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A Brief Word from Thomas Edison

kengrobe — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:07:43 +0000

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="350" caption="by Warren Ellis"][/caption]

From Warren Ellis' now-dead Edison Hate Future webcomic.

Because I felt like it, that's why.

Dyslexia Series-Disabled Legend Thomas Edison

lifechums — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:23:06 +0000

Thomas Alva Edison was born on 11 February, 1847 and died on 18 October, 1931. Thomas was an American inventor of Dutch origin and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph and a long lasting light bulb. In school, the young Edison's mind often wandered. Thomas was noted to be terrible at mathematics, unable to focus, and had difficulty with words and speech. This ended Edison's three months of official schooling. The cause of Edison's deafness has been attributed to a bout of scarlet fever during childhood and recurring untreated middle ear infections. Thomas Edison was dyslexic, a problem child, and a mischief-maker. Thomas talked when he was supposed to be listening and did not listen when the teacher talked. Thomas had no patience. Thomas was not well-coordinated and did poorly in sports. Thomas applied himself with a passion to whatever caught his attention, but his attention was easily diverted.

Keep visiting: www.lifechums.com/ more Celebrities featuring Shortly .............

人格退化的故事

newnewhkcc1976 — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:19:07 +0000

我的一個朋友告訴我這樣的故事:他有一個「醒目」表哥,學業成績平平,只是一把口永遠不會說令人不高興的話的人,1989年6月5日,他表哥要到維園參加悼念六四死難者的集會,他表哥的母親:精明街坊立刻以「香港的局勢很亂、外出會俾人利用、政治的事不是平民百姓可以理的」三大法寶,把他表哥留在家中。後來,有一次我朋友探望他,他表哥的父親就高高興興拿出了一篇「香港未來經濟好好好,萬事大吉」的文章,說被某報紙刊登,是人生一大成就云云。我朋友心想,這些拍馬屁文章,一來中文的水平一般;而內容新意欠奉,似乎亦沒有什麼有力的論據來證明命題,因此不置可否。後來,他表哥在香港找不到事業的出路,便追求在美國的一個親戚,而在美國的女孩子較天真,不久他表哥便和她在美國結婚,氣得他表哥保守的母親人仰馬反,以為是自己前世做錯了什麼事的懲罰。
我朋友心裏想,其實什麼前世後世、無定時供奉神靈都是籍口,在天安門六四大屠殺時,他表哥本來大有在道德人格上成長的機會,在香港的功利社會中,這是非常難得,而且他表哥在此事的立場和社會主流一致,不會有被民綷暴力攻擊的危險;同時,示威集會又不是暴動,如何會亂呢?他表哥參加悼念六四大屠殺的集會,會被什麼人利用?利用來做什麼呢?是不是凡事一有被任何動機的人利用,參與的人立刻就是不道德呢?是不是因為怕被有任何動機的人用任何方式利用,則在大是大非面前,什麼都不做就是有道德呢?只談不做的道德又是不是道德?
因為在是次事件,他表哥父母教他表哥的是「做人要明哲保身,凡事箸數先行」的道理,因此他表哥視美國親戚的女兒為發展事業的踏腳石,自然亦是理所當然。明知在六四大屠殺中,中共國有錯而不理,反過來卻說對「自己人」要有道德,他父母可曾學過什麼叫邏緝?他表哥父母以身示範了什麼時侯「為兩餐」可以不理大是大非,所以他表哥的道德界線日益模糊,凡事只要有着數,有得益便行了,六四大屠殺不會理,稱讚當權者又如何、借婚姻來過橋又如何?
我雖然不同意我朋友的「道德人格發展說」,以為沒有足夠的事實證明三件事有因果關係,不過他的分析是相當合理。一是你不談道德,二你就不可以選擇性地道德,否則你就成了陳冠希、阿嬌之流的偽君子,阿嬌公然支持否定普選、六四大屠殺的葉劉,陳冠希只對裸照的受害人有歉意,卻對因此無辜入獄的鍾亦天所受的冤屈無動於衷,還說要洗心革面做基督徒。如此的道德是什麼道德?接受如此信徒的宗教還有什麼資格提道德?

FIN DE LA AMPOLLETA CLÁSICA

jgtejeda — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:02:29 +0000

La ampolleta Phillips u Osram, la que inventó Edison, está obsoleta ya que despilfarra el 80 % de su energía. En algunos países empieza a reglamentarse su prohibición.

How I Knew Our US Economy Is In A Mess - Cricket Diane C "Sparky" Phillips - 2008

cricketdiane — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:34:59 +0000

How To Figure Out If America Is In A Mess Or Not -
2008 Cricket Diane C Phillips

Now look, this is simple. For every home foreclosed in America, it impacts a minimum of three people - doesn’t matter if it was an “investor” or not. It changes the buying power of at least 3 people.

Take the total number of homes in foreclosure or where the foreclosure has already occurred over the last two years and multiply by 3. That is a conservative estimate of the immediate and specific impacts of those events.

Then, put that number under the heading, “Foreclosures - losses”. Next, make a column for “Foreclosure - ripple effects”. Take the mean average of interactive positions affected by each of those 3 people. This means they aren’t giving at church anymore, or buying groceries where they used to live nor attending school, soccer or scouts, etc.

Multiply the first number by 25. This is not the accurate mean average. It is a conservative estimate which includes drug stores, discount stores, auto repair businesses, dry cleaners, sports activities, restaurants, malls, gas stations, little league and others. Make a list of these, if you want. It really is a conservative estimate.

Therefore, column one has the conservative “real” number of immediate real lives affected and column two has the conservative estimate of the “real” impacts to the buying power lost to businesses and surrounding community services, organizations and churches across the United States.

Then, take the number (as close to actual as possible) of jobs lost over the last 2 years, (not unemployed because those numbers are fudged). Using this number, multiply by 4. This is the average number of people affected by a job loss. This goes in column four under the heading, “Jobs - losses”. It represents a conservative estimate of the buying power lost when one single job is removed from the family it was supporting or helping to support.

Now, take an average mean of the impacts in dollars no longer available to use to buy things. Use an average base that is conservative. Lest we forget, these numbers and multipliers are the highest probability of assured impacts because the estimates are on the conservative side. The real impact numbers are much greater and amplified to an extreme that can only be imagined using these charts.

