In the early 20th century, a man named Willis was tasked with a problem with the invention of four-color print for newspapers. It was imperative that the paper headed into the print was very dry. In humid summer conditions this was almost impossible.
He built a room ahead of the print process that removed the humidity and dried the paper.
He noticed that the room air was very cold, so he had an idea. John Willis Carrier brought forth the modern age; his inventions are why we have civilization as we know it. We call it air conditioning but it is so much more.
Our entire modern lives revolve around it, yet no one notices. What did air conditioning ever do for you?
The Swamp was well named until 1945. Congress didn’t show up at all: too hot and humid.Then they got air conditioning. We never got over that.
Like that fresh cut of meat? Fresh vegetables? Thank AC’s brother refrigeration: we wouldn’t last a week without it.
Hospitals require clean rooms. The V stands for ventilation, keeping clean rooms clean.
Housing? Los Angeles? Phoenix? How about Northern Michigan or Minnesota? Every climate has different needs but HVAC/R takes care of it all.
Electricity was controlled so we can have air conditioning, don’t you agree? Ask the server farm that keeps the web running, those who keep the lights on, and runs your heating and cooling.Without HVACR we can’t have our nice little civilization.
Humans adapt, no climate will stop us, but if we don’t meet our energy needs we are done.There are many ways to satisfy electrical demands. I prefer all of the above with emphasis on nuclear and hydro, but your mileage may vary.
Bear this in mind: a fan is ventilation, a swamp cooler is evaporative cooling, and a wood fire is a heating source. No fancy physics, yet they all work well.A new split system costs $1000 installed and is a great modern solution with few drawbacks, unless you live in the cold lands. (Hi 4X!)
Anyway, enjoy comfort as you get it, and where’s my Mr. Fusion?!I’m retired from the trade now, but thanks for the memories.
Air conditioning: it makes us human.
I may be around for questions or answers, maybe save you some money
Using Geothermal as a heat sink makes AC/Heating much more efficient, but if you leave the back door open all the time so the cat can go in and out, your savings will not be as high as you would expect.
-Just an observation.
Well said, geo is part of the all of the above thing.
Im trying to keep my kittens in the house until they get larger but it gets harder day by day
We know someone with a geo system. Just pipes buried in the ground. It’s elegant yet simple.
There’s a bit more to it than that, but essentially true
I’ve been happy with the high efficiency furnace we put in a couple years back (replacing a 50+ year old furnace). Replacing the AC has been on the schedule for a while, hopefully pull the trigger this fall.
Pretty happy with the new furnace we got a few months back to replace the 25 year old American Standard, but the two-stage bit is a bit annoying as the first stage is never enough – I need to pop it open and lower the second-staging timing from the 10 minute default.
My system also provides an abundance of hot water during air conditioning season. The cool water line going to the HW heater is directed thru the AC system before going into the tank.
*looks at landscape of solid granite with a thin coating of, well, not solid granite*
Seems impractical for us.
Making it work in some place like AZ requires some kind of vertical integration, like running water into and out of the well as a heat sink or running lines straight down to the aquifer. Or building a geothermal pond.
Those options are pretty expensive. If you use the well, the pumping costs eat up all the cooling savings. The other ones are exorbitantly expensive installations for a home.
Silly Bobarian – You first move the structure underground where the incoming solar radiation is impeded by rock.
Surprising turn of fortune
Hunter Biden asked a federal judge Wednesday to dismiss his lawsuit against an ex-Trump aide that centers on the publication of contents of a laptop attributed to the former president’s son, saying his dwindling financial resources have made it difficult to proceed with litigation.
In documents filed in federal court in California, Biden’s attorneys urged U.S. District Judge Hernan D. Vera to dismiss the 2023 lawsuit filed against Garrett Ziegler. They said Biden “has suffered a significant downturn in his income and has significant debt in the millions of dollars range.”
——-
Biden said in a related court filing Wednesday that he faces millions of dollars of debt and is “not in a position where I can borrow money.”
He said he had anticipated paid speaking engagements and appearances following feedback from his artwork and memoir, which his attorneys identified as his main source of income in previous years, “but that has not happened.”
Detailing flagging profits from his art sales, Biden said that while he had sold 27 pieces for an average of roughly $54,500 in the two or three years leading up to the lawsuit, he had sold only one piece of art for $36,000 since then.
