Benjamin > Recent Status Updates

"In sum, it is nothing but a grand delusion to think that in ten years the United States can achieve wind and solar generation whose equivalent in thermal power plants took nearly sixty years..."
Delusion (n.) - "a false belief or judgment about external reality, held despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary, occurring especially in mental conditions."

Smil often uses the words "myth" and "reality" throughout his book to distinguish proposals he considers non-arguments from legitimate claims and courses of action related to energy policy.

The production of all the ethanol needed to meet the gasoline demand of the US for transportation fuels would require "220 million hectares of arable land, or on an area roughly 20 percent larger than the country's total arable land." Ethanol is NOT a sustainable alternative for gasoline for this reason.

In Part I of his book, Smil has addressed the persistent energy myths of electric cars, ultra-cheap nuclear energy, and "soft energy" solutions to climate change by providing facts and data that disprove these myths or show them to be impractical. Now, in Part II, he addresses more recent myths and clarifies the impacts of "peak oil" and other energy crises or myths.

"But Seaborg's enthusiasm was not an idiosyncratic oddity. Other experts may have been somewhat less visionary, but they foresaw a similar course ahead" (34).

idiosyncratic: peculiar, or atypical

I have found this book to be quite boring so far. Doesn't seem to be much going on and I have gotten bored with it. I'd like it better if he wasn't just going around spending his money, but I've basically given up on Holden.

The book is good so far. I am at the point in the story where a number of the characters have been introduced and I don't trust any of the characters except for those who survived the previous book. Carry on, my wayward son! :)

The book is... interesting so far, to say the least. I must say I was not expecting the main character to be so critical, but I am getting used to his mannerisms and am eagerly awaiting what will happen after the exposition! The general vibe I get so far is that the story will take a while to get set up, but will roll fast from there! I am excited to go on!

It has now become clear to me that this book has 2 storylines going at exactly the same time. One deals with a girl and her family and something about a high king and omens of death (I haven't found out what it means yet), and the other has to do with an unlucky prince who learns of his destiny. Right now I am just getting into the book and am very interested in what I will find as I go further into the book.

The hero has been found! Taliesin is just a little baby, but many are speculating about what he has been born to do. I personally am kind of bored with this book, because usually by this time in a story the main action has been introduced. I have noticed that this story has only just hit the inciting incident, and I am 1/5th of the way through the book. Oh well, hopefully it gets better as I go on.

This book is at home, but I have gotten to a part where the "ultimate king" is introduced as a baby found in a salmon weir. I am sort of wondering whether or not this baby will actually end up to be as mythically awesome as he is told to be by the book summary. So far I am really enjoying this book, and look forward to getting more in-depth and understanding the plot more fully as I continue to read.

I have not yet started on this book. I plan to read about a quarter over the weekend-it depends on how fast I can read it.