So, using the conservative dollar estimate of $500 / week or $12,000 per year - whichever makes you feel better about it - multiply the job losses number by either (or both) of these numbers. Enter this amount in a column title, “Job losses - ripple effects @ $500/wk” or put in the $12,000 per year number, instead, whichever was used. This represents the absolute minimum amounts of buying power that has been lost by these job losses.

Now, if you’ve done this right, all these numbers will represent the same time period, (2 yrs); and the same basic conservative estimation process used on all of them to derive a clearer picture of the problem that has occurred across the US.

When comparing this chart to any other derivations of impacts and losses, - remember this, they don’t mix. It is nearly impossible to get a true picture of how other impact charting was done and whether their figures mixed apples and oranges. Or, whether the statistics and studies used narrowly defined, targeted, select denigrations of totals to use for the derivations and base totals because of bias, intent or ignorance.

The close to damn accurate chart you’ve just made starts to show a clearer picture of the real problems we face in this historic time of national crisis. It explains why our businesses are failing in record numbers, our towns and cities are being heavily impacted financially and otherwise, housing developments sit empty and a host of other services are going bankrupt.

It isn’t what can or can’t be put on credit or borrowed that signifies the greatest and most severe part of our economic crisis. It is the true loss of buying power in the consumer base that supports all of it. These columns of numbers are conservatively generated to supply a realistic assessment of cause and effects relationships in our economy. It evidences a severe problem, even in its most conservative derivations.

Written by Cricket Diane C “Sparky” Phillips, 06-24-08
Cricket House Studios, USA1 - 2008 -
“Creating the Tangible from the Impossible every day and the Impossible from the Tangible as needed.”

在陳冠希事件中看某些人的人性

newnewhkcc1976 — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:38:26 +0000

陳冠希事件中,有正有反,有自由派對保守派,警方對網民,市民對壟斷香港的娛樂集團,只有一種人最恐佈。他們原本是陳冠希或裸照的女星的「粉絲」,平時逢有偶像演的戲必看,偶像拍的劇集必看,偶像唱的歌必聽,甚至自己房間亦貼滿了偶像的海報、貼紙,手提電話、電腦亦是拿心愛的偶像做桌面;好了,他們心愛、支持的偶像出了問題,成衆矢之的,即該偶像不再潮(受歡迎了)。於是,他們俏俏把手提電話、電腦的桌面改掉了,自己房間貼滿的偶像的海報、貼紙亦被立時撕掉,當然亦不再看偶像的電影、劇集了。一切彷如未曾發生過一樣,「我揮一揮衣衫,不帶走一片雲彩」,連一點悲傷/失落/迷茫的情緒的反應都沒有,偶像只是自我中心的人的情感工具,工具失效了便換另一件,反正偶像是有期限的,一生一世即老土,但三分鐘戀愛又何其虛假?我想像不到這樣的人,會有刻骨銘心的友情或愛情,只有最痛心買不到心愛的貨品!
認識這就是香港,這就是資本絕對自由主義!偶像自由萬歲!

Did you guys know about these new light bulbs?

suehawks — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:37:12 +0000

I received this from a friend and I'm not trying to go political on you, but this video and the things the senator reveals are quite eye opening - or should I say enlightening haha! China, mercury, what precautions to take if you should break one of them, and they will be the only bulb available by the year 2014...it's creepy to consider.

Hard Work...

lauraofharvestlane — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:41:57 +0000

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
- Thomas A Edison

Greece - Italy: Making Connections

grpresspoland — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:54:02 +0000

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) The public gas corporation DEPA has signed an agreement with Italy’s Edison for the construction of a €500 million underwater pipeline linking the two countries in one of Greece’s largest energy projects. The company that is to design, build and develop the 203 km pipeline will be called IGI Poseidon with equal stakes by the two companies. Setting up IGI Poseidon opens the door to supplying the large Western European markets with natural gas from the Caspian region. Kathimerini daily: Gas pipeline deal signed with Edison; Greek News Agenda: Greece - An Energy Hub; Invest in Greece: Energy Sector Powers Ahead; Secretariat General of Information: About Brand Greece- Energy Policy of Greece

Ford delivers first plug-in hybrid to DOE

Ron Olson — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:37:03 +0000

June 11, 2008

Ford delivers first plug-in hybrid to DOE

Washington, D.C. – The Ford Motor Company has delivered its first-ever, flexible fuel-capable plug-in hybrid SUV to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid, which runs on gasoline or E85, is part of a demonstration fleet Ford is developing in a partnership with Southern California Edison and the Electric Power Research Institute. Similar vehicles are already undergoing advance testing in California.

“Plug-in hybrid technology holds great promise to reduce the nation’s dependence on petroleum and reduce CO2 emissions related to climate change, both significant issues for America,” said Mark Fields, President of the Americas, Ford Motor Company. “As a leader in both hybrid and flexible fuel technology, Ford is well positioned to bring the two together in a plug-in vehicle.”

The vehicle is equipped with a 10 kilowatt advanced lithium ion energy battery that stores enough electric energy to drive up to 30 miles (48 km) at speeds of up to 40 mph (64 km/h). When fueled by E85 ethanol, which has a lower energy content than gasoline, fuel economy can reach up to 88 mpg (2.6 L/100 km) in urban driving and up to 50 mpg (4.7 L/100 km) on the highway. Based on current estimates, the vehicle would emit 60 per cent less CO2 than a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle, and could reach 90 per cent reduction if cellulosic ethanol is used in place of gasoline.

The vehicle is one of twenty demonstration plug-in hybrids that Ford is building as part of a collaboration with Southern California Edison and the Electric Power Research Institute to accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids.

A Hard Days Night

penembusbatas — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:14:27 +0000

1 + 1 = 2

Satu tambah satu sama dengan 2.

