Moon Express Vice Chairman on why he's excited about a potential $40 billion a year business.
That's an economic rationale for colonization if there ever was one. Ok, that's all for today. Thanks for coming by, and have a great evening.
Al Fin: "Cowboy Commentary", aka "Eat your veggies" The Flag banner is posted in order to defy those who would make patriotic symbols illegal or disreputable.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Most Valuable Piece Of The Moon
That's an economic rationale for colonization if there ever was one. Ok, that's all for today. Thanks for coming by, and have a great evening.
David Kaiser on the Friday Space Show
Perhaps I should set up a new category of posts with the label "quantum physics", since I've written a few posts on the topic. The Space Show this past Friday covered that very topic, it attracted my interest. They discussed Dr. Livingston's guest's book How the hippies saved physics .
In particular interest to me is the topic of quantum entanglement, which is discussed in this video below, courtesy of the Best0fScience YouTube channel.
It may be possible to get faster than light speed using quantum entanglement for communications. This could have applications in space, for the distances are immense.
Even at light speed, a conversation with a crew on Mars would not be convenient if you depended completely on conventional means of communication. It would take several minutes for a message to travel that kind of distance.
Update:
Another video about quantum physics ( in general, with historical discussion )
Update:
Ok, let's do one more, although this is not exactly what I had in mind in terms of learning about it. It may come across as a bunch of mumbo jumbo, so be forewarned. (As if you needed to be if you've gotten this far.)
In particular interest to me is the topic of quantum entanglement, which is discussed in this video below, courtesy of the Best0fScience YouTube channel.
It may be possible to get faster than light speed using quantum entanglement for communications. This could have applications in space, for the distances are immense.
Even at light speed, a conversation with a crew on Mars would not be convenient if you depended completely on conventional means of communication. It would take several minutes for a message to travel that kind of distance.
Update:
Another video about quantum physics ( in general, with historical discussion )
Update:
Ok, let's do one more, although this is not exactly what I had in mind in terms of learning about it. It may come across as a bunch of mumbo jumbo, so be forewarned. (As if you needed to be if you've gotten this far.)
The Peculiar Madness of Paul Krugman
By Robert Tracinski
- The debt deal unhinged the left. As usual, no one was more unhinged than Paul Krugman.
- The insanity comes from the context in which Krugman was writing. ( comment: unlimited Keynesianism)
- Only in Washington could a plan to increase the national debt from 65% to 80% of GDP in less than a year and a half be called a "debt reduction" deal.
- what he is proposing is that we can spend our way to growth ( comment: no, it is equality uber alles)
- How can they plume themselves on their "scientific" thoughtfulness and rationality, when they haven't done the basic work of sitting down and figuring out how to make a convincing argument?
Space Business Blog: Interview: Alan Wasser & Space Property Rights Tex...
Space Business Blog: Interview: Alan Wasser & Space Property Rights Tex...: "The National Space Society posted last week about a new Law School text book that includes a chapter on space property rights written by Al..."
There was an interesting link here to a poll about space colonization, and what would be the top 3 reasons for doing it. The pic below are the results right after I voted.
 |
| My votes were 1,5, and 6 |
Update:
This video is worth putting up again. I thought of it in connection with this post. You need a goal, then a strategy to achieve that goal. That's is what Greason is talking about here. The above mentions are reason for people to be on the moon. (Because they have property there) You need a business case for people going the moon. Having property does that. (maybe)
Update:
Here is a screen shot of Greason's goals and strategy - his settlement paradigm.
Space Business Blog: Commercial Asteroid Return to Station
Space Business Blog: Commercial Asteroid Return to Station: "Back in 2010, Michael Mealing began to consider a spacecraft mission to capture and return a very small Near Earth Object (NEO) to the ISS o..."
This is somewhat reminiscent of my post about Asteroid Eaters. As always, you would need an energy source to power your colony to the asteroid and gobble it up. Once digested, it can used to make a lot more colonies. Sort of like the line in the movie "Jaws", where the expert is telling the mayor about what a shark really is and does.
How we got here
This post may sound a little phony to some, but to me, it is very real. I've noticed something, even at the very beginning of this blog, and that is how everyone wants to zero in on the problem.
What I mean by this is this: people seem to want the conflict as opposed to doing anything constructive about it. For example, take the most recent downgrade of America's credit worthiness. That's a problem, but instead of focusing on a solution to that problem, people will start pointing fingers and actually refuse to do anything about it. They want the conflict, but what do they actually want to do that which will actually solve the problem?
I don't mean getting your own way. This presumes that your opponent has at least some valid points. Now, if your opponent will reciprocate and acknowledge that you have some valid points too, then you might get somewhere. Instead, egos get into the way. Also, fear of being beaten at the game overrides any meaningful attempt at problem solving, and the process breaks down. We need to set aside our fears and our egos and look for some common ground in order to solve our common problems.
Solutions exist, in my opinion. That is why I put the twist on the common phrase: "Houston, we have a problem." Instead of focusing on perpetuating that problem, let's find a way towards solving that problem and get some solutions. Just as on Apollo 13, solutions do exist. Just as with the Apollo mission, the situation is critical, so we'd better find a solution. All it takes is some teamwork to find those solutions and put them into practice. If we can do this, success is assuredly ours. If we do not, we will reap the failure that we so richly deserve.
What I mean by this is this: people seem to want the conflict as opposed to doing anything constructive about it. For example, take the most recent downgrade of America's credit worthiness. That's a problem, but instead of focusing on a solution to that problem, people will start pointing fingers and actually refuse to do anything about it. They want the conflict, but what do they actually want to do that which will actually solve the problem?
I don't mean getting your own way. This presumes that your opponent has at least some valid points. Now, if your opponent will reciprocate and acknowledge that you have some valid points too, then you might get somewhere. Instead, egos get into the way. Also, fear of being beaten at the game overrides any meaningful attempt at problem solving, and the process breaks down. We need to set aside our fears and our egos and look for some common ground in order to solve our common problems.
Solutions exist, in my opinion. That is why I put the twist on the common phrase: "Houston, we have a problem." Instead of focusing on perpetuating that problem, let's find a way towards solving that problem and get some solutions. Just as on Apollo 13, solutions do exist. Just as with the Apollo mission, the situation is critical, so we'd better find a solution. All it takes is some teamwork to find those solutions and put them into practice. If we can do this, success is assuredly ours. If we do not, we will reap the failure that we so richly deserve.
Free Energy Truth : When Two Tribes Go To War
In case you didn't know, World War 3 started this year.
- we are talking about the "special" relationship between New Energy Times's Steven B Krivit and Italian Cold Fusion supremo, Andrea Rossi.
- Anywho - here's my comment and subsequent response I recieved.
- My comment did not make it past the Chinese firewall, but generated this response instead.
- And what was my pennance for not being glued to the Rossi debate 24/7 ? See below.
- I simply don't believe that this is a logical hypothesis and that not one, but THREE well respected scientists are part of a conspiracy to scam.
Bill Whittle: Rich Man Poor Man
The video is on PJTV in case you're interested. What grabbed me is the mention of air conditioning, and who has it. It turns out that most poor people have it, but that is not what grabbed me.
What grabbed me is the report yesterday that the EPA is taking so much electrical capacity offline here in Texas, that on hot days, like the ones we have been having, we won't be able to use our air conditioners because of rolling blackouts. The left like to complain about the inequality and so forth, but they are making everybody poorer while doing it.
What grabbed me is the report yesterday that the EPA is taking so much electrical capacity offline here in Texas, that on hot days, like the ones we have been having, we won't be able to use our air conditioners because of rolling blackouts. The left like to complain about the inequality and so forth, but they are making everybody poorer while doing it.
 |
| http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=mpg&mpid=56&load=5851 |
John Kerry: Media Has "Responsibility" To "Not Give Equal Time" To Tea Party
John Kerry: Media Has "Responsibility" To "Not Give Equal Time" To Tea Party
The left wingers like to say that there's no bias in the media. Well, here it is from one of their own with his own lips. How do they say that now after this? Will they say, as Kerry does, that they have the right to suppress opposing viewpoints? There is a word for this, it is called censorship.
Morrissey: A few inconvenient truths getting in the way of the “inherited” meme
As Barack Obama continues to blame his predecessor for the tanking economy and the chronic unemployment that Obama promised to avoid with his big stimulus package more than two years ago, and as other Democrats get aboard the Blameshift Express, Byron York attempts to set the record straight.
