This ain't no party, this ain't no disco...

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What IS Green Energy, really?
I've been ruminating about something for a while, now, and thought I'd post something about it:

I figure that there's a number of ways to generate power. Some of them have been pointed at as causing too much environmental damage of one sort or another.

So, let's look at them.

First, there's coal power. Even the cleanest forms of coal release quite a lot of carbon dioxide, not to mention the problems of acid rain and the like, so I can see this as not being supported by most folks in the eco-movement. Fine. Even though the US and China have immense coal reserves. Fine.

Then, there's hydroelectric power; you know, dams. Dams that interfere with the free flow of fish to their spawning grounds and whatnot. It also floods territory behind the dam, which might effect a rare species or two.

Well, how about solar power arrays, then? It turns out that attempts to expand such power stations in the California desert were being fought by environmentalists because of purported effects on the lifestyle of the desert tortoise. Hmm.

Well, let's put up more of those wind farms, then! Um, no, that's being protested by environmentalists because it kills birds. Well, so do picture windows.

OK, then, how about tidal generators. Real estate folks don't want them on the beaches, and environmentalists don't want that kind of construction out on the horizon due to possible effects on the fish or the marine mammals.

Geo-thermal? Some folks balk because they're afraid of it precipitating volcanic eruptions.

Fusion? Pipedream presently.

How about timber being fed to steam generators, then? Oh, no, that would rapidly denude what's left of our country's forests.

I guess that means that the intent of the rabid environmentalists is to have our country slip back into a pre-metal form of lifestyle, with perhaps one person out of a hundred surviving as vegetarian gatherers.

Or am I missing something? Did I forget some form of power supply that the Gaians can get behind?

Still not entirely recovered, though I'm coughing less. I have a big working day today, with meetings with the IPA, as well as nursing home rounds, and office hours. We will persevere.

Happy birthday,

redqueenofevil!

Happy birthday,

doisneau!

We plowed through a bunch more of the materials DVRed since we left for NOLA last night, and I'm totally convinced not to waste any more time on V. Now, will I actually devote the time to seeing The Prisoner?

Happy birthday,

darkviolet9!

Busy day, yesterday; I didn't get home until well after nine PM. We did a little bit of catch-up on the DVR, and then relatively early to bed. I'm still under the weather; coughing, occasionally productive; goopy nose. Yuck.

Happy birthday,

fearthainnlent!

We had a busy, but mostly restful day yesterday.

I put on Up for

forestcats while I lazed my way through morning ablutions, and found that the film still hits me in a blubbery spot, so good for them. Then, I put on Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron which was pretty good.

Zak came by and helped us repair the back door's handle, which now works much better, and it's keyed to the same as the front door, which simplifies one manuever. He's also helped out with drywalling a couple of holes from plumbing repairs and

brushette depredations, so that's another relief.

We moved a chest of drawers that wasn't getting used into the master bedroom, and I'm expecting good things from its use.

As the evening wore on, we hightailed it to the Los Feliz district, and back to Tropicale, a Brazilian place that we've really enjoyed, and they didn't disappoint us. Among other dishes, we had chicken vegetable soup, Brazilian-style, and it hit the spot for us, being that we're both still recovering from colds.

We then hurried to Dungeonmaster, where the cast was truncated by illness; still, it went well, and seemed to be enjoyed by the audience. There weren't all that many "regulars" in attendance, which is both nice and sad at the same time. Next Sunday is going to be the Guardian of the Flame adventure, and the folks who were chosen for that have already been notified, so it looks to be fun!

Home, I watched the first episode of the new The Prisoner off AMC, and there's a lot of buzz of it being boring. Unfortunately, one episode under my belt, and I'd have to agree. We'll see if I have to give up on it.

As I was slowly recuperating from this cold, I watched a couple of Netflix discs, the first of which was disc one of At Last the 1948 Show, a British TV comedy show that included a couple of future Monty Python comedians (John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle) as well as Marty Feldman. Of the three episodes on the disc, at least one of the sketches is later taken up in toto by Monty Python on the show. Not bad, not terrific, I'm afraid.

Next was another disc of Connections 2, which was moderately better than the previous discs.

Finally, when

forestcats got home from her perambulations, she asked for The Incredibles, and once again I was awed by Pixar's vision.

Happy birthday,

queenofxthrash!

Found, bought, and read a book today:

Osprey New Vanguard #140: Armored Trains

It dealt with a topic about which I knew little, and fleshed it out interestingly. Nice photos, as well.

forestcats is getting her shot; I'm supervising baking bread. She's brave, leaving me with that duty...

Happy birthday,

kyburg!

Speaking of illness, I've been waiting for our office to get the standard flu vaccines in stock to get mine (and my spouse's, for that matter), but it doesn't look like we're ever going to get our allotment. I think we're going to have to see if one of the local pharmacies can shoot us, and soon.

As to the H1N1 vaccine, both of us should get it (me, because I'm a health-care worker, she because of a genetic issue), but California hasn't been getting their allotments as promised by the Federal government. Yesterday, I just happened to overhear that a hospital I was seeing patients in was having an immunization opportunity; they'd unexpectedly received doses of H1N1 vaccine on Tuesday. I rushed through what I was doing, and made it for a shot minutes before they were to close. So, I'm up-to-date on that one.

forestcats had heard about an opportunity on Saturday for the same immunization, so I'm going to make sure she goes; I think this is important.

But the standard shots aren't around like they should be either, and it's bothering me. Heck, it's bothering my patients!

I'm a bit under the weather; it looks like

forestcats shared her illness with me (what a surprise!). Excess mucus production; coughing, runny nose, nose is now all irritated from blowing it. Yuck.

Soup. It's what's for treatment !

I've added AMC's upcoming show, The Prisoner to the DVR list; it's supposed to start on the 15th, I think. I don't know if it's going to run on consecutive nights, or weekly...

How stupid can a person of high school age be, to walk across a busy street at night in very dark clothing, stepping off a curb without looking in any direction for oncoming traffic, in the middle of a block?

I barely had enough space to brake; the folks coming from the other side were even closer.

Can you say: "Near miss"?

Comics, this week:

Fables #90 - I like where they're going with this.

DMZ #47 - Pretty good, but it's a little obtuse. I hope this book isn't going downhill.

Gravel #15 - Another one that looks like it's going to be more interesting in upcoming releases. Also, there's been talk on the Internet that a motion picture company has picked up rights to this book to make a movie of it. Curious.

The Unwritten #7 - Again, pretty good, and it's pulling me along to look forward to the next release. I wonder when the main character is going to stop ignoring clues?

Supergod #1 - Warren Ellis must be a madman; I could never have thought of this theme. The world is destroyed, more or less, and one man is detailing how, because the nations of the world released upon it genetically engineered gods. Oh, my.

Happy birthday,

jss1113!