Bob Morris @ Mar 31st 2008 22:04 - Category: Credit crisis ;
A pay day loan is typically for a few hundred dollars, with a term of two weeks, and an interest rate as high as 800 percent. The average borrower ends up paying back $793 for a $325 loan, according to the Center.
A quick Google of “payday loans online” showed several sites charging 900% APR for a $100 7 day loan.
Why is this legal?
Bob Morris @ Mar 31st 2008 18:00 - Category: Unfiled ;
Bob Morris @ Mar 31st 2008 14:46 - Category: Renewable energy Tags: bifuel;
Whether we have arrived at this point in time by a superior technological approach, sheer luck or a redneck can-do attitude, the fact remains that microalgae can outperform the current feedstocks utilized for conversion to biodiesel and ethanol, yet do not impact the consumable food markets or fresh water resources.
Algae-to-biofuel could be a disruptive technology, as it permits biofuel to be made in commercial quantities without major environmental impact. If it can scale big, it will replace entire industries.
Bob Morris @ Mar 31st 2008 10:15 - Category: Anti-war ;
Although in the last several years there has been scarce any mobilization against the war to speak of, a majority of the North American and European citizens are still in favor of the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq: however, their voices are not being heard by the political establishment. There is a growing crisis of political representation in the West. Democracy is becoming hollow.
Well, there have been a few sizable mobilizations but none have approached the massive millions in the streets of 2003. Maybe people got discouraged, or got turned off by hard Left speeches at the marches, or didn’t feel directly affected because there’s no draft. Hard to know just what happened, but it certainly appears that people in the streets (unless they number in the tens of millions) can’t force political solutions.
Yes, such protests and demonstrations were successful and effective during the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War protests. But that was a different era. Things are much more media-driven now, with rapid response teams and spin doctors instantly ready to diffuse or counter antiwar sentiment. Most of all though, maybe it’s because mass antiwar protests simply aren’t compelling or even newsworthy any more. “Been there, done that” seems to be the view, for both those opposed to the wars and for the mass media.
Also, if the populace generally opposes the wars but clearly is not interested in joining in mass protests, then we are not reaching them and need to listen to what they are saying, then devise new tactics and approaches.
Bob Morris @ Mar 31st 2008 06:25 - Category: Energy conservation ;
Vacuum-insulated glass being developed by Guardian Industries will deliver a startling R-12 insulation level, making it equal to walls. The price is expected to be reasonable and here’s the kicker.
“This performance level would convert most windows in heating climates into net energy suppliers, providing more energy to the home via passive solar gain (even facing north) than the window loses”
Bob Morris @ Mar 30th 2008 21:59 - Category: Unfiled Tags: Heathrow airport;
The brand new state-of-the-art Terminal 5 just opened at Heathrow Airport and it has been quite exciting indeed. 15,000-20,000 pieces of luggage are lost, many flights have been canceled while other flights have taken off without any luggage. This could prove problematic for passengers going on skiing holidays as well as, well, most anyone else who wants to change clothes after arriving at their destination.
And they did test it, for six months, in fact. Such a spectacular crash-and-burn will no doubt be studied in detail by other airports desperate to not do the same when they open new terminals.
Bob Morris @ Mar 30th 2008 16:31 - Category: Renewable energy Tags: biofuel;
Almost all biofuels used today cause more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels if the full emissions costs of producing these “green” fuels are taken into account, two studies being published Thursday have concluded.
Destruction of habitat to grow biofuel is a primary reason. Also, using cropland to grown biofuel means less food is grown, something especially of concern in developing countries.
However, some biofuel is not so destructive. This includes biofuel produced from algae, leftovers from agriculture and food processing, and methane from landfills.
If Craig Venter is right, all the above becomes a moot point because new organisms with synthetic genes will be able to create enormous amounts of biofuel from, are you ready, CO2.
Bob Morris @ Mar 30th 2008 11:20 - Category: Election 2008 Tags: Obama;
“I won’t let them block change any more.” Sounds populist to me. A gutsy move.
Bob Morris @ Mar 30th 2008 06:15 - Category: Credit crisis ;
Vulture funds are buying SoCal land at 15 cents on the dollar, planning to hold 3-5 years, then sell at a profit.
A savvy real estate investor friend in L.A., after years of not finding anything to buy because prices were so high, is just now starting to maybe buy a few houses in the San Fernando Valley for, say, $390,000 that were $650,000 eighteen months ago. (These homes are bank-owned or foreclosures and there are so many of them they are driving all prices down.)
He is also a buy-and-hold investor with a multi-year time frame. When real estate finally bottoms out, it will be because people like him started buying. When you think about it, a vulture fund is about the same as a long-term value investor - buying cheap, holding for years, then selling for a gain.
Bob Morris @ Mar 30th 2008 01:31 - Category: Wind turbines ;
From EcoGeek comes news of a new wind turbine design from FloDesign. It’s smaller, more durable, safer, and produces up to four times more power. Their video explains how it works.
