#also I looked up how many watts of electricity it would take to power a small town in the USA and that's where I got 50 million watts from

[is-this-even-relatable]

A Rising Phantom

———

Summary: danny died, and no one knows. He is a full ghost, and only thanks to his dual obsessions can he “live” a normal life and pretend that nothing happened.

I aim to make this a multichaptered fic! Hopefully, the first fic I post on AO3!

HEADCANONS/TROPES/TAGS:

no one knows! AU

full ghost! danny

eventual everlasting trio

dual obsessions inspired by this post, which are protection (Phantom) and space (Fenton)

my own headcanon: danny's death is inevitable, a single point in time that cannot be avoided or changed.

———

Danny died on a Saturday.

He was too young to have been left alone; any other house would’ve be fine, but everyone in that town knew, even then, that the Fentons' house was to be avoided by a wide berth.

His parents had rushed out in a frustrated fit, leaving him and Jazz by themselves for the weekend, just like so many before. They were always an afterthought to their parents, long before he was 14.

Danny didn’t intend to go down to the lab that night. But Jazz was out with her friend Kyle, and he was bored. And something down there called to him, though he didn’t know it.

He didn’t know that forces beyond his comprehension were leading to this point, this singularity.

If Danny had known the fate in store for him, he would have begged his parents for them to stay that night, or take him with them. But he didn't know, he couldn't have known... because that's how it was always going to be.

He didn’t know that a man with a clock in his chest, who changed between ages in the blink of an eye, was watching as he walked down those lonely steps.

He didn’t know, as he pulled on a white hazmat suit hand-sewn just for him, far too flimsy for what it was meant to protect him against, that a sentient dimension was pushing against the veil, straining for him.

He didn’t know, as he stepped through the gaping metal maw, that it had already called his name, and death had claimed it.

And afterwards, while he curled up on the cold basement floor, clutching his chest for a pulse, he still did not know that even if he had known... he would have had no choice but to do the same.

Danny died when he turned the portal on, alone in his parents’ lab.

Standing inside, fifty million Watts of electricity coursed from his palm to his heart, searing its path into his skin. It had no exit route. It cooked him from the inside, lighting all of his nerves on fire, and doused him in an infinite realm’s worth of dimensional energy. After what seemed like hours of screaming, panicking, burning- he somehow managed to crawl out of the portal.

He died then, lying flat in front of the machine that ended him, as the intense pain faded into a dull throb that replaced the beating that used to be in his chest.

And as he sat up, feeling both sore and feather-light, he looked down upon his body, and realized that he had died that day, and he was not coming back.

Danny panicked. And he did the only thing he could do. He decided to run away, afraid of what he was, confused and scared and feeling very not himself.

But the main anxiety that drove him to hide his accident was a rather juvenile one.

…He was afraid that his parents would be upset that he had gone into the lab without their permission.

He had messed with their stuff, and turned something on… something he definitely shouldn’t have.

He had just opened a portal to a realm full of the very things that kept him from sleeping at night, of “unfeeling monsters” that his parents had drilled into him about for years.

A portal to ghosts… that were now free to come through.

That thought made something inside him solidify, and a low hum began to emanate from him as he worried about his family. About the ghosts and the portal and how they were going to manage without him…

He couldn’t just leave like this. Not when he was responsible. He couldn’t let a whole realm of monsters hurt his family. At that thought, dread filled him, and that same something inside his chest ached.

But it occurred to him that he still had to leave. Not just at the thought of his parents stumbling in on his body.

No, it was about him. For he was one of them now, wasn’t he? A ghost. And he was a monster now, too. Despite not feeling like one. Despite knowing that there was clearly something wrong with what he had been told and what he knew was intimately true of himself in this new form.

But something inside him whispered at him that he couldn’t take the chance, if he did turn into a monster. He couldn’t let himself hurt his family.

So with fears on his back and a tingle fading from his fingertips, Danny pulled himself up onto unsteady feet. He took his body outside, to the woods where no one would know. And he buried it, alone, surrounded by trees and the sky.

He sat there, at his fresh grave, and cried.

Holding his arms around himself tight, he mourned the loss of warmth, of blood pumping and his heartbeat, so loud in its absence.

Surrounded by nothing but silence, he mourned that he’d never made close friends, nor really had the chance.

Looking up at the stars, he mourned that he could never fulfill his dream of being an astronaut.

He mourned for himself because no one else could.

And as his last cry petered off into the night, the sun broke the horizon.

A different something tugged at his chest, and he let it pull without resistance, worn ragged as he was.

And he was grateful he did. For a soothing light washed over him and transformed him into something similar, but not quite as he was Before.

But he felt warmth, and he felt a pseudo-beat in his chest, sluggish as it was. And suddenly he realized that although he was dead, he was alive in a different way.

He was still there.

He didn’t have to give up on life.

He was not going to be a monster.

Danny walked back home. He washed the dirt away from under his fingernails. He swept the lab until it looked like no one had been there. Minus the massive swirling vortex.

And when Jazz got home from her sleepover, Danny hugged her with a smile.

He was going to be fine.

They would all be fine, he would make sure of it.

[the-firebird69]

XPremium Black | Mid-Drive eBike | Lectric eBikes

This is my bike and it is what used to start and is electric like he said and the top speed is probably around 50 mph if you change the tires and that's very fast for the evike it's scooter speed and if you don't change the tires it's like 45 miles an hour. It only uses One battery at a time it's not a huge motor it's a 500 w for him he would need a 750 but with that motor the top speed is about 70 mph just like we've been talking about. And it goes on the chain drive and it's for sale now and I'm making a lot of them. I'm going to have to take a lot more. And the distance it goes is about 120 miles on two batteries with me on it and I weigh 125 lb with him and a 750 watt it was about 80 miles with two batteries and he says twice as much as he gets now and he says also it depends on how you use it I'm saying average use and you got 30 miles an hour and it gets the best mileage and you can probably do that he says on the road it's actually true if you go right down the middle of the road you can get the best mileage I'm converting some of these two mopeds and I'm leaving the foldable option and so people can bring it into work and it's working great and this is partly his suggestions for the design he had a lot of design input what is concerned about was he weighs a lot and I fix that and he looked at it and said it's not bad and things would fit nicely in his small apartment and it would it would fit in the corner and he has space for a desk and I'm starting to think that this is a nice bike for him and so is he his wife seems to still be keep going no I don't what it goes through. Part of the reason is I wanted him to go up to the northern laundromat but it's not really a car and with him in the laundry on it the battery get burned out faster and his is going along faster too so the greatest idea what he's doing but improved that it can do the job he's a big guy he's got a hundred and twenty pounds on me that's another one of me and he's a bear and these people are nuts here they don't want to leave alone and he doesn't do anything to anybody for the most part the hell there kind of abusive but the empire is pushing them around that much but they go to the best. He saw a couple up there and he said those are the best and I said why I said you put a like an Enduro tire and he said v tire sandstorm and I saw them with it and instead it goes like 70 miles an hour. Not real big and before they get like 50 or a little bit under and didn't think it was that great they put the tires on it he has and they said this is the fastest bike on Earth and I keep telling him that's what it is

Bg

It's just a small difference in design but it makes a lot of sense cuz people have been using the bicycle to go faster and not slower and these e-bikes are ridiculous you can't go in traffic and you can't do anything now there are older mid drive that you can switch over to the other side a lot of mid drive are on the chain and they noticed that they're just faster so they're trying to buy them and there aren't that many of them out there so they are actually buying conversion kits and they're buying a regular wheel and it is a big big business right now and we said that they're everywhere and they really are you thought it was a fable again but it's not so you changing tires on these and they go all you have to do and they feel very fast with our son on it with his feet tire sandstorm vee tire and we seen someone who weighs 250 they go about 60 to 65 mph on this bike on a flat terrain going downhill it's like 70 and I'll tell you what they can go to traffic all the time I haven't seen anybody have more fun than on this bike and they bring it to work put it in the office cubicle and they ride it home and when you're bringing it on to the elevator has a little handle and you screwed along on one wheel and you don't have to scooch over mostly it's really nice and our son and daughter help design it.

She behaves like the redhead in the iron Man movies and that's Sarah like she's not doing anything and then one day in the movie and people caught it she came up and she started talking about it and she left and that's what she does but not in person not out loud and she was kind of brutish but that's not what she does but she she does stuff I know it's not Brutus

Thor Freya

Olympus

[ledlightingmanufacturer]

How To Choose Outdoor Lighting Fixtures For Garden Street?

With so many types of outdoor lighting fixtures these days, it's not always easy to choose the right one for your garden or outdoor street. However, a few practical rules can help you quickly narrow down your options so you can learn how to get the right fixture right. Keep these four questions in mind when you're choosing outdoor lighting. What style do I want? Is the architecture of your home stately and elegant? Angular and modern? artisan? Spanish? We have outdoor lights to suit any decor style. If you're not sure what style your home is or what style you like, that's okay. Here are some closer looks at common outdoor lighting styles. Traditional outdoor lights often feature ornate designs and elegant touches such as curved hooks and curlicues. You'll also find traditional outdoor lights in styles inspired by classic decorating eras, such as Colonial or Craftsman. Transitional outdoor lights do have some design flair with traditional lights, but they're not as flashy. This makes them perfect for all kinds of homes. Contemporary outdoor lights have a streamlined and minimal style, often with geometric elements. Innovative designs enabled by LED lights are also common. The Craftsman Outdoor Light (or Mission Outdoor Light) is inspired by Spanish and Art Deco styles for a clean, minimal look. You'll also often find amber or specialty art glass. Industrial outdoor lights often take style inspiration from early 20th century factories. Solid metal shades and cage details are common. You can also see the industrial style in coastal outdoor lights. Farmhouse Outdoor Lights combine traditional and vintage styles to create the perfect lighting effect that adds a pop of country style no matter where you live. Regardless of style, bronze is by far the most popular finish for outdoor lights. Black is another very common finish prized for its versatility, while brass is a classic choice. Another fun finish option is white! We have one type hot-selling led post top area light for outdoor lighting decoration. there are 30w 50w 75w 100w 150w available to choose for different power need. 30 watts is the ideal brightness for outdoor areas of your home. People can see clearly without being blinded, it looks beautiful and still shows off the best parts of your landscape. 75 watts and less are approved for dark sky lighting. They don't cause much of the damaging light pollution that would disturb nocturnal animals. They're great for brightening up the yard and protecting the environment. High Watt Lamp Make no mistake: high-wattage bulbs are brighter than regular bulbs. But what exactly are high-wattage bulbs, and where do they work best? High wattage bulbs are usually 100 watts or higher. They produce a lot of light and are perfect for outdoor areas. However, they also use more energy than lower wattage bulbs, so they are not very efficient in terms of energy usage. You'll typically find bulbs in this wattage range in large commercial areas like parking lots and pedestrian areas. They're too bright for most outdoor areas around the home, though you can use some on the lower end for larger areas of your home. Medium Tile Lamp Mid-wattage lights are a popular choice for outdoor lighting because they provide brighter light than lower-wattage lights without being as harsh as higher-wattage lights. They are usually between 30 and 75 watts. Most home outdoor lights are around 60 watts. These lights work best in areas where you need bright light but don't want to blind yourself or your guests. For example, they are great for illuminating paths or illuminating garden beds. If the lights will be exposed to the elements, be sure to choose lights that are rated for wet locations. Low Wattage Lamp Low wattage bulbs use less energy than standard bulbs, saving you money on your electricity bills. These bulbs range in wattage from 4 watts to 15 watts, but anything 40 watts and under is also considered low wattage. The lower the wattage, the dimmer the light. As a general rule of thumb, 4-watt bulbs are fine for small accent lights, while 15-watt bulbs can provide enough light for a pathway or a set of stairs. When choosing a light bulb for your landscape, be sure to consider the location of the light fixture as well as the wattage of the bulb. For example, placing a low-wattage light bulb in a fixture that is exposed to the elements can result in a shorter bulb lifespan. Conversely, keeping high-wattage bulbs out of the way will help extend their life. By considering both wattage and location of your landscape lights, you can create an effective and efficient lighting plan for your yard. Application Courtyard lighting Street scapes lighting Public parks lighting Parking areas lighting Hotel lighting Read the full article

[localbizpro]

If you're looking to install solar panels in the Concord area, it's important to do your research and get quotes from reputable solar installation companies in your area. By getting solar installation quotes in Plaza-Midwood or Myers Park, for example, you can compare costs and find the best deal on solar panels and installation services.

