Rediscovering Timber Construction, and a Rambling Lemming

"Rethinking construction: introducing timber into our commercial buildings [video]"
Geraldine Chua, Architecture & Design (August 21, 2014)

"Following on from our series of articles looking at the possibilities and benefits of building with timber, we spoke to Rod Pindar, a principal at Fitzpatrick + Partners (F+P), about some of the work the practice is doing, with a focus on their Macquarie Park project.

" In this interview, Pindar shares why Australia's building and design industry will move towards mass timber construction (MTC) in coming years even though it has a long way to go.

" 'We think it's important that the knowledge of timber is out there and freely available,' he says.

" 'We'd like to see buildings get built in timber, we'd like to see multi-storey commercial buildings built in particular. We know CLT has been proven in the residential market and that will continue to grow, but the commercial market really is the tough nut to crack.'..."

"CLT?" That could mean Charlotte Douglas International Airport; Chile Standard Time; or the Oprah Winfrey Network, a Canadian TV channel that's now called Canadian Learning Television.

None of those make sense in this context, so the Lemming figures that Geraldine Chua means cross laminated timber, or glulam. It's plywood, only different: apparently.

Most readers of Architecture & Design might see "CLT" and immediately think Cross Laminated Timber. Then again, they might not. Surely the Lemming isn't the only reader whose interests span more than one specialty.

Acronyms, Pronoun Trouble, and a Latvian Bridge

Acronyms are useful when all readers realize what, say, ACK, BLS, CALABARZON, DTs, or ead. mean — and gibberish when they don't.

It's the acronyms that are gibberish for autochthons marginalized from the requisite cognoscente. And that's another topic. Topics.

The Lemming applauds Pindar on realizing that timber, in fact, actually does grow on trees: and was used by humans in the construction of large structures long before other traditional products like steel, fiberglass, or prestressed concrete.

There's a reason why timber isn't used in skyscrapers or long suspension bridges. Short ones — that's yet another topic.


(From Igors Jefimovs, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
(A suspension bridge in Ozolnieki, Latvia: photo by Igors Jefimovs.)

Very-nearly-related posts:

• "London: Holborn Overhaul and De-Fencing the Street"
  (April 4, 2014)
• "Sochi, Winter Olympics, Lint, and a Rambling Lemming"
  (February 7, 2014)
• "Chicago, City of Lights: Maybe"
  (January 24, 2014)
• "Chengdu's Huge New Mall, and a Musing Lemming"
  (August 30, 2013)
• "Javits Center: Green, Then Gone"
  (January 25, 2012)

Chicago, City of Lights: Maybe

(City of Chicago, via Archinect News, used w/o permission.)

"A bright idea: City aims to light up architecture to boost tourism"
Fran Spielman, Chicago Sun-Times.com (January 22, 2014)

"Chicago would be turned into a Midwest version of Paris — La Ville Lumiere, the City of Light — under a mayoral plan showcased Wednesday to boost tourism by spotlighting the city's architectural wonders.

"Even as his Infrastructure Trust launches a $13 million plan to make 60 government buildings more energy-efficient, Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to use a spectacular citywide light show to accomplish a new and 10 percent higher goal of attracting 55 million annual visitors by 2020.

"It will start with an 'international design competition' that invites teams of artists, architects, engineers and designers to envision ways to light up Chicago's 'buildings, parks, roads and open spaces.'..."

If this works, Chicago will look different in a few years. That'll probably upset purists of the architectural and economic sort.

As long as Chicago city planners don't try to make the city a Paris knockoff, the Lemming doesn't see a problem.

Dubai has become famous for architecture that's innovative, bizarre, or garish: depending on your point of view. Seeing folks build an indoor ski resort with resident penguins doesn't bother the Lemming a bit: and neither does an ultra-high-end hotel shaped like an arabian sailboat.

It doesn't hurt, in the Lemming's eyes, that Burj Al Arab's over-the-top decor gives tightly-wound architecture critics fits.

Getting back to Chicago, the Lemming expects that the usual suspects will get conniptions over the dreadful waste and extravagance of lighting up some of North America's most spectacular buildings. They might have a point, if the city lights up with old-style incandescent bulbs.

In the Lemming's opinion, that's about as likely as La Ville Lumiere by Lake Michigan using Yablochkov candles, and that's another topic.

Other folks, the Lemming included, will sit back; enjoy the show; and hope that Chicago attracts more tourists and investors with this makeover.

Vaguely-related posts:

• "Santa Monica Place, Famous Architects, and Why Minnesota Malls Have Roofs"
  (May 2, 2012)
• "Multimedia at the Symphony, and Skateboarding Meets Opera"
  (April 11, 2012)
• "Here's Looking At You: Chicago Gets the Eye"
  (July 4, 2010)
• "Fairy Castle in Museum of Science and Industry"
  (March 28, 2010)
• "Burj Dubai: Record-Setting Superscraper Opens Today - With the Usual Complaints"
  (January 4, 2010)

Chengdu's Huge New Mall, and a Musing Lemming

(From ETGCN, via International Business Times, used w/o permission.)
"Inside the shopping area of the New Century Global Center."

"World's Largest Building, New Century Global Center, Opens In Chengdu, China"
Mark Johanson, International Business Times (July 01 2013)

"Whenever you're talking about the world's biggest, largest, tallest or fastest, chances are China is somehow involved. After all, the People's Republic boasts the world's biggest shopping mall and museum, tallest statue and highest observation deck, among other superlatives. And, as of this week, you can add the world's largest freestanding building to the growing list.

"The New Century Global Center in Chengdu, in Sichuan in western China, is so big that it's got its own artificial sun. Indeed, at 500 meters (1,640 feet) long, 400 meters (1,310 feet) wide and 100 meters (325 feet) high, it's massive enough to hold 20 Sydney Opera Houses or three Pentagons, according to local authorities.

"Of course, you won't find any Sydney Opera Houses or Pentagons inside this 1.76 million-square-meter (18.94 million-square-foot) space. The colossal structure, which opened June 28 under the management of Exhibition and Travel Group, is like an enclosed town, with businesses, offices, shopping malls, theaters, two five-star hotels, a skating rink and even a water park called Paradise Island with an “indoor beach.” The New Century Global Center also boasts a faux Mediterranean village, following the bizarre trend in China for copycat European towns...."

Mark Johanson's article is fairly upbeat, which is just as well since it's in IBT's Media & Culture/Travel section. When was the last time you read something unglowing in that a 'places to go' publication?

That said, the Lemming's impressed with Chengdu's new shopping mall. It's not just big: architects did a good job of making it look good. In the Lemming's opinion.

Where Chengdu's new shopping mall goes in lists of 'world's biggest shopping malls' will depend on who makes the list. Minnesota's Mall of America is 23rd in a 'biggest shopping malls' list on Wikipedia.

That's because whoever put the list together didn't count an amusement park that's inside the mall. Credit where credit is due: there's a notation that the Mall of America would be #11 on the list, if all the interior space counted.

The West Edmonton Mall, several hours north and west of the Lemming, is big, too: and was the biggest in the world until 2004. These days the really big shopping malls are in Asia and the southwestern Pacific, and that's almost another topic.

Marine Theme for an Inland Mall, and Smog

(From ETGCN, via International Business Times, used w/o permission.)
"The hotel rooms are seen in the New Century Global Center."

"The exterior of the new mega-structure is shaped like a wave, while the interior has a marine theme, despite the fact that the nearest ocean is some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away. The Japanese-designed artificial sun, meanwhile, will shine 24 hours a day and offer a welcome respite from the thick smog that typically blankets Chengdu's streets.

"The building forms the centerpiece of a recently developed area known as Tainfu New District on the outskirts of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. Like many Chinese megacities, this hub of 14 million is rapidly expanding, with a growing subway system and a new airport planned for 2020.