- After taking in $1.782 trillion in tax revenues in 2003, the government collected $1.88 trillion in 2004; $2.153 trillion in 2005; $2.406 trillion in 2006; and $2.567 trillion in 2007, according to figures compiled by the Office of Management and Budget. That’s a 44 percent increase from 2003 to 2007.
- York notes that it wasn’t until Democrats took over Congress in 2007 — including one Democrat named Barack Obama in the Senate — that deficits began exploding.
- Well, the data is easily retrievable from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (now that it’s finally back on line), so let’s take a look at seasonally-adjusted private-sector employment over the last twenty years.
 |
| blue=Democrat control, white=Republican control, purple=divided government |
Note:
This was written after I signed off last night, and was intended as a morning summary post. It so happens that, last night, Standard and Poors downgraded the USA's credit rating. So, the great concern over that recently was all for naught. They failed to preserve the rating despite all the huffing and puffing over what they were pretending to do.
"The downgrade reflects our opinion that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the Administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government's medium-term debt dynamics," S&P said in a statement. -Reuters
More from Ed Morrissey: Video: They’re still not listening to Rick Santelli.
Yes! DC needs an enema! As you know, I think politicians are full of crap, anyway.
Update:
Bad language, hmm? Well, they said it!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Shirley Temple video
Hard to believe this child has grown up and passed on. She was a member of Congress, too.
Well, that does it for today. Have a great evening.
Well, that does it for today. Have a great evening.
Juno Mission Launches to Jupiter
Considering that there may be antimatter around Jupiter, I wonder if the mission will look for any.
It doesn't appear to be the case. Oops! It is Saturn that will have the antimatter. Jupiter's magnetic field doesn't produce them like you'd think.
It doesn't appear to be the case. Oops! It is Saturn that will have the antimatter. Jupiter's magnetic field doesn't produce them like you'd think.
You would think that Jupiter would be the gold mine of antiproton production, given its size and field strength, but it turns out that the magnetic field actually shields the Jovian atmosphere from the GCR production process, lowering its effect.
Barbara Boxer and Senate Dems held "hostage"
The terms "terrorist" and "hostage" seems to coming up a lot lately. Is it political hype, or is something really going on?
DC needs an enema
Reminds me of the post recently, "Don't hold on to the poo". Bwah ha ha ha!
 |
| Note the time at 10:50 approx into the video below |
Another example from the movie Batman
( the first one )Morning Jay: The Left Will Never Abandon Obama | The Weekly Standard
Morning Jay: The Left Will Never Abandon Obama | The Weekly Standard
The left is angry about taxes. Here is Al Gore on that subject.
Update:
Krugman doesn't say it here, but he does in his book
. That combined with the video above shows that the Left wants to run on higher taxes. Let them.
The left is angry about taxes. Here is Al Gore on that subject.
Update:
Krugman doesn't say it here, but he does in his book
. That combined with the video above shows that the Left wants to run on higher taxes. Let them.
Krauthammer: Debt-Reduction On Grand Scale Is Within Reach
Your preferences will be different. So will the supercommittee's. But it doesn't matter. What's important is to make choices that are deep, radical and revenue-neutral.
- True tax reform that removes loopholes while lowering tax rates is the Holy Grail of social policy
- Every dollar of revenue raised by stripping out a loophole is to be returned to the citizenry in the form of lower tax rates.
- Boehner was willing to increase revenues by $800 billion. Obama was reputedly ready to raise the Medicare age and change the Social Security cost-of-living formula.
- It can be done. In three months. In three stages.
Bachmann: Obama is a transnationalist and 'Not a Big Fan of American Sovereignty'
Soros funded Think Progress is attempting to do a smear on Michelle Bachmann using an interview she did in 2009 with Pamela Gellar. (Free Republic, Atlas Shrugs)
The interview is here on mp3. ( I'll use red for mp3 files for now on. Note: I use green for pdf files, italics for links to Amazon, and bold for links within my own blog.)
This is the 2009 Congressional hearing video below:
Independent E-cat News: Krivit Helps Rossi
Reading Steven Krivit’s third report on Sunday invoked an immediate response that seemed to confirm my expectations of bias.
Interesting take on Krivit's report. I wonder if Krivit is following in John Huizenga's footsteps?
I'll repeat my question: Does man serve science, or does science serve man?
Roundup of Economic News ( Sit down, this is rough)
- Debt Deal is a Blank Check By: Peter Schiff : By supposedly compromising to raise the debt ceiling, Congress and the President have now paved the way for ever higher levels of federal spending. ...the deal involves less than $25 billion in immediate cuts! ...So, as our leaders congratulate themselves for saving the nation, the reality is that they may have just sold it down the river.
- Rates of Wrath by Paul Krugman : The US 10-year bond rate is now down to 2.5%. So much for those bond vigilantes. What this rate is saying is that markets are pricing in terrible economic performance, quite possibly a double dip. And it also says that Washington’s deficit obsession has been utterly, totally wrong-headed. [emphasis added] Maybe someone should do something?
- Time for QE3, and Then Some by Clive Crook : Far from worrying about rising inflation, the Fed and the ECB need to see that the situation is deteriorating to the point where engineering a spell of higher inflation is actually the right goal.
- What Caused The Deficit? A Reply To Megan McArdle by Jonathan Chait : McArdle is probably correct that Bush only endorsed the concept of extending Medicare coverage to prescription drugs in order to avoid being outflanked on a popular issue, just as Obama did on middle class tax cuts. ...the U.S. political system makes significant policy change hard, and that raising taxes or reducing spending tends to be unpopular. Status quo bias is enormous.
- The White House: We Don't Create Jobs by Zeke Miller : Carney listed legislative priorities the president believes will create jobs, including an infrastructure bank, the passage of free trade agreements, and tax cuts. [ emphasis added] comment: didn't this President just try to raise taxes?!
- The reason the markets are diving by Ezra Klein : A dramatic gap has opened between the economy as Washington sees it -- and wants to intervene in it -- and the economy that actually exists. ...we seem to have stabilized into an era of high unemployment, low growth and endless risk. Rather than recovering from the crisis, it is almost as if we have settled into it. And no one quite knows how we’re going to escape. [ comment Wrong, there are ways out, but nobody currently in power in DC is listening.]
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Boston - Peace of Mind
I close out today's posting with this song. You can say that I relate a bit to this song.
Have a great evening. See ya tomorrow.
Have a great evening. See ya tomorrow.
Sun-Free Photovoltaics: Materials Engineered to Give Off Precisely Tuned Wavelengths of Light When Heated
ScienceDaily (July 31, 2011)
- MIT researchers have made a button-sized power generator fueled by butane that can run three times longer than a lithium-ion battery of the same weight; the device can then be recharged instantly, just by snapping in a tiny cartridge of fresh fuel.
- It has long been known that photovoltaic (PV) cells needn't always run on sunlight.
- thermal emitter that radiates only the wavelengths that the PV diode can absorb and convert into electricity, while suppressing other wavelengths
- Celanovic is confident that with further work his team can triple the current energy density. "At that point, our TPV generator could power your smartphone for a whole week without being recharged," he says.
One may wonder if such a system can be scaled up, so that it can be made into a battery which could power an automobile.
Next Big Future: Confirmation of geomagnetically trapped antiprotons which can be trapped with superconductors enable antimatter enabled space applications
This Letter reports the discovery of an antiproton radiation belt around the Earth.This is one heavy duty post. What it means is that this antimatter may be collectible using technology we now have or will have in the near future. In addition, the applications for the antimatter include high performance propulsion systems that may have interstellar capability. Wow!
One gets accustomed to be skeptical of all new claims. But I have read about stuff similar to this before. What makes this different is the amount of antimatter that may be available in our own cosmic backyard. That may make it accessible to us, if we so choose.
From the pdf file source link in the Next Big Future post:
Antiprotons trapped in Earth’s inner radiation belt have been observed for the first time by the PAMELA satellite-borne experiment
also
PAMELA was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on 2006 June 15 on board the “Resurs-DK1” satellite.
and
Since launch, PAMELA has collected an unprecedented number of antiprotons
and positrons, as reported in recent publications
Discovery News: A Budget Trip to Mars
SpaceX founder has plans for humans to be able to get to Mars on the cheap.
