I have seen, more than once, where it's turned out to be very wise that a homeowner has had really BIG rocks, posts, etc around their house. It's to keep the cars from trying their best to go right through. What are known as "big ass" boulders, posts, etc have saved many lives, for those engaging in the practice of sitting in their living room, sleeping, etc in an environment where out-of-control cars are far more of a danger - even in your house! - than earthquakes, terrorist attack, lightning, meteors, or any of the other BS people in suburbia worry about.

Nice to hear the driver wasn't badly hurt, now maybe he'll consider the wise alternative, the bus.

Do you really want mob control of our infrastructure?

I think a better idea would be to put 'breakers' on the lines that supply the lower voltage lines. Maybe when they keep popping their breakers they will learn that their infrastructure needs to be upgraded.

I was watching the Charlie Ross show yesterday with the head of Shell America on it. He was saying that the pipelines in the Northeast haven't been upgraded in 30 years. (He also said we haven't build a new refinery in 30 years which is know is technically correct but we have done massive upgrades to the ones we have)

C'mon, where's the free marketeers ?

The trees are worth more than the power lines or the sidewalks.

Hi JW,

Will you be using most of your hot water during off-peak hours? If not, you're going to be dinged pretty damn hard once you're switched to TOU rates (all Ontario residents will be converted within the next couple years).

Cheers,
Paul

A better direction, if feasible for you, is to store hot water from a solar hot water heating system. Or purchase a heat pump hot water heater instead if you are currently heating your water with electricity.

The Squawk Box Gang regarding Peak Oil:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hear_speak_see_no_evil_Toshogu.jpg

Not a solution for me: dial-up at home, can't "install" software at work. Keepvid.com lets me download at work, then watch it at home.

Also, I will never trust Real-anything. Even if it seems benign now, I consider them spyware.

Is there any other solution?

I watched it also. The entire time I was waiting for a good discussion of motivation. I can accept that Cheney was simply motivated by the oil. But what about the neocons, Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld. They were pushing the Iraq invasion by the morning of the 12th. Why?

Well the surge is working, but it's not the surge the media are talking about. The media are talking about the surge in soldiers that is working, but it's the surge in bribes and pay-offs that is working.

All the different factions in Iraq are being paid massive amounts of money to stop blowing up Americans, so there's less pressure from congress to 'bring em back home'. Of course, a few weeks before Bush leaves office, the payments stop so the violence will start in full again once Obama comes into office and gets blamed by the lunatic mass attack media.

About a year (?) ago the tourisim minister was kidnapped. Sorry, I had to laugh when I heard that one. Somehow Iraq doesn't strike me as a big tourist destination.

The case of Baghdad Bob (aka Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf, "Comical Ali") http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baghdad_Bob has always struck me as particularly curious.

Amid all the vindictive, recriminatory, and downright illegal behaviour of the Bush regime towards top-level Saddam-era Baathists, he was apparently let off the hook for no other reason than his humour value. According to the Wiki entry, "He is now living in the United Arab Emirates with his family."

Bush was known to stop everything in order to watch al-Sahhaf's apearances on TV in the immediate aftermath of the invasion - and they certainly had a blackly humorous aspect to them. It really seems like his entertainment value have led to his continued freedom. Kinda uplifting, as well as bizarre.

Regards Chris

After the generals had been seized, and the captains and soldiers who formed their escort had been killed, the Hellenes lay in deep perplexity--a prey to painful reflections. Here were they at the king's gates, and on every side environing them were many hostile cities and tribes of men. Who was there now to furnish them with a market? Separated from Hellas by more than a thousand miles, they had not even a guide to point the way. Impassable rivers lay athwart their homeward route, and hemmed them in. Betrayed even by the Asiatics, at whose side they had marched with Cyrus to the attack, they were left in isolation. Without a single mounted trooper to aid them in pursuit: was it not perfectly plain that if they won a battle, their enemies would escape to a man, but if they were beaten themselves, not one soul of them would survive? (Anabasis, Book III. 1)

"Let us look another matter in the face. How are we to march most safely? or where blows are needed, how are we to fight to the best advantage? That is the question.