"Officials had hoped to have the New Century Global Center completed in time for a global forum hosted by the U.S. magazine Fortune that brought presidents and CEOs of some of the world's largest companies to the city for two days in early June. That didn't pan out, but the government isn't shy about its desire for Chengdu to become the economic capital of western China. Chengdu's GDP reached 800 billion RMB ($130.48 billion) by the end of 2012, according to state media, ranking it third among China's sub-provincial cities...."
(Mark Johanson, International Business Times)

"Not shy" is a pretty good way to describe a promotional video the Lemming found. The audio isn't distorted, but you might want to turn the volume down before playing it:

• "The largest building in the world: New Century Global Center in Chengdu"
  GoChengdoo, YouTube
  video, 17:51

Chengdu probably does have smog. China has been running its industrial and commercial development in fast-forward, and may better air-quality standards in a few years. Then again, maybe not.

The Lemming decided to settle outside metropolitan areas, partly because the air is cleaner out here. Most of the time, anyway. Now and then a manure pit's turned when the wind is just right, and a very organic fragrance permeates the Lemming's abode. More topics.

Another View of a Smoggy, Phoney,  . . . You Get the Idea

(From STR/AFP/Getty Images, via CNET, used w/o pemission.)
"The New Century Global Center (top) looms over the Export-Import Bank of China in Chengdu, in southwest China's Sichuan province."
"China opens city-sized shopping mall, with fake sun"
Tim Hornyak, CNET (July 3, 2013)

" The international tallest building arms race has been dominated by Dubai, with its Burj Khalifa, for several years, but China has upped the ante by unveiling what it calls the world's largest building.

"The New Century Global Center building opened recently in Chengu, a city of more than 14 million people in southwest China's Sichuan province. It's described as 'the world's largest standalone structure' by Chinese officials and is 328 feet high, 1,640 feet long, and 1,312 feet wide.

"While Boeing's plant in Everett, Wash., is the world's biggest building by volume, the Chinese mall seems to be tops in floor space. Almost the area of Monaco, its 420 acres of floor space could fit nearly three Pentagons, four Vatican Cities, or 20 Sydney Opera Houses.

"The cavernous structure will feature a mix of retail outlets, a 14-screen movie theater, a university complex, offices, hotels, a water park called Paradise Island, a skating rink that's big enough to host international competitions, a pirate ship, 15,000 parking spots, and even a fake Mediterranean village...."

Did the Lemming mention that the New Century Global Center is huge? That's a common denominator in these articles. Also the smog.

Given time, the Lemming thinks that China's leadership will get around to cleaning up their country's air. That's not just empty optimism. The powers that be over there seem to have decided that putting China back on the map for world commerce is a good idea.

If they don't know that folks notice smog now, they soon will. "Soon" by the Lemming's standards, anyway.

"Ersatzery?"

"...Oh, and there's an artificial beach, too.

"But the ersatzery doesn't stop there. While Chengdu's factories, which include a Foxconn plant that turns out Apple gizmos, regularly contribute to the city's smog problem, visitors will enjoy an artificial sun that gives off light and heat 24 hours a day and a 164-yard-long LED screen serving as a stand-in for the horizon...."

Tim Hornyak can't seem to get over the artificiality of Chengdu's new megabuilding.

Artificial light, air at a controlled temperature, and efforts to make indoors feel like outdoors doesn't bother the Lemming quite so much. But then, the Lemming lives in Minnesota, where water is a mineral for several months each year. "Artificial" and "habitable" are far from mutually incompatible here. Yet more topics.

Related posts:

• "Santa Monica Place, Famous Architects, and Why Minnesota Malls Have Roofs"
  (May 2, 2012)
• "Taipei 101: Shopping Center, Offices, and a 728-Ton Sculpture"
  (January 18, 2012)
• "Lemming Tracks: China, Internet Traffic, and Why It Matters"
  (November 18, 2010)
• "Wiggly Buildings and Other Weirdness"
  (September 13, 2010)
• "China Olympics and Algae: Bad News, Good News, Bad News"
  (July 3, 2008)

Microsoft, Windows, Internet Explorer, "Mere Anarchy is Loosed Upon the World," and All That

"Microsoft returning Windows to 'the digital dark ages'?"
FoxNews.com (May 10, 2012)

"The biggest lawsuit in Microsoft's history dominated the 90s, when the company battled accusations that it was stifling browser competition. Rival Netscape couldn't survive, but the Windows giant was ultimately forced to strip Internet Explorer from its operating system in a landmark ruling.

"That conflict may be brewing up again.

"Mozilla, the developer group behind the popular Firefox browser, argued Wednesday night that Firefox is being banned from certain versions of Windows 8, the forthcoming tablet-centric OS from Microsoft -- returning Windows users to the dark ages before competition.

" 'The upcoming release of Windows … and Microsoft's browser practices regarding Windows 8 Metro signal an unwelcome return to the digital dark ages where users and developers didn't have browser choices,” wrote Harvey Anderson, Mozilla general counsel, in a Wednesday night blog post...."

Hyperbole about "digital dark ages" aside, it looks like Microsoft's upcoming version of Windows will allow Microsoft's Internet Explorer to work on computers using Windows, along with most other browsers. Or, Microsoft's new version of Windows will let only Internet Explorer to work.

Either way, it'll be the fault of Big Bad Microsoft: for some folks.

Concerned, Yes: Worried, No

The Lemming is concerned about the latest claim that Microsoft is doing something stupid and self-destructive. The Lemming's computer uses Windows, and the Lemming uses Firefox for most Web browsing: and Chrome, mostly to let the Lemming's webcam talk to a free-with-ads display service.

If the next version of Windows, and subsequent versions, won't let anything but Internet Explorer function as a browser, the Lemming may decide that the next computer on the Lemming's desk will have another operating system.

It's the Lemming's considered opinion that quite a few folks may make that decision: which is why the Lemming is concerned, but not worried. Even if Microsoft decides to be daft: there are other options.

The Town of Hypothetical, West Dakota

Competition doesn't always feel good. Consider this hypothetical situation: Let's say you live somewhere that isn't like Los Angeles or New York City. A remarkable number of folks do, and that's another topic.

You run the only grocery in town: if folks want to buy at another grocer's, they'll have to drive 50 miles. You have to put fresh produce out occasionally, and be careful enough to keep the health inspector from closing you down: but apart from that, you don't have to worry about whether folks will buy your fuzzy fruit and glow-in-the-dark cold cuts.

Then: SOMEONE ELSE OPENS A GROCERY at the other end of town. With (really) fresh fruit, and meat that's not quite so thoroughly aged.

You've got a choice: improve your grocery, or go out of business.

Harsh as this may sound: everybody else in town might benefit from grocers competing with each other. And maybe the hypothetical 'you' with the fuzzy fruit might find indirect benefits in competition-induced improvements.

Who knows: your neighbors might even stop throwing rocks through your windows.

"Things Fall Apart:" A More Sophisticated, Literary, Approach to Unpleasantness

Maybe the Lemming is being unfair about this: but after a while these perennial complaints about big, bad, whatever gets tiresome.

It's like that fellow whose sole talent seems to be finding a dark lining in every sliver cloud; and whose greatest satisfaction is pulling defeat from the jaws of victory. For some reason, a sort of loquacious pessimism has been highly thought of in at least part of the literary world:

"...Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
"Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
"The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
"The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst
"Are full of passionate intensity...." (Yeats (1920))

That's not bad, actually. Gloomy, And not the sort of thing to take in large doses on an overcast day: but not bad.

Vaguely-related posts:

• "Google, Bing, Microsoft, 'Original' Work, and Getting a Grip" (February 2, 2011)
• "Microsoft; XP; Support; Marketing, Smart and Otherwise" (August 5, 2010)
• "Microsoft, Domains, Zombie Computers, and Spam" (February 26, 2010)
• "First Google Gmail Hack, now Windows Hole Announced" (January 21, 2010)
• "Lemming Tracks: The Zlob Worm and Related Malware Issues" (April 19, 2009)

It's (Fairly) Big; It's Pink: It's a Diamond

"Australia's largest rough pink diamond unearthed"
BBC News Asia (February 21, 2012)

"An Australian mining company says it has found a 12.76-carat pink diamond, the largest rough pink diamond found in the country.

"The rare diamond was found at Rio Tinto's Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia's East Kimberly region.

"Estimated to be worth millions, it has been named the Argyle Pink Jubilee, and is being cut and polished in Perth.

"It will be sold later this year after being shown around the world, including in New York and Hong Kong...."

'Big' is a relative term.

Compared to your average charcoal briquette, the Argyle Pink Jubilee isn't all that large.

