’23 A To Z Challenge – A

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do not promote any commercial venture on this blog-site, and I am definitely not receiving any sort of recompense for the following post.

In the past, as I have encountered odd or interesting words, I have added them to a Word file as prompts for the A To Z Challenge.  Somewhere, sometime, I found and added the word

ALSYM

By this spring, it had oozed its way to the front of the line.  If I ever knew what it meant, I have long since forgotten – like breakfast.  My favorite dictionary program just shrugged its tiny electronic shoulders, so I threw it against the wall over at Bing.

It is not a word, as such.  It is the name of a company in Massachusetts.  Alsym™ Energy, a developer of next-generation rechargeable batteries, recently announced that it is emerging from stealth to offer energy storage solutions for electric vehicles (EVs), stationary storage, and marine applications. Alsym’s battery technology promises to provide the performance of lithium-ion batteries at a fraction of the cost and without the inherent risk of fire. The company’s batteries are also less sensitive to raw material shortages and price volatility due to their use of low-cost materials with robust supply chains.  Alsym’s inherently non-flammable batteries, made from readily available materials without lithium or cobalt, will be produced for EVs, stationary storage, and marine applications.

I think that this is a great idea, and I hope that other companies are following suit.  It will get us out from under the thumb of, and free of the threat of financial or political extortion by China, where the largest deposits of the Rare Earths like Lithium and Cobalt are found and mined.

In today’s Electronic Age, they are essential for batteries and chips.  We used to say “Computer Chips,” but they are now in EVERYTHING, cars, planes, cell phones, right down to electric toothbrushes.  If China ever cuts us off, three-quarters of Americans will get cavities.

I hope that Alsym can improve the quality of EV batteries.  Right now, only a few nerds and hipsters want electric cars.  (All too) Soon, the rest of us will have them thrust upon us, whether we want them or not – or whether or not they WORK!

The total, potential power of a battery is greatly affected by the temperature of its surroundings.  Where I sit – here at just about 45 degrees North latitude in Southern Ontario, a mere halfway from the equator to the North Pole – almost all of Canada, and a good chunk of the United States is north of me.  Spring, summer and autumn are one thing, but in the winter, it gets COLD!

In Minnesota, North Dakota, Manitoba, and Alberta, when outside temps get down to minus 20, minus 30, MINUS 40!!, a Tesla battery expends much of its power just keeping warm.  The remaining driving range is not much greater than a long extension cord.  And this doesn’t begin to take into account, places like Canada’s Northwest Territories, or Alaska.  To get anywhere after a cold night (or day) you’d have to park your EV over a coffee mug warmer, or a lap heating pad.

Interestingly enough, in Northern Ontario, around Hudson’s Bay, it is no longer volcanic, but is called The Ring Of Fire.  Diamonds have been discovered – nothing to compete with South Africa – jewellers are not impressed, but commercial diamond users are getting truckloads.

Recently, Lithium and Cobalt, and some other rare earths have been discovered.  The Premier of Ontario grandiloquently declared that, if he had to get on a bulldozer himself, he would drive a road through the ice and muskeg to convey workers and supplies to mine the ores.

It is ironic that diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles will be needed to transport minerals to build electric vehicles.  It gets so cold that truckers fill hub-caps with diesel fuel, place them beneath engine blocks and set them on fire to warm the congealed oil enough to be able to start their vehicles.

Flash Fiction #290

PHOTO PROMPT © Brenda Cox

PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES

I have the best anti-car-theft system.  I bought the world’s ugliest car.  Guys with BMWs won’t even park on the same block, lest parts fall off and hit their cars.

I combat Global Warming by installing an electric engine, but I can’t find an extension cord long enough to get to work, and out-of-town trips are impossible.

I ran it on flashlight batteries for a while, but cleaned out local suppliers.  Plus, there was the detour going home, to drop dead ones at the recycle center.

I added a Honda gasoline generator to charge the batteries.  Now it’s an eco-hybrid.

***

If you’d like to join in on the Friday Fictioneers fun, just go to Rochelle’s Addicted to Purple site, and use her Wednesday photo as a prompt to write a complete 100-word story.

