Dakota Today

*** Northwest Wood Turning ...Executive Desk Toys

I had a pleasant surprise a few days ago.  I got a package in the mail from a friend with a couple small surprises inside.  Chuck Noble is a retired Boeing engineer and usually returns to hometown Winner, SD every summer to the farm where high quality hay is raised.  He now spends more time with his wood-turning hobby after retirement from Boeing.  He does wood turning.  He made use of wood from an apple tree that died in his yard and made some small tops he calls executive desk toys.  Below is an image of a couple of the tops with a US Quarter included to give an idea of the size.

I slapped the text over the image and covered about half of the quarter.  The text includes: Chuck Noble, Bellevue, Washington. Northwest Woodturner.  Phone (425) 747-7092.  E-mail:  [email protected].

I have played a bit with them and noticed the coloring and the pattern in the paint.  I hope you can see that in the image.  He uses a technique I had never heard of before...chatter work.  The tool vibrates a bit like a tuning fork and leaves small indentations in the wood allowing the pattern in the ink or paint only on the surface and not in the indentations.

Well, if you have an executive in the family who needs a handmade toy or a youngster who wants to give a top a spin and maybe learn about rotational and maybe gyroscopic kinds of action, give Chuck a call.  I don't know what he is charging however.

*** Stay tuned for less fun--- Doug Wiken

 

*** NOVA on PBS Chernobyl disaster in 1986 and what to do now

PBS NOVA science show is on now.  It is dsccussing the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Ukraine in 1986.  It is worth watching.  A tremendous amount of engineering as well as millions of bolts and tons of steel will be used to build an arch "sarcouphagus"to cover the failed reactor.  Pieces of the steel structure will be moved over the destroyed reactor.  The radiation makes everything more difficult, complex and dangerous.

A few days ago, I read a newspaper story indicating US corporation Westinghouse is bankrupt.  Their reactor building business took a huge downturn after the Ukranian nuclear reactor disaster.  More on this if I can find the original story. Photo and info at NY Times . I did not notice that the NYTimes article was from Apr 27, 2014. Here is a current link to NOVA info on the Chernobyl Megatomb video.   The PBS site available on a ROKU stick has the video now.  Also some on Extreme Weather which is good.  Here is a more recent link with more information Extreme Tech Mega-Project puts Chernobyl to rest   From this link is info on size of structure "Over 10,000 different people contributed to building the structure, which stands 354 feet tall and an astonishing 843 feet wide."

From several other links, " In 1986, in the heart of Ukraine, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded, releasing 400 times more radiation than the Hiroshima Bomb. Hastily, a "sarcophagus" was built to contain the radioactive materials that lingered at the site after the explosion. However, 30 years later, the sarcophagus is crumbling, and another disaster at Chernobyl looms. Now, an international team of engineers is racing the clock to assemble one of the most ambitious superstructures ever built-an extraordinary 40,000 ton, $1.5 billion dome to encase the crumbling remains of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. Battling arctic winter weather-and lethal radiation-this is the inside story of the epic race to build Chernobyl's Mega Tomb.

Also here is a link Forbes on Westinghouse Bankruptcy and Nuclear setback.

These two stories and events should cause more people to think about the benefits of wind, solar, and hydro power electrical generation.

** Stay tuned here and to NOVA----Doug Wiken

*** Links to the 2017 SDPB Photo Albums

Lots of good photos from a lot of good South Dakota photographers in youth, amateur, and pro categories.  Worth your time to look at all of them...even if that takes some time.  And, believe it or not, it is a lot easier to find them in the list below than elsewhere.

SDPB February AMATEUR album 2017

SDPB February YOUTH Album 2017

SDPB February PROFESSIONAL Album 2017

Take a look and I hope you will like the many and varied perspectives on South Dakota.

