The Ole filter makes a pass...

I keep thinking I need a visual representation of "the Ole filter"; I like the concept a lot, and in fact, if it wasn't for tradition and momentum, that would probably be the name of this blog :)

[ Later: decided to get theolefilter.com and olefilter.com, and forward them here.  You never know :) ]

Powerline notes: The sun ain't gonna shine anymore.  This is the sad story of the Ivanpah solar plant, that huge white elephant in the Mojave Desert.  Not only does it not work (produces one-quarter the power planned), but it is way more expensive than projected.  Gee who would have predicted that? 

I'm all for alternatives to fossil fuel but solar power is NOT one of them, at least, not this kind of "big plant" solar power.  There are only three ways to create lots of power: burn fossil fuels, dam rivers, or nuclear fission.  So far wind and solar power are wanna-bes... which are only viable exist due to government (your and my) subsidies.

Kottke: the Science of Interstellar.  Did you see the movie?  I liked it but didn't ... love it.  And the science was only just okay, in fact, honestly it wasn't even a great effort.  I think the science only stands out as "good" because the science in most sci-fi movies is so terrible.  I love Kip Thorne but I classify this as a sell-out. 

John Gruber: Paul Ford: the Sixth Stage of Grief is Retro-Computing.  An interesting and personal voyage back in recent time.  As many of you know I, too, have dabbled in this time of time travel; in fact, back in the day I wrote a simulator for the IBM Series/1 minicomputer.  To the best of my knowledge, it is still running today, despite having been written 25 years ago to simulate a 35-year old system :) 

MG Siegler: Philip Kaplan: It's amazing that the old record industry existed in the first place.  "For about a hundred years (ending around 2005), artists were able to get rich off of duplications  -  records, tapes and CDs. We still even use the word “copies,” like when a platinum record sells a million copies.  Early musicians didn’t have that luxury.  Mozart didn’t sell one fucking copy.  Taylor Swift sold 110 million."  Exactly right. 

Kottke: We're landing on a comet!  Yippee. 

related: Randell Munroe of xkcd is live-drawing the landing.  That will be [almost] as amazing as the landing itself... 

[ later: it was... ]