Would we be healthier if professional health care workers made more housecalls?
Why is that all other while collar professionals (lawyers, CPA's, bankers, etc.) are perfectly willing to leave their offices and come to their client's homes or places of business, but we are forced to meet our doctors, physician assistants and the like mostly in their offices alone?
How can the medical professional truly treat the "whole" person without seeing the very day-to-day environments in which they live? It's a fair question, I believe.
Imagine if your doctor could see that what is continuously making you sick is the fact that your home has not been dusted for ten years? Or, he can see that you live next door to a factory spewing out high levels of potentially cacrinogenic particulates. Or, the visiting nurse notices that you have 100 cats living in your house and that may be contributing to your kids' asthma. The list is endless.
Our healthcare system is geared to looking at tactical causes and effects and then presecribing tactical -- read "pharmaceutical" -- solutions to a specific problem. It is not particularly clever at looking at the whole picture of human health and wellness because it only sees its "customers" in a clinical setting. In short, it can not treat the whole person unless it understands the whole picture. But there is a simple answer. And, it won't cost that much. In fact, in the end it will save our healthcare system billions as we should all be that much healthier. Even if the end result is a 10 percent reduction in healthcare cost, the savings would be significant.
Part of pro-active, preventive treatment efforts should include physician assistants, nurses and the like -- if not physicians themselves -- making annual home visits. I don't know one person who likes visiting the doctor's office. It's inconvenient. It's often a cattle call. We wait endlessly and are given 15 minutes or less to visit with someone who is supposed to quickly ascertain our health or lack thereof. It's ridiculous. How much healthier might our society be if the medical profession brought healthcare to the people versus the other way around.
Sure, you'd still need to go to the doctor's office for obvious reasons. But, if you could choose to have a health care worker come to you for routine "maintenance" of your health care, what might the end result be?
Like most Americans I think that we need more common sense approaches to solving our health care system. Throwing more money at it has not reduced the numbers of uninsured. My senior thesis is colleage in the late 80s focused on ideas for insuring the nation's 30 million uninsured at that time. 20+ years later, 50 million are uninsured. So, we've had plenty of time to consider this issue and make creative changes. Yet, here we are -- no better than where we were two decades ago.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
INITIAL ANALYSIS OF BIODIESEL PLANT PRACTICALITY FOR OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON. JULY 2009.
I believe that there is and will be a healthy market for biodiesel in the Pacific Northwest. It’s all about mastering the fundamentals, which includes tax incentives, segmenting market demand, understanding distribution infrastructure, and exploiting Big Oil’s built-in limitations. Oh, and of course, tapping in to the desire of consumers to replace foreign oil with domestic energy sources that help Americans and the planet. Americans seem to understand now that sending our manufacturing jobs overseas has not provided a long-term positive for our own economy and so the pendulum for wanting to keep jobs at home is swinging back. The power of that paradigm shift cannot be overstated.
"For the first time in a long time there are some financial incentives to attract manufacturing in the U.S.," Source: Roger Efird, president of Suntech America, a subsidiary of the world's largest solar power company, based in China.
And while developing a small footprint (sub 2MMgy) biodiesel processing plant may be counter to conventional wisdom, what follows are my arguments for why an opportunity is revealing itself now to create a long-term, sustainable business in biodiesel processing through plants that have annual production capacity of less than two million gallons.
In recent years, several new Federal laws designed to increase the production and consumption of domestic biofuels have been enacted. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established the Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandated that transportation fuels sold in the United States contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels, the level of which increases yearly until 2022. In December 2007, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 increased the mandatory levels of renewable fuel blending credits to a total of 36 billion gallons by 2022, including 16 million gallons of cellulosic biofuels. By comparison, in 2007, the United States consumed 6.8 billion gallons of ethanol and 491 million gallons of biodiesel.
Biodiesel consumption is predicted to increase to 1.2 billion gallons by 2030, or approximately only 1.5% of total diesel consumption. Consumption of renewable diesel, made from cellulosic materials, is expected to substantially exceed biodiesel consumption by 2030.
But this is only part of the story. The big trend is this: Petroleum refining capacity in the United States has been declining since the late 1960s. Petroleum demand has been increasing. So, a massive gap between the decreasing supply of refined oil and the increasing demand has been created. Domestic supplies, then, have been made up by foreign imports of refined oil products. Americans love the oil, they’ve just lost their appetite for foreign oil.
There are only two choices: add more refining capability, which we likely won’t do as no one wants a new refinery in their backyard, or build smaller refineries using domestic oil stocks. If we are going to build refining capacity, we might as well refine our own feedstocks rather than buy them from governments in the Middle East and South America.
Note: Any American who believes that our energy needs are being appropriately provided by the status quo – especially with regard to petroleum – is either naïve or purposely acting counter to our national interests. The fact is, petroleum is not the answer to our long-term energy needs. We must develop more local, closed-loop energy solutions that remove the myriad threats posed by our continued reliance on petroleum and its byproducts.
The arguments for and against biodiesel in particular and biofuels in general are many and complex. The arguments in favor of biodiesel are simple. Here are just a few…
1. BOTH CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES ARE INVESTING IN BIOFUEL INNOVATIONS AT PARADIGM-SHIFTING RATES. Paralleling efforts in the U.S. to expand the use of biodiesel, the Canadian Parliament last year passed a Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requiring biodiesel sold in Canada to contain an average of 2% renewable content, in the diesel supply. Four years ago, there was no significant market for biodiesel in North America, now both nations are aggressively trying to stimulate the growth of biodiesel production.
