This and that
Feb. 28th, 2008 11:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
webfarmerIt's a grey but not too cold day in Huskerland. Had a fun time yesterday afternoon and evening.
My car wouldn't start because of a low battery this weekend and, and after some consideration and outright delay, I decided to pick up one of those small sealed lead-acid battery packs you can use to jump start the dead dino-burner. That day turned out to be one where the near freezing very light rain with 20-25 mph winds from the north turned into pelting stinging snow as I walked the quarter mile or so from the hardware store at the local mall.
I get home and realize that this is not going to be a quick fix. The instructions (yes, I'm a nerd and I read such things) said that the initial charge should be for 24-36 hours. Since I had no pressing need for the car, I started charging it right away and got up to about 33 hours before pulling the plug on that part of the process.
Then it was time to jump. Positive first. Check. Negative to frame. Check. Switch the box to on. Check. Hit the key to start the car. Nada. :(
Took a couple of alternative clampings but I finally got a good connection and the Volvo wagon leaped to life once again. I off I went on a longish drive (hitting a Amigo's for a cheapo bean burrito on the way) that ended up in front of the Lazlo's restaurant downtown where the meeting was to be had at 5:30 pm. Only it was just a bit after 4:00 pm. So I loaded in the coins for the meter (highway robbery at 25 cents for 30 minutes with a 90 minute limit) and wandered over to a favorite bookstore. Bluestem Books.
Found three $1.00 specials. East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart (for my nephew the pilot) by Susan Butler, The Natural Way to Draw by Kimon Nicolaides and The Complete Airbrush and Photo-Retouching Manual by Peter Owen and John Sutcliffe. Not too bad a haul.
As always had a nice time after the purchase talking with my friends who own the store and their kin du jour who was helping them for the day. Mostly politics with the recent announcement of Nader and the even more recent debate between Obama and Hillary. This morning they were interviewing a religious conservative leader and he noted that he felt sorry for Hillary (right) in that Hillary though she was going for a job interview but Obama thought he was going on a date. There's something to that.
So I wander over to the Green Drinks meeting at the appointed time and find the place packed. Since when do progressive types ever make it to these things on time? Never-the-less a couple of folks I knew encouraged me to steal a chair from the bar and move it to their table and much fun was then had for the rest of the evening. Quite a few professional types in this bunch as well as the more alternative scene types which makes for an interesting mix.
Found out about differences between Omaha and Lincoln in terms of waste management and recycling. Also found out what was going on in the on-going battle in the far western part of the state with the anticipated expansion of the sole nuclear mine (a solvent based mine where they pump solvents into the ground and suck the uranium enriched leachate out of other wells some distance away). Attention is being paid and they are pausing for consideration of long term impacts. Evidently the native folks have been spearheading the effort to halt more development of the mine on the basis of treaties that ensured clean water in perpetuity.
Also got to talk a bit about my experiences in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the New Alchemy Institute and the innovative composting work of Bruce Fulford at that program. Bruce came up with the idea of making composting bins that could be slid under the plant beds of solar greenhouses to provide both added heat and extra C02. Later he became a consultant and last I heard he was working to get Boston's composing fine tuned. Another tidbit was the fact that New Alchemy had not only inspired me but had also inspired Wes Jackson to start up the Land Institute in Salina, Kansas.
After picking up a late cheap Chinese veggie special meal and checking my PO Box, it was time to head home. Watched the tail end of an American Masters program on the life of Pete Seeger. Saw him in person back in the 1970s at the sculpture garden at UN-L. What a wonderful entertainer! This program got into his political activities and blacklisting in the 50-60s and his later rehabilitation such that he was noted at the Kennedy Center awards.
"Time is on our side. Yes it is!" - Rolling Stones
Then it was off to computerland to check e-mail and other posts. I ended up with a Skype message from an old friend in Melbourne, Australia and wo we ended up videophoning (Skyping?) for a couple of hours just to catch up on life and the universe. Nebraska football and politics being lead topics as well as what we'd both been up to (or not up to).
Not a bad half day at all! Off to see what today brings.
