Amonix = Solyndra

Amonix is the newest Solyndra. Yet another green energy corporation received millions of taxpayer money - and failed.

Taken from the Amonix website.

Amonix was having financial problems even before the CEO, Brian Robertson, died in a plane crash last December.


The Las Vegas plant laid off 200 workers in January, and let go the remaining 300 employees in May when that plant ceased operations.


Last week most of the equipment was shipped back to its headquarters in California.


The balance sheet for Amonix doesn't look good with liabilities exceeding assets by $20 million. With the current value of Amonix being 75% of its liabilities, the big question is where do the taxpayers stand when it comes time to pay debtors?

Why is the federal government in the risky game of throwing taxpayer money at startup corporations?

Typically, one would expect a start-up to go boom or bust. The startups can fall flat on their face and or actually become successful at producing a product everyone wants to buy.


What is the impact of and reasoning behind federal funding of green energy startups?


Some corporations get taxpayer money, some don't. While corporations receiving no taxpayer money can stay afloat, why is it that corporations receiving taxpayer money seem to go bust so often?


Is the fed picking the losers to invest in? Those companies without a clear vision, are too heavily into R&D and not manufacturing actual product? Let's throw money at it and try to polish a turd!


Careful analysis needs to be made of the historical operation and financial condition of each company receiving taxpayer money. If these were losers to being with - we need to fire the federal official who made the informed decision to invest in Solyndra, Amonix, etc.


I am not referring to Obama. The task to research corporations to invest taxpayer money into was probably given to the DOE, who then had to report to House/Senate energy committees on which corporations to give taxpayer money. The DOE may or may not have given an unbiased critical analysis - or Congress may have just tossed the analysis and invested based on political gain.

I have an idea. 

Let the big energy providers have a program where a consumer of electricity can opt into "buying stock" in green, renewable energy. A customer can opt in to be surcharged a percentage on top of their electricity bill.


Let's say an imaginary someone living in Arizona wants to "invest" 5% on top of their electric bill, into an imaginary green energy program from their electricity provider, APS. Obviously APS would choose solar, and let's pick wind as another option. This person allocates the entire 5% to the solar program. APS then takes everyone's allocations, and then funds the solar and wind project. As green energy production begins, a fraction of that energy produced is given as dividends to the program's investors, as energy credit in kWh.


Now imagine the solar program becomes a total success with the opening of its first solar plant. Energy production is 800 megawatts a day, or 72,000 megawatts per quarter. The person investing then receives his dividend on investment, say 20kWh a month (about 1% of his energy usage). And that person keeps getting dividends, which increase as he continues to invest 5% into solar.


If the person moved out of state and kept his investment in solar, the APS dividend would transfer to the consumer's new utility as energy credits. The solar energy dividend would be 'sold' on APS' grid, and those funds purchase energy from the new utility. That new utility gives the consumer the kWh credit on his bill.


Of course, these plants can eventually fail, in so dies the dividends. Hopefully the consumer over time received more energy than that consumer had paid in.

Let's put the responsiblity of investing in renewable, green energy into the hands of electricity consumers. Investment is controlled by consumers - if they don't want it - they won't loose anything. If they want to invest - they can take the risk to see a return as energy credits or watch their investment go bust (possibly receiving some return as the project is liquidated.

No one loses their shirt, but utilities with a bad track record of failing at green energy probably won't receive any more investment from its energy consumers. No more taxpayer money should fund these here today gone tomorrow startup green corporations!

Seeking Bluebirds

Fairly active backyard birder. Since this spring, a bluebird pair have been eyeing my yard. Altho I have no HOSPs around, I put up two bluebird boxes. Seems the adult pair had already nested elsewhere. A couple days ago, I saw a fledgling bluebird checking out my yard, perched from one of the mature pine in my backyard. I am hoping this one will pick my yard for next year's home. Bluebirds typically don't feed from bird feeders with seed. They like bugs! I keep live mealworms on hand and occasionally put them out, away from the feeders to lure the bluebirds to finally feed. As I place the mealworms out, near a bush. I'm using a hi-low whistle as my bluebird feeding call. Can't wait til they finally fly to the grub! I have resorted to printouts of mature and fledgling bluebirds at the feeder and playing audio of the typical scratchy sounding call and of fledglings feeding. Have some cedar and lexan on hand to make a proper feeder, after they start feeding from the dish.

Norton Ghost Image Won't Fit On DVD

So, you've just backed up your hard drive using Norton Ghost, and you used the "4589" size option so you can back up each file to DVDR.

You load up your favorite DVD burning software and add the first Ghost file.

Then you attempt to burn it, and get an error message saying that you need 100MB more free space to burn. "But I chose the option that looks like DVDR size!"

Yep. Norton goofed. This size won't fit on DVD! I found a trick, to avoid having to back up again (or perhaps it's too late and you've already reformatted).

Double click the first .v2i file, which will load that image into the Symantec Recovery Point Browser. Right click on the topmost selection, which will read something like "Local Disk_C_Drive.v2i" if your backed up disk was your C: and was labeled "Local Disk."