According to the National Biodiesel Board, there has been a nationwide explosion of biodiesel production in the past few years. The National Biodiesel Board, an industry trade group, estimates the 176 refineries that were functioning in 2008 produced 700 million gallons of biodiesel -- a 1,300 percent increase over 1999 production. That trend is expected to slow, but there will be continued growth, with at least 39 plants under construction and biofuel regulations either existing or proposed in nearly every state. But biodiesel's long-term future is clouded by, among other things, the availability of raw material for the alternative fuel.
The reasons why governments in Canada and the U.S. and Canada are doing this are simple. In biodiesel, everyone wins. The farmers. The entrepreneurs. The consumers. And, most importantly, the politicians who want to keep their jobs. There is simply no real political or economic downside. It could be argued (and it is by many) that the current price of petro-diesel, which is higher by several cents than gasoline, means that biodiesel is going to be unattractive to consumers for a good while longer. But, that is only a small part of the picture. It ignores the fact that the vast majority of petro-diesel is consumed by businesses like truck fleets, river and ocean shipping, Over the long-term, biodiesel production will provide a wide variety of economic and environmental benefits that cannot be ignored.
2. THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY IS ABOUT ONE THING: JOB CREATION. Renewable fuels provide a major source of economic opportunity. New green jobs are already being created. Expanded production will equal increased industrial and commercial development. Perhaps most excitingly, renewable fuels will spark economic expansion for farm families and the forestry sector - which will provide the feedstocks for new fuels that we harvest, rather than extract. Re-creating jobs in the forestry and agriculatural sectors in the Pacific Northwest is politically attractive.
The Portland Development Commission (PDC) commissioned a study two years ago to evaluate crops that have the highest potential as a biodiesel feedstock and where they may be grown in Oregon. The PDC did this, in part, to demonstrate to the majority of the state – which is rural – that it could be a partner in providing win-win economic solutions for not just city dwellers, but rural as well. The report examined the viability of a Portland-based biodiesel refinery with a capacity of one half million gallons annually as a starting point. Canola was the feedstock focal point because of its hardiness as a seed oil crop in many parts of Oregon.
3. THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY BEING PUT INTO THE “GREEN ECONOMY.” The U.S. plans to spend $50-$100 billion in economic stimulus funds for extended renewable energy tax credits, building efficiency retrofits, subway and light rail projects, and environmental restoration programs. Many of these programs intersect with the business of biodiesel. In particular, the U.S. Department of Energy is providing loan guarantees up to 80% of the project costs. States are also providing incentives. A list of some of those incentives is attached.
4. OUR BIGGEST LONG-TERM COMPETITOR, BIG OIL, IS ALSO LIKELY OUR MOST SIGNIFICANT LONG-TERM PARTNER PROVIDING A CLEAR POSSIBLE EXIT OPPORTUNITY. Large petroleum processors like ExxonMobil, Marathon Oil and ConcocoPhillips have a right to be concerned about the proliferation of biofuels processing in the United States. It’s only my opinion, but It could be argued that a conspiracy is being led by Big Oil to kill the budding biofuels industry by, among other things, stifling production of petroleum in the near-term. They are also trying to drive up prices for their own products, but if it harms the nascent biofuels market that can’t be bad for them either.
Big Oil’s greatest threat is our greatest asset and that is this. Big Oil has a finite amount of refining capacity for at least the next ten years. No new refineries have been developed in the United States since 1976 and it can take a decade or more to build a new one. In early 2009, many larger refineries cut capital investments by billions of dollars, so capacity will not be able to come online quickly once the economy inevitably turns around.
Even in the worst-case scenario where the economy does not start growing again for another five years, petroleum refinery capacity will not be much different from what it is now. This means that prices for petroleum will inevitably rise which leads to more dependence on foreign stocks ultimately. That is not a sustainable model for the United States in the long-run.
5. SMALL BIOFUEL REFINERIES THAT ARE CLOSE TO THEIR FEEDSTOCKS SIMPLY MAKE SENSE. In a late November 2008 report, widely cited by media around the world, Merrill Lynch analysts shared a belief that energy markets today are mostly centralized, thus decentralized energy generation is evolving toward a horizontal, distributed industry. That’s a fancy way of saying that “small is beautiful.” In Oregon, small biodiesel refineries can create local markets for farmers. They can create local jobs, which is attractive to local governments. They also reduce the costs of fuel eventually because one of the biggest costs for petroleum is in transportation.
Recent yield trials in the Willamette Valley have shown that available winter canola varieties can produce in excess of 4,000 lbs. of seed per acre. Other production regions under consideration are the Columbia Basin (dryland and irrigated), Central Oregon near Madras, and Northeast Oregon in the LaGrande area. Even though yields may be lower (2,000 to 3,000 lbs. per acre) outside the Willamette Valley, canola may serve as a valuable rotation crop in these areas.
In spite of recent media reports suggesting that biodiesel crops may be restricted from expanding in Oregon, growing demand is likely to ensure that just the opposite will occur. We can be a part of ensuring that Oregon continues to expand production limits which are due for reconsideration by Oregon Department of Agriculture crop regulators in September. There is a more technical reason, though, why Oregon is likely to expand canola crop expansion. Using canola in a crop rotation with grass seed and wheat benefits Oregon growers.
Canola plants have strong taproots that penetrate compacted soil layers that fibrous roots of grass seed and cereal crops cannot. Growing canola can significantly improve soil tilth and increase water infiltration rates in compacted soils, reducing tillage costs and improving performance of following crops. Including canola in the crop rotation will also help growers control grass weeds, which are becoming greater problems in both grass seed and wheat production. This is particularly important in the Willamette Valley where grass weeds have become a major problem in grass seed production fields, and growers have few non-grass crop rotation options.
