The argument for sticking with fossil fuel consumption is that there is no viable alternative.
T. Bone Pickens wants you to pony up a bunch of money so he can force the wind power solution down your throat. Read between the lines, this guy is looking to buy land on the cheap. Wind is a ecologically clean supplement but, cannot provide near enough energy to meet the demand. While were at it why don't we harness the power of the Ocean tides. Let's see, we have absolutely no infrastructure to distribute either of these. We certainly have no money left after the bail out to put into new power grids or, any other sort of innovation.
The answer is Algae. Check this out :
ANTHONY, Texas (CNN) -- Texas may be best known for "Big Oil." But the oil that could some day make a dent in the country's use of fossil fuels is small. Microscopic, in fact: algae. Literally and figuratively, this is green fuel.
Plant physiologist Glen Kertz believes algae can some day be competitive as a source for biofuel.
"Algae is the ultimate in renewable energy," Glen Kertz, president and CEO of Valcent Products, told CNN while conducting a tour of his algae greenhouse on the outskirts of El Paso.
Kertz, a plant physiologist and entrepreneur, holds about 20 patents. And he is psyched about the potential algae holds, both as an energy source and as a way to deal with global warming.
"We are a giant solar collecting system. We get the bulk of our energy from the sunshine," said Kertz.
Algae are among the fastest growing plants in the world, and about 50 percent of their weight is oil. That lipid oil can be used to make biodiesel for cars, trucks, and airplanes. Watch how pond scum can be turned into fuel »
Most people know algae as "pond scum." And until recently, most energy research and development projects used ponds to grow it.
But instead of ponds, Valcent uses a closed, vertical system, growing the algae in long rows of moving plastic bags. The patented system is called Vertigro, a joint venture with Canadian alternative energy company Global Green Solutions. The companies have invested about $5 million in the Texas facility.
"A pond has a limited amount of surface area for solar absorption," said Kertz.
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"By going vertical, you can get a lot more surface area to expose cells to the sunlight. It keeps the algae hanging in the sunlight just long enough to pick up the solar energy they need to produce, to go through photosynthesis," he said.
Kertz said he can produce about 100,000 gallons of algae oil a year per acre, compared to about 30 gallons per acre from corn; 50 gallons from soybeans.
Using algae as an alternative fuel is not a new idea. The U.S. Department of Energy studied it for about 18 years, from 1978 to 1996. But according to Al Darzins of the DOE's National Renewable Energy Lab, in 1996 the feds decided that algae oil could never compete economically with fossil fuels.
The price of a barrel of oil in 1996? About 20 bucks!
Government scientists experimented with algae in open ponds in California, Hawaii, and in Roswell, New Mexico.
But that involved a lot of land area, with inherent problems of evaporation and contamination from other plant species and various flying and swimming critters. Darzins said NREL switched from algae research to focus on cellulosic ethanol. That's ethanol made from plants like switchgrass and plant stover -- the leaves and stalks left after a harvest -- but not edible crops such as corn and soybeans.
Valcent research scientist Aga Pinowska said there are about 65,000 known algae species, with perhaps hundreds of thousands more still to be identified.
A big part of the research at the west Texas facility involves determining what type of algae produces what type of fuel. One species may be best suited for jet fuel, while the oil content of another may be more efficient for truck diesel.
In the Vertigro lab, Pinowska studies the care and feeding of algae for just such specifics. She said even small changes in the nutrients that certain algae get can help create a more efficient oil content.
And she said a knowledge of algae's virtues goes way back.
"Even the Aztecs knew it was beneficial; they used it as a high protein food," said Pinowska.
The other common commercial use of algae today is as a health food drink, usually sold as "Spirulina."
I'm too sexy for my pond
And who knew that single celled plants could be such "hotties" when it comes to sex? Kertz said it's a real "algae orgy" under the microscope.
Some algae reproduce sexually, some asexually, while many combine both modes. In some green algae the type of reproduction may be altered if there are changes in environmental conditions, such as lack of moisture or nutrients.
Intriguing details like that keep Kertz and other scientists searching for more and different algae. While dusty west Texas may not be the best hunting grounds, he said he is always on the lookout for samples in puddles, streams or ponds.
Locating algae processing plants intelligently can add to their efficiency. Locating algae facilities next to carbon producing power plants, or manufacturing plants, for instance, the plants could sequester the C02 they create and use those emissions to help grow the algae, which need the C02 for photosynthesis.
