Appologia
Sorry that I have not been posting regularly the last couple months.I've been busier that usual since my decision to set up a company called 3D Solar, Inc. to help me commercialize my "V-panel" invention. The good news is that the venture looks like it is coming together nicely. I expect the current level of funding will be sufficient to accomplish the major goals, primarily related to building some initial prototypes and achieving 3rd party verification of the panel's performance.
I'm also very disappointed that solar stocks are not performing as well as I believed they would. They are basically flat over the past several months while almost everything else has rallied significantly...sorry.
Aside from this, I've spent the summer becoming increasingly overwhelmed (psychically at least) by the brazen mendacity of the extreme political right, the astro-turfing of health reform, or the organs of the health care status-quo (if they are different) on the topic of health care reform. It is clear to me and has been for decades that healthcare reform is necessary. I'm also disgusted to see so called "moderate" democrats derailing the process of health care reform that would improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of their constituents for a few hundred thousand dollars in campaign contributions from health care insurers and lobbyists. But the outright volume, stubbornness and absurdity of the lies about healthcare reform being disseminated by the far right is eye-popping.
Seeing the completely (and unapologetically) misinformed crowds protesting against "government run healthcare"--I wish the left were proposing a single payer system since that could save trillions!--and incoherently shouting down their congressmen at town hall meetings across the country looks a little like the opening sequence of the end of representative democracy in america. It is that ugly and potentially destructive. On the other hand it is clear that a vocal (and not very considerate) minority is very fearful and upset about changes to the healthcare system. And assuming this minority actually believes they things they are saying, I'm not surprised they are fearful and upset--but drowning out their representatives seems like a terrible way to increase understanding (I have difficulty believing that my fellow citizens believe the nonsense some of them are spouting at the top of their lungs). So yes, I'm shocked and horrified by what I've been seeing playout across the country...and I simply can't imagine what the congresspeople are going to make of it all. I hope they understand that getting healthcare for millions of americans is something worth fighting for (and not get pushed around by a vocal minority). But it wouldn't surprise me if some just decide its not worth fighting the public to help the public.
It reminds me of the time (when I was a kid) I tried to stop the neighbors kids from tearing into each other, only to have them both turn on me! I guess some fights are gonna happen no matter what, and the worst place to be is in the middle.
Hopefully common sense will prevail--even if it is precious hard to find in the media and "on the street".
posted by Daniel @ 1:49 PM
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