*** Stay tuned and I hope the weather improves as predicted.  Enough Winter already--- Doug Wiken

Upcoming Winner, SD Meeting on Hands-On Tech Education

Check Education Priorities blog for information on the October 2 meeting planned for Winner, SD on Technical and adult education proposals and related information.  Details here: Winner Meeting Information at Education Priorities.

The Tech School idea for Winner has gradually gained more supporters.  This meeting is an opportunity to hear more information and also express your opinions on the possible educational, social, and economic benefits for the future of a growing Winner rather than a continuing declining Winner society and economy.

*** Stay tuned even if technology and more education are like other planets for you---- Doug Wiken

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*** The "Anthropocene" age. layers of civilization and fossil relics

I just looked at the September 2016 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN around page 32 and found an article on "What mark will we leave on the Planet".  It is part of nine or so related articles.  One of the ideas discussed is the "Anthropocene" age.  A Dutch researcher (Paul Crutzen)  in year 2000, decided we were not part of the 11.700 year old Holocene age, but a new age-- The Antropocene Age.

The question about this is have we really entered a new geologic age.  The author (Jan Zalasiewicz) thinks we have changed earth enough to warrant calling it a new age.  He thinks that evidence of this age will still be around thousands of years from now.  He views metals like Aluminum  which exists in pure form enough to cover the world with aluminum foil as the old "rocks" which will be found.  Other rocks will be the half a trillion tons of concrete.  Humans now shift more sediment than natural forces such as rivers  and wind do.

Radioactive particles will be around for thousands of years as a result of nuclear bomb use and tests.  The radioactive layer is an abrupt Anthropocene signature.  All this and things like metal in teeth, skeletons with artificial metal hips will be pushed up millions of years from now and some newly minted cliff will  reveal a distinctive Anthropocene layer.  Despite this idea, the concept of an Anthropocene Age is not settled.  "The jury is still out."

I have left out a lot in this short summary, but the article and the rest of the magazine are worth reading.

***Stay tuned even if your trash and work will not leave evidence around for millions of years.-- Doug Wiken

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Scientists: Earth Entered a New Age Around 1950

The Anthropocene Is Here: Humanity Has Pushed Earth Into a New Epoch

The Anthropocene is here - scientists

Deirdre Fulton - The Anthropocene Is Here: Humanity Has Pushed Earth Into a New Epoch - Progressive Radio Network

Earth in new geological era called the Anthropocene thanks to impact of nukes, plastic rubbish... and chickens

Experts declare Anthropocene has begun

Are we living in the Anthropocene epoch? Scientific body says "yes"

Scientists: Anthropocene epoch is upon us, be ready!

*** Rake and bale at the same time.

John Harter posted this on Facebook.  It looks like an interesting idea that can save manpower and time.  It does appear that something like a couple rear-facing TV cameras might help reduce the concentration required to make this work.

Flex, LLC Rake and Bale

It might also take a lot of hay acres to make it pay however.

***Stay tuned even if it is too hot to step outside today--- Doug Wiken

*** "New?" electrical connectors..WAGO from Germany

These slick electrical connectors may have been around for years as far as I know, but we first saw them at Menards in Rapid City.  We checked for negative comments on the internet and really found none.  It appears to me that these "lever" connectors could save a lot of time and also space in junction boxes.  They can handle a range of wire sizes something like from #12 down to #22 both solid and stranded.  If you have used them, please let me know.  They cost more than wire nut type connectors, but look like they might be a lot better system.  You can find them at Menards and Amazon and I imagine at lot more places.  They look like they might be useful for tinkering with electronic and electrical projects similar to breadboard projects since the connections can be easily made and easily disconnected.

WAGO Site

The five-wire connector is about the size of your finger under your thumbnail.

***Stay tuned even if your connections are all with wires and none with political influentials--- Doug Wiken

 

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*** Another SD Blog..Windbreak House

Linda M. Hasselstrom of Hermosa can write and may have been doing it since being an editor of a highschool yearbook, etc.... if my fading memory is correct.  Anyway, her perspectives are interesting and she sees things I am most likely not to notice.  Anyway take a look at her blog.  You might like it.