The amount of negativity in the comment section is remarkable. Why all the negativity? It could well be that this kind of demonstration that Musk anticipates is necessary to silence all of the nattering nabobs of negativism.
Not that I admire Agnew all that much, but this speech was dead on. It appears that these effete snobs have managed to turn the whole country into a bunch of wussified punks who will never try anything nor do anything that means anything to anybody.
Al Fin: We Are All Cyborgs Now
Or maybe we are supermen like Khan in the Star Trek movie, The Wrath of Khan
.
Who's Khan? Well, here he is in the movie. As you can see, he can't take a joke.
.Who's Khan? Well, here he is in the movie. As you can see, he can't take a joke.
Chris Laird's crash alert
That's been up for a long time now. He is now issuing alerts for commodities. Pretty much a deflationary scenario.
Anybody who says this latest budget cuts have anything to do with this is totally full of crap. There weren't any cuts.
Anybody who says this latest budget cuts have anything to do with this is totally full of crap. There weren't any cuts.
Why do Democrats hate Palin?
Could the following video be a reason?
This reminds me of what someone once said about the differences between liberals and conservatives. It went something like this
If they hate Palin, it is because she is not afraid to tell the truth about them.
As for Republicans not telling the truth, well, if they don't tell the truth, it is only because they are either stupid or cowardly. Come to think of it, not all Republicans love Palin either.
This reminds me of what someone once said about the differences between liberals and conservatives. It went something like this
Tell a conservative a lie and it makes him angry. But, tell a liberal the truth, and it makes him angry.
If they hate Palin, it is because she is not afraid to tell the truth about them.
As for Republicans not telling the truth, well, if they don't tell the truth, it is only because they are either stupid or cowardly. Come to think of it, not all Republicans love Palin either.
Ares 1-X Test Rocket Launch
Why was development stopped on this rocket? The first stage solid rocket worked great in this test. The rest could have done just as well in subsequent tests. The technology is mature, no need for new stuff. This was doable. So, why was it stopped? Money? I don't think so.
This wasn't a heavy lift rocket. It was designed to get astronauts into orbit. Could this rocket have delivered crew to the ISS? The Falcon 9 is scheduled to rendezvous with the ISS on its next test flight. This Ares I should have been able to do that, too.
Heavy lift can be deferred. The manned component should have had higher priority.
Spacex is working on heavy lift. In addition, there are other unmanned platforms already in existence. Why not use those other options?
This wasn't a heavy lift rocket. It was designed to get astronauts into orbit. Could this rocket have delivered crew to the ISS? The Falcon 9 is scheduled to rendezvous with the ISS on its next test flight. This Ares I should have been able to do that, too.
Heavy lift can be deferred. The manned component should have had higher priority.
Spacex is working on heavy lift. In addition, there are other unmanned platforms already in existence. Why not use those other options?
The phony default threat
In my last post, I mentioned the real probability that the debt default crisis did not exist. So, why is this fiction being preserved by both parties?
In order to answer that question, I revisited a book that I discussed somewhat on this blog several months ago. It is Paul Krugman's book "The Conscience of a Liberal
".
Krugman believes in the redistribution of income, as all good liberals do. After all, that is what Obama was talking about when he said that he wanted to "spread the wealth". The big issue in the phony debt limit crisis was this issue of taxation. Obama and the liberals want higher taxes. That's because they believe in it. But they must also know that it is unpopular. Hence, they did not want this debt limit debate to go on much longer. The risk was that they would lose the debate and therefore run a very grave risk of losing big in the elections next year.
But why should the Republicans join the Democrats in sliding this debate under the rug? Shouldn't they have welcomed it? Well, the risk was very great for the Republicans too, because if they lost that debate, much higher taxes were on the way, and they would have been marginalized. Hence, the same reason for not dealing with this problem existed for both parties. The risk that the issue would be resolved in favor of one side over the other was just too great to take. They both decided to punt and to pretend that they actually did anything here.
Both parties conspired not to deal with the issue so as to keep the status quo. The status quo, however, is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. For the debt problem is real, but the default threat was phony.
Raising the debt limit did nothing to solve the problem and actually made it worse. For this, both sides are to blame.
In order to answer that question, I revisited a book that I discussed somewhat on this blog several months ago. It is Paul Krugman's book "The Conscience of a Liberal
".Krugman believes in the redistribution of income, as all good liberals do. After all, that is what Obama was talking about when he said that he wanted to "spread the wealth". The big issue in the phony debt limit crisis was this issue of taxation. Obama and the liberals want higher taxes. That's because they believe in it. But they must also know that it is unpopular. Hence, they did not want this debt limit debate to go on much longer. The risk was that they would lose the debate and therefore run a very grave risk of losing big in the elections next year.
But why should the Republicans join the Democrats in sliding this debate under the rug? Shouldn't they have welcomed it? Well, the risk was very great for the Republicans too, because if they lost that debate, much higher taxes were on the way, and they would have been marginalized. Hence, the same reason for not dealing with this problem existed for both parties. The risk that the issue would be resolved in favor of one side over the other was just too great to take. They both decided to punt and to pretend that they actually did anything here.
Both parties conspired not to deal with the issue so as to keep the status quo. The status quo, however, is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. For the debt problem is real, but the default threat was phony.
Raising the debt limit did nothing to solve the problem and actually made it worse. For this, both sides are to blame.
Truth is a slippery thing, revisited
In the beginning of this blog, this was one of my more popular posts. That it isn't now says something, perhaps.
I think several truths are being withheld from the public. The ones doing the withholding would prefer that the public not know what the truth actually is. The deceptions are many, the actors are many. It is pervasive, there is no shelter from the lies. I've covered the debt limit deceptions in the previous post. But there are more and they are everywhere, it seems.
I think the option of not continuing the negotiations for the fear of default was one of those deceptions foisted upon the public. There was no possibility of default. There was no possibility of not making social security payments on time. There wasn't even a crisis of any meaningful sort- it was being ginned up for some purpose, and now that purpose no longer exists. The crisis atmosphere was in danger, so the lie had to be preserved. Hence the phony bargain was struck, ending the "crisis".
The phony debt crisis is one of the best illustrated examples of this pervasiveness of deception. Another is "climate change". The fact that climate changes over time isn't debatable. The thing that is debatable is whether or not human activity has much of an effect upon it. It can be noticed that there is no longer any discussion about global warming. It has morphed into climate change. Why? Is it because there isn't enough evidence to support global warming anymore? The change in the use of terms was necessary in order to preserve the fiction. In order to maintain the appearance of truth, the story had to get a new name.
What is the real purpose of the phony climate change crisis? Is it to cause the relentless rise in energy costs to the public? Is it to reduce living standards in the advanced countries, so that the emerging countries can raise their living standards closer to ours? If so, isn't there a better solution than this enforced scarcity? It just so happens that the scarcity causes prices to go up, and this certainly can't hurt profits. While profits increase, it allows the pretext for higher taxes and regulations against the energy producers. Behind it all is this deception that there is a climate crisis. If the crisis wasn't believed as real, there would be more energy at lower prices. There would be more energy because there is no shortage of energy resources. Resources are abundant.
Even though resources are abundant, the artificial scarcity pushes innovation. Even that is resisted though, as objections seem to come from directions that you would not expect. Take "cold fusion", for example. The ones who should welcome it the most seem to be the least interested. This is suspicious. Why wouldn't they be vitally interested in this new way of generating energy? The fig leaf to cover this particular bit of deception is the complaint that low energy nuclear reactions, or "cold fusion" is pathological science. In other words, those who support it are crazy.
Besides "cold fusion" there is hot fusion. This does get some respect, and a lot of funding. However, the curious thing about it is that the funding is going to a process that isn't working. The timeline for its eventual success is well off in the future, so that when it does finally work, most of us may already be dead. Either from old age, or enforced starvation by the artificial scarcity. This may seem extreme, but 9 out of 10 calories that you eat are produced thanks to fossil fuels. Remove access to these vital resources, and you will literally starve people to death. Well, at least the mass die off was not in vain. We will save the planet.
Besides the conventional ways toward hot fusion, there are many other experimental pathways towards this abundant source of new energy. Yet they cannot get adequate funding, it seems. Why not? Could it be that somebody doesn't want solutions? You may be thinking that this seems extreme. But wait, the cost of some of these new ideas are not that high. In fact, the costs can be quite modest, so where's the money? The excuse is given that there isn't enough money, but why does it all have to go towards methods that haven't been successful? Shouldn't new ways be sought to solve this problem, or is the problem wanted, as opposed to a solution?
