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Annie Dillard Was a Real One: The Woman Who Understood That Seeing the World Is Not the Same as Understanding It

Annie Dillard spent her life examining the extraordinary mysteries hiding inside ordinary existence. Her passing reminds me that the greatest writers don't simply teach us how to read the world. They force us to confront how little of it we've actually bothered to see. There is something profoundly unsettling about losing a writer who spent her entire life reminding us that everything was temporary in the first place. It's almost as though death, that arrogant bastard, decided to interrupt a conversation about its own inevitability. And in the case of Annie Dillard, the irony is particularly cruel because few writers understood the strange relationship between life, suffering, beauty, and mortality quite like she did. Annie Dillard died on September 15, 2026, at the age of 81. The world lost a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, an extraordinary essayist, a fearless intellectual, and a woman who possessed the increasingly endangered ability to look at something ordinary and reco...
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Old vs. New Heat Pumps: How Have They Changed?


Heat pumps have always provided an efficient way to warm and cool buildings, but they've come a long way in recent decades. Today's equipment is more versatile, works well in a wider range of locations, and costs substantially less to operate.

Efficiency

The U.S. government began requiring heat pumps to have a seasonal energy efficiency rating of at least 10 in 1992. It increased this number to 13 in 2006 and 14 in 2015. Consequently, modern systems must produce much more warmth for every watt of power they consume.

Climate

At one time, it was only possible to use costly ground-source heat pumps in northern locations. They require excavation and a fairly large lot. Air-source equipment has evolved and now works well at lower temperatures. This makes today's heat pump technology more affordable in cold climates.

Components

In recent times, manufacturers have introduced fan motors that can run at more than one speed. This improvement helps the equipment last longer while consuming less electricity. The optimal fan speed also enhances indoor comfort.

This HVAC system still doesn't work as well at sub-zero temperatures; there's very little heat to extract from the air. Fortunately, some modern units feature efficient backup heating elements that burn oil or natural gas. Certain models also have scroll compressors. They produce significantly more warmth and less noise than piston-based systems.

Controls

While older models only have traditional wall-mounted panels, some of today's units feature wireless remote controls. Others integrate with home automation systems or wi-fi and allow people to change settings using software on mobile devices and/or computers.

The bottom line is that the latest heat pumps are more efficient and suitable for use in many different climates. Some models also generate less noise. Nonetheless, older heat pumps still offer an economical, eco-friendly source of warmth and air conditioning.


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