Astro Jump: DJ Pound and Nick Leng bring fresh beats to Whistle Stop
Chad Deal 9:26 p.m., June 19
Chad Deal 9:26 p.m., June 19
Chad Deal 8:51 p.m., June 19
Shelli DeRobertis 5:08 p.m., June 19
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For-profit colleges exploit African-Americans
At least the Univ of Phoenix and Ashford are producing black grads. The real tragedy is when the students go deeply in debt and don't finish a program and don't ever get a degree. Those degrees may be nearly worthless in the job market, but they're still better than not getting anything at all.— June 14, 2013 2:57 p.m.
Auto repair centers disciplined
Verrry interrresting! Last year I had a total of four vehicles smogged in that Vista operation. They had the best price I could find, and while the place isn't fancy, got the cars in and out with no foot-dragging, and all passed with flying colors (as well they should have.) What I don't follow is how/why a test-only center is doing repairs. The very nature of that type of smog test operation is that they do NOT attempt to make emission-related repairs. I didn't see anything else going on there when I went in for a test. So, maybe the discipline was for passing cars that didn't meet the standards.— June 13, 2013 1:33 p.m.
Though shutdown is permanent, San Onofre woes continue
One factor that seems to avoid mention in these discussions of how the SONGS power will be replaced is the Sunrise Power Link. SDGE sold it, and sold it hard, as the thing that would "guarantee a reliable power supply" to the service area. Well, it is built and energized. So, where's all that power it was supposed to being in from the east? It was supposed to bring in solar power from the desert, and also some natural gas generated power from across the border. Does this mean that those sources aren't there, after all? Or is the Sunrise line already passing power through the county that is sold to users farther north? (That was a suspicion that many opponents of the line had, and still have.) Yeah, well, they'll probably now get approval for that Otay Mesa plant based on alarmism about the loss of SONGS. They may try for others in the county.— June 13, 2013 8:09 a.m.
CPUC commissioner proposes use of storage systems
Solar electric generation will be a game changer for some utilities and for some users, but not for all. Residential solar will be a big deal in the Sunbelt, but not all the US is so favored with clear sunny days. In fact there are parts of the US--think of the northwest, along the Seattle-Portland axis--that get very little sunshine during a typical year. Then there are heavy industrial users of electricity that cannot, by any means, have sufficient solar panels to power their machinery or kettles or compressors. They will remain dependent upon power plants, presumably fossil fueled, for a long time. Just here in SD County, the value of panels will be quite different depending upon how close to the coast you reside. A roof full of panels in, say, Encinitas, will produce far less current than the same number of panels just five, ten, or fifteen miles inland. Ramona would be a great place for solar! But there are some commercial users (single-story warehouses with flat roofs), and some institutional users (think schools) that can make good use of them, too. Perhaps much of the antics we've already seen from Edison and Sempra show a clear realization on their part that they will soon be in a brave new world that isn't totally dependent upon their power plants and distribution system. When threatened, many creatures, such as cats, will howl, yowl, scratch, claw, and bite. Is that what we're already experiencing?— June 12, 2013 3:29 p.m.
Sweetwater board candidate has his sign damaged
Polack? As in Polish? Check the spelling of nicknames.— June 11, 2013 8:54 p.m.
Sweetwater board candidate has his sign damaged
The fact that McCann was not charged, at least yet, doesn't imply he was "cleared of any wrongdoing." Indictments can come along at any time.— June 11, 2013 8:51 p.m.
Bridgepoint opens new division targeting professionals seeking certification
This appears to be a first for Bridgepoint, some education that actually can be measured. In other words, they will be selling something that has built-in accountability. Why? Well, if you take a course to get ready for a certification exam, you will quickly know if the course was effective when you either pass or fail. This isn't something that takes four years and that, even then, cannot be measured. (Your BA doesn't help you gain employment? Maybe that's due to your appearance or personality or overall fecklessness. Can't blame that on Bridgepoint, can we?) But these courses that have some sort of obvious outcome, that's what is different. They have to deliver, or the word soon gets out. Same thing with bar exam review courses, and to a lesser extent with LSAT prep classes. If they don't deliver, they are soon out of business. The CEU's are another matter, but people have many of those to choose from, and if the course is obviously a sham, they will just head to another provider. Bridgepoint may soon be hoist on its own petard.— June 11, 2013 5:14 p.m.
Filner, tuna fishermen celebrate new US-Canada albacore treaty
While I can understand the jubilation of the local fishermen at seeing fewer Canadian boats in local waters, just why is Filner there? Does the city have any role in international treaties involving fishing? Uh, no. Maybe Bob forgets that he's not a congressman any more, and making this sort of appearance isn't part of being the strong mayor of a struggling city. He'd better spend his time tending to city business.— June 11, 2013 10:08 a.m.
Two afternoon executions in Tijuana
I must protest the use here of "executions" to describe out-and-out murders in public. The term execution connotes some sort of legal authority to take life, and unless the Sinaloa cartel is now legally governing Baja or the entire nation of Mexico, its homicides are in no way executions. This confused use of the term started with murders that were, in a most cliched way, called "execution-style" shootings. Others then decided not to bother with the "-style" part of the term, and now badly misuse the word.— June 11, 2013 10:04 a.m.
CPUC commissioner proposes use of storage systems
Energy storage has always had a "holy grail" quality about it. From an engineering standpoint, it has always been possible, and some rather odd ways of storing energy have been devised and used. All of them involve a substantial energy loss when converting into and out of the stored mode, and many are also expensive. An example is these wonderfully high-tech hybrid cars that still rely on lead-acid batteries to chemically store the saved energy. More recently there have been reports of how capacitors may be the wave of the future, using new materials and techniques to boost their storage capacities many times over. Theoretically, capacitors will never wear out from being used, and they have the advantage of storing the energy as electrical charge. If those can be made to work as hoped, the ability of even the homeowner to store up solar power while the sun shines and then use it later during darkness or cloudy days could be enhanced greatly. Do keep in mind that while photo-voltaic cells produce direct current, our domestic uses employ alternating current, and the conversion from DC to AC also involves losses. It's not a simple subject, and all that gear doesn't come cheaply.— June 11, 2013 9:59 a.m.