The truth is that there is money. But there is no will to solve the problems. The problems are wanted, because the problems are useful in controlling and manipulating people. So they pretend to solve problems, but the lie is that they, meaning the politicians and their handlers, do not want solutions. They need the problems to continue, so they don't want solutions. They need the problems as issues. We don't need issues, we need solutions. Stop the lies.
I think several truths are being withheld from the public. The ones doing the withholding would prefer that the public not know what the truth actually is. The deceptions are many, the actors are many. It is pervasive, there is no shelter from the lies. I've covered the debt limit deceptions in the previous post. But there are more and they are everywhere, it seems.
I think the option of not continuing the negotiations for the fear of default was one of those deceptions foisted upon the public. There was no possibility of default. There was no possibility of not making social security payments on time. There wasn't even a crisis of any meaningful sort- it was being ginned up for some purpose, and now that purpose no longer exists. The crisis atmosphere was in danger, so the lie had to be preserved. Hence the phony bargain was struck, ending the "crisis".
The phony debt crisis is one of the best illustrated examples of this pervasiveness of deception. Another is "climate change". The fact that climate changes over time isn't debatable. The thing that is debatable is whether or not human activity has much of an effect upon it. It can be noticed that there is no longer any discussion about global warming. It has morphed into climate change. Why? Is it because there isn't enough evidence to support global warming anymore? The change in the use of terms was necessary in order to preserve the fiction. In order to maintain the appearance of truth, the story had to get a new name.
What is the real purpose of the phony climate change crisis? Is it to cause the relentless rise in energy costs to the public? Is it to reduce living standards in the advanced countries, so that the emerging countries can raise their living standards closer to ours? If so, isn't there a better solution than this enforced scarcity? It just so happens that the scarcity causes prices to go up, and this certainly can't hurt profits. While profits increase, it allows the pretext for higher taxes and regulations against the energy producers. Behind it all is this deception that there is a climate crisis. If the crisis wasn't believed as real, there would be more energy at lower prices. There would be more energy because there is no shortage of energy resources. Resources are abundant.
Even though resources are abundant, the artificial scarcity pushes innovation. Even that is resisted though, as objections seem to come from directions that you would not expect. Take "cold fusion", for example. The ones who should welcome it the most seem to be the least interested. This is suspicious. Why wouldn't they be vitally interested in this new way of generating energy? The fig leaf to cover this particular bit of deception is the complaint that low energy nuclear reactions, or "cold fusion" is pathological science. In other words, those who support it are crazy.
Besides "cold fusion" there is hot fusion. This does get some respect, and a lot of funding. However, the curious thing about it is that the funding is going to a process that isn't working. The timeline for its eventual success is well off in the future, so that when it does finally work, most of us may already be dead. Either from old age, or enforced starvation by the artificial scarcity. This may seem extreme, but 9 out of 10 calories that you eat are produced thanks to fossil fuels. Remove access to these vital resources, and you will literally starve people to death. Well, at least the mass die off was not in vain. We will save the planet.
Besides the conventional ways toward hot fusion, there are many other experimental pathways towards this abundant source of new energy. Yet they cannot get adequate funding, it seems. Why not? Could it be that somebody doesn't want solutions? You may be thinking that this seems extreme. But wait, the cost of some of these new ideas are not that high. In fact, the costs can be quite modest, so where's the money? The excuse is given that there isn't enough money, but why does it all have to go towards methods that haven't been successful? Shouldn't new ways be sought to solve this problem, or is the problem wanted, as opposed to a solution?
The truth is that there is money. But there is no will to solve the problems. The problems are wanted, because the problems are useful in controlling and manipulating people. So they pretend to solve problems, but the lie is that they, meaning the politicians and their handlers, do not want solutions. They need the problems to continue, so they don't want solutions. They need the problems as issues. We don't need issues, we need solutions. Stop the lies.
Rep. Paul introduces bill to cancel $1.6T in debt held by Federal Reserve
Rep. Ron Paul on Monday introduced legislation that would lower the federal government's debt by canceling the roughly $1.6 trillion in debt held by the Federal Reserve.
Didn't I say that before? Yes, I think I did.
There was much anguish over the default threat, but the threat was minimal. The real threat, which is insolvency, has not been addressed. Paul's idea was to cancel the debt. However, others suggested making a coin and depositing it with the Fed. My idea was to use the coin to pay off the debt, thus lowering the debt, and making room for new debt, so as to remain under the debt ceiling. I did not advocate this as a wise procedure, but it could have been legal and it would have ended the immediacy of the threat. The negotiations could have continued.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Toto - Hold The Line
I'll finish off today's post with this hit from the eighties. Brings back the memories. Have a great evening.
Update: Oops! Late seventies.
Update: Oops! Late seventies.
SCRIBING: Why The Left's Global Warming Agenda is Flat Out Wrong
I push for the idea of dropping the argument against Global Warming Theory in favor of just solving our common energy problem. Perhaps this isn't good enough. It was my idea that if you can reason together towards a common objective, your chances at a positive result would be better. That is to say, if you can find a way to eliminate carbon, fine, as long as it makes sense economically. But, with the left, it is very hard to find that way.
It may be hard by design, if you want to be super cynical about it. Meaning: that the left doesn't give a rat's behind what damage they do. That's the whole idea!
I don't know if I'll go that far with respect to the rank and file who believe this stuff. But, I will go that far with their core believers. I wouldn't trust them any further than I could throw Mt. Everest.
It may be hard by design, if you want to be super cynical about it. Meaning: that the left doesn't give a rat's behind what damage they do. That's the whole idea!
I don't know if I'll go that far with respect to the rank and file who believe this stuff. But, I will go that far with their core believers. I wouldn't trust them any further than I could throw Mt. Everest.
.
Cold Fusion Now: Are you a Believer?
The following guest posting has been written by a retired intellectual property attorney with 35 years of experience: David J. French LLB, BEng, PEng.
- Believers in this field are, however, those who feel that there is really something here worth exploring.
- The shadow of doubt and accusations of unreputable behavior heaped on the original Cold Fusion premise by critics, have taken their toll.
- For Believers there is no doubt: there is really something here worth exploring. They look forward to the day when this new technology will revolutionize life for human beings on the planet Earth.
Radomski: U.S. Debt Crisis Temporarily Resolved - Mining Stocks Yet to See a Resolution
Yesterday, the U.S. House ... gave a green light to President ... debt ceiling agreement... Today, the Senate will most likely confirm the deal.
However, the general opinion is that the deal merely helps the U.S. avoid default (which would have happened today if the agreement had not been reached) as it does not tackle the main causes of the U.S. budget deficit, namely programs in the like of Medicare. What is more, most of the cuts are not coming until 2016. [emphasis added]
Another reason to dislike that bill. I know that I said I was "moving on", but this little tidbit was too good to pass up.
DeclarationEntertainment.com movement ( Bill Whittle video)
"The fight for the soul of America is not in Washington, but in Hollywood."
This is a follow up on this post. I wrote some critical things then, but my thinking may be shifting once again. Especially after the debacle in Washington this past week.
I am beginning to think that all of this stuff is connected. The government just doesn't appear to be working anymore, and is refusing to listen to the people. Dr. Livingston of The Space Show keeps talking about the problems too, and I think the problems he often discusses in the space community may also be related to this phenomenon.
I haven't joined this organization, but I won't write negatively about it. And I'll consider joining, but not now.
This is a follow up on this post. I wrote some critical things then, but my thinking may be shifting once again. Especially after the debacle in Washington this past week.
I am beginning to think that all of this stuff is connected. The government just doesn't appear to be working anymore, and is refusing to listen to the people. Dr. Livingston of The Space Show keeps talking about the problems too, and I think the problems he often discusses in the space community may also be related to this phenomenon.
I haven't joined this organization, but I won't write negatively about it. And I'll consider joining, but not now.
Mon, Aug 1st Space Show
The guest was Dr. Haym Benaroya. What got my interest here was the part about the moon. The Space Show seems rather downbeat, probably because of public policy is disastrously bad these days. Not only that, there just doesn't seem to be all that much interest in space.
One other problem that got pointed out was the fact that most Americans don't seem to have the appreciation that China and India has for engineering. It creates a problem for the future, as most engineering students here come from these two nations and then they go back home. We are, in effect, training our future competitors. This results from a lack of interest in engineering from the local populations.