And after more than a decade hiatus, the U.S. government is back in the algae game. The 2007 Energy Security and Independence Act includes language promoting the use of algae for biofuels. From the Pentagon to Minnesota to New Zealand, both governments and private companies are exploring the use of algae to produce fuel.
The beauty of this is that it only puts the same amount of CO2 into the atmosphere that it extracted. It's has zero effect on the environment. There is no need for expensive changes in the current infrastructure to deliver this clean fuel. For less than one fiscal year's worth of Big oil company's profits, a company like Exxon could completely remove our dependence on foreign oil. This could happen in less than a year. They just need to take the plunge. If I'm wrong about this please somebody show me where.
DaG out
Monday, October 6, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
DaG was right! DaG is pissed!
Those lousy no good sons-a-bitches! They ignored the overwhelming response by their constituents. No other bill in history has evoked the volume of calls that members of congress received over this bailout. Early on one congressman reported that out of 300 calls to his office only 2 were in favor of the bailout. Betcha one call came from a guy named Goldman and the other came from a guy named Sachs. Less than 1% of the hundreds of thousands of calls to congressional offices were in favor of the bailout, yet the Senate and the Congress saw fit to pass it. I don't want to restate all the reasons this bill is nothing but a scam, (It's all in previous DaG posts) but let's look at some new stuff that has been brought to my attention.
1. Proof that this will do nothing to help our financial/economic decline. Prior to the passing of the bailout the Dow was up 300 points, as soon as it passed the market lost all of that gain and the Dow closed down 157 points.
2. 700 billion dollars allotted to one man. This one man gets to appoint those who oversee where the money goes. The men he has pegged for the oversight are the same CEO's who's companies recently failed, filed bankruptcy, or were bailed out by us. Are you kidding me? These guys are throwing a champagne party at our expense. This one man gets to set the price of these worthless pieces of paper known as MBS and their derivatives. After which we have to pay that price. There will be no negotiating there will be no competition.
3. The Pork. Children's wooden arrow manufactures, Producers of rum (which I'm going to need a keg or two of because . . .) Nascar tracks will receive 158 million dollars for improvements!!!! Nascar!!!! I hate Nascar! Please God, let the comet hit tonight! Please, oh please!!! I can't take this anymore.
While McCain promised to make famous those who include earmarks on spending bills and hasn't told us one name on this travesty, I thought I'd give you the names of representatives that actually voted the way their constituents wanted them to vote :
Allard (R)Barasso (R)Brownback (R) (and I hate Brownback) Bunning (R)Cantwell (D)Cochran (R)Crapo (R)DeMint (R)Dole (R)Dorgan (D)Enzi (R)Feingold (D) Inhofe (R)Johnson (D)Landrieu (D)Nelson (FL) (D)Roberts (R)Sanders (I)Sessions (R)Shelby (R)Stabenow (D)Tester (D)Vitter (R)Wicker (R)Wyden (D)
I won't list all of those in congress who voted no because there's just simply too many but I would like to point out a few notables: Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul. These guys need to be applauded for not only voting no but, for their outspoken resistance to an obvious attempt by the administration to privatize profits and socialize the losses. It was congressman Ron Paul who correctly predicted this economic / financial scenario five years ago. He was widely ignored and called a kook.
What if we as a country just said "no'. A tax payer revolt is a difficult thing to make happen because, it sounds good in theory but, people get scared when it comes right down to it. It's a little tougher to pull off nowadays because there's this thing called "the Federal withholding tax" that comes right out of your paycheck before you even receive it. Believe me when I tell you that it'll be going up in the next year no matter who wins in this election.
DaG Out
1. Proof that this will do nothing to help our financial/economic decline. Prior to the passing of the bailout the Dow was up 300 points, as soon as it passed the market lost all of that gain and the Dow closed down 157 points.
2. 700 billion dollars allotted to one man. This one man gets to appoint those who oversee where the money goes. The men he has pegged for the oversight are the same CEO's who's companies recently failed, filed bankruptcy, or were bailed out by us. Are you kidding me? These guys are throwing a champagne party at our expense. This one man gets to set the price of these worthless pieces of paper known as MBS and their derivatives. After which we have to pay that price. There will be no negotiating there will be no competition.
3. The Pork. Children's wooden arrow manufactures, Producers of rum (which I'm going to need a keg or two of because . . .) Nascar tracks will receive 158 million dollars for improvements!!!! Nascar!!!! I hate Nascar! Please God, let the comet hit tonight! Please, oh please!!! I can't take this anymore.
