Saturday, May 1, 2010
Got up at nine o'clock in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch. Went out shopping at grocery stores this afternoon. Ate a Japanese noodle for dinner.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Got up at ten-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a Japanese-style meal for dinner.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Got up at seven-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal and a simple Japanese meal for lunch, and a dish of Italian pasta for dinner.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Got up at eight-fifteen in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a Japanese-style meal for dinner.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Got up at seven-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal and a simple Japanese meal for lunch, and a dish of Italian pasta for dinner. Looked after the front and backyards of my house.
"This is an interesting topic found in the Reuters online news today". The following are my comments on it:
That sounds rather fair. It's interesting what Israel says about this proposal. Needless to say, it's really difficult for any nuclear power nation to abandon all of the nuclear bombs it has.
--- Professor Stephen Hawking wrote as follows: "Any kind of time travel to the past through wormholes or any other method is probably impossible, otherwise paradoxes would occur". "So sadly, it looks like time travel to the past is never going to happen". "I do believe in time travel". "Believe it or not, traveling at near the speed of light transports you to the future". ---
This sort of theory still draws my attention.
Time travel to the future may not be impossible and doesn't lead to any paradox, but it's very difficult.
Even if time travel to the future were to become possible in the distant future, it would be exceptionally expensive. Time travel to the future has to be rare because a lot of time travelers to the future may cause serious social problems in the future world. However, it still doesn't cause any paradox.
Do you want to travel to the future? You should know that it's a one-way travel. There is no return ticket.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Got up at eight-fifteen in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a European-Japanese meal for dinner.
"This is an interesting topic found in the BBC online news today". The following are my comments on it:
So, an oil well was discovered there. It is true that there are oil fields in the Falkland Islands.
--- According to Wikipedia, "Monju is Japan's only fast breeder reactor". "Monju was closed in 1995 following a serious sodium leak and fire". "It was restarted on May 6, 2010, and is expected to reach criticality on May 8, 2010". "The successor to Monju is expected to be a larger demonstration plant that will be completed around 2025, built by the newly formed Mitsubishi FBR Systems Company". ---
--- "The Microsoft founder's startup TerraPower is partnering with Toshiba to build a Traveling Wave Reactor," the FAST Company previously reported. ---
As the second phase of the development of the fast breeder reactor in Japan, following the success of the first experimental fast breeder reactor, Japan started to build Monju as a demonstration reactor in 1985 and completed it in 1991. How things developed is seen above.
Hopefully, the safety problem associated with the use of liquid sodium as its coolant will be fixed with the development of a new fast breeder reactor. Japan is expecting commercial fast breeder technology to be released by 2050.
There are about forty years left until the expected release of a commercial fast breeder reactor. About sixty-two years have elapsed since the outbreak of the Middle East War. The next forty years, in total about one hundred years by counting from 1948, should be enough to settle the conflicts in the Middle East.
If a future fast breeder reactor is equipped with the technology that helps prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, an obstacle to its widespread will be removed in any case.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Got up at eight o'clock in the morning. Ate a simple Japanese meal and a bowl of cereal for lunch, and pieces of California Pizza Kitchen's pizza for dinner.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Got up at nine o'clock in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a Japanese-style meal for dinner.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Got up at eight o'clock in the morning. Removed a fuel tank from my motorcycle Yamaha V-Max 1200 this morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch. Went out shopping at grocery stores this afternoon. Ate a dish of Italian pasta for dinner.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Got up at seven-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a dish of Japanese noodles for dinner.
Cleaned the inside of the fuel tank of my twenty-year-old motorcycle V-Max (1990) with an abrasive method using ice as an abrasive, followed by rust removal using the eco-friendly CLR solution. Checked the electrical system of V-Max using a pocket tester. The pickup coil, the AC magnet, the rectifier, and the left-side ignition coil meet the specifications. It seems that either the Transistor Control Ignition (TCI) unit or the right-side Ignition coil has to be replaced. Its battery had almost seen the end. This classic cruiser, which first came into the motorcycle market worldwide in 1985, should fully revive when two or three parts are replaced. Have no plan to ride it, however.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Got up at seven-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a dish of Italian pasta for dinner.