From the photo, it looks like it's what - less than an inch across? Maybe a centimeter?

Compared to the sort of diamond most of us are likely to see? That thing is huge. Also very definitely pink.

A Delightfully Defective Diamond

According to diamonds-are-forever.org.uk, red, pink, or brown diamonds get their color from defects in their crystal lattice - something that happens when they're formed.

Pink diamonds are also quite rare - so folks like the sparkly rocks, even if they are 'defective,' and are willing to pay a whole lot of money for them.

Related(?) posts:

• "Quantum Entanglement, Diamonds, and New Information Storage Tech"
  (March 28, 2011)
• "Madoff Stuff Auctioned Off: Diamond Ring, Underwear"
  (November 14, 2010)
• "A Gem of an Idea for Father's Day"
  (June 18, 2010)
• "Diamonds: Ancient Crystals, New Speculation, and the Origin of Life"
  (July 28, 2008)
• "Teqila Diamonds?"
  (July 1, 2008)

Javits Center: Green, Then Gone

"Let's Raze Javits Center (but First Finish Renovations)"
Robin Pogrebin, (Thomas Kaplan contributed reporting) Art & Design, The New York Times (January 22, 2012)

"Part of architecture’s appeal, at least to architects, is posterity: the notion that what they design will last. So it came as something of a shock to the architect Bruce S. Fowle this month when he learned that a building he was renovating is already on death row.

"In his State of the State address on Jan. 4 Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced plans to demolish the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which Mr. Fowle has been working to repair and redesign for the past six years.

" 'The waste of creative energy, money and material that would result in its being torn down is painful to think about,' Mr. Fowle said during a walk through the center last week. 'When you’re worrying about every detail - trying to do the best you can to make something that represents the city - it’s like having the rug pulled out from under you.'..."

For every Parthenon that's built, there's a lot of buildings that get built for a reason, get used, and get torn down to make way for something else. looks like the Javits Center is in the latter category.

Too Small

"...Mr. Cuomo proposes replacing the Javits Center with private redevelopment that would include housing, hotels and museums, and selling or leasing the state-owned land to developers...."

"...'The day it opened it was outdated and already behind schedule,' he said in an interview with editors and writers for The New York Times last week, 'and other states had built larger facilities.'

"The Javits Center had been considered ripe for renovation almost since it opened in 1986 because it was too small for large trade shows and conventions, and many considered the dark-glass behemoth as an eyesore blocking views of the Hudson River.'..."
(The New York Times)

That 'eyesore' thing isn't a particularly good reason to tear down a building. If the Lemming's memory serves, folks were none-too-impressed with the Eiffel Tower. It was considered an eyesore when it was a tourist attraction at the 1889 Exposition Universelle. Which, despite its name, featured only exhibits from Earth. And that's another topic.

The point is, the Eiffel Tower went from eyesore to icon, and is one of those things you see on advertisements for French tourism. More topics.

A convention center that's not big enough to hold conventions? That's a problem.

Ideas: Good; Not-So-Good; and Green

The article says that government types got the idea to expand the Javits Center (good idea); and "hired a star architecture team" in 2005 to get the job done (not-so-good idea).

Maybe the Lemming's biased, but getting a "star architecture team" seems to make about as much sense as having a team of quarterbacks, or a movie with an 'all-star cast,' directed by the stars. The results could be entertaining: but this is architecture, not a glitteropolis production.

The "star architects" came up with an idea that would only cost about $1,500,000,000. That was in 2006. Their proposal would have been an improvement. Among other things, the available convention floorspace would have gone from under 800,000 square feet to over 1,0000,000,000.

Three governors and a reality check later, the project's cost was projected at around $3,000,000,000. And the project was scrapped.

Sort of. $190,000,000 got spent on the remake that's still going on, with another $150,000,000 to go before it's (supposed to be) completed in 2014.

Maybe it was money well-spent. Swapping out the building's dark glass for a clear variety, and adding a 'green' roof is supposed to boot energy efficiency by 25%. Maybe that's worth the $340,000,000-plus dollars spent, maybe not. The article doesn't say.

Considering that the Javits remake is slated for demolition after it's finished: the efficiency boost will have to save a whole lot of cash to be worthwhile.

"Not Wasted"

"...The state says these efforts have not been wasted, that they will be an important stopgap measure pending completion of a convention space in Queens...."
(The New York Times)

Part of that makes sense, to the Lemming.

Since the existing Javits Center was too small for today's conventions, and since conventions and trade shows are important economically: it made sense to expand the Javits Center. It would probably have made sense to upgrade the windows and add insulation while they were at it.

But a King-Kong-size, all-star, lalapaloozas of a green flapdoodle? Maybe not the best way to spend taxpayers' money.

Of course, the Lemming doesn't have enough information to have a sound opinion about the Javits remake's cost-effectiveness. And, not living anywhere near New York state, is a sort of backseat driver when it comes to offering advice.

Still: $340,000,000?!

Sort-of-related posts:

• "Citibank Card Data Hacked!! (but keep reading)"
  (June 9, 2011)
• "Massive House, Massive Foreclosure: Mansion for Sale in Laguna Beach"
  (September 19, 2010)
• "Rogers Centre / SkyDome, Toronto, Canada"
  (July 16, 2010)
• "The Varma Mansion: Revisited"
  (May 23, 2010)
• "Solar Trees Top (Some) California Parking Lots"
  (August 29, 2009)

Lemming Tracks: Toxic Light Bulbs For a Brighter Future

There's good news, and there's bad news. First, the good news.

Rejoice! Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs!!

"Old light bulbs fading, but what will replace them? "
Dave Gathman. The Courier-News (January 10, 2012)

"There's one trend we usually can count on in electrical equipment, from TV sets and radios to music players and telephones: As the years pass, it will become cheaper and cheaper, and more and more disposable.

"But as a five-year-old federal law takes effect this month, Americans may have to get used to just the opposite when it comes to the light bulb.

"The bulbs of the future will cost much more than the cheap, disposable incandescent bulbs we have been using since Thomas Edison figured out how to make one way back in 1879. But they also will last much longer - maybe even to the point of becoming built-in pieces of each lamp that last as long as the lamp does. And they will reduce our electric bills.

"On New Year's Day, the light-bulb business felt the first impact of the Energy Independence and Security Act, which had been passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007. The law was backed by an alliance of congressmen who wanted to reduce foreign energy imports and cut greenhouse gas emissions from making electricity...."

What joys! Thanks to the miracles of modern technology, and the Federal government, we'll soon pay a few cents less each month for electricity!! Oh, if only this glorious moment had come in warmer weather, so there could be dancing in the street!!!

Oh, wait: there was something in the third paragraph. "...The bulbs of the future will cost much more...."

That's the bad news.

What's Money to Congress?

"Government Phasing Out Incandescent Light Bulbs"
ktbs.com (January 2, 2012)

"Get ready to say goodbye to the incandescent light bulb and hello to a future lit only by energy efficient bulbs, like compact fluorescent light bulbs or CFLs.

"The new federal light bulb efficiency standards, sought by the Department of Energy, went into effect yesterday. The standards passed Congress with bipartisan approval and was signed by President Bush. These new standards mean the end of incandescent light bulbs.

"According to Energy Star, CFLs approved by them will use about 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 6 times longer, which should equal to energy savings for you and a cleaner environment. Home Depot employee Isham Smith, who goes by Smitty, said that CFLs can last 9 years or more.

"Home Depot will continue selling incandescent light bulbs, but only for as long as suppliers have them...."

"...The general cost of energy efficient bulbs can be frightening. Some of the bulbs at Home Depot can be nearly 50 dollars each. Smitty tells us that prices should go down as the bulbs become more popular and when manufacturers produce more of the bulbs...."

Okay: That's "...some...nearly 50 dollars each...." And Smitty's probably right. Today those fancy, toxic, expensive, high-tech lights are a sort of novelty item. With the government making everybody use them, economies of scale should kick in for the manufacturing process.

Which means that each fancy new light will cost less to make. Maybe enough different companies will be making them, so that competition will let prices get down to where folks can afford to have electric lights in their homes.

That would be nice.

