Because we could all use a bit of good news every now and then:
– IBM’s figured out how to repurpose old silicon semiconductor wafers into solar cells, which is a very good thing in the midst of the worldwide silicon shortage.
– Got a large hospital, nursing home, or chain of restaurants? Are you a city or municipality looking to get into biodiesel on a small scale with used food-service grease, but don’t have the coin to set up a large plant just yet? The BioBox helps you solve your grease-disposal problems by turning that gunk into biodiesel, which you can then use in your trucking fleets or sell to somebody else.
– The Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, are plugging along nearly four years after they landed on the Red Planet on missions that were only supposed to last ninety days. They’ve gone through dust storms, energy starvation, and the general wear and tear to be expected in a hostile environment like Mars, yet are still doing their jobs and doing them well.
– Seattle is the first American city to announce that it’s met the targets of the Kyoto protocol for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Sounds like it wasn’t that hard to do, either.
What’s the good news you have to share today?
Related posts:
- Early Morning Swim: David Axelrod on “This Week”: Fox “Not Really News”
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- Glenn “Instapundit” Reynolds Doubles Down on Powerline’s Fact-Free Climate Change Post
- Come Saturday Morning: The Good News Roundup
- Early Morning Swim: Lawrence O’Donnell and Eric Burns of Media Matters Discuss Fox News’ Agenda
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Zed?
Hi, Phoenix Woman!
PW – thanks for the post
it is wearisome this
living in interesting times
Good on Seattle. Lure people from their cars, indeed. Where’s the rail system in this country? The bike lanes? The places to lock a bike up at work?
Thanks for the uplift, PW. Badly needed.
Fed lowered interest rate 1/4 point.
U.S. death toll in Iraq lowest in 18 months. (Who would have thought a mere 36 U.S. military killed in Iraq in a month would be good news?)
any day we don’t bomb iran has at least one thing going for it!
Is that meant to be snark about the “worldwide silicon shortage?” Perhaps there’s a shortage of the pure silicon crystals used in semiconductor manufacture, but as far as I know sand is still in abundant supply.
Newt gingrich’s new book is titled: A Contract with the Earth.
Berkeley solar initiative:
My good news: The Pleasant Avenue compost lot was open today so I raked up all my leaves, threw them in the back of my truck, drove 8 blocks and then raked them all back out again to become compost for next year’s garden (not enough room in the yard to compost leaves at home).
Seems like this new Ag Bushie has “business experience” like his new boss’s:
I saw this the other day and wondered why it took so long – an absolutely terrific idea.
link
eCAHNomics @ 5
1€ buys $1.4447
Supreme Court calls moratorium on death penalty.
Haven’t heard mention of Ann Coulter in a week.
Thats good news.
T-bear @ 14
Interest rates more important for U.S. economy than exchange rate. Besides, lower X-rate is finally spurring exports, which grew 16% in this morning’s GDP report. (Didn’t look at details to figure out whether there was some special factor, though.)
Well dang. I tried to get venture funding for a similar silicon recycling project several years ago. I’m glad IBM is leading the way on this. It will help reduce the cost per watt of Photovoltaics and extend the supply in the face of competition from the integrated circuit suppliers.
There is alot of silicon on the planet. Due to the limitations in the manufacturing process (which is very energy intensive) there isn’t enough pure product to go around.
It is great to see this success heralded here on the blog!
eCAHNomics @ 17
is not inflation a worry? or are you going along with the “good news” only concept this thread? *g*
eCAHNomics @ 17
The lowered value of the dollar is driving up Oil/Energy prices though. This is not good for the long term health of the economy.
ot – i missed most of the sjc fisa hearing today, but the audio recording seems to have worked (yeah!)….so i can listen later today. in case anyone else wants to give it a listen – here it is.
selise @ 21
Goddess! Thank you selise!
Bustednuckles @ 16
That just means you don’t read DownWithTyranny.
Do you ever think the Mars Rovers are getting bored ?
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/54360
A step on the way to some potential good news is I have a job interview scheduled for Friday afternoon.
dakine01 @ 23
or DownWIthTranny!
selise @ 19
GDP delflator rose at only a 0.8% annual rate, vs. 2.7% over the prior year, so inflation’s not a problem. Energy price increases (which were lowered in 3Q than in 2Q, and will probably pick up again in the 4Q) are partly offset by decreases in prices in the investment sector.
http://www.bea.gov/newsrelease…..elease.htm
Orange County, California, GOP superstar and Sheriff Mike Carona, wife, and mistress indicted on federal corruption charges.