Solar Panel Rebates and Incentives in Concord, NC

When it comes to the cost of solar installation in North Carolina, there are a number of factors that can impact the overall price you pay. These can include the size and type of solar panel system you choose, the complexity of the installation process, and any additional equipment or materials needed to complete the installation.

To get a better idea of how much you might expect to pay for a solar installation in Concord, let's use a $20,000 solar panel system as an example. Assuming you're eligible for the  Duke Energy Solar Rebate Program and the federal tax credit, you could potentially save up to $9,000 on the cost of your solar installation. The table in the photos shows how the rebates and costs break down.

Tax Credits for Solar Panel Power in Concord, NC

Keep in mind that these savings are just an example and that your actual savings will depend on your specific circumstances and the solar programs and rebates you qualify for. It's also important to note that while the upfront cost of solar installation may seem high, the long-term savings on your energy bills and the environmental benefits of solar power can make it a worthwhile investment.

Take a closer look at the costs and benefits of each of these programs:

Net Metering: Net metering allows you to sell excess energy generated by your solar panels back to the grid, effectively reducing your energy bills. In Concord, NC, Duke Energy offers net metering to customers who generate up to 1 MW of electricity.

Federal Solar Tax Credit: The federal government offers a tax credit of 26% of Concord's cost of a solar installation, which can be applied to both residential and commercial properties. For a $20,000 solar installation, this would equate to a $5,200 tax credit.

NC Rebates: The state of North Carolina offers a rebate program for solar installations on residential properties. The rebate is $0.60 per watt, up to a maximum of $6,000. For a 5 kW system, this would equate to a $3,000 rebate.

Solarize Cabarrus: Solarize Cabarrus is a community-led program that aims to increase solar adoption in the county. The program offers group discounts on solar panel installation products.

State of North Carolina Duke Energy Solar Rebate: provides a per-watt rebate for qualifying solar installations. This rebate program is available to both residential and commercial customers of Duke Energy. The rebate amount varies depending on the size of the system installed and is limited to a maximum rebate of $6,000 for residential customers and $50,000 for commercial customers.

In addition to the Duke Energy Solar Rebate, there is also the Federal Solar Tax Credit, which provides a 26% tax credit for the total cost of a qualifying solar installation. This tax credit is available to both residential and commercial customers and applies to installations completed by December 31, 2023.

Watch this video about Solar Panel Tax Credits & Rebates:

https://youtu.be/66pA1BpYMBM 

Overall, the costs of solar installations can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including the size and type of system installed, the location of the installation, and the available rebates and incentives. However, with the availability of a number of different rebates and incentives in Concord, NC, the cost of a solar installation can be significantly reduced, making it a more affordable and accessible option for homeowners and businesses looking to invest in renewable energy.

In conclusion, if you're a resident of Concord, NC and you're interested in installing solar panels on your property, there are many solar power programs and incentives available to help you reduce your energy bills and take advantage of the many benefits of solar power. By getting solar installation quotes in Plaza-Midwood or Myers Park and exploring the various rebates and programs available, you can take the first step towards a more sustainable and affordable future.

For more information go to: https://solarpanelinstallationconcord.com

[alphaheaterbuys]

Alpha Heater - Results, Benefits, Uses, Price, Scam Or Legit?

==> Read More Here: Don’t Miss Out Today’s Special Offer <==

I hadn't heard of the Alpha heater before Tony, my neighbor ordered one. He couldn't stop talking and telling me about it. I was intrigued and wanted to test it. With Autumn approaching, it was the perfect time to order the heater portable and see if Tony was right.

Here's my Alpha heater review. This could be a great product for Canadians and Americans who are still unsure about buying it.

Alpha Heater Reviews

The Alpha heater is a small, plug-and-use heater which keeps rooms warm and comfortable. You will save money on electricity because it doesn't contain bogus parts.

The Alpha heater is a popular product in the US and Canada. It is easy to transport and can be used anywhere, from your bedroom to the office.

The Alpha heater, a portable heater that can be used in small spaces to keep them warm and comfortable, is much less expensive than large-sized electric heaters. You can also have temperature regulation to avoid overheating. Let's now look at its specifications.

Alpha Heater Specifications

Trust me when you say that there is nothing more frustrating than receiving a product that does not match the description. Tony, my neighbor, might not have shown me his Alpha heater. I may have had different expectations of how it would look. These are the specifications for the heater so you know what you can expect before placing your order.

Portable: You can carry the Alpha heater in one hand. It is easy to pack and transport. You won't find a heater that is the same size as a mini air conditioner. It measures 4.3x2.8x6.5 inches.

Lightweight It's easy to hold and carry. It is lightweight and mobile so you can take it with you wherever you go, whether it's at work or home.

Remote-Controlled The Alpha heater comes with an instruction manual and remote control. The remote control is available in black and white colors and can be used to turn the fan on or off, change the temperature and speed, as well as set the timer.

Low Noise There are many Alpha heater reviews that claim that the device is silent. Although it does make noise, it isn't loud enough to bother you.

Energy-Efficient This compact heater helps you save money and energy on your electricity bills.

500 Watts of Power: Despite desperate marketers claiming that the device produces up to 1,200 W, the actual output is 500 W, as indicated on the box. Do not expect the heater to heat up as efficiently at 5,000 watts.

PTC Ceramic Technology This feature ensures heaters' safety and effectiveness in small and large spaces. It's more modern than the traditional coil, and includes heating plates made from Avant-grade ceramics. This allows for excellent heat production and transfer.

==> Read More Here: Don’t Miss Out Today’s Special Offer <==

How to Use Alpha Heater

The installation of the Alpha heater Price is quick and easy, as I have already mentioned.

Plug it in to a wall socket and turn on the power switch at the top right corner. The display will then come on. * Next, press the power button on the heater/remote control. * Next, choose the temperature you prefer. * You can also set the countdown timer if you wish. * Feel the comfort and warmth of your own personal space.

Safety Measures

These safety precautions are taken to prevent electrocution, fire outbreaks or damage to the Alpha heater.

When not in use, keep the device out of water and other liquids * Keep it out reach of children * Avoid using it while you sleep, to ensure safety * Don't place any heavy objects on the heater * Make sure the wall socket adapter is compatible with your heater.

Pros & Cons

Alpha heater consumer reports are incomplete without mentioning the cons and pros that buyers might experience. Tony, my neighbor, and I have discussed the pros and cons.

* Timer: This feature allows you to set an automatic timer for the heater to turn off, and regulate the heat according to your preference.

Tip-Over and Heat Protection: Safety is paramount for you and your loved ones. Neglected heaters have been linked to fatal fire accidents. The Alpha heater's tip-over and heat protection makes it safer to use. It will shut down automatically when it reaches a certain temperature (greater than 122F) at least three times.

* Cost-Effective The price for a single unit (499.95) was a bargain compared to the many benefits and features offered by the Alpha heater. I was able to purchase the product without regrets.

* Made in the USA: You can be sure that you will receive a high-quality product made in America. The item is authentic and shipments are quick.

* Fast: In just a few seconds, your personal space will become warmer and more comfortable. Ideal for both the winter and autumn seasons.

30-day money-back: All orders are safe and secure.

Heat up Small Rooms: One heater unit will heat up a room measuring less than 350 square feet.

Cons Only the official website of Alpha Heaters can sell the original Alpha heater.

* The power cord is not included, so it must be plugged in and used from a socket. * Home gadgets such as the Smarty lightbulb security camera have free shipping for some orders. However, the Alpha heater will require a shipping charge. * A friend had his heater returned because the heater's weight was pulling it down and it wouldn't stay plugged into the wall. * The Alpha heater may not heat large rooms as you expected.

Where can I buy an Alpha Heater in Canada & the USA?

Only the official website of Alpha Heater should you be purchasing the product. The website is an online-only channel that sells the product directly from the manufacturer. The Alpha heater should not be purchased from any third-party resellers.

Alpha Heater 1 Unit is $49.95 * 2 units - $89.91 * 3 units - $119.88 * 4 units - $139.86 * 5 units - $149.85

As you can see there is an increasing discount of up to 70% when you order more Alpha heaters at once. There is an additional $9.95 UPS shipping and handling charge to ensure fast delivery within 3-5 days. You are covered by a 60-day guarantee for your money back!

Alpha heater made in USA

Alpha Heater is made in the USA. It's a reliable, efficient, and safe option for anyone who wants to invest in a heater that provides exceptional heating services.

==> Read More Here: Don’t Miss Out Today’s Special Offer <==

Are Alpha heaters really efficient in energy use? ?

Yes, Alpha heaters can be used in any room. They are small plug-and-use heaters and are easy to use. These heaters are the most efficient on the market and are a great option for anyone looking to cut down on heating costs.

How much electricity is used by an Alpha heater?

It is a small space heater with low energy consumption. The 500-watt Alpha heater uses low power consumption, which makes it more cost-effective and energy-efficient than high-power space heaters. It will not overload your electrical circuit. It is ideal for those who live in mild climates.

Is your Alpha heater still working?

A warming gadget that makes your space more comfortable during cold days. It is quiet and won't wake you up at night. The space heater can be set to run for 1 to 12 hours at a time in increments of 1 hour. This heater is intended for indoor use.

Alpha Heater Review on Trustpilot and BBB

Trustpilot and BBB are the two most popular review sites where customers can get objective, impartial testimonials before purchasing a product. There is a downside to these platforms. People could go there to bash a product because they are unhappy or not satisfied. Alpha heater has so far only had independent reviews such as the one you are reading and those from actual customers.

Conclusion about Alpha Heater Consumer Reports

This review of the Alpha heater will show you why it has been rated 4.81 out 5.0 by users around the globe. The heater heats up small spaces quickly and efficiently. It's also easy to use. You can make your room comfortable by keeping it warm.

Additional safety features, such as the tip-over and heat protection and timers, help prevent fires and other potentially deadly hazards. It's also affordable, comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, and will keep your home and business warm during winter months.

Read More===>https://www.exposedmagazine.co.uk/features/alpha-heater-reviews-portable-room-heater-really-works-or-waste-of-money/

[andmaybegayer]

@thehylianbatman asked:

Is optical audio actually any better than standard?

short answer: Optical audio will almost always be better than connecting to a speaker system with an aux cable. The hierarchy is roughly aux cord < optical audio < HDMI Audio.

Medium answer: just watch this technology connections video.

Long answer: let’s talk about audio amplifiers, encodings, and digital vs analog.

Let’s talk a simple use case. You have a DVD player, and a speaker system, and you want to connect them to each other.

The most obvious way to do this is an aux cord, a 3.5mm male/male cord. These transmit an analog audio signal to whatever’s plugged in on the far side. In fact, they transmit TWO analog audio signals: left and right, for stereo audio.

This signal is produced by a Digital Analog Converter, a kind of circuit that can take in a binary value and produce an analog voltage proportional to that value. If you have say, a four-bit DAC, you can create 16 different voltages. DAC’s are a deep and complicated topic and there are like a hundred different ways to build DAC’s each with their own pros and cons, so let’s just say that DAC’s can have varying quality in how accurately they reproduce what you give them. The more bits  a DAC has, the closer the signal it produces will be to a smooth analog signal, and a higher quality DAC will be more accurate when reproducing a voltage.

(note: If I write a number like this: 101₂, 431₈, 5A7₁₆, that subscript is indicating which base it is in. ₂ is binary, ₁₀ is decimal, ₁₆ is hexadecimal, etc.)

For example, let’s say we give four-bit DAC the signal 0101₂, which is 5₁₀. A four-bit DAC can produce 16 different levels, 0 through 15, so 5/15 is going to be ⅓ of the maximum voltage. If you has a 6V maximum output, an ideal DAC would produce a 2V signal in response. A good quality DAC will do this with minimal wobble, no overshoot, and without much noise. A poor-quality DAC might have a small voltage offset, wobble all over, hiss with noise, etc. No DAC will be perfect, but you can be better or worse. In the below image, the orange line is the ideal signal that the DAC is trying to produce, and the blue line is the output of the DAC trying to get as close as it can using only a few voltages. In practice there are ways to improve this a little, but that’s the idea.