Bob Morris @ Mar 29th 2008 20:16 - Category: Blogging ;
The long-awaited massive upgrade of WordPress (what this blog uses) has officially shipped, and it has a gaggle of useful new features. As always, I wait on new versions to make sure there are no bugs or issues as does Bluehost, where we are hosted. They have one-click upgrades for a number of products including WordPress, which certainly makes upgrading simple.
Bob Morris @ Mar 29th 2008 16:40 - Category: Climate change ;
It just snowed in Seattle, and this is very late for them to have snow. Ditto for Vancouver. New Hampshire had more snow this year than in 135 years. Here in Connecticut we’ve had enormous amounts of rain, three to four times more than normal this winter. Plus, the sun hasn’t been out much and Spring still isn’t quite here yet.
This is why the name got changed from “global warming” to “climate change.” The weather will not just get hotter, rather it will be more extreme, with bigger fluctuations. Some areas will get drier and hotter, others will be cooler with more water.
So, this unusual winter could just be part of the normal variations or it could signal more climate change.
Bob Morris @ Mar 29th 2008 11:40 - Category: Anti-war ;
From Juan Cole.
Al-Zaman says that the police force in Basra suffered numerous mutinies and instances of insubordination, with policemen refusing to fire on the Mahdi Army. The government response was to undertake a widespread purge of disloyal elements.
[Hmm. I wonder where fired policemen with combat training and guns could find another job . . . Maybe with the Mahdi Army?]
Another question: Where the Iraqi government will find replacement police with combat training who are willing to fight?
The tableau above is tragicomic. The Iraqi security forces haven’t even begun to take key Mahdi Army territory in Basra, and in fact have been rebuffed. The Mahdi Army claims to have captured heavy arms and even Iraqi soldiers from the government. The minister of defense admits that.
The Iraqi and US governments badly underestimated what it would take to defeat the Mahdi Army. If anything the Mahdi Army is holding its own, if not actually advancing. The current US airstrikes are deeply stupid and seem guaranteed to drive civilians to the other side.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of civilians who just want the madness to end are caught in the cross fire.
Bob Morris @ Mar 29th 2008 06:40 - Category: Unfiled ;
(Runner-up entry in the Face It “No Coal” Contest)
The Navajo Nation will install 300 wind turbines near Flagstaff AZ, enough to power 100,000 homes. This after years of considering building a coal plant.
The Navajo Nation is superbly located for solar, geothermal, and wind development, and developing these alternative energy sources could bring sorely needed funds into the Nation to support clean water, education, and environmental protection.
Bob Morris @ Mar 29th 2008 01:52 - Category: Renewable energy Tags: biofuel;
Earth2tech profiles fifteen companies working to convert algae into biofuel.
Bob Morris @ Mar 28th 2008 21:52 - Category: Climate change ;
The American West is heating up faster than any other region of the United States, and more than the Earth as a whole, according to a new analysis of 50 scientific studies.
Worse, the trend is expected to accelerate. What will this mean long-term for cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix. and Salt Lake City?
Bob Morris @ Mar 28th 2008 17:23 - Category: Anti-war Tags: Dave Rovics;
“If I can’t dance I don’t want to be in your revolution”
– Emma Goldman
Musician Dave Rovics wonders why Left antiwar protests are so boring. Endless speeches with little if any music, humor, or entertainment seem almost counter productive.
Radical culture needs to be fostered and promoted, front and center, not sidelined as people are gathering, or when the radio stations are doing station ID’s. Because if the point is to inspire people to action, a song is worth a hundred speeches. If the point is to educate people, a three-minute ballad is easily equal to any book. (They’ll read the book after they hear the song, not the other way around.)
Absolutely, music can inspire and motivate when mere speeches fall flat (or don’t get heard at all except by the true believers.) IWW member Joe Hill wrote songs that inspired millions during the union battles of the early 20th Century. Woody Guthrie’s populist songs are known worldwide. “We Shall Overcome” was the anthem of the Civil Rights movement as was “Fixin’ to Die” for the Vietnam War protests.
Dave is quite right. They will read the book and listen to you after they hear the song… The Left needs some anthems and it needs to start dancing again.
Bob Morris @ Mar 28th 2008 11:21 - Category: Anti-war ;
Iraq Veterans Against the War has videos of their recent Winter Soldier testimony online now.
From their listserv.
These testimonies are not just individual experiences - taken together, they tell the story of what has happened, and what is still happening, in these occupations. They make clear what a growing number of veterans and service members are saying: we must stop expecting our military to accomplish the impossible, we must stop expecting them to win an occupation. The time to withdraw our military is now.
Bob Morris @ Mar 28th 2008 06:16 - Category: Election 2008 ;
Yes, it’s getting a bit intense, isn’t it? But once the winner emerges, the party will unify. It always does. Knock-down drag-out primaries aren’t exactly new nor should they be feared. It’s the democratic Part, remember? Things are supposed to be contentious, at least some of the time.