My car wouldn't start because of a low battery this weekend and, and after some consideration and outright delay, I decided to pick up one of those small sealed lead-acid battery packs you can use to jump start the dead dino-burner. That day turned out to be one where the near freezing very light rain with 20-25 mph winds from the north turned into pelting stinging snow as I walked the quarter mile or so from the hardware store at the local mall.
I get home and realize that this is not going to be a quick fix. The instructions (yes, I'm a nerd and I read such things) said that the initial charge should be for 24-36 hours. Since I had no pressing need for the car, I started charging it right away and got up to about 33 hours before pulling the plug on that part of the process.
Then it was time to jump. Positive first. Check. Negative to frame. Check. Switch the box to on. Check. Hit the key to start the car. Nada. :(
Took a couple of alternative clampings but I finally got a good connection and the Volvo wagon leaped to life once again. I off I went on a longish drive (hitting a Amigo's for a cheapo bean burrito on the way) that ended up in front of the Lazlo's restaurant downtown where the meeting was to be had at 5:30 pm. Only it was just a bit after 4:00 pm. So I loaded in the coins for the meter (highway robbery at 25 cents for 30 minutes with a 90 minute limit) and wandered over to a favorite bookstore. Bluestem Books.
Found three $1.00 specials. East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart (for my nephew the pilot) by Susan Butler, The Natural Way to Draw by Kimon Nicolaides and The Complete Airbrush and Photo-Retouching Manual by Peter Owen and John Sutcliffe. Not too bad a haul.
As always had a nice time after the purchase talking with my friends who own the store and their kin du jour who was helping them for the day. Mostly politics with the recent announcement of Nader and the even more recent debate between Obama and Hillary. This morning they were interviewing a religious conservative leader and he noted that he felt sorry for Hillary (right) in that Hillary though she was going for a job interview but Obama thought he was going on a date. There's something to that.
So I wander over to the Green Drinks meeting at the appointed time and find the place packed. Since when do progressive types ever make it to these things on time? Never-the-less a couple of folks I knew encouraged me to steal a chair from the bar and move it to their table and much fun was then had for the rest of the evening. Quite a few professional types in this bunch as well as the more alternative scene types which makes for an interesting mix.
Found out about differences between Omaha and Lincoln in terms of waste management and recycling. Also found out what was going on in the on-going battle in the far western part of the state with the anticipated expansion of the sole nuclear mine (a solvent based mine where they pump solvents into the ground and suck the uranium enriched leachate out of other wells some distance away). Attention is being paid and they are pausing for consideration of long term impacts. Evidently the native folks have been spearheading the effort to halt more development of the mine on the basis of treaties that ensured clean water in perpetuity.
Also got to talk a bit about my experiences in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the New Alchemy Institute and the innovative composting work of Bruce Fulford at that program. Bruce came up with the idea of making composting bins that could be slid under the plant beds of solar greenhouses to provide both added heat and extra C02. Later he became a consultant and last I heard he was working to get Boston's composing fine tuned. Another tidbit was the fact that New Alchemy had not only inspired me but had also inspired Wes Jackson to start up the Land Institute in Salina, Kansas.
After picking up a late cheap Chinese veggie special meal and checking my PO Box, it was time to head home. Watched the tail end of an American Masters program on the life of Pete Seeger. Saw him in person back in the 1970s at the sculpture garden at UN-L. What a wonderful entertainer! This program got into his political activities and blacklisting in the 50-60s and his later rehabilitation such that he was noted at the Kennedy Center awards.
"Time is on our side. Yes it is!" - Rolling Stones
Then it was off to computerland to check e-mail and other posts. I ended up with a Skype message from an old friend in Melbourne, Australia and wo we ended up videophoning (Skyping?) for a couple of hours just to catch up on life and the universe. Nebraska football and politics being lead topics as well as what we'd both been up to (or not up to).
Not a bad half day at all! Off to see what today brings.
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no subject
Date: 2008-02-28 06:59 pm (UTC)I miss you on Skype!
Hope your day is going well, Dennis!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-28 07:12 pm (UTC)