While McCain promised to make famous those who include earmarks on spending bills and hasn't told us one name on this travesty, I thought I'd give you the names of representatives that actually voted the way their constituents wanted them to vote :
Allard (R)Barasso (R)Brownback (R) (and I hate Brownback) Bunning (R)Cantwell (D)Cochran (R)Crapo (R)DeMint (R)Dole (R)Dorgan (D)Enzi (R)Feingold (D) Inhofe (R)Johnson (D)Landrieu (D)Nelson (FL) (D)Roberts (R)Sanders (I)Sessions (R)Shelby (R)Stabenow (D)Tester (D)Vitter (R)Wicker (R)Wyden (D)
I won't list all of those in congress who voted no because there's just simply too many but I would like to point out a few notables: Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul. These guys need to be applauded for not only voting no but, for their outspoken resistance to an obvious attempt by the administration to privatize profits and socialize the losses. It was congressman Ron Paul who correctly predicted this economic / financial scenario five years ago. He was widely ignored and called a kook.
What if we as a country just said "no'. A tax payer revolt is a difficult thing to make happen because, it sounds good in theory but, people get scared when it comes right down to it. It's a little tougher to pull off nowadays because there's this thing called "the Federal withholding tax" that comes right out of your paycheck before you even receive it. Believe me when I tell you that it'll be going up in the next year no matter who wins in this election.
DaG Out
Style vs Substance - Platitudes vs Policies
The drinking game was called . . . "Also". The over and under on the amount of times Sarah said "also" was 45. She went over . . .48. If I had played the drinking game I would be soooooo hung over this morning.
She has no policies, no substance, no specifics . . . Oh wait a minute she did mention one specific thing she would like to see happen under a McCain Palin administration. She would like to see the VP's authority expanded. You can't tell me that didn't come from Cheney. That's scary. Anyway, the Governor speaks in platitudes and sweeping generalities and is quick to paint the Dems with the "raise your taxes and cut jobs" brush.
Having said all that, she came across as folksy and likable. Her lack of stats, policy differences, and experience was over shadowed by her ability to mug and look directly into the camera. For those uninformed viewers (voters) who simply let pundits or talk show hosts form their political opinions, Palin " wiped the floor" with Biden. Those kind of folks tend to tune out when a politician recites facts and figures, but notice facial expressions and body language. Even that blow hard Bill O'reily has a body language segment where he has an attractive blond with an Associate Arts degree from some community college and claims to be an expert, tell his viewers what a politician is really saying by "studying" their body language.
Biden was obviously coached and told not to direct any of his criticism to Palin. He was to stay on the McCain is not a Maverick message. This tactic was like telling a boxer to go into the ring and to keep his left by his side. He was wide open to her attacks but, he just would not punch back. . . at least not at her. This was very similar to the Kerry Bush debates where Kerry spoke in specifics and Bush spoke in platitudes but had an expressive face. On television it's all about personality. The Dems don't ever seem to get that. This was like watching to different sporting events. Palin was playing hockey, there were slap shots and checking into the boards. Biden was playing soccer . . . he could run along side Palin but he couldn't use his hands. I wish Biden would have at least once closed his eyes and slowly shake his head and smirk as if to say, "I can't believe your lack of understanding." Or said, " Sarah, you know, being an outsider with little experience may appeal to some but, I don't believe a Ford dealership would hire a bike mechanic as their lead mechanic." or "If my Chevy truck breaks down I'm not going to take it to a bike repair shop."
It was funny to me that when Palin first shook hands with Biden, you could hear her ask if it was alright to call him "Joe". She didn't use the "Joe" much until her opportunity to say her scripted response came up. When she said. "Say it ain't so, Joe" and followed with Reagan's, "There you go again . . ." I doubt she even knows where that saying, "Say it ain't so, Joe." originated. I wish we could have asked. In case you didn't know: In 1919 several White Sox players were tried for accepting money from gamblers and threw the World series. "Say it ain't so, Joe." was a newspaper headline and was reportedly said to Shoeless Joe Jackson by a dissapointed baseball fan during the trial.
I'm going to give this debate to Palin. Mainly because Biden let her bring the fight to him and didn't offer much resistance. Shes wins in a split decision. Politics as usual with no real advantage given to either party.
