Brendan Shea's Blog, page 39

17 Days (of SiP Quarantine)

Well, I was held up with guns in New York City around March 15th of 1992. I am pretty sure it was in fact the Ides of March. The day following, eight and twenty years later, my company was ordered to join Shelter-in-Place for COVID-19.

Having outlined and written a lot of my Solar 101 book, planned for release by June of this year, I completed and published it on March 22nd. This was no great feat as I’ve been writing for years, and have come to understand much of the user-friendly Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing platform over time, but one I’m proud of nonentheless.

Working limited hours by day on my laptop, I have taken some solace in a much needed “staycation”, but the times have been stressful. My waning faith has been bolstered somewhat despite the largely adverse nature of this sabbatical or Sabbath.

Walking our little Jack Russell/Beagle mix more often, writing up a storm, cleaning up our home a bit, and taking the occasional overlong nap have been largely positive fallout of the virus. Not knowing what the future holds and if our budget will stand less so.

On the 29th, in a marathon of writing, graphics and other stuff, I published a short cookbook of family recipes. Not the great American novel, just a bit of fun and diversion. I priced it “cheap”, like Mad Magazine, so folks can pick up a copy for less than a cup of coffee.

Don’t get me wrong, I fell short on a lot of levels, but God is good, and He is restoring me… something I was not sure could happen. The holdup of 1992 was crippling, and SiP has been tough, but there is hope. If you are struggling with Shelter-in-Place/COVID-19, feel free to comment below. Thanks for reading my blog.

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My New Book, a Diversion from C-19

Dear readers,

Here is a book to divert from the stress of COVID-19:

 

I didn’t know we had a huge pandemic on our hands at first. I’m not sure who did. Now that many of us are sheltering or quarantined at home, I wanted to create some activities to help myself and others keep busy, ease stress, and have fun.

I priced this book, “cheap”, for these times of budget stress.

FitzGerald Press

John Grisham – The Guardians

If you’re looking for a good book to read that is uplifting and has only a few dark passages, this may be an intriguing way to pass time during C-19 Shelter-at-Home quarantines. I read it a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Published about six months ago, The Guardians is Grisham’s fortieth novel, and it is the best Grisham book I’ve read to date. Keep in mind, I’ve only read three of his titles, the others being, The Whistler and The King of Torts.

I think my favorite Grisham movie adaptation is A Time to Kill, with Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, and Sandra Bullock, but I also enjoyed The Firm and also The Pelican Brief, in which I especially liked the pairing of Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts.

The Guardians tells the story of a former priest working as a sort of pro-bono attorney investigating suspect death-row convictions to see if they are valid, and then representing the inmates as his clients, digging up truth where he can find it, in an effort to exonerate them.

The former priest, Cullen Post, works for an organization called Guardian Ministries, that perform the above work, and Grisham’s novel is based on real-life Centurion Ministries‘, James McCloskey. The story of Cullen Post and his clients is based on some real people and real events.

With an interesting and laudable protagonist, a good story, and interesting supporting characters, The Guardians succeeded as a positive read for me, despite one or two dark sequences.  I’m not big on telling the story in my reviews, but hope you enjoy it if you check it out.

 

For Such a Time as This

Here are some verses to encourage & motivate at this difficult time of uncertainty:

2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

https://tbibl.es/17aT

1 Kings 17:1-24 KJV

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. [2] And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, [3] Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. [4] And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. [5] So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord : for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. [6] And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. [7] And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. [8] And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, [9] Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. [10] So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. [11] And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. [12] And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. [13] And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. [14] For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. [15] And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. [16] And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah. [17] And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. [18] And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? [19] And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. [20] And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? [21] And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again. [22] And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. [23] And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. [24] And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.

https://tbibl.es/1EEj

John 3:16-17 KJV

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

https://tbibl.es/1HnX

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Solar 101 (preview)

Hi Readers, Here is a short preview of my new book:

 

Chapter 1 – Solar Electricity Explained

Simply put, solar electricity is produced by light from the sun. Panels on your roof (or on the ground), are receptacles for that light. The electricity produced is direct current, as in a battery. The electricity is then inverted to alternate current, so that any appliances in your home, anything that plugs into the electric service or outlets, can be powered subject to the size of your system.

Most people want a full offset of their current or anticipated demand, because a large balance left with the utility, PG&E, in this instance will rise in cost with their high rates. In the past, people often acquired tier-shaver systems as PG&E charged customers so much per kWh for a baseline quantity, and as the customer exceeded that baseline amount, the rate would go progressively higher within that month.Here is a very rudimentary illustration:

Tier Shaver

PG&E Baseline Quantity: Covered by PG&E in this scenario

X kWh @ .23 per kWh

Tier 2: Covered by solar in this scenario

X kWh @ .27 per kWh

Tier 3: Covered by solar in this scenario

X kWh @ .32 per kWh

Result: Too much electric demand remains subject to rate increases

See Pie Chart below:

But now notice the benefit of a full offset:

Full Offset

Solar system produces 92%-100% of the home’s current demand

If demand is anticipated to increase, larger initial system may be warranted

Result: When PG&E rates go up, only a small percentage of your home’s electric demand is subject to increase/See Pie Chart on next page:

…the above might seem moot as PG&E tiered rates are going away, commencing in 2020, but the fact remains that the more electricity you buy from PG&E, the more subject you are to rate increases, whether charged based on when you use the energy (time of use/TOU), or how much you use within a tiered structure (usually E-1).

