Sixty-six years ago, the invasion of Normandy began. My Dad was an electricians mate aboard the USS Brooklyn light cruiser, whose 5 and 6 inch guns softened targets in France so the Allies could do their thing. Dad came back from the War, but many did not. Take a moment today to remember those selfless, brave men that chiseled out our victory in Europe.
We took a trip to the home improvement center a couple of days ago. There were so many beautiful flowers that I photographed in the garden shop that it was difficult for me to pick one out. I selected this bright red hibiscus to share with you on this late spring day. Click on the image to enlarge.
A workman from SoCal Edison installed a new SmartConnect™ electric meter on our residence today. The power outage was only a few seconds after the workman waited until the computers could be shut down. Other than resetting a couple of clocks, there was not much impact to us.
According to the brochure (pdf), the new meter eliminates the need for meter readers, since it communicates with the power company to report usage data. It’s sorta big-brotherish too, because of the two-way communications implications and wireless connection to “smart” appliances in the household. I’m not saying they will do it, but there is a real possibility that they will be able to shut off your air conditioning and other stuff. Given the current nanny attitudes state and federal officials have, we could be headed there.
From the brochure:
Smart meters collect hourly energy use data for the home and are capable of two-way communication. This means they can send and receive energy use and cost information from the home to the utility and back again, all through a secure wireless network.
Smart meters are also equipped with wireless radio chips inside to support home area networking. This will make it possible for the meter to communicate with “smart” appliances and devices, such as smart thermostats and refrigerators.
Emphasis mine.
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer answered a letter from Senator Charles Schumer (D – NY) with a letter of her own. In it, she wrote the following comparison:
“Calling for comprehensive immigration reform before securing the border is like asking for comprehensive energy policy reform before stopping the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.”
I love the simple logic of stopping two types of leaks of disastrous proportion with identical procedures – plug the leaks first.
Read her letter – it contains an outline of her immigration plan.
Via The Corner:
A very neat interactive map that lets you see what the spill would look like if its epicenter were your house.
I’ve set this one for Wickenburg, AZ . . .
I went into the patio today and saw that my peanut cactus had erupted with bright red flowers.
