# Free Electricity From the Sun **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 30, 2001, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054 "2001-03-30T02:17:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/81 "2001-04-01T20:40:25Z")
A poetic re-cap of these events may be found [here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=65907) > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > **YWalker** finds the site and told **fatherschmuck** that his conclusions are incorrect. Using **fatherschmuck’s** own article against him, **he** says that **fatherschmuck** has been “hoisted by his own petard”. \*\*\* AHEM \*\*\* _ **she** _ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/82 "2001-04-01T20:50:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Don’t be a sore loser - it’s unbecoming. > fatherjohn’s point? Read the Original Post ™. “Sore loser”? Geez, are you _that_ dense? If anyone is losing an agrgument here, it’s _you_! But let’s take a lok at your OP since you did not clarify your argument. > [@](#): > > Yes, I’m talking about “solar power.” > I’m talking about those “solar collectors” you use to generate “current.” > Think you’re getting free electricity? Think again, Einstein. > Add in the cost of those collectors. Capital costs? Depreciation? (they won’t last 4eva you know) > batteries? wiring? other miscellaneous junk? > Hello McFly! Your “free electricity from the sun” is rather expensive . . . So your point is that solar power is expensive because you have to buy the equipment? I’ve got news for you, Buckwheat; the electricity generated by conventional means must be supported by an infrastructure as well. Add in the cost of building new power plants (capital costs), transmission cables, depreciation (those power plants won’t last 4eva you know), and other miscellaneous junk… You think you’re getting that non-solar generated power free? Think again, Einstein. Taking on your OP directly (which is more consideration than you give in your posts), solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, goal, gas, and any other means of generating electricity on a useful scale requires a capital investment. Given that fact, your OP is pointless. **Alphagene** : If you have read the other threads fj has started (and I assume you have), you know that attempting to make him make sense is a daunting task. Honestly, I don’t know if he’s being a jackass on purpose; or if he truly is an idiot. I wouldn’t suggest sending him to the cornfield though, because it’s moderately (morbidly?) interesting to watch him “acting out”. Sort of like looking at a bloody car wreck. I can’t wait to see him on Fox’s next program _World’s Stupidest Posters_. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/83 "2001-04-01T20:54:04Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by YWalker_ > \*\*\* AHEM \*\*\* > _ **she** _ I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/84 "2001-04-01T21:22:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fatherjohn \* > If **mske** were to start a thread in the “Pit” addressing SUV’s, **fatherjohn** would seriously consider contributing to such a thread. Oh gee, you think so? (Of course, I should point out that there is a difference between _posting_ to a thread and _making a contribution_ to a thread.) ---
**Author:** ![fatherjohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@fatherjohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fatherjohn)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/85 "2001-04-01T22:09:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\* I’ve got news for you, Buckwheat; the electricity generated by conventional means must be supported by an infrastructure as well. Add in the cost of building new power plants (capital costs), transmission cables, depreciation (those power plants won’t last 4eva you know), and other miscellaneous junk… > \*\* Umm, your monthly electric bill includes depreciation and maintenance which the utility is lawfully entitled to charge back to the customer. **fatherjohn** : 2 **Johnny L.A.** : 0 ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/86 "2001-04-01T22:25:23Z")
OK, it’s time to make a bit of a decision here. It’s pretty clear **fatherjohn** doesn’t fit in with our little group here. A simple comparison: We like to fight ignorance. **fatherjohn** likes to spread it, possible without knowing it (that would be even more dangerous, BTW). We like cites that support facts. **fatherjohn** likes cites that support opinion. If a cite falls in the “fact-supporting” group, he’ll misinterpret it to make it appear as an “opinion supporting” site. To us, of course. He still thinks he’s showing us facts. We can take criticism, and are big enough to tell an adversary in a debate they’ve proven us wrong. **fatherjohn** only responds to criticism and rebutal by dumb one-liners from a very restricted repertoire. We banned a poster about a year ago for continuous assholishness. **fatherjohn** ’s behaviour is very, very similar to that very poster. Fuck, his _name_ is even quite similar to the host of names that “other poster” has used in the past. He’s dodged or ignored all hints from me in this thread so far, so I suppose we’re gonna have to ask him directly. **HELLO JOHNJOHN THE CYBERIAN54 (or whatever it is now). WHY ARE YOU RETURNING TO A WEBSITE FROM WHERE YOU WERE BANNED?** ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/87 "2001-04-01T22:29:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Umm, your monthly electric bill includes depreciation and maintenance which the utility is lawfully entitled to charge back to the customer. And this is different if the power were generated by solar energy… how? **fatherjohn: 0 Everyone else: 21** Game, set and match. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/88 "2001-04-01T22:41:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > **HELLO JOHNJOHN THE CYBERIAN54 (or whatever it is now). WHY ARE YOU RETURNING TO A WEBSITE FROM WHERE YOU WERE BANNED?** \*\* It all makes sense now. :wally, indeed. DNFT fucking idiots. ---