As a side note, I just wish Obama would have not voted for this stupid bail out so, I could really feel like he is an agent of change. He could separate himself from McCain who was supposed to make famous those who added pork to spending bills. McCain pounded the podium and emphasized that we would know their names. Bullshit and more bullshit. McCain voted for the bailout that is full of pork.
DaG Out
She has no policies, no substance, no specifics . . . Oh wait a minute she did mention one specific thing she would like to see happen under a McCain Palin administration. She would like to see the VP's authority expanded. You can't tell me that didn't come from Cheney. That's scary. Anyway, the Governor speaks in platitudes and sweeping generalities and is quick to paint the Dems with the "raise your taxes and cut jobs" brush.
Having said all that, she came across as folksy and likable. Her lack of stats, policy differences, and experience was over shadowed by her ability to mug and look directly into the camera. For those uninformed viewers (voters) who simply let pundits or talk show hosts form their political opinions, Palin " wiped the floor" with Biden. Those kind of folks tend to tune out when a politician recites facts and figures, but notice facial expressions and body language. Even that blow hard Bill O'reily has a body language segment where he has an attractive blond with an Associate Arts degree from some community college and claims to be an expert, tell his viewers what a politician is really saying by "studying" their body language.
Biden was obviously coached and told not to direct any of his criticism to Palin. He was to stay on the McCain is not a Maverick message. This tactic was like telling a boxer to go into the ring and to keep his left by his side. He was wide open to her attacks but, he just would not punch back. . . at least not at her. This was very similar to the Kerry Bush debates where Kerry spoke in specifics and Bush spoke in platitudes but had an expressive face. On television it's all about personality. The Dems don't ever seem to get that. This was like watching to different sporting events. Palin was playing hockey, there were slap shots and checking into the boards. Biden was playing soccer . . . he could run along side Palin but he couldn't use his hands. I wish Biden would have at least once closed his eyes and slowly shake his head and smirk as if to say, "I can't believe your lack of understanding." Or said, " Sarah, you know, being an outsider with little experience may appeal to some but, I don't believe a Ford dealership would hire a bike mechanic as their lead mechanic." or "If my Chevy truck breaks down I'm not going to take it to a bike repair shop."
It was funny to me that when Palin first shook hands with Biden, you could hear her ask if it was alright to call him "Joe". She didn't use the "Joe" much until her opportunity to say her scripted response came up. When she said. "Say it ain't so, Joe" and followed with Reagan's, "There you go again . . ." I doubt she even knows where that saying, "Say it ain't so, Joe." originated. I wish we could have asked. In case you didn't know: In 1919 several White Sox players were tried for accepting money from gamblers and threw the World series. "Say it ain't so, Joe." was a newspaper headline and was reportedly said to Shoeless Joe Jackson by a dissapointed baseball fan during the trial.
I'm going to give this debate to Palin. Mainly because Biden let her bring the fight to him and didn't offer much resistance. Shes wins in a split decision. Politics as usual with no real advantage given to either party.
As a side note, I just wish Obama would have not voted for this stupid bail out so, I could really feel like he is an agent of change. He could separate himself from McCain who was supposed to make famous those who added pork to spending bills. McCain pounded the podium and emphasized that we would know their names. Bullshit and more bullshit. McCain voted for the bailout that is full of pork.
DaG Out
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The end of Democracy? America? etc etc
Why are all the women voices of truth named Naomi? I'm speaking of course of Klein and Wolf. And by the by . . .they're both hot. Anyway, I digress . . .When I first read Naomi Wolf's book "The End of America" a couple of years ago, I saw the similarities in how Germany was taken over by a small but well organized group of Fascists and how the Bush Administration was taking over Washington. As the election approaches I'm becoming more and more concerned that things could get hairy. I've often put forth this possible scenario: A 9/11 type terrorist attack occurs - if before the election - Bush will suspend them. If after the election - Bush will declare martial law before the new president can be sworn in.
A paranoid pipe dream? Maybe, but take notice of Naomi's 10 things that must happen in order to close an open society:
1. Invoke an internal and external threat. (Terrorists)
2. Create a prison system outside the rule of law. (CIA's secret prisons and Gitmo)
3. Parimiliatary Groups of scary young men to terrorize citizens. (Hired thugs like Blackwater):
4. Secret police: (Whether it's illegal wire taps or Homeland Security who essentially spy on ordinary people and encourage neighbours to spy on neighbours.)
