Thinking green

A company out of New York, Voltaic has released a new line of backpacks and messenger bags that use solar pannels on the bags to charge things like cell phones and Mp3 players. According to the company the panels will not charge a laptop, but you can use a car adapter to charge most other small electronics. Not bad for someone always on the road.

The Voltaic Messenger is reinforced and padded to carry and protect a laptop. It has large zipped pockets for documents, and multiple small pockets for electronic devices. Ideal for use in town or as a travel bag.
Features:
Adjustable padded laptop sleeve, for laptops with up to a 15″ screen (14″ x 10″ x 2″)
The solar panels provide protection for fragile items inside the front pocket
Oversized nylon zips for extra strength
Padded adjustable shoulder strap
Will fit the optional phone / MP3 pouch
Wire channels throughout the bag
Electronics:
The electronics are the same as the other three Voltaicâ„¢ solar bags. Note: It is not designed to charge laptops, it will however charge cell phones, sat phones, PDAs, GPSs, iPods, cameras etc.
Includes a 2,200mAh Li-Ion battery pack with 3 voltage settings to store solar power
When not in the sun, the battery can be charged using the AC travel charger or DC car charger
Comes with 11 standard adaptors including a car charger socket and USB adaptor so you can always use a standard charger for your device
Includes adaptor plugs in universal sizes and for common cell phones, which eliminate the need to use a car charger for common devices
The three solar panels are tough, light weight, waterproof, and generate up to 4 watts of power.

Now if I could just get pannels for my loft somewhere to power everything else in my loft we’d be doing good.

Who is your neighbor


I’ve been having a good friendly “debate” with new friend via e-mail today over immigration and who our neighbor is after a post I put on the WDL blog.
What do you think? Who are your neighbors?
How you apply scripture to the immigration issue?
From the Message:

Defining “Neighbor”
Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?”
He answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?”
He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”
“Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.”
Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?”
Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.
“A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’
“What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?”
“The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded.
Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”

TTC Meeting in Waxahachie

Last night was the second TTC meeting in Ellis County more fun to be had by all.
Less than 15 minutes into the public hearing we had our first mention of “illegals.”
I have to cringe everytime I hear that word now.
Someone was going to speak directly after him but, “he’s at church – he’ll be back.”
They kept reminding he was at church and then when he got there, “He’s back from church.”
And this guy dropped the second mention of illegals.
He said all the growth in Ellis County was from illegals because Texas couples were only procreating 1.8 children on average.
He also compared TxDOT employees to the Nazis. I love that word even more than illegals. Especially the way it’s losely thrown around.
“These guys are just doing their jobs. They’re just taking orders. Just like the Nazis.”
Lovely! Absolutely lovely. This from a guy who just came from church.
On the other hand I enjoyed sitting near State Rep. District 10 candidate, Kerry Horn, D-Hill County, and Ellis County Judge candidate Chuck Beatty. Lots of fun pithy comments going between the three of us.