Really? No one thought of this before? I wish I had!
It's PERFECT!
Lenses to concentrate sunlight on solar cells so that the solar cells get more light, thus converting more of that light to electricity. Smaller photovoltaic cells are making more power due to these lenses.
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/22204/
My thoughts on replacing fossil fuels is that we won't find only one replacement. It's going to be a bunch of small replacements that equal up to a total replacement. Vegetable oil, ethanol, solar, wind, hydroelectricity (not just damns, but tides and waterfalls maybe?) and maybe even more, will all add up to equal less energy than we use now, but hopefully with things like advances in engines, lighting, heating, and cooling we'll be able to reduce our needs.
...some shifts in attitude would help too...
however, one final thought on this (for now) is that it won't happen until gas prices skyrocket (beyond 5$/gallon, closer to 10$...maybe more) and stay there for a number of years.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
http://blog.wired.com/cars/2009/02/milk-trucks-in.html
"A California dairy has converted a pair of 18-wheelers to run on biomethane produced from cow manure, creating what is believed to be the nation's first cow-pie–powered trucks."
Also, I saw on the show "dirty jobs" where another dairy was doing this, but instead of running their trucks, they were running a power plant.
some exciting stuff to think about!
one more waste product that will no longer be waste, and one less set of trucks dependent on non-renewable resources!
pretty sweet if you ask me!
"A California dairy has converted a pair of 18-wheelers to run on biomethane produced from cow manure, creating what is believed to be the nation's first cow-pie–powered trucks."
Also, I saw on the show "dirty jobs" where another dairy was doing this, but instead of running their trucks, they were running a power plant.
some exciting stuff to think about!
one more waste product that will no longer be waste, and one less set of trucks dependent on non-renewable resources!
pretty sweet if you ask me!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
BEER FRIDGE!
Picked it up on Thursday from a friend who just wanted it gone. It took a while to clean up, but I did, and now I have a fridge just for my beer!
...I'm wondering if I turn the freezer off and leave the fridge on, it will keep the freezer cold enough for lagering... We'll run some experiments in a few days to see.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
it feels weird...
it feels weird to be riding this time of year.
but I don't care because riding is awesome.
so, I'm gonna keep doing it as often as possible.
oh, and I'm getting a fridge today :) best price evar: free. It's gonna be my beer fridge.
but I don't care because riding is awesome.
so, I'm gonna keep doing it as often as possible.
oh, and I'm getting a fridge today :) best price evar: free. It's gonna be my beer fridge.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Shipwreck
Google Maps link!
There's a guy there who ran us off. It's private property. But, it's pretty cool.
Go to picnic point, walk north on the beach until you get close, then turn around.
Don't go there, or you'll get run off, or worse (arrested!).
But, it was a good walk on the beach! We found some good shells, and took some video and some pics.
I'm learning more about the limitations of the cameras we have, and wishing I had some other features (added to the list of stuff I need for my next cameras!).
So, now I'm having wine for dinner. Not with dinner, but for dinner.
YAY!
out.
There's a guy there who ran us off. It's private property. But, it's pretty cool.
Go to picnic point, walk north on the beach until you get close, then turn around.
Don't go there, or you'll get run off, or worse (arrested!).
But, it was a good walk on the beach! We found some good shells, and took some video and some pics.
I'm learning more about the limitations of the cameras we have, and wishing I had some other features (added to the list of stuff I need for my next cameras!).
So, now I'm having wine for dinner. Not with dinner, but for dinner.
YAY!
out.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
a few tidbits
marley and me...good movie.
homebrewing with loose pellet hops...strain as you transfer into secondary fermentation using a metal strainer for easier bottling!
motorcycles are fun...yay!
sage is awesome.
.357 revolvers ftw, also kimber 1911's too!
homebrewing with loose pellet hops...strain as you transfer into secondary fermentation using a metal strainer for easier bottling!
motorcycles are fun...yay!
sage is awesome.
