You are always thoughtful and appreciated. It was 21 below here this morning. IIRC from very recent reading of projects mentioned, Minnesota exports $18 billion per year on energy imports. This forest resource topic is central to UN climate discussions. California has 100 million dead trees they don't know what to do with. The fire danger is well demonstrated. Personally, I think too many have been watching too much TV for too long, and I don't know how to politely ask for their attention to save their lives. The new guy at the U., Fritz Ebinger, is a radical improvement over the useless characters endured in the past. He even politely listened about my last proposal to mass produce livestock septic tanks using recycled plastic, in 1987. I was in very good standing at the U. until I became quite interdisciplinary; with biochemistry, genetics, solid state physics, etc. and the computers and electronics. Throw on top of that I was excited about Ronald Reagan as president in Walter Mondale's Minnesota, and computer electronics made a bee line to California and now China. It "honors people's time" to remind them what computers do. Right now computers are tools to run cars, factories, military systems, even farm technology. If you have some useful insight, please share it. Iznogoud wrote: > Rick, I enjoyed reading your perspective on this, especially the biological > basic science research that has to do with production of fuel; this I did hear > on an MPRnews program very recently. I also think that this is an area where > our service-oriented economy (which is self-proclaimed to be "reserch-centric") > can benefit a lot from investment. If for no other reason, the potential of > harnessing power from alternative sources as a reserch opportunity can be a > temporary job-creator. > > I want to add one more thought on an earlier topic you touched, and that was > the UofM. It is my (biased) impression, based on data collected from colleagues > who have worked here at the U but also at other places and have seen the > contrast first-hand, that the UofM is overall very well managed and very very > organized. Jesse Ventura said that there was "fat" to be trimmed back in 2000, > and maybe he was right. But I am certain this can be said for a lot of places. > I stand that the UofM is doing well, is offering services, and that it can get > even better (with constructive criticism) if some things change. > > Returning back to Linux and honouring people's time on this list. It does not, > at all, surprise me that people on this list have interests in sustainable > energy production, leaning methods, and generally progressive ideas. It goes > very well with the spirit of free software (Linux), collaborations, etc. I > think the diversity in thinking, interests and approach benefits all of us as > a whole. I also think that Linux is going ot be an integral part in research > and industrial production as it continues to mature. Do your part to spread > its use and your software/hardware ideas; I am all ears. > > > On Wed, Jan 04, 2017 at 05:17:53AM -0600, Rick Engebretson wrote: >> Some very basic data is now being developed in Coleraine, MN. >> Civilization won't destroy science, but politics can. >> >> Linux industrial controls will matter. >> > _______________________________________________ > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list >