The digital data stream is fed through the DAC, which imparts some badness. Then this signal has to be amplified, usually to a few tens of milliwatts. This is enough power to drive small headphones, but if you plug it in to a big speaker system, it’s just not enough. Cheap laptop speakers are usually around 10W. Bigger speaker systems run upwards of 100W. Notably, this amplification step adds some more badness: no amplifier is perfect, so it will distort the audio. How much depends once again on how well designed the amplifier is.

When you play audio out through your DVD player, the computer inside looks at the audio signal, which is a list of binary numbers. These numbers must be played out through the DAC, usually at a rate of 44100 times per second. If you feed the output signal of that into some speakers, they will vibrate to reproduce the original recorded sound signal close enough that no one notices the digital edge. There’s a few intervening steps here, though.

(EDIT: it should be pointed out that the "steps" in this can and are removed by filtering circuits. The limitation that digital imposes is mostly in volume: if you don't have enough bits, you can't accurately convey a song that has very loud parts and very quiet parts without doing something bad to one of those.)

But now you feed that low-power signal to your speaker system, and it has to amplify the signal again, up to however many watts it needs. This introduces even more badness to the signal. You’ve now got three different sources of distortion: whatever DAC is in your DVD player, the headphone amplifier in your DVD player, and then again for the speaker amplifier in your sound system. There’s also some analog noise picked up on the aux cable, because it’s carrying an analog signal.

Depending on who you are and how much you care, you might think “well this sucks, even if I get a really cool sound system, I’m stuck with the audio my DVD player spits out. What if the DAC and amplifier in there sucks? Do I just have to buy a really expensive DVD player?”

Enter digital audio!

Digital audio means that the DVD player doesn’t do anything with that raw stream of data off the DVD. Instead, it packages it up and streams it, unchanged, to a dedicated audio device. The audio device can then decode the stream, and use a single DAC and amplifier to produce the output signal. As a result, you can buy a really nice high end sound system with a shiny DAC and a nice clean amplifier and get high quality audio. Optical is a (but not the only) way to do this.

Optical audio is TOSLINK, an optical audio standard that was developed in the 80′s by Toshiba. It implements a protocol called S/PDIF, the Sony/Phillips Digital InterFace, which was developed by Sony and Phillips when they were standardizing the CD. The idea was exactly this: rather than needing to have a CD player, DAC and amplifier in one box, you can have a separated player that you can plug into anything, and send the digital data directly. S/PDIF can also be sent over a normal coaxial cable as an electrical signal, which used to be pretty common in studios.

The big benefits of S/PDIF are that you almost always reduce noise over having to use two amplifiers, and if you go the extra mile you can select hardware with high quality DACs and amplifiers. You also get some secret bonuses: S/PDIF can transmit Surround Sound. By default, S/PDIF transmits two uncompressed, high quality digital audio channels, left and right. This is not too different from the aux cable. The real trick is that because it’s digital, you can put whatever you want down there.

If you’re a the audio team on a movie, you have probably recorded the movie in high-detail surround sound, so that it can be played back on theater speakers. This is usually 7.1 audio: three speakers in the front, two on the sides, two in the back, and one bass channel with bone-shaking low frequency sounds. If you play this back through a two-channel aux cable, it all gets crushed down to two channels, left and right, with the bass layered in on top. A speaker system might use a filter or intelligent levels to direct more bass to a dedicated subwoofer or a particular speaker, but it won’t compare to having a channel of audio going directly to each speaker. Using S/PDIF, you can feed a home theater system, which will usually be 2.1, 3.1, 5.1 or 7.1 speakers.

A generic 7.1 layout

S/PDIF can provide a compressed 7.1 audio stream. Compressed audio is pretty good: I can’t tell the difference the handful of times I’ve used it, and tons of hardware going back over 30 years supports S/PDIF. It’s great for if you have an old speaker system, or if you want to save a buck picking up a used home theater rather than buying new. Now you’re not just better than an aux cable, you’re doing something that, fundamentally, an aux cable cannot possibly do. Great choice, if, of course, anything you’re listening to has surround audio. Most blu-rays will be surround. Some DVD’s will be surround. A lot of new video games even do surround sound!

There is something better than S/PDIF, which is HDMI Audio. HDMI can carry up to 8 channels of uncompressed, extraordinarily high quality audio. If you have a new speaker setup that has both S/PDIF and HDMI, HDMI is probably better, but if I’m honest, I can’t hear the difference.

[newagesispage]

OCTOBER                           2021

 THE RIB PAGE

*****

We miss U Charlie Watts!!

*****

The Stones performed at a private party for Patriots owner Robert Kraft of all people. The test run looked like just that. Shark jumped. I am becoming disillusioned.

*****

SNL is back with Owen Wilson as first host of season 47. Kacey Musgraves is the musical guest. Episode 2 will have a ridic choice for host. Halsey will sing. I suppose $ is power with the Kardashians. I could think of about 10 million other people to host but more and more Lorne goes for the shiny object , what he THINKS people want instead of taking risk. Beck Bennett is out.

*****

Is everybody watching the Amber Ruffin Show?? I loved her before but now… I learn so much from her show. Sometimes it takes a comic to get to the real serious shit. For example: Have you heard of drowning towns? Towns like Oscarville, Kowaliga, York hill, Seneca Village, Prentiss and countless other black towns that were drowned out to make lakes for the local whites. Central Park was also made after a black community was erased from history. Development displacement? Alleyway dwelling authority? Even those rabid for history can find out new things everyday. Thanks Amber!!

*****

Bob Woodward and Robert Costa are finally giving us Peril !!!!!!  I’ve been waiting!!** I was in political nerd heaven on Sept. 24 when Yamiche hosted Robert, Bob and Weijia Jang on Washington Week. All of my favorite pundits all together at one table, my dream team!!

*****

Iman looked great at the Met Gala!! Other great looks belonged to AOC, Tessa Thompson, Maluma, Helen Lasichanb and Pharrell Williams. Gigi Hadid, Kiki Layne, Ashton Sanders, Hailee Steinfeld, Kehlani, Zoe Kravitz, Michaela Cole, Lili Reinhart, Kate Hudson and Shai Gilgeous- Alexander were great. Whoopi Goldberg seemed a bit off.

*****

Jason Isbell is back with his latest offering, Georgia Blue.

*****

I see a lot of Title Max type establishment are closing down. Are they a thing of the past? Let’s hope.

*****

Law and Order is coming back to NBC for season 21. Dick Wolf will own 2 entire nights of television. Some of the old cast is reported to be returning.

*****

Britney Spears Father was suspended as her conservator.

*****

Timothy Chalamet, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins and Olivia Coleman will star in Wonka.

*****

The 2022 Super Bowl halftime show will bring us Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar.

*****

People are doing test runs for school board positions to see if their political ideas will play well for the big leagues. If they don’t seem to work, at least they can sometimes change the rules in their own area.

*****

Joe Rogan got Covid.

*****

Lake Michigan beaches were closed down thanks to a US Steel plant chemical leak.

*****

Is this country the master of endless administrative work?  None of us should have been surprised at the red tape that the slowed down the end of the war in Afghanistan.** Uber donated 50k for rides and meals to the Afghans when they arrive.**And why do so many waste taxpayer $ on useless recounts and recalls when people need real help with food and healthcare? They must really hate humanity.

*****

R. Kelly was found guilty of 8 counts of sex trafficking and 1 count of racketeering.

*****

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. – Dwight D. Eisenhower

*****

Texas has put a law into effect to allow most Texans to carry open without permit or training.

*****

Texas has banned abortion at about 6 weeks. Uber and Lyft will pay drivers legal fees if sued under Texas abortion law. Lyft donated $1mil to Planned Parenthood. ** Look for the ruling in the Mississippi law over Roe V. Wade in June 2022.**Hear us roar!** BTW.. Go Jen Psaki!!!!!!!

*****

They seriously banned plastic straws and abortion before assault rifles? – Eden Dranger

*****

Please stop banning abortions, the last thing the world needs is more Americans. –Sarah Beattie

*****

Women don’t inseminate themselves. Vasectomies are reversible. Should every man have one until he’s deemed financially and emotionally fit to be a Father? – Bradley Whitford

*****

90 year old William Shatner will go to space for Blue Origin.

*****

The Q Anon Shaman pled guilty to a felony for obstructing the Electoral College proceedings. I say 20 years and a $250K fine.** 600 others have been indicted.

*****

Days Alert: The Beyond Salem thing was ridic but it was so great to see some old characters.  Days is so great at visiting old family. Who can resist Shane, Austin and Carrie, Billie and the old Kristen? I do wish that Peacock would get their kinks out!! Back to the real Days: Are we smelling an Emmy for Susan Seaforth Hayes and Bill?? ** Good to have Abigail back. It is always fun to wonder which actress and or personality it will be. ** Deidre Hall got her star on the walk of fame.**And just in time for Halloween, the Devil is making a comeback. The end of the year in Salem is always the best!! It is so brave to give the 96 year old man the old switcheroo into the Dark Lord.  It was fun to see the grandkids discover Grandma Marlena’s story. Delicious!! Hail Satan!!** It is past time for Tate and Teresa to come back to town. Brady needs to be put in his place. And thanks for the Philip and Chloe flashbacks!!

*****

The breakdown of the vaccinated: 90% of Atheists, 86% Hispanic Catholic, 84% Agnostic, 79% White Catholic, 73% White mainline protestant, 70% Black mainline protestant, 57% white evangelical. 1 in 500 Americans have died of Covid.

*****

So Mike Lindell and Jim Baker have teamed up to sell children’s Bible pillows.** Piers Morgan has returned to the Murdoch organization by joining Fox. That sounds about right.

*****

Please stop saying the vaccine does not have severe side effects, I took my shots and now I’m alive and have to keep working. –Mohand Eishieky

*****

In theatres Oct. 22: The French Dispatch.** October also brings us a new season of Curb your enthusiasm and Oct. 17 will catch us up on Succession. Whew!!!

*****

So people under conservatorship are not free to marry who they want? What?

*****

46% of Americans believe in ghosts.

*****

Simone Biles, Mckayla Maroney and Aly Rasiman testified at  the Senate judiciary hearing about the FBI’s handling of accusations against Larry Nassar and it was eye opening!

*****

We wanted a no -nonsense Dem who pushes on and does not puss out.  I am a bit surprised to see we have it. There are so many pressing issues that I hope Biden works a bit more on Haiti though.

*****

The National Police Act was passed to celebrate cops. Still no police reform.

*****

John Mulaney and Olivia Munn are going to have a baby.

*****

The Emmy’s were a little different this year with more of a Golden Globe look.  Cedric the Entertainer hosted with Reggie Watts as DJ. Lots of minority noms but barely a win. It was a white people night. Ted Lasso had a great night. Mare of Eastown took home a few with Evan Peters, Julianne Nicholson and Kate Winslet. Now, Kate is great but how did Anya Taylor- Joy not walk away with that? Queens Gambit did win a couple and gave the longest speech with the seemingly arrogant director Scott Frank who opened up 2 page acceptance. Categories were tough but I was routing for Renee Elise Goldberry and Bowen Yang but perhaps next year. The people in England who had their own party for all the statues that the Crown won seemed to be having more fun! Hacks won for writing and directing and Jean Smart!! It was nice to see the Norm Macdonald love which was barely mentioned by Lorne but celebrated by John Oliver. Colbert ‘s election night special won as did JB Smoove. Hamilton won and Debbie Allen got the big one. I do not understand why real singers and or musicians have to be there for the in Memoriam. It takes me out of it a bit and concentrates the focus on them. Do they think that people will pay attention more? Do they want to keep the home audience or live audience from the bathroom?  My best dressed were Anya Taylor-Joy, Michaela Cole who won for I may destroy you, Jean Smart, Josh O’Connor, Kathryn Hahn, Billy Porter, MJ Rodriguez, Keenan Thonpson, Leslie Odom Jr., Catherine O’Hara, Trevor Noah, Eugene Levy, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, Bowen Yang,  Anthony Anderson, Leslie Grossman, Amber Ruffin, Allyson Felix, Renee Elise Goldberry, Samira Wiley and Rege- Jean Page. My worst were Sarah Paulson, Gillian Anderson,  Beanie Feldstein, Elizabeth Olsen and Aidy Bryant. To me the best part of the show was the enthusiasm of Conan and the way he injected himself into much of the evening .He was the show.  Go Conan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*****

Next year there must be some Emmys for Sarah Paulson and Cobie Smulders in Impeachment!!!!!