One plus one equals to 2.

i tambah i equal to er. (maksudnya bahasa mandarin)

Ok. Mohon ampuni kebiadaban skill multilanguage gw yang luar biasa itu. Inti yang mau gw ungkapkan adalah, satu ditambah satu sama dengan dua. Semua orang setuju dengan jawaban ini. Yah, itu lazim. Tapi gw, baru2 ini nonton sebuah film Jepang yang judulnya Edison No Haha, yang diperanin oleh...hm? Sapa ya? Let me think...Maria Ozawa, Sarah Aoi? Bukan. Lho? kok jadi artis bokep yang kepikiran? +_+. Btw, buat kalian yang bermaksud nge-klik link di dua nama itu, kalian perlu konsultasi ke dokter spesialis kulit dan kelamin jurusan kebokepan. Ngahahaha. ok, back to the movie, nih film nyeritain tentang anak kecil yang lagi jenius, seperti Thomas A. Edison. Dia selalu tanya "doshite" ato "kenapa" tentang segala hal yang dia temuin. Well, one day, pas guru kelas 1 nya lagi ngajarin 1+1=2, dia tanya "kenapa 1+1=2 ?" Terus si guru nunjukin 2 jeruk. 1 jeruk, tambah 1 jeruk, jadi 2 jeruk. Si anak (Kento) ambil 1 dari 2 jeruk itu, lalu dikupas, terus dia belah2. Nah, 1+1 bukan 2! Gitu dia bilang. Singkat cerita, dia akhirnya mengerti 1+1=2 setelah inget kata2 nyokapnya, "We have to move forward. By moving forward, we can see many more things." Jadi, si anak berpikir 1+1=2, 1+1+1=3, 1+1+1+1=4 dan seterusnya ("move forward" dengan nambahin "1" ^^).

Ini ulangannya si Kento, bukan ulangan gw...

Kalimat ini menggugah banget. Gw jadi menggelinjang dengernya. Monyetnya, beberapa orang sering bertanya, "Git, blog lo update dong." Well, shit happens. Banyak hal yang bikin gw bener2 ga bisa posting sama sekali. Jangankan posting, tidur aja susah kalo ga ngantuk, makan aja ga nafsu kalo ga laper, kencing aja ga bisa kalo ga kebelet...menyedihkan sekali nasibku. Oh, menyedihkan!

Yap! 2 bulanan ini banyak hal yang terjadi di hidup gw. Mulai dari kerjaan yang nguber2 setan. Eh salah, kerjaan yang nguber2 kaya setan. Project2 yang udah mo deadline, sampe urusan pribadi yang, well, bikin hidup gw sedikit berantakan for a while.

Gw break up sama ce gw. Kita emang ga jadian. But everything went so well. I thought her as my girl and so did she. Tapi mungkin kita ga lagi ngeliat mimpi yang sama. Or maybe we don't see the same dreams. Jadi, yah, semuanya harus diakhirin. Pertama2 hal ini nonjok banget bwt gw. Hmm, kalo diibaratkan, seperti ketiban Bandot runtuh (Ups, sori dot! ^o^). Selama kurang lebih seminggu, hidup jadi agak2 berantakan. Konsentrasi berkurang, daya ingat menurun. Hah? Iya, gw udah minum combantrine kok. Tapi karena obat cacing ga bisa se-efektif cerebrovit, jadi gw masih dihantui kondisi mental yang ga normal (baca: bukan orang gila). Gw terus2an bilang, "Life must go on!" Tapi ternyata ga semudah membalikkan telapak tangannya monyet. Nginget2 hari2 gw bakal dilaluin tanpa sms2 dari dia, telp2 dari dia, bikin gw agak nyesek. uhuk..uhuk..oh, bukan. Ini emang lagi batuk beneran.

Eniwei, gw tetep berusaha akting cool. Orang2 ga mau tau masalah apa yang gw hadapin. Bos, orang2 di kantor, client, ga peduli gimana kondisi hidup gw. Yang mereka tau, everything must go on well. Jadi, gw perlahan2 bangkit. Kenangan2 manis sama dia emang mungkin ga bisa diulangin lagi. Mungkin gw ga bisa ngalamin masa2 kaya gitu lagi bareng dia. Tapi hidup harus tetep berjalan. Dunia tetap berputar, dan kaki gw tetep harus melangkah maju, supaya gw bisa ngeliat '3', '4', '5', dst. Rasa sakit, pikiran2, memori2, sama pertanyaan2 ttg kenapa ini semua harus berakhir mungkin bakal sering menghampiri untuk beberapa waktu. Tapi kepala harus tetep tegak, memandang ke depan. Dan gw sadar, gw cuma butuh 3 hal. Tuhan, waktu, dan cewek baru. Yosh! Mari kita hunting yang baru!! Gw dengan muka sejelek setampan ini, pasti bisa mendapatkan yang lain!

Ngomong2 soal yang hunting yang baru, kemaren pas Computing Gathering di PU, gw terlibat pembicaraan dengan kakek Kindy (mulai sekarang dst "si jelek")dan si bandot Beri (mulai sekarang dst "si gendut").

si jelek : Kamu ga nyari yang baru, Git? Kamu kan playboy.

Sigit Tampan : Enak aja playboy!

Si Gendut : Iya git, kenapa ga cari yang baru?

Sigit Tampan : Enggak lah, yang lama aja belum bisa lupa. Nunggu sementara waktu dulu lah. Kayanya bakal lama buat bisa ngelupain yang lama. Yah, sebulan dua bulan lah.

Si Jelek dan Si Gendut : taek!!! (sambil ngejitak) Lama sih sebulan dua bulan!!

hmm...itu memang kata2 yang keluar dari mulut gw. Tapi gw sendiri ga tau kapan gw bisa mulai buka baju hati buat yang lain...Monyetnya, gw masih sering banget kepikiran ttg yang lama...Mungkin udah ga se-intense ato sesayang dulu lagi sama dia. Tapi tetep aja kenangan2 itu keluar dengan otomatis. Misalnya, pas gw lewat di depan bioskop lipcik, keinget pas kita nonton bareng. Pas gw lewat Pasar Lippo, keinget pas gw nganterin dia beli bahan2 buat project Entreprenuership. Pas gw kerja, keinget pas kita curi2 waktu buat telp2an. Pas gw makan, keinget bandot yang segede2 gaban. Pas gw lagi tidur, ga keinget apa2. Pas gw inget Kindy, keinget kalo gw pengen muntah (piss..omm..hehe). Hmm, memang hidup itu penuh misteri...

In conclusion, hidup emang penuh misteri. Kaya puisinya Sapardi Djoko Darmono:

Ia tak pernah sempat bertanya kenapa dua kali dua hasilnya sama dengan dua tambah dua sedangkan satu kali satu lebih kecil dari satu tambah satu dan tiga kali tiga lebih besar dari tiga tambah tiga

Well, sama misteriusnya sama kenapa 1+1=2. Kenapa bukan 1+1 = 10 (dalam binary). Ato 1+1=11. Apapun alasannya, betapapun misteriusnya masalah2 dalam hidup, we have to keep moving, coz there's plenty of other things we'll see by doing so...

