Burn the library

I wonder if this film will be released in the US.  It looks interesting.

Let him do hard time!

Film director Roman Polanski, who fled sentencing in California on child sex charges in 1977, after being convicted, should be extradited to the US from Switzerland and do his hard time for drugging and having unlawful sex with a girl aged 13.  –  So he is a brilliant director.  This does not allow him to break the law and get away with it.  –  He is a sicko!

This explains a lot of Politics

It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. -William G. McAdoo, lawyer and politician (1863-1941)

Too much PC

I am bemused by the total lack of any sort of sense of humor when Target is attached for the “Illegal Alien” costume.  Maybe not completely in the best of taste, but no where near as bad as some of the so-called costumes I’ve seen shown for sale.  — Then again, an illegal alien is just that: ILLEGAL.  Go to jail & deport.  –  Yes, they are seeking to better themselves.  However, so are all those folk in line for legal immigration.  –  Hmm, maybe the US should review its immigration policy.  However, being able to speak English is obligatory.  How else can someone from Korea communicate with someone from Russia?  ETC.

Stupid Law!

IMHO the “Zero-tolerance” rules in schools, as in the court system, is too inflexible and causes miscarriages of justice.

Now just when did you get here?

Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States.  Ask any Indian. -Robert Orben, magician and author (b. 1927)

Of course, Indians/Native [?] Americans didn’t originate in the “Americas” either.  They just happened to arrive sooner.

ALBACON – Redux

I had a very good time at ALBACON.  You should have been there.  I did a few panels, mixed with everyone, went to parties, got not enough sleep, the usual.

Next year ALLEN STEELE is the literary GoH.  Y’all come on by.  We give good con!

What panels do you want to attend there?

Normalcy is vastly overrated!

Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible. -Frank Zappa, composer, musician, film director (1940-1993)

Y’all come to ALBACON, you hear!

Susan invited you to “Book Signing” on Friday, October 9 at 3:00pm.

Susan says, “Please, post this event on your blog. Let everyone know that the Romance Writers have come to Albany, NY. It’s going to be a lovely event. Be sure to say hi to me, when you come, as I will be attending.  I’m a panelist in the writer’s conference.”.

Event: Book Signing
What: Retail
Start Time: Friday, October 9 at 3:00pm
End Time: Friday, October 9 at 5:00pm
Where: Sovereign Best Western Hotel, Albany, NY

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=145834023037&mid=135d9acG32b139a0G722447cG7

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

G’day, if you like the concept suggested here, please feel free to pass it on to friends and any and all politicians.  We all need energy regardless of political persuasion.

——————————-

Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:                                       3 September 2009

California needs more energy as well as a need for more jobs.  Combining these areas with an alternate, renewable energy producer may be of interest

To improve California’s energy position, and provide jobs in the “green” sector, I would like to bring to your attention and that of the California Energy Commission the concept of the Solar Updraft Tower, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_updraft_tower .

“In 1903, Isidoro Cabanyes first proposed the concept of a solar chimney in the magazine “Electrical Energy.”

In 1982 an experimental tower was built in Manzanares, Spain, about 150 km/95 miles south of Madrid.  While intended to only operate for approximately 3 years, it did in fact produce up to 50kW until 1989. http://www.except.nl/consult/SolarUpdraftTower/solar_updraft_research.html

This paper suggests some quite interesting variations on how to develop and use the concept.

Unlike a lot of experimental technology, this one has produced power.  The research data is available for study and advancement.

My suggestion to you is that California make use of this technology to produce power for the state’s energy users.  I’m not unaware that the initial tower[s] will be part experimental, part power producer and part of the energy grid for California.

The capital costs for such projects will most likely be high, though the upkeep and maintenance of the Solar Updraft Towers will be quite low.  My concept for a tax break, and to increase the incentive to build such a project, would be to allow a company to write off the capital expenses in, say 5 years, using accelerated depreciation.  This assumes the Solar Updraft Tower would be built to last & produce power for 40 years.

Where to put the towers?  I would suggest the desert portions of San Bernardino county for a start or jointly with neighboring states.  The project, as I envision it, would consist of a series of towers each larger than the previous: 10 MW, 100 MW, 500 MW, 1 GW & 10 GW.  Each succeeding tower would initiate construction about 3 years after ground is broken for the previous tower.  These new towers would build on and incorporate new technologies and materials as well as adapting to any challenges appearing during construction and operation of the previous towers.

In 25 years since the previous tower was built and operated not only have wind turbines improved, but so have the materials needed to build a Solar Updraft Tower.  They will continue to improve over the coming years.

Thank you for hearing me out.

Yours sincerely,