“I purchased my house because it had a south-facing roof and was in a bungalow neighbourhood,” McConnan said.  “I didn’t have to worry about shadows.”

This roof orientation suited McConnan’s plans.

“The (south-facing roof) is good because your house is automatically set up to face the sun.”

            The purchase of her house was the first step to having a solar-powered home.

            “I knew that solar power, the efficiency of the solar-voltaic cells was improving,” McConnan said.  “I knew that eventually the cost of the units would come down so that I could actually afford to buy them.”

             McConnan got her chance to buy a solar unit in June 2006 through the Riverdale Initiative for Solar Energy (RISE).  Initiated by Ron McKay, RISE is a volunteer project designed to bring communities and the sustainable energy industry together.  RISE inspired a number of other community projects in Ontario, bringing sustainable energy systems to a increasing number of homes.  McKay, currently program co-ordinator of GoSolar Ontario (a branch of the Clean Air Foundation) explained one reason for the recent growth in interest.

            “Climate change is in the headlines almost every day now,” McKay said.  A number of issues are coming together, he continued.  The issues of energy consumption, conservation and environmental impacts of climate change are bringing ideas of sustainable energies into the mainstream.

            “If it’s sort of an underground current, it’s now bubbling to the surface,” McKay said.  “(It) is seemingly space-age technology, but people are becoming aware that this isn’t distant stuff.  These are applications that can be done now.”

The technology is simple.  Silicon panels absorb sunlight, changing it into electricity known as photovoltaic (PV) energy.  The electricity converts in to the same type of current in homes, and then transmits to the power grid.  This power then feeds directly into the home’s overall electricity supply.  McKay and a team of “solar boosters” have spread the information at Home Depots across Ontario, and on their website.

“People are becoming more aware, but they still want more information,” McKay said.

David Watts works as a Sustainable Energy consultant with Solera, the company that installed the solar panels for RISE.  He notes that the interest of solar units in Toronto ranges over a wide demographic. 

            “We don’t have an average customer.  Bank account and house size don’t matter,” Watts said.  “We’ve installed units from Parkdale to Rosedale to the Annex; 800 sq ft bungalows to mansions.”

            Nola McConnan lives in one of the bungalows where Solera installed a solar unit.  A professional artist, she doesn’t have a lot of money, she said.  Despite the expense of adding a $10,000 solar unit to her home, she feels the price is worth it.

            “When you look at the cost of large renovation work, $10,000 for something that’s going to pay you is less than what people pay for the renovation of their kitchen or bathroom,” McConnan said.

            The cost of installing a solar unit is a concern to people, but McKay feels the financial benefits outweigh the initial expense.

            “You have financial incentives after installation,” McKay said.  “You have a PST rebate which the government has extended for eligible sustainable energy systems, which can be solar, wind, or geothermal.”

            Other incentives include net metering and the Ontario Power Authority’s Standard Offer Program.

            “Net metering is where you, in a sense, credit yourself for the power that you generate.  You theoretically bank your energy onto the grid,” McKay explained.  “And then during the night time, or when you’re producing less energy you just draw that power back again.”

            With the OPA (Ontario Power Authority)’s Standard Offer Program, homeowners enter into a contract with the OPA and earn money for the energy produced.

            “Like a nuclear generator or coal fire plant, you’re house becomes a generator,” McKay said.  “And like the nuclear plant or coal fire plant, the government pays you for the power you generate.”

            Homeowners currently pay 12-15 cents for electricity off the grid, McKay said, and the government pays generators 42 cents.  With approximately 1,000 kilowatt hours produced a year, homeowners could earn up to $420.

            Financial bonuses are not the driving force for his customers, though, says David Watts of Solera.

            “Despite the differences between our customers, they all have a similar mindset, or outlook,” Watts said.  “They are all future-looking.  They don’t attach value to the long-term financial investment, but to the future investment.”

So, Rise Against has made a new album. The reviews seem OKAY. 

• AbsolutePunk.net (82%) link
• Bombshellzine.com  link
• Punknews.org  link
• Rolling Stone  link
• Strange Glue  link

My initial impression? It seems okay. 

