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TwitterThere's a lot going on in this picture
28 Apr 2009 No Comments
in Health, News, Uhm... yeah Tags: flu, global panic, hype, MSM
Damnedable Godless Swine Flu, now it’s making people forget basic geography.
Diether Haenicke, former WMU president, dies at 73
15 Feb 2009 No Comments
in Michigan, News Tags: Broncos, Diether Haenicke, Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University, WMU
A great President and someone who actually mattered to many students at Western in a very personal way.
I was never fortunate to meet him personally, but he authorized a grant for me to attend a writing conference (after being shot down hard by the Dean).
He was intensely dedicated to the University and it and the city were better for it. The entire system–and Kalamazoo in general–has lost one of it’s great advocates.
And we're back
31 Jan 2009 No Comments
Site is slowly coming back up; broken links and images are very likely so if you find something, let me know.
Enough
17 Jan 2009 No Comments
in News, Politics, Signs of the Horsemen Tags: death, destruction, Gaza, IDF, Israel, Palestinians, war
This is only one of thousands, thousands, of Palestinians who have suffered at the hands of the IDF. (Click the triangle at the bottom right, then choose “turn on subtitles” option.)
As Americans, we should be ashamed that we have enabled this kind of suffering and destruction. This action by the Israelis has gone too far and needs to end.
A Workplace for the Electric Future
13 Jan 2009 1 Comment
in Ann Arbor, News, Technology, Work Tags: automobiles, electric, electric cars, employers, future, hybrid
This week is the North American Auto Show, the annual circle jerk of the automotive superpowers, as they demonstrate the latest and greatest in Detroit. Despite it precarious status as the center of the automotive world, Detroit still holds sway over the direction of the industry and, if this year is any indication, the future is electric. From the Chevy Volt, to the Cadillac Converj, to the new Prius, to an unknown Daimler electric, full-electric cars are destined to hit the market very soon.
At almost half the total operating cost of a standard vehicle (at 12,000 miles per year), these are financially attractive vehicles. But, what would it mean to actually power one? In today’s world, filling up is a task done once, maybe twice, a week for the average commuter.
But, with electric, you have to top off daily, if not more than that. The expected range for a Volt upon release is somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 miles per charge. If I live 25+ miles from work, I have a dilemma; round trip exceeds my round-trip range. Let’s do a mental experiment…
Fast forward 5 years. It’s now 2014. 25% of the vehicles on the road are full-electric (yes, it’s optimistic. Deal). In 2006, there were 250,851,833 registered vehicles (wikipedia). Assuming a zero growth rate, that means that 62,712,958 cars will be full-on electric in 2014 (it’s an experiment). Ignoring distribution, socio-economic factors, et al, this means that each state has to deal with 1,254,259 vehicles likely purchased for daily commuting. (Ok, not Arkansas, but you get the idea.) In reality, vehicles would be concentrated around metropolitan areas, large employers, and ideological centers (Berkeley and Ann Arbor).
Which leads to my question. Assume that I, the conscientious consumer and commuter, purchases one of these Messianic vehicles to drive to and from my job 25+ miles away.
How do I charge it while I’m at work?
As a potential driver/charger/employee, I propose the following:
- Let me pay. Wire up spots, chip my badge and let me scan-in every day. I park at the first available spot, scan my badge at the terminal for my parking spot, and you bill me via payroll for the energy I consume.
- You pay. Wire the lot, let me park wherever I can and plug in. Since it costs less than $1 to charge the car for a 40 mile trip, you eat the sub-$30 per month cost to get me to work, making up the difference in “parking fees”.
- We share. You up the parking fee to cover the under $360/year/vehicle cost to charge my car. Since only 25% of driver need the power, you can balance the cost against the drivers who don’t suck down the electric, normalizing the costs.
Which ever method you choose, there are a few things you need to consider now.
- How will you measure the cost of charging electric vehicles for your employees (they’ll need it)?
- What is the value of your employees driving electric vehicles? Can you market or enhance your brand by demonstrating your commitment to non-fossil-fuel-based vehicles? Might that not be worth something?
- What are the tax implications for “fueling” your employees?
- If you compensate employees for business use of personal vehicles, what are the tax/legal implications of electrics?
- Do you have the systems or technology in place to accommodate the next generation of drivers? (I’m guessing no.) How fast can you accommodate them?
The heavily-electric world is being sold to your employees today. It will be your problem tomorrow. Are you ready?
And Get Off My Lawn!
20 Dec 2008 No Comments
in Michigan, News Tags: brighton, civics, idiocy
I’ll let this one introduce itself.
The Brighton City Council on Thursday approved an ordinance allowing police in the Livingston County community to ticket and fine anyone who is annoying in public “by word of mouth, sign or motions.”
Welcome to West Michigan-style legislation. As J– called it, this is a bunch of fuddy-duddies grumping over “those damned kids”, but moving their crotchetiness into civics.
A city attorney says there could be situations where the measure would violate freedom of speech…
Yah think? I can’t wait for some well-funded smart-ass to walk around Brighton screaming Blessings From God at passerbys, just to get cited, and then sue the friggen pants off the city. What a bunch of dumb-ass, over-bearing, holier-than-thou bull this is.
Feels just like my hometown.
Judge rules against Michigan over wine shipments
03 Oct 2008 No Comments
in Michigan, News Tags: law, Michigan, wine
The state prohibits out-of-state retailers from shipping wine straight to Michigan consumers _ unless the retailers have a location in Michigan and are a part of a three-tier regulatory system.
A federal judge in Detroit earlier this week declared Michigan’s law unconstitutional for discriminating against out-of-state retailers.
Woo hoo! Wonder if they’ll appeal.
Arthur C Clarke Dead at 90
18 Mar 2008 No Comments
in News, Stories, Technology Tags: Arthur C Clarke, celebrities, obits, scifi
I wish I had a long remembrance of Mr. Clarke, but I don’t. I’ve read much of his short stories, a couple novels, but, aside from 2001 and a collection of shorts (which included The Sentinel, the pre-cursor to 2001), I always found the person of Mr. Clarke more interesting than his writing. His
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy his writing. In fact the opposite was often true. But his stories, while solid sci-fi, never reached me like the work of other writers (such as Isaac Asimov or Robert Forward).
He did make a wonderful spokesman for the hard core of science fiction and inspired many writers and scientists and will be conspicuously absent from the community. Best wishes and condolences to his family and friends.
Popcorn makers removing chemical
18 Dec 2007 No Comments
Back in May, a Washington Post article detailed the effects of diacetyl of workers at popcorn factories. Known to some as “popcorn lung”, the chemical causes a rare but fatal lung disease, which only a transplant could cure.
Now four major popcorn manufacturers (the Orville Redenbacher, Act II, Pop Secret and Jolly Time brands) have agreed to remove the chemical. The only question that remains is what is being done to help those already affected. The linked article says that over 500 lawsuits are pending, and that many settlements have happened confidentially, but the House has also passed a bill to limit damages. Sounds like a few corporations want to have their cake and eat it, too.
Can We Get Our Money Back, Then?
07 Nov 2007 No Comments
in News, Signs of the Horsemen, Spot the Sarcasm
Programs that focus exclusively on abstinence have not been shown to affect teenager sexual behavior, although they are eligible for tens of millions of dollars in federal grants, according to a study released by a nonpartisan group that seeks to reduce teen pregnancies.
Next on ABC News: America’s Bombing Campaign Not Producing Desired Goodwill Among Bombed; People Do Bad Things Despite Pleas to Stop; Oil Prices Rise Despite Constant Demand: Who’s To Blame?