Notes from a Western Life by Linda M. Hasselstrom of Windbreak House

South Dakota needs more blogs and more variety in blogs.  Blogs are a wonderful way to publish in this electronic age.  Content Management for the masses.  We never know what might blossom under the SD sun or even in a wretched SD blizzard.

***Stay tuned and look around the SD Blogosphere.  There are worse things to do.--Doug Wiken

***Sunset and about "energy infrastructure"

First, a colorful sunset a few minutes ago.  Old cellphone that takes images, but not so great.

Republicans in Congress are saying a whole lot about energy infrastructure and associated jobs.  Most of what they have been saying however is mostly a tissue of lies, distortions, and omissions of fatal data.  Of course, right now they are pandering to a Canadian company in the interests of reaping more campaign funds from the fossil fuels industry.

This morning as I half-dozed through the sabbath gasbags on ABC and CBS, I started to think of a necessary expansion to the idea of energy infrastructure.  It is not just pipelines and powerlines.  "Energy infrastructure" also must be discussed also with reference to devices, systems, and processes that save energy or produce energy without generating millions of tons of waste solids and gasses which are now almost always considered to be environmentally harmful.

Republicans and also most Democrats in Congress and regulatory positions mostly discuss only half of the "energy infrastructure".  They need to expand the definition and stop pretending it is only fossil fuels, powerlines, and pipelines.

I saw a good image today as well.  It was of a protestor holding up a sign with "There is no PLANET B."  We have earth and we better not destroy it as a place habitable by humans.  We are very likely on that path now.  And even if that is not a 99 percent certainty and only a 1 percent chance of human extinction, it seems like we need to start undoing damage and stop producing more damage.  Especially since building energy infrastructure that saves energy and produces it without fossil fuel wastes is considered by most economists to be a wonderful way to generate jobs that mean meaningful and useful employement which benefit all.

*** Stay tuned and remember the other half of "energy infrastructure"-- Doug Wiken

*** Might a filter made by a Rapid City firm help fight against Ebola?

The Rapid City Journal had a story in the Sunday October 19, 2014 issue.  It was followed a front-page headline, "Firm develops Ebola treatment".  You can read the story online (don't know for how long however).  Click on RC JOURNAL ImmutriX Therapeutics.    

If you read the link I posted here a few days ago, you are already aware that the way Ebola kills has recently been determined.  The products from Ebola virus cause human resistance system to go into wild reaction.  This is mentioned in the RC Journal story too.  Here is the link again on how your immune system and Ebola can destroy your body.     The Rapid City firm thinks it may have developed a blood filter which can aid victims of Ebola by removing the destructive blood contaminants resulting from systemic inflamation response syndrome.

The Rapid City Journal story is based on information from Jeff Barnes, VP of development for ImmutriX.  and Immutrix founder, president, and CEO Carol A. Rae.  They say the firm has spent years researching ways to remove pro-infamatory mediators from blood. This research was not done because of stimulus from Ebola, but other diseases that also cause a flood of enzymes and proteins that overwhelm the body and its organs.

Rae says the company has patents, but their blood cleansing system has not yet been tested in humans.  It has however already worked in animals.  The company has submitted its technology to The Grand Ebola Challenge and is hoping for cooperation from other government agencies.  This may be a gift the company can give to victims of Ebola, but others will have to administer it and provide the training and hardware.

I hope this isn't literally a (blood) pipe dream and the company is on to something.  This may be good for South Dakota and the world for that matter.  I haven't yet found links to the company however.  Immutrix did get a grant from Proof of Concept.  This link appears to be from Immutrix--- More Scientific Explanation--Immutrix Absorbents in Ebola Treatment. 

***Stay tuned...I may find more on this in the following days-- Doug Wiken

 

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