That’s good news, right?
dakine01 @ 25
Good luck!
newtonusr @ 22 –
my timed recording of the house foreign affairs committee hearing this afternoon didn’t work, though :(
i’ve had that happen twice recently (but never before), looks like i better try to find out why.
p.s. is the new kitty settling in nicely yet?
I just registered here at Fdl. I hope I can add something semi-intelligent to the discourse here from time to time.
I liked what I read when I visited recently to check out Valerie Plame Wilson’s chat. She’s quite a role model isn’t she? She and Joe are a great pair of human beings and America is fortunate to have them, although not as fortunate as we could be if they were still working in their chosen professions.
That’s all for now. See you all around the threads.
Judiciary Dems Lining Up Against Mukasey:
IrishJim @ 20
The outlook for the long term health of the economy stinks, on account of lower $$ & many other reasons. But that’s not the subject of this thread. *g
TRDaggett @ 31
Welcome. And yes, Wilsons are heroes here.
TRDaggett @ 31
Welcome!
mffarrow @ 32
It’s gonna come down to DiFi.
eCAHNomics @ 27
what’s gdb deflator? – (if you assume complete ignorance, you’ll probably be correct) thx!
just me @ 8
Solar cells don’t require the 99.9% pure silicon that ICs do, so the companies supplying silicon to industry go for the higher-value 99.9% kind. Economics in action.
Maybe with cheaper solar cells, we can install more solar-power systems. My rains station could use some for their electronic signage: they’ve had a couple of power outages in the pre-sunrise period.
dakine01 @ 25 –
fingers crossed!
selise @ 30
Except for the loss of a couple of nice features, it’s good. Fast.
Off to work. See you.
TeddySanFran @ 36
I thought this was a good news thread.
Good news, huh? Hmmm… Ok.
My head hasn’t exploded yet from all the lies and hypocrisy of the Bush Crime Family, or from the lack of sack of this 11% approval rating democratic congress that absolutely refuses to hold them accountable.
I hope this counts.
My bit of good news (& I’m sorry if it’s been mentioned – I have a wicked cold & am moving slowly) but John Cole of Balloon Juice just registered as a Democrat.
Balloon Juice
I’m carbon neutral with my winter heat this year.. All fallen dead well seasoned firewood chopped, split, and piled high just outside my back door.
My congressman, Zack Space of OH-18, does not take money, donations,gifts,trips, meals or anything else from lobbyists.
That’s a bit of good news. ;)
I checked with his office and they verified this.
me @ 38
My rains station should read my train station.
selise @ 37
GDP is Gross Domestic Product, the commonly accepted measures of the total output of goods & services produced by the United States (or whatever the country in question) economy. The deflator is the price index associated with that measure, so the GDP deflator is the most comprehensive price index for the economy as a whole.
Karen Hughes resigned!
Oh wait, that was last thread…
Eureka Springs @ 44
And THAT is an asset well worth protecting!!
Guardian now has a U.S. online edition. I have high expecations, but so far (a couple of days) nothing much worth noting. http://www.guardian.co.uk/america
Pelosi wrapping up a nice interview on NPR.
eCAHNomics @ 47
thanks!
hmm… but that sounds like a usa producer price index…. would a consumer price index be similar? or maybe different because it would include products produced elsewhere and importated (like oil and other commodities).
or am i still hopelessly confused?
thx much for the tutoring.
Good News (and I’m sorry that I didn’t give a heads-up so others could see it):
Sheldon Whitehouse just gave an eloquent speech on the Senate floor in the process of announcing that he will be opposing the nomination of Judge Mukasey for AG.
Whitehouse is describing this as a moment in history that has ‘reared up’ as a “swivel point” for the future direction of our nation, and he therefore feels compelled to ‘throw his shoulder’ into the fight to reclaim our nation’s values, especially as it relates to the question of torture. He obviously thinks quite highly of Mukasey, but Whitehouse will not stand for the White House position on torture that Mukasey refuses to rebut. Whitehouse is wisely using this issue to highlight broader themes beyond Mukasey, and in the process standing up to oppose this particular nomination. Bravo, Bravo.
Also: Something has penetrated and disturbed at least a couple of people inside the Beltway Bubble regarding Iran. Dick Durbin introduced a resolution the other day (haven’t read it yet) to try to close the barn door (although the horse may have already departed): a resolution to ensure that the Kyl/Lieberman resolution Durbin voted for doesn’t end up allowing Bush to attack Iran. So Durbin’s resolution reiterates the Constitution’s requirement that only Congress can declare war. And both he (yesterday) and Robert Byrd (today) have spoken on the floor about the Constitution’s power to declare war vested solely in the people, through our Congress, and that Iran is both not an imminent threat, nor attackable by Bush without Congressional authorization that has yet to be granted. Senators Durbin and Byrd are both trying to head off further escalation in this war of words and increasing Executive Branch and official press hositility toward Iran. Bravo, Bravo.
good news?
