Nobrainer’s Think Tank

On the occasion when I hear people talk about “vampire” electronics, I inevitably hear people talk about cell phone chargers, and how they’re sucking power even when the phone is not attached. Better unplug them and save power!

I knew this was overblown, but it’s really shouldn’t even be mentioned. Check out this table:

Cell phone chargers are such a small deal in relation to other electronics that the continued mention of them takes away from the bigger issue. They are two orders of magnitude less of a problem than a host of other “vampire electronics.” Or, in non-engineer speak, they are basically a rounding error in your energy use, and maybe even less. If you’re taking the time to unplug your cell phone charger every day to save a quarter every year, then you’re basically just a big old idiot. And shame on people, even actual utilities (such as where I found this table) who continue to mention this unused-charger BS.

While trying to figure out why my recently purchased CFLs are failing with exceptional speed, I learned that I must be way behind the curve.
Efficient Lighting Lessons From This Old House TV – Your Fixtures May be Shortening the Life of Your CFL

By now, most of us know these bulbs will burn out quickly if they’re turned on and off too frequently or placed in enclosed fixtures that don’t let heat dissipate. But the same thing can happen if the bulb is installed upside down, with the ballast above the bulb. One theory is that excess heat from the bulb rises, potentially damaging the ballast components. “That’s why many recessed CFL ceiling fixtures are designed with the bulbs oriented horizontally, not vertically,” says Bergman, referring to U-shaped CFLs with prongs instead of screw-in bases.

I had no idea about this. I thought CFLs, aside from not being dimmable, could be used like regular incandescent bulbs. As best I can tell, I can use standard CFLs in only 5 of the 36 bulb sockets in my house, and those 5 don’t even get used very much. Blerg.

Just a blog post though.

There is always some unemployment. Millions of Americans are out of work at any given moment even in the best of times. But the economy is still roughly 10 million jobs short of returning to normal levels of unemployment and labor force participation. That’s a lot of missing jobs.

Some of those losses may be permanent.

Just four years of shoddy job growth. Nothing to see here.

Meh. Doesn’t affect me because I’m not a tax cheat. This sales tax will actually simplify my life.

To be clear, I’m not necessarily accusing the opposition of this to be tax cheats. In Virginia, tax code specifies that a 5% use tax must be paid on untaxed internet purchases. So, since I follow the law, and since I’m not a tax cheat, this internet sales tax is much ado about nothing.

I ws just watching CNN for a bit. And there was big news at the top of the hour! New developments and new information about the bombs and guns used by the Tsarnaev brothers. Paraphrasing, “Our reporter has spoken to law enforcement contacts. Those contacts say the materials for the bombs came from the Boston area. And as for the guns, the contacts say they believe the guns came from somewhere else. Back to you.”

Geez. Thanks CNN for this hard-hitting “news” from your dedicated professional “journalists.”

Let’s say you’re a homebuilder. Let’s say you’re working on a spec build that has busted the schedule and still gone unsold after a few months on the market. What’s your next move?

Why you raise the price of course. Why ask $940,000 when you can ask $967,900?