Vermont Public radio was giving air time to the global warmers yesterday. Walking thru a Massachusetts state forest, and wailing about the terrible things that global warming was doing to the forest. It was eight below zero that night and it's still damn cold today. What global warming?
Plus, this is a forest. They grow just fine from Georgia to Maine. Even if global warming were to make Massachusetts are warm as Georgia (unlikely) the forest would thrive.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Banks, need therefore
Last year Bush and Congress decided that banks were so important to the national economy as to deserve $750 billion "Troubled Assets Recovery Program" (TARP for short) to bail them out. So far, we taxpayers have given out half of that ($350 billion) to banks. The banks have put the money into the vault, to make themselves look solvent as their piles of mortgage backed securities, credit default swaps, and other dodgy paper have steadily lost value. They haven't been lending it much.
If we really want want money lent out, let's authorize the Fed to directly lend money to US corporations. The commercial banks are shot. They are loosing money as their trash securities fall in price faster than Uncle Sam can pour taxpayer money into them. Why bother to bail out Citi's bad investments. Bypass the banks, and lend taxpayer money directly to US companies that need it. Let the banks sink or swim.
If we really want want money lent out, let's authorize the Fed to directly lend money to US corporations. The commercial banks are shot. They are loosing money as their trash securities fall in price faster than Uncle Sam can pour taxpayer money into them. Why bother to bail out Citi's bad investments. Bypass the banks, and lend taxpayer money directly to US companies that need it. Let the banks sink or swim.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Stimulus vs Pork
$850 Billion is enough money to choke a hog (but not a congress). Skimming shows the bill full of all kinds of stuff, medicare, money for TV converter boxes, welfare, unemployment.
In my book, stimulus ought to be limited to investment in real assets that make the US more productive. Building dams, power plants, oil and gas pipelines, airports, bridges, power lines, wifi hotspots. Things that produce wealth, or facilitate producing wealth by improving transportation and communication and basic utilities count.
Paying medical bills, paying routine maintenance costs, repaving, repainting, buying "energy efficient" vehicles don't count. They just consume money that could be better spent.
Also, we need it now, this year, next month. Spending targeted for 2010 and the outyears isn't stimulus, its special interests locking in their funding so they don't have to worry about lobbying for money next year.
In my book, stimulus ought to be limited to investment in real assets that make the US more productive. Building dams, power plants, oil and gas pipelines, airports, bridges, power lines, wifi hotspots. Things that produce wealth, or facilitate producing wealth by improving transportation and communication and basic utilities count.
Paying medical bills, paying routine maintenance costs, repaving, repainting, buying "energy efficient" vehicles don't count. They just consume money that could be better spent.
Also, we need it now, this year, next month. Spending targeted for 2010 and the outyears isn't stimulus, its special interests locking in their funding so they don't have to worry about lobbying for money next year.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
New Tube
Yesterday (Friday) my old faithful NEC Multisync 75 monitor croaked. Something let go in the vertical drive circuit resulting in all the video squozed into the middle third of the screen. The poor NEC is at least 10 years old, so it didn't owe me anything. I'll drop it off down at the "transfer station" (town dump) next trip.
The only place in Littleton with computer stuff AND open on Saturday is Staples, the office supply place. I spent a half an hour looking at the array of flat panel monitors (no CRT's anymore) wondering what to buy. There was a smallish Compaq for only $109, Samsungs, Acers, Dells, HP's and AOC (who ever they may be) for prices running from $175 to $279. I couldn't see any real difference in video quality and the sales guy didn't either. I finally settled on a 19" Dell 1908WFP. Dell was the only maker with a matte finish black bezel and screen, which I like 'cause it cuts down on reflections in the monitor. HP had a high gloss screen and bezel and I could clearly see every lamp in the store reflecting off it.
The instructions were mostly boilerplate to keep the lawyers happy. Not a word about what to do with the software CD. So I plugged everything in, monitor lit up and presto, video. Then I loaded the driver and wonder upon wonders, it was able to make my 4 year old Compaq SR 175oNx motherboard produce right shaped video. The Dell monitor is one of those wide 16:9 aspect ratio screens whereas the tried and true CRT monitors are all 4:5 aspect ratio. When I first powered up, the monitor worked, but the video was all stretched out sidewise. The clever driver loaded from the CD was able to work some magic on the "Radion 200" video driver on the Compaq's mother board and make things come out square again. That's kind of impressive when you consider that four years ago, when the motherboard was new, CRT monitors were common and flat screen monitors were rare and pricey.
So, success, I can use the computer again, and the new monitor is crisp, sharp, and bigger than the poor old NEC.