Now it is true that not all customers are financially motivated, but I’ll maintain my motto that whether you’re seeking fiscal return, environmental renewal, or independence from the power-grid, solar energy and now battery storage, are all part and parcel of all three of those goals.

If you help the environment, you’ll often save money; if you save money, you’ll likely also be more energy independent. It’s a win-win-win, with renewable energy. That’s one of the things I love about it. There’s something for everyone and all stand to benefit mutually. That’s my view. I hope the details about solar described in this book are helpful to you, and also easy to understand.

In the next chapter, I go on to describe why not all utilities are the same, and how, accordingly, solar ROI will not be the same.

Click here to purchase my book on Amazon



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Solar 101 (extended preview)

Hi Readers,

Since Amazon’s “Look Inside” preview of my book is so truncated, I’m providing a better glimpse by including the first, brief chapter, below; I may not continue this with later chapters, but the preview was too short to give readers a clear idea of the book

 

Chapter 1 – Solar Electricity Explained

Simply put, solar electricity is produced by light from the sun. Panels on your roof (or on the ground), are receptacles for that light. The electricity produced is direct current, as in a battery. The electricity is then inverted to alternate current, so that any appliances in your home, anything that plugs into the electric service or outlets, can be powered subject to the size of your system.

Most people want a full offset of their current or anticipated demand, because a large balance left with the utility, PG&E, in this instance will rise in cost with their high rates. In the past, people often acquired tier-shaver systems as PG&E charged customers so much per kWh for a baseline quantity, and as the customer exceeded that baseline amount, the rate would go progressively higher within that month.Here is a very rudimentary illustration:

Tier Shaver

PG&E Baseline Quantity: Covered by PG&E in this scenario

X kWh @ .23 per kWh

Tier 2: Covered by solar in this scenario

X kWh @ .27 per kWh

Tier 3: Covered by solar in this scenario

X kWh @ .32 per kWh

Result: Too much electric demand remains subject to rate increases

See Pie Chart below:

But now notice the benefit of a full offset:

Full Offset

Solar system produces 92%-100% of the home’s current demand

If demand is anticipated to increase, larger initial system may be warranted

Result: When PG&E rates go up, only a small percentage of your home’s electric demand is subject to increase/See Pie Chart on next page:

…the above might seem moot as PG&E tiered rates are going away, commencing in 2020, but the fact remains that the more electricity you buy from PG&E, the more subject you are to rate increases, whether charged based on when you use the energy (time of use/TOU), or how much you use within a tiered structure (usually E-1).

Now it is true that not all customers are financially motivated, but I’ll maintain my motto that whether you’re seeking fiscal return, environmental renewal, or independence from the power-grid, solar energy and now battery storage, are all part and parcel of all three of those goals.

If you help the environment, you’ll often save money; if you save money, you’ll likely also be more energy independent. It’s a win-win-win, with renewable energy. That’s one of the things I love about it. There’s something for everyone and all stand to benefit mutually. That’s my view. I hope the details about solar described in this book are helpful to you, and also easy to understand.

In the next chapter, I go on to describe why not all utilities are the same, and how, accordingly, solar ROI will not be the same.

Click here to purchase my book on Amazon



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(My new book) It’s Here!

Solar 101: If you’re unclear on the basic principles of residential solar, particularly in the Northern California Market, this book is for you. It contains easy to understand, concise explanations to help you make better fiscal and environmental choices for your home.

-FitzGerald Press

(Amazon processing “Look Inside” preview; may be incomplete for a few days)

Watch For It Soon!

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Amazon Author Page

We are on holiday

Dear Readers,

Sorry to not have posted about this previously, but I am on a literary sabbatical. I hope to return soon and perhaps have things to say that are more informative, interesting, relevant, than in the past.

In the meantime, I wish you the best.

God bless you,

FitzGerald Press

The Battle Against Evil – Few Spoilers

So I saw the new and last Star Wars episode, and can now read criticism and commentary at will. This review will have very little in the way of specific event spoilers because the film is still fairly new. The one thing I will say is that the battle between good and evil became quite clear.

Also, there were several dramatic references to classical literature, other movies, Star Wars movies and to me, Biblical references. Finally, there was one reference that seemed to take us out of the context of the Star Wars universe but I’m not judging. Overall, I enjoyed the film and would definitely recommend it. In fact, I feel it is the best of the newer three.

I think the movie scores because it is very evenly directed. It could perhaps have been a tiny bit choppier, which is seldom a desired trait, but I’d rather 8 of 10 parts even that 5 of 10 parts uneven. There also seems to be a good balance of action and sentiment, and I’m not sure anyone could have written a better coda to the series.

One thing I realized the films in some cases relate is that the war vs. evil is a long and seemingly unwinnable one. In the context of my theme, however, despite the fact that things sometime seem hopeless in our world, the Bible says that there will be a final division between good and evil, and that then, those who trust in Christ will finally be at peace.

While trust in Christ can likely first come about through either the heart or the intellect, I’ll say that my encounter with Him was in the Spirit. Because of how He wired me, and because of my sin, I sometimes doubt my place IN HIM, but never His Word. Good and evil are not equal and opposite forces; good is infinitely more powerful.

Won’t you trust in Him today?

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