His value on the open market seems to be severely diminished. All that money he allegedly made, and he didn’t sock any away for a rainy day?
Crack only appreciates in value!
Appreciate the value of Cracky!
Funny how that happens when there’s no longer any influence to sell.
Over and over again, we keep seeing that things are exactly as they appeared.
The art market can be fickle.
People like that think the grift will never end.
See Clinton Foundation donations post 2016 for further example.
Yep. The minute The Donald won, “donations” went completely dry.
But if you want to reach temperatures down to -100F, you need a cascade refrigeration system.
Or a cryogenic fluid I suppose.
Its still basic physics, bigger
Good article. People need reminding about the value of things taken for granted.
8-pin sockets cost more than the 555 timers I’d be putting in them
🤔
Should I still socket the 555s? In truth the utility of the socket is in troubleshooting potential failures rather than reusing the ICs.
I have asked the question before: who is important? If you want to find out just make people disappear and see which ones you notice first.
1. the people that supply your energy
2. the people who supply your water.
3. the people who supply your food
4. the people who pick up your trash
5. nameless faceless bureaucrats…..oh wait. They aren’t even on this list.
6. community organizers….damned, missed again. No one gives a fuck about them and never will. They are a waste of skin.
7. Second tier people who supply all of the things that use energy, water, food, shelter etc.
Just about everyone else you would probably never notice if they poofed out of existence.
Second point: the list of things that have markedly increased our quality of life and life expectancy
1. Waste water management
2. electricity and fossil fuels
3. refrigeration
4. industrial agriculture
5. antibiotics
everything else is a distance ‘also ran’
we did all of this in spite of ourselves. As JI recently pointed out if we ever do develop Star Trek style replicators the evil people will be climbing over each other to create centralized control of them.
See: the movements to kill all of the things listed in the previous part of this comment…including the war on cars (destroy freedom of movement. Yes, there is also a war on air conditioning)
Where would we be without the community organizer to Democratic Party politician pipeline??
I can’t even.
“Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as “bad luck.”
― Robert Heinlein
Most of your list requires hvac and electricity to function.
Yes. The importance of how they are listed is debatable in some ways but doubtless energy is no.1
Everything comes from cheap, available energy.
A local lefty rag just put out a piece complaining that Orange cut 85% of the funding for the town’s “green new deal” fantasies which elected officials have been using to sniff each other’s farts since 2019.
“But the projects will still go forward.” 😂🤣
It’s kind of fun watching it fall apart.
On whose dime?
Everyone here has been talking about some huge carbon-capture project for our state. JFC, that is surely peak stupid.
Perhaps the blocking out the sun idea to stop global warming could compete but I cant think of anything else that bad.
I thought you were already in the business of capturing carbon in trees.
Obligatory: https://youtu.be/L3LbxDZRgA4?si=ZAafqozhxyR9fELr&t=22
We are. I dont know what the ranking Is now but timber was until very recently our biggest industry.
Our bankrupt state is promising to backstop any cut federal funding of medicaid (which also covers illegals in this state). Spoiler alert: they don’t have the money.
Gustave Lytton:
Just saw a story that the city of Cleveland is going to help find fired federal workers jobs. Of course, they just took a big chunk of money out of the rainy day fund to keep their funding going.
They should rename the “JMA Wireless Dome” (?! – I had to look that up) back to the “Carrier Dome” in honor of this hero.
The fuckers renamed the stadium?
What’s next, rename Carrier Circle to honor someone who was a net negative on society?
Typhoid Mary Circle.
It would still be named after a carrier.
*tap tap tap*
A “Carrier Circle” does exist.
I’m surprised Carrier Dome lasted until 2022. I thought they left Syracuse decades ago but wikipedia says some brain-work is still being done in a nearby town.
A true American and libertarian hero. The state tried to restrict Mary Mallon’s livelihood without legal basis and finally imprisoned her when she refused to comply.
Note to anyone considering a new AC system: We replaced our old one with one that is 1ton (or 2?, I dont remember now) more than recommended. It has saved us a shit-ton of money on our electric bill. We have saved more in three years than it cost us.
