Something Random

[ddrueding]

I've been evaluating solar for the house, and one of the thoughts I had was to pull some of the DC off to drive DC things before converting the rest. From the technologies that are most cost effective at the moment, micro-inverters seem to be a leader. This of course eliminates any DC bus from the system.

 

[mubs]

Sigh, I'm not endorsing or justifying his views, only posted about it to illustrate that there are guys with such radical views. While I don;t agree with him, I respect him for pursuing his vision, however warped it may be.

Much has been talked about de-centralizing the power grid; local generation and local consumption, etc. This model can work both in the DC and AC worlds. In this particular instance, it's DC. His point is that AC gets converted to DC for powering your PC, charging your phone, etc, and it's more efficient to do it directly from DC generated by the solar panels. If de-centralization does take off in a big way, we might end up with DC to DC power supplies (modifying only the voltage) for all DC-driven devices in the home - PC, mobile, TV, etc.

Mubs: My central air unit uses more power than all of our TVs, phones, and computers combined. Converting it to DC would cost a fortune.
Distribution of DC is a nightmare. Thomas Edison tried it in NYC. He had to put a generating plant about every 5 blocks. His system failed.
There was a trolley system here many years ago that only went about 15 miles. There was a generating plant about every 4-5 miles.
Transformers don't work on DC. To boost the voltage for long range distribution would be very expensive and complicated. Easy way would be with motor-generators. Again very expensive and very high maintenance. And then you have to lower the voltage for consumer use
Cars had DC generators in them until the mid 1960s. They were replaced by AC alternators. Some of the alternators are now rated at 90 amps. A 90 amp generator would be the size of a small 4 cylinder motor.
DC is fine for a few things, but not for mass distribution.

Much has been talked about de-centralizing the power grid; local generation and local consumption, etc. This model can work both in the DC and AC worlds. In this particular instance, it's DC. His point is that AC gets converted to DC for powering your PC, charging your phone, etc, and it's more efficient to do it directly from DC generated by the solar panels. If de-centralization does take off in a big way, we might end up with DC to DC power supplies (modifying only the voltage) for all DC-driven devices in the home - PC, mobile, TV, etc.

Where did I say to run your Air Conditioning unit on DC? Is anybody even reading my posts in full?

 

[time]

Bozo's point was that it was irrelevant to worry about losses from DC-AC-DC conversions because it is a tiny part of a typical household's energy consumption.

Even if you do not have A/C, you would need to have all-gas cooking and hot water before the potential efficiency gains of DC-DC started to make sense.

 

[Howell]

I bet the first place you see this, if ever, is in a high rise condo structure in a big city. The ac will be converted at the building.

 

[sedrosken]

Local HS decided all my early college credit count for diddly-squat, so now I have to re-do my entire junior year and senior year. And I will have to take the ACT again with the rest of the juniors. Damn. It's a small consolation that they put me in all AP/Honors classes and that if I do worse on the ACT this year they automatically use my better score.

Also, second day of school and I'm out today because I couldn't stop puking this morning. I've been doing that alot lately actually, I used to be able to count on one hand the amount of times I've puked in a year. This year my stomach decided it wasn't going to take my abuse anymore, I guess. I'm just not sure what I'm doing wrong. Maybe I eat too much? It always starts out the same. I get a sour stomach, and not two hours later my insides are violently attempting to become my outsides.

Sometime later this school year they are going to TRY to force me to take a school-provided Chromebook (locked down to no end, I'm sure) and pay a fifty dollar fee to use it. I'm going to opt-out, even if it means they start sending packets-worth of work home with me because they refuse to simply email it to me like they would if I had taken the Chromebook in the event of snow days. I survived the early college program, I can take hours of homework every night if they want to play it that way. I have perfectly good computers at home with a stable (if somewhat slow) internet connection, and I refuse to be responsible for the damn thing if something does happen to it. They have desktops in the places I actually need a computer and paper/pencil if all else fails. I refuse to take the Chromebook and pay to use it. Not going to happen. Actually, it's not even me that would have to pay, it'd be my dad. I already talked to him about this and he told me he'd pay the fee if I decided that I did in fact need it.