H. Clinton is getting hammered in the comments down at:
http://www.firedoglake.com/200…..e/#respond
that’s some good news.
supposedly even many kosniks are lambasting her candidacy in featured diaries over there.
mc @ 48
Two words for Karen Hughes.
First is “good”
Second is not “bye.”
this is pretty cool. target being one of the first places going green. i feel the envirment really needs our help and it can only get better if we all help. right?
Good news: there is an Angry Black Bitch, and she cares about kids in tangible ways that have a direct effect on their lives.
Badwater @ 26
Now Badwater, let’s not go there. It is insulting to our LGBT friends on just about every level.
Dick Durbin now speaking about Judge Mukasey on the Senate floor:
http://c-span.org/watch/cs_csp…..p;Code=CS2
eCAHN and selise,
Thanks! I’m hopeful without holding my breath as I’ve been at this point a number of times the last few years.
And TRDagget, welcome to the Lake.
pow wow @ 53
He must’ve read Edwards’ Manchester NH speech.
Demand better. Be better.
selise @ 52
Consumer spending is over 70% of GDP, so you can think of consumer prices having about that weight in the GDP deflator. The personal consumption deflator uses components of the CPI, but there are some technical differences between the two measures of the “same” thing.
Producer prices hardly enter into the GDP deflator at all, as most of them are prices of primary (e.g. iron ore, crude oil) or intermediate (e.g., steel, paper, chemicals). Primary & intermediate output is included only indirectly; for example iron ore is measured as it is finally sold in a car or in a door frame in a new house. Otherwise, you’d be counting the output of those industries multiple times.
TeddySanFran @ 12
Yea, Ed Schafer is exactly like shrub, poor substitute for his father.
My Dad knew his Dad (Harold) … actually my Grandfather knew him better. The Gold Seal co. manufactured Mister Bubble in New Jersey, and operated a little tourist trap in Medora N.D. where Teddy Roosevelt once had two ranches (western motife (sp?) wooden sidewalks, cheesy cowboys hats, horse drawn wagons, the whole nine yards, I learned to ride horse there, I spent my Summers there for most of my childhood) — not sure if Gold seal still exists. My family has a lot of history there; my Dad’s cousin was an executive with Gold Seal and the Mayor for years, and my Great Grandfather settled there in the late 1800’s
Ed Schafer is a poor successor of his father, just like W
pow wow @ 53 –
that is good news!
just fyi – if you happen to catch a good speech on the senate or house floor (like whitehouse, durbin and byrd)… if you’ll give me the day and approximate time they spoke (plus or minus an hour is fine – or your best guess), i can rip a youtube video from the c-span archives. (unless, of course, someone else has already done it).
it’s not as beautiful as i could do ripping it from the tv, but it’s still ok and at least that way i could share the good bits.
anyway, would grateful for the heads up…
thank you again, pow wow, for everything you do to educate us and to keep us informed. appreciated beyond measure.
I spent the past weekend with several women, winners of the International Women’s Media Foundation “Courage in Journalism” and “Lifetime Achievement” (in journalism) awards. Sitting with three of them (Lydia Cacho of Mexico, Peta Thornycroft of Zimbabwe–on Fresh Air today!–and Sahar Issa of Iraq, I listened with tears in my eyes as they all spoke admiringly of U.S. civil society. Catching my reaction, they ALL said at once that I–as an American–can’t see the good that they, from their perspectives, are able to note. There’s plenty they didn’t like, believe me. We had a great conversation about Shock Doctrine. But, they see what progressives ARE doing here. We ARE making a difference. (you can hear Issa on PRI’s The World, archive date 10/26 and look for her on the News Hour sometime soon. I’m not sure who Cacho interviewed with, but when I find out, I’ll link her….all three are amazing, articulate journalists who are changing the world.)
America’s exports IIRC – Boeing, B-movies (and actors), Bad news (not necessarily in that order).