The thing comes on and runs for two minutes, tops. Mostly less than one minute. We have a well insulated house so it does not come on very often. Drawback: The refrigerated air blowing on the back of your bare neck is like that old ice bucket challenge.
Thats exactly how I sell them. 6 cycles an hour tops.
The furnace guy talked me into going slightly smaller than the old one – figures actually work out (I checked online) but I think I should have stuck with the same size. New one can’t handle heating with just the first stage and the second-stage is much louder.
Ah, well.
What I’m saying is, “size matters”.
Does it properly regulate your humidity? Shorter cycles don’t have time to reduce the humidity. That is the problem with oversizing AC, and the infinity systems are brought in so that they can run in lower power modes for longer. Same power use and cooling but a longer cycle for humidity handling. Car A/C systems basically run all of the time, but they vary their compression to not overcool.
I haven’t had any trouble with humidity and the drain outside keeps the ground wet. After hearing you say that it seems I would, being in Louisiana and all, but I haven’t noticed it.
The issue with significantly over clocking your AC like this is that the AC doesn’t run long enough to perform the air-drying portion of the ‘conditioning’.
You either have to run it down to ice bucket challenge level or you can end up with cool but damp.
Or what Dr. Mossy said.
Is Putin taking after Trump?
Mocking him as ‘Micron’, Russia warns Macron not to threaten it
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-medvedev-mocks-macron-warning-says-french-leader-wont-be-missed-2025-03-05/
I suppose when France starts WWIII it will still be Donald’s fault.
The usual suspects will be enraged at Trump for keeping us out of it.
@WTF
They’ll blame him for starting it despite doing everything he can to end it and not involve America fighting to save the Europeans from themselves. Again.
OTOH, how to characterize the machinations of Nuland et al.? I am not knowledgable enough on America’s role in stirring shit up over there but yes, I think Donald wants us to hey buddy stop doing that.
“Mocking him as ‘Micron’”
Good one, Vlad.
People need reminding about the value of things taken for granted.
How could Phoenix be bigger than Buffalo? No one knows.
I would not trade a Buffalo winter for a Phoenix summer under any circumstances but yeah I am probably outnumbered in that regard.
I’m right there with you. When it’s cold out, I can put on more clothes, but when it’s hot (regardless of humidity) there’s a limit by the laws of gods and men what I can remove.
Eh, both potentially fatal.
Eh, both potentially fatal.
More people die from cold than heat.
For the range of temps the earth has seen on a geological timescale, I don’t think there’s any time period where humans could not survive the heat. The cold on the other hand… (absent a shit ton of cheap energy)
Yeah but if the econuts get their way and we’re living like cavemen again, at least I can burn wood for heat.
Whoa whoa! Not so fast, tree killer…
The furnace in this doublewide was obviously replaced in the not too distant past. The air coming out of the vents is barely even warm. I think they cheaped out.
I’d rather tear the place down and start over than spend money on it but I’m not making much headway on finding somebody to build a simple bare bones barndominium for me.
Are you near an Amish community?
The Amish here do really good work, but they do not do it for cheap.
Bobarian LMD:
Amish and Mennonites here, they aren’t cheap for woodworking, but the quality is good. The food is good, the wine is mediocre, the buggies are annoying, and from what I’ve heard, they have a tendency to lift small items from the English.
You might get the carpentry done, but don’t expect it to be elegant, just functional. The real problem is finding Amish plumbers and electricians.
Thanks for writing, Yusef. I love the title, sounds like the title of something we’d watch from a film projector in middle school.
Thanks!
/Squirrel!
https://frinkiac.com/caption/S07E05/599581
Hi, I’m Troy McClure!
Ugh missed it by that much
Are you near an Amish community?
Nope. Mormons.
You are not of the body.
Why I despise surveys and survey design.
But the majority of nonreligious non-Americans have a more complicated attitude toward spirituality. We found that 21% are what we call “nones in name only”: over half of this group says they pray daily, and a third attend some kind of religious service at least once a year.
So as nonreligious person in a religious family – if I go to a wake, funeral, wedding, etc. I assume that I’d answer that question in the affirmative. I’m going not to pray for the departed, but to support the family of the departed.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/are-americans-really-losing-our-religion-65c273ba?st=DWPwUJ&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
As always, Yes Minister explains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahgjEjJkZks
Yeah. I’m not a believer, but customs and tradition are important. It costs me time to go and be respectful during a funeral/wedding and can help social bonds. But agnostics usually just get lumped into the atheist category anyway.