Now, the fuel tank of my V-Max is clean. Filled the fuel tank with the premix of gasoline and 2-cycle engine oil to prevent rusting, after the surface neutralization using the baking soda solution, and then reassembled my V-Max. The used premix was kept in a small tank for the storage of fuel oil for my lawn trimmer.
When my V-Max was insured with an insurance company in 2000, an insurance agent asked me if it was a high-performance motorcycle or not. My answer was that V-Max had a powerful engine and its form was similar to Harley-Davidson's motorcycle. He asked me to show its user's manual. After seeing its manual, he judged that V-Max wasn't high-performance. He might think that a racer-replica motorcycle with a full cowling and a peaky engine should be a high-performance one.
In 2002, when my change of home address was reported to the nearest insurance agent, she regarded my V-Max as high performance and increased premium. Probably, she thought that an American-style motorcycle with a single or twin-cylinder engine should be a non-high-performance. An insurance company might have updated the evaluation of motorcycles.
Indeed, it's uncertain whether the old V-Max, which had been produced since1985 until 2007, was high performance those days or not. The engine displacements of most motorcycles on the US road are over 750cc. The engine of V-Max is still powerful but the body frame of it is very heavy and old-fashioned. It doesn't have cowling. Anyway, in this case, the classification of a motorcycle should depend upon the judgment of an insurance agent.
"This is an interesting topic found in the Reuters online news today". The following are my comments on it:
He is almost the same age as me. It's wonderful.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Got up at eight o'clock in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a Japanese-style meal for dinner. Looked after the front and backyards of my house.
"This is an interesting topic found in the BBC online news today". The following are my comments on it:
It's uncertain whether the words "thermo-nuclear power" in the statement above mean nuclear electric power generation or not. The words may mean nuclear power to military uses.
It's hard to believe that North Korea has made significant progress toward the development of nuclear electric power generation. It's unquestionable that, technically speaking, the easiest method to ignite the thermo-nuclear fusion reaction is to use the heat from the explosion of a fission bomb. It's not surprising that North Korea has been developing a hydrogen (thermonuclear) bomb in secrecy, as a milestone of the development of its nuclear arms. Is it planning to carry out its underground test within a couple of years? Is it going to possess the UN-permanent-member-grade weapon? Times are ill-fated indeed.
Maintaining the momentum of the movement toward the abolition of nuclear warheads in the world should be absolutely meaningful for world peace. However, it's really difficult for any nuclear nation to abandon all of the nuclear bombs it has. Even if a nuclear nation claimed to scrap all of its nuclear weapons, who could believe it?
If all defense systems of all countries in the world including all nuclear weapons are integrated under the supervision of a unified nation in the future, most of the problems associated with nuclear warfare and nuclear terrorism will be settled. It seems that cosmopolitanism is the only feasible solution. However, it will take a long time, as written in this diary several times before.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Got up at eight-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a dish of Italian pasta for dinner. A Magnolia tree in the backyard of my house bears several broad-petaled blossoms diffusing the fragrant aroma.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Got up at seven o'clock in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and pieces of California Pizza Kitchen's pizza for dinner.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Got up at ten o'clock in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch. Went to see "Robin Hood" at the Tinseltown South Austin Theater and "Alice in Wonderland" at the Regal Metropolitan Theater this afternoon. Stopped by grocery stores halfway home. Ate a BBQ meal for dinner at home.
The film "Robin Hood (2010)" tells the story built around a new plot about Robin Hood's early life. In this film, Robin is described as the sort of person who the English nobility may be in favor of. Robin Longstride, who is of ruined noble birth and joins the army of Richard the Lion-Heart, assumes the responsibility of carrying King Richard's belongings to London, with his band including Little John, after Richard's death in Normandy fighting against King Philip II. A French chef happens to bring down a Lion, and a Gourmet is trying to conquer the Lion's vacant homeland with a secret recipe.
