Life today is not so terrible (even though my furnace is broken again)
Every winter, just when it’s at its coldest, the furnace seems to malfunction. I’ve written about this before, and I might again—it’s a recurring theme, like how Benjamin Franklin famously noted that “nothing is certain except death and taxes.” I’d add, “and a broken furnace in winter.” Lately, I’ve been curious about modern life—not just […]
Why does our furnace go out every winter? (and other burning questions)
The furnace disappears every winter. I never know what it is. Some switches or some gauges. I'm not an expert on HVAC. All I know is that my wife asks, “Is someone else cold?” And she lets me know that the thermostat is reading 64 degrees, just as I realized I was actually feeling the […]
Furnace Creek at Death Valley, the lowest course on Earth, is a must-visit
DEATH VALLEY, Calif. — You land in Las Vegas and head west for two hours through the desert abyss and among the towering Spring Mountains. Cell phone service is sparse at best, but that's not a problem. The spectacular topography of the Nevada-California border commands attention like no other. The same goes for the destination's […]
UK’s Final Coal Plant, Steel Furnace Close
Britain's last coal-fired power station and penultimate steelworks closed today. This is the result of the government's strong push for decarbonization, even at the expense of affordable energy and domestic steel production capacity, which is critical to the defense industry. Although they are hundreds of miles apart from each other, two of the last bastions […]