Pentagon paper shufflers are about to release the new Request for Proposal (RFP in mil jargon) on a replacement tanker. USAF is currently still flying the KC135's bought in the Eisenhower administration. Good planes and all, but they have been flying for 50 years and its time to buy new ones.
USAF would like to get a bid from Boeing and a competing bid from Airbus. They figure two bidders will get the government a better price than a sole source buy. Plus the Air Force doesn't like Boeing much, and would be happy to give the job to Airbus. They tried just that two years ago but Boeing had good lawyers and got the contract award overturned.
Technically the job is straight forward. Buy 179 jet airliners, take out the seats and install tanks. This is not rocket science.
For some reason, Airbus is balking. They say it will cost them $100 million to do the bidding paperwork and the RFP is slanted toward Boeing. Presumable Airbus figures they won't win this time, and in that case, why go to all the trouble?
One thing is clear, the Air Force thinks its doing a design and development of a brand new aircraft. They have a list of 372 requirements that the design must meet, 93 more optional requirements, and a fancy computer program (Ifara) that will "evaluate" performance on a variety of missions. This attitude is a guaranteed cost enhancer.
An air liner is an airliner. Airbus and Boeing will propose existing airliners. Either plane would work just fine, both of them have been flying paying passengers for years. Both planes performance (speed, take off weight, range, engine power, instrumentation) is well known and well documented. Both aircraft compete successfully in the international air liner market, which means one is about as good as the other.
The Air Force should procure the standard run-of-the-production-line aircraft. They should not ask for modifications of any kind. These planes don't need modifications, they work fine just as they are. Modifications are expensive, and the expense lasts the live of the aircraft. Standard aircraft can use standard spare parts, widely available and in stock to support the civilian fleet. Modified aircraft need special spare parts which are not stocked commercially. Uncle Sam will have to buy, store, and maintain these special spare parts at taxpayer expense.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Z1485 Kodak Easyshare Digital Camera gotcha
If you take pictures with the memory card removed, be sure to copy the pix off the camera into your computer BEFORE reinserting the memory card. Any pix taken while the memory card is out are stored in the camera's limited internal RAM. Re inserting the memory card wipes the RAM and the pictures go the the great bit bucket in the sky.
How do I know this? I pulled the memory card out of the camera and stuck it into the computer to copy new pictures off the camera. I had an attack of the stupids and forgot to put the memory card back into the camera. Took the camera in my pocket and snapped a few pictures.
Being of a suspicious turn of mind, I copied the pix off the camera using the USB cable first. Then I put the memory card back in the camera. Sure enough, the new pix disappeared from the camera.
I don't believe the manual talks about this gotcha.
How do I know this? I pulled the memory card out of the camera and stuck it into the computer to copy new pictures off the camera. I had an attack of the stupids and forgot to put the memory card back into the camera. Took the camera in my pocket and snapped a few pictures.
Being of a suspicious turn of mind, I copied the pix off the camera using the USB cable first. Then I put the memory card back in the camera. Sure enough, the new pix disappeared from the camera.
I don't believe the manual talks about this gotcha.
Another spending cut
This article suggests shutting down the National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for Democracy.
In a day of multi trillion dollar deficits, the money is only a billion or so, but you know what Dirksen said, "A billion here, a billion there and pretty soon we are talking real money".
NPR's programming is now so strong it doesn't need public subsidy any more. They can sell ads just like real networks do.
Any art that needs a government subsidy is bad art. Good art supports itself by sales. If people won't buy it, it's bad art. By definition.
The Humanities (English lit, history, art, music and such) do not need subsidy. Not with college tuitions as high as they are. Most college student major in the humanities anyway, science and engineering are too hard for them. That much tuition money is plenty.
I'd never heard of the National Endowment for Democracy before, so it obviously isn't doing anything worth while.
In a day of multi trillion dollar deficits, the money is only a billion or so, but you know what Dirksen said, "A billion here, a billion there and pretty soon we are talking real money".
NPR's programming is now so strong it doesn't need public subsidy any more. They can sell ads just like real networks do.
Any art that needs a government subsidy is bad art. Good art supports itself by sales. If people won't buy it, it's bad art. By definition.
The Humanities (English lit, history, art, music and such) do not need subsidy. Not with college tuitions as high as they are. Most college student major in the humanities anyway, science and engineering are too hard for them. That much tuition money is plenty.