Cheers!!!

Mysterious sun or poisonous vapour? Somewhat disconnected thoughts on the history of imagining electricity

Angela — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:43:54 +0000

Source: Tesla Society

While struggling to get the right sort of camping gear and all sorts of other stuff together for the first public appearance of Mutable Matter, I’m also in the process reading articles about electricity. Not because I am paranoid that a lightning bolt might hit my tent next week (though if one tent is going to be hit, it’s bound to be mine!), but because I am curious how people have imagined or are imagining electricity and what consequences this had/has.

The first article I came across was Steven Connor’s ‘Volts from the Blue’. It opens with a delightful paragraph on how the author’s mother imagined some kind of ‘electric matter’ creeping out of sockets. She thought that ‘one should never leave unoccupied plugs switched on overnight lest the electricity should leak out, and spread across the room at ankle level, in a deadly, prickly, miasmatic carpet’. Wow – this is even better than the dialogue in Wolfgang Schivelbusch’s book ‘The Disenchanted Night’ were a couple is wondering what would happen if the wires broke and electricity ‘leaked out’ and accumulated in places (a great sentence is: ‘My dear wife, one can breathe electricity without the least danger.’). I guess if we had more people like Steven Connor’s mother, we would not have so many problems with household CO2 emissions from standby appliances! Anyway… The article pulls together very nicely how electricity was imagined in the last four centuries and manages to give an insight into how its assumed ‘strange’, ‘mysterious’ nature lent itself to all sorts of speculation - and application.

According to Connor, the first ‘epoch’ of electric imagination is characterised by electricity as a ‘sensory object, something that could be seen, known and understood.’ At times it was even described as ‘aromatic’ (!). The second stage of our interaction with it (‘after Faraday’) is more abstract, use-value orientated. Electricity could now be managed and more efficiently exploited, so it did not matter anymore what it was made up of. It became invisible in more than one sense. From Connor’s article one gets the impression that the ‘immaterial’ is associated with the future. Creating ‘energy from nothing’ is still a dream (as is ‘substance from nothing’ if one recalls early announcements from certain nanotechnology pioneers).

‘Electricity represented the future, gas the clinging, lingering past. Gas was slow, odorous, insidious, organic, laborious, approximate, fluctuating, mucky, noisy and massy. Electricity was fast, clean, absolute, mathematical and abstract. Gas lighting is mysterious, impulsive, erotic…’

Connor also writes that ‘dematerialised electricity began to immaterialise the world’. Hmh. Did it?

The article triggered connections with a number of things I had come across recently e.g. the film ‘The Prestige’ (with David Bowie as Nikola Tesla!), Nigel Thrift’s ‘Electric Animals’, the aforementioned ‘The Disenchanted Night’, and, of course, the debates about the current energy dilemma: are the non-renewable resources such as coal, oil or gas currently portrayed as ‘slow, odorous, insidious, organic, laborious, approximate, fluctuating, mucky, noisy and massy’? Do we think of them as that when we fill up our car, cook our meals or turn on the heater?
Is energy from sun, wind or water the new fantasy of ‘energy from nothing’? Or is energy ‘from the elements’ in fact more ‘primitive’ and fickle than non-renewable resources? And which category does nuclear energy belong to? How people relate to different kinds of energy and how a particular energy is portrayed or imagined fascinates me. Always, the depictions seem to be riddled with contradictions. I vividly remember a discussion I had with a landrover owner who got annoyed that yuppies now rode them around town as a status symbol and don’t use them like him – to drive into the hills and appreciate nature. The destruction of the nature in question through roads, car tires, pollution, CO2 emissions etc is completely disconnected from this picture.

Nigel Thrift’s ‘Electric Animals’ talks about a different kind of nature. He finds that software enables the creation of an ‘electric wilderness’ by animating inanimate constructs. Recently, technology is not just handling, disenfranchising or ‘immaterialising’ (= extinguishing) animals, but it is learning from them and integrating animalistic elements into its design (think Luigi Colani/Janine Benyus or robotic hedghogs?). Thrift puts it this way:

‘just as the materiality of technology has become an insistent force in the world of animals so the materiality of animals has become an insistent force in the world of technology.’

Source: Physorg.com

His other statement that ‘the future has a tendency to turn up not as some kind of gleaming and polished modernity but as overused and battered pieces of equipment’ I had to think about when I read ‘The Disenchanted Night’, which follows the (one could say ‘nonlinear’) development of (and public reactions towards) artificial lighting. Sometimes things discarded by ‘progress’ re-materialise: the lightbulb is in some respects more archaic than the gas lamp. What I also found interesting was the mixed reactions towards gas and, later, electricity. Some considered electricity to be clean, purifying and ‘good for your health’ and others fearfully put up their umbrellas to ‘protect themselves from the rays of this mysterious new sun’.

Electricity’s primeval connection with thunder and magic is not only evoked Schivelbusch’s book, but also in the film ‘The Prestige’ (follow the link to look up the plot summary). It makes you think about how electricity must have appeared like magic when it was first implemented in everyday life – and how it still achieves to imbue buildings, performances or new technological gadgets with aura of ‘magic’. Two major figures in the development of ‘electricity for the masses’ - the ‘unseen’ Thomas Edison (see Channel 4 review) and the more visible, eccentric Nikola Tesla - are also featured in the film. The Prestige shows them as rivals obsessed with proving that their way of working with electricity is the right one, probably after the ‘real’ rivalry of the ‘War of Currents’. Actually, the visibility is sort of reversed in the film and played around with all the time (after all, this film focuses on the enmity of to magicians!). For instance, Tesla, defamed as a madness-ridden magician or alchemist, is hiding away in seclusion - he is ‘visible’ only in the film. Edison is not visible in the film, but is the more acceptable public figure, an 'engineer' – and his light bulbs are everywhere. On the other hand, Edison’s lightbulbs are now so taken for granted and do not spell-bind as much as the visible electric force of the Tesla coil which is re-build and shown by many ‘coilers’ around the world. And certainly, how the two engineers envisioned electricity contributed to their invention style.

From: The Prestige

I wonder whether the current combination of ever-presence and hiddenness of electricity makes us not try to build a picture of electricity and the materialities that give rise to it - and our ability to handle it in such a casual manner. In this respect I agree with Connor that dematerialised electricity immaterialises. But I also wonder whether it can re-materialise?