5. Infiltrate and harass citizens' groups. (a church in Pasadena, whose minister preached that Jesus was in favour of peace, found itself being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, while churches that got Republicans out to vote, which is equally illegal under US tax law, have been left alone.)
6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release (Rendition, and arresting protesters, holding them and then releasing them.)
7. Target key individuals (Most recently, the administration purged eight US attorneys for what looks like insufficient political loyalty. When Goebbels purged the civil service in April 1933, attorneys were "coordinated" too, a step that eased the way of the increasingly brutal laws to follow. Alberto Gonzalez is currently under investigation for the firing of several judges who weren't party loyalists)
8. Control the press. (We haven't seen picture or story one of the violent arrests at the RNC. Yeah we saw the black hooded anarchists break some windows but, we never saw the riot gear clad cops beating the shit out of the law abiding protesters. We've yet to see a story on the questionable voter registration challenges, electronic voting machines, or anything of any real import. I do know that Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo are shopping for a wedding ring.)
9. Dissent equals treason (In case you didn't know, the 1st Battalion has been called home from Iraq. We are being told that they are going to used as crowd control should anything happen to Obama. It is widely believed that they will also be deployed if the election is in question: Should any unruly crowd gather to protest the legitimacy of the outcome.)
10. Suspend the rule of law (This administration and it's Republican heirs have already displayed absolute defiance for the rule of law. From Bush to Gonzalez to Rove to Palin . . . all have ignored constitutional, congressional, and state laws.)
Maybe this is all hyper paranoia on my part but just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean that they're not out to get me. Rubber bullets and tasers have killed people.
DaG Out
A paranoid pipe dream? Maybe, but take notice of Naomi's 10 things that must happen in order to close an open society:
1. Invoke an internal and external threat. (Terrorists)
2. Create a prison system outside the rule of law. (CIA's secret prisons and Gitmo)
3. Parimiliatary Groups of scary young men to terrorize citizens. (Hired thugs like Blackwater):
4. Secret police: (Whether it's illegal wire taps or Homeland Security who essentially spy on ordinary people and encourage neighbours to spy on neighbours.)
5. Infiltrate and harass citizens' groups. (a church in Pasadena, whose minister preached that Jesus was in favour of peace, found itself being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, while churches that got Republicans out to vote, which is equally illegal under US tax law, have been left alone.)
6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release (Rendition, and arresting protesters, holding them and then releasing them.)
7. Target key individuals (Most recently, the administration purged eight US attorneys for what looks like insufficient political loyalty. When Goebbels purged the civil service in April 1933, attorneys were "coordinated" too, a step that eased the way of the increasingly brutal laws to follow. Alberto Gonzalez is currently under investigation for the firing of several judges who weren't party loyalists)
8. Control the press. (We haven't seen picture or story one of the violent arrests at the RNC. Yeah we saw the black hooded anarchists break some windows but, we never saw the riot gear clad cops beating the shit out of the law abiding protesters. We've yet to see a story on the questionable voter registration challenges, electronic voting machines, or anything of any real import. I do know that Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo are shopping for a wedding ring.)
9. Dissent equals treason (In case you didn't know, the 1st Battalion has been called home from Iraq. We are being told that they are going to used as crowd control should anything happen to Obama. It is widely believed that they will also be deployed if the election is in question: Should any unruly crowd gather to protest the legitimacy of the outcome.)
10. Suspend the rule of law (This administration and it's Republican heirs have already displayed absolute defiance for the rule of law. From Bush to Gonzalez to Rove to Palin . . . all have ignored constitutional, congressional, and state laws.)
Maybe this is all hyper paranoia on my part but just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean that they're not out to get me. Rubber bullets and tasers have killed people.
DaG Out
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
What's wrong with doing nothing?
The Assosiated Press : WASHINGTON - After one spectacular failure, the $700 billion financial industry bailout found a second life Wednesday, winning lopsided passage in the Senate and gaining ground in the House, where Republicans opposition softened.
Well, this is a rare occurrence indeed. After incorrectly predicting congressional passage of the bailout, the Senate comes through for me and does the wrong thing. Loading the bailout with pork up the wazoo, it passes with a landslide of bipartisan approval. Interesting to note that it includes corporate tax breaks. The credit markets are frozen because of the lack of liquidity and they're going to reduce the amount of tax revenue collected by the very entity that is bailing them out. Yeah, that makes sense.
Has anybody else noticed that the sky hasn't fallen? Mothers aren't eating their babies. Dogs and cats aren't sleeping together. Could this whole "crisis" be just a bit of an exaggeration?
