tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.comments2014-03-01T01:33:18.575-05:00The Engineer's Procrastination Pitjtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10279035600714686610noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-1826433086955316812014-03-01T01:33:18.575-05:002014-03-01T01:33:18.575-05:00$75,000 is 15% of $500,000 - perhaps I didn't ...$75,000 is 15% of $500,000 - perhaps I didn't phrase it well, I meant it gives you a $75,000 boost on any profits.<br /><br />The whole point of my little rant there is that any way I look at it, the only reason to own a home given the reality of my life (moving around a lot) and sound investment principles (i.e., diversification) is sentimental in nature. I don't buy it. <br /><br />http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Owning_vs_renting<br /><br />Some pretty astute calculations there suggest that if you don't expect to stay in the same place for more than 5 years, there is negligible financial advantage to owning a home and has a crappy ROI. It goes against every principle of good investing that I know of... and still sounds like a crap deal to me unless I'm retired. That counts doubly so if I am landlording, and triply so if I am an absentee landlord. It doesn't sound like a good deal.<br /><br />I'm not against owning a home in my later years - in fact, I would be saving for precisely that eventuality. Is there seriously a prohibition on buying a home in cash?jtfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10279035600714686610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-4931988892456859982013-04-06T02:22:10.657-04:002013-04-06T02:22:10.657-04:00This post is too long for me to read right now but...This post is too long for me to read right now but an oil & gas recruiting company just started following me on twitter. https://twitter.com/oil_jobs <br /><br />You should send them a resume just in case they have an offer you can't refuse: <br /><br />http://www.oilandgasrecruiting.com/k. riggs gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11807633349311664382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-43388703418683135952012-07-18T15:46:54.620-04:002012-07-18T15:46:54.620-04:00Not a reference to anything but delicious rice noo...Not a reference to anything but delicious rice noodles.jtfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10279035600714686610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-78389765084267233112012-07-18T15:19:06.468-04:002012-07-18T15:19:06.468-04:00I give up. What does "the char kway teow of d...I give up. What does "the char kway teow of destiny" mean? As far as I can see, it's a popular noodle dish in Southeast Asia.k. riggs gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11807633349311664382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-73930454968580117972012-07-11T09:51:15.674-04:002012-07-11T09:51:15.674-04:00Hahahaha, unfortunately a lot of S.M. Stirling'...Hahahaha, unfortunately a lot of S.M. Stirling's other hand-waving on how he breaks thermodynamics doesn't quite add up to being logically consistent. But it's still a fun series.jtfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10279035600714686610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-28009084419639001152012-07-10T23:59:19.445-04:002012-07-10T23:59:19.445-04:00And then medival Alien Space Bats could limit the...And then medival Alien Space Bats could limit the power that can be outputted from gas expansions, and prevent the use and application of electricity while still retaining such natural phenomena as lightning.k. riggs gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11807633349311664382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-22349115598885516692011-11-02T20:34:14.317-04:002011-11-02T20:34:14.317-04:00Albertan here, you should definitely buy our oil.Albertan here, you should definitely buy our oil.Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11439161931643117421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-16178773434371047162011-10-26T14:38:37.404-04:002011-10-26T14:38:37.404-04:00I don't think much of algae-based biofuels, to...I don't think much of algae-based biofuels, to be perfectly honest. Higher value-added plays like algae foodstuffs and chemicals seem to have a much better chance. I'll try and get some material together in the next few weeks, work allowing, that won't violate any NDAs.jtfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10279035600714686610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-54797937525967334472011-10-26T14:19:27.341-04:002011-10-26T14:19:27.341-04:00Hi Ah beng,
I secretly joined your nerdy blog abo...Hi Ah beng,<br /><br />I secretly joined your nerdy blog about a month ago, after you included a link (about something) with your comment at DiA. Now I'm publicly admitting that I follow your nerdy blog.<br /><br />What do you think about algal-based biofuels? I'm kind of partial to them, myself.<br /><br />http://www.flipsideflorida.com/florida-algal-overview/k. riggs gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11807633349311664382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-74473439972822882612011-10-13T18:31:05.247-04:002011-10-13T18:31:05.247-04:00I just came across your blog form your posting on ...I just came across your blog form your posting on the Economist. Nice analysis, I hope more people read it.netitouthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01829005165147509159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-57378621247733626642011-09-19T09:48:35.589-04:002011-09-19T09:48:35.589-04:00Not certain I understand everything about your com...Not certain I understand everything about your comment... but I'll give it a go.<br /><br />The two-year supply glitch is still ongoing, so to speak, and it's not going away. Right now, there is currently a large oversupply in the market of the commoditized parts of a solar cell - that is, the module, cell, and the wafers. The impact on the pricing especially of the glut in modules available is very significant. Recall that Solyndra, like most startups, was hemorrhaging cash like crazy and had no alternative source of revenue. It began marketing a product in a severely depressed market environment and its relative pricing picture died because of its choices in module construction. No mystery there.<br /><br />The issue with silicon refining was not the conduction. Seeding is necessary for both the Siemens process and Czochralski process but the two are fundamentally different. The Siemens process involves a redox reaction at the seed crystal boundary, which grows the crystal nicely but isn't going to create an ingot that you need. What you've referred to as "casually seed[ing]" to get a single crystal in the Czochralski process is instead far less easy. The production of a monocrystalline ingot requires that the seed crystal be spun, at a constant shear stress - obviously, requiring heavy process control - and requires the melt be within a small temperature range around the melting point of the silicon. Completing a single cylindrical silicon crystal ingot takes between 36 and 40 hours as you slowly draw it out of the melt. This is not a casual process. It's been much improved since the '90s but it's still difficult.<br /><br />I'm still not sure what you mean by a "rack of tubes," but there exist voltage gates that prevent irregular current from blocked, shaded or otherwise low-outputting solar cells from damaging the others, but that aspect comes in on the design of the individual panel.jtfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10279035600714686610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-75133577217886512082011-09-19T02:59:49.380-04:002011-09-19T02:59:49.380-04:00I don't buy that it was a 2-year silicon suppl...I don't buy that it was a 2-year silicon supply blip glitch; and there are more Strategic Materials regulations available where these ones are making WTO transparency like getting an eyeful of awful. On the other hand I don't know duping the DOE lately; reckoned it was an internal magazine.<br /><br />Semiconductistas knew before 1994 that (in a power co. /refinery furnace-sharing enterprise, in the PRC by default) one could casually seed polysilicon with a desired orientation and arrange for the impurities at crystal edges to not conduct (thus not kill the chance of drawing out photo-current.)<br /><br />A glance at the technology makes it seem fragile and low-duty; who's gonna clean a rack of tubes, how do they not pop often, orientation-agnosticism seems a folly; but they looked good performing on the panel market, until they didn't or those ads by natural gas made carbon emissions look fine.Obsinguodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00608098009867280297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-61118215913480338352011-09-16T02:46:19.479-04:002011-09-16T02:46:19.479-04:00I followed here from M.S.'s post at the Econom...I followed here from M.S.'s post at the Economist and of course, your link Josh/Ah Beng. I appreciate your effort here, though it is slightly depressing. Maybe it is more than slightly depressing.Crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07510652151399647017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549846668109823515.post-41959040171026051492011-09-15T17:08:55.272-04:002011-09-15T17:08:55.272-04:00This is a terrific post. Thanks.
- M.S.This is a terrific post. Thanks.<br /><br />- M.S.Matt Steinglasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09010852297982506695noreply@blogger.com