6. ANOTHER SUPPORTING COROLLARY TO THE “SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL” SCENARIO INVOLVES THE DISTRIBUTED GROWTH OF SEED CRUSHING OPERATIONS. The use of small, decentralized mechanical oilseed crushers that extract vegetable oil without the use of solvents is a growing phenomenon. This concept has been used very successfully in Europe and Asia for local production of cooking oil, biodiesel, and oilseed meal for animal feed for decades. This technology allows extraction of oil on-farm or by small local enterprises, virtually eliminating transportation costs. Filtered, virgin oil is sold for edible or industrial use, and the meal is usually consumed by animals on-farm or sold to local dairies.
Advantages of On-Farm Oilseed Processing Facilities:
Low capital cost ($100,000 – $250,000)
No waste products
Minimal siting issues – on-farm or industrial sites will work
Small footprint and low power usage
Low raw material transportation and storage costs
Create rural jobs and value-added opportunity
There are, of course, some disadvantages to on-farm oilseed processing. These include, low throughput, possible quality control issues (no on-site lab) and high residual oil content ( 8-12%) remaining in the meal. But, mobile oilseed crushing units are already being considered as a potential solution to the problem. These mobile crushers would likely be able to quickly increase their capacity from about 200 gallons of oil per day to as much as 400 or more, thus making them economically-viable. Indeed, there may be another profitable business in this sector focused on bringing the crusher to the farm, rather than the seeds to the crusher.
7. OREGON’S BIGGEST INDUSTRY IS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. WHY? BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF LAND. According to state agricultural resources, Oregon can suitably grow as many as 300,000 acres of canola in the next few years on an annual basis. This represents a 100X increase in production from the current 3,000 acres. Our calculations show that for every 1MMgy of production, you’d need about 30,000 acres of canola in rotation. That can likely be cut by a significant amount if yields can be properly managed. As we do have such a large agricultural product base, we have a significant volume of relevant infrastructure for moving agricultural products to markets. These include strong networks of roads and rail transport, as well as the infrastructure that supports river movement of products along the Columbia – the fifth largest river in the world.
END NOTES
http://earthtrends.wri.org/text/energy-resources/variable-817.html
http://www.biodiesel.org/news/taxincentive/
"For the first time in a long time there are some financial incentives to attract manufacturing in the U.S.," Source: Roger Efird, president of Suntech America, a subsidiary of the world's largest solar power company, based in China.
And while developing a small footprint (sub 2MMgy) biodiesel processing plant may be counter to conventional wisdom, what follows are my arguments for why an opportunity is revealing itself now to create a long-term, sustainable business in biodiesel processing through plants that have annual production capacity of less than two million gallons.
In recent years, several new Federal laws designed to increase the production and consumption of domestic biofuels have been enacted. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established the Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandated that transportation fuels sold in the United States contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels, the level of which increases yearly until 2022. In December 2007, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 increased the mandatory levels of renewable fuel blending credits to a total of 36 billion gallons by 2022, including 16 million gallons of cellulosic biofuels. By comparison, in 2007, the United States consumed 6.8 billion gallons of ethanol and 491 million gallons of biodiesel.
Biodiesel consumption is predicted to increase to 1.2 billion gallons by 2030, or approximately only 1.5% of total diesel consumption. Consumption of renewable diesel, made from cellulosic materials, is expected to substantially exceed biodiesel consumption by 2030.
But this is only part of the story. The big trend is this: Petroleum refining capacity in the United States has been declining since the late 1960s. Petroleum demand has been increasing. So, a massive gap between the decreasing supply of refined oil and the increasing demand has been created. Domestic supplies, then, have been made up by foreign imports of refined oil products. Americans love the oil, they’ve just lost their appetite for foreign oil.
There are only two choices: add more refining capability, which we likely won’t do as no one wants a new refinery in their backyard, or build smaller refineries using domestic oil stocks. If we are going to build refining capacity, we might as well refine our own feedstocks rather than buy them from governments in the Middle East and South America.
Note: Any American who believes that our energy needs are being appropriately provided by the status quo – especially with regard to petroleum – is either naïve or purposely acting counter to our national interests. The fact is, petroleum is not the answer to our long-term energy needs. We must develop more local, closed-loop energy solutions that remove the myriad threats posed by our continued reliance on petroleum and its byproducts.
The arguments for and against biodiesel in particular and biofuels in general are many and complex. The arguments in favor of biodiesel are simple. Here are just a few…
1. BOTH CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES ARE INVESTING IN BIOFUEL INNOVATIONS AT PARADIGM-SHIFTING RATES. Paralleling efforts in the U.S. to expand the use of biodiesel, the Canadian Parliament last year passed a Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requiring biodiesel sold in Canada to contain an average of 2% renewable content, in the diesel supply. Four years ago, there was no significant market for biodiesel in North America, now both nations are aggressively trying to stimulate the growth of biodiesel production.
According to the National Biodiesel Board, there has been a nationwide explosion of biodiesel production in the past few years. The National Biodiesel Board, an industry trade group, estimates the 176 refineries that were functioning in 2008 produced 700 million gallons of biodiesel -- a 1,300 percent increase over 1999 production. That trend is expected to slow, but there will be continued growth, with at least 39 plants under construction and biofuel regulations either existing or proposed in nearly every state. But biodiesel's long-term future is clouded by, among other things, the availability of raw material for the alternative fuel.