1. Collapse(Post-Amerika) - Sounds like classic Rise Against, even with their new guitarist. Seems like it's straight out of "The Sufferer and the Witness" This song is about the collapse of a nation, the subtitle gives it away. I agree with this song 100%, we are just waiting for our fall from grace. My favorite song on this album.
2. Long Forgotten Sons - Like I said before, straight from TS&TW. Nothing special about this. D: I can't understand it, maybe about Mexicans?
3. Re-Education (Through Labor) - I like this guy's voice better. I don't get this one either. I still think it's about Mexican laborers. D:<
4. The Dirt Whispered - A very personal song, seems less Rise Againsty now. I personally think the guy's voice is good for screaming and not so much as singing. The message is clear. Nothing lasts forever, hold onto things before they disappear.
5. Kotov Syndrome - Yeah, we will spin out of control. America is already collapsing. I don't think America will recover under either Obama or McCain.
6. From Heads Unworthy - This album is your guide to America, srsly. It's about love, and the imbalance of power.  We will take what is rightfully ours, after the rich and wealthy's castles collapse.
7. The Strength To Go  On - This song begins with an Orwellian feel. It's about everyone being the sum of massive lies.
8. Audience of One - Pop punk feel. D: Where the hell's our post-hardcore. ): It's about a guy and how there is no one blame but himself.
9. Entertainment - Yeah, we are all entertainment to the power. They don't give a fuck about us. D:< I'm starting to miss the old Rise Against. 
10. Hero of War - Beautiful song, no doubt about the Iraq War. If you listen to the lyrics, its not actually about glorification of war. It's all a big fuck you to war. America mistreats the Iraqis. If you piss on someone and hit them, you become a "hero of war".
11. Savior -  I definitely miss the old Rise. Stop with this lovey dovey pop punk bullshit, that's only for blink-182. D: It's more pleasant, and the chorus is all happy and shit.
12. Hairline Fracture - I think this song is about people trying to recover, but fall again, but there hopes are still high. They're not hardcore anymore.
13. Whereabouts Unknown - It's about people trying to find a person, they miss him, and try to reflect on memories of him.
14. Elective Amnesia (iTunes bonus)- I don't know how to interpret this song, but I don't like it. There's liek no meaning.

This album was okay, I don't like there new style. I preferred there old hardcore style. The guitar still sounds the same, even with the new guitarist. I give this album an 7/10. It wasn't that great in my opinion. Comment away people, I have been listening to Rise for a while, and i found nearly every one of their songs has multiples meanings and interpretations.

There are a lot of things not to like about the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man.  It takes up a ton of space, it's noisy, and it requires its own special power adapter.

But if you're like me, none of that will matter to you, because it sounds like butter.  In fact, it's a lot like butter.  Take a piece of banana bread for example.  Sure it tastes fine on its own, but spread on some land-o-lakes and heat it up for about 15 seconds and you've taken the taste to a whole new level (chocolate chips help too).  Now, obviously butter doesn't work on everything and it can certainly be overused, but it adds a whole new dimension to food.

Ok I'll stop my over-extended food analogy.  But to me, that's what analog delay in the form of the Memory Man does to my tone.  I've been recording with it a lot in the past few days and I fall in love with it again every time.

For those who aren't familiar with it, it's an analog delay pedal that also has the option to add a little (or an insane amount) of chorus or vibrato to the delayed signal.  The result is a warbly, chimey, warm atmosphere that lingers around the dry signal.

Since it has such a short delay time and you can't tap out the tempo in a live situation, I tend to use it as more of a modulated reverb than a conventional delay.  To my ears the modulation on the signal also adds some sort of sweet top-end harmonic-like quality to the signal that's very distinctive.

Another cool thing is that either the chorus or vibrato can be adjusted so that you're only hearing the delayed signal and you can set it up to have just a straight pitch-vibrato sound with no delay.  Sort of emulates the Boss VB-2 warble.

For those applications, my settings are typically like the ones below.  That's how I tend to use the DMM but you can do just about anything in the analog delay realm.

Reverbish	Pitch Vibrato

For those interested, here are a few tunes that feature DMM sounds.  This is mostly speculation but I have a pretty good idea.

- Derek Webb's "Nothing is Ever Enough" on the I See Things Upside Down record:  This definitely sounds like the DMM.  A Digitech Space Station also kicks in later in the song.  (listen)
- Brooke Fraser's "Love is Waiting" on the Albertine record:  Michael Chaves definitely uses it a lot, and it sounds to me like the main part for this song has it on there. (listen)
- Emerson Hart's "If You're Gonna Leave" on the Cigarettes & Gasoline Record:  Listen for the 5-1-2 melody line in the chorus. (listen/watch)
- Robbie Seay Band's "Rise" on the Give Yourself Away record.  Taylor Johnson said this was the main delay he used on this song and that he tends to use it a lot in the studio (listen).
- U2's "An Cat Dubh/Into the Heart" on the Boy record and pretty much any early U2.  Before Edge had all his racks he used 2 DMMs. (listen/watch)

In Conclusion:  If you play electric guitar and you could use a delay, you should go play one.  It's a little pricey, but nothing else sounds like it...