.357 revolvers ftw, also kimber 1911's too!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
I took some pics of sage, and I went shooting.
shooting vids to come when I upload them.
couple shotguns, couple 22's and my tikka! total blast.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
puppeh adventures
she's whining in her crate, but I think the whining is becoming less.
she's pottying less and less in the house, and more and more outside.
and we are going to a potty training seminar on saturday.
but, she's a little cutie, and she's a lot of fun.
she's pottying less and less in the house, and more and more outside.
and we are going to a potty training seminar on saturday.
but, she's a little cutie, and she's a lot of fun.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
new puppeh
Her name is sage, and she's just about 8 weeks old. She's a UKC registered Rat Terrier, and she's as cute as hell. She'll be about 10-12 inches tall, and 10-12 pounds according to the lady we got her from.
We got her on Saturday, and she hates her collar and name tag. She's a little spaz, and she loves to go to petsmart, and the people there love her too.
Obama
Good luck, bro!
You are in for some hard days till things get sorted out, and I wish you the best.
You are in for some hard days till things get sorted out, and I wish you the best.
Monday, January 12, 2009
trophy hunting is bad!
Human Hunters Genetically Shrink Their Prey
By killing big percentages of the largest, sexually mature big-horn sheep or cod, humans can apply a withering selective pressure on huge numbers of animals. But it's not just that overall harvested animal numbers are shrinking — it's that the individuals themselves are shrinking, too, losing an average of 20 percent of their mass over mere decades.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
shamrock stout
initial gravity: 1.044
first batch with my new boiler. it worked great.
my friend mike came over to "help". he ended up helping quite a bit, pouring, lifting, bullshitting with me while the pot boiled.
it tastes good and looks good.
I'm stoked about it.
first batch with my new boiler. it worked great.
my friend mike came over to "help". he ended up helping quite a bit, pouring, lifting, bullshitting with me while the pot boiled.
it tastes good and looks good.
I'm stoked about it.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Internets broken...due to rain? maybe....
Heath Gifford says (8:27 AM):
are your internets broken?
Jeff Holbrook says (8:27 AM):
kinda
Heath Gifford says (8:27 AM):
yeah
Heath Gifford says (8:27 AM):
kinda
Jeff Holbrook says (8:27 AM):
having trouble with pandora
Heath Gifford says (8:27 AM):
anything that has to stream just sucks
Jeff Holbrook says (8:27 AM):
able to browse fine
Jeff Holbrook says (8:27 AM):
must be the water clogging the streams
Heath Gifford says (8:27 AM):
floods
Jeff Holbrook says (8:27 AM):
the toobs are only so big
Heath Gifford says (8:28 AM):
ya
are your internets broken?
Jeff Holbrook says (8:27 AM):
kinda
Heath Gifford says (8:27 AM):
yeah
Heath Gifford says (8:27 AM):
kinda
Jeff Holbrook says (8:27 AM):
having trouble with pandora
Heath Gifford says (8:27 AM):
anything that has to stream just sucks
Jeff Holbrook says (8:27 AM):
able to browse fine
Jeff Holbrook says (8:27 AM):
must be the water clogging the streams
Heath Gifford says (8:27 AM):
floods
Jeff Holbrook says (8:27 AM):
the toobs are only so big
Heath Gifford says (8:28 AM):
ya
Saturday, January 3, 2009
batteries don't last as long as they used to
in either my walkie talkies or my ski legs.
I'm tired and my walkie talkies are too.
But, yay!
It hurts soo good.
I'm tired and my walkie talkies are too.
But, yay!
It hurts soo good.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
new year
I'm home from the holidays.
Good trip, glad to be home.
Last night, I went to bed around 9. Yes, 9pm on New Years Eve.
Today, I've done some cleaning, some grocery shopping, and some ski clothes shopping.
I also went for a short ride.
New Year's resolution roundup from last year:
lose 10 pounds (or was it 20?) well, my scale said I was 240ish last new years, but that was post holidays....before I left for the holidays, I was 230ish....hmm....well...probable fail
pay off something, well...moving and some other things caused this not to happen....
but, better dental hygiene...or as I like to call it "keeping my teeth" has become a huge priority!