Okay, I'll play along. Just for the sake of argument let's say that a we are on the precipice of another depression. It's been what, about 80 years since the last one? During that time I would say that we have become "soft and spoiled" as a nation. From the 1980's until now we have gone on a spending spree like never before. What used to be considered "living above ones means" is nowadays considered, "par for the course."
This bailout reminds me of the people who max out their credit cards , can't afford the monthly minimum payment and open a new credit card to pay for the ones they already owe on. How about letting the financial institutions work their own way out of their mess? If the credit market seizes up for awhile, so be it. Let everybody tighten their belts a little instead of extending credit we don't have. The dollar will strengthen if we don't print billions more of them with no assets to back the paper.
Our Grandparents muddled through without new cars, sub woofers, 120 channels on satellite or cable, a TV in every room, a cell phone for every person over the age of 12, Netflix, taning beds, nail salons, etc etc. I'm just as guilty of the excesses as anybody else but, I realize that they are just that. Excesses! When I was young and my parents wanted a station wagon or a new house, they had to scrimp and save for the down payment. When I wanted a new G.I. Joe and it wasn't my birthday or Christmas, I had to sock away my allowance for months until I could afford one. What's wrong with having to save up to buy something you want?
The age of instant gratification has not only devolved our ability to sacrifice for the things we want but it has also isolated us as a community. In the thirties when no one had a pot to piss in nor a window from which to throw it out, neighbors knew each other. There was a sense of community. People felt like we were all in this together. I'm afraid that over the past thirty years we as a society have grown more and more reclusive and unsociable. We don't have the time to spend in the front yard watching kids play. Hell, most of us won't let our kids play in the front yard anymore, because we're watching TV and don't want to take the time to supervise. The Neighborhood Watch volunteers used to be the retired couple living down the street who sat on their front porch. Whenever Billy got out of line or wandered too far down the street. you'd hear, "Billy Johnson! Do you want me to call your mother?!"
Porches have been replaced with hedges and shrubery. Homes aren't even designed with a large window facing the street anymore.
Once again, I must confess: No one is less sociable than myself and if this new world of getting to know those in our community comes to fruition . . . I'm going to have a real tuff time.
It seems that ever since the "Me" decade of the '80's we Americans have lost our collective minds. Somehow we shut out or ignored the common sense of our" greatest generation" , cranked up the stereo and boogied our selves into living on credit. A lot of us want to make excuses that we can't get by paying up front for stuff because "the man" has changed the rules. It takes 2 incomes now to support a family and things cost so much more than they used to.
Well, yes it's true that the cost of living is higher today than yesterday and it will be even higher tomorrow. Unless you're an executive making a damn good living you can not afford a family on a single income. However, this does not excuse the excesses that we have accepted as necessities. Far too many people living in apartments because they can not afford a home are driving expensive cars, have several televisions, and all have cell phones. It's priorities. Pure and simple . . . it's priorities.
Again, I'm very pissed off that this bailout is going through. Yes I know there are protections for the home buyers and we're supposed to get most if not all of it back but, what if there is no "crisis"? What if this has all been a scheme? I'm supposed to believe that this just snuck up on all these Ivy league graduates? C'mon! We all could cinch up the belts and get by with a little less, save that money for a good old fashioned down payment. Let's try that approach instead of printing money we don't have.
DaG Out
Well, this is a rare occurrence indeed. After incorrectly predicting congressional passage of the bailout, the Senate comes through for me and does the wrong thing. Loading the bailout with pork up the wazoo, it passes with a landslide of bipartisan approval. Interesting to note that it includes corporate tax breaks. The credit markets are frozen because of the lack of liquidity and they're going to reduce the amount of tax revenue collected by the very entity that is bailing them out. Yeah, that makes sense.
Has anybody else noticed that the sky hasn't fallen? Mothers aren't eating their babies. Dogs and cats aren't sleeping together. Could this whole "crisis" be just a bit of an exaggeration?
Okay, I'll play along. Just for the sake of argument let's say that a we are on the precipice of another depression. It's been what, about 80 years since the last one? During that time I would say that we have become "soft and spoiled" as a nation. From the 1980's until now we have gone on a spending spree like never before. What used to be considered "living above ones means" is nowadays considered, "par for the course."