*****

Oh Boy!! The Eyes of Tammy Faye!!

*****

Looking forward to the Electric Life of Louis Wain with Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy.

*****

Abba has a new album!!

*****

Shang Chi is the biggest Labor Day opening with a $71.4 mil opening.

*****

Sen. Amy Klobuchar has announced she has breast cancer.

*****

Is it the 70’s? A streaker ran past the studio of the Today show.

*****

Rascal Flatts Joe Don Rooney was arrested for DUI.** Nicholas Cage was thrown out of a prime rib pace in Vegas after being drunk and disorderly.

*****

Jennifer Eckhart has filed a lawsuit against former Fox news anchor Ed Henry for rape and retaliation after allegedly being handcuffed and beaten.

*****

Scarlett Johansson has settled her Disney lawsuit.

*****

Pete Buttigieg and Chasten had twins they named Penelope Rose and Joseph August.

*****

I noticed a commercial for Dancing with the Stars. Are we onto the E list because I have heard of hardly any of these people. ‘Stars’is really stretching it. And as I post this I see there are some covid issues there as well.

*****

Virgin River was renewed for 2 more seasons.

*****

Trevor Noah is right? Why do they stop giving lollipops to adults at the doctor?

*****

Jon Stewart is back on Apple tv with ‘The problem with Jon Stewart.

*****

Brooklyn 99 had about the best finale (other than Newhart) that I can recall. I had my fingers crossed that Chelsea would be back. Will they honor us like they did in the show and come back for a special about once a year? That would be fucking awesome!!

*****

Don’t expect compliments from an insecure person.- Mr. Pickles

*****

Thousands and thousands of people are in need. Haitian refugees and other immigrants have seen nothing like this what with assassination, a hurricane and earthquake. The Southern border is a mess.** Why does Fox news keep telling refugees the border is open as they sit back and laugh at Biden’s predicament.  Spreading false info to intentionally hurt poor, distressed people has no end for them.

*****

Do companies know how fucked up their employment websites are? It is true that some people do not want to work. It is true that people schedule interviews and don’t show up. It is also true that companies have made it so hard to apply that many can’t. I suppose it is easier for them but the poor who may really want to work have a hard time. Paper applications are almost completely gone. The old fashioned way of walking into low paying job sites and finding a connection with a manager rarely exist. Some places only accept texts or have long ridiculous psych tests that a working Mother may not have time for. A Father working many hours already, may not be able to go to the library to get online if they cannot afford a computer. Many websites tell you that there no positions available in your area while there is a huge sign in front of the establishment. Can’t find people to work.. Gee I wonder why?? And treat people with respect once you find them, how about that?

*****

Keep your head up in failure, and your head down in success. –Jerry Seinfeld

*****

Hey.. There was a van air B’n B biz going that got busted. Hey.. The poor need vaca’s too. It is wrong but If they are willing to sleep in a van, why not. I truly think that many do not understand how much people are struggling.

*****

Free coffee day came and went but only a few places really gave you free coffee without rules to govern the promo. Some places wanted to sell you something else and some made you belong to their club. Starbucks held that customers had to come inside for the free cup of Joe, handicapped or not.

*****

One would think the Republicans would run out of $ for recounts but they have deep pockets. Just think how much good they could do for the huddled masses with that scratch.

*****

Sad to lose Mick Brigden, protégé of Bill Graham who managed The Stones and worked with Frampton, Dylan and Santana.** And the comics were very vocal about the loss of Norm Macdonald. He was one of a kind and he will be missed!

*****

R.I.P. Ruth Marx, Lee Scratch Perry, Willard Scott, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Isadore Bleckman, George Wein, Michael K. William,George Holliday, Anthony Johnson,  Basil Hoffman, Al Harrington,Willie Garson, Mick Brigden, Tommy Kirk and Norm Macdonald.

[greenleafpestcontrolservices]

INSECT LIGHT TRAPS (ILT’S) –  BUG ZAPPERS – FLY LIGHTS

I’ve been in the pest management industry for over 24 years now.  I’m one of the lucky graduates of the Environmental Pest Management Program.  I not only learned from some great professors but also worked for some amazing companies. Ingrained in my DNA and the soul of GreenLeaf Pest Control is that pest management professionals play an extremely important role in public health. We are protectors of public health!  

One of the pests that I dislike the most is flies…..especially when I’m eating! I don’t want to get into a big lecture on how these disgusting insects sponge up fresh moist feces and then vomit on your food.  Let’s just say, flies have known vectors of foodborne illnesses, and therefore, pose a risk to the public.  Remember the Pepto Bismol commercial “upset stomach…..diarrhea!”

foodborne illnesses, and therefore, pose a risk to the public are known for pests vectors. To keep our food supply safe, food processing facilities and their pest management partners have a clear objective – keep pests out and if they get in, use monitoring and control strategies to eliminate them. This is particularly true for insect light traps (ILTs). ILTs are used to monitor and control one of our highest risk pests in regard to food safety – FLIES.

BACK TO THE TOPIC AT HAND

Gone are the days when the Technician would show up routinely to fog, ULV/ULD, bomb a facility to control flies. We simply know better now and these fogging’s never addressed the root cause of the fly issue. In addition, the over-application of pesticides posed risks to human health and food safety. In a nutshell, the spray and pray model wasn’t the right approach. An integrated, when looking at fly control multipronged approach needed. One key aspect of fly management is the use of Insect Light Traps (ILT’s).  

WHY USE INSECT LIGHT TRAPS?

The purpose of using light traps is to monitor the populations of a particular flying insect. Again, these are powerful monitoring tools and will likely not magically fix your fly problem.

TWO COMMON TYPES OF INSECT LIGHT TRAPS (ILT’S)

While both styles use light to attract these pests, they differ in what happens to the insect once it enters the trap.

Glue boards style units capture insects

Electrical grid units (AKA Zappers)

ILTs that use glue boards, the insect is drawn to the trap’s light and then caught on the glue board’s sticky surface.

ILTs that use an electrical grid, the insect is drawn to the trap and then electrocuted and collected in a tray below.

Insect light traps are designed to offer ongoing monitoring of flying insect populations and provide some level of control. Many types of insects can be attracted to light traps, and a survey of a light trap’s catch tray or glue-board can tell you a lot about what is happening in that facility.

As the name suggests, it’s the special bulbs that attract insects.  The blue light emits ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths. Often referred to as

“black light,” its wavelength is typically between 300 and 400 nanometers.

WHERE TO USE LIGHT TRAPS

Light traps can generally be used just about anywhere, but a few variables do apply to each situation:

The client’s attitude is important with regard to his or her expectations about how the traps will be used. The traps should not be viewed as control mechanisms, because they probably will not eliminate all of the flying insects in the facility.

Sanitation is also very important in the control effort. Once the device is used to identify the problem and point it out to the client, the traps then become valuable monitoring devices.

In Canadian facilities, there are some general guidelines to use light traps. In general, these regulations have been designed to prevent contamination of food with insects or insect parts (that’s the extra crunch you don’t want).

The size of the light trap can make a difference in its attractiveness and should be considered when purchasing light traps. Certainly, The intensity of emitted light will have some effect on the trap’s attractiveness. As the light UV output decreases, it is less attractive to insects.

ONGOING BULB MAINTENANCE

There are two ways of testing the intensity of the light. One way is to replace the bulbs with new ones at regular intervals. As a general rule of thumb, In peak season May they replaced annually

You can also use a meter that will measure the ultraviolet output of the bulbs and tell you when their output is decreasing.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

The most aspect use of light traps is arguably where they placed. Many times, the placement will depend on the actual conditions you are working under. In most cases, you are trying to head off the introduction of these pests, placing them low along walls protected from damage, will work best in capturing flying insects.

At GreenLeaf we are always concerned about a professional appearance. This also goes for the products that we purchase and install at a client’s location. Not all ILT’s need to look so commercial and ugly. Light traps vary considerably in appearance these days. Wall sconces have become an interesting addition to the styles of traps available, and certainly are more aesthetically pleasing than hanging glue sticks or flypaper from ceilings. If you’re a restaurant, QSR or have a client-facing business these lights are ideal for you.

ILT MAINTENANCE AND COSTS

The large industrial fly light traps are manufactured in various sizes and typically emit anywhere from 30 to 80 watts of energy. GreenLeaf only uses Safety Coated shatterproof bulbs in all our ILT’s. Having said that, this is a requirement for all food facilities (Yes, I’m referring to you…..bad pest control companies)!

As mentioned earlier, most manufacturers recommend replacing bulbs once a year. This is a good rule of thumb, but consider the situation where the ambient UV light has changed, or if new lights have been installed in a remodelled area. Either situation can affect the light competition, thus hampering the effectiveness of the fly light trap. Using the UV-A Meter may be a good idea to monitor these situations.

Cleaning and recording trap capture also takes time. Reports should be filed on what is being caught and what implications this may have on increasing sanitation problems or outside influences on the facility. As with any pest control program, the success of a fly control and monitoring program, using fly light traps, is often related to the time spent at each job. As the saying goes…..time is money.

THIRD-PARTY AUDITING STANDARDS

Fortunately, our third-party auditing bodies have very clear standards on ILT placement in relation to food and the impact it has on food safety. Some auditing groups specify how many feet should stand between food and ILTs. For example, #AIB and #Primus GFS state that does not place ILTs within ten feet of any food, whether it’s raw, processed food, etc. On the other hand, #NSF Cook & Thurber say eight feet should be the minimum distance.

Not all auditing groups give you a distance; they are effectively supporting the same standard in using the language “placed so as not to contaminate the food” within their requirements. This is an important placement consideration because ILTs should attract flying insects towards them, and not towards food.

ILT RISKS

There can be a risk of flying insects dying and then falling out of the device. This is particularly true for electrocution-style ILTs, where the electrocution may cause the insect to explode, potentially allowing insect fragments to fall outside of the collection tray. Never placed ITLs near food and never above food and food surfaces. The risk of escaping insect parts emphasizes the need for the distance between electrocuting ILTs and any food source.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel Mackie aka Mr. Know Bugs is the VP – Quality Assurance at Greenleaf Pest Control. With over 24 years in the pest protection industry. Mackie is a Toronto, Kitchener / Waterloo, Vaughan and GTA pest control expert. Daniel Mackie is well-known as an industry go-to guy, an innovator of safe, effective pest control solutions, and is a regular guest on HGTV. Mackie, along with business partner Sandy Costa, were the first pest control professionals in Canada to use detection dogs and thermal remediation to eradicate bed bugs. In his free time, he is an avid gardener and beekeeper. According to Mackie: “We are Protects or Public Health”

[giantcypress]

LED there be light

I’ve been using fluorescent fixtures with T8 bulbs in my shop ever since I first started setting it up a little over 12 years ago. As you can see, some of the bulbs have finally given up the ghost. Although it would be easy for me to replace the three burnt out bulbs, I thought I would take this opportunity to replace the fixtures with LED lights.

Marc Spagnuolo has an excellent video on choosing and installing LED lighting in his shop, along with a useful article by Vic Hubbard. Vic was also nice enough to let me pick his brains about this a while back — so long ago that I’ll be really impressed if he remembers.

This is a diagram of where I started with the lighting in my shop, with blue boxes representing the T8 fluorescent fixtures. The fixtures are all 2 bulb T8 fixtures, except the one over my workbench which is a 4 bulb T8 fixture. The fixtures are also wide, because I wanted the bulbs to disperse light as much as possible. The layout I chose was due primarily to the fact that there’s a fair amount of plumbing, gas lines, and HVAC ducting that runs across the ceiling of my basement shop which I had to work around. What’s not shown in the lower left corner is my dust collector, which really doesn’t need lighting. 

I decided to contact American Green Lights, the same company that Marc used. They were really easy to deal with. The first question I asked them was which of their LED shop were equivalent to the lighting fixtures I had. It appeared that their recommended fixtures would be the 24 watt Shop Light models, which gave off 2500 lumens. I was a bit puzzled by this, as two T8 fluorescent bulbs gave off 2200 lumens each, for a total of 4400 lumens. 

What I didn’t take into account is that a fluorescent bulb gives off light in all directions, which means that half the light is radiated upwards into the fixture itself. And although the fixture is painted white to reflect that light, a significant amount of that light doesn’t really make it out of the fixture.