Update:
I think that we've got a societal problem. People are more interest in the idea of a thing as opposed to actually doing it. Completely unrealistic attitudes. This was also reflected in the budget battles, with respect to actually being able to fund these level of expenditures, and to have the wrong priorities.
One other problem that got pointed out was the fact that most Americans don't seem to have the appreciation that China and India has for engineering. It creates a problem for the future, as most engineering students here come from these two nations and then they go back home. We are, in effect, training our future competitors. This results from a lack of interest in engineering from the local populations.
Update:
I think that we've got a societal problem. People are more interest in the idea of a thing as opposed to actually doing it. Completely unrealistic attitudes. This was also reflected in the budget battles, with respect to actually being able to fund these level of expenditures, and to have the wrong priorities.
Kirk Sorensen: Fissile Material has the Midas Touch
The energy content in fissile material means that it is worth six times its weight in gold. But its monetary magic doesn’t end there: fissile material has the Midas touch. In other words, fissile material can not only generate revenue, but can keep generating that golden revenue time after time after time.
This struck me as quite significant in terms of space colonization. If you are going to make space colonization work, you need an economic basis. This could be a way to do that.
The Morning Summary, 8/3
Well, it is time to move on from this political stuff, now that the budget battle is over. As you may have noted, I have begun writing a little more about space. It so happens that on Next Big Future yesterday, there was a write up about thorium. Thorium is present in significant quantities on the moon, and to mine and process it should be much easier than uranium.
In addition, a nuclear thermal rocket system could be employed on the moon for lunar transport. The nuclear energy would come from thorium. I have an idea for a lunar transportation rocket that would employ some concepts that I've read about with respect to the space cannon- John Hunter's concept. Supplies could be sent from one location to another on the moon this way.
I'll be writing more about this today, stay tuned.
Update: Just a few moments later...
Kirk Sorensen's new Forbes blog is linked from that Next Big Future post. I want to put it on the sidebar here because I think it is important for this idea that I'm cooking up.
Update:
I've been reading Sorensen's blog on Forbes. I noted that 1 megawatt hour of electricity is worth only 40 dollars. It would appear that energy is cheap, maybe too cheap to export to Earth. That was my idea that I posted in the comment section of Next Big Future's Sorensen post.
Running the numbers on what you would need in terms of power output, it would take at least 3 gigawatt power stations to generate each billion dollars in revenue. That's a lot of power. Not only that, some of that revenue has to finance the station itself. The profit off of selling the power at 40 dollars per megawatt hour would be much less. Therefore, you would need more than 3 power stations.
Looking at it that way, you couldn't make it profitable. However, not all hope is lost. The key here is the energy production that is possible. It could still power activities on the moon, which will make it self sustaining. That is ultimately the idea.
Update:
Since beaming the energy from the lunar surface isn't that profitable, what else could you do? I got an idea to beam power to a VASIMR so that it could do cis lunar missions. The amount of energy that could be beamed to VASIMR could be orders of magnitude greater than could be developed with solar power. That would make it much more powerful and faster so that it could transit the Earth Moon system on a frequent basis.
This will be the last update to this post. I will set up another post and continue from there.
In addition, a nuclear thermal rocket system could be employed on the moon for lunar transport. The nuclear energy would come from thorium. I have an idea for a lunar transportation rocket that would employ some concepts that I've read about with respect to the space cannon- John Hunter's concept. Supplies could be sent from one location to another on the moon this way.
I'll be writing more about this today, stay tuned.
Update: Just a few moments later...
Kirk Sorensen's new Forbes blog is linked from that Next Big Future post. I want to put it on the sidebar here because I think it is important for this idea that I'm cooking up.
Update:
I've been reading Sorensen's blog on Forbes. I noted that 1 megawatt hour of electricity is worth only 40 dollars. It would appear that energy is cheap, maybe too cheap to export to Earth. That was my idea that I posted in the comment section of Next Big Future's Sorensen post.
Running the numbers on what you would need in terms of power output, it would take at least 3 gigawatt power stations to generate each billion dollars in revenue. That's a lot of power. Not only that, some of that revenue has to finance the station itself. The profit off of selling the power at 40 dollars per megawatt hour would be much less. Therefore, you would need more than 3 power stations.
Looking at it that way, you couldn't make it profitable. However, not all hope is lost. The key here is the energy production that is possible. It could still power activities on the moon, which will make it self sustaining. That is ultimately the idea.
Update:
Since beaming the energy from the lunar surface isn't that profitable, what else could you do? I got an idea to beam power to a VASIMR so that it could do cis lunar missions. The amount of energy that could be beamed to VASIMR could be orders of magnitude greater than could be developed with solar power. That would make it much more powerful and faster so that it could transit the Earth Moon system on a frequent basis.
This will be the last update to this post. I will set up another post and continue from there.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The Muppet Show - Rama Lama Ding Dong
They have a lot of amazing performances on YouTube.
Well, that does it for today. Have a great evening.
Well, that does it for today. Have a great evening.
A way to synthesize methanol
I got the link to the video from Next Big Future. It reminds me of a post that I did last December on synthesis of methanol. That post was referencing a Japanese study which suggested using nuclear power to synthesize methanol from carbon dioxide and seawater. My post had a twist on that by having solar power do the job, but this is a better idea.
Since the LFTR's can produce energy fairly cheaply, synthesizing methanol this way can be even cheaper than Zubrin's idea, which was discussed earlier today.
Since the LFTR's can produce energy fairly cheaply, synthesizing methanol this way can be even cheaper than Zubrin's idea, which was discussed earlier today.
Yahoo Breakout: Is the U.S. Heading into Double-Dip Recesion?
- Is America in a recession? No, leave it up to NBR
- After a huge crisis, indebtedness, takes years to unravel
- Stimulus not enough, very weak economy
- Reduces chance of absolute slump (stimulus)
- Massive contraction won't happen. Long and painful experience, lengthy process
- Accelerate debt reduction as a possible solution, details of program?
- US Economy dependent on household spending
- Corporations sitting on cash, what to do? Want to see investment. Encourage disbursement of cash.
- Emerging market demand will carry things for a while, but not enough
Limbaugh.com: Louie Gohmert Dissects the Deal
Note: Actually, we're the ones getting dissected, folks.
Last November, people voted for change in the way Washington works. Well, it doesn't look like anything has changed at all. If anything, things are worse.
- we have automatic increases in every agency's budget in the federal government. Every agency has automatic increases every year.
- For example, the stimulus bill has now been added to the baseline. [emphasis mine]
- we know that in out years anything beyond one or two years from where we are right now is not likely to happen
- the Bush tax cuts expire in January 2013. I mean we could fight, but this presumes that they go out of existence [emphasis mine]
- And the federal budget automatically goes up every year. It's the dirty little secret of Washington.
- there's no enforcement unless the OMB director starts -- files a sequestration report. Now, call me cynical but suppose the OMB director is a very good friend of the president and the president just says, "'Eh, don't issue a report." There's no enforcement mechanism [emphasis mine]
- GOHMERT: That's why we needed a Balanced Budget Amendment in the Constitution so these games can't be played.
Last November, people voted for change in the way Washington works. Well, it doesn't look like anything has changed at all. If anything, things are worse.
Sen. Paul: Open Letter: Why I Oppose the Debt Ceiling Compromise
- The current deal to raise the debt ceiling doesn't stop us from going over the fiscal cliff.
- This deal does nothing to fix the overreaches of both parties over the past few years
- The deal purports to "cut" $2.1 trillion, but the "cut" is from a baseline that adds $10 trillion to the debt.
- In addition, the plan harms the possible passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment.
- This plan so badly backloads the alleged savings that the cuts are simply meaningless
- Despite claims to the contrary, none of the triggers in this bill include withholding the second limit increase.
- plan will result in our AAA bond rating being downgraded
- This plan does not solve our problem. Not even close.
Sen Coburn: Why I voted against the debt deal
By Tom Coburn, Tuesday, August 2
- does nothing to address the real drivers of our debt
- Politicians on both sides are misleading the country by calling a slowdown in the growth rate of new spending a “cut.”
- the enforcement mechanism designed to force these hard decisions — across-the-board cuts to defense and nondefense programs — will never work.
- And the truth is that the joint committee is likely to be a step backward from the Gang of Six and the Bowles-Simpson commission.
