No, this isn’t Scottish cuisine we’re talking about (though I do like haggis…) nor is it a law firm from Lord of the Rings. No doubt if I don’t get to the point quickly you’ll be entering them into your favorite search engine to find out what these odd words are – though with the readership of this blog, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if a substantial number of you know the meaning of the words already. It struck me when I heard them that each industry does have jargon and if you’re not plugged in, you just wouldn’t know…
The kerf is the area of a cut made with a blade that is wider than the blade body itself. If you look at the image to the right, you’ll see that if one views a blade from the thin side, the teeth are wider than the blade. This creates the kerf while cutting so the blade doesn’t bind. In some saws, this is accomplished by offsetting the teeth from one side to another in an alternating pattern, these are called sets.
Now that you know we’re talking saws,
you probably guessed that the gullet is the gap between the teeth. Not only does this provide definition for the teeth, it serves the practical purpose of providing an area for the material that has been removed to occupy while the saw is in operation. This removed material is called swarf – you might also know it as sawdust or even noodles.
Now you can say you’ve learned something while surfing the net, not that you’ll likely ever use it. But I bet the next time you’re playing Scrabble, you might have some new entrants…It’s also a prime example of jargon in an industry, and honestly, I never thought of the innovation in the art of cutting, but there you have it. It’s clear that smart people have put deep thought into how to best cut materials. Scroll to the bottom of the entry to see swarf and a noodle.
It’s not only about sustainability, but it’s also about $. After all, eco- is a prefix in ecology as well as economy. Recently due to a comment on the blog a new site came to our attention, Cleantech Finance Insider. Since we happen to be acquainted with the author and the initial content has been such high quality, we thought we’d give it a plug.
So, you want to spin up a renewable energy project and change the world? Yes? Well, read the three part series on Renewable Energy Startups keys to Success on Cleantech Finance Insider. It’s a great place to start and the perspective painted by Bill in these entries certainly rings true to us. If you’re looking for a distinct voice on the finance part of the house, add Cleantech Finance Insider to your RSS reader.
If the human race survives another five thousand years, it will be fascinating to know if some crack-head standing on a street corner in San Francisco could be viewed as a prophet and even messiah in retrospect. Kind of puts all this nonsense in perspective doesn’t it?
Not!
Let’s just make sure we’re getting this right. Both Michigan and Florida unilaterally decide to move their primaries forward without the consent of the Democratic National Committee. Both states were warned, if you do this, we will punish you by not recognizing your votes at the Convention. Despite that warning, the states moved their primaries ahead anyway and indeed the DNC follow-through with their warning that their votes wouldn’t count.
Now that their vote matters in the race, they want a do over? This reminds me of the Olympics where (no relation) Tanya Harding wanted a do over based on equipment deficiencies. It’s complete and utter horse hockey. To Florida and Michigan, tough luck, being accountable requires that you accept the consequences of your actions. Let’s see where your primaries are next election.
Meanwhile, DNC, if you’ve got a backbone, you’ll not change a thing. Let the governors whine, they’ve had their chance. Next!
