Third World Economy

I saw an article in a tech mag about a grad student making a prototype device that would use solar energy to convert sand into glass, and would form the glass according to 3D model layer by layer, like 3D printers do now with plastic.   I saw the image of a bowl he created.  It was white in color, with very rough edges.

I didn't realize the importance of this until today.  The vast majority of US oil wells ran dry sometime ago.  The hypothesis is that oil rich countries in the Middle East are looking into nuclear power now - while they have the money to afford it.   If the oil runs out in these countries, they will not have much resource to work with.   Their economy will fail.

So being able to use the sun and sand - something these countries have plenty of - as a basis for a whole set of industries, is great.   It lessens their risk, and reduces the chances for war.

I was just sleeping,and I had a dream about a factory in Ghana.  

In Ghana, there are too many untrained, uneducated people.  I used to think one could come and set up a factory for them, train them, watch over them a bit, then pull out, and it would continue.  
I thought about setting up Spirulina factories to make food, but without strict pharmaceutical controls and processes, the risk of producing a fatal toxin is too high.   In the US, 6 people died in 1978 from Spirulina with toxins in it.

In the dream, the factory was an assembly plant.   Since people don't have IDs, or may be using IDs of other people, you can't hire a worker as an employee and just train hm once.  Plus, there are too many people in need, and contention would arise because others want jobs.

So I envisioned a horseshoe shaped factory.  Product assembly would start and one end of the horseshoe and continue to the other end of the horseshoe.  There would be loading docks at either end of the horseshoe on the flat edges - input and output.

The factory would be broken up into several sections.   Each section would have a temp worker waiting room.   Anyone can stand can come in.   Fingerprint ID could be used, but that would also be tempting to steal and resale.  Each person would be trained, 1 on 1, before entering the factory floor.   hey would also be required to sign a waiver that the company is not liable if they get hurt.   They would work for one hour.   at the end of the hour, all machines stop (if any), and every one is escorted out, and be paid on their way (a good incentive to leave and not hide).

People who have been trained several times and show they are sharp - that they remember how to do this, would be hired as trainers.   The original trainers would be from the US, like recruits for Peace Corps. 

Having a work period of just one hour gives money to 8 times more people.   People who want more money can go get back in line.  If there is a way to track those who get back in line, then perhaps their could be a way to utilize them more efficiently, since they are ambitious.

The amount of pay should just be a single bill of Ghana Currency - so there is no slow down because workers want to count their money before final exit from factory.

If the lines in certain sections of the factory are shorter than the other sections (most likely because the work is harder), then the amount of pay for that section is increased.

Lost entire Weekend

I lost my entire weekend to sleep disorder.  Friday night I was not able to sleep, I was awake 30 hours.   The latter part of those hours I could not drive or function well.  I decided to wait until Sunday to do chores.   Sunday was looking good.  I woke up Early AM, did not do chores but planned on doing them after Church.  I did shower and shave.I played games for a few hours, then did a security check on my computer.  I decided to sleep a little more.   I made some Oatmeal Tea, but added too much honey.   my eyes dialated, and eventually I was fallling asleep in my chair.   I barely made it to bed.  I slept 14 hours.   Damn sugar!   It is now 9PM.  I am stumbling around, and I can't see well.   I will wait 3 hours and take morning meds.   Then I will work,in the hopes that I finish early in the day, so I can do shopping.  

I am feeling better

I have been having bad bouts of insomnia ever since I had some medical testing done on Friday July First.  (Don't worry, nothing is wrong.)   I was far enough away from home that I had to eat food from a deli.   Then there was homemade food at the church 4th of July picnic.   Which meant that I had several 1 hour naps of no deep sleep for 6 days, and never slept more than 4 hours once every one or two days in which I had dreams, indicating REM sleep.  

I was pretty weak today, and had the runs pretty bad, so I took a day off.  I finally slept 7 hours, but unfortunately it was in the middle of the day.   I feel pretty good.


I have decided to eat Sushi grade meats again.   My food budget had gotten so low, that now I can absorb the extra cost.   I started this today, and my thinking feels really clear.

I am special

I am one in Vermillion

Neuro-Cognitive Test

I sent an email to my Doctor 2 months ago complaining that my state of health that I was not able to do my job because of memory and focus dysfunction. He emailed em back and said he would recommend a Neuro-cognitive test just to make sure nothing was physically wrong with my brain. He recommended this because of my age, and the amount of stress I have been through in the last 5 years.

I took the test on Friday, the first of July, 2011. It was many different tests, and took all day. I did some of the tests so quickly, I was able to leave at 3 PM, 2 hours earlier than was expected/planned for.

I had to be there at 8 AM. I awoke at 5:30 AM to be sure I was able to get there on time. I had only had 6 hours of sleep, but it was a deep sleep. I was quite lethargic when I awoke, and had to use Blue Light therapy for over an hour to wake up enough to have reflexes fast enough and attention to detail in order to drive a car. I packed a lunch in a thermal bag and loaded it with several mini-bottles of Fuji water I had purchased the night before.

The test were so varied, I won't describe them all here. It wasn't just different forms of memory recall. I had to make decisions or judgements based on little information. I was tested for muscle strength in my grip (50 LBS - really surprised me - I am getting stronger). I was tested for speed and accuracy, from pusing a button repeatedly in 1 minute, to scanning a page of characters to cross out a specific one, to listening to a series of beeps to be able to compare them for having the same rhythm.

I will get a copy of the full report soon. I was given an initial evaluation at the end of the testing. He said my mind was functioning well in all areas tested. He said that an objective interpretation was needed because I needed to be compared against other people with similar racial profile, age, and profession. Even when compared with a constrained group, my performance was in the top percentile.