Servants of the “Dark Lord!”

The so-called Westboro Baptist Church is again in the news.  All I can think of is that Sauron would be smiling.  This family, and that is about all the Westboro Baptist Church is composed of, is anything but God fearing or holy.  They insult the truly religious.  –  I have a further question.  Who is paying for them to do this?  They are all over the US bleating out their message of hate & bigotry.  Are they rich and can afford all the travelling they seem to do?  Maybe someone is behind these simple minded puppets of hate and bigotry.  It would be interesting to follow the money, as the expression goes.  –  A good primer on dealing with terrorists, [And I consider the so-called Westboro Baptist Churc as such.] such as this group, is found in a very interesting SF novel by Dean Ing: “Soft Targets.” It came out at the end of the 70’s. Well worth looking for.

If it’s on the shelves, it’s off the streets

I think, more folk might do well to read this article.

If it’s on the shelves, it’s off the streets byPeter Moskos. [Peter Moskos is an assistant professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the author of "Cop in the Hood: My Year Policing Baltimore's Eastern District."]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/AR2009102303457.html

What is the economic impact?

Illegality drives up the cost of the illegal substance.  –  What would the actual cost, with a 6% markup to provide a  suitableprofit, of the more common “illegal” substance such as MJ, cocaine, & heroine?  — Please note, I’m NOT saying they should be legal, just what would the comparative prices be?

Now how would this effect the crime lords?  If an addict, one would have to register, of course, could buy his or her drug of choice from a legal source at realistic prices, what would happen to the economies of drug producing countries.  [Of course, California would now run a surplus as the value of MJ grown in the state is in the billions of dollars.

It would be interesting to see an economic evaluation of this.  maybe money is being allocated in the wrong areas.

Let them go!

“Limits on exec pay cause worries of brain drain!  Will top bosses at bailed-out companies leave as their compensation is cut?”  –  MSNBC.com

Maybe the answer should be: Good, get rid of them.  All they did was take money and run the companies into the ground.  Maybe some new blood will get the companies moving again.

IMHO too many “executives” are vastly overpaid for the work they do.  I really don’t believe, they are worth the pay.  I remember reading a rumor that JP Morgan, that pillar of support for the common man, feeling that the ratio of 20 to 1 between the top salary and the lowest full time employee’s salary, should be enough.  Today, 200 to 1 or higher is more like it.

However, one must realize, these executives are of such a better class of people than ordinary persons that they should be rewarded for just being better than everyone else.  Just ask them.

This explains a lot of Politics

It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. -William G. McAdoo, lawyer and politician (1863-1941)

Do we really need to be there?

The Japanese want to redefine its relationship with the US.  Sounds good to me.  Actually, I wonder, if we need to really be in the Far East at all.  –  Since all the countries there seem to do is gripe about the Yanks being there, why not leave them to their own devices.  –  Japan is apparently pushing the idea of an East Asian Community [Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere ?], a sort of Asian version of the European Union, with China at its core.  Go for it.  –  Yes, let us pack up our toys and take them home.  –  There is no need for the US to be the world’s policeman.  Let them all go to hell in their own hand basket. 

Too much PC

I am bemused by the total lack of any sort of sense of humor when Target is attached for the “Illegal Alien” costume.  Maybe not completely in the best of taste, but no where near as bad as some of the so-called costumes I’ve seen shown for sale.  — Then again, an illegal alien is just that: ILLEGAL.  Go to jail & deport.  –  Yes, they are seeking to better themselves.  However, so are all those folk in line for legal immigration.  –  Hmm, maybe the US should review its immigration policy.  However, being able to speak English is obligatory.  How else can someone from Korea communicate with someone from Russia?  ETC.

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

G’day, if you like the concept suggested here, please feel free to pass it on to friends and any and all politicians.  We all need energy regardless of political persuasion.

——————————-

Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:                                       3 September 2009

California needs more energy as well as a need for more jobs.  Combining these areas with an alternate, renewable energy producer may be of interest

To improve California’s energy position, and provide jobs in the “green” sector, I would like to bring to your attention and that of the California Energy Commission the concept of the Solar Updraft Tower, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_updraft_tower .

“In 1903, Isidoro Cabanyes first proposed the concept of a solar chimney in the magazine “Electrical Energy.”

In 1982 an experimental tower was built in Manzanares, Spain, about 150 km/95 miles south of Madrid.  While intended to only operate for approximately 3 years, it did in fact produce up to 50kW until 1989. http://www.except.nl/consult/SolarUpdraftTower/solar_updraft_research.html

This paper suggests some quite interesting variations on how to develop and use the concept.

Unlike a lot of experimental technology, this one has produced power.  The research data is available for study and advancement.

My suggestion to you is that California make use of this technology to produce power for the state’s energy users.  I’m not unaware that the initial tower[s] will be part experimental, part power producer and part of the energy grid for California.

The capital costs for such projects will most likely be high, though the upkeep and maintenance of the Solar Updraft Towers will be quite low.  My concept for a tax break, and to increase the incentive to build such a project, would be to allow a company to write off the capital expenses in, say 5 years, using accelerated depreciation.  This assumes the Solar Updraft Tower would be built to last & produce power for 40 years.

Where to put the towers?  I would suggest the desert portions of San Bernardino county for a start or jointly with neighboring states.  The project, as I envision it, would consist of a series of towers each larger than the previous: 10 MW, 100 MW, 500 MW, 1 GW & 10 GW.  Each succeeding tower would initiate construction about 3 years after ground is broken for the previous tower.  These new towers would build on and incorporate new technologies and materials as well as adapting to any challenges appearing during construction and operation of the previous towers.

In 25 years since the previous tower was built and operated not only have wind turbines improved, but so have the materials needed to build a Solar Updraft Tower.  They will continue to improve over the coming years.

Thank you for hearing me out.

Yours sincerely,

Go Hijackers!

“Most ship owners still reluctant to arm crews.  Owners of ships plying the waters off Somalia have balked at having firearms onboard, despite more attacks where bullets pierced hulls or rocket propelled grenades whooshed overhead.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30141951/from/ET/ “ 

As long as this attitude applies, I see no reason for the hijackers to stop.  Hey, they need money to eat as well as the ship owners.

Hijackings!

Unless there are extremely mitigating circumstances, the commander who sent 20 US Service Members into “clear and present danger,” unarmed, deserves to be fired, court-martialed reduced in grade and made to serve on a ship plying the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Somalia, unarmed, with a jersey saying “Take me as hostage first!”
 
There is no reason that the several nations supposedly providing some safety against pirate hijacking, can’t provide a company of very heavily armed combat soldiers for each ship.  The cost to the shipping company would be the care and feeding of their protectors.  There are now at least 5 nations on patrol: the US, Russia, the UK, Japan and France.
 
When We become Emperor, this would not be allowed to happen.  We  would, with the advice and consent of the military, send in special operations units to make like hell for the pirates, including going after the so-called mother ships.  The French seem to have done this already.  What is the US doing about this?