I read this book, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I guess I am not convinced by the Slipstream category, finding it superfluous. Very well done alternative history or SF. I would recommend it to anyone who is fascinated by the concept of the power of words. Folly

Good morning Anneliese William James' quote verifies something I have often said, you don't have to choose between, you can also chose as is. I'll do next week, unless someone else wants to.

Surixurient, I would agree with aruzinsky’s concern around the leaves. Leaves normally face down because they are receiving too much light, not because they growing towards the light, if this makes sense. Also, this is a trick question. Yes have a smaller beam angle focuses the light and you can get further throw; however, you should be worried about the lumens at the plant level and not beam angle. You ideally want 5000 lumens hitting the plants leaves with a beam angle of a max of 90 degrees, but as always the beam angle is debatable. Now a smaller beam angle can allow you put the light at a great distance and still receive the same number of lumens; however, check the math to be sure this is true.

I think you missed the sense I was trying to describe. For someone looking to find people "committed to causes", I live in a target-rich environment. I admire and respect people who work for needed change and improvement. What I was thinking about, and perhaps didn't describe clearly enough, are the too many people I know whose lives become overwhelmed and overdone with fixations on any little thing that comes along. An inability to prioritize, an inability to separate the worthy from the unworthy, are often a features of such folks. It's all they do, all they think about, all they talk about. Many I know have become bored and boring to others because of what's really indiscriminate addictions to finding causes "No, I really don't want to go to the school board meeting with you to protest and hold up a sign, because they've switched elementary PE from 4 days a week to 3 days a week, to have an extra period of math. I agree with that".