The reasons why governments in Canada and the U.S. and Canada are doing this are simple. In biodiesel, everyone wins. The farmers. The entrepreneurs. The consumers. And, most importantly, the politicians who want to keep their jobs. There is simply no real political or economic downside. It could be argued (and it is by many) that the current price of petro-diesel, which is higher by several cents than gasoline, means that biodiesel is going to be unattractive to consumers for a good while longer. But, that is only a small part of the picture. It ignores the fact that the vast majority of petro-diesel is consumed by businesses like truck fleets, river and ocean shipping, Over the long-term, biodiesel production will provide a wide variety of economic and environmental benefits that cannot be ignored.
2. THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY IS ABOUT ONE THING: JOB CREATION. Renewable fuels provide a major source of economic opportunity. New green jobs are already being created. Expanded production will equal increased industrial and commercial development. Perhaps most excitingly, renewable fuels will spark economic expansion for farm families and the forestry sector - which will provide the feedstocks for new fuels that we harvest, rather than extract. Re-creating jobs in the forestry and agriculatural sectors in the Pacific Northwest is politically attractive.
The Portland Development Commission (PDC) commissioned a study two years ago to evaluate crops that have the highest potential as a biodiesel feedstock and where they may be grown in Oregon. The PDC did this, in part, to demonstrate to the majority of the state – which is rural – that it could be a partner in providing win-win economic solutions for not just city dwellers, but rural as well. The report examined the viability of a Portland-based biodiesel refinery with a capacity of one half million gallons annually as a starting point. Canola was the feedstock focal point because of its hardiness as a seed oil crop in many parts of Oregon.
3. THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY BEING PUT INTO THE “GREEN ECONOMY.” The U.S. plans to spend $50-$100 billion in economic stimulus funds for extended renewable energy tax credits, building efficiency retrofits, subway and light rail projects, and environmental restoration programs. Many of these programs intersect with the business of biodiesel. In particular, the U.S. Department of Energy is providing loan guarantees up to 80% of the project costs. States are also providing incentives. A list of some of those incentives is attached.
4. OUR BIGGEST LONG-TERM COMPETITOR, BIG OIL, IS ALSO LIKELY OUR MOST SIGNIFICANT LONG-TERM PARTNER PROVIDING A CLEAR POSSIBLE EXIT OPPORTUNITY. Large petroleum processors like ExxonMobil, Marathon Oil and ConcocoPhillips have a right to be concerned about the proliferation of biofuels processing in the United States. It’s only my opinion, but It could be argued that a conspiracy is being led by Big Oil to kill the budding biofuels industry by, among other things, stifling production of petroleum in the near-term. They are also trying to drive up prices for their own products, but if it harms the nascent biofuels market that can’t be bad for them either.
Big Oil’s greatest threat is our greatest asset and that is this. Big Oil has a finite amount of refining capacity for at least the next ten years. No new refineries have been developed in the United States since 1976 and it can take a decade or more to build a new one. In early 2009, many larger refineries cut capital investments by billions of dollars, so capacity will not be able to come online quickly once the economy inevitably turns around.
Even in the worst-case scenario where the economy does not start growing again for another five years, petroleum refinery capacity will not be much different from what it is now. This means that prices for petroleum will inevitably rise which leads to more dependence on foreign stocks ultimately. That is not a sustainable model for the United States in the long-run.
5. SMALL BIOFUEL REFINERIES THAT ARE CLOSE TO THEIR FEEDSTOCKS SIMPLY MAKE SENSE. In a late November 2008 report, widely cited by media around the world, Merrill Lynch analysts shared a belief that energy markets today are mostly centralized, thus decentralized energy generation is evolving toward a horizontal, distributed industry. That’s a fancy way of saying that “small is beautiful.” In Oregon, small biodiesel refineries can create local markets for farmers. They can create local jobs, which is attractive to local governments. They also reduce the costs of fuel eventually because one of the biggest costs for petroleum is in transportation.
Recent yield trials in the Willamette Valley have shown that available winter canola varieties can produce in excess of 4,000 lbs. of seed per acre. Other production regions under consideration are the Columbia Basin (dryland and irrigated), Central Oregon near Madras, and Northeast Oregon in the LaGrande area. Even though yields may be lower (2,000 to 3,000 lbs. per acre) outside the Willamette Valley, canola may serve as a valuable rotation crop in these areas.
In spite of recent media reports suggesting that biodiesel crops may be restricted from expanding in Oregon, growing demand is likely to ensure that just the opposite will occur. We can be a part of ensuring that Oregon continues to expand production limits which are due for reconsideration by Oregon Department of Agriculture crop regulators in September. There is a more technical reason, though, why Oregon is likely to expand canola crop expansion. Using canola in a crop rotation with grass seed and wheat benefits Oregon growers.
Canola plants have strong taproots that penetrate compacted soil layers that fibrous roots of grass seed and cereal crops cannot. Growing canola can significantly improve soil tilth and increase water infiltration rates in compacted soils, reducing tillage costs and improving performance of following crops. Including canola in the crop rotation will also help growers control grass weeds, which are becoming greater problems in both grass seed and wheat production. This is particularly important in the Willamette Valley where grass weeds have become a major problem in grass seed production fields, and growers have few non-grass crop rotation options.
