Saturday, March 14, 2015

News & Notes: Running through my Twitter feed

I wasn't going to check in this morning, but then I saw the following and couldn't resist.


It's all downhill from here, I'm sure.

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It's gonna be a busy weekend, but I still need to find time to read and save this.


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Like I said, it's all downhill from here.

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I don't see how they catch on.  A gallon of gas is highly portable, very potent in terms of energy, and relatively safe.  Even in strictly environmental terms, it's hard to argue that electric cars are better after you factor in the impact of their batteries on long term environmental health, to say nothing of coal emissions generated via charging from the electrical grid.

People have this idea that electricity is free, that all you have to do to get it is put a plug into a wall, and there it is.  That if we put up a few windmills and solar panels, we'll be good to go in perpetuity.  This is a false view spread by the ignorant to the same kinds of people who believe #HashtagDiplomacy is a thing.

Don't get me wrong: I like green energy.  But we're not closer than fifty years away--at a minimum--from having a strictly green, sustainable electrical grid because you have to balance load and generation constantly, and there are no green sources which are capable of doing that.  This is before we consider the impact of removing the system's inertia and reactive power controls.  And as long as that's true, electric cars will be a tough sell on environmental grounds.

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I get a lot of these in my Twitter feed.  I really like this one.  It reminds me of what I think Tarot cards would look like if the images were redrawn with a more modern sensibility.

As an aside, I really enjoy reading Tarot cards.  I wish I felt comfortable scamming people because it would be a riot to set up a table on a sidewalk in New York and read cards for money some day.

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A lot of industries are about to start raising wages.  We've seen it at Walmart, there's this, and even last week when I went to get my oil changed, there wasn't anybody on staff.  Fact is, the labor market is tightening quickly, and with that will come a sea-change in the way that wealth is distributed nationally.  We'll have to watch carefully for signs of inflation, though.

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That depends on the audience.  Lots of times, I just write about what's on my mind.  I like to write for and about my kids, too, often through the lens of fantasy fiction.  For freelance work, though, I'll write about anything.

Problem is, so little freelance work pays its worth per hour that it can be tough to carve out the time to sit down and do it.  I therefore look for gigs that satisfy both my personal interests and paying interests, but those can be few and far between.

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And... this is where we stop.  I need to read BBV to figure out what's up with the Giants.  I know that the Titans have made some moves, but they were so miserable last year, that I just cannot believe they'll be any better this year.  By contrast, the Giants finished strong despite a truly huge number of injuries, leaving me cautiously optimistic for the coming season.

While we're talking football, Army's also busy this week, holding Spring Practices.  QB AJ Schurr is hurt, but the rest of the team seems to be coming along.  From what I've seen, West Point has had the best recruiting class of the service academies this year, and while I don't think we're necessarily looking at a winning season--because the schedule is murderous--I do think we're at least headed in the right direction.

That's all I've got.  Have a good weekend.
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