Whatcom & Skagit Folk: If you like Shellfish, you'll love the Samish Bivalve Bash

starmanjones — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:58:47 +0000

What: Oyster shell sculptures, Mud Run, food booths, beer garden, Crab races, local bands, dancing, contests and games in a Scenic beach setting. If you like shellfish, the food offerings are going to make your eyes roll up in your head: Steamed clams and mussels, barbecued oysters, curried mussels and rice…
Benefits Community Clean Water Awareness Programs.

More

Edison To Re-Vote On Cablevision Contract

cmdmedia — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:32:53 +0000

EDISON – The township council will vote again on a 15-year contract to extend Cablevision’s franchise in the township. The council voted on the contract last week, but the result was a 3-3 split with one abstention.

Township attorney Jeffrey Lehrer originally determined that Councilman Sudhansu Prasad’s vote to abstain should be counted with the “yes” votes, but after further research, Township Clerk Reina Murphy determined that the vote should be counted with the “no” votes.

During last week’s council meeting, about a dozen residents complained about their Cablevision bills. The 15-year contract would earn Edison $40,000 upfront and an estimated $250,000 per year.
A new vote will likely have to wait until Aug. 13.

Lucent Dossier @ The Edison

drmangor — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:39:10 +0000

El Éxito Depende de Ti.

Gerson E. A. Arenívar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:13:37 +0000

Todo el mundo quiere tener éxito, ése es uno de los mayores deseos humanos, y hay que decir que es un noble anhelo; pero el éxito esta reservado sólo para personas que desean seguir aprendiendo, que crecen en todas sus dimensiones y, por sobre todo, que tienen la humildad de servir a otros con la singularidad de dones que poseen. Estos artículos han sido concebidos con el propósito de poder alentar y ayudar a quienes deseen transitar por el camino de la excelencia, que es el camino desarrollo.

Midiendo el éxito.

A medida que crecemos nos damos cuenta de que en la vida hay básicamente dos clases de personas: las

[caption id="attachment_11" align="alignright" width="228" caption="El desafío de vivir"][/caption]

exitosas y las fracasadas. Nota que no he escrito “las que tienen éxito” porque esa es una apreciación muy vaga de una persona plenamente realizada, y tampoco he escrito “las que tienen fracasos” debido a que un fracaso no puede decirnos en realidad si una persona es desdichada; así, ambas expresiones reflejan de manera irreal la esencia del individuo. No es posible medir por algunos éxitos o fracasos el nivel de vida de una persona, y tampoco su felicidad, autenticidad y valor. Estas cualidades están más allá de los eventos que rodean a un ser humano, pues ellas determinarán con qué persistencia seguirá trabajando para alcanzar sus sueños y trascender.

La historia está repleta de ejemplos grandiosos de personas que experimentaron reveses que parecían insuperables, y sin embargo siguieron adelante, pusieron su vista en las estrellas y éstas los guiaron hasta la realización de sus aspiraciones más altas. Pero imagina que por un momento Tomás Alba Edison hubiese pensado que era imposible hacer su bombilla después de todas las ocasiones en las que sus experimentos no dieron resultados; o piensa en la señora Curie rindiéndose como científica porque era una mujer en una sociedad que no le daba crédito precisamente por ser mujer; o medita en Napoleón Bonaparte excusándose en su baja estatura. Cada uno podía haber renunciado con aparente razonabilidad, pero hoy ninguno de ellos sería recordado, estudiado, o citado como en esta ocasión.

Es impresionante leer sobre esos grandes hombres y mujeres que no se limitaron a simplemente pasar por la vida, sino que se lanzaron (consciente o inconscientemente) a ser forjadores de la historia misma. Pero ¿qué hay de nosotros? Quiero decir: ¿Estamos aprovechando nuestra vida para dejar nuestra huella en la historia? Tal vez no podamos ser recordados por todo el mundo, como es el caso de algunos, pero ¿los que nos rodean nos recordarán? ¿Cómo nos verán: exitosos o fracasados? ¿Nos verán como un ejemplo de servicio, entrega y abnegación o seremos olvidados con rapidez? La respuesta a estas preguntas se encuentra en el presente.

Cada día es nuestro privilegio vivir como personas de éxito. Como he dicho antes, los eventos no determinan lo que somos, pero en gran medida somos responsables de lo que sucede en nuestras vidas. A través de nuestras actitudes, pensamientos, conductas y demás, vamos construyendo lo que queremos que sea nuestro futuro, pero dicha construcción se hace siempre en el presente. Cuando vemos al pasado sólo podemos contemplar la forma en que pusimos nuestros ladrillos, sin oportunidad de cambiar algo de ello; cuando vemos hacia el futuro sólo podemos imaginar la forma en que nos gustaría colocar los nuevos ladrillos, pero es solo en el presente cuando en realidad construimos. Por tanto, aunque no es posible medir cuantitativamente el verdadero éxito o fracaso de una persona, sí podemos hacerlo por sus hábitos más constantes. Las palabras de Aristóteles resuenan cuando dice: “Somos los que hacemos día a día, de modo que la excelencia no es un acto, sino un hábito”. Ser una persona de éxito es ser una persona excelente, de allí que cultivar hábitos saludables sea tan importante.

Un par de palabras sobre los hábitos.

[caption id="attachment_12" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="El hábito nos mantiene en el camino."][/caption]

Dicho de otra manera, nuestros hábitos determinarán nuestro destino. La buena noticia es que podemos cultivar hábitos de excelencia, así como podemos abandonar los hábitos que sabemos son perjudiciales. Es cierto que romper con un hábito es difícil, pero imagina cuán difícil es vivir una vida mediocre, acongojados, esperando que las cosas mejoren para poder sentirnos bien aunque sea por un momento. Por el contrario, cuando programamos nuestro cerebro con hábitos constructivos y positivos, estamos asegurando que lo que construimos en el presente tenga como resultado una estructura sólida que podemos contemplar hacia el pasado, y una proyección de calidad cuando vemos hacia el futuro.

Sin embargo el único que puede decidir sobre este particular es uno mismo. Tú y yo. El éxito con el que vamos a vivir nuestras vidas depende de cada uno, pues “somos los arquitectos de nuestro propio destino”, por esa razón esta reflexión fue titulada “El éxito depende de ti”. Y es mi deseo que las publicaciones de este sitio puedan servirte a fin de que juntos, ayudándonos, podamos seguir creciendo en el constante desarrollo de nuestra vida. Recuerda dejar tus comentarios, pues serán de gran valor y ayuda en la construcción de este Blog.

