Well, this week I purchased an LG Dare. It is not the Iphone, but it works well and now I can check email and web from my cell phone. It actually has saved me time at home as I am using the computer less.

It seems that just yesterday I was a young boy marveling at my brother's fancy slide rule. ;-)

Well, we made the leap from dial-up connection to cable modem. It is much faster and, strangely, we spend less time on the computer. Since we get done so much quicker, we're done and off the machine.

Now the next decision is whether to get a cell phone with internet...

Well, I was recently invited to be a panelist on a podcast. It is probably dry material for most folks, but just in case:

http://atomic.thepodcastnetwork.com/2008/01/14/the-atomic-show-079-ft-st-vrain-energy-comparisons-uk-nuclear-decision/

Don't know if it will make me famous, but it was fun to participate. :-)

I was surprised yesterday to see that Vanity Fair devoted their July issue to Africa:

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/africa

I typically don't read the magazine, but I find it interesting they are covering the continent. Perhaps it shows that the world has truly changed.

My first job in the utility industry was 22 years ago. I was an intern just like many of the younger folks today starting out in their careers. It has been (and hopefull continue to be) a good ride. Hope the young people starting in their career paths have an equally interesting time. :-)

I got married. Even more amazing is I am still married. This IS a day to count my blessings (even our cat who likes to bite me). ;-)

Right now I am doing some work in Lynchburg, Virginia. Our team went to a local restaurant and sitting about ten feet from us was none other than Jerry Falwell. When he left, he shook hands with several folks there on the way out. Normally I would jump at a chance to met a celebrity, but this case was an exception. I succeed in not being seen. ;-)

This past weekend our family replaced the old Honda Civic with a Subaru Forester. We got a good deal (and decent mileage) by getting it with a stick shift (i.e., manual transmission). I was thinking though, that this might be my last car with MT as they are getting harder to find in the US and talk is that the continuously variable transmission (CVT) is really going to happen. When it comes time to replace the Subaru, my MT days will be over. :-(

Objectives: SHEWD is founded on the following principles:
Helping the poorest residents
Involving the community in planning, implementation and maintenance of projects
Making economic participation available for women
Making safe healthcare available to the poor
Educating poor youths
Making available computer training for youths
Becoming a self-sufficient organization while working on social-welfare

Identified Problems of the Project Area
The people of Thaiba and other Village Development Committee (VDC) are among the poorest in Nepal. Most residents work at farming and handicrafts and have an average annual income of less than US $250. Malnutrition, inadequate housing, illiteracy, lack of educational and vocational training for young people, unemployment and poor healthcare are just some of the problems that residents face. To date, there has been little not-for-profit intervention in the area. The biggest burden of poverty falls on the women. The majority are illiterate and unskilled, spend their lives isolated, are often abused, and have little access to power and decision making in their families and community.
Women's Friendly Small Business Program (WFSBP)

SHEWD is attempting to empower women in Thaiba VDC through an income-generating project. SHEWD provides opportunities for the women to sell hand-knit sweaters and other products through their business, Hipknit on the Internet (www.hipknit.com). All profits from the sales go directly to the women. The women are also trained in small business skills and literacy. The project aims to empower, raise living standards, and help create a network for the women, breaking them free of social and economic isolation.
Some HipKnit products made by the Natural fibers products from natural fiber such as Hemp, Aloo, cotton, wool etc unique designs on items like bags, caps, sweaters, hats, jackets, shirts, shocks, shawls, waistcoat, lunch mat, coaster, knot bag, shoes, and other various gift items can be made.
 Project Objectives: Through the WFSBP, SHEWD hopes to
Identify the poorest women
Make available small loans, training, and information necessary for self-employment through handicrafts
Empower the female children through training at schools in health, rights, responsibilities, decision making and economic participation
Ensure a link between better living and increased income
Assist women in forming working guilds to support each other
Introduce programs in adult literacy, women’s health, and empowerment in the working guilds

Activities to be carried out under this project: The WFSBP is a bifurcated plan. The poorest women of Thaiba and other VDC will be given an opportunity to earn. Meanwhile, their daughters will receive empowerment education at government schools. THE MOTHERS WILL EARN; DAUGHTERS WILL LEARN. In this way, the next generation of women will be prepared for economic participation and the cycle of poverty will be broken.
Income generating program
Literacy program.

Anticipated results of the project
The most important result will be economic participation for women and increased income. In addition, we hope WFSBP will:

Empower the women;
Help women to learn about sound business methods;
Help raise standards of living of individuals and of families;
Help women to network between themselves and with outsiders;
Introduce the help of local technology and computer technology to women’s initiatives;
Strengthen the process of information sharing between funding agencies, welfare organizations, and individual businesswomen.
How can you help?
You can support our project by purchasing our products, or searching for a market in your own country to export the products. We also accept volunteers to support fundraising, idea sharing and teaching. For more www.hipknit.com

Just heard on the radio that 70% of women that enter an engineering program in the US graduate. The male graduation rate is 50% (still an improvement over the old statistic of 33%). While folks are worried about the lack of entry into engineering majors, it appears that those entering are dedicated and graduating in higher fractions.

With the challenges of poverty, health, and energy requiring engineering skill, these young graduates will have plenty to stay busy. :-)

Today my mother would have been 87. It feels so strange not to be sending a birthday card...

I just returned from my mother's funeral. :-( While she was old (86) and lead a full life, it is always sad to lose a parent. Still, the services went well and many friends and family from a ways back came to remember and celebrate her long life.

This week Admiral Ken Carr spoke about the USS Nautilus (first nuclear submarine) being commissioned and going to sea 50 years ago. He was a Lt then and served on the Nautilus on the maiden voyage and on the polar crossing (first time a submarine sailed under the artic ice).

It was fascinating to hear of the problems and creative solutions that were experienced by the crew. There is so much mystery about nuclear submarines, but Adm Carr brought a human perspective to this achievement of the 1950's.

Just read an article (posted below) from the energy news service Platts. I was most interested in Mr. Stanton's comment that Canada will accept more LNG terminals to provide LNG to the US. I recall in the 80's people saying similar about James Bay II. ;-)

Washington (Platts)--28Sep2004
Imports of liquefied natural gas will never be sufficient to replace the coal used in baseload power plants, John Stanton, vice president of the National Environmental Trust said Tuesday. Stanton also told the Natural Gas Roundtable in Washington, D.C., that wind, solar, wind and biomass will at best remain fringe sources of energy. But, he said that he thought the federal government should spend more money to develop coal-gasification technologies and expected that gasified coal would become the primary fuel used by electric generators.

In the meantime, the US will have to recognize that its immediate energy needs must be filled by LNG. The technology is available now to remove most of the carbon dioxide from natural gas, which makes it an even more attractive commodity from an environmental point of view. He acknowledged that considerable opposition to LNG docking facilities in the US continues, but Canadians "are not allergic to energy development" and very likely will import the LNG that will be shipped to the US.

Stanton acknowledged that growing dependency on LNG could put the US economy at risk, which is one reason why the federal government should allocate more resources to developing coal-gasification technology. He also acknowledged that unless the government intervenes, imported LNG will be less costly to produce and use than gasified coal in peaking plants.

I was finally able to recycle my old IBM Thinkpad. The AMVETS usually takes old clothes and toys. Well this time they took my old computer. Hope it gets a nice home. :-)