Energy Professional Brings Meaning to the Madness of Power Pricing

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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Simple Things Save Money


Saving energy is a family responsibility. Depending on your current budget and spare time there are many things or projects that can be done to save on your electric bill.

Bonding Experience

Recaulking windows and replacing the weather stripping around your doors isn’t expensive, it just takes a little effort and focus. Get your kids involved. It's something you can do that can actually become a parent/child experience that's rewarding.

Use Fans

Ceiling fans add 4 degrees of wind chill to a normal room. So turn on the fan and raise the thermostat to save money since the fan uses 80% less electricity that the air conditioner. Raising the thermostat 1 degree will translate into a 7% savings of electricity use.

Hit That Switch

Simply turning off lights and fans when you leave the room will make another contribution to dollars saved each month.

Update Appliances

If you take electricity saving seriously and want to know about appliances, go with the Energy Star ratings when you replace an appliance. Watch this video for more information.

Look for more energy tips here.

Bringing Meaning To Madness

Think smart, take action, save money!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Ancients & Electric Fish

As delightful as this picture of an electric fish, the kind of electric fish I'm talking about is the kind that swims in water and can give you a jolting shock if you touch it.

Ancient Egyptians


It's hard to believe that electricity has been known of for nearly 4,000 years. Of course, they didn't precisely know about it the way we know of it. There are texts from ancient Egypt that refer to fish known as Thunderer of the Nile. Of course these were probably electric eels or something similar, but the Egyptians thought that they protected the other fish.

Greeks and Romans

Then about a thousand years later, these electric fish were written about by the Romans, Greeks, and Arabs. In fact, Pliny the Elder wrote about how the shocks delivered by some of these electric fish had a numbing effect on the hapless person who got stung. They also knew that these shocks could be conducted by some of the objects that came into contact with it.

Take One Electric Fish

Ancient physicians and naturalists seemed most interested in these electric fish. They tried to get shocks delivered to people who suffered from debilitating ailments like gout. Even those with headaches were told to touch electric fish. The powerful shock was thought to have curative powers.

Arabs

The Arabs were credited with the discovery of electricity as in lightning. Before the 1400s, they had a word for lightning, raad, and they used it in conjunction with the electric ray.

Amber & Cat Fur

The ancients also knew that amber rods could be rubbed with cat's fur and the resulting static charge would attract lightweight objects like feathers. Most of the Mediterranean cultures knew about this. In 600 BC, Thales of Miletos set forth his observations on static electricity. Of course, he misinterpreted the results and concluded that friction made amber magnetic, unlike the magnetic minerals like magnetite which didn't need rubbing.

Though he was wrong about the attraction being a result of magnetism, science did later prove a link between electricity and magnetism.

Bringing Meaning To Madness

All our science is built upon thousands of years of experimentation and knowledge.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Power Tests

Power Quote for the Week

Welcome to Sunday's regular feature. Every week you can look for a witty, wise, or profound quotation from assorted folks about power.

I choose these quotations about power as it refers to electricity, since that is what this blog is about. Sometimes though, I'll select a quotation about power, as it relates to the human condition.

Abraham Lincoln

Our sixteenth President of the United States possessed more wisdom it seems than the common man.

Lincoln said: Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.

Bringing Meaning to Madness

I hope you enjoy this week's Power Quote. If you do, let me know, and I'll keep 'em coming.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

English Doctor & Electricity

Most of the terms used in electricity come from the scientists who worked with the phenomena. They either invented, created, discovered, or otherwise "found" what was subsequently named after them.

William Gilbert's Contribution

In 1600, English physician William Gilbert studied electricity and magnetism. He separated the lodestone effect from static electricity produced by rubbing amber, and he is the one who invented the word electricity from the New Latin word electricus, meaning from amber or amber-like. He used the word to refer to the property of attracting small objects after being rubbed, what we know as static electricity. In 1646, this derivation of the English words electric and electricity was published in Thomas Browne's Pseudodoxia Epidemica.

Bringing Meaning to Madness

History isn't dry dates and names. History is the story of the contribution of individual men and women to our world.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Give 'Em Hell

Sports has the power to move me. A photographer named David Farmer sent my wife a photo he took yesterday of the Leader Board at Turnberry. Of course, that inspired me to write something about The Open.

While watching The Open championship at Turnberry in Scotland, I was happy to see Tom Watson playing his game. I, like most of the world, was rooting for him to win and set a new record for the oldest player to win an Open. Thus, at the age of 59, he would have achieved something no one else had managed.

Reflections

In the process of watching the game, several things came to mind as Tom struggled to regain the lead only to lose it again. This was a scenario that repeated itself several times. One thing I was thinking was how annoyed my daughter and I both were getting at the commentators who constantly felt compelled to tell us how old Tom was. All in all, it was a great battle.

Confidence High

When Tom made it to the final hole with a perfect shot off the tee to the fairway, I just knew he had this one in the bag. Then his second shot into 18 went just off the green, past the hole. His third from just off the green was one I'd seen him hit thousands of times in his illustrious career. I was confident he would either hole it or stop it within 2 feet.

Darn! He put some muscle on it and blew it past the hole by 8 to 9 feet. I just knew he would make the par to win. He didn't! Now, tied with Stewart Cink, he had to go into a 4 hole play-off.

Reminder Of Masters

This situation reminded me of the this year's Masters when Kenny Perry had a 3 shot lead and blew it coming down the stretch, going into the final hole. Perry then lost in the playoff with Angel Cabrera. I was rooting for Perry the very same way I'd been rooting for Tom. I just knew Kenny Perry would pull it off. But he didn't.