“I don’t know” is a perfectly honest answer.
I bear no ill will towards those who have no faith or lost it because of the behavior of humans.
I draw a mental wall between those who do not believe and those who will mock and belittle people who have faith (unless said people are kinda head-choppy and murdery about it)
“I don’t know” is not only honest but accurate regarding just about any subject you care to bring up with anyone. We have a good, functional way of understanding stuff but it is ever changing and always almost right. Some of it more almost than others.
Once again, we show that we aren’t like the normies. Normal humans want CERTAINTY! None of this wishy-washy maybe stuff. If we can’t be decisive about reality, then FAITH IT IS!
Most survey questions do not provide for the nuances of libertarians’ answers.
What have
the Romansdead white people ever done for us?VP Harris’ speechwriter has moved onto Europe.
https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/ecb-cuts-rates-to-guard-stalled-economy-against-tariff-threats-b2f9c8eb?st=syBv2f&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Whereas before, I guess, they just didn’t even look at recent history and events.
She is channelling Alan Greenspan?
So, I saw a supposed screenshot from the EU X account for something called “Rearm Europe” with a logo that can only be…
Anyway, if it’s real I’m wondering if it’s sabotage or a fuck you to the right wing.
https://archive.ph/Kwsi3
Kind of a goatse vibe there indeed.
That can’t be real.
slumbrew:
If they change it to this, then we know it’s a joke.
Tom Luongo and friends breakdown the hustle Zelinsky and Starmer tried to pull last week.
https://youtu.be/JcnsgbFxAKY
“The layoff announcement came the same week that more than 200 employees announced they were seeking to be recognized as a union. Cast and crew are already unionized; the new group includes early childhood experts, fundraisers, producers and others.”
It would seem that Sesame Street wasn’t progressive enough to survive… Naturally the $20m withheld from USAID by OMB was the coup de grâce in typical WP reporting.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2025/03/06/sesame-street-layoffs/
I blame Elmo and making Snuffleupagus visible to everyone.
If I weren’t having the legal troubles with the house I’d look into whole home AC. But it’s radiant heat, so no ducts for AC and I’d hate to cut holes for multiple minisystems in all the rooms.
I get 600 square ft. per ton so our mini split does the entire downstairs pretty well. I am impressed with the efficiency
“Our entire modern lives revolve around it, yet no one notices. What did air conditioning ever do for you?”
*laughs in Tucsonian*
That reminds me, need to get the HVAC guys out to give it once over before the burning times begin this year. We had a unit die in June during the Great Supply Chain kerfuffle of, I guess, 2020. Took three weeks to get it replaced. Not. Fun.
I Speak fluent Arizonan as you know, and have the receipts….
So, I saw a supposed screenshot from the EU X account for something called “Rearm Europe” with a logo that can only be…
I have no idea what I’m supposed to be seeing there.
Me neither.
The only thing is perhaps it could be interpreted as Europe spreading its asshole for the world to see?
Perhaps.
Now I can’t unsee that.
It’s the finger streaks that really sell it.
do an image search for “goatsee”.
or “goatse”, rather.
Fair warning – you can’t unsee some things.
TW::::>>Not while you’re at work.
Uh. It looks like Europe is getting ready for a fight. Immediately thought of athlete /soldier warpaint, simple eyeblack stripes on across the face.
I think it’s dope. Good job on the designer.
Just remembered what the title reminds me of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAmpDZeeoGw
Rarely fully acknowledged: War is about money. Nothing else. No one starts a war unless they think it will pay.
Want to know who is responsible for starting and continuing a war? Look and see who is making money.
It is always the money.
And not one mention of the thermostat.
Which should always be checked.
Anyone have any information on what’s going on in Syria right now?
I’m guessing some people are killing some other people, and somehow we funded everyone.
…and somehow we are still funding everyone.
Fixed it for you.
Today’s WSJ.
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/russia-is-chasing-a-deal-to-keep-its-military-bases-in-syria-f9f6ca6e?st=qQToyW&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Rather interesting because you’d think they wouldn’t exactly be happy with Russia given its support of Assad.