I'd never heard of the National Endowment for Democracy before, so it obviously isn't doing anything worth while.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Gambling hearing in Concord
I got on the road to Concord at 8 AM, too early really. I was in Concord by 9:10 and the hearing didn't start until 10:30. By 10 AM there was a huge semitrailer truck, all painted up for the United Auto Workers parked in from the the State House. On the curb side of the truck was a platform, a mike, and a huge crowd of people wearing bright international orange T-shirts marked "Gaming Now. We need jobs". I took photos and then slipped inside the State House.
The hearing was scheduled for room 100, which has maybe 100 seats. The room was jammed, and the corridor was filled with people wanting in. By 11 AM the hearing had been moved up into the legislative chamber, which was big enough.
A bunch of senators and reps spoke in favor of more gambling. The state attorney general (forget his name) spoke against it. Couple of people from gambling think tanks estimated the gross take from gambling would be $800 million with the state getting $250 million in taxes. Then an amendment to the gambling bill was publicized. Instead of using gambling revenue to close the state deficit, the new revenues would be turned over to Health and Human Services and spent on a vast collection of welfare programs. In short, lets spend it as fast as it comes in.
Executives from Rockingham and the Nashua Golf & Gamble casino spoke about their plans. Rockingham was talking about $450 million capital investment, the Nashua deal didn't mention money but they promised a 300 room luxury hotel, convention space, big casino and a first class golf course.
A representative of the State Police spoke in favor of gambling, but he didn't really explain why. I assume he was hoping for some money to flow to the Staties from the gambling revenue. A rep from the League of Women Voters spoke against.
All in all, the pro grambling people out numbered the anti gamblers. By 2:30 they got down to me, and I gave a three minute talk against.
As I walked back to the car, I passed a couple of the gambling think tank guys on the sidewalk with a TV camera doing a man on the street interview. They were coaching the man on the street as to what to say.
I got home just at 4 PM. The cat was over joyed to see her human come back. Lotta time to deliver a three minute talk.
--
The hearing was scheduled for room 100, which has maybe 100 seats. The room was jammed, and the corridor was filled with people wanting in. By 11 AM the hearing had been moved up into the legislative chamber, which was big enough.
A bunch of senators and reps spoke in favor of more gambling. The state attorney general (forget his name) spoke against it. Couple of people from gambling think tanks estimated the gross take from gambling would be $800 million with the state getting $250 million in taxes. Then an amendment to the gambling bill was publicized. Instead of using gambling revenue to close the state deficit, the new revenues would be turned over to Health and Human Services and spent on a vast collection of welfare programs. In short, lets spend it as fast as it comes in.
Executives from Rockingham and the Nashua Golf & Gamble casino spoke about their plans. Rockingham was talking about $450 million capital investment, the Nashua deal didn't mention money but they promised a 300 room luxury hotel, convention space, big casino and a first class golf course.
A representative of the State Police spoke in favor of gambling, but he didn't really explain why. I assume he was hoping for some money to flow to the Staties from the gambling revenue. A rep from the League of Women Voters spoke against.
All in all, the pro grambling people out numbered the anti gamblers. By 2:30 they got down to me, and I gave a three minute talk against.
As I walked back to the car, I passed a couple of the gambling think tank guys on the sidewalk with a TV camera doing a man on the street interview. They were coaching the man on the street as to what to say.
I got home just at 4 PM. The cat was over joyed to see her human come back. Lotta time to deliver a three minute talk.
--
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Speech before the NH Gambling Committee
State sponsored gambling is Reverse Robin Hood, steal from the poor, and give to the rich.
Gamblers are our poorer, disadvantaged and less educated citizens. We call them losers, and upon entering a casino, they lose again. Dunno about you, but I am squeamish about fleecing losers.
The losers will be New Hampshire citizens. People won’t fly in from the west coast, or even drive up from Boston to play slots at Indian Head. Gambling takes money from the poor of New Hampshire. Gambling doesn’t create wealth, it merely redistributes it.
The casino management will be experienced out of state people, from Vegas and Atlantic City, mostly with Mob connections. The Mob started Vegas and still controls it, politely of course. Same goes for Atlantic City. You can’t find an experienced casino manager who isn’t tied to the Mob.
Jobs promised by the gambling “industry” are bottom level, waiting tables, making beds, sweeping floors, no health benefits, no career path. The only winners are casino operators. They get their cut before any taxes are paid. They also do the books. Want to bet they show humongous expenses, no profit and hence owe no taxes?