Sorry to make a long post even longer, but here's a cool video of a kid using one:

Mae Linat © 2008

During last one month of this semester, i've been expected a few things would happen earlier. One of the things is i will face my most challenging period at the 4 last weeks. Just imagine 1 national level contest project, 1 external project (but luckily this one completed earlier), and other 1 final project for each subject and there are 6 subjects. But most of this project will complete within a few days. If only the days are only allocated for completing the projects. at this time, how to manage time, how to manage resource and how to manage human resource is also one big thing. But as usual, time constaint is always have the most challenging title. Well, while i'm in my effort to finish up all the projects, sometimes i wonder how did the people with alot of businesses like Donald Trump and other billionaires manage their business in the same time keep living and having their family life..the things i wish i knew..

Whatever happen, let's try to remind ourself how busy you are, there are people out there that more busy. And if you stress or pressure with what ever happen to you, there's always way to reduce it. It can be manage. But how to manage it?hmm..i don't really know..but if i've discover the way, i'll share. Life is all about sharing! Right? Until next time. Wallahu'allam.

Featured song:

Rise And Fall - Craig David feat Sting

Such is the way of the world
You can never know
Just where to put all your faith
And how will it grow

Gonna rise up
Burning back holes in dark memories
Gonna rise up
Turning mistakes into gold

Such is the passage of time
Too fast to fold
And suddenly swallowed by signs
Low and behold

Gonna rise up
Find my direction magnetically
Gonna rise up
Throw down my ace in the hole

I love this Eddie Vedder song. This is from the soundtrack of Into the Wild. Infact i like all the songs from the album. Its a wonderful movie too. Its a real life story. One man, after destroying all his assets and burning cash,documents like credit cards, degree certificates, leaves for Alaska alone. Sounds interesting, right? :-)

Terminator 3:Rise of the Machines

Mean Girls

James Lane Allen

It's times like now where I miss so many people, I can't listen to some thing's without wanting to get on a plane or a train. Do something stupid, just to hang - just to feel the freedom, the happiness, the excitement.

23.  Tax Cuts for the Rich?

It gives a one-year reprieve, at a cost of $64 billion, to more than 20 million taxpayers who would get hit by the AMT, which is supposed to only affect the very rich. The bill also gives tax breaks to natural disaster victims and ensures mental health parity in health insurance benefits.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080924/ap_on_go_co/tax_breaks

HA NOI — Both the southern and northern stock exchanges fell yesterday.

Following last week’s strong increase, the VN-Index for HCM City stock exchange slid yesterday, losing 4.81 points to close at 479.

On the southern bourse, of the listed shares and fund certificates, 31 advances were made, 118 fell and 15 were unchanged. More than 18.4 million shares were traded for a total of VND737.6 billion (US$44.7 million).

Shares showing strong increases in value included PVD of PV Drilling and VIC of Vincom, up VND4,000 to VND103,000 and VND99,500 respectively. TSC of Techno-Agricultural Supply Joint Stock Company rose VND3,000 to VND64,000 and DPM of Phu My Fertiliser rose VND2,500 to VND63,000.

Strong decreases were made by TCT of Tay Ninh Cable Car Tour Company, whose shares fell VND6,000 to VND117,000. The SJS of Song Da Urban&Industrial Zone Investment and Development Joint Stock Company and SGH of Sai Gon Hotel both fell VND5,000 to end at VND103,000 and VND97,000 respectively.

STB of Sacombank remained the most active shares with a total of 2.27 million changing hands. This was followed by DPM with 1.53 million shares and HPG of Hoa Phat Group with 1.3 million shares.

BBT of Bach Tuyet Cotton Company, which recently announced it was close to bankruptcy, was traded in the last 15 minutes. A total of 23,500 shares changed hands. BBT had been asked to limit trading until it provided full information about its recovery of production and business.

Pham Minh Duy, an investor with Sai Gon-Ha Noi Securities, said the purchase of BBT shares was carefully considered by investors.

The decrease in the VN-Index decrease was attributed to the large volume of shares sold by short-term investors and a wait-and-see attitude by investors as US lawmakers pushed to finalise a deal to create a $700 billion government fund to buy bad debts.

Business results from the third quarter are also awaited.

Huy Duong an analyst with Hoa Binh Securities, said the US financial crisis made investors more careful about the market, especially new investors.

He added that veteran investors were unlikely to worry unless the VN-index slid rapidly.

In Ha Noi, the HASTC-index was down 2.33 points to end the day at 157.98 points. More than 11 million shares changed hands for VND413.7 billion.

Shares in 50 companies advanced, 96 declined, three were unchanged and four were inactive.

Foreign investors were the net buyers with a volume of 453,200 worth more than VND18.2 billion.

They also sold 336,300 shares worth VND12.7 billion. —