When living in Ireland, the Irish Times seemed the most accurately written paper there, combining the best of The Guardian, BBC, TheTimes, and the Independant reporting. They can be found at http://www.ireland.com but a subscription is required for access to the best parts. To see what was being reported and when, their archive records are unsurpassed particularly in the period leading into the Afghanistan/Iraq attack, conquest and occupation. FWIW did you know the Taliban offered to turn OBL over to a neutral third country at the UN just before Afghanistan was attacked? ;-)
eCAHNomics @ 62
thank you!
i may have more quesitions later, if you don’t mind.
can i just say how much i love this place? teachers everywhere!
my good news of the day is FDL!!!
pow wow @ 59
watching now.
awsome!
Hey, John in Sac…
As probably a small minority here, resident North Dakotan, may I just say that he married well, too.
Fast Eddie and Dubya are cut from exactly the same mold. Fortunately this Ag Sec gig came along–he’s been only marginally successful in his recent career path of substitute talk show host for Scott Hennen. You may recall ol’ Scottie–he elicited that lovely nod from Chee-knee to waterboarding.
Thanks, selise @ 63. Will do. [Whitehouse spoke from about 4:50-5:00 p.m. Eastern today; Byrd immediately preceded him.]
T-bear @ 66
Q: What’s worse than U.S. moves?
A: Movies anywhere else in the world.
Now all you art movies afficiandoes, don’t get on my case. I personally don’t like U.S. films, and I am a fan of many foreign flicks, but there’s a lot of bad moving images in the rest of the world.
Laura Doty @ 65
Missed you laura… although I suspected you were up to something wonderful.
Thanks pow wow for the Durbin and Byrd good news!
selise @ 67
You’re welcome. Ask away. This was my bread & butter for many years. I only wish that clients who didn’t understand it would have asked Qs, but they were too embarrassed.
ES @ 72: THANKS! I missed the lake and it’s nice to be back and to see so many new folks here!
Lahoma and I absolutely love photo-voltaics.
And someone might be pulling our leg(s).
“World wide silicon shortage”?
“IBM’s figured out how to repurpose old silicon semiconductor wafers into solar cells, which is a very good thing in the midst of the worldwide silicon shortage.”
Silicon: a tetravalent nonmetallic element that occurs combined as the most abundant element next to oxygen in the earth’s crust and is used especially in ferrosilicon for steelmaking, in other alloys, and in semiconductors. From Merriam-Webster.
SadieSue @ 43
I really admire him and other former republicans who have really struggled with this. Bravo to them all – gives me hope for being one country again.
pow wow @ 70
got ‘em. thanks!
will try to do them tonight (i have to use both my computers with nothing else running – it’s a bit of rube goldberg, but it works – it’s how i did the holt youtube).
Laura Doty @ 65
That’s encouraging to hear. It’s nice not to be lumped together with the current despots in the White House and the small minority who support them as is done so frequently.
And thanks for the welcome all.
TeddySanFran @ 28
Right!
And I was going to post this. Sheesh! The whole thing comes tumbling down.
eCAHNomics @ 73
great! it’s better everyone know i’m ignorant than to live my life in unnecessary ignorance. *g*
dakine01 @ 23
Popping back in, I thought I was up to date with DWT, so I scrolled and scrolled and now I see what you mean.
I don’t have computer access on weekends and missed Sunday’s edition.
I still could have went the rest of the week without seeing her mug though.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/057546.php
This is a good overview of the situation…
Applied invests in solar-wafer maker
The venture arm of equipment maker Applied Materials has invested $3 million into Solaicx, a small company trying to put a dent into the shortage of silicon for solar cells.
Has anyone figured out a good use for old CDs, besides coasters?
opie_jeanne @ 79
It’s not Bush or Cheney or the Republics in the Senate and House so it’s only worth a smile.
Richard Roeper in the Chicago Sun-Times:
Amen, indeed.
Sailmaker @ 84
Fisbees for dogs?
Bustednuckles @ 80
Well, didn’t want you to miss what the rest of us had gone through
Good news?
Junior saved a lot of money by having no car insurance.
;>)
Silicon? World wide silicon shortage?
Silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon’s most common compound, is the most abundant compound in the earth’s crust. It commonly takes the form of ordinary sand.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 90
Not to worry, just saw Jessica Simpson on a mag cover at the newsstand. Silicon accounted for.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 90
OKK My 83 was for you…
On NPR’s coverage on last night’s debate, the closing remark was that the R candidates have made known their positions on immigration but the Ds seemed like they were trying to avoid the issue.
Well, yeah. Unlike the Rs, the Ds at least don’t have a death wish.
darkblack @ 89
Ohh, I like that Minor League Blogging logo, that is way cool.
Good News: John Edwards won the debate last night.