Choose "Copy Recovery Point..." This will allow you to create a new Ghost image set with a new segment size.



Unlike the Advanced options when you initially backup, here you can type in your custom size. Instead of 4589, let's type in 4400.



Now go ahead and create your new backup set.



These will fit on DVDR!

A couple other tips before you backup your system drive. Disable Hibernation and delete your hibernation file. Go into System Properties and select "No Paging File." Delete all your restore points. Clear browser cache. Or have Windows do most of this for you by running Disk Cleanup. This will keep your

Create a README.txt on the Desktop, where it will be easily viewable after a restore. Leave a reminder to re-enable hibernation and paging file upon restore, turn on System Restore, create a Restore point, along with any other instructions.

You can delete the README after you backup, as it will be there when you restore.

Good luck and happy Ghosting!

mp3 > CD

I have officially voluntarily bought my last CD, Monster Magnet - Mastermind. Excepting albums that are not available by download. With the fact you can backup your entire digital album collection on a flash drive, I'm going mp3 download all the way. Waste of paper and plastic that is just going to get stuffed into a box anyway. Don't you agree it's time to give up the round plastic shineys?

Same goes with software. Just get the digital download - I have been doing so for quite a while. In both cases, you come out cheaper

Installing a PCIe card in the Intel SS-4200

Interested in adding a PCIe card in the SS4200 NAS without having to cut up the box??

Linkback to Bit for Byte's blog giving good info on getting FreeNAS loaded on the Intel SS-4200 DOM.

I will be using the Galaxy Geforce 7200 GS 16x PCIe video card - passive cooled, compact.
Google an image and follow along

First, I have some measurements.
-The video card cannot be thicker than 46mm or it will hit HD2. A small PCIe card will fit flat under HD2 next to the power supply.
-You will need a 23cm long cable from 1x slot in mobo to the PCIe card 1x connector.
-To run VGA from the video card to the dsub punchout, you'll need about 45cm long connector.

Connecting to the 1x: You'll need a 23cm or longer cable. Check ebay, as of now I see a 1x riser cable 17cm long for $1. Chain two together, and pray the signal loss isn't enough to affect operation - possible underclock (you're not gaming anyway) to reduce interference. If you are using a cheaper 16x video card (My passive cooled 16x was $10 after rebate, a 1x will run you $100). You will have to use a dremel and cut a slot in one end of the plastic 1x connector (on the riser cable) to allow a 16x to fit. Pinout is compatable as I hear 16x cards work in 1x open ended slots (but run slower).

My Galaxy card has a removable 15pin VGA connector attached via 9cm ribbon cable and plugs into a standard 2x8 PCB connector, so I can use a 36cm standard 2x8 pcb ribbon connector between the video card pcb pins and the VGA header, then screw the VGA header in the db punchout.

FDA Bans Clove Cigarettes

http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/FlavoredTobacco/default.htm

Flavored Tobacco
On September 22, 2009 a ban on cigarettes containing certain characterizing flavors went into effect. The ban, authorized by the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, is part of a national effort by FDA to reduce smoking in America.


Supposedly, more kids start smoking with flavored and clove cigarettes than RJ Reynolds cigarettes. Lies, damned lies, and statistics.

Let's do a little investigating and see how many RJR lobbyists to make this happen, and finally close off the last few percentages of the tobacco market share from outside companies like Djarum.

Instead of just banning these cigarettes, why didn't RJR just buy the companies?

I myself aren't addicted to cloves. It all started several years ago in LA, at clubs which had smoke patios since it was illegal to smoke inside. These patios became a great place to socialize since it's away from the loud music. I just sort of fell into it then.

I don't have an addictive personality, so I quit smoking every time I run out. Sometimes it would be a couple of months before I got more.

As to whether these are full on addictive like 'white' cigarettes, I don't know. I do feel a minor nagging desire when I have not had one for a day or two.

My point... since cloves are banned, that was the only thing I smoked. I cannot stand the white cigarettes and it is not a replacement. What about the people who are addicted to cloves and also can't find a replacement? Withdrawl. Supposedly smoking cigarettes is one of the hardest addictions to quit, and the FDA is finding it in its good wisdom to cause possibly hundreds of thousands of people to quit smoking involuntarily, 'cold turkey.'

Maybe that Obamacare should come a little sooner, for people who need the patch and maybe a prescription....

To Yahoo (sent thru suggestions)

(consider this the original source)

I have a suggestion for the right click context menu (on a message) inside the Inbox.

Consider this your precursor to a systems requirement document :)

Need to stay ahead of the ball game (especially since selling your advertising to microsoft) in services offered - like recent upgrade to the yahoo mail.

Along with Add Sender to Contacts, I would like another option, Add Domain to Whitelist - with a similiar popup "Edit Domain" (instead of "Edit Contact")

Smart domain naming (the option to add the domain at the highest level, or the full subdomain.

As I am sure you have blacklisted or risk rating to other domains - you can integrate a 'risk warning' when adding that domain - categorized by spam, virus, sex, illegal activities. "Are you sure you want to add this domain, it is suspected of spam."

You'll also tie in the birthdate of the user to block age appropriate domains.