5 February 2023 - WORLD'S TALLEST SOLAR TOWER - ISRAEL

 

WORLD'S TALLEST 

SOLAR TOWER 

- ISRAEL -

G'day folks,

Deep in the Negev Desert, the world's tallest solar tower looks like it's straight out of a science fiction comic. 

Thanks to drip irrigation, the roads to Be’er Sheva in Israel are fringed with fields that were once barren. A simple system of water-carrying pipes have transformed the Negev Desert into productive agricultural land. But a newer addition just south of Be’er Sheva, transforms the desert into something more akin to a science fiction movie.

 

The first sign of something unusual ahead appears just after you leave the city limits. If you look carefully, you’ll notice a pale orange flame floating just above the horizon. As you get closer, a tall dark tower appears, its pinnacle glowing as bright as the sun. Light radiates towards the ground, seeming like sunbeams. This is the Ashalim Power Station.

Opened in September 2019, Ashalim is the tallest solar power station in the world, standing 260 meters (853 feet) tall. Ashalim Power Station uses an array of 56,000 solar panels known as heliostats arranged around the tower to reflect sunlight onto the pinnacle. The heliostats are computer-controlled and follow the sun as it moves from east to west through the day.

From the barren hilltops surrounding the station, the tower and the heliostats look like a scene from a futuristic story. The system produces enough clean energy to power 120,000 homes, about five percent of all homes in Israel. And development at the power station is still ongoing. While electricity production has already started, further plans will allow Ashalim Power Station to combine solar thermal energy, photovoltaic energy, and natural gas.

24 October 2022 - THE STUNNING CRESTA AQUEDUCT - CALIFORNIA

 

THE STUNNING 

CRESTA AQUEDUCT

 - CALIFORNIA -

G'day folks,

Welcome to a picturesque example of brute-force engineering conquering nature. 

At first glance, this structure appears to be an enigma. It’s a bridge between two granite monoliths, an above-ground tunnel, and an aqueduct carrying water over a creek. This structure is actually part of an elaborate water system.

The Feather River Canyon is a scenic wonder. Sheer granite slabs rise hundreds of feet above the water. Almost equally impressive are the measures engineers have taken to conquer this rugged terrain.

 

Constructed in 1949, the Cresta Power Dam diverts water through a 21,000-foot-long tunnel bored through solid rock. At 12 feet in diameter, this tube delivers water to the Cresta Powerhouse four miles downstream. The elevation drop of 290 feet allows this system to generate 70 megawatts of electricity.

The Cresta Aqueduct allows water to pass over the gap created by Grizzly Creek, and it is the only portion of the Cresta tunnel system visible.

Pacific Gas and Electric (P.G.&E.) operates several similar dam and powerhouse projects along the Feather River. Collectively they are known as the “Stairway of Power,” as they are able to reuse the same water, over and over, to generate electricity as it flows down the canyon.

 

12 August 2020 - A COLLECTION OF THE FIRST ELECTRIC CARS

A COLLECTION OF
 THE FIRST ELECTRIC CARS 

G'day folks,

Well, these will be a thing of the future, but they are not a new idea.

When we think of electric cars we almost instantly picture fancy futuristic, battery-powered vehicles that we can drive with abandon. While electric cars continue rising in popularity today, they were introduced more than 100 years ago. However, the first electric vehicles were a far cry from the trendy ones we are used to seeing on the roads today. 

 

The history of the invention of the electric car can’t exactly be traced back to one inventor or country. In fact, it was a series of breakthroughs in the 1800s that helped drive the first electric vehicle on the road. These cars were popular then for exactly the same reason they are popular now – they helped people save money at the pump. From the making of the first battery to the electric motor, many noted inventors and engineers contributed towards designing the early electric car.

French inventor Gustave Trouvé is widely regarded as the man who developed the first electric vehicle in history. His electric tricycle had a rechargeable battery and was first tested along the Rue Valois in Paris central in 1881. Then, in 1890-91, William Morrison of Des Moines, Iowa, gave the United States its first electric car. The vehicle had the capacity for carrying six passengers and could reach a speed of 23 kilometers per hour (14 mph).

Since then, several other inventors improved upon the electric car designs. In the late 1890s and early 1900s, electric battery-powered cars became quite popular among the common folk, and sales of these wagons particularly peaked in the early 1910s. Now, it is likely that your interest in these early electric cars must have increased. 

Here is a look, then, at some fascinating pictures of classy vintage electric cars in history.

Clancy's comment: There are some amazing vehicles here. 

I'm ...