Whether it's a coincidence or this year's trend for the older player to step up so close and be denied, one can only speculate. Whether it is mental or physical fatigue or both, only they know. My hat's off to the older players for giving those young whippersnappers a run for the money. And, just maybe the next older pro who tries won't be denied!

Bringing Meaning To Madness

Give 'em hell, guys!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Electricity Board Speaks

Power Quote for the Week

Welcome to Sunday's regular feature. Every week you can look for a witty, wise, or profound quotation from assorted folks about power.

I choose these quotations about power as it refers to electricity, since that is what this blog is about. Sometimes though, I'll select a quotation about power, as it relates to the human condition.

Spike Milligan

The late Spike Milligan, an Anglo-Irish comedian, was also a writer, musician, poet, and playwright. He said: :And God said, "Let there be light" and there was light, but the Electricity Board said He would have to wait until Thursday to be connected.

Bringing Meaning to Madness

I hope you enjoy this week's Power Quote. If you do, let me know, and I'll keep 'em coming.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Electricity, A History Lesson

The word electricity comes from New Latin e-lectricus, meaning like amber. Electricity is all about the presence and flow of an electric charge. We see it in nature, in lightning. We see it in every day life when someone rubs a wool garment and gets a spark of static electricity. More scientific aspects of this flow of an electric charge are seen in an electromagnetic field and electromagnetic induction.

In everyday life, the word electricity is understood, but in the world of the scientist, it's considered too vague so more exact and definitive words are preferred. Some of these precise terms used in the lab are: Electric Potential, Electric Current, Electromagnetism, etc.

History

Man has studied electrical phenomena since ancient days. Finally, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the mysteries began to be solved. Still, little practical applications for this phenomena existed until late in the 19th century when engineers began to use it in homes and industries.

Thus, the Industrial Age blossomed. Society and industry alike changed, and the change continues today with new applications continuing unabated.

Bringing Meaning to Madness

Electricity is one of the foundations of modern society. Our infrastructure is built upon it. If you think that's overstating the case, just try existing when the power goes out for days as it sometimes does here in hurricane country.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Leadership Means

Power Quote for the Week

Welcome to Sunday's regular feature. Every week you can look for a witty, wise, or profound quotation from assorted folks about power.

I choose these quotations about power as it refers to electricity, since that is what this blog is about. Sometimes though, I'll select a quotation about power, as it relates to the human condition.

Mohandas K. Gandhi

Gandhi was the political and spiritual leader of India. He is remembered as the pioneer of nonviolent civil disobedience. This form of protest led to India's independence and has inspired civil rights movements across the globe. Gandhi said: :I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.

Bringing Meaning to Madness

I hope you enjoy this week's Power Quote. If you do, let me know, and I'll keep 'em coming.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

(Expletive Deleted) Property Taxes

I'm climbing out from behind the 8 Ball to tell you about another one of those challenging experiences where I ended up with less than the desired result. I went to protest the appraised value of my home with the County Appraisal District.

Annual Chore

We do this every year, and it is really one of the most useless, helpless, and hopeless events to have to go through. Bless my wife for preparing all the documentation. You see, the law in Texas allows the county to raise your property tax at least 10% per year. So that means your County Tax Assessor raises it 10% every year.

Market Related

Now, the property value is supposed to be market driven. In other words, if homes are appreciating in value in your neighborhood, tax values go up a like amount. If home values go down in your neighborhood, taxes are also supposed to go down. Right?

Wrong

Not according to our County Tax Assessor. I had documentation with me when I went to the meeting that showed home values in our neighborhood were declining. We had 17 Foreclosures in 2008 and 3 in the first quarter 2009. The average sales per sq ft dropped more than $5.00 a square foot, and the length of time it takes to move a home went from 67 days to 101 days.

In my particular situation, I live in a golf community though not on a golf course lot. After going through the list of like homes for comparison we discover our lot is valued at 2 times more than homes on the golf course. How is that possible?

My Case

I reviewed all this information with the first person who was assigned to me when my name was called. This person must be paid to play dumb or is just a stalling tactic to get you to give up and go home. I refuse to give up!

Therefore, I was remanded to another room to wait and see the appraisal board. When my name was called, again I presented my documentation. It was like talking to a blank wall. The Deputy Chief Appraiser told me it was the LAW that they could raise my taxes.

Their Action

I agreed that it was based on market values improving, but that property values hadn’t gone up and that it was not only unfair but also almost immoral to raise taxes during a declining market and economy. My remarks had no impact on him. He didn’t even address the issue of my lot (land) value being higher than lots on the golf course.

The net affect was, by pushing the issue, they lowered my appraised value a bit. So it only escalates 6% instead of 10% when in reality, they should have lowered the taxes to emulate the market value. I know, all of you on the east and west coast are wishing your property taxes were as low as mine, but that's not the point. The point is that they should not have increased the tax appraisal on my property or anyone's property here.

Bringing Meaning to Madness

Sorry, but there's no way to bring meaning to the madness of tax appraisers. You really can't fight city hall. Or tax appraisers.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Seeing Electricity

Today kicks off what will be a regular feature on this blog: Power Quotes. Every Sunday you can look for a witty or wise or profound quotation from assorted wise and/or witty folks about power.

I'll choose quotations about power as it refers to electricity, since that is what this blog is about. Sometimes though, I'll select a quotation about power, as it relates to the human condition.

Dave Barry

American humorist Dave Barry said: Electricity is actually made up of extremely tiny particles called electrons that you cannot see with the naked eye unless you have been drinking.

Bringing Meaning to Madness

I hope you enjoy this week's Power Quote. If you do, let me know, and I'll keep 'em coming.
"If it weren't for electricity, we'd all be watching television by candlelight." ~ George Gobel

Copyright 2009 by Larry A. Reeves

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