This bailout reminds me of the people who max out their credit cards , can't afford the monthly minimum payment and open a new credit card to pay for the ones they already owe on. How about letting the financial institutions work their own way out of their mess? If the credit market seizes up for awhile, so be it. Let everybody tighten their belts a little instead of extending credit we don't have. The dollar will strengthen if we don't print billions more of them with no assets to back the paper.
Our Grandparents muddled through without new cars, sub woofers, 120 channels on satellite or cable, a TV in every room, a cell phone for every person over the age of 12, Netflix, taning beds, nail salons, etc etc. I'm just as guilty of the excesses as anybody else but, I realize that they are just that. Excesses! When I was young and my parents wanted a station wagon or a new house, they had to scrimp and save for the down payment. When I wanted a new G.I. Joe and it wasn't my birthday or Christmas, I had to sock away my allowance for months until I could afford one. What's wrong with having to save up to buy something you want?
The age of instant gratification has not only devolved our ability to sacrifice for the things we want but it has also isolated us as a community. In the thirties when no one had a pot to piss in nor a window from which to throw it out, neighbors knew each other. There was a sense of community. People felt like we were all in this together. I'm afraid that over the past thirty years we as a society have grown more and more reclusive and unsociable. We don't have the time to spend in the front yard watching kids play. Hell, most of us won't let our kids play in the front yard anymore, because we're watching TV and don't want to take the time to supervise. The Neighborhood Watch volunteers used to be the retired couple living down the street who sat on their front porch. Whenever Billy got out of line or wandered too far down the street. you'd hear, "Billy Johnson! Do you want me to call your mother?!"
Porches have been replaced with hedges and shrubery. Homes aren't even designed with a large window facing the street anymore.
Once again, I must confess: No one is less sociable than myself and if this new world of getting to know those in our community comes to fruition . . . I'm going to have a real tuff time.
It seems that ever since the "Me" decade of the '80's we Americans have lost our collective minds. Somehow we shut out or ignored the common sense of our" greatest generation" , cranked up the stereo and boogied our selves into living on credit. A lot of us want to make excuses that we can't get by paying up front for stuff because "the man" has changed the rules. It takes 2 incomes now to support a family and things cost so much more than they used to.
Well, yes it's true that the cost of living is higher today than yesterday and it will be even higher tomorrow. Unless you're an executive making a damn good living you can not afford a family on a single income. However, this does not excuse the excesses that we have accepted as necessities. Far too many people living in apartments because they can not afford a home are driving expensive cars, have several televisions, and all have cell phones. It's priorities. Pure and simple . . . it's priorities.
Again, I'm very pissed off that this bailout is going through. Yes I know there are protections for the home buyers and we're supposed to get most if not all of it back but, what if there is no "crisis"? What if this has all been a scheme? I'm supposed to believe that this just snuck up on all these Ivy league graduates? C'mon! We all could cinch up the belts and get by with a little less, save that money for a good old fashioned down payment. Let's try that approach instead of printing money we don't have.
DaG Out
What you don't know can hurt you.
Not getting a lot of media scrutiny is the Social Security Administration's planned shutdown of their computers for maintenance. The shut down is planned for Oct. 10-13th . Senator Feinstein wrote a letter to SSA's commisioner Michael Astrue, asking him to postpone the shutdown. “With millions of newly registered voters, and many more registering to vote every day, state and local election registrars are working seven days a week to get new voters on the list. “The days when the SSN database is scheduled to be off-line are critical.”
The commissioner was nominated by Bush in 2006 and confirmed by the Senate in 2007. He is a veteran of Republican administrations going back more than 20 years, according to his biography on the SSA Web site. Campaign finance records also show that the Belmont, Mass., resident has given more than $35,000 to GOP candidates and causes during the past decade.
If this scheduled shut down takes place it will significantly affect states ability to validate the millions of new registered voters in time for the Nov. election. Oh, by the way did you know that the majority of newly registered voters are Independents and Democrats? These voters if not able to be verified by the state will be given provisional ballots that may or may not be counted.
Senator Feinstein's letter was written on Sept. 23rd 2008 and as of today she still has not received an answer.
Let's add this latest tactic to the already dark practice of caging (sending registration applications to old addresses so when they are returned " not deliverable " the repubs can contest their vote.), removing voters from voter lists because their names are similar to felons', to shorting the amount of ballots available in historically Democratic districts, to the easily hackable and inaccurate Diebiold / Premier voting machines. Obama doesn't stand a chance unless his supporters turn out in massive numbers. There are hundreds of thousands . . . potentially millions of Democratic and Independent votes that will be either contested or not counted at all.