"The first thing which I recommend is to burn the wagons we have got, so that we may be free to march wherever the army needs, and not, practically, make our baggage train our general. And, next, we should throw our tents into the bonfire also: for these again are only a trouble to carry, and do not contribute one grain of good either for fighting or getting provisions. Further, let us get rid of all superfluous baggage, save only what we require for the sake of war, or meat and drink, so that as many of us as possible may be under arms, and as few as possible doing porterage. I need not remind you that, in case of defeat, the owners' goods are not their own; but if we master our foes, we will make them our baggage bearers. Anabasis, Book III.2

But as the shout became louder and nearer, and those who from time to time came up, began racing at the top of their speed towards the shouters, and the shouting continually recommenced with yet greater volume as the numbers increased, Xenophon settled in his mind that something extraordinary must have happened, so he mounted his horse, and taking with him Lycius and the cavalry, he galloped to the rescue. Presently they could hear the soldiers shouting and passing on the joyful word, "The sea! the sea!"

Thereupon they began running, rearguard and all, and the baggage animals and horses came galloping up. But when they had reached the summit, then indeed they fell to embracing one another--generals and officers and all--and the tears trickled down their cheeks. Anabasis, Book IV.7

Ahh, that's how the US/Allies fought WWII. Cutting off supply lines. Subs in the Pacific were tasked with sinking oil tankers, and in Europe a major turn in the war was Hitler's not reaching oil fields in eastern Europe.

Hitler's war machine was the biggest and baddest on the planet. Japan was no slouch too.

The way to defeat a big, bad war machine you can't take on head-on, is to slowly squeeze it to death.

I disagree. To fly enough sorties against Iran, the bastards will want to move USAF squadrons closer, and someone will spot it.

However, if you're talking about a nuclear attack, you're absolutely right. It would be done without warning, a fait accompli to smear the hands of the American people with so much blood that they will fear the vengeance of the outside world and cling closer to their GOP-designated tyrant for protection. I must admit, nothing less than a nuclear attack can change the facts on the ground and the neocons love changing facts.

Largest single-unit deployment of Army National Guard soldiers since World War II

It was about 80 days ago that the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team mobilized and began training at North Fort Hood, preparing for the largest single-unit deployment of Army National Guard soldiers since World War II.

On Thursday, March 27, nearly a week after their training ended, the brigade held a deployment ceremony and began shipping troops to Kuwait.

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/...

The Bush administration will risk nuclear war before they will accept defeat.

*shudder*

Why do I fear this as a truth?

Baghdad's Green Zone is red hot target

On Thursday, the State Department instructed all Embassy personnel not to leave reinforced structures. A memo sent to embassy staff and obtained by The Associated Press says employees are required to wear helmets and other protective gear if they must venture outside and strongly advises them to sleep in blast-resistant locations instead of trailers.

For the fourth day this week, suspected Shiite militiamen sent rockets and mortars into the Green Zone in central Baghdad. The volleys on Thursday began in the morning and came in about once an hour well into nightfall.

The first wave of rockets this week came on Easter Sunday. The Green Zone -- and areas nearby -- have barely had a breather since.

The attacks on the Green Zone are being carried out in tandem with growing clashes between Iraqi government forces and the Mahdi Army militia led by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

By bombarding the Green Zone, the followers of al-Sadr are not only targeting the Iraqi government, but also the hub of the American political mission and its influence on the Iraqi government.

At least one death was reported inside the Green Zone in the latest attacks. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said a U.S. government employee was killed, but would give no further details until relatives are notified.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns, said one round earlier this week hit a main helicopter landing zone used by the U.S. forces, putting it temporarily out of commission. Housing used by some U.S. officials and contractors was also hit, the official said.