6. ANOTHER SUPPORTING COROLLARY TO THE “SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL” SCENARIO INVOLVES THE DISTRIBUTED GROWTH OF SEED CRUSHING OPERATIONS. The use of small, decentralized mechanical oilseed crushers that extract vegetable oil without the use of solvents is a growing phenomenon. This concept has been used very successfully in Europe and Asia for local production of cooking oil, biodiesel, and oilseed meal for animal feed for decades. This technology allows extraction of oil on-farm or by small local enterprises, virtually eliminating transportation costs. Filtered, virgin oil is sold for edible or industrial use, and the meal is usually consumed by animals on-farm or sold to local dairies.
Advantages of On-Farm Oilseed Processing Facilities:
Low capital cost ($100,000 – $250,000)
No waste products
Minimal siting issues – on-farm or industrial sites will work
Small footprint and low power usage
Low raw material transportation and storage costs
Create rural jobs and value-added opportunity
There are, of course, some disadvantages to on-farm oilseed processing. These include, low throughput, possible quality control issues (no on-site lab) and high residual oil content ( 8-12%) remaining in the meal. But, mobile oilseed crushing units are already being considered as a potential solution to the problem. These mobile crushers would likely be able to quickly increase their capacity from about 200 gallons of oil per day to as much as 400 or more, thus making them economically-viable. Indeed, there may be another profitable business in this sector focused on bringing the crusher to the farm, rather than the seeds to the crusher.
7. OREGON’S BIGGEST INDUSTRY IS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. WHY? BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF LAND. According to state agricultural resources, Oregon can suitably grow as many as 300,000 acres of canola in the next few years on an annual basis. This represents a 100X increase in production from the current 3,000 acres. Our calculations show that for every 1MMgy of production, you’d need about 30,000 acres of canola in rotation. That can likely be cut by a significant amount if yields can be properly managed. As we do have such a large agricultural product base, we have a significant volume of relevant infrastructure for moving agricultural products to markets. These include strong networks of roads and rail transport, as well as the infrastructure that supports river movement of products along the Columbia – the fifth largest river in the world.
END NOTES
http://earthtrends.wri.org/text/energy-resources/variable-817.html
http://www.biodiesel.org/news/taxincentive/
Friday, July 3, 2009
California Drivin'
I drove to San Diego, California this past week from Portland, OR. I could talk about Oregon all day. It's a beautiful state and I have a new appreciation for it having driven the entire length of California. The Golden state could generally be divided in to 4 sections along I-5.
Section 1: NoCal. Mount Shasta. Green trees. Mountains. Kind of like West Virginia only with a lot more brown coloring. The water was very low in the lakes. Guess it's not snowing or raining enough in the Shasta watershed? Either way, one can't help but be impressed with the natural beauty of this part of the state. It's a postcard around every corner.
Section 2: The Valley. Hot. Dry. Lots of aqueducts, fruit trees, almond trees, and a helluvalot of dust. This part takes up about 1/3 of the state. As you whisk along at 70 MPH, you get the sense the state flower is the retread tire scrap. Pieces of retread line I-5 for hundreds of miles. Someone could make a lot of money just picking these up and recycling them. Hey Governor Schwarzenegger! Maybe you could spare some convicts to do a little road work? This section really does not end until you hit the outer northern suburbs of Los Angeles. It has its own beauty, I suppose. But, mostly it's just miles and miles of agriculture. And, clearly, they are having a water problem. There were signs everywhere complaining of the "Congress Made Dust Bowl."
Section 3: Los Angeles. Los Angeles has to be one of the ugliest cities in the world. What's really criminal is that it does not have to be that way. It has so much potential, so much energy, so many rich and smart people. It's pathetic. All that creativity and no one smart enough to simply pick up the garbage. Cruising along I-5 gives one the impression that the city is just fine with that. There is an unbelievable amount of debris and detritus of daily life along the freeway and under passes. It's astonishing. You'd think with all of L.A.s' problems, someone would at least take out the trash. I know I sound a little like my grandmother here scolding my aunt for keeping an untidy home; dishes in the sink, garbage overflowing, bathrooms that would make a fraternity house look like a Level One clean room, etc. I think Antonio Villaraigosa should be ashamed of what he is presiding over. Hey Mayor Villaraigosa! Some advice: be the change you want to see in (your) world. You could start by doing a little roadside clean up.
Section 4: Carlsbad. An oasis of pure California dreamin' bliss. Beaches. Sand. Surf. Clean taco stands with friendly gold-toothed cashiers. Even the bathrooms in these little dives are clean. It's Boca Raton with hills. Lots of neat little malls and shops for the well-heeled, botoxed and SUV-loving face painters tanned to perfection. We stayed at the sterile, but perfectly adequate, Grand Pacific Palisades Hotel and Resort. It was impeccably clean, but devoid of personality. I felt like I'd landed in a Logan's Run set piece.
California is a little like a middle aged man whose athletic glory days are fading fast. His middle is a real problem, but he's still got the shoulders and legs of his old form; his top and bottom show what he could be again. But, he needs to do some sit ups, lay off the carbs and get a plan for the next phase of his life. My advice if you are planning to drive the length of the Bear State: taake a nap once you hit Weed and stay asleep until you hit Miramar. You won't miss much.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
A.I.G. is At It (A) 'Gin. $100 Million in Bonuses! Please wake me when this is over.
My fellow suckers, er, I mean, Americans:
Wall Street does not need another bail out. It needs a massive rout out by the Orkin Man. Sadly, I am not sure if there is enough rat poison on the planet to get rid of the infestation of vermin that so determinedly resides there. Rats hate bright lights, so everyone grab a torch or flashlight. We can hunt them together.
Damnit.
The news a few hours ago is that A.I.G.'s government-appointed chairman, Mr. Edward Liddy (who can't seem to keep a lid-dy on the money pot) has been cowed by, and I am not making this up, a bunch of lawyers who have apparently told him that $100 million in bonuses must be paid to the very people who brought A.I.G., and part of our economy, to its very knees.