- I understand that Congress is not ready to accept $9 trillion in deficit reduction
- when the flaws of this plan become apparent, another change election will be coming.
Zubrin: Tripling America’s Fuel Production
This idea makes so much sense that it is guaranteed never to see the light of day.
- America needs another liquid fuel source
- Equivalent to $2.00 a gallon gas
- Readily available
- Can be made from any carbon material
- Cleaner and safer
- Could create millions of jobs if the conversion from gasoline to methanol took place
- Would create a more competitive fuels market
Limbaugh doesn't like debt limit deal
I was anxious to find his reaction on the web, since I don't listen to his show very much anymore. He sees this as a tax increase because the Bush Tax Cuts are going away. That's by design, since they are using current law baseline, the tax cuts are due to expire. The tax cut expiration doesn't allow credit to be given for deficit reduction because the numbers are already baked into the cake in the current law.
Actually, the left is doing their Oscar winning performance over the alleged failure of Obama to get new revenue. This also allows the fig leaf of a Republican victory to be portrayed to the Republican caucus. It is also quite phony.
There is nothing to like about the bill. It doesn't do anything but pretend to slow down the rate of growth of the government, plus it cuts military spending, and it will end up raising taxes. It is a total defeat.
This reminds me of what Churchill said about Munich. Chamberlain went to Munich to get "peace in our time", but got the opposite. Then, when he got back, he was greeted with tumultuous applause, and anyone who said otherwise were shouted down. The failure was so great that it was hard to imagine why Chamberlain did it.
It wasn't necessary in Europe in 1938, nor here today. It is also a war between freedom and tyranny, and like Munich, tyranny won. Limbaugh is sounding like Churchill. He is saying that this was an unmitigated defeat and so it was.
Actually, the left is doing their Oscar winning performance over the alleged failure of Obama to get new revenue. This also allows the fig leaf of a Republican victory to be portrayed to the Republican caucus. It is also quite phony.
There is nothing to like about the bill. It doesn't do anything but pretend to slow down the rate of growth of the government, plus it cuts military spending, and it will end up raising taxes. It is a total defeat.
This reminds me of what Churchill said about Munich. Chamberlain went to Munich to get "peace in our time", but got the opposite. Then, when he got back, he was greeted with tumultuous applause, and anyone who said otherwise were shouted down. The failure was so great that it was hard to imagine why Chamberlain did it.
It wasn't necessary in Europe in 1938, nor here today. It is also a war between freedom and tyranny, and like Munich, tyranny won. Limbaugh is sounding like Churchill. He is saying that this was an unmitigated defeat and so it was.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Powerline prize winner: The Spending is Nuts
It is not too bad. Actually, it is quite good. Maybe I shoulda thought of something like that.
With that, I bid you good evening.
With that, I bid you good evening.
Rossi – Let the eCat Speak For Itself
Independent E-cat news
Rossi answers his critics on his blog. Actually, it doesn't really matter to me what the general public thinks about his product. However, it is in his own best interest as a businessman to have the best possible impression out there in the public. Therefore, from the business point of view, I think his attitude is not in his own best interest. He obviously feels otherwise.
He may want to define someone like me as an "imbecile". That may very well be from a purely technical viewpoint. However, it appears to me that he doesn't have all that much common sense. For if he did have a very great product, as many people as possible should know that and believe that. The market for his product would be assured and he would in short time become a very rich man.
Although he may get rich from this device, it is well to note that the Wright Brothers didn't get all that rich from their invention. The invention of heavier than air flight was one of the most significant events in history. Just saying.
Strategic analysis of the Budget Control Act
Keith Hennessey
Hennessey does a laudable job of reporting and analysis here. I recommend it.
It appears that Hennessey has scored this as a Republican "win". I'm doubtful of that. Besides, the bill hardly touches entitlements and risks deep defense cuts. I don't see that a much of a victory.
Odds are that it will pass. The Tea Partiers may object, but their numbers are too small.
Update:
Anyone who has ever listened to the Limbaugh show will understand baseline budgeting. That is why this bill is a bunch of nonsense. Here is a humorous post that shows how baseline budgeting works.
Much ado about Nothing
Actually, I haven't read
this Shakespearean comedy before. It also appears to be a type of phrase that is supposed to describe a situation where there's a lot of apparent fuss and bother, but it turns out not to matter much. With that thought in mind, I'll use the phrase to describe what I think of the budget deal that Congress has just hatched. Furthermore, the punditocracy seems to think it is a big deal, with all the fuss and bother about who won and who lost, when everybody knows they are huffing and puffing over nothing much. It is also well to note that the comedic phrase is also describing a comedic scenario of Congress actually working sincerely to solve a serious problem. As for the problem itself, it is seems like there "something rotten in Denmark".
this Shakespearean comedy before. It also appears to be a type of phrase that is supposed to describe a situation where there's a lot of apparent fuss and bother, but it turns out not to matter much. With that thought in mind, I'll use the phrase to describe what I think of the budget deal that Congress has just hatched. Furthermore, the punditocracy seems to think it is a big deal, with all the fuss and bother about who won and who lost, when everybody knows they are huffing and puffing over nothing much. It is also well to note that the comedic phrase is also describing a comedic scenario of Congress actually working sincerely to solve a serious problem. As for the problem itself, it is seems like there "something rotten in Denmark".
A little more about me
I am a private person, I admit it. Perhaps some of the problem here is that people don't know enough about me. I am not inclined to discuss myself that much. Nor did I see a need to. However, when I looked at my profile page here, I noticed that there really isn't enough there about me, and what was there isn't enough. Yet, I do not really want to discuss it that much. What to do?
I think that it is necessary to discuss myself more and my life a little more. I don't know how much I really want to disclose, however. One thing that I've learned is that there really aren't that many secrets. If somebody wants to know about you, they will find out something.
But what they will find out will be second hand, not from the source, which is myself. What others may say may not be accurate. But I don't tend to lie about anything, and if you think that is too much to believe, you would be making a mistake. I really do believe that honesty is the best policy and I do my best to live up to it.
I think a good part of me is already here within this blog. It states what I believe to be true, and I can't give a better testimony to who I am than that. But it isn't the whole story by any means.
Since I do not want to discuss personal matters, I think I can mention professional matters. That should be fair enough.
So, I'll discuss that much. Think of it like a job application.
I think the biographical stuff has been covered. Basic age and a picture and what my job has been recently, as a truck driver.
A little more on that subject. To be sure, truck driving was not my first choice. I did mention that I did some programming before, but not that much professionally. I did work, however briefly, with IBM Nasa in the late seventies. It was not a permanent job, but a job as a "co-op", which was connected to my studies with the University of Houston. The way that worked is that you go a semester to school and then work a semester at a real job. Except the job really wasn't real, or all that real. ( There wasn't anything substantial in the way of job assignments. IBM Nasa was really real. ) I did only 1 semester at IBM. I appreciated the opportunity, but I didn't make the most of it. My fault, I admit it freely.
I did finish up my degree in Computer Science at the University of Houston, but failed to catch on with anybody in a professional capacity. Why not? There are those who blame me for it, and perhaps I deserve some blame for it, in the sense that they seem to believe. But, I also think that my education wasn't as good as it could have been. I believe that if I had the relevant background training, I could have made it. I feel that it is necessary to discuss this in connection with writing a blog like this, because there are those who may think negatively about me because of a lack of professional accomplishment.
And that would be correct, but it isn't the whole story. I think I could have used some good advice, but like a lot of things, I pretty much had to handle everything myself. It isn't as though I didn't get any help at all, but I definitely could have used more.
It is also true that I am almost fanatically independent. Even if someone offered their advice, I'm not completely sure that I would have taken it (in my younger years when these decisions were being made). It wasn't until some significant mistakes had been made that I started seeking input and by that time, it was pretty much too late. By that time, I was getting in my late twenties and I needed to make more money than I was, so I began a driving career. I've been at it since.
But I never gave up the idea of doing something else. I had a degree in Computer Science, that should have been worth more than a driving job. But unless I wanted something in management or sales, which I didn't want either, this was it. So, here was where I remained, except for a few sabbaticals like this one.
This blog hasn't been the only sabbatical. I had one previously, and it had the same name as this one. I was hoping for some carryover effect, but that didn't seem to happen. I have almost no readership that I know of from that time, which was in the summer to fall of 2004, corresponding to the election of 2004.
Prior to 2004, and up to it, and even up to now, I became interested in the markets.