In the second half of the story, the plot thickens in terms of the ties that bound a father and a son, a husband and a wife, a king, and a follower, and among fellows. The story ends by telling how Robin becomes a legendary chivalrous robber in Sherwood Forest in the reign of King John, who leads to his kingdom's decline as the result of a series of setbacks and to outbreak of civil war as the result of his heavy taxes.
Splashes of water, sweat, and oil in the battle scenes and even in the cooking scenes are splendid. Compared to "Gladiator (Rated-R)", ferociousness drops out of view without harming its quality. The whole family can enjoy this PG-13-rated movie.
On the other hand, the film "Alice in Wonderland (2010)" tells the story of what happens later to the main character "Alice" in Lewis Carroll's novels, "Alice's Adventure in Wonder Land" and "Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There". Different from Robin Hood, Alice in this film is the sort of character French like. A nineteen-year-old girl Alice needs to go back to Wonderland through a rabbit hole in order to get back to what she used to be, just before her making an unhappy engagement.
Colorful images featuring charming characters made with the latest CG technology are very attractive. Costume designs for every character are enjoyable. The ending of this film is very humorous. It's rather cynical as a PG-rated.
The French and English are always rivals.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Got up at ten o'clock in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a Japanese-style meal for dinner.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Got up at eight o'clock in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a dish of Italian pasta for dinner.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Got up at eight-fifteen in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a Japanese-style meal for dinner.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Got up at seven-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a dish of Japanese noodles for dinner. Looked after the front and backyards of my house.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Got up at seven-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a dish of Italian pasta for dinner.
"This is an interesting topic found in the BBC online news today". The following is my comment on it:
The scientists made a synthetic bacterial genome and transplanted it into a host cell. Although an artificial life isn't created from scratch, this should be a breakthrough achievement. However, the birth of any dangerous bacterial virus is unwelcome. There is always some creepiness about this area.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Got up at seven-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and pieces of California Pizza Kitchen's pizza for dinner.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Got up at nine o'clock in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal and a piece of pizza for lunch, and a Japanese-style meal for dinner. Stayed at home for the entire day.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Got up at eight-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch. Went out shopping at grocery stores this afternoon. Ate a BBQ meal for dinner.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Got up at seven-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a dish of Italian pasta for dinner.
Found the greenish lights of fireflies dancing in the dark in the backyard of my house this evening. The fireflies around this area haven't been seen for the last two years, probably due to slight water pollution in nearby ponds and streams. They have come back this year.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Got up at eight-fifteen in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a Japanese-style meal for dinner. Looked after the front and backyards of my house.
Since the agreements that South Korean companies would construct nuclear reactors in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates were reached earlier this year, there have been signs of conflict breaking out and getting more serious gradually in the Korean Peninsula. Probably, this is just a coincidence.
It is to be desired that conflicts will be settled peacefully. Don't be a drone remotely controlled. Moreover, don't be a material for experiments.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Got up at seven forty-five in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a dish of Italian pasta for dinner.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Got up at seven forty-five in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a Japanese-style meal for dinner.
Oddly enough, a neighbor had given a number of coughs by sticking his head out of the window of his house probably from ten p.m. through twelve p.m. Those were not mine. My persistent cough was gone about five years ago.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Got up at seven-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and pieces of California Pizza Kitchen's pizza for dinner.
"This is an interesting topic found in the BBC online news today". The following is my comment on it:
A practical NPT effective for a limited zone was documented.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Got up at eight-thirty in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch. Went to see scenic spots near the place at 425 Grace LN Austin, TX 78746, where some interesting luxury houses are planned to be built. Stopped by grocery stores halfway home. Ate a dish of Japanese noodles for dinner.
The following email was sent to the customer service of Citi cards this afternoon:
***
Please cancel my Citi account ending in xxxx.