It's kind of inception-y, seeing people I haven't been to school with in seven years and recognizing them so strongly but being unable to assign a name to the face. Or hearing the name and vaguely remembering it with a creeping sense of deja-vu. Such is life when you leave a district for so long and come back to it. Already found my best friend from 5th grade, he got held back in 6th grade so he's stuck in his junior year too. He's the same as ever but with a deeper voice because puberty. We have no classes together though.

At least my folding contributions are exponentially going up lately since installing the GT 730. I might actually break 1 million points by the end of this year, though I wouldn't be surprised if I don't.

 

[Stereodude]

Wait, school has started already?

 

[ddrueding]

The local public elementary started last Monday, my daughter's first day of school is next Monday.

 

[jtr1962]

I'm sorry to hear that, Sed. It's funny but I have an ongoing dream (nightmare?) where for some reason I end up back in high school. Don't know the exact reasons but I think it's something along the lines of the school retroactively telling me I never met the graduation requirements. It's totally weird because in my dream I'll be seeing some of the same people I went to school with. Even weirder is the school looks completely different, like a much larger, more futuristic version of itself straight out of the Star Trek era. I particularly recall a huge space, with huge sunlit windows, and a very long, wide staircase, more like something which might be at home in a big transit center, rather than a school. I wish I could remember more details. Another ongoing theme in this dream is I'm always futilely searching for my old girlfriend among the crowd, desperate to find her because there's only a few days of school left and she'll be gone for good after that.

I sometimes wonder if the dream is really my reality and what I think is my life in the early 21st century is the dream. I would honestly rather stay in this other place given the choice.

 

[LunarMist]

I sometimes had a recurring dream that I decided to go back to school and was taking advanced classes in subjects that I was not familiar with. I would do poorly and somehow the low grades would affect the GPA and degrees I got in the 80s, putting my job at risk.

 

[snowhiker]

I'm sorry to hear that, Sed. It's funny but I have an ongoing dream (nightmare?) where for some reason I end up back in high school.

Yeah that sux Sed. Maybe go the GED route and go right into a Jr College?

I've had a dream for a decade after I graduated college where I forgot to do some "tiny work assignment" for one class, I fail that class because of it and don't graduate.

 

[Stereodude]

Yeah that sux Sed. Maybe go the GED route and go right into a Jr College?

I've had a dream for a decade after I graduated college where I forgot to do some "tiny work assignment" for one class, I fail that class because of it and don't graduate.

Nope, nope, and nope. A GED is is scoffed at in comparison to a high school diploma.

 

[Mercutio]

Nope, nope, and nope. A GED is is scoffed at in comparison to a high school diploma.

If you qualify for early admission to university and actually obtain a degree, it doesn't matter.
I had completed all of my HS graduation requirements in the state of Indiana by the end of 10th grade, so I was pretty serious about trying to get out. My parents made me stay another year, but I was talking about getting into a GED program back then as well. It's a bargain from the standpoint of time investment, ESPECIALLY if the alternative is being held back for two years.

 

[Stereodude]

If you qualify for early admission to university and actually obtain a degree, it doesn't matter.
I had completed all of my HS graduation requirements in the state of Indiana by the end of 10th grade, so I was pretty serious about trying to get out. My parents made me stay another year, but I was talking about getting into a GED program back then as well. It's a bargain from the standpoint of time investment, ESPECIALLY if the alternative is being held back for two years.

It matters until you have your college degree. Also, you better get your college degree from a reputable school people have heard of, which will be harder with a GED than good grades from HS. People don't see GED and think, "This guy was too smart for HS". They think HS dropout.

 

[time]

They think HS dropout.