¡Que pases un día exitoso!!!

New Minivan Expands Service to Seniors

cmdmedia — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:29:32 +0000

EDISON—Driving seniors in need to critical medical appointments has become easier in the township thanks to the addition of a Chevy Uplander.

Edison is the first municipality in the county to obtain the Uplander – a minivan with a manual wheelchair ramp along with additional amenities to aid in transporting the senior citizen population.

“This new vehicle will be used to transport our seniors to dialysis and various other treatments. Edison residents who are living with chronic, debilitating diseases have the greatest need for this type of vehicle,” said Mayor Jun Choi.

Choi was joined by some senior citizens, Director of Health & Human Services John Grun and Assistant Director for Aging Judith Gillingham as the group exhibited the new Uplander.

The low-to-the-ground minivan can hold two wheelchairs and three ambulatory individuals plus a driver. The low-angle aluminum ramp allows for easy entry and exit. Unlike the other vehicles in the fleet, the Uplander does not require the driver to have a commercial driver’s license. This enables multiple staff members to assist residents as needs arise.

“Having this minivan enables us to expand service and at the same time save taxpayer dollars,” Choi said.
The minivan gets 16 miles per gallon of gas, compared to 10 miles per gallon with the current buses. The manually operated ramp will save on costly repairs associated with hydraulic ramps. Fuel consumption will decrease because the vehicles size will allow it to take direct routes on narrow roadways and under bridges and trestles.

The Edison Senior Citizen Center provides curb-to-curb transportation services, free-of-charge, to Edison seniors who have no other means of transportation. Senior citizens are brought to and from senior club meetings, shopping malls as well as medical, dialysis, and nutrition appointments.

In 2007, the Edison Senior Citizen Transportation Service provided 33,254 trips and logged a total of 42,000 miles on the bus fleet. Excluding the Uplander, the township owns 13 buses that can accommodate between eight and 33 passengers.

This service is not available to seniors who have a car, are currently driving or have other means of transportation such as a spouse or family member. Although, should a medical condition prevent an individual from getting behind the wheel for a limited amount of time, they are eligible for transportation until such time that their physician allows them to drive themselves.

Transportation to club meetings, shopping, nutrition and medical appointments are offered Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. by appointment or pre-registration. Transportation services are provided “curb-to-curb.” Drivers are not permitted to assist any rider beyond the curb, enter the home, assist with ambulation, unlock doors or carry personal items. Drivers do not accompany passengers into the medical office or building. For more information call (732) 248-7345.

Mayor Jun Choi helps Edison resident Eileen Radice get into the township’s new Chevy Uplander.

Remembering the Past: Memories From Carteret, Edison and Metuchen

cmdmedia — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:00:54 +0000

by Diane Norek Harrison
Here are some tidbits from my own research from around the area:

CARTERET--Remember these old businesses? B & B Lounge, Carroll's, Charlie's Angels, The Dixie, Adam Garber & Co., Nagy's Bar, New Palace Theatre; 52 Roosevelt Ave., New Roosevelt Laundry; 526 Roosevelt Ave., Roosevelt Hotel and Ulman's Bakery. Anyone have memories or past material from Brunswick Carteret Lanes on Roosevelt? Where did teenagers hang out, play pinball, shoot pool or shoot hoops?

St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church was organized in 1949 with Rev. Leo Pelensky as the first Pastor. The church was dedicated on Sept. 19, 1954.

As of now, I will not have anymore past Carteret columns this year, unless I hear some memories or receive some past information from readers.

EDISON-1887-Thomas A. Edison's laboratory left Menlo Park to occupy new and much larger facilities in West Orange.

Remember when the Menlo Park Mall was first enclosed? There was a card and gift store in the middle of the corridor of the mall next to Bamberger's? Also, in the mall at one time was San Francisco Music Box Company and the California Pizza Kitchen. Comp USA was on Route 1, Rag Shop was also on Route 1 in Wick Plaza and Revlon was on Route 27.

Other businesses with no locations were: Robin Hood Inn and Quesinberry Amoco.

METUCHEN-Kramer Bros.-Freight Line, Martin Cleaners on Main St, National Petroleum Co., North Jersey Finance Service of Jersey City-Metuchen Branch; 11 Penn Ave., Pierson & MacWilliam; Architects; 210 Maple Ave. and Westbrook Farms.

Hoping to hear more memories or receive more past material for these three towns. I don't have much past material for these towns. Have anything to add from what is listed in this column? Have past information or memories on past businesses/bars, block parties, festivals, carnivals, past town activities, school, picnics or history of organizations, clubs, First Aid Squads or fire departments, summer, winter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.? You know what I am looking for! This "shout out" goes out to all the towns listed below.

If you have your own memories or past information for Carteret, Edison, Metuchen, Perth Amboy, Sayreville, South Amboy or Woodbridge you can email me at dianenorekharrison@juno.com send "copies" of your material to me at CMD Media, P.O. Box 1061 Rahway, N.J. 07065.

Lebih Dari Sekadar Keringat Serta Inspirasi

Ruswandi — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:57:44 +0000

Majalah Life menyebutnya orang nomor satu dalam millenium. Jumlah penemuannya sungguh luar biasa. Yakni, 109 benda. Ia memegang hak paten lebih banyak dari siapa pun di dunia. Setelah dianugrahi hak paten --setidaknya satu setiap tahunnya-- selama 65 tahun berturut-turut, ia lalu mengembangkan laboratorium riset modern.

Namanya adalah Thomas Alfa Edison.

Kebanyakan orang mengatakan, kemampuan Edison adalah berkat kejeniusannya yang luar biasa. Namun dia sendiri menyatakan bahwa itu adalah berkat kerja kerasnya. “Jenius”, katanya,”Berarti 99 % keringat (transpirasi) dan satu persen inspirasi”. Selanjutnya, dia pun percaya kesuksesasnya adalah berkat faktor ketiga: sikap yang positip.

Edison adalah orang yang selalu optimis dan melihat segala sesuatu serba baik, “Seandainya kita bisa melakukan segala-galanya,” katanya, “Kita akan benar-benar merasa takjub”.