Here's the kicker.
Just a moment, though, it's more than a kicker, it's the umpteenth sucker punch.
Mr. Liddy tells us, woefully, that he must pay these bonuses in order to retain these people; people who might otherwise leave.
Memo to Mr. Liddy.
1. Planet Earth is calling. Wake the f*%$#k up!
2. Fire the lawyers. They, as usual, don't know J-A-C-K. Looks like they know Bill, though, as in Bill-by-the-hour (in six minute increments, of course).
3. Fire the people who got us in to this mess! Why, in the Lord's Holy Name, are these people still working at A.I.G.?
4. I want my country back. Please leave the keys under the mat.
We must get our heads screwed on correctly here, people. I wish no personal harm to the people at A.I.G. Many of them were likely following orders from some unknown lever puller who is likely enjoying Spring Break in Gstaad. Even so, they need to go take their talents elsewhere - and with haste.
I am sorry, but I simply don't believe that there are not enough brains in America to fix an insurance company. Hello! It's an insurance company! It's not a neuro surgery practice.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time to calmly assemble along West Side Drive and proceed, heads down in shame, to the southern tip of Manhattan, for a sit in. We might as well get used to sleeping outside, no need to delay. Please bring your own torch.
Wall Street does not need another bail out. It needs a massive rout out by the Orkin Man. Sadly, I am not sure if there is enough rat poison on the planet to get rid of the infestation of vermin that so determinedly resides there. Rats hate bright lights, so everyone grab a torch or flashlight. We can hunt them together.
Damnit.
The news a few hours ago is that A.I.G.'s government-appointed chairman, Mr. Edward Liddy (who can't seem to keep a lid-dy on the money pot) has been cowed by, and I am not making this up, a bunch of lawyers who have apparently told him that $100 million in bonuses must be paid to the very people who brought A.I.G., and part of our economy, to its very knees.
Here's the kicker.
Just a moment, though, it's more than a kicker, it's the umpteenth sucker punch.
Mr. Liddy tells us, woefully, that he must pay these bonuses in order to retain these people; people who might otherwise leave.
Memo to Mr. Liddy.
1. Planet Earth is calling. Wake the f*%$#k up!
2. Fire the lawyers. They, as usual, don't know J-A-C-K. Looks like they know Bill, though, as in Bill-by-the-hour (in six minute increments, of course).
3. Fire the people who got us in to this mess! Why, in the Lord's Holy Name, are these people still working at A.I.G.?
4. I want my country back. Please leave the keys under the mat.
We must get our heads screwed on correctly here, people. I wish no personal harm to the people at A.I.G. Many of them were likely following orders from some unknown lever puller who is likely enjoying Spring Break in Gstaad. Even so, they need to go take their talents elsewhere - and with haste.
I am sorry, but I simply don't believe that there are not enough brains in America to fix an insurance company. Hello! It's an insurance company! It's not a neuro surgery practice.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time to calmly assemble along West Side Drive and proceed, heads down in shame, to the southern tip of Manhattan, for a sit in. We might as well get used to sleeping outside, no need to delay. Please bring your own torch.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Dear Children: Make No Mistake. Rush Limbaugh is a Crypto-Fascist
Kids,
This past week in American history, a failed ballroom dancer and college drop out has become the de facto dictator of the Party of Lincoln in our nation. He's the kind of person who has an answer for everything, but understands the meaning of little.
In time he is either going to become an American Dictator (in some ways he already is) or he's going to fade into obscurity. In the mean time, he is dangerous and I hope as you read this you will not be victimized by his ideas or his comrades who are quite literally in arms.
The fact is, he is on record for expressing a hope that our popularly elected president, Barak Obama, fails as president. I should note that your father generally votes "conservative." So, he is no Obama agenda accolyte. President Obama has been in office less than two months and already Mr. Limbaugh is praying that his administration finds no solution to our nations problems - which are extremely difficult at this time. Mr Limbaugh's speech is not just wrong. It is morally bankrupt or worse.
For example, here's what he said to Sean Hannity in a recent interview on CNN:
"I said earlier I don't know about this guy (Obama). I really don't. I've got my — I've got my suspicions, and they're pretty close to convictions, but we're going to have to wait to see what he does." But you aren't "waiting," are you? You are simply increasing your own ratings and, byt extension, lining your own pockets, by attacking a man you admit you don't even know.
Oh, and here's the kicker. You say that the American public "think(s) he's an intellectual because of the way he speaks. And it's all about how he speaks. And I look at some of the facial expressions of people when they're watching the guy, and it's frightening."
Gosh, Rush, are you talking about President Obama or about yourself?
Mr. Limbaugh believes that "more government" involvement in our lives is the problem, not the solution, to society's many ills. On the surface that would seem correct and few people would disagree. But, what is "more government?" Or, "big government?"
When the citizenry is involved in government to the extent that they were in this last round of elections, then what's bad about that? The electorate has been stirred to act mostly in reaction to the failed policies of the former administration. Anyone who thinks that the last eight years were better than the previous sixteen, then please stand up -- and check yourself in to a mental clinic.
Change may not be pefect, but it's needed and more government is what's needed now, not less, as long as the people remain as actively involved. Besides, the tree of liberty must be pruned occasionally. That's pruned, not chopped. Mr. Limbaugh seeks to chop the tree down in order to save it.
