Leaderboard

I'm glad for the good news, but have to smile at that group name. Only a government agency would ever name a group the "Human Capital Officer Workforce Relations’ Automated Labor and Employee Relations Tracking System". Wonder what the nickname is? ​HCOWRALERTS is an interesting acronym.

Thanks for the mention...

Thanks for a terrific program that does everything it needs to do, efficiently and low cost!

Here in sunny CA photovoltaic panels have been installed over sections of parking lots, generating power while at the same time creating highly coveted shaded parking spots. Win-win. Panels operate the highway roadside call boxes, parking meter pay stations, and fully run my burning man camp. I know in Scandinavia, roadways have been built with passive solar systems to stay ice free, but (and this is from memory on an article I read several years ago), it involves a system more like a solar water heater. Not electricity generating panels.

We'll have flying cars before covering the US road system with solar panels would be possible. It would cost more money than what exists in the world just to cover the US road system in fancy clear glass. That's without taking into consideration any of the really expensive components like photovoltaics, circuitry, LEDs, and an insane network of high voltage transmission lines under every bit of highway in the US. Solar has a lot of promise, and it's being done smartly in a lot of places. This is the opposite of smart. I think my favorite part was where they talked about converting sunlight into electricity to power heating elements to melt snow. Wow.

Please note, I copied/pasted (and linked) Karl Denninger's article on this. My daughter first brought the proposal to my attention. I might think using parking lots as solar electricity generation plants -- at least in areas without significant snow, like the southern portions of the country -- possibly could be useful. However, solar really is NOT "ready for prime time" and as an industry cannot exist without significant subsidies BECAUSE IT IS NOT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE. At least at this time, and possibly not for a long time. That said, those who can afford it (individuals, towns, companies) and who choose to participate help - by their purchases - to drive the innovation that makes the industry less inefficient. Today's panels are less than 20% efficient -- but a decade or so ago, they were just under 10% efficient. Some (very expensive, hard to produce) test panels today are in the mid-30's for efficiency. For the same reason that Lasik became better and more affordable ($20K/eye down to $1.5K/eye, with better outcomes), those willing to pay drive the innovation that benefits others in later years. That's how a free market operates.

Then there was the case of the little boy who called the fire department when his mommy burned the gingerbread men. She didn't know (dealing with burned cookies), and they showed up at the door.... Apparently, they agreed to take some of the slightly-burned cookies as "evidence" (as thank you for their trouble).

NT From my Son the Used Car Dealer: The IRS suspected a used car dealer wasn't paying proper wages to his mechanic and sent an agent to investigate him. IRS Auditor: "I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them". Used Car Dealer: "Well, there's Clarence, my mechanic, he's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $1,000 a week plus free room and board. Then there's the mentally challenged guy. He works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of the work around here. He makes about $20 per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of Bacardi rum and a dozen BudLights every Saturday night so he can cope with life. He also gets to sleep with my girlfriend occasionally". IRS Auditor: "That's the guy I want to talk to - the mentally challenged one". Used Car Dealer: "That would be me. What would you like to know"? ____________________________________________________________

Well, no indictment is necessary. No trial or jury needed either. Any time you break any of the laws of thermodynamics, you skip the trial and go directly to serving the sentence.

I just KNEW that would get a reaction from you, Cat! Amazing, isn't it, how gullible people can be? I have a brother-in-law who truly believes his friend invented a 'perpetual motion' machine.