On the other hand, the Lemming could claim that the ban on incandescent lights is some sort of conspiracy - and SOPA is an effort by Congress to silence folks who don't agree.

That would be silly. The Lemming thinks SOPA is a bad idea: but part of some conspiracy? Maybe involving space aliens and Elvis? Unlikely in the extreme.

Still - it sounds like Americans will be paying quite a bit more for lighting equipment. Because Congress wants us to.

Of course, it's for a good cause. As anyone who has seen "Captain Planet" knows, Mother Earth is threatened by evil forces. Like greedy developers and light bulbs.

Or, rather, the power plants that generate electricity that the light bulbs use.

Sense, Nonsense, and Congress

In the Lemming's opinion:

• Is using less electrical power per unit of lighting a good idea?
  • Yes
• Are new lighting gadgets more efficient?
  • Yes
• Will we benefit from using more energy-efficient lighting?
  • Eventually, yes
• Are Americans going to be paying more for light?
  • Yes
    • For quite a long time
  • Eventually, no
• Will this Congressional stunt have unintended consequences?
  • Yes

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs and Mercury: Oops

Acronyms are wonderful things, if you know what the mean. A CFL is a Compact Fluorescent Light bulb.

"...These efficient bulbs are not without problems. CFLs contain small amounts of mercury, but that can still be a hazard to the human body. All CFLs should be recycled to prevent mercury from reaching the environment. You can recycle the bulbs at your local Home Depot. Broken CFLs can be recycled, as well. You must handle and clean up after broken CFLS with extreme care...."
(ktbs.com)

Fear not, citizen! You, too, can clean up toxic waste!! ktbs.com helpfully supplied a link to an EPA page that tells folks how to clean up after a fluorescent lighting unit breaks. The ktbs.com link doesn't work, due to a little coding error, but this one does: "Cleaning Up a Broken CFL." (epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup.html)

The good news is that we won't need to buy hazmat suits when we pay for those fancy new bulbs. The bad news is that breaking one of the government's new gizmos creates a health hazard.

Then there's this item from that EPA instruction page: "...Air out the room for 5-10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor environment...."

Open a room for five or ten minutes? What's the big deal? This time of year, in central Minnesota, it's a tad chilly outside. Lowering a room's temperature to below freezing is better than breathing toxic fumes: but it's inconvenient at best.

Toxic Light Bulbs, Technology, and Getting a Grip

At this point, the Lemming could rant about

• The evils of
  • Technology and capitalistic greed
  • Big brother government
• Power plants that
  • Explode
  • Kill millions of people
  • All the time
• The wonders of
  • Technology
  • Congress
    • The wise
    • The benevolent
    • The far-seeing

Or, the Lemming could note that

• Saving energy seems to make sense
• The new gadgets are pricey
• Other lighting technologies may be safer
  • And available
    • Eventually

Meanwhile, the Lemming may have to replace a desk lamp that uses a slightly non-standard incandescent light bulb. And that's going to cost money, too.

Somewhat-related posts:

• " 'Carmageddon?' 'Never Mind!''"
  (July 17, 2011)
• "Fukushima, Japan: (Somewhat) Good News, Bad News"
  (March 19, 2011)
• "Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide Now! Or, Not"
  (January 3, 2011)
• "Saving the Environment Makes You Sick"
  (September 28, 2010)
• "Power Stations in Space: No Panacea; But No Kidding, Either"
  (December 2, 2009)

New Year's Eve Celebration, and How to Survive It

"New Year's Eve Survival Guide"
Karlie Pouliot, FoxNews.com (December 29, 2011)

"New Year's Eve is not only one of the biggest nights of the year – but it can also be one of the most expensive if you're not careful. Believe me, my husband and I have made our share of pricey mistakes in the past. Just a few years ago, we were ringing in the New Year with friends in New York City, and had plenty of “backup” cash at the beginning of the night, but that quickly changed after we got overly excited and ordered a few too many bottles of champagne.

"You know how it goes when everyone is feeling all festive. The drinks are flowing and so is the money.

"Mistake No. 1: Ordering a bottle of champagne without looking at the price on the menu...."

The article is a pretty good common-sense guide for folks who go out on the town on New Year's Eve. Some of the advice is economic: like the 'champagne' anecdote. Which reminds the Lemming of the old saying: "If you have to ask, you can't afford it."

Moving on.

The next item was about economics and pedicabs: "a tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling); used in the Orient for transporting passengers for hire." (Princeton's WordNet) It's a sort of next-generation rickshaw, and apparently it isn't 'demeaning' to earn a living with one these days. And that's another topic.

The rest is a sort of Q and A, done in collaboration with New York Magazine's nightlife editor, Vanita Salisbury. It gives advice on champagne, taxis, designated drivers, more champagne, wine, still more champagne, bars, dinner, hors d'oeuvres, and why you should carry lots of cash.

Drink - WATER?!

There's also, mercifully, this paragraph:

"...Remember to drink water. This serves three purposes: 1. You consume less booze, thereby spending less cash 2. You stay hydrated 3. You'll temper the massive hangover that will inevitably come the next day. You can find some tips for dealing with hangovers here...."

With respect to the long-standing tradition of getting bombed, boozed, buzzed, inebriated, loaded, looped, muddled, plastered, potted, sloppy, smashed, tanked, three sheets to the wind, and sincerely under the influence, on the night of December 31: the Lemming suggests that waking up with hairy eyeballs and a furry tongue may not be worth it.

There's the 'never touch the stuff' approach. And that old standby: know your limit, and stay under it. Designated drivers are a good idea, too. Nothing takes the shine off a celebration quite like ending up in a morgue.

The Lemming on New Year's Eve

On most New Year's Eves, the Lemming joins the noisy throng in New York City's Times Square, and watches the big Waterford crystal ball go down. Virtually joins the throng that is: via television.

It's a great deal less expensive, much less chilly, and probably as much fun as actually being there. For the Lemming. Quite a few folks seem to prefer being there, physically.

Apart from a virtual trip to the Big Apple, the Lemming may call up some recorded entertainment, sit back, and remember the will be that was. That would make a great title for a book: and did, back in 1987. And that's another topic.


Remembering the will be that was.

Related posts:

• "Hangovers: Prevention and 'Cures' "
  (January 1, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: Happy New Year, 2011!"
  (January 1, 2011)
• "Times Square, New York City, Big Waterford Crystal Ball and Lots of People"
  (January 1, 2009)
• "Auld Lang Syne: Thank You, Robert Burns"
  (December 31, 2008)
• "New Year Tech: New Lights Over Times Square"
  (December 30, 2007)

Ray Guns, Electric Cannons, and the Mind of the Lemming

Once in a while, the Lemming feels a need to explain just what's so "apathetic" about this blog. This is one of those times.

"...Apathy, of course, was anathema to the anguished campus activists of the sixties and seventies. The cultural pressure to care - deeply, passionately, hysterically - led to the slogan 'Apathy is Rampant, But Who Cares?' I still treasure the sight of those words, emblazoned on a bumper sticker. Or maybe it was in a magazine...."

"...Apathy can be defined as not caring about what is supposed to be important. What is considered important, and what's not, in America seems to be determined in the coastal cultures. Since my priorities don't even come close to the stereotype Starbucks-frequenting, Armani-wearing, New York Times reader, I must be 'apathetic.'..."

That page was written before the Lemming started writing quite so many posts in the third person: and that's another topic.

More about the Lemming, on a page called (what else?):

• "About the Lemming"

Now, here's why the Lemming thought it was time to say just what sort of "apathy" you're likely to see in this post.

"Sci-Fi Weapons," Budget Concerns, and Living in 'the Future'

"Railgun, Laser Weapon Lose Senate Funding, Face Uncertain Future"
FoxNews.com (June 20, 2011)

"The Navy's most futuristic weapons will remain more fi than sci.

"The Senate Armed Services Committee on Friday voted to eliminate funding for two of the Navy’s still-in-development guns: the free electron laser, essentially a super-powered death ray, and the railgun, which shoots bullets powered not by explosions, but by energy.

"The Navy had planned to incorporate these sci-fi weapons in a revamped fleet of the future, and asked for $60 million to continue research and development. Those plans may have to change, following the tersely worded cuts -- unveiled on Page 21 of a lengthy press release outlining the Senate's completion of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012...."