For the LED fixtures, on the other hand, the LEDs are mounted directly to the inside of the reflector. All the light they generate is directed outwards, so there’s no loss.

One other advantage of the LED fixtures is that they were more compact top to bottom, and narrower side-to-side, which meant that I would get back some headroom and that I had more flexibility in where I could mount them. Looking at the ceiling in my shop, I realized I could mount the LED lights like this.

Overall, this is a better setup than what I originally did, as it’s generally better to have lighting closer to the work areas than locating the lighting across the middle of the room. In fact, this is why I added the fluorescent fixture above my workbench later on.

After discussing my situation with American Green Lights, their initial recommendation was to mount 10 of their 24 watt shop lights. I answered back that I wasn’t sure I could mount that many fixtures, because of my ceiling situation. I asked if I could use 5 of their 48 watt fixtures instead.

I was surprised that they went to the trouble of running a simulation of my shop lighting proposal. Here’s a few of the pictures that they sent me. The thinner purple rectangles around the perimeter are the light fixtures, and the color coding shows how the light is distributed around the shop, with red being the brightest areas, and blue the darkest.

At this point I got on the phone with Jim Uno from American Green Lights. He was terrific to work with. We discussed my situation in more detail, and I noted that the right hand side of my workbench seemed a little dark, but that I thought I could put another 48 watt LED fixture on the right side of my shop where an old fixture was. Jim ran another simulation while I was on the phone. Here’s what that looked like.

This was looking good to me. I placed my order for 6 48 watt LED shop fixtures. Since I had initially started with 3000ºK T8 bulbs, I asked for the LED fixtures to also be 3000ºK. I know that a lot of woodworkers aim for a higher color temperature in their shop. I’ve been of the mindset that since the upstairs lighting is 2700-3000ºK, my shop lighting should match that since the appearance of finish in my shop will match what's going on upstairs.

The LED fixtures come in two parts — the reflector with the LEDs mounted in it (top, still wrapped in plastic) and a housing for the wiring (bottom), which is the part that gets mounted to the ceiling. Wiring for electricity is on the left side, and wiring for the LED lights is on the right.

They were straightforward to install. Mount the housing to the ceiling with screws, and connect the electrical wiring to the wires in the housing with wire nuts.

Then connect the wires from the housing to the reflector. These just click into place.

Screw the reflector to the housing, and you’re done. By the way, all the screws and wire nuts you need are included with the fixtures.

Here’s the result after replacing the near fixture in the top photo with the burned out fluorescent bulbs with an LED fixture.

I can say that the LED fixture is plenty bright for my purposes, and that I don’t expect an overall drop in light after installing the rest of the LED fixtures. I would even say that they are comparable in light output to the 4 bulb fluorescent fixture directly above my workbench on the right in the above picture. They are lighter in weight than the fluorescent fixtures, which makes installing them very easy. And the color temperature of the LED fixture is a very close match to the fluorescent bulbs.

I did notice that the LED fixture seems to take a little time to come to full brightness, maybe 5-10 seconds or so. I’ll have to see if this is still the case after I get all the LED fixtures installed, or if it goes away after the LED fixtures have been in use for a while. This is in no way a deal breaker, not by a long shot.

There are some other modifications I need to do to install the rest of the LED fixtures. The old fluorescent fixtures had the wiring for the fixture and a few knockout holes in the top center of the fixture. This mean that I could run power to the fixture in the middle, connect a second wire to another knockout in that location, and connect both sets of wires to the wires in the fixture. Then I could run the second wire to the next fixture.

The knockouts on the LED fixtures, on the other hand, are not in the middle. There’s one knockout either end. What I will need to do to connect the fixtures is to run a wire for power through one end, and enough wire from the other end so that it extends the 48″ length of the fixture, and connect both sets of wires to the wiring for the fixture itself. This is pretty straightforward, but what this means is that I have to rearrange the wiring across the ceiling, even if I wasn't planning on changing the locations of the fixtures.

Still, I’m pretty excited about the new lighting. Looking forward to getting it all set up.

Note: I paid full price for the lights, and am not getting anything from American Green Lights or anyone else for this.

[aion-rsa]

How The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street Earned Its Rep

https://ift.tt/3v9EdsV

Apple TV+’s docuseries 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything makes it seem like The Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main Street album was more fun to record than listen to, and that sets a high standard. The record distills the band’s sounds, from acoustic world music political ballads, through deep heartfelt blues, to honky tonk so funky you have to shake your ass. The group plays country, Southern blues, R&B, and the almost-punk-before-punk “Rip This Joint.” “Tumbling Dice,” is a radio staple. Keith Richards even took the lead vocals on a track to keep you happy. There was so much material, it came out as a double album. What could be more fun than that?

Richards’ Nellcôte mansion, on the Côte d’Azur in the South of France, was the hardest rocking musical getaway paradise in 1971. It was a Rock and Roll Main Street, and even the most mainstream players mainlined the exile vibe. Guitar god Eric Clapton and underground country legend Gram Parsons mixed drinks and drugs with movie stars like James Caan and Faye Dunaway, while playwright Terry Southern stopped taking note, according to Robert Greenfield’s book Exile on Main Street: A Season In Hell With The Rolling Stones. 

William S. Burroughs inspired Mick Jagger to cut and paste a word collage together to form the lyrics to “Casino Boogie.” Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr dropped by the almost-week-long afterparty for Jagger’s wedding to Nicaraguan-born model Bianca Pérez Morena de Macias in Saint-Tropez. John Lennon, who was on methadone treatment, reputedly threw up at the foot of the grand staircase and passed out in it.

“The sunshine bores the daylights out of me,” Jagger sings on “Rocks Off,” the album’s opening song. The Rolling Stones strolled through their recent past darkly. The murder of Meredith Hunter at the Altamont speedway concert in late 1969 signaled, to many, the death of decade’s peace-and-love counterculture. But the band’s troubles went all the way back to the Redlands drug bust of 1967, and the death of Brian Jones. Adversity worked well, creatively, for the Stones, and they continued to pump out classics like “Gimme Shelter” in 1969, and controversy like “Brown Sugar” in 1971. Sticky Fingers, their ninth album, hung nicely at the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

The songs, and Allen Klein’s aggressive managerial money-making maneuvers, put the band in the 93% tax bracket for Britain’s highest earners. The Stones owed more than they could pay. To avoid penalties, they moved to France. Mick went to Paris. Mick Taylor, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts bought or rented places along the French Riviera. Richards and his girlfriend, German-Italian actress and model Anita Pallenberg, moved into Nellcôte, a villa in Villefranche-sur-Mer, near Nice. During the Nazi occupation of France during World War II, the seaside mansion was the headquarters of the local Gestapo. Swastikas were carved into floor vents, staircases and ventilator grates.

Read more

Culture

How Tina Turner and Frank Zappa Whipped Up Some Dirty Love

By Tony Sokol

As pointed out in 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything, the Stones had recently signed with Atlantic Records, and the label wanted an album. The band scoured the Riviera for a suitable recording studio, but wound up parking their mobile studio next to Keith’s house. Richards transformed the basement into a recording studio, and the band stole electricity from the railway tracks across the street to power amplifiers and the mobile recording truck. 

The layout wasn’t the best. Bill Wyman, who is only credited for eight of the album’s songs on bass, plugged into an amp which was mic’d up in the hallway. Producer Jimmy Miller ended each take by running from the truck into the basement to check sound. The humidity caused the guitars to go out of tune. This gave the album its working title: “Tropical Disease.” The song “Ventilator Blues” was inspired by the conditions.

The band also had to deal with Keith’s erratic schedule. “I never plan anything,” Richards says in the documentary Stones in Exile. “Mick needs to know what he’s going to do tomorrow. Whereas I’m just happy to wake up and see who’s hanging around. Mick’s rock; I’m roll.” Richards, Taylor, Watts, pianist Nicky Hopkins, saxophonist Bobby Keys, drummer Jimmy Miller, and horn player Jim Price would jam all night while engineer Andy Johns ran the reels. Sessions would start when the guitarist rolled out of bed, or before he slipped off to put his son Marlon to sleep. After that Keith might pull a disappearing act, playing guitar in the un-mic’d second floor bathroom, or passing out. Richards was open about pot and alcohol, sharing liberally, but quiet about his heroin use.

Richards got clean in the spring of 1971, but hurt his back in a go-kart accident, according to Greenfield’s book. His vehicle flipped while racing his friend Tommy Weber at a track in Cannes. Richards took morphine for the pain, and within a few months, was using again. For sessions, he’d down a Mandrax, which is like a Quaalude, with whiskey. Charlie Watts was drinking brandy until he was past sloppy, and Jagger was taking speed to keep up with the hours Keith set. It was Richards’ place, and Mick was almost a hostage. When he left, it seemed nothing got done. Richards, left alone, could be downright dangerous. He almost burned himself, Anita and the entire house down when he fell asleep with a lit cigarette.

Richards was buying pure, uncut heroin from Castilian dealers. He was getting it by the kilo, and it became part of the social regimen of the villa. He shared so regularly with Gram Parsons that Mick got jealous, professionally. Parsons wanted Richards to produce his next album and join him on tour, which would have left the Stones without their guitarist for two years. Parsons was quietly asked to leave. Drugs split the Stones into two camps: Jagger, Wyman and Watts stuck to pills, booze and softer drugs. Richards, Taylor, producer Jimmy Miller, sax player Bobby Keys and engineer Andy Johns shot dope.

It cost them their gear. Wyman’s bass, Keys’ saxophone and nine of Richards’ guitars were stolen by dealers from Marseille who were owed money, while the entourage was watching television during the day. The Stones’ lawyers bribed local police to keep the party going, but even the most corrupt French cops, like Captain Louis Renault in Casablanca, have their limits. Besides, the Stones were welcomed in France because they were rich rock stars who were going to spend lots of money. If all their cash went to illegal and nontaxable drugs, the French government didn’t have much use for them.

The tipping point seems to have come with Anita Pallenberg. She maintained a steadily rocky relationship with the Stones. Richards stole, or saved, her from a paranoid and abusive Brian Jones, and there were rumors Jagger had an affair with her while filming Nic Roeg’s Performance in 1968. According to Greenfield’s book, Mick also slept with her while Richards was on the nod during the Exile sessions. Police came knocking to ask about a claim that Pallenberg had given heroin to the 14-year-old daughter of the villa’s chef. 

The French police left without validating the charge, but said they’d be back to have a better look around the mansion. Richards and Pallenberg took off on his speedboat, fittingly named Mandrax II. The rest of the band slipped out soon after with the tapes. Pallenberg and Richards were charged with possession of heroin with intent to traffic in 1973. They were then exiled from France for the next two years.

The party continued when the Rolling Stones reconvened in Sunset Sound studios in Los Angeles. The band tossed TVs off the balconies of hotel rooms with Marc Bolan and Neil Young. The tapes for the album stretched from 1969 to 1972. The band edited hours of jams into song structure. Jagger scatted melodic placeholders for unfinished lyrics, and recruited session players like Billy Preston and Doctor John to fill in any sonic emptiness. The words to “Tumbling Dice,” for instance, were written last minute. The song has an unusual structure, as the verses become shorter, the choruses get longer. It may have Watts’ best drum performance.

Exile on Main Street contains some of Richards’ best guitar work. The album really belongs to Keith. “Happy” is almost entirely his. He’s on vocals, guitar and bass, with Miller on drums, Keys on maracas, overdubs from Taylor, and backing vocals from Jagger. “Sweet Black Angel” is a political love letter to civil rights activist Angela Davis. “Shake Your Hips” put the hair on ZZ Top’s lips. The album cover set the visual tone for punk. Some people claim it’s the Rolling Stones’ best work. It is a classic which catches them at their hedonistic peak. Its dirty, loosely played backing created an identifiable sound. The Stones’ first double LP, it is best heard in its entirety, and earned its street cred.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

1971: The Year Music Changed Everything is available to stream on Apple TV+ now.

The post How The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street Earned Its Rep appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[dream-wreck]

Count On You

Surprise! “Count On Me” has an unintended part 2.

Chapter 2 Title: Count On You Rating: G Word Count: 1,668 Description: When the office door closes, Neil can be alone in his own world. That's not always a good thing.

…..

