I use a little power, but not too much... right?

I'll start with a quick summary for those of you who don't have a lot of time:
1. I tracked my Entertainment center's power... and used the data to estimate:

• It uses 1,242.1 kWh/year
• Costs $131.28 / year
• Produces 1,132.79 lbs of CO²/year

2. I estimated ghost power used by my entertainment center (if I left the entertainment center off but plugged in 24/7):

• It uses 168.71 kWh/year
• Costs $17.77 / year
• Produces 153.37 lbs of CO²/year

3. Finally, I researched some statistics about world wide emissions, population, trees, and stuff like that:

• US Population: about 307 Million (307,212,123 - CIA)
  
• Annual emissions per person: 36,000 lbs of CO²
• Total Emissions: 9,120,000,000,000 (9.1 Trillion) lbs of CO² per year
  
• World Population about 6.7 Billion (6,706,993,152 - CIA)
  
• Annual emission per person: 9,788.52 lbs of CO²
• Total Emissions: 68,519,640,000,000 (68 Trillion) lbs of CO² per year
  
• 1,427,492,500,000 (1.4 Trillion) trees are required to sustain human life
  (Long term... as in for the trees to remove extra CO²... kind of like heating up the water after you put the frog in... the water gradually becomes lethal for the frog... that's what might happen when we don't have this many trees...)
  
• NASA's 2005 estimate of trees worldwide: about 400,246,300,201 (400 Billion)
  
• 48 lbs of CO² absorbed by each tree every year
  
• 19,211,822,409,648 (19 Trillion) lbs of CO² absorbed by trees in 2005
• 49,307,817,590,352 (49 Trillion) extra lbs of CO² every year
  (beyond what trees can handle)
  
• CO² absorbs heat from sunlight
  (as to other greenhouse gasses)
  
• World population has doubled in the last 40 years
• 2008 showed the highest world wide birth rate ever
  ("The Commentators" - show on NPR yesterday)
• Corporations produce more pollution via factories and office buildings than human people
  (corporations are legally people)
• All this info together makes me think we may have a problem.
• We need 1,827,738,800,201 (1.8 Trillion) more trees
  (That is in order to compensate for the CO² we create. Which one day could reach toxic levels and make Earth a lot more like Venus.)
  
• I really hope I made a mistake somewhere...
• Emissions data is from 2004...
  tree estimate from 2005...
  population estimates from 2007...

I also added sources and more details below... so, feel free to browse or read the whole thing.

This week was a testing week for me at home. I know I test at work all the time, but at home I am trying to figure out just home much power I really use. So, I started this little test by posting a bit about my over all power usage to the Frizzlefry tech blog (which just got a new look! Ironically it is the same look as this blog, minus the logo...) and now I'm just going to blurt out a little bit about my day to day usage.

So, My entertainment center has been the focus of my testing this week, and I have to admit that the results were a little different than I expected. I thought that my entertainment center would be a huge power hog. After all I do have a large amount of electronic stuff in my apartment, and the bulk of the stuff that I use all the time is in one place. So, for the experiment I hooked my Kill-A-Watt to my entertainment center, and I have the following items powered through it:

• TV
• Laptop
• DVD Player
• PC Speakers (because my TV's speakers suck!)
• Xbox
• Printer
• External Hard Drive
• bookshelf lamp

So... how much power does all that stuff use? Well from normal usage of what ever it is I do on a day to day basis, it uses 1.43 kilowatt Hours (kWh) on a weekday, and about 2.36 kWh on a weekend day. While I am sleeping I use about .43 kWh, and I use about .6 kWh when I am at work. This means that in a typical week (and I am predicting usage between yesterday at 07:30, and tomorrow at 23:45) I probably use about 10 kWh.

So, what does this really mean? Well, it means about $1 per week... 11lbs of CO² per week*... 564lbs of CO² per year*. So, the power adds up. It's like driving 813 miles in a car that gets 30 mpg... or you could call it one person's contribution to riding 2,165 miles on the bus.