Contohnya, ketika ia harus mencoba 10.000 kali untuk menemukan bahan yang tepat lampu pijar, sebelumnya ia tidak menganggapnya sebagai kegagalan. Dengan setiap upayanya, ia mendapatkan informasi yang efektif, sehingga ia menjadi semakin dekat dengan solusinya. Ia pun tidak pernah ragu. Suatu saat pastilah akan menemukan solusi yang baik. Keyakinannya itu dapat dirangkum dalam pernyataannya, “Banyaknya pecundang adalah disebabkan orang-orang itu tidak sadar, betapa dekatnya mereka dengan sukses ketika mereka menyerah”.

Mungkin sikap positif Edison yang paling menonjol adalah ketika ia memandang secara positif, tragedi yang terjadi di akhir usianya yang ke enam puluh. Begini ceritanya: Laboratorium yang dibangunnya di West Orange, New Jersey, adalah Lab yang terkenal di seluruh dunia. Ia pun membangun pabrik di kompleks Lab yang terdiri dari empat belas gedung. Sementara gedung utamanya sangat besar. Lebih luas dari tiga lapangan Rugby. Dari basis operasinya itu, ia dan stafnya melahirkan berbagai macam temuan, mengembangkan prototype-prototype, membuat produk-produk dan mengirimkannya kepada pelanggan. Tempat itu akhirnya menjadi model bagi riset serta manufaktur modern.

Edison sungguh menyukai tempat tersebut. Sebisa mungkin ia melewatkan setiap menit waktunya di sana. Sering ia tertidur di atas salah satu meja laboratoriumnya. Namun pada bulan Desember tahun 1974, laboratorium kesayangannya itu terbakar. Sementara ia berdiri di luar dan menyaksikannya dengan tenang seraya berkata.,”Anak-anak, panggil ibu kalian. Ia takkan pernah melihat api sebesar ini lagi.”

Kebanyakan orang pasti hancur hatinya melihat kesayangannya tinggal puing-puing. Namun sikap Edison tidak demikian, “Saya memang sudah berumur 67 tahun”, katanya setelah tragedi itu “Tapi saya kan tidak sering mengalami kejadian seperti itu”.

Setelah itu, ia pun membangun kembali laboratoriumnya dan terus bekerja hingga tujuh belas tahun kemudian. “Saya punya banyak gagasan, tapi kekurangan waktu”, katanya ketika sakit, “Saya kira umur saya bisa mencampai 100 tahun”. Lantas, ia pun meninggal dalam usia 84 tahun.

Nebraska: Illegal immigrant driver’s license scheme brings stiff prison sentence for one man

nebraskaobserver — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:58:55 +0000

An Omaha man, Saidjon Ibragimov, pleaded guilty in federal court as part of a national ring to get driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. As the co-leader of the operation, Ibragimov, 22, of Omaha was convicted in federal court in Nebraska for transporting 15 illegal immigrants from New Jersey to Nebraska to purchase licenses, between Nov. 30, 2006, and June 13, 2007. Ibragimov was the fourth and final member of the operation to be convicted in the conspiracy and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Ibragimov was charged with bribing a Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles employee in Omaha who told authorities in 2006 about a man who offered to pay her for state driver's licenses. As it turns out, Ibragimov, a native of Tajikistan, had gotten to know the state worker because he served as a translator at the office.

Investigators said Ibragimov brought people from countries all over the world to Omaha to get illegal licenses and let them stay at his apartment. He gave the DMV agent $4,000 and seven passports, and told the employee he would bring Chinese, Mongolian and Tajik nationals from Chicago and the Nebraska area to the office to obtain licenses. Investigators secretly recorded subsequent conversations between Ibragimov and the DMV employee.

Agents arrested Ibragimov and 14 other people two days after their last taped conversation took place. In addition to the four people convicted in the conspiracy, nine others were charged with fraud and bribery.

At the time of the arrests, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department, which participated in the eight-month investigation, placed detainers on 10. That meant the agency suspected the men were illegally in the country.

Following his time in jail, Ibragimov will serve three years of supervised release.

EDITOR'S NOTE: We don't see any reference in either story to whether Ibragimov is a citizen or here on a visa. Is supervised release the same as parole?...or code for illegal who is being allowed to remain in U.S. If he is here legally but not a citizen, why isn't he being deported? Any ideas out there?

See full stories:

Illegal immigrant ID scheme nets prison time

Omaha – World Herald - Published Thursday June 26, 2008

Ten arrested in ID bribery investigation

Journalstar.com ^ | 6-28-2007 | CLARENCE MABIN

How to Donate a Car in Edison, New Jersey

outreach613 — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:26:26 +0000

Donating to charity is a great way to get rid of a car when you don't have the time to negotiate with used car salesmen or don't think you can get what it's worth. Donating a car to a charity lets you deduct its fair market value from your taxable income.

Step #1
Make sure the organization is a registered 501(c)(3) charity or a qualified religious organization that can legally accept your donation from which you can rightfully claim a tax reduction. It is also advisable to find a charity that accepts vehicles without charging a removal fee.

Step#2
Use the Kelley Blue Book or IRS Publications 526 (“Charitable Donations”) and 561 (“Determining the Value of Donated Property) to determine the fair market value of your car. If it’s worth $5,000 or more, have the car appraised by someone certified.

Step #3
Receive a tax receipt with the charity’s name and federal tax number, date of donation, donor’s name as well as the year, make and model of the car that was donated.

Step #4
Follow New Jersey regulations on what to do with the title and plates after notifying the MVC and your insurance company that you no longer own or insure the vehicle. Your receipt and completed IRS Form 8283 should be kept in a safe place, you’ll be needing it when it comes time to file your taxes.

45 Kilmer Road
Edison, NJ 08817

How to Donate the Car to Outreach Center

Step #1
Know that for the easiest method and maximum tax benefits, the clear choice for car donations is the popular “Outreach Center” You can simply fill out a form on their Car Donation Website or by calling them on 800.768.7666

Step #2
Outreach Center will give you an idea of whether your car will be able to be used as a program car that can be given in aid of needy children. If the car isn't worthy, it will be sold at auction or for scrap, in which case you can only use the sale value or scrap value. You will get an email or letter back about the decision.

Step #3
Note that in the event that you are pre-approved, you will send Outreach Center your signed title, and they will pick up the vehicle free of charge and have it inspected. If approved, you get a tax voucher in the mail letting you know you can take the fair market value for tax purposes.

Step #4
Sit back, and smile knowing that you did something nice for charity and at the same time got a nice reward for yourself as well.