Don't misunderstand - the Lemming likes science fiction. The Lemming even enjoyed watching Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004).

On the other hand, the Lemming will be 60 years old this year: and has been living in "the future" for quite a while. It's not quite 'as advertised:' no flying cars or floating cities. Actually, we've had quite a few flying cars, but they never took off in the commercial sense.

Phrases like "sci-fi weapons" and "fleet of the future" remind the Lemming of the sort of "World of Tomorrow" future that folks may have taken seriously when Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon first appeared on the silver screen. Now that "silver screen" is used when someone wants to evoke nostalgia, a different sort of future seems to be in fashion. And that's almost another topic.

The point is that, although the Lemming enjoys alliteration, "fleet of the future" is emphatically not how the Lemming would describe something that was supposed to be taken seriously.

Electric cannons and ray guns? The Lemming's pretty sure that you'll find practical, level-headed folks who are convinced that those staples of (occasionally atrocious) science fiction stories are as much "science fiction" as spaceports. Of which America has about a half-dozen so far - and it's not just this country. Which is yet another topic.

Great Scott! These Things Work! QUICK!! CUT FUNDING!!! DO IT NOW!!!!

Back to that article:

"...'[The Act] directs the Navy to develop a broader affordable strategy on laser systems and terminates the Navy's free electron laser due to concerns over operational technical challenges. In addition, [it] terminates the Navy's high-risk Electromagnetic Rail Gun,' the release reads.

"Neither the Navy's Office of Naval Research, which has been actively developing the two technologies for several years, nor senior Navy officials were willing to comment on the news, pending the release of the full bill later this week.

"The cuts come on the heels of major successes by both weapons: In February the free-electron laser set a new power record, bringing it closer to the goal of megawatt-class power. In December, the railgun produced a walloping 33-megajoule blast, three times the power previously achieved...."
(FoxNews.com)

The American federal government, along with quite a few others around the world, seems to have discovered that spending more money than you take in has consequences. Not-nice ones, eventually. The Lemming thinks America's politicos are to be congratulated for noticing this awkward little point.

What's even more remarkable, in the Lemming's view, is that Congress is putting on a pretty good show of wanting to discuss doing something besides taking more of somebody else's money to pay for their pet projects. The Lemming's discussed this before, in connection with the NASA budget.

If you're expecting a rant about the absolute necessity of more and more military spending, no matter what: That's not gonna happen.

The Lemming also isn't going to do the conventional hand-wringing (paw-wringing?) about the Evils of War and how Yankee imperialism and CIA plots cause tooth decay - or whatever.

Maybe - just maybe - the Senate's decision to (apparently) scuttle these particular weapons development programs is based on something practical. That's possible: at least in principle. There are, probably, comparatively sober members of Congress who do something besides keep chairs warm and/or send naughty photos of themselves to coeds.

On the other hand, the Lemming remembers the 'good old days' when being anti-war, anti-military, and anti-fuzz was groovy. Pulling the plug on weapons systems when they seem to be working seems like politics-as-usual from folks whose hearts may be in the right place.

The Mind of the Lemming

The Lemming thinks that there's a difference between having idealistic goals, and trying to attain them - and deciding to live in a fantasy world. Not that everybody who disagrees with the Lemming is delusional, stupid, and probably wants to destroy the planet. This is not, as the Lemming has said before, a political blog.

The Lemming thinks that scrapping weapons development programs when they're starting to show practical results - - - might not be a good idea.

This could be seen as proof that the Lemming

• Is a red-white-and-blue-blooded 100%-American Patriot
• Is a heartless dupe of imperialistic capitalistic aggressors
• Wants to destroy the planet

Or, maybe something else is going on. Here's an over-simplified, superficial, look at part of the mind of the Lemming:

Does the Lemming think that weapons are nice? No. On the other hand, does the Lemming think:

• Weapons should be forever banned, right now?
  • No
• It would be nice if everybody would agree to be nice?
  • So we wouldn't need any more
    • Police
    • Jails
    • Guns
    • Anything icky like that
  • Yes
• It would be nice if bad things never happened?
  • So nobody ever
    • Got sick
    • Died
    • Felt bad
  • Yes
• It would be nice if everybody was just simply perfect?
  • You know -
    • Smart
    • Good-looking
    • Athletic
    • Stuff like that
  • Yes.

Does the Lemming expect to see any of the above, in the foreseeable future? No.

That doesn't mean we should stop trying to fix what's wrong with society, support what works, and help folks who need help. And that's yet again another topic, for another blog.¹

The Lemming recognizes that folks don't always play nice, even if they're asked nicely. That is, granted, an opinion: pretty much like it's the Lemming's opinion that water is wet. Except during Minnesota winters, when it's a mineral.

"Megajoule?" What's a Joule, and Why Call Them Mega?

Time to get technical: a megajoule is (what else?) 1,000,000 joules. A joule is a watt second, or "a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second." (Priceton's WordNet) 33,000,000 joules is - quite a lot of energy.

Let's put it this way: an outlet in your house might have a 500 joule surge protector. The Lemming isn't sure what would happen if a burst of 33,000,000 joules hit something that was designed to protect against 500 joules of power: but you might notice the results.

A rail gun that pumps 33,000,000 joules of power into a solid projectile with modest efficiency? Again, you might notice the results. "...A single megajoule is roughly equivalent to a 1-ton car traveling at 100 mph. Multiple that by 33 and you get a picture of what would happen when such a weapon hits a target...."
(FoxNews.com)

Destruction equivalent to 33 one-ton cars going 100 miles an hour, all smashing into something at the same time? Is that nice?

And the Lemming's been over that before.

Somewhat-related posts:

• "Lemming Tracks: Science Fiction Weapons, and Keeping Up With Last Year's News"
  (January 7, 2011)
• "Railgun: From the 1933 Electric Machine Gun to 2010 Cannon"
  (December 11, 2010)
• "Ray Guns are Science Fiction: Energy Weapons? Not So Much"
  (July 22, 2010)
• "Set PHASERs on Stun: Koloc's Kugelblitz Research is For Real"
  (February 20, 2009)
• "Boeing Building Laser Gunship: No, Really"
  (December 15, 2007)

---

¹
The Lemming's take on 'relevant' issues, in another blog:

• "Charity Demands Environmental Awareness (and God Doesn't Make Junk)"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (April 12, 2011)
• "Wealth, Poverty, Stereotypes, and Snidely Whiplash"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (March 8, 2011)

That's right: the Lemming's one of 'those' people. Yet again another topic.

Citibank Card Data Hacked!! (but keep reading)

"In Latest Attack, Hackers Steal Citibank Card Data"
Kelvin Chan and Pallavi Gogoi AP Business Writers, AP, via Money, ABC News (June 9, 2011)

"About 200,000 Citibank credit card customers in North America have had their names, account numbers and email addresses stolen by hackers who broke into Citi's online account site.

"Citigroup Inc. said it discovered that account information for about 1 percent of its credit card customers had been viewed by hackers. Citi has more than 21 million credit card customers in North America, according to its 2010 annual report. The New York-based bank, which discovered the problem during routine monitoring, didn't say exactly how many accounts were breached. Citi said it was contacting those customers...."

PANIC IN THE STREETS!!! or, not

The Lemming doesn't have a Citibank credit card, so the conventional wisdom that 'my end of the boat isn't sinking' might be applied to this hack attack.

Conventional wisdom and the Lemming aren't always on the same page, though, so let's look at this latest security SNAFU.

One percent - one out of each hundred - of Citibank's credit card customers isn't a huge fraction. Significant, yes: big, no. 200,000 people: that's a big number. This is, in the Lemming's opinion, a significant security problem for Citibank and it's credit card customers.

The Lemming's financial records aren't 'an open book,' like an American public official's. The Lemming likes it that way. On the other hand, the Lemming wouldn't be hurt if how much this household has in the bank, and what we spend of groceries, got into the public domain. Folks would find out that we're not in debt - much - and that we eat a remarkably healthy array of food. Which most of the Lemming's neighbors already know.