Democratically-elected governments are comprised of people, not automatons. Government management of issues is messy sometimes. Businesses suffer the same failings. But, it's not because governments - or businesses -- are inherently bad. They fail because the people involved in them failied for one reason or another, sometimes through no fault of their own.
In our country, the people make the laws. In Rush Limabaugh's bizarro world, he makes the laws. He is the only decider of what's right or wrong or correct or incorrect. And only he dictates how the entire Republican Party will act. He has is so feared by the current elected Republican Party leadership that they cannot publicly counter his arguments without fear of reprisal. Indeed, they make public apologies whenever he feels they have wronged him which when you think about is as funny as it is pathetic. I mean, you have Ivy League-educated leaders kissing the ass of a man who could not finish one full year of secondary education. His intellectual curiousity could be measured within the length of the pages in Mein Kampf. I'd go on, but I don't want to stray too far from my point.
This week, the chairman of the Republican Party, Michael Steele, dared to suggest that Mr. Limbaugh was little more than an entertainer. For this, Mr. Steele was savagely attacked by Mr. Limbaugh on his nationally-syndicated radio program. Mr. Limbaugh has enough empathy to fill a sub atomic particle.
A side note: People who lack empathy are ultimately dangerous and you should resist their twisted logic always or our democracy is doomed. Mr. Limbaugh has achieved a special place in American society. He has chosen to use that high place as a pulpit to spout hatred, negativity and -- frankly -- stupidity. He is neither smart nor particularly talented. You must see him for what he is: a morally corrupt voice pretending to a throne of his design.
More technically, Mr. Limbaugh is a crypto-fascist, but that's a high-falutin term. He tries to obfuscate his true desires in language that makes most Americans feel comfortable. But, they should not be fooled. Rush is not interested in what's best for them, their fellow Americans -- or the world. He's interested in what's best for Rush. He's interested in his own power. And he has little fear in attacking savagely those who oppose him. Besides, what does he have to fear? When real leaders like Mr. Steele seek to bring him down to earth, he villifies them and uses hysterical rhetoric to rally his ill-informed legions.
Kids, I have practiced negative rhetoric on a small scale. It's distatesful and ultimately self-destructive. By the time you are old enough to understand this I hope that Rush is long-forgotten by the public. Having said that, I wish him personal comfort and peace. I also wish his followers the same. But, I also pray for their eventual salvation from his negativity, reclacitrance and poorly-considered brand of rhetoric. We need real leaders, not narcisssistic mouthpieces who would not know a days hard work if it hit them with a shovel.
This past week in American history, a failed ballroom dancer and college drop out has become the de facto dictator of the Party of Lincoln in our nation. He's the kind of person who has an answer for everything, but understands the meaning of little.
In time he is either going to become an American Dictator (in some ways he already is) or he's going to fade into obscurity. In the mean time, he is dangerous and I hope as you read this you will not be victimized by his ideas or his comrades who are quite literally in arms.
The fact is, he is on record for expressing a hope that our popularly elected president, Barak Obama, fails as president. I should note that your father generally votes "conservative." So, he is no Obama agenda accolyte. President Obama has been in office less than two months and already Mr. Limbaugh is praying that his administration finds no solution to our nations problems - which are extremely difficult at this time. Mr Limbaugh's speech is not just wrong. It is morally bankrupt or worse.
For example, here's what he said to Sean Hannity in a recent interview on CNN:
"I said earlier I don't know about this guy (Obama). I really don't. I've got my — I've got my suspicions, and they're pretty close to convictions, but we're going to have to wait to see what he does." But you aren't "waiting," are you? You are simply increasing your own ratings and, byt extension, lining your own pockets, by attacking a man you admit you don't even know.
Oh, and here's the kicker. You say that the American public "think(s) he's an intellectual because of the way he speaks. And it's all about how he speaks. And I look at some of the facial expressions of people when they're watching the guy, and it's frightening."
Gosh, Rush, are you talking about President Obama or about yourself?
Mr. Limbaugh believes that "more government" involvement in our lives is the problem, not the solution, to society's many ills. On the surface that would seem correct and few people would disagree. But, what is "more government?" Or, "big government?"
When the citizenry is involved in government to the extent that they were in this last round of elections, then what's bad about that? The electorate has been stirred to act mostly in reaction to the failed policies of the former administration. Anyone who thinks that the last eight years were better than the previous sixteen, then please stand up -- and check yourself in to a mental clinic.
Change may not be pefect, but it's needed and more government is what's needed now, not less, as long as the people remain as actively involved. Besides, the tree of liberty must be pruned occasionally. That's pruned, not chopped. Mr. Limbaugh seeks to chop the tree down in order to save it.
Democratically-elected governments are comprised of people, not automatons. Government management of issues is messy sometimes. Businesses suffer the same failings. But, it's not because governments - or businesses -- are inherently bad. They fail because the people involved in them failied for one reason or another, sometimes through no fault of their own.
In our country, the people make the laws. In Rush Limabaugh's bizarro world, he makes the laws. He is the only decider of what's right or wrong or correct or incorrect. And only he dictates how the entire Republican Party will act. He has is so feared by the current elected Republican Party leadership that they cannot publicly counter his arguments without fear of reprisal. Indeed, they make public apologies whenever he feels they have wronged him which when you think about is as funny as it is pathetic. I mean, you have Ivy League-educated leaders kissing the ass of a man who could not finish one full year of secondary education. His intellectual curiousity could be measured within the length of the pages in Mein Kampf. I'd go on, but I don't want to stray too far from my point.
