Get the lead out

Aviation gasoline still contains lead.  Older engines need lead in the fuel to extend the life of the valves.  Lead does something magical to valve seats allowing better heat transfer from the hot valve to the cooler valve seat.  Detroit did something to automobile engines to cope when lead was banned from motor gas.  Aviation engine makers have not, as yet. 
  And leaded avgas is running short.  Some places are charging $22 a gallon for it. So Cessna is now offering a diesel engine in their Skylane 182.  Which works, but the price seems high.  The standard Cessna 182 lists for $398,100 with full avionics.  The diesel Cessna will cost $515,000   Which is a lot for an ordinary four place light plane that has been in production since 1956.  I suppose the full avionics, auto pilot, and GPS run the bill up some, and you can probably wheel and deal and get some kind of discount, sort of like buying a new car where nobody pays sticker price, but still a lot of money.

Polarized. Really?

Political pundits keep referring to our current situation as "polarized".  Usually after some bill they favor is defeated in Congress.  But is "polarized" the right word? 
   In electronics (my old day job) a part was "polarized" if it only went into the circuit one way round.  When a polarized part was inserted backward bad things happened, up to and including fire and explosion.  By analogy, taking the word from the electronics world to the pundit world, a "polarized" Congress ought to mean a Congress all pointed in the same direction.  Like wise for  an electorate.
   In real life, the Congress and the electorate are split, 50-50 on a lot of important issues (president to elect, taxes, spending, wedge issues).  When the pundits wail about nothing getting done, it because neither side has the votes to ram their policy down the throats of the other side. 
   "Divided" is a better description of the current state of affairs than "polarized".

Eleanor Clift on the McLaughlin Shouting Match

They were discussing matters in Mexico, the drug wars, immigration, and the new president-elect.  Eleanor mentioned  "The recent discovery of oil has helped Mexico."  Recent?  The Mexicans have been pumping oil for the last hundred years.  They created Pemex in 1938.  That's recent?
   Of course Eleanor works for Newsweek magazine, which is doing so well that they decided to stop printing the magazine, merge with The Daily Beast and become a pure web site.  Real commercial success that is.  I wonder how much Eleanor's learned writing had to do with that.
  

Anne Kuster on WMUR this morning

She is telling whoppers on TV.  She says seniors are repelled by the Ryan medicare plan.  Really?  Especially as the Ryan plan calls for seniors, (55 and up) to receive current medicare, no changes.  Where as Obamacare takes $716 billion away from medicare and gives it to newly entitled Obamacare recipients.
  Then she slams her Republican opponent, Charlie Bass, for accepting oil company money and voting in an oil company tax break.  Of course she never mentions just which oil companies are doing the contributing and never mentions just what act of Congress gave the oil companies their tax break.  Come to think of it, somebody has been running the same attack ad on the Internet.
   The WMUR host never did ask Kuster about out of state PAC money paying for those attack ads on Charlie Bass. 

Pill prices decline

Went down to Walmart's yesterday to refill my various prescriptions.  Best news, Plavex is down to $7.68 for 90 days worth.  A year ago it was $150.  Let's hear it for coming off patent. 

The Economist doesn't like Romney much

Just finished this week's Economist.  They have a couple of full page articles on Romney where they explain how he has flip flopped on issues, failed to express himself clearly, and is having trouble collecting the conservative Republicans.  Then they do an electoral vote projection with a map.   Their projections are based on polls, or the Real Clear Politics average of polls.  And they call states for Obama or for Romney with a lead in the polls of only a couple of percent.  To me, a couple of percent in August polls really means "too close to call".   And, I think the Gallup and Rasmussen polls by them selves are better than the Real Clear Politics average of all the polls. 
  At least they call New Hampshire "dead even", whereas other pundits think we are "strongly Obama".

Why does the FBI have its own Air Force?

Republicans are bashing Attorney General Holder over taking joy rides in FBI aircraft.  Which is a a legitimate zinger, but more interesting is the fact that the FBI has its own aircraft.  Why?  Why cannot FBI agents fly commercial, stand in security lines and get groped by TSA just like the rest of us?   Aircraft are ultra expensive to own and operate.  Corporations are thinning out their aircraft under stock holder pressure.  As far as stockholders are concerned, corporate aircraft just suck up money that could otherwise go to dividends.  As far as this tax payer is concerned, FBI aircraft just suck up money, they don't stop crime.   Yet another place to do a little sequestration.