The Polizeros Prediction: Hillary will not destroy the party. I mean, really, why would she want to? Obama will get the nomination, she will support him, and McCain will prove to be a paper tiger.
Bob Morris @ Mar 28th 2008 02:20 - Category: Energy conservation Tags: coal, nuclear power;
The Oil Drum points out that while coal is falling into disfavor in the US, it is widely used by developing countries because it is freely available and cheap.
The reality is that many of the nations that are switching to coal to provide the power for the next 20 years or more are doing so in part to bring their people closer to the living standard of the West. When villages have no power, we do not have the right to tell their government that they cannot provide it, even if coal is the only power source available.
If we don’t want hundreds if not thousands of new coal plants in the coming decades then alternatives need to be planned for now. Renewables like wind, solar, hydro, and wave can certainly play major roles, as can an emphasis on smart electronics and appliances that conserve energy. But what if spent nuclear rods could be reused? GE thinks this is economically feasible and is working on it. And yes, only a deep-pockets company like GE can fund something like this.
The market opportunity to recover the vast amount of useful energy in spent nuclear fuel remains available if a firm, such as General Electric, can develop the technologies to safety recover it without the environmental issues associated with aqueous recycling methods.
Maybe one day the government will be funding research into cleantech and cheap power. The fast developing Third World will be requiring vast amounts of power, and they will do it either with cleantech or with coal. If the developed countries make the right choices now and provide the technology for developing countries to produce clean power at a reasonable cost, then they won’t have to use coal. If not, then they have little or no choice.
Bob Morris @ Mar 27th 2008 20:16 - Category: Renewable energy, Solar power, Wind turbines ;
Denmark has so much wind power that needs ways to offload and store the power. A utility company there plans to build a nationwide grid to use that power to charge electric cars.
SoCal Edison just announced a plan to put solar photovoltaic panels on commercial buildings throughout southern California with the eventual plan of generating enough power for 162,000 homes. The owners of the buildings will be able to buy power at a rate less than normal while the rest of it goes into the grid.
It’s amazing how fast renewable energy is going mainstream.
Bob Morris @ Mar 27th 2008 15:15 - Category: Credit crisis ;
-Domestic service training (useful in preparing for future job as a janitor at Goldman Sachs)
-Spanking combined with verbal chastising (”Caused!” -whack- “Sub-prime!” -whack- “Crisis!” -whack- “Very!” -whack- “Very!” -whack- “Naughty!” -whack whack whack-)
-78 cane strokes (number chosen to represent the difference between Bear Stearns’ $80 per share book value and the actual current share price of $2)
-Interrogation roleplay (I am Coughlin Stoia and you are Bear Stearns. Helpful in preparing for upcoming deposition)
-Master/slave roleplay (I am JP Morgan and you are Bear Stearns. Now I own you)
All of which echoes Wayne Kramer’s lyric from “Something Broken in the Promised Land“, “There’s a self improvement tape called ‘Getting Used to Poverty’”.
NYC real estate, restaurants, and upscale stores will be taking a big hit as the money spigot shuts down, what with all the coming layoffs at investment banks. Will there be a flood of new books and seminars advising people how downsizing can be fun? Possibilities include “Advantages to owning a Yugo - No one wants to steal it!,” “Accessorizing your 500 sq ft apartment,” “Adventures in Eating - Rethinking Bob’s Big Boy,” and “How to Use an ATM machine When You No Longer Have Staff to Do It For You.” (That last one is based on a true story I heard about a wealthy Wall Street type who literally did not know how to use an ATM.)
Bob Morris @ Mar 27th 2008 11:15 - Category: Credit crisis ;
FDIC hires more workers, readies for bank failures.
Bob Morris @ Mar 27th 2008 07:56 - Category: Unfiled Tags: Sean Combs;
The LA Times has apologized to Sean Combs and James Rosemond after The Smoking Gun showed that documents the Times relied on were forged.
Rosemond said in a statement Wednesday that the Times article created “a potentially violent climate in the hip-hop community.” His attorney, Marc Lichtman, added: “I would suggest to Mr. Philips and his editors that they immediately print an apology and take out their checkbooks — or brace themselves for an epic lawsuit.”
Combs’ lawyer Howard Weitzman, in a letter to Times Publisher David Hiller, called the story inaccurate. He expanded an earlier demand for a retraction and said he believed that The Times’ conduct met the legal standard for “actual malice,” which would allow a public figure such as Combs to obtain damages in a libel suit.
Interesting, isn’t it, that a supposed world-class newspaper got their facts so wrong while an independent (and smallish) website did the research and digging and got the story right.
I think the only remaining question is whether the checks the LA Times signs to settle the lawsuits will have seven or eight figures in them.
Subscribe