You mean a deadbeat like Thomas Edison (dropped out of school after 3 months),
Richard Branson (dropped out of school at 16),
Walt Disney (dropped out of school at 16),
Ingvar Kamprad (dropped out of school at 17, founded Ikea),
Simon Cowell (dropped out of school at 16, founded his own record label at 23),
Cornelius Vanderbilt (dropped out of school at 10),
Asa Candler (dropped out of school at 11, founded Coca Cola),
Milton Hershey (dropped out after fourth grade),
or Li Ka-shing (dropped out of school at 14, founded Cheung Kong Industries - now known as CK Hutchison, employs 250,000 people)?

There are too many billionaires to list who made it to college but then dropped out. The really obvious ones are Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg and Howard Hughes.

There's also a bunch of people who never went to school, such as Henry Ford, Ray Kroc (McDonalds), Mary Kay Ash, Coco Chanel, Andrew Carnegie, Mayer Amschel Rothschild and Frank Lloyd Wright.

 

[ddrueding]

You can also share your intentions with the counselors at your HS; they were willing to work with me and I was able to get out much earlier (Calc, Chem, and Physics simultaneously Jr. year, never attended Sr year, but no requirements were missed so I graduated anyway).

 

[Stereodude]

You mean a deadbeat like Thomas Edison (dropped out of school after 3 months),
Richard Branson (dropped out of school at 16),
Walt Disney (dropped out of school at 16),
Ingvar Kamprad (dropped out of school at 17, founded Ikea),
Simon Cowell (dropped out of school at 16, founded his own record label at 23),
Cornelius Vanderbilt (dropped out of school at 10),
Asa Candler (dropped out of school at 11, founded Coca Cola),
Milton Hershey (dropped out after fourth grade),
or Li Ka-shing (dropped out of school at 14, founded Cheung Kong Industries - now known as CK Hutchison, employs 250,000 people)?

There are too many billionaires to list who made it to college but then dropped out. The really obvious ones are Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg and Howard Hughes.

There's also a bunch of people who never went to school, such as Henry Ford, Ray Kroc (McDonalds), Mary Kay Ash, Coco Chanel, Andrew Carnegie, Mayer Amschel Rothschild and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Just cause you can find a handful or two exceptions to the rule doesn't mean most people should drop out of high school because it's a better path to a bright future. It would be like concluding most people would be better off dropping out of college because the few billionaires did.

Now you'll excuse me. I need to go buy some lottery tickets. There are winners all the time so buying tickets must be a good idea.

 

[ddrueding]

While I agree that the plural of anecdote isn't data, there are quite a few data points to contend with. While I will make sure that my child completes some amount of education beyond high school, it hasn't helped me at any point.

 

[Stereodude]

While I agree that the plural of anecdote isn't data, there are quite a few data points to contend with. While I will make sure that my child completes some amount of education beyond high school, it hasn't helped me at any point.

You're being overly generous with your characterization. Are the majority of billionaires college drop outs?

How about high school dropouts? Are they generally better off than those who graduated?

 

[ddrueding]

I absolutely agree that the average person, and the majority of people, would benefit from a high school and college diploma of the highest possible rank from the most prestigious possible school. However, there are people where this is not the case. The hazard lies in believing you understand your own situation well enough to self-evaluate that you are not with the majority or average. I did, my parents disagreed, and I was kicked out of the house immediately. I took on great personal risk at this point, and was fortunate to be correct and pull though.

This means that the issue is not whether one is better than the other, but how well a person can understand their own situation while they are in it.

 

[sedrosken]

Wait, school has started already?

Yes. Out here in Kentucky, there is no law that school has to wait until after labor day to start. They usually start sometime in mid-August, but technically they can let out in mid-June and make us come back three days later or something.


I'm still not sure what to do. I'm supposed to call the admissions office at UK sometime today and see what they have to say about it. I'm honestly a little more inclined to waste the time and finish out high school at this point, as BS as it is that they kicked me back down the stairs.

 

[sedrosken]

Rather off topic: I can get a Phenom II x6 1090T off Ebay for about a hundred dollars. Is it worth it or do I skip the upgrade next time I have the cash?

 

[Mercutio]

I'd wait. You have a decent PC now.