My Citi account was opened about ten years ago and had been used until the type of my Citi card was changed from the Platinum Selected Card (yyyy) into the Diamond Preferred Rewards World Card (xxxx) without my permission in March 2008. Citi customer service neglected my request for an explanation at that time. Since then, my Citi account has never been used and the Diamond Preferred Rewards World Card ending in xxxx has never been activated.
Today, the bill that charges $60.47 to my Citi account for the purpose of the Membership Renewal Fee was sent to me. The renewed Citi cards haven't been delivered to my house, to my knowledge. It's uncertain whether Citi still asks me $60.47 for this case or not. Please let me know.
Again, please cancel my Citi account ending in xxxx immediately, in any case.
Regards,
Yasuhito Shiho
***
After several hours, Citi closed my Citi account without giving any answer to my question. As written in my letter to Citi, they changed the type of my credit card without my permission about two years ago and ignored my question this time. How unkind they are!
"This is an interesting topic found in the BBC online news today". The following is my comment on it:
The reply above is what Israel was expected to make.
"This is an interesting topic found in the BBC online news today". The following is my comment on it:
Israel's response might lead to the topic above. It seems that this topic sounds threatening to some world leaders. Is it only my imagination?
What is supposed to stop today doesn't stop, unfortunately.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Got up at nine o'clock in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a dish of Italian pasta for dinner. Stayed at home for the entire day.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Today is Memorial Day. Got up at eight o'clock in the morning. Ate a bowl of cereal for lunch, and a dish of Japanese noodles for dinner.
For the last decade in Texas, a large number of wind turbines have been built and installed, and its number in total reached a couple of thousands in 2010. The height of a typical wind turbine is in the range of 200 ~ 300 feet. What a huge pinwheel it is!
--- According to Wikipedia, "Wind power in Texas consists of many wind farms with a total installed "nameplate capacity" of 9,410 MW from over 40 different projects". "Texas produces the most wind power of any U.S. state, followed by Iowa with 3,670 MW". ---
--- It also says, "Wind is a highly variable resource". "With proper understanding, it can be incorporated into an electric utility's generation mix". "Nevertheless, when providing for the generating capacity to meet the peak demand in summer, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the Texas power grid, counts wind at only 8.7% of nameplate capacity". ---
Therefore, the "actual capacity" of wind power in Texas is about 819MW. The all-time hourly electric consumption record in Texas is 63,454 MW set in July 2009, according to Reuters. Therefore, currently, wind power from several wind farms consisting of a couple of thousand wind turbines in total is capable of satisfying only 1.3% of Texan's energy need in mid-summer. The blunt fact is that an operating wind turbine can currently supply the electricity needed for about 100 people in Texas.
--- According to Wikipedia, "The U.S. became the world leader in installed wind power at the end of 2008 and DOE has said wind power could generate 20% of US electricity by 2030". ---
This is quite an aggressive goal, indeed. How many more wind turbines will the US need to install in order to meet the goal of 20% of the US electricity from wind power? Probably, even for Texas, the goal requires 10 ~ 20 times as many wind turbines as Texas currently has. It isn't impossible, though it may claim the lives of more birds by increasing the number of working turbines, especially when turbines are installed in inshore areas. Mankind is a sinful being, as always so.
Can other states in the US follow in Texas's footsteps? Maybe. Can other nations follow the US? Let me see. Iron makes up about 5% of the Earth's crust. The primary material for wind turbines seems to be abundant on the earth. However, it's uncertain whether the iron reserves on the earth are abundant enough to build ten million to a hundred million gigantic wind turbines (e.g. a wind turbine for 1000 ~ 100 people) in on- and off-shore areas with continuous winds suitable for electric power generation or not. Wind power may be able to satisfy ten percent or more of the total energy needs for developed nations in the world eventually, though it will take a long time. To be honest, it's hard to judge its applicability to every country with only a limited amount of information. However, it's certain that wind power is a supplemental source of energy from a global point of view.
