pmccarthy

The recoverable energy from pumped storage is a lot less than you might expect. Either the volume or the head needs to be quite large and there are preferred sizes for the equipment. A farm dam on a hill driving a Pelton wheel has to be matched to a solar and wind driven electric pump in the basic system. The energy produced by solar and wind has to be enough to supply you needs while also returning water to the upper dam - a big demand.

I don’t want to torque about it.

Two things that the Yanks are annoying me with at present: They think the plural of aircraft is aircrafts. They think speed is only a noun and so report about a "high rate of speed".

Australia will have an intermittent and unreliable electricity supply, so EVs will become less useful.

I can get up at any time but I can't get it up at any time.

It is 3.40am.

I think the authorities are saying it is a mass hysteria, and the larger drones are actually light aircraft.

The difference between solar, wind and nuclear is that the first two cannot provide base load capacity, which is fundamental to any transition from coal.

Nuclear has always been the way to go. The opposition has always been of a "religious" nature, based on belief rather than science and engineering. The rest of the world is less stupid.

One way, which I use to go to sleep, is to focus on that bright spot that you see when your eyes are closed. Just try to keep looking at it. You will not be able to think about much else. With practice, you might get a slide show of beautiful, coloured images that you didn't have to think about. I have no idea where they come from.

Have you been following this story over the past week? Sightings of large drones at night in several areas of USA, notably over New York. Large meaning up to car size, with endurance of 2-3 hours. I have been checking stories and as of today there is no theory about what they might be or where from. One senator thinks they are Iranian but without evidence.

I just received this: Starting on 10/01/2025, the price for your Microsoft 365 Family subscription will change from AUD 139.00/year to AUD 179.00/year. You will be charged the new price unless you cancel or turn off recurring billing at least two days before your next billing date by visiting your Microsoft account. By continuing your subscription, you’ll maintain access to your secure cloud storage, advanced security for your data and devices, AI-powered features, along with all your other subscription benefits.

They kicked out Al-Cahol.

Assad has probably stashed billions somewhere and will be welcomed in Moscow.

Always wanted a dog called Offenbach.

The ERA was a great racing car, in the past as you say.

The Society of Australian Sexologists Ltd represents health and allied health professionals working in the area of sex therapy, sexuality education, sexual health and sexology. We are Australia’s leading peak body for the regulation and accreditation of psychosexual therapists and sexuality educators. As a professional association representing sexologists, our vision is the positive integration and enhancement of sexuality into people's lives. To achieve this vision we support and enhance the practice of professionals working in the area of sexology through educational opportunities and partnerships, influence public policy and promote sexology and sexual rights for the benefit of our members and the communities they serve, and develop and maintain the professional ethics and standards of psychosexual therapists and sexuality educators.

My first job on the mines was surveyor's assistant which involved a lot of drawing but in the first week I did nothing but colouring in with pencils. It was the peak of my career.

New random thought needed.

Agreed there are good bits of the ABC and it would be great to see them kept together and properly funded. Perhaps new leadership could save it.

Yes I have four daughters and six grand daughters so it is important to me. But they all have to learn to deal with oafs and simpletons and to find out what actually matters and what doesn't. I am struggling to find an example to illustrate what I have been trying to say. Perhaps this? Rank the following in seriousness from one (serious) to five (not very serious). punched out your front teeth knocked you off your bike and broke your leg got you pissed and left you in the bush for half a day punched you hard on both shoulders every day until you couldn't carry your schoolbag. touched you once through your trousers. See what I mean? All these things happened to me or my friends at school or afterward (except the touching one as far as I know). I could add a dozen more. Just put it into perspective. Lots of bad shit happens. Usually no-one is arrested or charged for any of it. That is how the world is and always will be. The sooner young people figure that out, the better their life will be. For girls, sooner or later a boyfriend will try to put his hand up her skirt. He will not have a written permission in advance. If she handles it well, they will both have learned something and he will have become a bit smarter. Or she could report him to the police, perhaps a few years later, if he turns out to be someone famous.