TeddySanFran @ 28
This is a good question: Why is flashreport silent on this? ;-)
Prairie Sunshine @ 91
Perhaps now there is a shortage of Si. Thanks a lot Jessica.
Badwater @ 85
It’s worth more than a smile if you live in California. These are Orange County Republicans, a whole nest of them being weeded out all at once. Of course, there are still more.
Sailmaker @ 84
There are a couple of characters at the Castro Street Fair every year who stitch them into very fun outfits; quite stunning on a sunny day, particularly!
IrishJim @ 95
It is good news.
Sailmaker @ 84
They make “eye dazzlers” if strung on a mobile for the garden or patio.
neokneme @ 92
I made my first workable photo voltaics as a HS physics project in 10th. grade. In 1962. Made my own oven from firebrick and baked the finished product in the center of a glow-coil in the middle of a 3″ sq. oven in my bedroom/lab. Three out of the four worked. Still have all four wafers, including the single failure, which I believe was incorrect dopant painting by your’s truly. An e- short.
The BioBox helps you solve your grease-disposal problems by turning that gunk into biodiesel, which you can then use in your trucking fleets or sell to somebody else.
Sheesh! The smallest Biobox runs $800,000.00 and seems to containg about $8000.00 worth of gear in it. Somebody’s looking to make a considerable profit on this thing (and who is it directed at, market-wise?).
T-bear @ 101
Strung up, they also work to ward off woodpeckers from an area/wall that is under seige. Don’t ask.
My good news is this. All 23 of my trig students passed the unit circle quiz today. I am beside myself.
LGBT for Edwards
Good News..James Comey shows his true colors:
link
new Jane
FYI, new post
Jane has a new post upstairs.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 105
Good on them.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 102
Hey that’s great! 3″ wafers were state of the art back then! There is alot of movement in the “thin film” approach to PV. It isn’t as efficient, but it is lighter and “somewhat” cheaper…
Oklahoma kiddo @ 90
Prairie Sunshine @ 91
That would be silicone. Not quite the same. See comment 38 for clarification on silicon shortage.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 105
Woohoo!! OKK – good going.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 105
Are you impersonating the parallel postulate for Halloween? :~)
I’ve seen CDs used as bird-scarers in fruit trees, or in garden areas where the birds might eat seeds or seedling plants. (Those were stung from a frame instead of branches.)
It’s from last week, but New York City has 28,000 new union members. In my book, that’s the kind of good news that lasts.
punaise @ 115
Busted. I am feeling a bit Euclidean tonight. Must be that fifth (postulate) of tequila I dreament of consuming last night. Of course Lahoma keeps reminding me. ‘kiddo get a grip. Parallel lines never meet.’
OKK – plane around again, eh? :~)
eCAHNomics @ 33
-at#33- Irish Jim and others attunted to energy efficiency -look over this OUTSTANDING website: WATER4FUEL.COM //// ISNT THIS GOOD NEWS ? WE CAN PUT A MAN ON THE MOON, AND CANT GET MORE THAN 22 MPG? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
Got a FEW good news items:
(1) My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Friday.
(2) My best friend and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary on Saturday.
(3) My 81 year old uncle eloped with his 77 year old g/f, a woman he’s known since he was 13 years old.
and best of all
(4) My dad has decided to go talk to a radiation onocologist about treating his prostate cancer (he had a prostatectomy a few months ago, but they didn’t get all the cancer. He canceled his appointment before and I was afraid he’d let it fall through the cracks – he hates doctors almost as much as I do – but Mom said he’s made another appointment and is ready to seek treatment.)
Life is good *grins*
Good news, eh?
Hmmm. We had trick-or-treat yesterday night, so we didn’t have to fool with it on Halloween.
Oh yeah, John Edwards won the debate!
Sorry if someone mentioned this already– I only skimmed through the numerous comments– but since i think there are some buffy fans on this board, I’d say:
Good news=Joss Whedon has a new tv show.
http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com…..urns-.html
Karen Hughes resigned, and a poll taken recently shows that she failed to rehabilitate the image of the chimps and crooks in the Misadministration?
Republican Rep Richard “I Am SOO Not Gay” Curtis of Washington State admitted he is, indeed, gay, and resigned?
ALJ Roy Pearson, who won fame for suing a Korean mom-and-pop drycleaning business for $65 mil lost his job?
Tom Tancredo announced he would step down from his seat?
Most important (and on point), Nepali scientists have managed to convince their government to ban diclofenac (which has killed over 95% of the local vultures in the past decade) and opened a “restaurant” that is helping feed the endangered South Asian vultures. Check it out.