"All personnel are required to wear body armor, helmet and protective eye wear any time they are outside of building structures in the International Zone," said embassy spokeswoman Nantongo, using the official name of the area. "Beyond that, we don't discuss our security posture."

The official -- who has been through other attacks -- described the recent barrages as "qualitatively different."

Another U.S. official said that personnel -- who usually sleep two to a trailer on the embassy grounds -- are now sleeping inside the former Saddam palace where their offices are located. "There are cots everywhere," the U.S. official said. "People are scouting out free couches."

"There is a sense of hunkering down for a sustained period of time," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security restrictions.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/national_world&id=6046932

Reminds one a bit of the Tet offensive in the Nam...

Then there is the timing of this operation to consider. If Malaki's intention was to suppress the Mahdi Army prior to an attack on Iran he has instead shown how weak his government and control are. Now the world realizes that Malaki is a paper tiger, something only suspected before. This is a very important event.

On the other side of the coin, the Mahdi Army might have wanted to show their strength in Iraq to forestall an attack on Iran. The US does not want to attack Iran and lose their whole ground force, or lots of it, in Iraq.

In any case this does not look good for the surge, especially since Cheney has been making the rounds in the ME, beating his chest.

The chess match continues...the Persians invented the game.

I didn't come up with recent info immediately, so I offer this:

I read Pat Lang regularly for info
in this area at Sic Semper Tyrannis 2007.

Read his bio ( I won't post it here )as it's extensive in the ME and he has consistently critical of the administration in ways that only a 'soldier's soldier' can be.

He has touched on this aspect
before ('07):
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2007/08/iraq-tribal-s...

I linked to an in-depth profile of the police chief for Fallijuh (sp) in Anbar Province in the Washington Post last week.

Former Republican Guard officer, former insurgent, nasty character, now on "our side" (but he wants us to leave, so he doesn't have to be so nice). $190/month for those that change sides. Allies of convenience.

Not Much Hope,

Alan

Try telling that to your significant other. Seriously, I need some good reasons. I've been wanting to move into an apartment and then buy land and a cabin outside of town (a couple hours).

It seems to me that if you job requires you be in the city then you get the smallest/cheapest apartment you can find within reasonable proximity to both jobs (mine and the significant other's). Then the land and house you buy externally needs to be relatively close (how close?) and have all the basic requirements of food growing and perhaps some alternate job(s) nearby.

Is this general concept a good idea or a bad idea. I realize it depends. But I think that it can be quite doable, even with _some_ debt.

Any thoughts?

Oops! yes gallons.

2000 miles per hour indeed!

the kit is a Crystalyte hub motor kit. I like the new controllers : variable input voltage bet. 36 and 72 vdc nominal. I'm running 60vdc. (5 sealed lead acid batteries.) strapped on the back rack.

I got it online at http://www.poweridestore.com/ ; but there are lots of other.

All you need to compute the efficiency of your system is a dc meter like: http://www.powerwerx.com/product.asp?ProdID=3809&CtgID=3575 and a typical cyclocomputer to give you distance traveled.

Alan - Housing is collapsing out here like everywhere else, and there are tons of painters and carpenters, handymen, out of work here. Bet some are headed your way!

This place is a Kunstler poster child. It's too dry and hostile (heat, cold, wind) to grow much of anything, and houses are on top of the good growing areas now. Everything here and I mean everything, is 25 or more miles away. I've made a grand total of $5 since I moved here 8 months ago, and that was hustling a tourist after giving them a bunch of directions. I'm going to practice my hustling skills more, too!

I'm in a financial trap, limited to $154 a month income, and will have to sell everything I have to get out. Getting out will be done on my little 250cc motorcycle because that's what I have. If I stay here for any real length of time, the only option will be hitchhiking to get out. I thought I'd find a job, or be able to go to the college here, but I can't do either.

