Largest Wind Turbine Order by T. Boone Pickens, Texas Oilman

$2 Billion Wind Turbine Order Is Largest Ever | MetaEfficient

Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens has placed an the largest ever order for wind turbines: he ordered 667 wind turbines from GE, each costing $3 million dollars, making the total order $2 billion. Pickens plans to develop the world’s largest wind farm in the panhandle of Texas.

Scary Trend

Scary trend. All natural systems depend on biodiversity for survival. Reducing diversity primes the system for collapse. It is a helpless feeling to look at this index and see what is happening because it is the combined effect of humans reckless attack on all resources for our own survival. What is the answer? Is there a realistic one? Population control? Protection of natural systems? How do you implement these things? Very scary thinking of what future generations will have to deal with. It would be nice if we could start now but I am becoming pessimistic about humans and their direction of irresponsible consumption of resources and destruction of habitat. This is the expression of governmental and human action all over the globe.

WWF - Living Planet Index

Vacation Impact on Energy Consumption

We left for vacation on the 14th of May. Prior to our departure we configured the house for low energy consumption by unplugging all transformers, chargers, and other non-essential (to us), electronic equipment. In the office the only thing running is the modem, router, and the solar system logging machine. Our two Tivos are still busily recording our favorite shows. Our two refrigerators are running as well. TVs, VCRs, radios, and all other equipment that usually sits gobbling energy waiting for the chance for us to wake them up are unplugged. As a result, the first day away our house generated 117 percent of the energy it used. We sold 13 kwh back to the utility. You can clearly see the spike in the percent of energy generated in the chart below:

Florida Power and Light Orders Wind Turbines

Siemens Gets Large Wind Turbine Order From FPL

Our power company is moving in the right direction. As the article states they are already the biggest wind power utility in the US.

Phony drug trial studies

Did you think those so called "scientific" studies of drugs are good science? Think again. This article is a must read. I think there is an unholy alliance between the drug companies, crooked doctors, and worst of all the media. How many people are influence by those phony ads like the one starring Sally Fields claiming benefits and showing her bogus "family?" I have even seen lunches for the staff catered by the drug companies at my doctors office. If I did that while working it would have been called a conflict of interest and I would have been fired.

Invention Of the Year: The iPhone - The Best Inventions Of The Year - TIME

Invention Of the Year: The iPhone - The Best Inventions Of The Year - TIME

I have had this phone since the beginning of the year. I have hesitated to blog about it because there has been so much hype associated with the device. But, after using the thing for months it is time to let you know that the hype is not hype. Yes, it is expensive but it is much, much more than a phone. As the article states Apple took their proven computer operating system, OSX, and used it as the foundation of this device. I keep using the term device because phone is inadequate to describe it. Yes, it is a phone and probably the best I have ever used because of the simple easy to use interface. But, it is also a computer with a full fledged web browser, Safari. It is also a video player that, with the AV cable from Apple, plays beautiful video on your TV. Of course, it also plays them on the device itself which brings me to the display. Wow, it is the brightest, clearest display I have ever seen on a hand held device. Videos on this thing are breath taking in their clarity. And, of course, it is an Ipod. I currently have about 600 songs on my Iphone. Again, play them through your stereo and you can just forget ever having to fiddle with CDs again. The Iphone does much, much more including functioning as a very nice and easy to use camera with email capability. It will be hard for me to own any other phone/computer/camera/music player. I am convinced that Apple does it right. Some day I will probably switch my computers to Apple machines. They just do it right with elegance, ease of use, and style. I challenge you to try the Iphone in an ATT store near you and be less than impressed.

Psychology of the Prius

This is a rather interesting analysis of the success of the Prius. I found it interesting that this author attributes much of its success to the fact that it does not look like other cars. It is so distinctive that you would think it would put people off but it seems to do the opposite.

"Our respondents are lying through their teeth," Peterson said.


"The dramatically different look of the Prius is something that's
appealing," he said. "The Ford Escape and Toyota Camry hybrid have not
been as successful because they don't look as different."

FEATURE-U.S. car makers try to repeat green halo of Prius | Reuters