Masters and Students, Sculpture in Stone

I was invited to show, that's my piece in the center, "Cro-magnon Mercury", 25" high, 25" long, about 100 pounds of marble on a 48" high stand, it's in a prominent place in the gallery, I'm real happy about that.  Most of the pieces in the show are real good quality and some are very creative.  I will try to get some better pictures in a few days, close up of the eyes, I get a lot of comments on them.

fossil fuel screwed us again.

Today in oil trading once again it crossed $100 a barrel, to 100.32.  Following 5 years of drill everything you can policy we are a major oil producer and prices are up, again, not down as we have been told.  At the same time cars are driving less and getting higher mileage.  Supply and demand doesn't work in a oligarch economy.  There packing it in ships and sending it overseas, our cheap oil will never happen.

Currently gas prices are down, that won't last long.  If you are shopping for a car, pay attention to the mpg.  Oh, a group did a study of a Volt, total purchase cost, tax, insurance,  fuel and electricity, rebates, credits, repairs, on a 13,000 mile year the cost comes out less than any other car on the market.

Wind turbines ordered, the rich lose one.

10 years or more of law suits and crooked publicity, Gov. Romney way back when he was gov., Congressmen and even Senator Ted Kennedy trying to stop it may have come to an end yesterday.  Cape Wind ordered over 100 turbines to supply over 200,000 east coast homes with power, at a much lower price than they pay now.  A couple hundred of the richest families in the nation, owners of Cape Cod mega mansions fought this, and still have court cases pending, but all approvals are met, and the turbines and construction contracts signed.  Placed beyond 5 miles of shore, the few that will be seen can be blocked from view by your thumb with your arm extended.  Almost no public access is available in the area, only these mansions may see them on clear days, fog, haze and rain will obscure them completely many days.  Among the losers count one of the Koch's homes.

Christmas eve green shine

The last few days have seen hugh numbers of wind turbines ordered all over the world.  In the US Iowa is the leader placing about 300 448 on order a few days ago from Siemens.  The Siemens nacelle (the big box on top holding the turbine) plant near my home will be very busy the next 16 months.  Iowa's energy is 20% renewable, will be 50% by 2020.

This week natural gas prices surged suddenly even though their is a glut on the market.  This bodes well for solar and wind, both sell energy at flat prices for 10 or 20 year periods.  Uncertainty in coal and natural gas costs are exactly what utilities are running from.

2,500 earthquakes in Oklahoma so far this year, almost all epicenters are in fracking areas.  5 years ago Oklahoma had only a few shakers a year.  South central Kansas started fracking 3 years ago, never had the epicenters within that area until the last few months they had several dozen in the 4 to 4.5 severity range, plaster crackers.

Germany yesterday announced 2 more coal plants closing.  Through insulation, conservation and a boom in solar panels on homes and shops energy demand fell 17% in one year.  Their energy prices are actually falling, making them more competitive as a business center.

Jan 1 will be the end of importing 40 and 60 watt old style bulbs.  Manufacturing of them in the US stopped last year.  Warehoused stocks may linger for a year or two in some markets.  Lots of nations have also outlawed these 2 bulbs, world few manufacturers of them remain.  I read a few days ago if every house in the US replaced just one of these with a CFL or LED we could close 2 jumbo coal fired plants immediately.  Now it's inevitable.

Happy Festivus

Bon Nadal i un Feliç Any Nou!

Auguri di un Buon Natale ed un Felice Anno Nuovo
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein sehr gutes neues Jahr
Joyeux Noël et Meilleurs Voeux
Feliz navidad y próspero año Nuevo !

Bom Natal e Feliz Ano Novo

С Рождеством и Новым годом

聖誕快樂，新年快樂

20 years to fix the last 15

did you ever have a snort in a van?

Maybe you was raised on weaker stuff.