Brainwaves of Sken

The lack of a traditional gear box reduces friction and allows the WindTronics turbine to begin generating power at 3 mph of wind speed. Standard wind turbine technology allows power to be generated above 8 mph and cuts off when winds climb 30 mph or more. WindTronics has no upper wind speed restrictions.

“Our goal is to supply power in the 3-15 mph wind range; we can accomplish that,” Adams said. “We want to be less than $2,000 per unit. We know we are there right now.” – article

Still a little too expensive for ordinary usage, but if it takes off and some economies of scale get going on this ultra-simple device, man. It looks neat, too. ;)

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Does anyone use Del.icio.us for their bookmarking?

Or do you find something else more effective for your web-based bookmarking needs?

EDIT: nm, seems google supplies that, too.

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Nanosolar’s Solar Film Rolls Off Presses at 100 feet per minute – scales easily to 2000 fpm

In fact, municipal solar power plants are one of the most rapidly deployable forms of power: whereas it takes 10-15 years to get a new coal plant done (if ever given their carbon risk) or 5 years for a concentrating solar-thermal plant (also requiring a connection to the transmission grid), a municipal solar plant can be completed in as little as 12 months.

Furthermore, a unique feature of photovoltaic power plants is that they utilize power inverter electronics with increasingly intelligent features. Enlightened utilities around the world are now recognizing these as a very good way to manage and improve grid power quality. This is especially a point of pain at the outer branches of the electric grid where power quality is hard to manage otherwise.

… By feeding power directly into the (local, medium-voltage) distribution grid, they avoid the (long-haul, high-voltage) transmission grid which is expensive to build and expand, and they also avoid the expense of a substation for down-transforming transmission voltage to municipal voltage.- Nanosolar blog

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I decided to test out the CD changer in the new car by putting in whatever I had handy, and since I cleaned out my car, I found various CDs from the aborted “CD exchange” of years ago, and slipped in an MP3 disc.

This is why I found myself cheerily whistling the Gary Jules version of “Mad World” as I wheeled my camera case through the office this morning. I couldn’t help but giggle, inside, at the contrast between meaning and my expression. My favorite part of my “let’s dress up dead” days was my perky laugh-in-the-face-of-doom outlook.

Those of you who spent (or spend) their evenings (virtually) stomping the heart of your ex into jelly with your Doc Martens:

• What did (or does) “gothyness” mean to you?
• Did you (or would you, in hindsight) consider yourself a particular “type”, like PerkyGoth or IndustrialGoth or RaverGoth? Or did you grow up when black was black and white was lame, in the times when you wore velvet or leather or you went home in shame?
• How seriously did you take it all? Did you have a special name you used at the club?
• How do you feel about footwear? What is and isn’t acceptable stomping material?
• Goth in the workplace: did you? Do you? If so, what kind of workplace?
• Do you still go to CityClub (or your local variant), or is that something you’re happy to leave behind? If you do, do you still dress up, or do you go in jeans, too old hat to care?
• More important than anything else: How many ankhs did you own?

PS for those of you who were asking about my green hair, well… there you go.

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A friend of mine wrote a post about forcing the choice that I wanted to point you to.

She’s going through some pretty serious stuff, and it was in response to the question of how she maintains discipline with her Physical Therapy, considering how truly horrid the PT makes her feel.

I think it’s an important thing for everyone to think about, though, and falls squarely into the heart of the phrase, “Don’t bullshit yourself.”

Amazing study In the news:

“‘In just three months, I can change hundreds of my genes simply by changing what I eat and how I live?’ That’s pretty exciting,” Ornish said. “The implications of our study are not limited to men with prostate cancer.” – Healthy lifestyle triggers genetic changes: study

It’s true. You are what you do.

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So here we are, in a new car again. I was not expecting to be here so soon, but such is life.

The appraiser, as I may have mentioned, was … overly generous. That let me put an entirely new down payment on a car, and damn it, I missed my 3. So I went back to the amazing and friendly Audrey over at Suburban Mazda (in Farmington Hills), and she tried to offer me her own X-plan. Seriously. However, thanks to one of my dear friends who shall remain nameless unless outed, hehe, I had my own.

State Auto is a great insurance plan in many ways, but the rep I dealt with was trying to pull a fast one, and was a bit stupid, as well. She almost had me convinced that my rental coverage ended the minute they gave me a monetary award, rather than 30 days. Also (and this was such a hassle), she sent the check to my mom’s address, meaning I had to rush all over the place in the hour before picking up my car.

Anyway, I’m glad it is done, and I hope I don’t have to do it again for years.

Now I have to rush off to work, where I have plenty of actual “work” (don’t worry, nothing I enjoy) that needs to get accomplished now that I’m not obsessed with “Real Life”.

OH! Also, I couldn’t resist. I bought Boom Blox. :D And beat about 75% of the single player last night. Hehe. It’s fun, go try it!

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Also, I want a set of these suits. You know… for kids.

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Please reply with a memory you have of me, good or bad, if it’s at all important to you or to how you perceive me, I’d like to hear it.

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Does anyone know someone at Ford who might be able to get me a discount for another Mazda? Mom suggests I try to “do it again”, as it were.

I need to find the payout of my vehicle, and hope beyond hope that somehow it gets marginally close to the cost of a similar vehicle. The only things I have going for me are that small cars (especially the Mazda 3) are majorly in demand right now and the appraiser listed a few things I don’t exactly recall being on the car. :) Nothing big, but still.

Also, I put brand new tires on it just a month ago, so with the receipt in the glove box I should be able to get the full value. I rather wish I’d upgraded the car in other ways so I’d get closer to not having more debt, heh.

Once I get the number ($$) for my deceased car, I’ll have only a few days to find other transportation before the rental is up.

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I feel scammed when services require me to buy a “six dollar unit” by making me pay them ten dollars. It is worse when you have to buy in awkward numbers – $6 / SNES game, units purchased only in $10 chunks.

I mean, what the hell? I often wonder why more people aren’t annoyed by it. I didn’t ask to be obligated to buy even more things – If I’m at iStockphoto and I want ONE image that is supposed to cost 4 dollars, I DO NOT WANT TO SPEND THIRTEEN.

I am then obligated to try to get the most I can out of my money by buying other things, and will inevitably come to the point where I have one point left and can either purchase more so it isn’t left on the table, or count my losses and admit the thing actually cost me more than it was advertised for.

When using systems like this, I feel like I’m playing a game I can’t win – like if I ever get to the point of spending to exactly zero “TradeDollars^TM” I should exultantly pump my fist and never, ever buy points again.

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