 

[sedrosken]

Ugh. So I only found this out because Linux actually USES all my memory (for caching) eventually but when it gets to a certain amount it just locks up. Windows always keeps RAM usage kind of low for me so I've never used enough that it locks up. Time to run memtest86+ and see which module is bad. It seems to be whatever one makes up the last 2GB. I can live with 6GB, but if I can find another 2GB module in my junk bin you can bet I'm going to put it in here.

 

[sedrosken]

So I'm down to 5GB RAM (2x2GB, 1x1GB)right now. I'm going to see if I can scrounge up enough money for a 2x2GB kit as while 8GB is more than enough and 6GB is just about enough, any less than that and I start to feel really cramped, esp. under Windows.

Memtest froze twice at the same spot and it seems to REALLY hate my two Kingston modules. Makes a bit of sense, as I pulled those out of a machine that reportedly died in a thunderstorm.

 

[Handruin]

I absolutely agree that the average person, and the majority of people, would benefit from a high school and college diploma of the highest possible rank from the most prestigious possible school. However, there are people where this is not the case. The hazard lies in believing you understand your own situation well enough to self-evaluate that you are not with the majority or average. I did, my parents disagreed, and I was kicked out of the house immediately. I took on great personal risk at this point, and was fortunate to be correct and pull though.

This means that the issue is not whether one is better than the other, but how well a person can understand their own situation while they are in it.

There is also the possibility that given your situation of being kicked out that the stress and personal risk motivated you to the extreme to do well. This may not happen with other people.

 

[Handruin]

So I'm down to 5GB RAM (2x2GB, 1x1GB)right now. I'm going to see if I can scrounge up enough money for a 2x2GB kit as while 8GB is more than enough and 6GB is just about enough, any less than that and I start to feel really cramped, esp. under Windows.

Memtest froze twice at the same spot and it seems to REALLY hate my two Kingston modules. Makes a bit of sense, as I pulled those out of a machine that reportedly died in a thunderstorm.

I have a pack of used G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3 1600 2 x 2GB - F3-12800CL9D-4GBXL (CL9-9-9-24 @ 1.5V) that I'm no longer using. It's basically this memory kit. Is it of any interest to you?

 

[sedrosken]

I would, Handruin, but I'm using a slimline case so the heatsinks on Ripjaws create clearance issues for me. My DVD drive is sitting right over the memory. Normal profile memory does work alright, but heatsinks push the envelope a bit too far.

 

[Mercutio]

I can probably hook you up, sed. I have a bunch of 4GB sticks sitting around.

 

[sedrosken]

I may have to take a raincheck on that, good sir. I am as broke as broke gets. In fact I'm actually pretty sure I owe money to someone.

 

[Handruin]

Bummer they won't fit. I don't have any lower profile ones I could send to you.

 

[Mercutio]

I wasn't asking for money either.

 

[sedrosken]

No, but I was assuming you'd have me cover the cost of shipping.

 

[LunarMist]

Bummer they won't fit. I don't have any lower profile ones I could send to you.

I would not be messsing with body panels either, especially on a vehicle that is for basic transportation/work. Let the old wreck go and move on.

 

[Handruin]

I would not be messsing with body panels either, especially on a vehicle that is for basic transportation/work. Let the old wreck go and move on.

I was referring to DIMMs to send sed, not car body panels.

 

[LunarMist]

I meant Merc's Honda Element. I'm not sure how it is in this thread. :crap:

 

[ddrueding]

Just freaked out the FedEx guy. Came in with a tiny (CD) envelope for me that was COD for $103,672.49

Not sure why our new accounting company wanted us to pay for the software that way, but whatever.

 

[Stereodude]

Did you pay him in singles?

 

[LunarMist]

Money laundering?

 

[ddrueding]

Just a company check, no big deal except for the amount. For that kind of total we could have easily wired the money, hell my AMEX could have taken it (but they'd be nuts to accept the 6% charge).

 

[sedrosken]

*looks at the dollar amount*

*looks again, more closely this time*

*cleans eyes, looks again with nose to monitor*

What the hell are you buying that costs that much?!