Living in a small central Minnesota town is great - but the Lemming doesn't have the sort of faceless anonymity so many folks seem to prize: "Privacy" is what they call it. And that's another topic. (January 8, 2011, May 31, 2010)

Citibank Card Data Theft: It Could Be Worse

Back to that AP/ABC News article:

"...The bank said hackers weren't able to gain access to social security numbers, birth dates, card expiration dates or card security codes. That kind of information often leads to identity theft, where cyber criminals empty out bank accounts and apply for multiple credit cards. That can debilitate the finances and credit of victims. Citi customers could still be vulnerable other problems. Details about their bank accounts and financial information linked to them could be acquired using the email information and account numbers hackers stole.

"The Citi data breach was the latest in a series of recent high-profile data attacks against a number of major firms...."
(AP, via ABC News)

The data breach at Citigroup could have been worse. It could have been better, too. Those 200,000-odd customers could still have their account information where it belonged.

Credit where credit is due, though - that news piece had the 'good news' angle at the start of paragraph three - pretty close to the top of the article. It a way, that's more reassuring than the article that starts with something like "200,000 Octocorp customers did not have their social security numbers stolen today."

And that isn't quite another topic.

News, Opinions, and the Lemming

The Lemming likes to read the news - not everybody does, which is fine with the Lemming. The Lemming doesn't memorize the sports section of the paper: not everybody has the same interests.

The Lemming does, though, wish that folks who look at a headline, or a 'Mayor Snooks Investigated for Tax Fraud' article would read the whole article.

And, particularly if the article was long on innuendo and short on specifics, see what other outlets were saying about Mayor Snooks. The mayor might be headed for prison - or the IRS might have "investigated" why the mayor hadn't initialed one of last year's personal income tax forms.

Does that sort of irresponsible journalism happen often? These days, not so much: in the Lemming's opinion. Partly, again in the Lemming's opinion, because surviving newspapers learned that 'The Masses' were nowhere near as ignorant and gullible as they were 'supposed' to be.

This isn't a good time to be an old-school, traditional, information gatekeeper. Princeton's WordNet defines a gatekeeper as "someone who controls access to something." I discussed information gatekeepers in another blog. (Another War-on-Terror Blog, (August 14, 2009))

Jumping to conclusions without finding out what the "crisis" was isn't limited to 'The Masses' or 'those people over there.'

Research, the Internet, and the Lemming

The Lemming knew a college professor who opined, publicly, about an appallingly irresponsible judge. Without finding out what the case was about, or what the judge had actually decided. The professor's problem may have been that the story's assumptions dropped neatly into one of his biases on a particular topic.

That time, the Lemming found out what the (apparently insane) ruling was actually about - in about ten minutes. Research, perhaps, was for undergraduates and student assistants.

The point is that, particularly when an article seems to support what the Lemming thinks 'ought to be,' the Lemming generally starts digging through other sources to see what's really happening. Sometimes the Lemming gets bad news - but that's better, in the Lemming's opinion, than basing an opinion on ersatz facts.

The Internet is a wonderful thing - and that is another topic.

Related posts:

• "Gmail, China, Knee-Jerk Response, and the Information Age"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (June 4, 2011)
• "Lockheed Martin, Oak Ridge, Spear Phishing, and Common Sense"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (May 29, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: Bad News From Sony; and Getting a Grip"
  (May 3, 2011)
• "Cloud Computing: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?"
  (April 22, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: Epsilon Breach, Spam, and Getting a Grip"
  (April 6, 2011)

E. Coli in Germany: Bad, but May Be Ending

"Health minister voices cautious optimism on E. coli"
Health, Deutsche Welle (June 6, 2011)

"German Health Minister Daniel Bahr has said he can't sound the all-clear on the E. coli outbreak in northern Germany, but that the latest figures offer 'reasonable cause for hope.'

"German Health Minister Daniel Bahr appeared on German public television Wednesday to say there were signs that the E. coli outbreak in Germany may be on the decline and that the spread of the deadly bacterial infection was slowing.

" 'There will be new cases and unfortunately we have to expect more deaths, but the number of new infections is dropping significantly,' Bahr said on the ARD network. 'I can't sound the all-clear, but after analyzing the latest data we have reasonable cause for hope.'..."

There's almost certainly going to be a huge amount of finger-pointing in Germany, Europe, and anywhere that's imported vegetables from Europe. There's also, the Lemming hopes, going to be some serious attention paid to just how E. coli got in the food supply - and how to keep it from happening again.

After that major outbreak in Germany, E. coli is a major news item here in America. People have gotten sick, and a two-year-old in Virginia died, but they're apparently not connected with the German outbreak. (FoxNews.com)

It's not really 'good news,' with 26 people dead so far in the European outbreak: but it looks like the worst is over.

In terms of the disease, that it.

Economic fallout from the E. coli outbreak will, in the Lemming's opinion, be around for a long time. And that's another topic.

Related posts:

• "E. Coli, Sprouts, Caution, and Business"
  (June 5, 2011)
• "EU E. Coli Mutant Killer Bacteria New!! Unknown!!! Or, Not"
  (June 2, 2011)
• "Rat Poo Peanut President is Back: As a Consultant"
  (September 9, 2010)
• "Salmonella in Eggs: Let the Blames Begin"
  (September 2, 2010)
• "And the Moral of This Story is: Don't Eat Raw Meat"
  (March 25, 2010)

In the news:

• "Health Officials: Latest U.S. E. Coli Cases Unrelated to Outbreak in Europe"
  Body & Mind, FoxNews.com (June 8, 2011)
• "E. coli: EU vegetable producers hit hard"
  News Europe, BBC News (June 8, 2011)
• "Health minister voices cautious optimism on E. coli"
  Health, Deutsche Welle (June 6, 2011)

2011 Spring Flood, Wild Weather, and the Lemming

Spring, 2011, hasn't been a good season for folks living on the lower reaches of the Mississippi River. Other folks in America may get affected by the flood, indirectly, as crops that didn't get planted, products that didn't get manufactured, businesses that didn't buy supplies, and shipments that took longer and cost more, affect prices.

The Lemming hasn't been posting much about this year's spring flood. National news in this country has been doing a pretty good job of keeping track of what's flooded and who's affected. There's a sort-of-related post coming up, though, so the Lemming figured this would be a good time to get a 'link page' set up:

• "Joplin, Missouri, Tornado: Charity Opportunity; Prayer; and Common Sense"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (May 25, 2011)
• "Joplin, Missouri, Tornado"
  (May 23, 2011)
• "Heavy Weather Weekend"
  (May 22, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: Mississippi Flood, Cajun Country, and Decisions"
  (May 15, 2011)

Last Trip for Space Shuttle Endeavour; and Reaching for the Stars

"NASA Launches Space Shuttle Endeavour on Final Voyage"
Clara Moskowitz, Space.com (May 16, 2011)

"The space shuttle Endeavour, the youngest orbiter in NASA's fleet, soared into the morning sky Monday to begin the final mission of its 19-year career.

"Endeavour blazed a path through the sky here at the Kennedy Space Center at 8:56 a.m. EDT (1256 GMT), lifting off from the seaside Launch Pad 39A.

" 'It was a fantastic launch, a really great day for us,' shuttle mission management team chair Mike Moses said after the launch. 'We're happy to be in orbit.'

"The shuttle and its six-man crew are bound for the International Space Station, where they will spend 16 days delivering spare supplies and an ambitious astrophysics experiment. [Photos: Shuttle Endeavour's Final Mission]

" 'Looks like a great day to launch Endeavour for the final time,' launch director Mike Leinbach told the crew as the minutes and seconds ticked down to liftoff. 'On behalf of thousands of proud Americans who've been part of the journey, good luck, godspeed, see you back here on June 1.'..."


(NASA, used w/o permission)
"...Space shuttle Endeavour launches on the STS-134 mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA"

Space Shuttle Mission STS-134 is off to a good start.

Part of the article is a sort of human-interest section, mentioning Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, whose husband is on this mission; and Apollo 11 crew member Mike Collins. Also miscellaneous members of Congress and foreign dignitaries.

Of more interest to the Lemming, Endeavour's cargo includes the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) particle detector. It's designed to detect cosmic rays - the sort that don't get through Earth's atmosphere. That should open a new window for astronomers: and may shed 'light' on just what dark matter is. Assuming that dark matter isn't a contemporary equivalent of phlogiston. And that's another topic.