Actually, I began in 1998, which is about the time that the great bull market ended. That is another one of my problems, I seem to have the worst possible timing. In 1998, there was a downturn, which was brief, then a quick blow off rally that ended in a crash of the NASDAQ in early 2000. The market hasn't been the same since.
I stopped being a stock picker in 2004, or even before that. Stocks just seemed to be too unpredictable. They still are, but I think, even more so. So, I began to be more interested in macro economics. In 2004, I was trading currencies. But, I switched over to gold. I have had great success with it, as I think I have come across something which I understand and is true. But not everybody seems to understand it. That's why they are still believing the lies that get told in order to keep them ignorant and poor. The lies that give rise to our current predicament, which is out of control government. I write about that not only because I am interested in politics, but because it is our country! It is literally falling apart. Western Civilization too, is in a lot of trouble. But that has always been true, to some extent. Let's not get too morbid.
I had a brief notion to become a stock broker in the eighties. In fact, it was 1987. Do you recognize that year? It was the year that the market crashed. So much for that idea.
About that time too, I got the idea to do self publishing. It would be of my own software. I wrote a few titles and made a few sales. But it wasn't a commercial success. I also tried to get my stuff published. The publisher's name I got from a guy named Taegan Goddard
. That Taegan Goddard? Well, I am not sure. I think it is the same guy. It would make sense based upon what he told me about his software, which they did publish. Also, his software was consistent with what he does now, so I think it was the same guy. I only knew him online through an online service, which was available to folks back then. It wasn't the internet, but it was the precursor.
Prior to driving a truck, I worked in retail. For a couple years, I was a manager of a wallpaper store. Before working there, I worked as a manager of a tire store. I even tried my hand at auto mechanics, but that didn't work out too well. Frankly, mechanical things are a bit out of my league, but from time to time, I can do little things. But big things, like overhauling an engine? Fuggedaboutit!
Before going to college, I considered become an Air Force pilot. But that required 20 20 vision and I don't have that. But I never did fly. I considered taking some lessons, but other priorities prevailed. I did fly on flight simulators on the computer though. That's why this banana hobby videos are interesting to me, in case you were wondering.
A long, long time ago, while still in high school, I studied guitar. Like everything else, it was self taught. I had a friend in high school who wanted a music career. His music is up for sale on the Products page, in case you are interested. He gave me a chord book and I studied it. I took only one formal lesson. I never did become much of a guitar player.
I think that about covers it. Yes, there one more thing. I like the NFL. So, I am really glad the lock out is over and football is coming soon. R U ready for some footballlllllllllll?
I think that it is necessary to discuss myself more and my life a little more. I don't know how much I really want to disclose, however. One thing that I've learned is that there really aren't that many secrets. If somebody wants to know about you, they will find out something.
But what they will find out will be second hand, not from the source, which is myself. What others may say may not be accurate. But I don't tend to lie about anything, and if you think that is too much to believe, you would be making a mistake. I really do believe that honesty is the best policy and I do my best to live up to it.
I think a good part of me is already here within this blog. It states what I believe to be true, and I can't give a better testimony to who I am than that. But it isn't the whole story by any means.
Since I do not want to discuss personal matters, I think I can mention professional matters. That should be fair enough.
So, I'll discuss that much. Think of it like a job application.
I think the biographical stuff has been covered. Basic age and a picture and what my job has been recently, as a truck driver.
A little more on that subject. To be sure, truck driving was not my first choice. I did mention that I did some programming before, but not that much professionally. I did work, however briefly, with IBM Nasa in the late seventies. It was not a permanent job, but a job as a "co-op", which was connected to my studies with the University of Houston. The way that worked is that you go a semester to school and then work a semester at a real job. Except the job really wasn't real, or all that real. ( There wasn't anything substantial in the way of job assignments. IBM Nasa was really real. ) I did only 1 semester at IBM. I appreciated the opportunity, but I didn't make the most of it. My fault, I admit it freely.
I did finish up my degree in Computer Science at the University of Houston, but failed to catch on with anybody in a professional capacity. Why not? There are those who blame me for it, and perhaps I deserve some blame for it, in the sense that they seem to believe. But, I also think that my education wasn't as good as it could have been. I believe that if I had the relevant background training, I could have made it. I feel that it is necessary to discuss this in connection with writing a blog like this, because there are those who may think negatively about me because of a lack of professional accomplishment.
And that would be correct, but it isn't the whole story. I think I could have used some good advice, but like a lot of things, I pretty much had to handle everything myself. It isn't as though I didn't get any help at all, but I definitely could have used more.
It is also true that I am almost fanatically independent. Even if someone offered their advice, I'm not completely sure that I would have taken it (in my younger years when these decisions were being made). It wasn't until some significant mistakes had been made that I started seeking input and by that time, it was pretty much too late. By that time, I was getting in my late twenties and I needed to make more money than I was, so I began a driving career. I've been at it since.
But I never gave up the idea of doing something else. I had a degree in Computer Science, that should have been worth more than a driving job. But unless I wanted something in management or sales, which I didn't want either, this was it. So, here was where I remained, except for a few sabbaticals like this one.
This blog hasn't been the only sabbatical. I had one previously, and it had the same name as this one. I was hoping for some carryover effect, but that didn't seem to happen. I have almost no readership that I know of from that time, which was in the summer to fall of 2004, corresponding to the election of 2004.
Prior to 2004, and up to it, and even up to now, I became interested in the markets.
Actually, I began in 1998, which is about the time that the great bull market ended. That is another one of my problems, I seem to have the worst possible timing. In 1998, there was a downturn, which was brief, then a quick blow off rally that ended in a crash of the NASDAQ in early 2000. The market hasn't been the same since.
I stopped being a stock picker in 2004, or even before that. Stocks just seemed to be too unpredictable. They still are, but I think, even more so. So, I began to be more interested in macro economics. In 2004, I was trading currencies. But, I switched over to gold. I have had great success with it, as I think I have come across something which I understand and is true. But not everybody seems to understand it. That's why they are still believing the lies that get told in order to keep them ignorant and poor. The lies that give rise to our current predicament, which is out of control government. I write about that not only because I am interested in politics, but because it is our country! It is literally falling apart. Western Civilization too, is in a lot of trouble. But that has always been true, to some extent. Let's not get too morbid.
I had a brief notion to become a stock broker in the eighties. In fact, it was 1987. Do you recognize that year? It was the year that the market crashed. So much for that idea.
About that time too, I got the idea to do self publishing. It would be of my own software. I wrote a few titles and made a few sales. But it wasn't a commercial success. I also tried to get my stuff published. The publisher's name I got from a guy named Taegan Goddard
. That Taegan Goddard? Well, I am not sure. I think it is the same guy. It would make sense based upon what he told me about his software, which they did publish. Also, his software was consistent with what he does now, so I think it was the same guy. I only knew him online through an online service, which was available to folks back then. It wasn't the internet, but it was the precursor.Prior to driving a truck, I worked in retail. For a couple years, I was a manager of a wallpaper store. Before working there, I worked as a manager of a tire store. I even tried my hand at auto mechanics, but that didn't work out too well. Frankly, mechanical things are a bit out of my league, but from time to time, I can do little things. But big things, like overhauling an engine? Fuggedaboutit!
Before going to college, I considered become an Air Force pilot. But that required 20 20 vision and I don't have that. But I never did fly. I considered taking some lessons, but other priorities prevailed. I did fly on flight simulators on the computer though. That's why this banana hobby videos are interesting to me, in case you were wondering.
A long, long time ago, while still in high school, I studied guitar. Like everything else, it was self taught. I had a friend in high school who wanted a music career. His music is up for sale on the Products page, in case you are interested. He gave me a chord book and I studied it. I took only one formal lesson. I never did become much of a guitar player.
I think that about covers it. Yes, there one more thing. I like the NFL. So, I am really glad the lock out is over and football is coming soon. R U ready for some footballlllllllllll?
Morning Summary, 8/1
Good morning. I'm catching up on the details of the budget deal. My opinion remains essentially the same. It appears that the Democrats and their accomplices in the media are trying to convince everyone that they are suffering over this, but I think it is all an Oscar winning performance. I don't buy into this at all. Phony as a three dollar bill.
I ordered The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space
yesterday. It may seem odd that I haven't read it before, while being so gung ho on space colonization. Basically, I ordered it in order to see how he planned to accomplish it-- from a technical point of view.
