl in 2009. Seems there are a lot of advantages to the switchover. Stations will be able to transmit multiple channels of programming. Quality will be much better too. Too bad they are not telling everyone. I would hate to purchase a new TV in a big box store sometime in the next two years only to find out shortly thereafter that I would have to buy another box to make it work. Apparently, the law now requires all TVs sold to be labeled that it will be obsolete in February, 2009.
Who knew? Our analogue TVs and radios will become obsolete in February of 2009. Will our existing TVs work with the new digital transmitters? Only with the addition of a converter box. I know this news has been out for a while but according to everything I read and see the big box retail stores are brimming with inventory of analogue TVs which will be obsolete after the Super Bowl in 2009. Seems there are a lot of advantages to the switchover. Stations will be able to transmit multiple channels of programming. Quality will be much better too. Too bad they are not telling everyone. I would hate to purchase a new TV in a big box store sometime in the next two years only to find out shortly thereafter that I would have to buy another box to make it work. Apparently, the law now requires all TVs sold to be labeled that it will be obsolete in February, 2009.
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