One other factor that I didn't really think about too much was the draw of "ghost power". This isn't the result of some coporious entity flying around and plugging in invisible electronics, but this is the power that all of my stuff draws when I am not around to monitor it. Ghost power is generated by all of the electronic stuff people have these days. You see, one upon a time, when you turned something on, you actually flipped a physical switch (Like a light switch...) and now a days electronic devices have a button that is connected to electronic switch inside the device. Even when the device is off, these devices still draw power. Some devices like (e.g. desktop computers, TVs, monitors, transformers, ect.) draw power to keep capacitors charged at all times; that way you don't have to wait as long for them to turn on. These also draw power while the devices are off.

My entertainment center draws a constant .16 amps while turned off. So how does that factor in? Well, that is .02 kWh (168.17 kWh per year) and if you assume I were to constantly leave my entire entertainment system off... to my power bill, it's $0.00 per hour... $0.05 per day... $0.34 per week... $1.48 per month... $17.77 per year... and those are the small numbers in this equation. The larger numbers are when you look at how many lbs of CO² that produces: .02 per hour... .46 per day... 2.98 per week... 12.91 per month... 153.37 lbs of CO²per year! Those numbers are just from having everything plugged in and turned off!

Now, in perspective, from multiple sites around the Internet, I've come to the conclusion that the average person probably produces somewhere around 700 lbs of CO² every year... so, I am only producing about ¹/₇

of what a normal person produces, but that doesn't really make it ok... I mean, if all 7 billion people did that, we would have a huge problem, and the problem is that all 7 billion people are producing much more than that. The average American (about 304 Million people) produces about 32,000 lbs of CO² every year. The rest of the world produces about 15,000 lbs of CO² per person...

So, world wide, we produce somewhere around 109,560,000,000,000 (109 Trillion) lbs of CO² every year. There is nowhere for that gas to go. We breathe it in, it absorbs heat from sun light, and I am kind of sure that the trees can't deal with that much CO²... at least (assuming a mature tree absorbs 48 lbs of CO² per year) around 2,282,500,000,000 (2 Trillion) trees just to sustain human life. NPR Said here that "In 2005, there were 400,246,300,201 (more or less) trees on our globe," which was a rough estimate produced by NASA. At that time there were a little over 6.4 billion people on the planet. One other key factor is that corporate emissions from factories and offices are typically far greater than emissions from individuals; plus the human population is growing exponentially about every 40 years (and speeding up) so we will need more factories. I am really starting to think we may have some sort of problem.

So, I know that these numbers are all rough estimates... and we aren't accounting for the largest oxygen producer on the planet (water)... and we aren't accounting for all the small plants around the world... and I'm pretty sure some of the gas escapes into the vacuum of space... and I don't even know what else I am forgetting about...

However, I don't think we have a definitive answer to the problem yet... but projects like the smart grid, and Google.org, and countless others will help. We should start by getting rid of fossil fuels, and creating a smarter and cleaner electrical grid.

So, if you read the entire post and the summary at the beginning, you may see something I forgot to change. I made a few mistakes the first time I wrote this post, and when I was writing the summary I checked to verify everything... I may have forgotten to correct a couple things... I am in a hurry to get this done before lunch ends.

Oh, another thing... my goal for CO² emissions for the year of 2009 is to produce less than 12,248 lbs... in 2008 I produced about 14,000 lbs... 2007 was estimated at around 22,000 lbs. My goal is to produce the same CO² emissions as a person in a 3^rd world country... about 3,000lbs.

Later,
SteveO

Sources

• * CO² is based on EPA listed power emissions for my zip code
• Oxygen Created by Trees
• Trees on Planet Earth
• Misc Random Stuff
• CIA World Fact Book - which, by the way, is updated every 2 weeks and has a redesign scheduled for spring 2009!
  
• I also referenced an older post, where I had referenced carboncounter.org... but carboncounter.org doesn't exist anymore... so I referenced this post
  

State of the Frizzlefry Blog March 09!

     So, I decided it was time again.  I am just over a month shy of having a full year of recorded blog statistics, and so I'm going to do the six month(ish) comparison. 

So, the latest stats for the blog are in the picture.  And what they show is that over the past year, I have seen visits, pageviews, pages/visit, and average time on the site increase among my readers.  

I have also found that for the most part, not posting anything for nearly a month doesn't hurt my readership too much.  However, because my bounce rate is higher, and the number of new visits is down it tells me that over time the performance of this blog is not the best.  So it's a good thing I didn't quit my day job yet to become a professional blogger.