If it is just an argument for it from the political point of view, I will be a bit disappointed. Of course, you can make political arguments until you are blue in the face, but you will never get anyone to agree politically unless you figure out how you can do this technically. It has to fit into our capabilities, not only technically, but economically. Otherwise, it can never get support.
People don't believe that we can do this. But a lot of people didn't believe that we could go to the moon either. Von Braun convinced Kennedy that we could. In the end, that may be the way to get it done.
Update:
With respect to the debt ceiling talks, I have just skimmed through the powerpoint put out by the Speaker. I am still suspicious. They've only been able to get them to agree to Medicare cuts that only apply to payments to providers. This doesn't really cut anything in the program itself. The cuts to the military are going to be real cuts though. Not a good deal.
I am also suspicious of the baseline being followed. It is argued that this baseline would prevent any increases in new taxes, but how does that apply to the Bush Tax Cuts? This amounts to an effective tax increase while at the same time claiming not to raise taxes. It looks gimmicky to me. I am definitely suspicious.
As a result of all this, the Democrats stand a chance to get everything they want without giving up anything at all. To the extent that they may actually be giving up something, they still have a chance to win back the House and undo all of this.
The Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) is only a vote. It is true that cuts will have to take place in the next round, BUT according to the outline mentioned above, or the amendment being sent to the states. That means if the Democrats can get a favorable ( from their point of view) BBA, they may forego the cuts altogether!
This deal doesn't look good enough on several levels. It is a nice try at subterfuge though.
I ordered The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space
yesterday. It may seem odd that I haven't read it before, while being so gung ho on space colonization. Basically, I ordered it in order to see how he planned to accomplish it-- from a technical point of view. If it is just an argument for it from the political point of view, I will be a bit disappointed. Of course, you can make political arguments until you are blue in the face, but you will never get anyone to agree politically unless you figure out how you can do this technically. It has to fit into our capabilities, not only technically, but economically. Otherwise, it can never get support.
People don't believe that we can do this. But a lot of people didn't believe that we could go to the moon either. Von Braun convinced Kennedy that we could. In the end, that may be the way to get it done.
Update:
With respect to the debt ceiling talks, I have just skimmed through the powerpoint put out by the Speaker. I am still suspicious. They've only been able to get them to agree to Medicare cuts that only apply to payments to providers. This doesn't really cut anything in the program itself. The cuts to the military are going to be real cuts though. Not a good deal.
I am also suspicious of the baseline being followed. It is argued that this baseline would prevent any increases in new taxes, but how does that apply to the Bush Tax Cuts? This amounts to an effective tax increase while at the same time claiming not to raise taxes. It looks gimmicky to me. I am definitely suspicious.
As a result of all this, the Democrats stand a chance to get everything they want without giving up anything at all. To the extent that they may actually be giving up something, they still have a chance to win back the House and undo all of this.
The Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) is only a vote. It is true that cuts will have to take place in the next round, BUT according to the outline mentioned above, or the amendment being sent to the states. That means if the Democrats can get a favorable ( from their point of view) BBA, they may forego the cuts altogether!
This deal doesn't look good enough on several levels. It is a nice try at subterfuge though.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
The Evening Summary, 7/31
Another month in the can. The year is proceeding so fast.
I've spent the last several hours going over the latest news in the debt limit story. From what I know about it, I am against it. It looks as if the worse possible outcome is going to be presented to the House and that they are going to be pressured into going along.
If this is correct, then what you may expect is that some of the Republicans might get peeled off and vote with Democrats to pass the bill.
It is a bad bill. The entitlement "cuts" only go to providers, not to beneficiaries. There is no structural change, which will be necessary for a real deal. It is phony baloney all the way. The cuts to the military are phony, but promise to get real in the second round. So, basically, the Republicans are giving up real cuts for phony cuts. The only thing they have "achieved" is no tax increase. But this too is at risk. Actually, they are at risk for a total defeat on all fronts.
They may as well concede defeat and pass a "clean" bill. Stop pretending that they are actually doing anything about the deficit because they are not. In case that they really are doing anything, it is only to defense, which is not a good idea, unless it is truly across the board. Defense cuts should be used as a bargaining chip, but they are being given away.
Thanks for coming by and have a great evening.
I've spent the last several hours going over the latest news in the debt limit story. From what I know about it, I am against it. It looks as if the worse possible outcome is going to be presented to the House and that they are going to be pressured into going along.
If this is correct, then what you may expect is that some of the Republicans might get peeled off and vote with Democrats to pass the bill.
It is a bad bill. The entitlement "cuts" only go to providers, not to beneficiaries. There is no structural change, which will be necessary for a real deal. It is phony baloney all the way. The cuts to the military are phony, but promise to get real in the second round. So, basically, the Republicans are giving up real cuts for phony cuts. The only thing they have "achieved" is no tax increase. But this too is at risk. Actually, they are at risk for a total defeat on all fronts.
They may as well concede defeat and pass a "clean" bill. Stop pretending that they are actually doing anything about the deficit because they are not. In case that they really are doing anything, it is only to defense, which is not a good idea, unless it is truly across the board. Defense cuts should be used as a bargaining chip, but they are being given away.
Thanks for coming by and have a great evening.
Newsletter - Edition 273 - 31 July 2011 By Christopher Laird
The weekly newsletter has arrived and I've just read through it. As usual, it is pretty bleak. Unfortunately, a lot of his gloomy forecasts seem to come true.
You can access the link in the products page. It is a subscription based service.
Intro
BDI
It’s already a depression by employment stats
Stop all unnecessary spending
Wage arbitrage (the ‘new economy’)
Communism coming to the EU
Structural economic changes (not just debt)
What stood in the way so far
Two big things coming down
A survival stash
US debt situation
You can access the link in the products page. It is a subscription based service.
Intro
BDI
It’s already a depression by employment stats
Stop all unnecessary spending
Wage arbitrage (the ‘new economy’)
Communism coming to the EU
Structural economic changes (not just debt)
What stood in the way so far
Two big things coming down
A survival stash
US debt situation
What does one TRILLION dollars look like?
An instructive example of the physical size of this much money. You may be surprised at how big it is.
Update:
By the way, this is what our government is spending all that money on.
Update:
By the way, this is what our government is spending all that money on.
13. Widom-Larsen Theory Simplified
As long as we are destroying everybody's faith in "cold fusion", here's this article about another theory of low energy nuclear reactions.
Incidentally, one of Huizenga's objections to "cold fusion" was how did the Coulomb barrier get surpassed? I wrote about a theory that covered that possibility recently. Check the label, "BECNF Ni-H Theory" for a list of those posts.
Incidentally, one of Huizenga's objections to "cold fusion" was how did the Coulomb barrier get surpassed? I wrote about a theory that covered that possibility recently. Check the label, "BECNF Ni-H Theory" for a list of those posts.
Report #3: Scientific Analysis of Rossi, Focardi and Levi Claims
This is a very critical report on Rossi's E-cat device. After reading this, you may feel despair. I don't. That's because I didn't invest as much hope in it as many people seem to have. However, I must admit that it did fool me. I got up to 95% sure of this thing, but, unfortunately, according to Krivit, it doesn't appear to work as claimed. However, the door is still open here for rebuttal of Krivit's criticisms. It has to be admited, though, that Rossi has a lot of 'splaining to do.
The Morning Summary, 7/31
Good morning. I've made a couple of small changes to the blog, which I will mention briefly.
The most popular posts on the sidebar has a few options in terms of length of time. One of these is for all time, which is set to right now. The previous setting was for the past week only. It may be interesting to somebody out there, so I will change it up from time to time.
In addition, I changed the heading a bit. It seems to be a slight improvement over the last heading.
One other thing, as I mentioned yesterday, my priorities may need to change a bit. I will continue blogging, but it will be lighter than it has been. The blog's traffic just doesn't justify the amount of time and effort spent upon it. Other things need my attention.
The most popular posts on the sidebar has a few options in terms of length of time. One of these is for all time, which is set to right now. The previous setting was for the past week only. It may be interesting to somebody out there, so I will change it up from time to time.
In addition, I changed the heading a bit. It seems to be a slight improvement over the last heading.
One other thing, as I mentioned yesterday, my priorities may need to change a bit. I will continue blogging, but it will be lighter than it has been. The blog's traffic just doesn't justify the amount of time and effort spent upon it. Other things need my attention.
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