This week, the chairman of the Republican Party, Michael Steele, dared to suggest that Mr. Limbaugh was little more than an entertainer. For this, Mr. Steele was savagely attacked by Mr. Limbaugh on his nationally-syndicated radio program. Mr. Limbaugh has enough empathy to fill a sub atomic particle.
A side note: People who lack empathy are ultimately dangerous and you should resist their twisted logic always or our democracy is doomed. Mr. Limbaugh has achieved a special place in American society. He has chosen to use that high place as a pulpit to spout hatred, negativity and -- frankly -- stupidity. He is neither smart nor particularly talented. You must see him for what he is: a morally corrupt voice pretending to a throne of his design.
More technically, Mr. Limbaugh is a crypto-fascist, but that's a high-falutin term. He tries to obfuscate his true desires in language that makes most Americans feel comfortable. But, they should not be fooled. Rush is not interested in what's best for them, their fellow Americans -- or the world. He's interested in what's best for Rush. He's interested in his own power. And he has little fear in attacking savagely those who oppose him. Besides, what does he have to fear? When real leaders like Mr. Steele seek to bring him down to earth, he villifies them and uses hysterical rhetoric to rally his ill-informed legions.
Kids, I have practiced negative rhetoric on a small scale. It's distatesful and ultimately self-destructive. By the time you are old enough to understand this I hope that Rush is long-forgotten by the public. Having said that, I wish him personal comfort and peace. I also wish his followers the same. But, I also pray for their eventual salvation from his negativity, reclacitrance and poorly-considered brand of rhetoric. We need real leaders, not narcisssistic mouthpieces who would not know a days hard work if it hit them with a shovel.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Oh You Pretty Things
Dear Children,
I am sitting here this morning listening to the news tell me that unemployment has now hit a 34 year high (last week it was reported to be a 28 year high; we are heading in the wrong direction apparently).
So, as I sip ethiopian coffee on a danish table clacking this out on a chinese-made computer I am listening to a british singer belt out this tune. It seems to suit the mood of the morning.
Wake up you sleepy head
Put on some clothes, shake up your bed
Put another log on the fire for me
Ive made some breakfast and coffee
Look out my window what do I see
A crack in the sky and a hand reaching down to me
All the nightmares came today
And it looks as though theyre here to stay
What are we coming to
No room for me, no fun for you
I think about a world to come
Where the books were found by the golden ones
Written in pain, written in awe
By a puzzled man who questioned
What we were here for
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though theyre here to stay
Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)
Dont you know youre driving your
Mamas and papas insane
Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)
Dont you know youre driving your
Mamas and papas insane
Let me make it plain
You gotta make way for the homo superior
Look at your children
See their faces in golden rays
Dont kid yourself they belong to you
Theyre the start of a coming race
The earth is a bitch
Weve finished our news
Homo sapiens have outgrown their use
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though theyre here to stay
Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)
Dont you know youre driving your
Mamas and papas insane
Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)
Dont you know youre driving your
Mamas and papas insane
Let me make it plain
You gotta make way for the homo superior
So, children, as the day begins I flip to Eric Clapton's "Let it Grow." A happier note to leave you on and begin my work...
Im standin at the crossroads
Tryin to read the signs
To tell me which way I should
Go to find the answer
And all the time I know
Let your love and let it grow.
Let it grow, let it grow,
Let it blossom, let it flow.
In the sun and in the snow
Love is lovely, let it grow.
Lookin for a reason
To check out on my mind.
Its so hard to find a
Friend that I can count on.
Theres nothin left to show,
Plant your love and let it grow.
Let it grow...
Time is gettin shorter
And theres much for you to do,
Only askn you will get what you are needin,
The rest is up to you.
Plant your love and let it grow.
I am sitting here this morning listening to the news tell me that unemployment has now hit a 34 year high (last week it was reported to be a 28 year high; we are heading in the wrong direction apparently).
So, as I sip ethiopian coffee on a danish table clacking this out on a chinese-made computer I am listening to a british singer belt out this tune. It seems to suit the mood of the morning.
Wake up you sleepy head
Put on some clothes, shake up your bed
Put another log on the fire for me
Ive made some breakfast and coffee
Look out my window what do I see
A crack in the sky and a hand reaching down to me
All the nightmares came today
And it looks as though theyre here to stay
What are we coming to
No room for me, no fun for you
I think about a world to come
Where the books were found by the golden ones
Written in pain, written in awe
By a puzzled man who questioned
What we were here for
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though theyre here to stay
Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)
Dont you know youre driving your
Mamas and papas insane
Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)
Dont you know youre driving your
Mamas and papas insane
Let me make it plain
You gotta make way for the homo superior
Look at your children
See their faces in golden rays
Dont kid yourself they belong to you
Theyre the start of a coming race
The earth is a bitch
Weve finished our news
Homo sapiens have outgrown their use
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though theyre here to stay
Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)
Dont you know youre driving your
Mamas and papas insane
Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)
Dont you know youre driving your
Mamas and papas insane
Let me make it plain
You gotta make way for the homo superior
So, children, as the day begins I flip to Eric Clapton's "Let it Grow." A happier note to leave you on and begin my work...
Im standin at the crossroads
Tryin to read the signs
To tell me which way I should
Go to find the answer
And all the time I know
Let your love and let it grow.
Let it grow, let it grow,
Let it blossom, let it flow.
In the sun and in the snow
Love is lovely, let it grow.
Lookin for a reason
To check out on my mind.
Its so hard to find a
Friend that I can count on.
Theres nothin left to show,
Plant your love and let it grow.
Let it grow...
Time is gettin shorter
And theres much for you to do,
Only askn you will get what you are needin,
The rest is up to you.
Plant your love and let it grow.
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