However, compared to my other blogs, the Frizzle Tech blog is showing an decrease in bounce rate, and an increase in new visits.  Which demonstrates that a clear and consistent theme on the blog is important.

The Frizzlefry Web Watch blog has shown that people are interested in lists of videos that someone likes.  So, by creating a blog that is entirely made up of Youtube and Hulu video content created by other people will show consistent growth over the long term.

  

The Three Wiredos blog has proven that a blog with no focus and two posts will have very few visitors, and a high bounce rate.  The blog fizzled out before it even got going.

So, what have I learned?  If your focus is to stay in touch with the surrounding community, distant family, and friends;  your readership will remain consistant with the group of individuals who know you personally.  

However, for a marketable blog that shows consistant growth and produces profit from advertisements, then you need to increase your readership by posting consistantly on a focused topic or at least a range of articles united by a common catagory.

So, there is the state of the blog.  

Later,

  

     SteveO

Flu Season in Washington

That's right, it's flu season in Washington.  I guess the project that I got this picture from attempts to track flu outbreaks via the search terms people use.  Using this data, Google.org is capable of tracking flu trends for regions of the globe, and they are able to determine when the flu virus is active in any given area.

The site also gives people a link to a map of local places to get the flu shot based on your Zip code. I do have to admit it didn't take this chart for me to realize that people were getting sick.

For those of you Michiganders... I also have this chart that clearly shows you are at a low risk of getting the flu.  Which means Michigan is at a much lower risk of the flu right now than most of the US.

As you can see in the next picture we have a map of the US.  The key from the charts that I have up above here apply to the map below.

This map tells me that the Pacific North West has a high risk for flu right now, and the chart above contains historical data that goes back to 2003.  Suggesting that the normal pattern for this area is for an increase in flu activity to occur around this time of year.

In Michigan, I can tell that the risk for flu is going down, and this season wasn't a very active flu season. 

So, there is a flu update.  For more information, where this information came from, and even the raw data used to create these pictures... visit google.org/flutrends.

So, that's itfor now.  Soon I should have the state of the Frizzlefry Blog address.  I made my chart this past weekend, but I still need to post it with the summary of the data and stuff.

Later,
     SteveO

My job... meh.

So, I started this new job last Thursday, and I've decided to start looking for a better job.  I know I should be happy with what I got, but it's just mind-numbingly brain dead work.  So much to the point that I think I am actually doing poorly because there isn't really anything I care about.  I know I should feel some sort of obligation or something but I just hate it.  I go in there... I have to show up at 9AM.  I take a 45 minute break for lunch at 11:30AM.  I have my 15 minute break at 2:30PM.  I go home at 5:30PM.  I guess it isn't so much that I have to be there at a certain time, but I have a micro-manager that determines when I take my breaks.  Plus, rather than organising the test pass so that each person is a specialised feature owner, it's just first come first serve on which ever area you choose.  I hate it.

I know I'm judging it way too early, but I kinda started off on the wrong foot when I accepted $5 less per hour than I was looking for... and $2 less than I had submitted my offer at.  Then I had to choose between taking the job or losing my unemployment.  Obviously I had to take the job.  Even then, it's not the job I applied for.  No coding... no planning... I am at the bottom of the ladder again, and it sucks!  The thing is, I don't know how to do this job because I haven't memoized the test cases yet, but I applied for a job where I would create the test plans and test cases, automate some of the procedures, and really make changes, but in stead I get a micro-manager.and a set schedule.  In fact, because of my micro-manager, I have to either drive, or get to work 45 minutes early because he doesn't want to let me come in at 9:10AM and leave at 5:50PM (which is when the Microsoft Shuttle comes and goes.

Maybe my manager is right (not the micro-manager, the real manager), and things are going to change a lot in the next 6 months...  god knows things need to change...  and maybe it would be good for me to urge that change to happen sooner than later.  I don't know.  I guess I'm really just feeling frustrated that I haven't gotten my log-in information yet... so that means I don't have permission to do my job (as far as the computer is concerned.)  With a little luck, after I get my log-in, I will be given permission to access the source tree for a couple tools and stop being a monkey that just follows directions, but it is just scary to think that I could be going back to doing what I was doing last time I was at GTO. 

