Archive for February 22nd, 2007


Heading to Connecticut

We’re at LAX airport now, waiting to fly to Connecticut. We never expected our house in LA to sell in 4 days, and certainly not with a quick 30 day escrow too. But it did! So, the past month has been a blur of inspectors and final fixes on the LA house, plus flying to Connecticut two weeks ago where we saw 15 homes in two days and bought one.

Logistically, the most complicated thing was figuring out how to ship three cats on the same flight. This took multiple phone calls and arrangements. I was convinced that arriving at LAX with six pieces of luggage and three cats would prove nightmarish. Happily though, we zipped through the check-in, with two cats going in cargo and 17-year-old Peggy Sue in carry-on. Passing through TSA simply required taking her out of the carrier so it could be scanned.

We decided to fly first-class. This, as it turns out, makes a huge difference. I’m blogging this from the First Class Delta lounge. They have wireless everywhere, showers, free drinks, a business center, plus comfortable chairs and tables.

Here’s the class difference. Downstairs in steerage, there are constant Orwellian announcements saying to watch your luggage. Up here, people leave their luggage and wander off. And there’s no announcements. Apparently if you fly first class, you can’t be a terrorist.

This echoes what someone familiar with the air system once told me. If you fly by private jet, there’s no TSA, no scanners, and virtually no security. The more you  spend to fly, the less intrusive the security is. Curious, no?

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Egyptian blogger gets 4 years for insulting Islam

Seconds after he was loaded into the [prison] truck and the door closed, an Associated Press reporter heard the sound of a slap from inside the vehicle and a shriek of pain from Nabil.

What a sick government.

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South Florida. “Mountains of homes” for sale

This bubble done popped. Average time to sell for houses in South Florida is upwards of 16 months. For condos, it’s a jaw-dropping two years. Plus, 11,500 new condos are coming this year with 15,000 more next year.vulture.jpg

The vultures are waiting.

Yet another example of the boom and bust nature of capitalism where the rich get richer, often by feeding on the carrion of the poor.

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Peter Camejo: Against Sectarianism

fractures.jpg

This key document was written in the early 80’s by Camejo against a backdrop of sectarianism in the SWP. It influenced many then, still has much to say, and is now available on the web for the first time.

The Unrepentant Marxist explains what it meant to him, both then and now.

Link to Against Sectarianism, by Peter Camejo.

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Vertical wind turbine

Mag-Wind vertical turbine
The Mag-Wind vertical wind tubine is designed to mount on the roof of a house, is nearly silent, and can operate in winds over 100 mph, way more than most wind turbines.

EcoGeek has more.

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