TIPS
* If the charitable organization is going to make material improvements to your car donation, you must get written notice within 30 days about the use and duration of such improvements and that the asset won't be sold or bartered until the improvements are finished.

* If the fair market value of your vehicle is less than $500, it doesn't matter what the car will be used for. You can take the full fair market value on your tax return.

WARNING:
* Make sure you choose a reputable company before donating your car
* Don't pay for towing - The better known car donation companies will usually foot the bill.

Things you'll Need:
* Internet connection and computer
* Form 1040 for Federal tax return
* Title to car you will be donating
* Itemized deduction tax form
* Used car with some blue book value
* Keys to Car

Sources and Citations:
Car Donation Website
Kelley Blue Book value website
IRS website for tax forms
State of New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission
Official Site for Middlesex County

The Dicey Copyright Status of Edison Recordings

dtrad — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:13:31 +0000

WFMU is embarking on its Free Music Archive pretty soon, a vault of Creative Commons licensed recordings available for free download. As a music fan, it's impossible to not be interested, or at least curious, about how copyright continues to effect our listening experiences in the digital domain and beyond. But here's a great piece from the LibraryLaw blog about copyrights of those long ago wax cylinder recordings made by the Thomas Edison companies from 1890-1920 or so. Recommended reading.

Local Communities Plan Independence Day Celebrations

cmdmedia — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:27:26 +0000

MIDDLESEX COUNTY— Local communities throughout Middlesex County are planning concerts, festivals and fireworks displays to celebrate Independence Day.

Sayreville will celebrate on Saturday, June 28, with a festival and fireworks at Kennedy Park, 820 Washington Road. The festival will run from 4-9 p.m., with rides, carnival games, a hot dog eating contest and apple pie bakeoff among the events planned. There will be live music throughout the day, and a fireworks display beginning at 9:15 p.m. For more information, visit sayreville.com

Woodbridge Township will host a fireworks show on Thursday, July 3, at Alvin P. Williams Memorial Park off Cliff Road in Sewaren. The free event is sponsored by the township and the We Care, We Share Foundation.

Gates open at 4 p.m., with music by the Party Dolls beginning at 6:15 p.m. The fireworks begin at 9:15. For more information, visit www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us.

Carteret will also celebrate Independence Day on Thursday, July 3, with music and fireworks at the borough’s Waterfront Park. In addition, there will be rides, games, ethnic foods and vendors as part of Carteret’s annual Independence Day Festival. The Carteret High School Show Band will perform at 5 p.m., followed by the Infernos at 7 p.m. The fireworks display will start at 9:20 p.m. For more information, visit www.ci.carteret.nj.us.

Edison Township will host a July 4th holiday concert headlining the 60s/70s super group, the Grass Roots. The event will kick off at 6 p.m. with local boys Louise Drive providing some old fashioned Edison rock and roll.

Lake Papaianni, 100 Municipal Boulevard, is the site for the show. Come early and bring low backed chairs or blankets to secure your viewing area. Food vendors will be on site beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The Grass Roots will hit the stage at approximately 7:30 p.m. and entertain the thousands expected to attend with a multitude of classic hits including “Midnight Confessions,” Temptation Eyes,” “Sooner or Later,” and “Wait a Million Years” just to mention a few of their 13 gold singles.

Following the show at approximately 9 p.m., Garden State Fireworks will provide an Independence Day spectacular that will light up the skies over Lake Papaianni, with a show that that will be long remembered.

For more information, call the Edison Recreation Department daily at 732-248-7312.

The Metuchen Cultural Arts Commission will present the Brio Symphonic Band in an Independence Day Concert on Saturday, July 5, at 6 p.m. at Tommy’s Pond. The band will be continuing its series of Independence Day Concerts started in 1995 in the tradition of Sousa and Goldman. Marches, patriotic selections, vocal and trumpet soloists, folk music and other traditional and classic band music will be included.

The Brio Symphonic Band has performed in several venues around central New Jersey including the Middlesex County Parks System, Plainsboro, New Brunswick, and Old Bridge. It also performed the inaugural concert celebrating the opening of the Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in South Amboy. Its membership consists of members of the Central New Jersey Musician’s Union, Local 202-373 AFM.

Metuchen resident Edward Logue, former supervisor of music and band director at Metuchen High School will conduct the band. He is a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College and the University of Arkansas. Since his retirement in 1995, Logue has worked as a freelance percussionist in the area and organized and conducted the Metuchen Gala Centennial Concert and the Metuchen 9/11 Memorial Concert.

Tommy’s Pond is located on Lake Avenue in Metuchen. The concert is free of charge but please bring a lawn chair. In case of rain the program will be held in the Campbell School Gymnasium.

Thomas Alva Edison

wowo — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:46:50 +0000

Siapa yang tidak kenal Thomas Alva Edison, salah seorang penemu terbesar didunia pada abad lalu. Dalam hidupnya ia mengantongi 3000 paten penemuan ilmiah. Lelaki kelahiran Milan, Ohio, AS 11 Februari 1847 ini tinggal disebuah rumah besar dengan dikelilingi pagar besi. Para tamu yang akan masuk kedalam rumahnya harus membuka pintu gerbang besi yang amat berat, dan kemudian menutupnya kembali sampai benar-benar tertutup.

Sebagai ilmuwan produktif yang banyak membuat penemun baru, tentu ia banyak dikunjungi tamu. Apalagi ia pernah memiliki pabrik dan laboratorium dengan 3000 karyawan. Suatu ketika, seorang teman dekatnya mengeluh kepada Edison betapa ia harus menguras banyak tenaga setiap kali membuka dan menutup gerbang rumah Edison.

Dengan mengerdipkan ekor matanya, Edison lalu mengantarkan seorang temannya naik tangga menuju ruangan diatap rumahnya. Disana terdapat alat-alat mekanis rumit yang terdiri atas beberapa pengungkit besi, kerekan dan pompa-pompa. Sang teman terheran-heran, apa maksud tuan rumah mengajaknya keruangan tersebut.

“Engkau pasti tidak tahu”, ujar Edison. “Setiap kali ada orang yang membuka dan menutup pintu gerbang depan, secara otomatis akan memompa satu gallon air kedalam bak penampungan air disini.”

Wow! Itulah kelebihan seorang Thomas Alva Edison. Benar kata Aristoteles, seorang genius dilahirkan dengan disertai insting dan respon tehadap sesuatu secara tajam.