Was it a look over?
Friday, July 10, 2009
LIVING IN A FOG
From the Tom Kierans school of thinking outside the box comes a suggestion from your humble scribe that could assist the Capital City with its water supply problems.
As you're no doubt aware, our wise municipal elders have implemented a water ban in response to below-average water levels in the City's water reservoirs. A prudent response that will have severe repercussions for folks who have made significant investments in flora and lawns. Some people are complaining about industrial car washes, others are saying it is time to implement water meters which might force people to conserve water, and waste less.
The problem, folks, is pretty simple...we do not have enough water. We have lots of rocks, we have lots of fog, but ground water supplies always get low in the summer. Hold on, did I say we have lots of fog, hmm.
Why don't we tap into that wonderful renewable resource, those dense banks of fog that roll in over the hills along the Eastern Avalon just about every day? We could establish fog collecting nets that could gather thousands of gallons of water for the city every day.
The idea may sound a little bizarre but it can work. With a few thousand dollars and a little labor, we can access thousands of gallons of water a day - without a single drop of rain falling.
It is not a new idea. As far back as 2,000 years ago, desert villages and other rain-starved communities around the world may have started harvesting fog that collected as water and dripped from trees.
Fog collection works not by condensation, which is what happens when water vapor hits a cold surface and transforms into a liquid. In fact, the water in fog is already in liquid form—it's just in very, very small drops. As wind blows the heavy fog through, tiny droplets stick to a mesh.
Fog catchers have been used successfully—though on a small scale—all over the world.
Could it work here to provide assistance in these dry periods? Why not?
Check out this month's National Geographic and learn how fog collectors have worked in Peru and Chile.
OBAMA IS AN ASS MAN
A little irony from the G8 summit in Italy. The host of the event, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi is immersed in a sex scandal that threatens to end his career. He has survived corruption allegations, a playboy reputation and his wife’s wrath but is now hooked into allegations from a high-end prostitute that she spent the night at his residence.It appears that old Silvio is rubbing off on some of the male leaders.
Sex, or at least admiration for the female form may earn some other world leaders attending the L'Aquila summit the wrath of their wives.
IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST
Here is one for the inner Star Wars geek.Remember the scene in The Empire Strikes Back where Han stuffs a hypothermic Luke inside a Tauntaun (alien steed that the rebels had domesticated for travel around the ice Planet Hoth) to keep him warm and escape a blizzard.
What started as an April Fools joke may turn into reality. Thinkgeek had posted a photo of a child sleeping in a Tauntaun sleeping bag but it turned out to be just an April fools trick. Now Lucasfilm, which holds the Star Wars merchandising rights is preparing to develop and market real Tauntaun sleeping bags.
Count me in for at least one or two for my little Jedi's who need protection from the sub-zero wasteland of the planet Hoth.
MAKE YOUR MARK
The Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs has launched an innovative marketing campaign to encourage citizens of the province to consider throwing their name into the ring of Municipal Politics.
The "MakeYourMarkNL" campaign was launched on June 25th in partnership with the Women's Policy Office, Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador, Professional Municipal Administrators and Futures in Newfoundland and Labrador's Youth.
Chances are, if you're reading my scribblings, you have an interest in your community, your province and your country.
Got ideas on how to make your community better? Run.
ECONOMY NEEDS MORE THAN A SUGAR PILL
Legendary investor Warren Buffett says the American Government should be considering a second stimulus.
He told ABC's "Good Morning America" that "We're not in a freefall, but we're not in a recovery either,"
He likened the first $787 billion stimulus package passed by Congress to "half a tablet of Viagra and then having also a bunch of candy mixed in --- it doesn't have really quite the wallop."
The Obama administration says it does not see a need for a second stimulus.......... yet.
Critics are already saying the government has done enough and that future generations will pay the price. As in Canada, the reason the first one hasn't yet fueled a recovery is that few funds from the first stimulus package have yet been released.
Is it too early to be talking about a second package?
He told ABC's "Good Morning America" that "We're not in a freefall, but we're not in a recovery either,"
He likened the first $787 billion stimulus package passed by Congress to "half a tablet of Viagra and then having also a bunch of candy mixed in --- it doesn't have really quite the wallop."