 

19 October 2015 - THE WORLD'S OLDEST DEMOCRACY

THE WORLD'S 

OLDEST DEMOCRACY

G'day folks,

Here is a subject that is often mentioned today, and many do not appreciate what it really means because they have always enjoyed it. However, think about those who live without it, and are fighting for it.

Oh, by the way, below is another 5-star review for 'KY!' by Yvonne Elder; an author and one of my greatest supporters. Also, I have a 5-star review for 'Sheeza', by noted Australian poet, Vicki Case, also one of my best supporters. 

Thanks, Yvonne. Thank you, Vicki.

The term democracy, which means “rule by the people,” was coined by the Greeks of ancient Athens to describe their city-state’s system of self-rule, which reached its golden age around 430 B.C. under the skilled orator and politician Pericles. It is probable that the Athenians were not the first group of people to adopt such a system (a few places in India have traditions of local democracy that claim earlier origins) but because the Greeks named it, they have a good claim at being the “first” democracy, even though large portions of Athenian society—most notably women and slaves—could not participate.

The title of oldest continuously functioning democracy is more hotly contested. Iceland, the Faroe Islands and the Isle of Man all have local parliaments founded in the ninth and 10th centuries, when Vikings pillaged, plundered and set up legislative bodies on the sea-islands of far northern Europe. Iceland’s national parliament, the Althing, dates back to A.D. 930, but it spent centuries under Norwegian and Danish rule. Man and the Faroes, meanwhile, remain dependencies of the United Kingdom and Denmark, respectively.

The United States is among the oldest modern democracies, but it is only the oldest if the criteria are refined to disqualify claimants ranging from Switzerland to San Marino. Some historians suggest that the Native American Six Nations confederacy (Iroquois), which traces its consensus-based government tradition across eight centuries, is the oldest living participatory democracy. Others point out that meaningful democracy only arrived at a national level in 1906, when Finland became the first country to abolish race and gender requirements for both voting and for serving in government.

 

Clancy's comment: Mm ... Anything worth having is worth fighting for. Don't take it for granted, and always exercise your rights.

5-Star Amazon Review for 'KY!' by author, Yvonne Elder.

 

"KY!" is a lovely, inspirational story about a brave and courageous young girl who discovers what is best in herself by overcoming the bullying of her peers. Just how she does it is the beautiful part, and I had tears in my eyes by the time I finished the story, which I couldn't put down until the end, by the way. 

I think this book should be required reading in middle schools across America. It's perfect for grades 6-9, and would inspire many discussions about how to cope with bullying, as well as the key topic of cultural diversity, which runs throughout the story, and is the source of Rida Khalid's bullying in the first place. She is Muslim and she loves to read, which makes her different from the other children at school. 

There are many surprises in this story and I will leave them for the reader to discover. "KY!" is also fine reading for any adult.

Love ya work, Yvonne! Thank you.

5-Star Amazon Review of 'Sheeza', by Vicki Case. 

 

Australia's award winning author - Clancy Tucker, is an exceptional literary talent. He has the ability to captivate your interest & emotions from the inaugural page. He then takes you on the emotional roller-coaster journey his book has in store for you.

Sheeza is no exception. This story absorbed me immediately. I found myself feeling the pain & anguish of a young boy who was struggling to fulfil his dream of owning a kelpie dog. One day fate; & a well-constructed argument with his mother; step in and his dream comes to fruition. His dreams of one day competing in a sheep dog trial with his dog are finally achievable. 

However, after a motor vehicle accident, Danny lost his leg & had it replaced with an artificial limb; constricting his movement/s somewhat. The kelpie pup that chose him at the pet shop also had a slight deformity in her leg. Together they formed an incredible bond & trained regularly with their goal in sight. 

On their novice attempt they win a sheep dog trial. Then, the selfish act of an individual shatters both their lives when Sheeza is stolen by a truck driver outside the pet shop where she was tied up while Danny paid the final amount he owed the store owner for her. They search & search for months but nothing. Then, one fateful day Sheeza is found many, many miles from home & returned to Dan.

Sheeza had my emotions throughout. I found myself crying tears of joy in some chapters & tears of heartbreak & sorrow in others. I felt as though I was in the story; that it could have easily been me.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is a great book that will stay with me forever.

I truly loved this story so much, Clancy. Thank you so much for giving it life. It’s another of your great books that would make an amazing movie.

Love ya work, Vicki!

Clancy's comment: There ya go, folks. These two reviews were freely provided by two exceptional women; an author and a poet. So, why not buy them for one of your kids or grandkids for Christmas. Better still, spoil yourself and buy a copy for you. Trust me. They will leave you feeling alive, and glad that you read them.

 I'm ...