DaG out
The commissioner was nominated by Bush in 2006 and confirmed by the Senate in 2007. He is a veteran of Republican administrations going back more than 20 years, according to his biography on the SSA Web site. Campaign finance records also show that the Belmont, Mass., resident has given more than $35,000 to GOP candidates and causes during the past decade.
If this scheduled shut down takes place it will significantly affect states ability to validate the millions of new registered voters in time for the Nov. election. Oh, by the way did you know that the majority of newly registered voters are Independents and Democrats? These voters if not able to be verified by the state will be given provisional ballots that may or may not be counted.
Senator Feinstein's letter was written on Sept. 23rd 2008 and as of today she still has not received an answer.
Let's add this latest tactic to the already dark practice of caging (sending registration applications to old addresses so when they are returned " not deliverable " the repubs can contest their vote.), removing voters from voter lists because their names are similar to felons', to shorting the amount of ballots available in historically Democratic districts, to the easily hackable and inaccurate Diebiold / Premier voting machines. Obama doesn't stand a chance unless his supporters turn out in massive numbers. There are hundreds of thousands . . . potentially millions of Democratic and Independent votes that will be either contested or not counted at all.
DaG out
Monday, September 29, 2008
DaG is wrong once again.
At least for now the bailout , which I thought was a done deal has been voted down. I'm thrilled. I fear that it will eventually pass in some modified version. The fat cats will still get their $ and the tax payer will still get the shaft. However this is not why I am writing this entry. I'm writing this entry to say, "Nancy Pulosi, would you please shut the F#$% up! Jesus woman . . . I swear to God your bipartisan vitriol on the floor of the house only serves to drive a wedge between the two parties and negates any progress a Democratic controlled congress can make. You your self just days ago called for both parties to put aside partisan politics and vote for this ridiculous bail out. What's with the Republican condemnation speech today?
No. 1. Shame on you and Harry Reed for buying into any proposed legislation put forth by a lame duck president and treasury secretary with a little over 90 days left. You don't find it the least bit curious that elections are right around the corner?
No. 2. If you really think it's such a good idea. ( which astounds me) Quit pissing off the very people you need to vote with you on it. I think maybe your face lift was a little too tight and it's cutting off oxygen to your brain.
No. 3 Please stop with the scolding mother routine: "Wall Street your days of no oversight and Golden Parachutes for CEO's of failed businesses are over!" In case you haven't been paying attention, every single one of those assholes that got us into this mess are going to receive their compensation, their golden parachute, and their bonuses. (For instance: Alan Fishman, former CEO of Washingtom Mutual: after just 432 hours on the job -- during which time he presided over the complete collapse of the company -- stands to collect more than $19 million in pay.) The bill only prevents future failed business CEO from receiving more than $500,000 from the tax payer. And as of yet has no protection for the foreclosed home buyer. So, please Mom, quit with the "you're grounded young man" rhetoric.
In closing I'd just like to say to Reed, Pulosi, McCain, Obama, and anybody else who votes for this asinine bailout . . . WHERE'S MY FLYING CAR????!!!!
DaG out
No. 1. Shame on you and Harry Reed for buying into any proposed legislation put forth by a lame duck president and treasury secretary with a little over 90 days left. You don't find it the least bit curious that elections are right around the corner?
No. 2. If you really think it's such a good idea. ( which astounds me) Quit pissing off the very people you need to vote with you on it. I think maybe your face lift was a little too tight and it's cutting off oxygen to your brain.
No. 3 Please stop with the scolding mother routine: "Wall Street your days of no oversight and Golden Parachutes for CEO's of failed businesses are over!" In case you haven't been paying attention, every single one of those assholes that got us into this mess are going to receive their compensation, their golden parachute, and their bonuses. (For instance: Alan Fishman, former CEO of Washingtom Mutual: after just 432 hours on the job -- during which time he presided over the complete collapse of the company -- stands to collect more than $19 million in pay.) The bill only prevents future failed business CEO from receiving more than $500,000 from the tax payer. And as of yet has no protection for the foreclosed home buyer. So, please Mom, quit with the "you're grounded young man" rhetoric.
In closing I'd just like to say to Reed, Pulosi, McCain, Obama, and anybody else who votes for this asinine bailout . . . WHERE'S MY FLYING CAR????!!!!
DaG out
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