Of all things, Neil missed spaghetti the most. Jarred red sauce, fifty-cent pasta, pre-grated parmesan (if he was feeling especially bougie). Nothing could beat it. He didn’t miss the reflux, but he’d deck his esophageal halls with ulcers if it meant eating a real meal, a heaping bowl of comfort food that would leave him full and sluggish and knock Insomnia flat on its back.

Neil ran his thumb over a medicine-purple protein bar wrapper, smoothing out the perforated ends between the flesh of his thumb and index finger. The yellow POWER BAR logo rippled and glimmered under his office lights like a cheap trick.

Clearly, the graphic designers had no idea that their chosen font and colors made the meal replacement look like a cartoon villain’s mind-controlling sugar bar. This one was supposed to taste vaguely reminiscent of peanut butter, which he’d discovered was easier to stomach than the artificial vanilla flavor that stuck to his tongue for hours after the fact.

He tore the wrapping down the middle. The sickly brown bar revealed itself, shedding its tacky cape.

He took a vengeful bite out of the bar, feeling as triumphant as he possibly could while chewing something that tasted like cardboard soaked in old peanut oil. Just last week, these weren’t so bad. He could stomach them and they had tasted pretty decent.

I was thinking of you the entire time, he’d eventually say to a heaping bowl of angel hair pasta and marinara.

Eventually. One day, soon. When all this was over, Neil could quit skipping meals and popping pain pills like tic tacs and Mentos.

The single bite of bar began to disintegrate in his mouth the same way a bad piece of gum chewed too long turns into a compound of sand and slime. Neil choked the mixture down and lunged for his water bottle. Empty. He turned to the mini fridge and pulled out an ice cold energy drink that had been sitting on standby, untouched, for months.

“Don’t tell Eva,” Neil said, snapping the tab open in the vacant room. The drink went down cold and sweet, washing the gritty paste from his tongue. He’d regret the caffeine in an hour or two, but for now, the familiar bubbles were worth whatever he had coming later.

A lot of things had become worth it recently. He banished the pitiful excuse for a protein bar to the bottom drawer, sitting down in his desk chair, staring at the paperwork that so desperately needed filing. A fib, of course. He’d never filed paperwork on time in his life. Lying to Eva....Neil had yet to discern if that was worth keeping any secret.

What secret? In the end, what could be worth keeping from her? That Neil Watts was mortal? Extraordinary, but mortal. Extraordinarily mortal.

He thought of Eva sitting outside the men’s room while he retched, stretching to keep pace with him in the hall, reminding him about the simple things. There is so much said in reminding someone to take care of themselves in the little ways, to drink water, to take time. Neil wished he were a better listener, that his pride would crumble for a day or two, long enough for him to set good habits and be honest -- with himself, with Eva, with everyone.

Fluorescent humming grated his ears, burned his eyes. He felt new sickness swelling. He shut his eyes to the room’s blue white.

He’d worry a lot less if Eva would just let it drop. She cared too much, that was her problem. She was usually good at hiding it. At work, of course, surrounded all day by dying people and their repressed traumas, you need to find a way to push through it all without completely breaking down, balancing visible empathy with healthy detachment.

Crying in front of the clients doesn’t get the job done, and it certainly doesn’t look good on evaluations.

Their particular line of work called for expert compartmentalization. Eva had mastered concealing a naturally compassionate disposition behind cold professionalism, efficiency, and control. It was never just another day at the office for her, even if she’d sometimes seem unfeeling when the chips were down.

Neil knew her too well. She always wanted to help. She was a problem solver, always trained on an objective, never one to dwell, to stutter-step, to second guess. She never let things lie. Why should a problem go unsolved?

He used to hold that against her, that she couldn’t let things be, that she could get a little control-crazy when things shifted from their right places into wrong places, drifting away from order like moons out of orbit. But she wasn’t the one who had to cheat on her entrance exams. And between the two of them, she seemed to have her life under control.

Neil Watts had looked to Eva Rosalene for a lifetime of answers. He could count on her for anything. She always came in clutch (he’d been watching a lot of Esports streams lately, picking up on the lingo during his late night nausea fits).

It wasn’t a question of whether or not Eva cared about him. It was a question of, if Neil truly believed in Eva Rosalene, why on God’s green earth had he not told her a lick of truth about what was really going on? He dove down for a good answer, or even a scrap of a convoluted selfish reasoning, but resurfaced empty.

In his coat pocket, a little blue bottle pressed against Neil’s thigh. He crossed his arms, but he only grew more aware of the light pressure resting there. It annoyed him, more than anything, like feeling a strand of hair brush along your skin, but just when you think you’ve swiped it away, there it is again, brushing just light enough to frustrate, to aggravate, to piss you off. Neil bounced his knee, trying to shake the coat off his leg, but the bump beneath the white cloth just moused its way back and forth, prodding.

He should do that paperwork. Listen to music or something to pass the time.

His stomach roiled. Neil slipped a hand into his pocket. He closed his fist around the smooth bottle, ran his thumb over the cap, catching his thumbnail along the ridges there. Comforting, he thought. The action really did calm his nerves.

Eva was across the hall. Fifteen steps away. A knock away. A conversation away.

Neil didn’t bother to set a stopwatch so he never knew how long he sat there, his thumb running back and forth over the ridges in the lid while his mind wandered, imagining the many ways that conversation could go, the look on Eva’s face, the disappointment. Daydream Neil started crying, but Real Neil didn’t think that was very dignified, so he started from the beginning, approaching Dr. Eva Rosalene in her office. Figuring she’d probably be busy, he reset to the cafeteria. A nice talk over lunch. When Eva burst into tears and people from the surrounding tables looked their way, Neil chose the park, even though they weren’t in the habit of going to the park together and never had been. But it was quiet, undisturbed. A gorgeous day in this self-revising simulation. He guided Eva to a bench. They sat down. Eva told him to take his time, that she knew something was wrong, that she was glad Neil could finally talk to her. Yes, he was ready. It would be amazing to finally say it out loud. To someone else. To confide. To confess….

He opened his eyes to the harsh light.

Confess? What was that word doing, flitting about in his stream of consciousness?

An email notification pinged on his desktop. He moved to open it with a click. It read:

If you’re up for it, they’re showing Inception and the Cowboy Bebop movie tonight. It’s the weirdest double feature ever so I have to go, it’s the law.

Popcorn’s light on the stomach, right? Let me know, my treat. --Eva

Perfect. He could talk to her then. Simple, easy as that. All that melodramatic daydreaming over nothing. He could talk to her then. Besides: free food.

Neil’s stomach suddenly felt very, very empty. His usual nausea felt like he was too full and ready to burst.

But it suddenly felt as if something small inside were eating away at everything, the lining and the tissue and the bile, hungrily consuming out of a gluttonous jealousy that which consumes. And when there would be nothing left, that small something would eat the air and the Nothing until an impossible vacuum remained. And Neil would also remain, nothing more than a container to conceal a parasitic anomaly, cursed never to be filled again.

His hand closed around the little blue bottle. The pills inside stirred, knocking against the walls of their plastic prison.

The emptiness in his stomach slowly spread into his hips and ribs, knees and neck, his head and the space behind his eyes, until his whole body felt hollow and the hollow spaces felt sore.

This moment was nearly one of those moments that change everything. Very important, nearly pivotal, but not to be realized, lacking the crucial self-awareness that would have sent things this way and that, particularly along different this-es and better thats. The manner in which a single rock falls prevents or triggers a landslide.

Neil drew the bottle from his pocket, poured two little white pills into his palm, tossed them back. They scraped down the dry walls of his throat, as though clawing for a foothold, before eventually settling in the cavern of his stomach, and almost instantaneously, the pain began to dwindle.

Neil didn’t stop to consider the impossibility of this. If he had, it would have made all the difference. But he didn’t, so it did not, and things seemed to remain relatively the same, the distant sound of tumbling rocks drowned by electric humming.

--------

Chapter 2 end notes: Ended up somewhere unexpected, as writing usually does. My fingers like to run without me sometimes. Pleasant surprises though! Thank you for supporting "Count On Me"! You all are the best :)

Wubnjeft

...

I've been reading a lot of science fiction lately.

[hopefulfestivaltastemaker]

April 25, 2021

My weekly roundup of topics of interest. Topics include urban heat islands, transportation safety, lighting, and cooking.

Urban Heat Island

In the last few weeks, I added some sections on light and noise pollution. Continuing on with some additional, primarily city-scale pollution topics, this week was the urban heat island effect.

The UHI is a phenomenon whereby cities are warmed up, either due to the waste heat of energy usage; pavement, roofs, and other infrastructure absorbing daytime heat; a reduction of surface area and thus heat convention (trees and other vegetation have a lot of surface area and thus are good at radiating heat); or other factors. Unlike global warming, which as the name applies affects the whole planet, UHI is mainly a localized effect and is distinct.

About 166 thousand people die every year from heatwaves. I’m not sure how many of these deaths should be attributed to UHI. The only two estimates I know about are that the UHI causes 0.42% excess deaths in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), and that the UHI was responsible for 52% of the deaths in the West Midlands, UK during the August 2003 heat wave. That’s a pretty wide range and only two data points. If every single death from heatwaves can be attributed to UHI and we take the statistical value of a life at $10 million, then the scale of UHI gets into the trillions of dollars. In reality it’s probably an order of magnitude less than that, which would place UHI on roughly the same level of damage as ozone depletion.

Another way to get a handle on the cost is air conditioning. The UHI was estimated to cost 14 large cities 0.068% of their GDP in operating and repairing AC units alone. That’s about $60 billion per year if extrapolated worldwide, but that’s almost certainly an overestimate because the UHI is worse in larger cities.

By my crude attempt to determine the order of magnitude damages, I’d say that UHI certainly ranks below noise pollution, probably below light pollution, and again maybe on par with ozone depletion in terms of seriousness.

Above I noted three main causes of UHI, and again I am frustrated by the seeming lack of results that decomposes the magnitude of them. The same was true with noise and light pollution. This is the opposite of global warming, air pollution (to an extent), and ozone depletion, for instance, where we know in great detail what the sources of emissions are and the relative magnitude of various sources. But the lack of knowledge here could be partly the result of the fact that UHI is a very localized phenomenon, and so global averages wouldn’t be terribly meaningful.

For those wondering, the UHI is estimated to contribute about 2-4% of all extra heat associated with global warming, with the rest coming from CO2 emissions and black carbon (79% and 18% respectively). This may seem low, but keep in mind that urbanized land is only about 1-3% of all the Earth’s surface area. It seems bigger because that is where most human experience takes place. And no, UHI does not explain most of global warming measurements.

As far as what we ought to do about it, I feel hampered by the fact that I don’t have a good decomposition of causes of UHI, but white (reflective) roofs and vegetation planting in cities both show benefit-cost ratios better than 1.

Transportation Safety

How should we thinking about transportation safety, which is the probability of injury or death from various modes? This paper is pretty good. It gives the death rate for various modes by number of journeys, by hours of travel, and by kilometers of travel.

Unfortunately, it assess figures on the vehicle level (e.g. deaths per vehicle-km), and I think that on an individual level would be much more meaningful. So I estimated typical occupancy rates of various vehicles and converted them into this (not yet well formatted) chart.

(Here I am assuming that “water” means ferries.)

The numbers are all over the board, but one thing that jumps out at me is how much more dangerous active transportation (cycling and walking) is than driving on all three metrics. By comparison, air travel, rail, ferries, and buses are much safer, which I think we generally know. Going into space is risky.

The risks of cycling are generally confirmed from other sources (like this one). Active transportation enthusiasts will often fire back that cycling is dangerous because of car usage, since it is collisions with automobiles that drives much of the risk. That may be, but I would be curious to know some more detailed safety figures. How does a separated cycle track, for instance, compare with a bike lane for safety? I’ve seen a lot of figures on this but nothing that I would regard as super reliable.

Since driving is the most common mode of travel, I also want to delve a little bit into auto safety.

Overall, I want to make a good case for compact cities, and the last few weeks have not been good for that. Noise pollution, light, pollution, and the UHI are all issues where the absolute level of impact will go down with compact cities, but the amount of exposure that people receive will go up. Insofar as we regard human health impacts as the main issue, this is an argument for less dense cities, though it would be countered by considering ecological impacts as well. As far as transportation safety is concerned, unless there are some much safer models of active transportation (I didn’t look at powered micromobility, for instance, but those numbers don’t seem to be very good either), it’s probably best to go for mass transit, which is best at more moderate densities but higher densities than generally prevail in the US.