The Obama administration says it does not see a need for a second stimulus.......... yet.
Critics are already saying the government has done enough and that future generations will pay the price. As in Canada, the reason the first one hasn't yet fueled a recovery is that few funds from the first stimulus package have yet been released.
Is it too early to be talking about a second package?
JOBLESS NUMBERS CONTINUE TO CLIMB
Interesting change in the recession lexicon at the CBC. The country's public broadcaster has joined CTV and the Globe & Mail in using the term jobless in stories about the national unemployment rate, which is up to 8.6 % for the month of June. I suppose it is just semantics, but jobless sounds so much more desperate than unemployed.
The numbers show that the recession is continuing to churn and to wreak havoc in the manufacturing sector. 47,500 full-time jobs disappeared in the month, roughly 40,100 part-time positions were added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Harper was in Italy telling world leaders not to spend more money to stimulate the economy. Think things have turned around? Tell that to the army of people looking for work in Ontario.
The numbers show that the Government of Canada does not have a strategy and have shown themselves to be inept at addressing the challenges facing a lot of Canadians. These numbers do not reflect those people who are living on severance or are working at lower paying service paying jobs to make the mortgage payment. The numbers do not tell the entire story.
Some good news in Newfoundland and Labrador, it was the only province to report job gains in June. 2,500 new jobs were added to the economy but the unemployment rate edged up a half a percentage point to 15.6%.
President Barack Obama said the US unemployment rate will reach 10 per cent this year, even as the economy begins to emerge from the recession.
The numbers show that the recession is continuing to churn and to wreak havoc in the manufacturing sector. 47,500 full-time jobs disappeared in the month, roughly 40,100 part-time positions were added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Harper was in Italy telling world leaders not to spend more money to stimulate the economy. Think things have turned around? Tell that to the army of people looking for work in Ontario.
The numbers show that the Government of Canada does not have a strategy and have shown themselves to be inept at addressing the challenges facing a lot of Canadians. These numbers do not reflect those people who are living on severance or are working at lower paying service paying jobs to make the mortgage payment. The numbers do not tell the entire story.
Some good news in Newfoundland and Labrador, it was the only province to report job gains in June. 2,500 new jobs were added to the economy but the unemployment rate edged up a half a percentage point to 15.6%.
President Barack Obama said the US unemployment rate will reach 10 per cent this year, even as the economy begins to emerge from the recession.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
YOU SANK MY BATTLESHIP
The times, the times are changing.As a young fella two of my favorite games were Risk and Battleship. Do you remember the whiny kid from the 70's commercial yelling, you you sank my battleship. It was a great way to pass a night or a long evening at the cabin. O the good old days.
Apparently, the Milton Bradly Battleship version of 1967 was meant for four players.
Two men, and two women who were consigned to happily watching the men play as they washed and dried th
e dishes.Yes, the atomic family. Dad and junior playing Battleship while mom and Susie did the dishes and looked on adoringly.
Mommy is captaining the SS Sponge and Susie says watch out there is dried on egg at 2:00.
Which reminds me, where is that cool electronic Star Wars Battleship my brother gave me for Christmas a few years ago?
AMERICAN LAW MAKERS FOLLOWING PROVINCE'S LEAD...AGAIN!
Barack Obama is not the only American politician watching how the Williams administration governs and borrowing his policies. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer has proposed legislation that would allow all newborns to receive $500 to open a savings account.
The American Saving for Personal Investment, Retirement, and Education Act of 2009 would allow the government to open a savings account for each baby to help encourage people to save. Other details of the proposal include:
- Savings accounts would be created automatically when children are issued Social Security cards.
- Annual contributions up to $500 would receive a dollar-for-dollar match from the federal government.
- Up to $2,000 could be deposited annually.
- Money in the savings would grow tax-free.
Now Schumer’s savings proposal is meant to help families that are finding it difficult to save money, not an attempt to boost the population as was the nexus for the baby bonus in this province.
Withdrawals from the savings would be tax-free after the child turned 18. Funds in the savings could only be used for college expenses until age 25. After that, the money could be used to buy a home for the first time or for retirement savings.Sounds like a good idea to me. Perhaps the Premier could refine his program to reflect Shumer's proposed legislation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)