Today, a co-worker of mine agreed to take the cycling trip from Chicago to Minneapolis with me next year. I am thrilled because this provides an exciting incentive to stay in shape over the winter.
I have a lot to plan for!
Monday, November 28, 2005
Monday, November 21, 2005
Completion of Studies...
...for now.
I finished the last of my examinations for my Masters on wednesday of last week. Reaching this milestone has been somewhat depressing for me. For one, I really enjoyed the curriculum for my last few classes which were some of the best to date. Secondly, I achieved a long-term goal that is now replaced with a void.
I will be eligible to take my Professional Engineering and Professional Geology exams Fall 2006. At least for now I have a new goal to look forward to.
Reflecting back upon my undergraduate and graduate studies, I began to think of the value of education. The education that one receives is only as good as the implementation of the education by the student.
The receipt of a degree or certificate does not provide carte blanche access to additional tiers of responsibility. More often than not, the education becomes a screening tool, whereby an employer knows that the graduate has completed a certain commitment, yet the graduate's proficiency of applying the knowledge remains a test. It is therefore incumbent upon the student to have sufficient knowledge to teach and employ what has been gained through study. Therefore, the value of the education can only be determined by the recipient of the education. What makes this difficult to employ is that by nature, organizations and people have sufficent resistance to change. That is why one must teach to employ knowledge that is not currently practiced within an organization.
I finished the last of my examinations for my Masters on wednesday of last week. Reaching this milestone has been somewhat depressing for me. For one, I really enjoyed the curriculum for my last few classes which were some of the best to date. Secondly, I achieved a long-term goal that is now replaced with a void.
I will be eligible to take my Professional Engineering and Professional Geology exams Fall 2006. At least for now I have a new goal to look forward to.
Reflecting back upon my undergraduate and graduate studies, I began to think of the value of education. The education that one receives is only as good as the implementation of the education by the student.
The receipt of a degree or certificate does not provide carte blanche access to additional tiers of responsibility. More often than not, the education becomes a screening tool, whereby an employer knows that the graduate has completed a certain commitment, yet the graduate's proficiency of applying the knowledge remains a test. It is therefore incumbent upon the student to have sufficient knowledge to teach and employ what has been gained through study. Therefore, the value of the education can only be determined by the recipient of the education. What makes this difficult to employ is that by nature, organizations and people have sufficent resistance to change. That is why one must teach to employ knowledge that is not currently practiced within an organization.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Wider Acknowledgement of Energy Issues
Has anyone recently seen the focus on energy while watching commercials lately? While I watching Meet the Press on Sunday morning, I saw two adds by a petroleum trade organization. The focus of these advertisements was to suggest energy saving habits. One line of advise was to keep your tires properly inflated and another showed an image with everyone in the scene wearing slippers. Other ads were from Ford, and GM touting their commitment to energy conservation.
This is what I see from this petroleum ad:
When the Got Milk? ad campaign was presented by the dairy industry is was to declining sales. The focus of the ads were to keep milk in the front of peoples mind to mitigate declining sales. Now, looking at the petroleum industry, they have received some pretty harsh criticism lately from ballooning profits and the increase in prices for oil and natural gas.
To what end does this ad campaign service the petroleum industry? I believe that it is public relations and a "pass the blame" effort. The concept is this: yes, gas prices are high and you can conserve so that it effects your wallet to a lesser degree. That is, it is not the petroleum industries fault, it is the wasteful consumer. Contrasting with the Got Milk? campaign is that the petroleum industry wants...to sell less petroleum?
This is what I see from this US automotive ads:
Ford and GM have an appalling record on fuel economy. Now their focus is that they are as concerned about the environment as anyone else. Again, a public relations effort because their fleet fuel economy are among the lowest in the industry. Ford brags of the first hybrid SUV that is powered with Toyota licensed technology. These ads appear as GM releases a $427,000 Camaro that has a ridiculously large engine. Toyota on the other hand is developing high performance electric hybrid sports cars- the Volta.
America's two largest automakers and the petroleum industry are looking for the consumer to curtail consumption of fuels through more efficient autos and energy saving tips. It is apparent that we are in a transitionary phase from carbon to non-carbon based fuels.
I am ready to embrace a paradigm shift in fuels and this shift is acknowledged throughout the broader economy. For instance, Walmart is installing solar panels on the roofs of their enormous buildings.