The only place in Littleton with computer stuff AND open on Saturday is Staples, the office supply place. I spent a half an hour looking at the array of flat panel monitors (no CRT's anymore) wondering what to buy. There was a smallish Compaq for only $109, Samsungs, Acers, Dells, HP's and AOC (who ever they may be) for prices running from $175 to $279. I couldn't see any real difference in video quality and the sales guy didn't either. I finally settled on a 19" Dell 1908WFP. Dell was the only maker with a matte finish black bezel and screen, which I like 'cause it cuts down on reflections in the monitor. HP had a high gloss screen and bezel and I could clearly see every lamp in the store reflecting off it.
The instructions were mostly boilerplate to keep the lawyers happy. Not a word about what to do with the software CD. So I plugged everything in, monitor lit up and presto, video. Then I loaded the driver and wonder upon wonders, it was able to make my 4 year old Compaq SR 175oNx motherboard produce right shaped video. The Dell monitor is one of those wide 16:9 aspect ratio screens whereas the tried and true CRT monitors are all 4:5 aspect ratio. When I first powered up, the monitor worked, but the video was all stretched out sidewise. The clever driver loaded from the CD was able to work some magic on the "Radion 200" video driver on the Compaq's mother board and make things come out square again. That's kind of impressive when you consider that four years ago, when the motherboard was new, CRT monitors were common and flat screen monitors were rare and pricey.
So, success, I can use the computer again, and the new monitor is crisp, sharp, and bigger than the poor old NEC.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Over Lawyered
After taking the oath of office on national TV, in front of the entire US establishment, some lawyer suggested that a minor verbal stumble by the Chief Justice rendered the whole thing invalid. Obama, a man with no practical experience in the real world, and a lawyer himself, fell for this line. So the chief justice comes over the the White House and does it again, just for grins. There are a few pool reporters and the White House photographer did the pictures.
Now the newsies are complaining that they didn't get enough "access" and "transparency". This whining must be coming from the vast majority who didn't get the opportunity to crowd around and then pontificate about a not terribly significant event.
In actual fact all the voters and taxpayers consider Obama the legitimate president because he won the election. Only the wingnuts who are still contesting Obama's citizenship would give a hoot. And nothing will convince a wingnut of anything. So why did he bother?
Now the newsies are complaining that they didn't get enough "access" and "transparency". This whining must be coming from the vast majority who didn't get the opportunity to crowd around and then pontificate about a not terribly significant event.
In actual fact all the voters and taxpayers consider Obama the legitimate president because he won the election. Only the wingnuts who are still contesting Obama's citizenship would give a hoot. And nothing will convince a wingnut of anything. So why did he bother?
Drinking Age
Good blog posting here. The best argument for lowering the drinking age is safety. The safest place to drink is a pub within walking distance of home or college dorm. Since this is illegal now, the under aged drink where ever they think they can get away with it. Often at a great distance, requiring a drive home after drinking. The bad part about youth drinking, is the drive home after imbibing. Lot of deaths, and permanent injuries, to say nothing of the number of smashed up automobiles.
Our children would live longer and get into less trouble if they could drink in on campus or local pubs.
I don't believe the current drinking age prevents teenagers from drinking. I am a parent and have some experience in this matter. I know that preventing them from drinking on campus increases the risk of death.
Our children would live longer and get into less trouble if they could drink in on campus or local pubs.
I don't believe the current drinking age prevents teenagers from drinking. I am a parent and have some experience in this matter. I know that preventing them from drinking on campus increases the risk of death.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Welfare for Lawyers
New Hampshire has a medical malpractice reduction law which requires malpractice cases to be presented to a state malpractice board BEFORE going to court. The board reviews the case and issues an opinion (doctor is innocent/doctor is guilty). Lawyers are free to sue no matter what the board opinion is. However the board's opinion will be presented to the jury at trial. This board has been in operation since 2005, and in that time only one half the cases presented to the board actually went on to trial. Our own Senator John Gallus supported this law back in 2005.
Apparently the board opinion carries great weight with juries. Malpractice lawyers complain presenting the case to the board is as expensive as presenting it at trial, which doubles their costs to win a malpractice case.
Now a REPUBLICAN rep, Robert Rowe of Hillsborough has submitted House Bill 50, to repeal the law requiring a board presentation.
Arrgh. How can a man call himself Republican who is in the pocket of the trial lawyers? How can this man's voter's stand for such cost enhancement and prosecution of their doctors?
Apparently the board opinion carries great weight with juries. Malpractice lawyers complain presenting the case to the board is as expensive as presenting it at trial, which doubles their costs to win a malpractice case.
Now a REPUBLICAN rep, Robert Rowe of Hillsborough has submitted House Bill 50, to repeal the law requiring a board presentation.
Arrgh. How can a man call himself Republican who is in the pocket of the trial lawyers? How can this man's voter's stand for such cost enhancement and prosecution of their doctors?
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