It will take me a month or so to sell my stuff, and prepare an escape plan. So far my plan is to go back to the SF Bay Area because I know it, and I know I can make money out there. I also need to work on my skills (caricature drawing, panhandling) out here so I have some experience when I go out there.

The SF Bay Area can be very self-sustaining. So can the NO delta.

I actually think I can make enough in the bay area to live in motels. What do you think are the chances I'd be homeless and dead within a year or two if I moved to NO? I understand the crime rate is high there, so that has me concerned. I'm thinking NO has a bit of an edge with regards to climate, and it may be a really neat place to live. Then again, I think I can do alright in the Bay Area again, even if I'm homeless for a while - there are SO many places for a caricaturist and general hustler/panhandler to work, that lack one.

'There is debate as to whether existing signals can support 2 minute headways (DC Metro says no, others say yes).'

Question: What did General Railway Signal Co say? They are the people that designed and installed the Metro ATC system...and, I guarantee that GRS knows a lot more about the system than anyone at Metro.

By 'existing signals' you must mean the entire ATC (Automatic Train Control) system. Actual physical signals, displaying a red or white aspect to the operator of the train, are a part of the ATC system at Metro. Actual 'Train Control' is located centrally in the basement of WMATA headquarters, 6th & F St, DC. Physical signals have limited use to train operators running at high speed but are needed at cross overs, interlockings, etc. Trains get speed commands based on how far away the next train is in front of them and how close they are to the next station...or, if debris is on the tracks shunting the speed command signal. A broken rail will also shunt the signal.

What has to be considered when running tighter headways are the speed command assigned block lengths, distance between stations, and electronically transmitted speed commands given to trains in different sections of the system. In order to run tighter headways some changes would be required to assigned block lengths and speed commands. Obviously distance between stations would remain the same. Changing two parameters would require considerable re-engineering and physical changes to the A, D and J relay systems but it could be accomplished. As always the work would be done at off peak hours. Once completed a series of tests are performed by the contractor and then the same series of tests are accomplished by WMATA employees using test trains, all for safety. The tests are designed to fail-safe every possible scenario.

I know that the modifications could be accomplished...it would be expensive. To run tighter headways without changing speed commands issued and modifying assigned blocks could be dangerous. Remember, the operators of Metro Trains came from the ranks of WMATA bus drivers when the system began...these people are not trained in the sense of professional railroad engineers. Most operations are out of the hands of the train operators, especially speed and braking. To do away with the ATC system is scary to contemplate if high speeds are to continue.

BTW, I know nothing of the Moscow system. Never worked on that one. Does the Moscow system use ATC? If the Russians are running strictly a manual system with ninety second headways and truly high speeds they will have serious loss of life and inventory sooner or later.

You can easily spot them they get a yellow skin from serious deficiencies.

The average US diet with very high animal protein, saturated (or worse artificially saturated) fat, high refined carbohydrates (especially fructose) and all sorts of additives, preservatives etc. is a guaranteed early grave.

Have to plug the book 'Good Calories, Bad Calories' once again. Fat (both saturated and unsaturated) and protein are nature's premium foods, both good for you. You are right, however, about the sugars and refined carbs. They are the real culprits.

Personally, I am eating more meat than ever and have cut sugar and refined carbs to almost nil.

Read the book. It is a real paradigm shifter.

Well then you've never met this guy.

I'm a 28 yo vegan and I play coed soccer - I have yet to meet someone on my soccer team or an opposing soccer team that can outsprint me on the field with or without the ball. Further, my food intake is much smaller than most people I know. 5'11", 175-180 lbs.

There is the definite possibility that I am not the norm, because I have seen other vegans that are perhaps way too thin or small, but also my wife and I are heavy seitan & tofu eaters. Further, I weightlift several times a week.

Once again, perhaps not the norm, although I know plenty of meat eaters with little to no energy.