Lighting

Lighting efficacy is a subject I looked at a while ago and am coming back to know. United 4 Efficiency is one of many sources that does a general comparison of efficiency across sources.

We are all familiar with the progress in solar PV and wind turbines of the last few years. A bit less well-known, but also important, is how LEDs have cut electricity demand for lighting, even with the rebound effect taken into account. LEDs should be regarded as one of the major bright spots (no pun intended) of progress on climate change. However, as noted a few weeks ago, LEDs could be a setback from a light pollution standpoint.

Despite the impressive progress, there are still some further advances possible, most notably with laser diodes and organic LEDs. Both technologies have already been commercialized, but are used for niche purposes so far. When they become cheaper and fully developed, both laser diodes and OLED could be more than twice as efficient (measured as lumens per watt) than LEDs on the market now.

Cooking: Gas vs. Electric

Several cities are moving to ban natural gas hookups in new construction, which would force cooking from electricity instead of gas. There are a lot of issues here, especially with cost, and there are also several differences in how dishes come out. Some chefs aren’t too happy with losing the gas option.

As for overall energy impact, if natural gas is the main source of electricity on a grid, then a switchover doesn’t seem like a good move. Why not just use natural gas directly for heat rather than converting it to electricity, then using the electricity for heat?

This is counterbalanced by the fact that electricity tends to be a more efficient energy carrier for delivering heat. A study in Korea finds that electric cooking has lower primary energy demand and lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, and this with a national electric grid that is about 80% fossil fuels.

I’m not sure I understand or fully buy the numbers in this study, and I will have to look further to be convinced. They find that induction cooking (electricity) has an efficiency of 74.9–77.6%, while gas has an efficiency of 30.2–41.7%. That’s good for electricity, but I don’t think it is good enough to get the primary energy savings that the paper claims, unless I am missing something.

[thequirkdetective]

Investigation 7 (24/7/2020): Navel Laser – Yuga Aoyama

Aoyama’s quirk is an interesting one, that I have been pondering for quite a while. On the surface it’s a simple power; being able to shine a large, wide laser beam from one’s bellybutton, but upon deeper inspection the quirk reveals itself as rather powerful, with enough energy in the beam to launch the user backwards[1]. So how much energy is a laser of those capabilities actually outputting?

The ability of the laser to propel Aoyama backwards is most likely the largest consumer of energy throughout the quirk’s many uses. The basic principle is the same as that of a rocket: accelerate an object in one direction, and you will accelerate in the opposite direction, at a rate proportional to the ratio of the object’s mass to your mass. The problem with this approach is that photons do not have any mass, since they travel at the speed of light. They do, however, still exert momentum, equal to Planck’s constant over the photon’s wavelength. Aoyama’s laser is blue, with a wavelength around 470nm, and so the momentum of each photon is 1.4x10-27kgm/s.

Usefully, Aoyama uses his quirk to move in a race, where we are given his precise time, and the distance travelled. Rather unhelpfully, it takes him two bursts to finish, and the bursts are unequal. Judging by the features of the building in the background, the first burst takes him 43m. When he hits the ground, Mina is about 7m behind him, and since she finishes in less than 5.51 seconds, we can assume she is running at a rather impressive 10m. This means she covers that 7m in 0.7 seconds, and the whole 43m in 4.3 seconds. Since Aoyama crashes down 0.7 seconds before, he covers the 43m in 3.6 seconds, his average velocity therefore being just under 12m/s. Assuming a constant acceleration, his initial velocity would be 0m/s, and his final velocity a rather swift 24m/s. This is reached in 3.6 seconds, so the acceleration given by the laser is 6.7m/s2.

Approximating Aoyama’s mass as 50kg, the momentum he needs is 335kgm/s. The number of photons required for this is 2.4x1029, emitted over 3.6 seconds, with a rate of 6.6x1028 photons per second. To figure out the power output of this laser, we need to multiply the number of photons released by the speed of light, then the Planck constant, then divide that total by the wavelength of light. This gives us a power output of 2.8x1010 watts, or 28 gigawatts. According to Doc Brown from Back to The Future, this is enough energy to travel back in time 25 times over. The Three Gorges Dam in China has the largest power output of any commercial power plant, at just over 2000MW. Aoyama’s laser, if powered solely by Three Gorges Dams, would need 12 to be fired at full power. To get an even better sense of scale, we can show the number of laser pointers Aoyama’s laser is equivalent to: if we lay out laser diodes, each 1x1mm, in a square, with the same power usage as Aoyama’s laser, each side would be over 2.3 million km on each side; 260 times the height of Mt. Everest or six times the distance from Earth to the Moon.

In fact, there is a laser 7000 times more powerful than Aoyama that is currently built and in operation. The Laser for Fast Ignition Experiments (LFEX) is used for fusion energy experiments, and draws 2 petawatts of power. However, it’s only ever fired for 1 trillionth of a second, leading to a total energy output of 2000 Joules. Although Aoyama has a lower power consumption, the total possible energy output is 14 million times greater.

There is no possible way for Aoyama to power the laser due to the eye-watering power consumption, so that must immediately be written off to fiction. So now Aoyama has a 28 Gigawatt laser that can be fired in 1 seconds bursts. What sort of uses does this device have?

Firstly, the laser has a radius of ~1/4m, so an cross sectional area of 0.2m2. Since Aoyama can fire the laser in 1 seconds bursts, he can, at any time, pump 28 gigajoules of energy into any 0.5m radius circular area, be it a tree, a building, or a passer-by. Lets say he point the laser at a large block of ice. How deep would the resulting hole be?

The ice reflects around 2/3rds of the light, meaning in 1 second it absorbs 18.7 gigawatts of energy. Adding together the latent heat of fusion and vaporization, and the specific heat capacity multiplied by 100, gives the amount of energy to melt 1kg of ice at 0°C, heat it to 100°C, and boil it, which comes in at 3008510 joules. Then, divide the energy output of the laser blast by this figure to get the mass of ice that can be vaporized by the laser (remembering to factor in reflection), to find that the laser can melt 3.1 tons of ice. Going back to our ice block example, the resultant hole from 1 second of laser exposure would be 17.2m deep, not taking into account the ice indirectly melted by the cloud of steam.

Now that strange example is figured out, we can take a look at the effects of the same exposure of a human body. The average specific heat capacity of a human is 3470J/kg°C. Assuming a 50kg student or villain took the full force of it across their whole body, they would be heated to 161,000°C, around 1/10th the surface of the sun.  This is of course assuming the student/villain stands there and absorbs all of the energy released. This is improbable, not least because they would be pushed backwards by the force of the light. Also, the laser is much more likely to vaporize a clean hole through them. However, the effects of acceleration, incredible amounts of heat, and a large hole vaporized through one’s torso would most likely lead to death. The problem arises when the careless misuse of the quirk leads to the laser shining on unwanted objects and people. The use of the laser as a method of movement in the 50m race is a good example.

The laser slowly loses efficacy with distance, as the light spreads out and is scattered in the air. Blue light is especially prone to scattering, which is the reason the sky is blue and sunsets are red. However, with a 28 gigawatt laser Rayleigh scattering is pretty insignificant, and the growth of the laser’s cross-section is based only on the focus of the laser. This means that the beam would still be immensely powerful when it met whatever obstacle first crossed its path; and in the case of the 50m race that obstacle would be a patch of woodland. The trees at the edge would be hit first and hardest, absorbing the brunt of the laser, heating up quickly and causing the sap in the wood to boil and expand, exploding the tree outward. This process is repeated a handful of times as the laser rips inwards, splinters and shards of burning wood flying outwards in all directions. Then, once the laser has lost significant energy to heating it would start to burn through a few more trees, setting them on fire and most likely causing a forest fire that burns down the whole patch of woodland.

In addition to woodland conservation, Aoyama’s laser has a few other applications, some that would undoubtedly pay much more than hero work, and would be much more beneficial to the world at large. Since Aoyama uses so much energy and does not need to eat the appropriate amount of carbohydrates (92 thousand slices of cake or 30 thousand servings of pasta) he can violate conservation of energy. With the right apparatus, this could create infinite energy to supply to the whole world, with enough to spare to create wormholes and travel back in time, allowing everyone to live in a post-scarcity utopia (a trait shared by Yaoyorozu, meaning there are now two students who could end world hunger forever but are instead just training to beat up petty criminals). In the short term, Aoyama could get a job in physics, replacing one of the incredible powerful lasers at one of the many fusion power research facilities and supplying 2000x the energy those lasers can, furthering fusion research and helping to create a fusion reactor to supply Japan with huge amounts of clean energy. Or he could look at being a power source for space ships. The idea of beaming energy to space ships and stations has been around for a while, the basic idea being firing a laser at a vessel, which then absorbs the energy with something akin to solar panels, but the issue has always been placing large enough lasers outside the atmosphere to prevent Rayleigh scattering and then finding a way of powering them. Aoyama could solve this problem by either being portable enough to be flown into space or the upper atmosphere and using his quirk there, or even just having a laser powerful enough to still supply enough power despite Rayleigh scattering. This could allow humanity to travel outwards to the stars with minimal need for batteries and no need for any energy generators, in turn meaning less fuel is needed for each vessel. Engines such as ionized xenon drives could be used to propel the ships using only electricity and lightweight xenon gas, making space flight cheaper than it has ever been.

Even in the hero business, Aoyama’s quirk could make quick work of any villain, vaporizing them in less than a second. In offensive capability Aoyama is near unmatched, and utilising mirrors could mean taking out multiple targets at once, or precisely targeting the laser to within millimetres. In fact Aoyama doesn’t even have to move, just fire his laser at a series of precisely calibrated mirrors and lenses, controlled electronically. Orbital mirrors could allow the neutralisation of targets from orbit, with a system similar to the Strategic Defence Initiative developed by the US in 1983, using a system of terrestrial lasers and orbital and ground-based mirrors to take down incoming ballistic missiles. Except this time the laser is much more powerful and created by a high-school student rather than a large nuclear detonation.

There’s not much to conclude about the quirk itself here, apart from the fact that Aoyama can, in spite of all known physics, produce a 28 gigawatt laser from his bellybutton with no side effects other than mild IBS. The practical applications of this laser are immense, and I am just scratching the surface of what this could be used for. However, the used seen in the anime are reckless, and would have caused untold damage and likely significant loss of life.

[1] Season 1 Episode 5: What I Can Do for Now

If you liked this investigation and want to have a say in the next one, then make sure to send a recommendation for which quirk I should investigate!

[waylonoxqk305]

Vaping With Pure Nicotine Salts

Tastes like crap, makes me really feel unwell really and also I simply can not even do it. Like having to breath while under water, If only I never when swiming. If smoking cigarettes can eliminate as effectivly as heroin, most of us would certainly have no doubt never ever attempted it, and the Gooberment would certainly have disallowed it at some time. It can also be because of the caramelized substance in your coils building up as well as causing your liquid to have a darker color. With all of that being claimed, there shouldn't be anything incorrect vaping it besides the slight change of preference. Based on the specifications you have informed me, you need to be fine. I would certainly play around with the settings as well as see to it you find a happy medium so you do not get nic unwell.

I have actually been vaping over 3 years as well as currently utilize a Kanger subtank, solitary coil rba deck, construct coils that balance concerning 1.2 Ohms as well as vape at anywhere from Watts. Have constantly vaped mouth to lung, never ever been a cloud chaser. I definitely do not wish to return to smoking and would like to discover the salt nic juices to see if they will certainly assist me stay clear of the cancer-sticks. I have not tried blending normal vape juice with nic salts, but there's absolutely nothing that I see would certainly be incorrect with it. It may take some exploring to see what proportion would function. The only concern I see would certainly be seeing what a greater VG proportion (reg e-juice) would certainly perform in a salt mod concerning taste and also cartridge life. Speaking from individual experience, it is hard to locate the perfect setup of just how much you require to vape to give up the nicotine habit.

What Is A Nic Salt?