Then there's supplies for the International Space Station (ISS). That bit of inventory isn't quite so exciting: "a new tank of ammonia coolant, equipment for the station's Dextre robot, and spare parts for the laboratory's antenna communications system." It's sort of like furnace filters: routine; nothing to brag about; but vitally important.

Wait a minute: "equipment for the station's Dextre robot" was in that list of supplies. Between ammonia coolant and spare parts for an antenna. We've come a long way, since Apollo 11.

"Reach for the Stars"

The article repeats what Endeavour's commander Mark Kelly said before leaving:

"...'As Americans, we endeavor to build a better life than the generation before and we endeavor to be a united nation,' Kelly said in the final moments at the launch pad. 'In these efforts we are often tested. It is in the DNA of our great country to reach for the stars and explore. We must not stop.'..."

The Lemming is inclined to agree with Endeavour commander Kelly on that point: that "we must not stop" reaching for the stars. Not that the Lemming expects to be around when folks do reach the stars.

The Lemming lives in the United States, and won't do the conventional agonized writhing about America's failings, real and otherwise. You've heard it all before, anyway.

It's not just America that's reaching for the stars. Yes, this country has a half-dozen or so spaceports - so far. But other nations already have break-in-bulk points for outward-bound material - and more are on the way. There's a growing list of active national space programs.

Remember: Endeavour is making a cargo run to the International Space Station.

The Lemming won't make an impassioned plea to maintain the NASA budget - although it looks like the feds are spending money on a whole lot more than reusable spaceships and missions to Titan. (May 10, 2011)

The Space Shuttle program has demonstrated that semi-regular cargo and passenger runs can be made to and from low Earth orbit. Even with a massive federal program running the show. That's been, in the Lemming's opinion, a remarkable achievement.

But government programs aren't the only way to get things done. (October 4, 2009)

It's the Lemming's opinion that commercial operations - where folks have an incentive to get something done on time and on budget - will soon become major players in transportation and support services. For the first few hundred miles out from Earth, anyway.

Think commercial satellites: which are probably involved in any television you watch today. Even if you don't use a satellite service. Cable television providers get their signals from somewhere, you know - and that's yet another topic.

'This Space for Rent'

The Lemming remembers watching a terribly serious thinker sputtering after the Russian space program launched a satellite.

His problem wasn't that the Russians had practical launch vehicles. He seemed offended because those people had put an advertisement on the rocket. Imagine!! That was an affront to science, apparently.

The Lemming's understanding of the situation was that the Russian space program was short on funds - and sold advertising space on their launch vehicle to help cover expenses. Which, to the Lemming, made sense.

Maybe it would be nice if exploration of space could be a 'pure' pursuit: an occupation of gentlemen; unsullied by mere commercial concerns.

The Lemming doesn't think that's how it's going to happen.

Common Sense, Safety, and Leaving the 19th Century

One objection the Lemming has run into, when the idea of commercial operations in space comes up, is safety. It's a legitimate concern. There's a lot that can go wrong, and that occasionally has.

But this isn't the 19th century.

Thomas Nast's wicked plutocrats aren't, in the Lemming's opinion, typical entrepreneurs these days.

As for safety?

There was appalling disregard, something like a century back, for working conditions and product quality. This was partly responsible for the occasionally-irrational regulations American companies and consumers have to put up with - again in the Lemming's opinion. Some regulations do make sense - the Lemming's opinion again: and that's yet again another topic.

Of course, occasionally you'll run into a daft executive or manager who doesn't know that it's bad business to poison the customers, waste money, or both. (November 22, 2010, September 9, 2010,

That sort of self-destructive behavior seems to be self-correcting, except where the feds bail out losers. Still another topic. Topics. (December 12, 2008)

When it's Time to Build Spaceships - - -

Outfits like Bigelow Aerospace and Starchaser Industries, Ltd. are jockeying for position to put rental property in orbit - and provide ferry service for the research labs, factories, and resort hotels that'll probably be there before most of you have grandchildren.

That's exciting. But - yet once more - that's the Lemming's opinion.

Related posts:

• "Major Leagues, Minor Leagues, and the Hanseatic League"
  (April 29, 2011)
• "Four Ships Docked at the ISS"
  (February 28, 2011)
• "Last Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch: More of a Beginning, Than an End"
  (May 14, 2010)
• "Another 'Last' for the Space Shuttle Fleet"
  (April 6, 2010)
• "When it's Time to Build Spaceships, People Will Build Spaceships"
  (October 4, 2009)

More:

• "Endeavour"
  NASA Orbiter Fleet, Kennedy Space Center, NASA
• "Latest Space Shuttle News"
  Space Shuttle, Missions, NASA

TEPCO's 1,000,000 Yen - It's a Start

Now and then, the Lemming realizes that there are worse things than dealing with America's annual income tax forms. Like this news from Japan:

"Nuke plant owner to pay $600 million -- for now"
Matt Smith, CNN World (April 15, 2011)

"The owners of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant must start paying up to 1 million yen ($12,000) per household to residents displaced or forced indoors by the nuclear accident there, Japan's government ordered Friday.

"The Tokyo Electric Power Company will start handing out checks 'as smoothly and as early as possible,' hopefully by April 28, its president, Masataka Shimizu, told reporters. Sole residents will receive 750,000 yen and multi-person households will get 1 million, Shimizu said, with the company's interim cost estimated at about $600 million...."

750,000 yen sounds like a lot - but the CNN article points out that it works out to about $12,000, in U. S. currency. Also that it's a sort of down payment on compensation that may shut down Tokyo Electric permanently.

No cheers on the possible demise of TEPCO from the Lemming: not because the Lemming thinks the company that apparently missed inspections is blameless, but because of what the company shutting down will mean for folks who work for TEPCO - and didn't have anything to to with the Fukushima disaster.

Back to the CNN article:

"...Tokyo Electric offered a token payment to residents of 10 municipalities around the plant in early April. But officials in one of those towns, Namie, rejected the offer, saying it amounted to about $12 for each of its roughly 20,000 residents

"Tokyo Electric has no timetable for resolving the accident, and the yet-unknown cost of compensation has called the survival of Japan's largest utility into question. The Japanese government has agreed to support the company to keep power flowing to its 25 million customers without big rate increases, Deputy Finance Minister Fumihiko Igarashi told CNN, but he said a government takeover of the utility was unlikely.

" 'The way the government will approach that is still in the decision process,'" Igarashi said.

"The utility reported 2010 profits of more than 1.4 trillion yen ($17 billion).

"About 78,000 people living within 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) of the plant were ordered out of their homes in the days after the March 11 accident, which now is ranked at the top of the international scale for nuclear disasters. Those living another 10 kilometers out were told to remain indoors as the plant belched radioactive particles into the environment from three damaged reactors.

"Monday, Japanese authorities told residents of five municipalities in that outer belt and beyond to evacuate within a month, due to lower levels of radioactive contamination that are likely to pose a long-term health hazard. Other towns have been put on notice that evacuations may be required soon, bringing the total number of people directly affected so far to about 146,000, according to Japanese government estimates.

"But in Washington, the U.S. State Department on Friday lifted a departure recommendation for families of U.S. diplomats in Japan. While it still advises Americans to stay more than 50 kilometers from the plant, the latest notice calls the situation 'dramatically different' than in mid-March.

" 'Today, while the situation remains serious, and there is still a possibility of unanticipated developments, cooling efforts are ongoing and successful, power, water supply, and back-up services have been partially or fully restored, and planning has begun to control radioactive contamination and mitigate future dangers,' the travel alert states....

Perfection, Fukushima, and Reality

Ideally, the Fukushima nuclear power plant's reactors would have been unaffected by the most powerful earthquake to hit Japan in recorded history.

And that the primary cooling systems would have kept working through a tsunami.

And that the backup cooling systems could have kept running long enough for someone to run the equivalent of a Godzilla-size extension cord to parts of the Japanese power grid that were still working on March 11.

Ideally.

Here in the real world, that's not what happened.

From what's in the news, the Lemming suspects that TEPCO/Tokyo Electric could have done a much more adequate job of maintaining the power plant. Between that, and whatever role of omission or commission the Japanese government played: the Lemming's guess is that there will be no lack of finger-pointing in Japan for quite a few years.