Anyway... so yea, at the moment it seems like I kinda hate this job... compared to my old job it's: not as nice,  more of a pain to get to, doesn't pay as well, has pointless extra rules,  not nearly as interesting,  

On the other hand... if I were to move to Redmond, that could technically save me $1,200 a month (that is if I were to put a dollar amount on my commute time to and from work.)  So, maybe if I didn't have to spend 3 hours a day going to and from work I would feel better because I would have up to an extra 3 hours every day... one before work, and between one and two hours after work.  You may say I have 3 after work because I could go to bed an hour later without losing any sleep.

Well, we will see how things go.  I bet I can find some way to work things out in my favor.  However, it is my bed time now... so I'm going to go get some sleep.

Later,

     SteveO

QR barcode madness!

This is the official Frizzlefry Blog QR barcode. The barcode contains the string "http://imthefrizzlefry.blogspot.com" So what do people use these things for? Well, the truth is that they really don't use them in this country. However, they do use them in other countries like China and Japan that actually get the latest technology released to consumers as the technology is developed. Unlike in this country where technology is released at a much slower rate, and that way you have to buy slightly better stuff each year (planned obsolesence.) anyway... so yea, this is what should be on the back of every business card you ever give out. You can actually fit an entire text message onto one of these barcodes.

Like take for instance this barcode, which contains my intire gmail signature.

If you have an android phone, you can actual take a picture of it, you would enter my contact information into your phone, and if you that guy who visited my blog from China that one time, you would probably already know that.

pretty neat 'A'?

If you want your own QR barcode, just go it:
http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

Anyway... there is a quick little update.

Later,

SteveO

Blog entry day 101...

So, today is day 101 that I have been unemployed.  Which also means this is the first day that I would have been elligable to start back at Microsoft, however, I haven't gotten my new start date yet.  I have a feeling that the missed call I have on my phone could provide some insight to that.  Anyway.

I got a new job.  I start soon.  I am an STE at Microsoft Game Studios working on Network Testing.  Which makes me think that the position is really with MS Game Testing Organization, but it doesn't really matter much because GTO is part of MGS.  so, that's what is kinda new or at least will be new this week.

As for the picture of Jaani in his cage with a cone on his head... Jaani had a lump removed last week, and yesterday he had the stitches removed.  So, even though Jaani only had a cone on once or twice while the stitches were in... now that they were removed, he keeps trying to scratch at the scar.  So, I had to cone his head to keep him from messing with the big gash in his head.  He actually tore it open a little as soon as we got home from the dog park... I took him to the dog park because yesterday the weather was so nice, and he was so good at the vet...

As a third and final note, I have been playing with multi-contact touch screens recently.  James and I actually put together this drafting board like thing that we can use as a Natural User Interface (NUI... or as I kind of like to call a NUBI (Natural User Beta Interface))

Here is a slideshow of the differet pictures of the three prototypes we have put together...  I will be posting more information about exactly what we have done on the tech blog, but for now here is a sneak peek.

View Album

Get your own

So in addition to all of that stuff, I am also trying to get a new blog put together.... yea, that's right, another blog for me to neglect for long periods of time... but anyway... it is called Three Wiredos (We spelled Weirdos wrong... I know...)  So anyway... as the name may imply to those of you in the know, it will be a blog written by myself as well as my new room mates James and Emerald.  Honestly, the reason I created the blog is so in the event that I don't update the blog every day, maybe somebody will, but it doesn't look like that is likely.  We will have to see what the future brings.

So, anyway... I'm calling that an update.

So, there you are mom, a new blog entry for you to read! ;D

Later,

     SteveO

An update from Beautiful Sunny Renton WA

So, it really feels strange to say sunny washington this time of year.  It is usually miserable and rainy, but the forcest says that it won't start to rain until tomorrow afternoon!  Which is awesome for Jaani and I!

Yesterday we walked a long way.  I am tempted to say we may have walked 10 miles!  We walked to the lake and back, which is almost 5 miles... then we walked up the river to the bridge which I am pretty sure is much longer.

It was a great day to be outside with temperatures in the mid 50's, and today looks to be the same.  I guess right now it is only 37 degrees out, but it should be over 45 degrees in the next 2.5 hours.  I guess it is only 09:30.

Here are a few pictures that I have been taking

View Album

Get your own

     Well, anyway it is so nice outside that I don't want to stay inside much longer, so I'm going to eat some breakfast and get to walking.

Later,

     SteveO