What A Buzz

You Know You’re Drinking Too Much Coffee When…

1. Juan Valdez names his donkey after you.
2. You grind your coffee beans in your mouth.
3. The only time you’re standing still is during an earthquake.
4. You can take a picture of yourself from ten feet away without using
   the timer.
5. You lick your coffeepot clean.
6. You spend every vacation visiting “Maxwell House.”
7. You’re the employee of the month at the local Starbucks and you
   don’t even work there.
8. Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.
9. You’re so jittery that people use your hands to blend their
   margaritas.
10. You can jump-start your car without cables.
11. All your kids are named “Joe.”
12. Your only source of nutrition comes from “Sweet & Low.”
13. You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee.
14. You’ve built a miniature city out of little plastic stirrers.
15. People get dizzy just watching you.
16. When you find a penny, you say, “Find a penny, pick it up.
    Sixty-three more, I’ll have a cup.”
17. The Taster’s Choice couple wants to adopt you.
18. Starbucks owns the mortgage on your house.
19. You’re so wired, you pick up FM radio.
20. Your life’s goal is to “amount to a hill of beans.”
21. Instant coffee takes too long.
22. When someone says. “How are you?”, you say, “Good to the last drop.”
23. You want to be cremated just so you can spend the rest of eternity
    in a coffee can.
24. You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee.
25. You’re offended when people use the word “brew” to mean beer.
26. You name your cats “Cream” and “Sugar.”
27. You get drunk just so you can sober up.
28. Your lips are permanently stuck in the sipping position.
29. You can outlast the Energizer bunny.
30. You don’t even wait for the water to boil anymore.
31. You think being called a “drip” is a compliment.
32. You don’t tan, you roast.
33. You can’t even remember your second cup.
34. You introduce your spouse as your “Coffeemate.”
35. You think CPR stands for “Coffee Provides Resuscitation.”
36. You have too much blood in your caffeine system.
37. The barista asks you how you take your coffee, and you reply, “Very, very seriously!”
38. You find sleep a weak substitute for coffee.

I’m All Ears

Since the government agency wouldn’t accept Total Hearing’s proposal for the daughter’s hearing aids, she had to go to another hearing center, get her hearing retested and have another proposal sent in.  Because I/we provide most of her transportation, the wife and I went along and watched and listened.  The more we saw and heard, the more dissatisfied the wife became with both the hardware and the customer interaction.  With three of their number being charged with various frauds, there was no assurance that they would remain in business to provide future parts and service.  When they handed over the hearing aids, they verbally assured us that there was a 90-day return period, if we were not happy for any reason.

The wife decided to take them up on their offer, and we were immediately tangled in red tape.  They got our payment immediately, via MasterCard, but wanted four to six weeks to issue a refund cheque.  Yes, we could return the hearing aids….for a restocking charge, something not mentioned in the rush to get our money deposited.  They would return our money, less $150….per ear.  Damn!  That’s $600 dollars total, for the two of us, but it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.  It seemed well worth the money to get away from such an unreliable, unscrupulous bunch of money-grubbers.

We went to the Arnold Hearing Centre in Kitchener.  It’s the business base for four other Arnold Centres in the nearby Southern Ontario area.  From the time we walked in we felt comfortable.  They took the time, and provided information and support that Total Hearing never bothered to.  The hearing test was longer and more involved.  Data taken for our files was more extensive.  The staff was just more personable and helpful, rather than focussed on the sales bottom line.

The model of hearing aid we chose was a little more complex than the bottom of the barrel units foisted on us by Total Hearing.  We wound up shelling out another, extra $600, but the difference is noticeable.  They are slightly smaller and lighter.  They have a wider range of controls, and they come with a business-card sized remote control to direct them.  They’re even smart enough to have a little voice that tells you “battery”, when it’s time to replace them.

Arnolds included, not one, but two, boxes of batteries, for each of us, at no extra cost.  We had bought a box of batteries from Total Hearing, but they would not give a refund for the unused balance.  I asked if Arnolds would take them as an exchange, since they were a different size from the ones in the new units, and they were happy to do so.  In fact, the day we were there, our technician said that he was running a bit short of that particular size and could use them till new stock arrived.

The cost of the unit which plugs into a TV, and broadcasts directly to the ear is $300.  Arnolds was happy that we had decided to use their Centre but felt badly that we had been dinged on the refund at Total, so they included one, at no charge.  We took it home and plugged it in.  The first night we wanted to watch a movie, it was amazing.  Not only is there no straining to make out the dialog, it makes it feel as if you are standing in the middle of the action.  We watch a fair amount of British TV, including Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.  Perhaps now, with our ears practically in the midst of the action, we will be able to forego the distracting subtitles to clearly catch the British-isms.  The most recent captioner for Poirot obviously doesn’t have the script, and makes mistakes even I can catch, especially when Hercule lapses into a bit of French.

I know that this post is probably uninteresting because it’s such a personal rant.  I just needed it, to vent my frustration at getting pulled in by some fast-talking snake-oil salesmen.  It’s also a cautionary tale for others, to think about any deal, especially one worth four thousand dollars.  After the fact, I can find no on-line review site for either the Total Hearing Centres, or the Arnold Hearing Centres, so I decided to post this to provide my own opinions about their relative merits and demerits.  If I can prevent even one potential Southern Ontario customer from being caught in the mercenary web of Total Hearing, it will have been worth it.

Please forgive my choler.  I will be back in a day or so with something a bit more universally interesting.  At least I hope it will be mildly interesting….I heard that!