What's Japan's 'Chernobyl' Actually Like?

The Lemming posted about Japan's upgrading of their nuclear woes earlier this week. (April 12, 2011) The Chernobyl comparison is, probably, apt - but Japan may be handling the situation a tad better than the Soviet Union did. Which, as the Lemming recalls, wouldn't take much.

Anyway, we're getting an updated look at what condition the Fukushima reactors are in:

"...a Friday report by the Atomic Energy Society of Japan [a group of nuclear engineers, scientists, and professors] painted a fresh picture of the extent of the damage.

"The zirconium alloy sheaths that surround the fuel rods in the reactor core are believed to have ruptured in all three units, sending molten uranium fuel pellets tumbling to the bottom of the reactors. The pellets are since believed to have cooled and solidified at the reactor bases or in the framework of the fuel assembly, according to the report...."

The Lemming could jump on that "believed to have," and opine on the wanton indifference, or capitalist greed, or something. But it's the Lemming's opinion that the acknowledged uncertainty indicates rather admirable candor.

One of the major differences between trouble in a nuclear reactor and a good old-fashioned fire in the woodshed, in the Lemming's opinion, is that what was left of the woodshed cooled down fairly fast - allowing someone to get in and look at the damage.

Fukushima's nuclear reactors will, eventually, 'cool down.' But it's going to take - quite a while. Back to that CNN article:

"...About 70% of the fuel rods in the No. 1 reactor have been damaged, the report states. In reactor No. 2, that figure is 30%, and in No. 3, 25%.

"In addition, the pools that house used but still-energetic spent fuel assemblies are an ongoing concern, [Atomic Energy Society deputy director Takashi] Sawada said. Hydrogen explosions blew apart the reactor buildings at units 1 and 2, while the No. 4 reactor building has been damaged by fires of still-unknown origin -- leaving the pools exposed to the environment.

" 'If there's water enough, there's no problem,' he said. 'But if some of the fuel is damaged, fission products will come out from those pools.'

"At the plant on Friday, efforts continued to drain highly radioactive water from the basements and service tunnels of the reactor units' turbine plants -- a necessary first step to restoring normal cooling systems. Japanese authorities drew the ire of fishermen and some of their country's neighbors by authorizing the dumping of thousands of tons of less-contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean last week...."

The Lemming posted about plutonium in the Pacific before. (April 4, 2011) Essentially, the Lemming is glad that he doesn't depend on fishing in that part of Japan's coast - but that the Pacific Ocean is big, and can most likely handle water from the Fukushima plant.

The water - water, mind you - dumped in the Pacific will be diluted to the tune of about 1.15 parts per 64,500,000,000,000.

On a planet that's endured periodic ice ages, massive volcanic events, and the occasional falling asteroid - the Lemming figures that the Pacific can handle it.

(See "Frail, Delicate Little Mother Nature?!" (December 20, 2009))

Does the Lemming care about the environment? Yes - and the Lemming's covering that topic in another blog. (A Catholic Citizen in America, "Environmental Awareness, Enlightened Self-Interest, and My Catholic Faith" (April 15, 2011))

Bottom line, about TEPCO, Japan, and folks who are picking up the pieces after the March 11, 2011, earthquake? The Lemming thinks that TEPCO's promised compensation is probably more than a token payment - and that the price tag is going to be a while lot higher.

Related posts:

• "Lemming Tracks: This Time, the Doomsayers are Right"
  (April 12, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: Plutonium Perils, Poisoning the Pacific, and Getting a Grip"
  (April 4, 2011)
• "Japan: Sort-of-Good News, the Emperor, and a Dog Story"
  (April 2, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: 2011: Japan's Worst Earthquake? Yes and No"
  (March 29, 2011)
• "Japan: Missed Inspections, Two Colors of Smoke at Fukushima; Years of Rebuilding Ahead"
  (March 21, 2011)

In the news:

• "Nuke plant owner to pay $600 million -- for now"
  Matt Smith, CNN World (April 15, 2011)

More:

• "Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011: Posts"

Japan, Cherry Blossoms, and 'a Limit to Extreme Self-Restraint'

"Japan's beloved cherry blossoms help dispel some disaster gloom"
Paul Eckert, Edition: U.S., Reuters (April 9, 2011)

"After the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster struck last month, Japanese were asked to scrap celebrations for the beloved cherry blossom season and practice self-restraint.

"But as the annual pink wave that heralds spring rolled up the Japanese archipelago to Tokyo this weekend, the campaign for 'jishuku' lost out to appeals to shake off the funereal mood and partake in traditional, rice wine-fueled 'sakura' parties, for the sake of the nation's psyche, and economy.

" 'Too much self-restraint will strip away peace of mind and plenitude from everyday life, and destroy the nation's vitality. This will drag down economic activity, which will hinder recovery efforts in disaster areas," said the conservative Yomiuri Shimbun in an editorial....

"...Japanese officials had canceled rock concerts, sporting events and other entertainment after the March 11 quake.

" 'For the disaster-struck areas to recover their vitality, the entire Japanese economy needs to be vibrant,' said Yoshihiro Murai, the governor of Miyagi, the prefecture closest to the epicenter.

"' I would like to see a limit to extreme self-restraint,' he told local newspapers...."

The Lemming doesn't have inside information about Japanese culture: but not scrapping a traditional festival seems to make sense.

Particularly when practicing that sort of self-restraint would - in effect - slap a boycott on quite a few folks who already have a great deal to cope with.

Like the fellow who lost part of his business - and many of his customers:

"...Up in Miyagi, third-generation sake, or rice wine, brewer Kaichiro Saito, 52, lost a shop and recipes dating back to when his grandfather started the business in 1903 in the March 11 tsunami that obliterated the fishing port of Kesennuma.

"The Kakuboshi Brewery was located on higher ground and survived untouched. But with about 80 percent of regular customers lost when the deadly tsunami washed away liquor shops and bars in the devastated port city, he needs new outlets for his output of 80,000 bottles a year.

" 'Of course I understand why people are being restrained, but I hope those living in other regions -- in a decent financial and emotional state -- buy more products from northern Japan, rather than restrain themselves,' he said...."
(Reuters)

The Lemming thinks that 'restraint' is probably a good idea - for folks who lost their homes, livelihood, and family. They've got fewer resources to work with now - and need to be more careful.

But 'restraint' that keeps those folks from earning money? That, in the Lemming's opinion, doesn't make sense.

Doesn't the Lemming Care?

There's no question, in the Lemming's mind, that folks in northwestern Japan are not having a good year. At all.

Whether or not the March 11, 2011, earthquake was the "worst" to hit Japan in recorded history is a matter of what a person looks at. It was the most powerful: but the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake killed a great many more people.

But, as the Lemming put it before, 2011 isn't 1923. (March 29, 2011)

Comparisons aside - what happened in March of this year was a massive tragedy.

But, in the Lemming's opinion, no amount of moping around and hurting the business of folks who didn't get killed is not going to bring back any of the folks who lost their lives.

It's not just the business owners that get hurt when - for example - folks don't buy saki. Kaichiro Saito almost certainly didn't produce and distribute 80,000 bottles a year all by himself. The Lemming figures that he hired folks to get many of the tasks done. Without customers buying Kakuboshi Brewery products, the company's owner won't have money to pay his employees.

Maybe it would be a 'better' world if nobody drank saki, or played Cribbage, or did anything except recycle compost. Or whatever the 'right' thing to do is.

Maybe.

That's not the world we live in.

As for the idea that 'those dirty [explitive]s deserved it?' The Lemming discussed that in another blog:

• "Japan, Good Taste, Common Sense, and a Duck"
  (March 15, 2011)

Related posts:

• "Lemming Tracks: Sad News From Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant"
  (April 4, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: Plutonium Perils, Poisoning the Pacific, and Getting a Grip"
  (April 4, 2011)
• "Japan: Sort-of-Good News, the Emperor, and a Dog Story"
  (April 2, 2011)
• "Too Much Radiation is Dangerous: Numbers and Background"
  (March 18, 2011)
• "Seven-Point International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale: and a Ranting Lemming"
  (March 16, 2011)

More:

• "Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011: Posts"