I think there was something else, but oh well.
this year: continue with last years...pay off bills, lose some weight, keep up the dental hygiene.
also: more motorcycle miles than pickup miles.
wish me luck!
Good trip, glad to be home.
Last night, I went to bed around 9. Yes, 9pm on New Years Eve.
Today, I've done some cleaning, some grocery shopping, and some ski clothes shopping.
I also went for a short ride.
New Year's resolution roundup from last year:
lose 10 pounds (or was it 20?) well, my scale said I was 240ish last new years, but that was post holidays....before I left for the holidays, I was 230ish....hmm....well...probable fail
pay off something, well...moving and some other things caused this not to happen....
but, better dental hygiene...or as I like to call it "keeping my teeth" has become a huge priority!
I think there was something else, but oh well.
this year: continue with last years...pay off bills, lose some weight, keep up the dental hygiene.
also: more motorcycle miles than pickup miles.
wish me luck!
Monday, December 22, 2008
I need to start remembering that my phone has a decent camera in it
Seattle city, downtown, is a mess. I'd hate to see it if there was actually snow there!
Ok, so there's snow there, but it's like only a couple inches.
It wasn't bad, but there are still abandoned cars, and lots of pieces of people's chains on the freeways. The freeways are wet, but clear of ice.
A work friend needed a ride from Kirkland to Seattle to catch a train. He was waiting on a bus that never showed up. On the way, we saw the bus stuck, at an angle, in the oncoming lanes of the freeway.
Ok, so there's snow there, but it's like only a couple inches.
It wasn't bad, but there are still abandoned cars, and lots of pieces of people's chains on the freeways. The freeways are wet, but clear of ice.
A work friend needed a ride from Kirkland to Seattle to catch a train. He was waiting on a bus that never showed up. On the way, we saw the bus stuck, at an angle, in the oncoming lanes of the freeway.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
glorious
there was no way in hell i was going to try to get to work until the traffic cleared. which it seems to have done.
last night, my 4wd failed me. i took it to the shop this morning, and they told me the proper fix is probably $570 for the part, not counting the labor to install it, but... i paid $104. they diagnosed it. the encoder motor which tells the transfer case which gear to be in failed 25% of the time in a given interval, so it quit working. they cleared the fail code, and it works now until it fails 25% of the time in the same interval. to clear the code, you pull the tail light fuse with the key off. yes. the tail light fuse. 2 and a half minutes later, if you plug the fuse back in, the 4wd codes will be cleared and you can try again.
now, i'm shifting between 2 and 4 as little as possible. once that trick stops working, it will probably be time to sell it anyway.
when i got home, the roads seemed to be clear enough to drive, but the bosses had sent an email saying "go home, unless you are already there, then stay there". so, like a good employee, i do what my bosses say. so, i'm at home.
no capital letters.
on purpose.
not sure why.
just didn't feel like using capital letters.
*hella edit:
found that part for $210, brand new.
last night, my 4wd failed me. i took it to the shop this morning, and they told me the proper fix is probably $570 for the part, not counting the labor to install it, but... i paid $104. they diagnosed it. the encoder motor which tells the transfer case which gear to be in failed 25% of the time in a given interval, so it quit working. they cleared the fail code, and it works now until it fails 25% of the time in the same interval. to clear the code, you pull the tail light fuse with the key off. yes. the tail light fuse. 2 and a half minutes later, if you plug the fuse back in, the 4wd codes will be cleared and you can try again.
now, i'm shifting between 2 and 4 as little as possible. once that trick stops working, it will probably be time to sell it anyway.
when i got home, the roads seemed to be clear enough to drive, but the bosses had sent an email saying "go home, unless you are already there, then stay there". so, like a good employee, i do what my bosses say. so, i'm at home.
no capital letters.
on purpose.
not sure why.
just didn't feel like using capital letters.
*hella edit:
found that part for $210, brand new.
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