Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

Repurpose old solar panels on low-income houses

Darcy Hitchcock

After 20 years, solar panels will lose 10-20 percent of their capacity to generate energy. (NREL says to plan on losing 0.5% per year, so they should still produce 90 percent of the energy after 20 years. Older models might be a little less.) By then, your house will likely need a new roof so the old panels will have to come down, at least temporarily. You’ll likely want to install newer, more efficient panels. Rather than tossing the old ones, this Colorado nonprofit is installing them on low-income housing.

Since joining the Coldharbour Institute, a research nonprofit based in Gunnison, Equitable Solar Solutions has installed pre-owned solar panels on five homes, Strmberg said. It has partnered with social service organizations and state agencies, including the Colorado Energy Office’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which helps low-income families make energy upgrades to their homes.

“Ultimately, it’s going to provide the…

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The Tailor of Life|خیاط زندگی

A Voice from Iran

“176th story”

First published: Jan.28.2021

Today I am going to share a very old story from the poet, RUMI—the story of a tailor who cheated on people’s fabrics.

The tailor was swift and sharp, and able to steal a part of the fabric right in front of the customer without them noticing.

A warden believed that can’t be true and wanted to confront this situation and prove to others that we can be careful, not to let this fraud happen. The warden went to the most tricky tailor which people addressed him.

The warden told these people: “This tailor wouldn’t be able to take even a weft from my fabric, I will prove that to you.”

People said: “This tailor stole from the sharpest customer; So for sure he will steal from you too.”

The warden said: “I bet my horse for this; if he couldn’t steal from my fabric…

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Artificial Intelligence? No Thanks

Filosofa's Word

Question for you:  Why do you write a blog?  No, it’s not a trick question … you’ll understand in just a minute.

To answer my own question, I write my posts mainly because I think I have something to say.  Others might disagree with that, but that’s okay … enough people read my posts to make me want to keep writing.  We all, I think, have something to say that is important to some people, and that’s what all writing, whether fiction or fact, a novel or a blog, is about.  It comes from our minds and our hearts, we write our thoughts and views, and what we write is unique to us.  A blog is a lot of work … research, writing, editing, responding to comments … but it is rewarding in its own way.  We learn from each other and ‘meet’ new people, make new friends, share ideas.

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Mobilă și durere

Paris, France 2021

ore de drum

Paris, 2021

Regele-Soare obișnuia să-și plimbe cu el toate catrafusele de câte ori se muta de la un castel la altul.

Doar că, la un moment dat, și-a dat seama că încep să-i dispară din lucruri. A bănuit ce se întâmplă și, după investigații, s-a dovedit că unii dintre protejații săi se învățaseră să le împrumute ocazional pentru evenimente regale organizate în reședințele lor și uitau să le mai restituie.

Atunci a luat hotărârea să înființeze un sector de administrare a mobilierului, cu obiecte decorative cu tot, și să numească drept responsabil o persoană de mare încredere care să-i raporteze personal.

A dat dispoziția construirii unui sediu în Place de la Concorde, devenit astăzi Hôtel de la Marine, fost Minister al Marinei timp de două sute douăzeci și șase de ani.

Primul intendent, Monsieur de Fontanieu, a ocupat funcția șaisprezece ani, preluând responsabilități asemănătoare de la tatăl și bunicul său…

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