Critics may say that this is due to tax breaks. That is true, although you rarely hear of how much national money goes into securing our energy interests. Isn't is nice that we pay less than almost all other countries for a gallon of gas. We all owe our thanks to Uncle Sam and our fleet of war ships throughout the world for that.
This is what I see from this petroleum ad:
When the Got Milk? ad campaign was presented by the dairy industry is was to declining sales. The focus of the ads were to keep milk in the front of peoples mind to mitigate declining sales. Now, looking at the petroleum industry, they have received some pretty harsh criticism lately from ballooning profits and the increase in prices for oil and natural gas.
To what end does this ad campaign service the petroleum industry? I believe that it is public relations and a "pass the blame" effort. The concept is this: yes, gas prices are high and you can conserve so that it effects your wallet to a lesser degree. That is, it is not the petroleum industries fault, it is the wasteful consumer. Contrasting with the Got Milk? campaign is that the petroleum industry wants...to sell less petroleum?
This is what I see from this US automotive ads:
Ford and GM have an appalling record on fuel economy. Now their focus is that they are as concerned about the environment as anyone else. Again, a public relations effort because their fleet fuel economy are among the lowest in the industry. Ford brags of the first hybrid SUV that is powered with Toyota licensed technology. These ads appear as GM releases a $427,000 Camaro that has a ridiculously large engine. Toyota on the other hand is developing high performance electric hybrid sports cars- the Volta.
America's two largest automakers and the petroleum industry are looking for the consumer to curtail consumption of fuels through more efficient autos and energy saving tips. It is apparent that we are in a transitionary phase from carbon to non-carbon based fuels.
I am ready to embrace a paradigm shift in fuels and this shift is acknowledged throughout the broader economy. For instance, Walmart is installing solar panels on the roofs of their enormous buildings.
Critics may say that this is due to tax breaks. That is true, although you rarely hear of how much national money goes into securing our energy interests. Isn't is nice that we pay less than almost all other countries for a gallon of gas. We all owe our thanks to Uncle Sam and our fleet of war ships throughout the world for that.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Time will tell...
As I metioned in this post, I will be focusing my investments with energy in mind, and I would invite anyone interested to perform appropriate due diligence in the following sectors: SOLAR POWER and DC STORAGE.
Why solar? - The sun shines everywhere.
Why DC storage? - Most of the items we use are powered by direct current, and solar power is generated in DC. There are no efficency losses due to the conversion of AC to DC.
Why now? - We are at a period when energy is consumed the least throughout the year. (This provides people with a false sense of security regarding fuel costs)
What do I think? - I think that this winter is going to be a b*tch slap to everyone's wallet regarding their home heating bill. The reserves of oil/natural gas in ANWR are not sufficient to mitigate the effect of growing global demand for carbon based fuels from developing countries (aka China and India).
Q: What does the cost of energy effect? A1: The cost of producing goods. A2: The amount of personal expendable income.
Q: How can you slow the growth of any business? A:Raise the underlying costs of producing goods.
Q: How can you slow the growth of a county? A:Raise the underlying costs of doing business and reduce the ability of the consumer to spend.
Q: How to NOT slow business and GDP growth? A:Get off of carbon based fuels.
These connections are as elemetary as possible, but crucial (hopefully the White House will draw the same conculsions - although not likely because of the oil men in the pilot and co-pilot seat). The time is now to identify the Googles and Microsofts of the alternative energy sector.
My bets are on solar and DC storage.
ESLR - Evergreen Solar - Company requires minimum amount of Si to produce solar cells. This makes them less sensitive to fluctuations in the price of Si.
DSTI - Daystar Technologies - Uses GaAs (Gallium Arsenide) for solar cells. GaAs is more efficient that Si for power production and has a longer lifespan. (Not yet at "production level"; however, implication of full scale production are mind-boggling)
ENER - Energy Conversion Devices - CEO is the inventor of NiMH battery technology. They are also developing solar cells, and they provide batteries to Toyota for gas/electric hybrids.
Being "green" should not have a tree-hugger connotation any longer. Being green is becoming the backbone of economic decisions that are driven by the cost of carbon-based fuels.
As for oil...Keep consuming, it will trigger the incorportion of alternative energies at a faster rate.