This is all such nonsense. I became a Vegan when I was 53 and ran two marathons shortly thereafter. I am much healthier and stronger now than when I was a meateater and the same thing applies to my wife. There is absolutely no reason one cannot be strong and healthy as a vegan and I suspect that these vegans you refer to don't know or don't practice proper nutrition and protein balancing.

What you say about vegans and energy is bizarre - of course I guess it's possible that the people your grower was hiring were just a bad bunch.

Look at Scott Jurek, the only person to have won the Badwater Ultramarathon more than once: http://soulveggie.blogs.com/my_weblog/2006/08/vegan_wins_utra.html

He's also won seven Western States 100-milers in a row.

Dave Scott won six Hawaiian Ironman triathlons as a vegan.

And as a vegan myself, I cycled 4,000 km around Europe in 54 days with a fully-loaded touring bike, carrying my own tent, cooker, food, etc. Having announced that though, for the time being, I'm am omnivorous 'freegan' because there is so much food wasted in this city. When I leave the city it'll be back to a plant-based diet. I do not knowingly buy any animal products, but when they are available from the rubbish and not unhygienic then I will eat them and share with my friends.

Matthew,

Glad you are enjoying it!

For those with the survival itch who like DVDs, I'd suggest these two:

Testament, 1983 - The story of a small town in Marin County (It's north of SF.) after SF gets nuked. No gore. No destruction. No special effects. Just unrelentingly depressing. The town's folk try but make a lot of mistakes you can learn from. One important mistake they made that people who aren't familiar with the area wouldn't know, is that Marin's western border is the Pacific Ocean and the wind typically blows west to east. Rather than heading for the shore where there is likely to less fallout, they stay put and slowly die from radiation poisoning.

The Edge, 1997 - A really hokey plot with little redeeming value. What makes it worthwhile is the comparison between the guy who wants to survive and the one who doesn't after a plane crash. I think this kind of psychology will be important as things unwind. There are also a few survival tips...plus a few major technical gaffes.

Todd

Hi G2S,

I've got some Tom Brown books too. Good reads. If you like that kind of book, you should try to find a copy of Last of the Mountain Men by Harold Peterson. I bought mine in 1969! It's about Sylvan Hart who lived on The River of No Return. There's now a lot of controversy as to how much he was really isolated from civilization but he was still amazing.

Another book I like (and I think some women will like) is Wilderness Wife by Brad and Vena Angier, 1976. It's about their time on the Peace River in BC.

There's more but why overdo it.

Todd

Dunewalker,

I actually printed out all 600+ pages of Lights Out about a year or more ago. It has excellent information! Right now it's loaned out to a neighbor. Two other great online "books" were by Tom Sherry that were available on Timebomb 2000 until he asked that they be pulled (He wants to make some money on his efforts.) were Dark Winter and Shatter. I printed those out too - also about 600 pages total. They were great. He now appears to be involved with http://www.ar15.com. BTW, David Crawford (Half Fast) who wrote Lights Out has started a new one at ar15.

As far as Wellspring goes, I'm probably 15+ miles south on B.S. road. Are you in the area? My email addy is detzel at mcn dot org. I'm always interested in people who have similar interests.

Todd

Gee, you think that Kunstler might have let his fantasies get involved here ;-)?

He's a smart guy, but there's a real Portnoy thing going on in this book. Add that its rather deep dullness and it qualifies as a serious disappointment - he should stick to nonfiction.

Sharon

Fleam - If you are planning on a road trip on your 250 you should switch out your sprocket to keep your Rs down.

Sucking the blood out of economists? If there's a demand for economists, then supply will magically occur.

Question Alan. What is China getting in return? More access to Iranian oil fields?

Their solar potential is mediocre if it's cloudy where the most people live. I've lived in the Philippines and spent two (sunless) weeks in Singapore, so I have a pretty good idea what the solar exposure of China's coast is like even without a permanent pall of brown coal soot. They could move massive numbers of colonists to their cloudless deserts, but - oops, that's Tibet and Moslem Sinkiang. That leaves a high-voltage DC grid as a solution, but it would say a lot if China undertook that burden before America did.