**Author:** ![fatherjohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@fatherjohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fatherjohn)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/89 "2001-04-01T22:41:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alphagene \* > \*\* > > If you want to debate the benefits of solar power, take it to GD. If you want to flame people for weak arguments, post it here. But if your only desire is to continue calling people “putz” or to use fourth grade retorts such as “whatever”, “SCORE!” and “Hello, McFly!” (That “joke” is over **15** years old, you realize), then take it to a message board that has moderators who are easliy entertained. > > I find it to be terribly boring. \*\* Is this statement made in your official capacity? Is it a warning? Honestly, I believe my “tactics” are appropriate given the vitriol and apparent intellectual capacity of my “opponents.” But if you are officially telling **fatherjohn** to change his conduct, I will of course try. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2001, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/90 "2001-04-02T00:39:28Z")
OK, I’m convinced that the person who is using the “fatherjohn” handle is the same as the person who used “JohnJohn” here and “Cyberian54” on the old AOL boards. I’ve had several people point out the similarities, which I had also noticed. So bye bye, John John. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/91 "2001-04-02T01:12:31Z")
THANK YOU GOD! Goodbye, shithead. Too bad there isn’t a rule prohibiting us from calling out trolls anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2001, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/92 "2001-04-02T01:22:08Z")
Heh, the bubbly got to me. If there’s anyone interested in pissing on an effigy of that asshole, let me know. we can have a big fatherjohn party. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2001, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/93 "2001-04-02T01:37:18Z")
As soon as I saw this, I walked into Spoofe’s room, and said to him: Me: “Hey, you want to see the most beautiful site?” Spoofe: “fatherjohn got banned?!?!?!?” Me: “Yup.” Well, what can we say…it was only a matter of time. By the way, **Mr. C** , I beat you to it already…my effigy is as pissed on already as the fire hydrant down the street. ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2001, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/94 "2001-04-02T01:37:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lynn Bodoni \* > \*\*So bye bye, John John. \*\* Cool. Thanks, Lynn! He was amusing at first, but got old really quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2001, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/95 "2001-04-02T03:05:47Z")
The dufus probably takes his banning as the ultimate display of his supreme ability to debate the rest of the “competition”. He was so “dangerous”, we had to have him banned. Well, a touch of irony for the mods. They usually get grilled in the pits but they made a lot of people happy by doing something that made a lot of sense. I think we should take excerpts from fatherputz threads and include them in a new “don’t” section that new members must read. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2001, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/96 "2001-04-02T04:59:03Z")
[Monty Python] …And there was much rejoicing. [/Monty Python] ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2001, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/97 "2001-04-02T06:32:53Z")
Oh, shit! I’m laughing so hard I’m crying! **YWalker** , you’re like, a girl? I think I want to have sex with you now. ---
**Author:** ![coosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@coosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coosa)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2001, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/98 "2001-04-02T09:07:20Z")
BTW, in case any of you would like to ‘relive’ the JohnJohn experience (or you are a newbie who has no idea who he is), I’ve dug up a few ‘links from the past’. These are just the Pit threads - I didn’t take time to gather the choicer ones from GD. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=8033](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=8033) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=8138](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=8138) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=8155](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=8155) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=8288](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=8288) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=8323](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=8323) Happy memories! ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2001, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/99 "2001-04-02T12:00:46Z")
Weebles, like SUV’s, wobble but they dont fall down!! That was a blast from the past!! Does anyone have that picture he posted? the Grecian 2000 “before” picture, with the lovely donkey jacket?? I’d really like to see that one again. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2001, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054/100 "2001-04-02T12:39:56Z")
Check out fatherjohn, and his “cool” vinyl “members only” jacket. [World’s Biggest Sphincter](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/John1.jpg) Help Him! **fatherjohn/cyberian54** appears to be [sitting on his brain!](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/cyberian2.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electricity-from-the-sun/60054.md?page=6)