Research the following: Ghawar is Dying, Peak Oil, DSTI, ESLR, ENER.
Time will tell...
Why solar? - The sun shines everywhere.
Why DC storage? - Most of the items we use are powered by direct current, and solar power is generated in DC. There are no efficency losses due to the conversion of AC to DC.
Why now? - We are at a period when energy is consumed the least throughout the year. (This provides people with a false sense of security regarding fuel costs)
What do I think? - I think that this winter is going to be a b*tch slap to everyone's wallet regarding their home heating bill. The reserves of oil/natural gas in ANWR are not sufficient to mitigate the effect of growing global demand for carbon based fuels from developing countries (aka China and India).
Q: What does the cost of energy effect? A1: The cost of producing goods. A2: The amount of personal expendable income.
Q: How can you slow the growth of any business? A:Raise the underlying costs of producing goods.
Q: How can you slow the growth of a county? A:Raise the underlying costs of doing business and reduce the ability of the consumer to spend.
Q: How to NOT slow business and GDP growth? A:Get off of carbon based fuels.
These connections are as elemetary as possible, but crucial (hopefully the White House will draw the same conculsions - although not likely because of the oil men in the pilot and co-pilot seat). The time is now to identify the Googles and Microsofts of the alternative energy sector.
My bets are on solar and DC storage.
ESLR - Evergreen Solar - Company requires minimum amount of Si to produce solar cells. This makes them less sensitive to fluctuations in the price of Si.
DSTI - Daystar Technologies - Uses GaAs (Gallium Arsenide) for solar cells. GaAs is more efficient that Si for power production and has a longer lifespan. (Not yet at "production level"; however, implication of full scale production are mind-boggling)
ENER - Energy Conversion Devices - CEO is the inventor of NiMH battery technology. They are also developing solar cells, and they provide batteries to Toyota for gas/electric hybrids.
Being "green" should not have a tree-hugger connotation any longer. Being green is becoming the backbone of economic decisions that are driven by the cost of carbon-based fuels.
As for oil...Keep consuming, it will trigger the incorportion of alternative energies at a faster rate.
Research the following: Ghawar is Dying, Peak Oil, DSTI, ESLR, ENER.
Time will tell...
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Busy!
I have recently sequestered myself into the daily grind of work and education. My physical health is suffering as a result. I have only 3 weeks to go until I am finished with my Masters. I really need to refocus on health. The sad truth is that as I become overwhelmed with daily activities, I neglect excercise. This is sad because I have made the following priorities: Wife, Work, School, Health. I am typically able to do well with three of these priorities; however, I seem to choose to neglect health before others.
My goal is to be able to focus on each of the four priorities. I have three weeks to figure it out because after that, school goes away.
My take on recent events:
When your opponent is gaining strength accuse them of cheating. It will take attention off of your own flaws. When your opponent is weak, go for them where it hurts.
R: D's are politicizing issue, and closing senate doors is a stunt.
D: This has always been an issue, and there is an opportunity to address it. R's heavy handed politics have been exposed.
Who's ready to put credence into Bush's Press Secretary, that is, the voice of the White House? Remember, Scott Mclellan assured us that he spoke with Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby personally and that through this conversation Scott was certain that they were not involved with the leaking of Plame's name?
Why do republicans under attack, bring up the fact that something is being "politicized"? Do they only have to answer to their own party? To restate a previous point a little differently: when under attack, accuse your opponent of cheating.
My goal is to be able to focus on each of the four priorities. I have three weeks to figure it out because after that, school goes away.
My take on recent events:
When your opponent is gaining strength accuse them of cheating. It will take attention off of your own flaws. When your opponent is weak, go for them where it hurts.
R: D's are politicizing issue, and closing senate doors is a stunt.
D: This has always been an issue, and there is an opportunity to address it. R's heavy handed politics have been exposed.
Who's ready to put credence into Bush's Press Secretary, that is, the voice of the White House? Remember, Scott Mclellan assured us that he spoke with Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby personally and that through this conversation Scott was certain that they were not involved with the leaking of Plame's name?
Why do republicans under attack, bring up the fact that something is being "politicized"? Do they only have to answer to their own party? To restate a previous point a little differently: when under attack, accuse your opponent of cheating.
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