SB 490 sets up a gambling commission with juicy jobs. The commissioners get $50 million license fees with no obligation to put the money into the state treasury. They get the power to revoke casino licenses. The casinos will go out of their way to treat the commissioners right. Free meals, free drinks, free this and that, walking around money, a split on the take. What other under the table kickbacks can they invent?
The commissioners can do criminal record checks on casino employees but don’t have to divulge the results to anyone without a court order. Prevents the citizens from getting upset about the Mob connections of people in the gambling business.
Tourists contribute a lot to the New Hampshire economy. We get incredible numbers of tourists from out of state and over seas. They come to experience the New Hampshire advantage, natural beauty, mountains, woods, lakes, rivers. They climb, hike, camp, ride the tramway, hunt, fish, ski, leaf watch. Many of them love New Hampshire so much they build taxable vacation homes and ski chalets. Casinos are tacky, casino people are tacky, and casino customers (gamblers) are unattractive. Garish neon signs on the Indian Head on the way into Franconia Notch are a turn off. Let’s not drive off the paying tourists by turning upstate New Hampshire into Las Vegas with pine trees.
Gamblers are our poorer, disadvantaged and less educated citizens. We call them losers, and upon entering a casino, they lose again. Dunno about you, but I am squeamish about fleecing losers.
The losers will be New Hampshire citizens. People won’t fly in from the west coast, or even drive up from Boston to play slots at Indian Head. Gambling takes money from the poor of New Hampshire. Gambling doesn’t create wealth, it merely redistributes it.
The casino management will be experienced out of state people, from Vegas and Atlantic City, mostly with Mob connections. The Mob started Vegas and still controls it, politely of course. Same goes for Atlantic City. You can’t find an experienced casino manager who isn’t tied to the Mob.
Jobs promised by the gambling “industry” are bottom level, waiting tables, making beds, sweeping floors, no health benefits, no career path. The only winners are casino operators. They get their cut before any taxes are paid. They also do the books. Want to bet they show humongous expenses, no profit and hence owe no taxes?
SB 490 sets up a gambling commission with juicy jobs. The commissioners get $50 million license fees with no obligation to put the money into the state treasury. They get the power to revoke casino licenses. The casinos will go out of their way to treat the commissioners right. Free meals, free drinks, free this and that, walking around money, a split on the take. What other under the table kickbacks can they invent?
The commissioners can do criminal record checks on casino employees but don’t have to divulge the results to anyone without a court order. Prevents the citizens from getting upset about the Mob connections of people in the gambling business.
Tourists contribute a lot to the New Hampshire economy. We get incredible numbers of tourists from out of state and over seas. They come to experience the New Hampshire advantage, natural beauty, mountains, woods, lakes, rivers. They climb, hike, camp, ride the tramway, hunt, fish, ski, leaf watch. Many of them love New Hampshire so much they build taxable vacation homes and ski chalets. Casinos are tacky, casino people are tacky, and casino customers (gamblers) are unattractive. Garish neon signs on the Indian Head on the way into Franconia Notch are a turn off. Let’s not drive off the paying tourists by turning upstate New Hampshire into Las Vegas with pine trees.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Bank regulation works in Canada
Canada avoided the 2006 housing bubble and avoided the 2008 housing crash. Could this be due to more conservative banking policies? Good article here.
Canadian hockey wins American Beer
First, congratulations to Team USA. They played a good game, made it to the finals and almost won. Better luck next time.
I heard on the radio that Obama had wagered a case of beer with the Canadians on the match. Bad choice. Canadians consider American beer to be weak and flavorless. They have a point there, personally I buy Canadian beer cause it tastes better. If Obama sends a case of Bud Light to Ottawa, the Canadians will get a good laugh out of it.
It would have been better to bet a case of whiskey, something both countries do well. A case of Jack Daniels is a fair wager against a case of Canadian Club.
I heard on the radio that Obama had wagered a case of beer with the Canadians on the match. Bad choice. Canadians consider American beer to be weak and flavorless. They have a point there, personally I buy Canadian beer cause it tastes better. If Obama sends a case of Bud Light to Ottawa, the Canadians will get a good laugh out of it.
It would have been better to bet a case of whiskey, something both countries do well. A case of Jack Daniels is a fair wager against a case of Canadian Club.
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