A friend of mine, Erman R., has just launched a new product line called Winner's Wear.  The first production run has some familiar items that we all purchase with a very cool logo.  If are looking to support small business you may want to check out the site http://www.winnerswear.net.   I think there is a second apparel line coming out this fall. You can also hook up with Erman at http://www.myspace.com/nextlevelbiz.

Lately I have been pondering the reality that technology has had on the environment.  There is a conventional wisdom that computers have saved enormous amounts of time, natural resources, and energy.  I am starting to gather evidence from a variety of sources that show just the opposite.  Just consider the power implications that are required for current and future.

"In total, electricity to power computer servers and related infrastructure worldwide reached 123 billion kWh in 2005, which is equivalent to fourteen 1,000-megawatt power plants, or 14 typical nuclear or coal-burning plants"  See full article.

Consider that in two years there will be an

"Estimated growth by 2010 in server energy consumption worldwide (excluding Japan) will total another ten 1,000 megawatt power plants"  See full article.

We are talking about 24 @ 1,000 megawatt power plants.  How many planets could these power plants destroy?

Now, take a look at the amount of time, effort, money, and accessories that are involved.  What about your phones, cameras, printers, scanners, memory sticks, external hard drives, speakers, wireless keyboards and mice, optical mice.  Ugh!  How about all of those upgrades that got tossed out in trash? 

How do I begin to come to terms with this environmental impact?  I have a love of writing software that I have fostered since I was in sixth grade.  I do not intend to give it up anytime soon, either as an occupation or hobby.  I am doing something different though and some of the things you can do with little to no changes to your computing style.

• Go to your control panel and set the power settings appropriate to your computing habits.  I mean really, do you need a computer on while you are sleeping?
• Do not print unless you must, and then print in fast draft mode and only from the black ink cartridge.
• Keep items powered off and unplugged if you are not using it.
• Simplest of all is just turn off your monitor when you are not using your workstation, laptop, or desktop.

Consider just for a minute what YOU can do to reduce energy consumption of energy and power consumption.

Be Smart.  Be Aware.  Be.

Several times a year a friend and I go trout fishing. We almost always take a day off in the middle of the week to go angling for trout. We prefer the weekdays because there so many fewer fisherman in the rivers. I have to say that I really cannot stand to go fishing in public parks on the weekends. The reason that I even started fishing for trout was to experience the art of fly fishing and simply enjoying the great outdoors. I just find it hard to enjoy relative peace of nature in a park with a hundred other anglers all vying for the same trout in the same one mile stretch of river. I mean really, can you image trying to catch a fish while someone down the river, just out of the corner of your eye, is catching a fish every few minutes. What pain! Hurray for the guy, but what about me. What about my fish, my fishing experience? I guess I will get over it and just keep looking for some new holes.

I am reaching out the BlogEngine.Net community.

I am writing a book for the BlogEngine.Net version 1.4! 

I am covering the whole gambit with BE.N.  I am taking an approach that I hope many of you will like.  I plan on the basics for newcomers, a lot more depth for the developers and I am going to include a section for creating themes.  If you are a beginning developer, just getting into C#, or just a hobbyist you will like this book.  I am going to demonstrate many of the C# Design Patterns that are used in BE.N and you can use them in your own code.  Together we will create extensions, themes, widgets, and perhaps a custom XML multi-blog provider. 

The book is going to be an e-book initially because I believe in being green as possible.  I have a local publisher working with me on distribution and press print. 

If anyone is wanting to preorder let me know.  I will begin posting more information about the book as it becomes available.

If you have any questions or comments please please give them to me.  I want to address as much as possible in the first release.

With the Meramac at flood stage we are have to choose an alternate fishing hole.  Here is the location to a great trout ranch Rainbow Trout and Game Ranch, Inc. and their link is web site.

The need for success drains the energy necessary to succeed.

If you come across this post for the next day, week, or month I have friend who needs some affirmative prayers.  She had a heart attack recently and we have been doing prayers for her.  She is in my practitioner class and has been a great class mate and volunteers as the book store manager in my church.  I know she is perfection and there is no her, me or you.  There is only us.

Peace and Health.

This past Friday Lorraine and I went to Blueberry Hill and watched a couple of cool bands in the Duck Room.  It was a lot of fun and we really enjoyed the bands.  I suggest you check them out if you are looking for some cool music.  I really liked the Go Van Gogh show, they just put on a really good show.  La Push have some really good songs but the show was not as good for me.  They took to long in between songs.  However, I think their music was a little more uplifting.

La Push

Go Van Gogh

Incurables.