The solution to whether you can vape nic salts in a mod produced regular e-liquid vaping is more complicated than a simple yes or no. Technically, you can make use of nic salts in any kind of mod made for vaporizing e-liquids, whether specifically developed for freebase nicotine or otherwise. That is not typically suggested, nonetheless, as common vapor cigarette devices that are larger and a lot more effective may provide excessively solid doses of nicotine when used to vape nic salts. The tool made use of to vape nic salts is called a nic salt shuck. They resemble standard vaping mods utilized to vape various other e-liquids, except that they operate at a much reduced wattage. Due to the fact that these devices are generally smaller, they usually hold much less vape juice (i.e., nic salts), and typically have a much shorter battery life. To address your question, among the key factor pure nicotine salt is ending up being popular is that nic salts minimize what vapers call a nic bite.

Pure nicotine salts use high pure nicotine staminas such as 50 mg nicotine levels compared to the common 3 or 6 mg in regular e-juices. Low electrical power gadgets are ideal for pure nicotine salt because you do not require to consume as much vapor to obtain the very same amount of pure nicotine in a high powered gadget. Pure nicotine salts are not advised for sub-ohm high-powered devicesbecause of the higher nicotine levels in nic salts.

You can have a much greater pure nicotine toughness and it won't be as extreme.

Juice Man on the internet vape shop is popular amongst the vaper area as being among the very best vapor stores on the net.

This pure nicotine type utilizes a nicotine that is a mix of nicotine and also one more natural part.

V-God SaltNic-- Vape God is among the best e-juice makers on the market.

This time around, they're bringing an extremely smooth hit with fresh watermelon flavor with the V-God SaltNic Luscious.

The development of pure nicotine salt is achieved by tactically instilling certain acids to freebase pure nicotine. What this does is reduce the PH degree of the nicotine solution, causing much less irritability. Meaning you can vape higher pure nicotine salt staminas without that harsh throat hit.

Just How Does Nic Salt Influence E.

There are many pure nicotine salt makers creating brand-new flavors every single day. Nevertheless, several existing vape juice companies such as Naked 100 have recreated much of their top-selling vape juices right into salt nic juice alternatives. Take a look at ourbest pure nicotine salt flavor referrals to see which tastes our vape juice taste professionals suggest. Generally, as a rule of thumb, the greater the salt nic toughness, the higher your resistance level should be. Most skin mod vapers find that somewhere between 1.0 and also 1.4 ohms is the sweet area when it pertains to 50mg salt nic e-liquids. For the most part, anything lower will certainly lead to a charred taste as well as harsh feeling, as well as anything higher will certainly produce extremely little vapor, and also a weak pure nicotine hit. Juice Guy online vape store markets over 1,000+ vape brands and also items.

An additional active ingredient in nic salt, benzoic acid, is still under evaluation to identify its toxicity. Studies have reported that as soon as benzoic acid is breathed in has triggered coughing. Some people are likewise allergic to this ingredient which has also created worry. Not just are the devices low profile as well as streamlined, the majority of the reduced wattage tools are autofire definition you only get vapor when you inhale it. This makes it an user-friendly gadget for any kind of cigarette smokers who are new to vaping without the financial investment in figuring just how every one of the existing devices function. To put simply, it's not the most reliable method to provide pure nicotine to your body contrasted to the de-protonated freebase form.

It is strongly recommended to avoid making use of high powered gadgets to vape salt pure nicotine. Utilizing sub-ohms to vape salt pure nicotine at 50 mg nic levels will certainly give you extreme amounts of pure nicotine and also would certainly be rather undesirable. If you're a pack a day cigarette smoker, I would certainly suggest mg pure nicotine salt e-juice. You can most definitely try 25 mg nic salt yet you might not find it as pleasing and also you may eat extra juice contrasted to a greater pure nicotine toughness. I was smoking 2.5 packs a day prior to switching over to vape then dropped to 2 with vaping freebase juice. Then 1 pack a day with 25mg salts now I'm down to much less than half a pack with 45mg salts and I like vaping to cigs now.

[atrainernamedradish]

Top 10 Least Favorite Pokemon

You know what’s harder than making a top favorites list? A least favorite one. I was particular about this list because I wanted my own personal opinion on the matter instead of adding to the echo chamber that can be the fandom’s. I don’t hate these Pokemon. These are the ones I care for the least. Also, the placements kept changing for this list, but I feel like I finally put everyone on here in the right order now.

10) Whismur Line

The only reason this line is the Normal typing is because Game Freak hasn’t made the Sound typing official. Hell, Electric, or even Steel, would have made more sense. But nope we got these weird fleshy sound-based things that I’m never excited to see.

9) Greedent

I take back everything I said about Diggersby (still wished it didn’t have the belching model cry though), and I’m directing that towards Greedent. It looks like your typical fat, lazy, and not particularly bright cartoon character. Almost feel like they were a bit lazy in this design. Like… they could have done something more, or less since it’s large enough. I feel like Game Freak is trying to recreate a likeness to Snorlax, since it’s the poster child for obese Pokemon, but keeps falling short by giving us the ugliest designs. We don’t need more fat normal types. We’ve got plenty.

8) Electrode

Hey guys, let’s make this Pokeball based Pokemon flip upside down, make it less pissed off and call it an evolution! Also, it’s going to be crazy fast as well explode, most likely killing anything nearby, because why the fuck not? Boring and dangerous… what a match made in hell for a design!

7) Pheromosa

It’s an almost 7 foot tall sentient cockroach with legendary stats. Nope. Just nope. *flees*

6) Grimmsnarl Line

I have been disappointed with this evolutionary line since seeing the leaks of Impidimp. I know a lot of Faerie lore and it ticks me off that they chose a Goddamn Goblin for the first Dark/Fairy type. Also, and I know not all Faeries are cute and cuddly, but why does Game Freak keep trying to sneak in ugly Fairy types? About 95% of the Fairy typing has a cute or pleasing ascetic. That’s one of its themes, that and trying to throw pink on everything, so why give us this ugly line?

The only indicator of this thing remotely being Fairy typing at a glance is that it’s pink. I would have never gotten Fairy otherwise from it. Goblins might be in Faerie Tales, but they aren’t Faeries.

The only one in this line that remotely gives off the Dark typing to me is Morgrem. The other two not so much. Putting black on a Pokemon is maybe another indicator of the Dark typing, but even then it ain’t helping…?

Overall to me this thing is goofy to ugly looking with its design and typing a complete mess. It irritates me that our first combination of Fairy and Dark is this line…

Also, using it in a playthrough and it pisses me off that I’m not getting a Fairy move until it reaches its final evolution! That’s if I don’t want to grind up watt points in the Wild Area for a Fairy TR, or beat Opal before getting said evolution!

5) Shiinotic

Fairy typing makes sense for Morelull when you realize what it’s based on. Hell, even Ghost does. But Shiinotic? I don’t care if mushrooms are a big thing in Faerie Culture. You can’t just design some ugly ass alien mushroom hybrid then slap the Fairy typing on it because of mushrooms or lore from a pre evolution! While we’re at it let’s make the Amoongus and Breloom line Fairies too!

Morelull should have been a single stage line. It would have made sense. But no. They just wanted to make an ugly Fairy type just to prove they could say: “hey fandom I know you’re sick of all the cute and pink Fairy types so here’s an ugly one to change things up!”

And don’t get me *started* on that ugly ass shiny! Game Freak: bright yellow and muddy browns are a terrible color combination! Guess why?

4) Spinda

You know how I praised Alcremie for having multiple forms because of what it was and why it made sense for it? Well I have the opposite opinion regarding Spinda.

If I didn’t believe in the golden rule of everyone having a favorite of each Pokemon then I’d very much assume this thing wasn’t liked by anyone.

Everything about its design annoys me. Why is it a panda? And before anyone tries to tell me otherwise, it’s in its American/English name. Why is it in a constant state of vertigo? I literally was trying to think of a typing it would be better off as instead of the Normal typing and none come to mind. So it’s normal because a) it’s an animal or b) because they needed to give it a typing and no other typing fit.

And out of ALL the Pokemon why does this one have an almost endless possibility of “forms”? This thing has got to be a living dex collector’s worst nightmare!

3) Archeops

This Pokemon is on here for pure personal reasons. Technically there are a few other Pokemon that I feel the same towards, but this one was the worst about it.

You know you have a stupid powerful stat as a non-psuedo legendary and legendary when you need an ability to nerf you. What’s worse is when you need a pretty bulky Pokemon to soak up the damage you reap before said ability does nerf you.

It was always Goddamn terrifying to run into this Pokemon in White 2. Not only was a good chunk of my team weak to Flying, but my Samurott couldn’t take more than one hit from it. Not to mention it didn’t do enough super effective damage to OHKO this thing. So I was never happy to run into this thing because I would only get out of the fight with a lot of collateral damage to my party!

This wasn’t the only Pokemon that was this fucking difficult to deal with in Unova. There is definitely a power imbalance in these games which made playing them a pain in the ass. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE Black 2 & White 2, but fuck me if this wasn’t my biggest issues with those games…

(Some of y'all are probably wondering about Slaking, and Slaking is actually easier to deal with thanks to its typing and ability readily triggering.)

2) Pelipper

This Pokemon was originally going to be my least favorite Water type on my favorite and least favorite typings lists, but I think its placement on this list suits it better.

I honestly don’t mind its pre-evolution Wingull. Wingull is kinda cute. Wonder Trade had me groaning every time I saw one, but that was more the player’s fault than anything.

Pelipper is just such a poorly designed Pokemon. Like, what were they thinking when they essentially fused the beak and stomach together? How can this thing carry its front heavy, well front? I assume it can handle all of that weight being airborne since I doubt it can get around any other way with its stubby little feet.

Then they gave it the Drizzle ability and suddenly people give a shit about its ugly ass…

The only time I’ve “willingly” used one was in my Wonderlocke, which was only due to the fact that I was in dire need of a water type, and I'll tell you that right now that I didn’t want to resort to using it. I’m pretty sure it died at the very end in the Champion battle… wasn’t all that sad to lose it if I’m being honest.

This isn’t just reserved for this Pokemon, but I absolutely hate the dual typing of Water/Flying. Nothing says “throw a rock at me” more than this typing combination. 

Overall I just don’t like anything about this Pokemon.

1) Greninja

This Pokemon used to be a lot lower on this list, but as I mentioned right before the list that the order changed as I was making it. I can promise you that this Pokemon isn’t on here because of how popular it is (there are others that would be on here if that was the case). There are many other reasons I will go over as to why this one is on the list.

The first is my experience using a basic one in XY. It’s learn set of moves is terrible, and that’s because it learns a lot of physical moves despite having a much better Special Attack. When I thought about the aspects of a ninja’s special attack being higher than physical it made much more sense. It had little to no options for Dark type moves with one of the best moves for it not being available till you’ve gotten the 8th badge for Waterfall. Greninja was the weakest member of my team with my Aromatisse putting in much more work than it! If Greninja is not competitively trained as well as has any of its hidden abilities then it’s not really that useful. I kept the one from that playthrough because I don’t have the heart to release it or get rid of it…

The second is its design. I very much don’t care for it (its tongue scarf is gross!). Its middle evolution looks so much better to me, and it made me sad evolving it into this ugly thing…

The third is its typing. I’ve had some time to think about it and I’ve wondered to myself: why is Greninja a Dark type? Thinking of the history, and to some extent the mythology of ninjas, nothing screams Dark type to me. I’m also taking into account of Dark being Evil in Japan, and nothing about ninja inherently screams Evil or Dark typing. Then I found myself thinking about its other typing in Water which brought me to the conclusion that the only reason Greninja is a Water type is for two reasons: 1) It’s a starter and 2) it’s a frog.

So you’re probably thinking by this point: “well Radish if you don’t like its typings then what would you change them to?” Unfortunately, I’d keep Water since it’s not the only Pokemon to have a typing based on the animal it is (looking at you Poliwag line!). Dark typing would be replaced with Ghost since ninjas in their lore and mythology can traverse and interact with the spiritual world.

I will address the elephant in the room for my closing thoughts on this Pokemon: Greninja and the fandom. I wholeheartedly believe that if Greninja didn’t have the hidden abilities that it did that it wouldn’t be as favored as it is among the fanbase. As someone who used a basic ability one in hopes of giving it a chance I was greatly disappointed, and didn’t understand why this Pokemon was so popular. That’s why I feel as though the competitive scene is where it has gotten all of its fame from. People give Charizard so much shit for being overrated but do they for Greninja? (Not a big fan of Charizard for those who wanna accuse me as such.)