Come on man!! I'm looking forward to getting out of Sprawlville on my bike or in this POS toyota van I got, if I can get it roadworthy, and as soon as I arrive, selling the sucker.

I love the bay area, you don't need a car to get around! Even areas I thought were hard to get to by bike, like SLAC, nope! Just go one station past Palo Alto, get off, and ride up the hill. Easy peasy!!

Your transportation costs are effectively limited by the cost of a monthly transit pass, and a lot of companies (and colleges) give them out.

Transit pass ranges from $60-odd to free.

Compare and contrast a minimum of $300 a month if I had a job here, in Sprawlville, and that's assuming a job (which would pay federal minimum and no health benefits) is available, which they sure aren't.

Oh, and Japan beats us thoroughly just in the area of bento. Most Americans don't even know what bento is, so I rest my case.

That report you posted is pretty worthless. They compared the U.S. only against a lot of other expensive places to do business.

The U.S.'s problem has not been losing factories to London. It's been losing to China and many other places the study deliberately left off the list.

It would be nice to see hopeful news about the U.S., but why put up phony blather, and then insult someone else for pointing out the truth?

Weak.

You're calling him a Communist for pointing out that America is on a disastrous economic course - made possible by unregulated criminals on Wall Street? Your interest in "change" only comes from your desire for a techno-Bandaid to protect the status quo from radical reform. Maybe the reason for all the problems is that there was something really wrong with America.

They had the ability to increase their liabilities, which is not the same thing as wealth. To determine net wealth, one needs to subtract liabilities from assets. Some are now learning that lesson to their dismay. If this was the way to wealth, I could increase it right now by refusing to pay my credit card this month.

My house has probably decreased in value but my well being has not decreased one iota since I still have my house and had not intention of using it as a cash machine in the first place.

It seems to be somehow wrong in America to do the old fashioned thing, live within your means.

River; IMO re-inflating the RE bubble economy is impossible, but destroying the US dollar (and in the process helping commodity and oil investors) is quite doable. At this point, a relatively small % of Americans understand what is being done to their currency (all three Presidential candidates are silent on the topic) so the reverse carry trade will be fun for the connected for quite a while. Peter Schiff advocates this on a smaller scale in his book for Americans-borrow as much as you can in US dollars and invest abroad-it is a bet on continual weakness of the currency. IMO Americans should start thinking like Argentinians-re RE, the only RE with long term value is the RE that foreign investors might crave (NYC, Hawaii, SF) or farm land, IMO. There is no way suburban sprawl is returning.

Hi Moe...Is it time to go long oil based on comments made on Squeek Blab this am?

I have no stock left but GE. That is a partially sentimental play that will probably cost me in the long run. I do have some cash parked and waiting for...??? something ???

Got any ideas? wink hint wink. :)

Yeah, that darn gas will probably blow up on me any day now. I have been exposed to it for 63 years without mishap...much of that time the gas was/is between my legs in mc gastanks.

Point is gas is a known danger that we have learned to deal with. Compressed air? Personally, I have little experience with it except oxygen containers for welding/brazing.

If the technology works out I will use it. I am not going to be the first on my block to try it. :)

but I wouldn't want to be sitting over a 300atm tank that "split".

Imagine that sound of the air escaping 'trapped' inside the cabin. I question if the db level is enough for hearing damage.

Thank you. I'm very interested in this type of company.

You basically got it. Yes, this wasn't to use the holds for air pressure, but for water. The weight of the Ship, though, not the water, is what is being stored at a higher level when the water has been pumped out, while the water flowing back IN is what powers the turbines and exports electricity.

This could even be augmented with the use of lever-pumps driven by waves and ripples (scaled to a range of sizes..) to contribute to the ongoing bilge pumping of the vessel. Solar Atop the decks, etc..

Bob