Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from April, 2010

Cold Fusion

Twenty-one years ago, two professors Pons & Fleishmann, announced that they had created some kind of nuclear reaction, but at low tempature. It caused a world-wide reaction. This is the promise of endless cheap power. The stuff that powers sci-fi spaceships and even planets. Unfortunately, other labs had difficulty reproducing the results, there were all kinds of accusations, and the professors went on to different things (I've lost track). I guess these scientists can be much more vicious than I would have known; look at the climategate email string of scientists who were ready to off guys with an opposing viewpoint). Anyway, it turns out that some labs and scientists around the world have continued to work on this, and it looks like something real was happening. Perhaps something at the quantum level, where the normal world vanishes and even Einstein was puzzled. On my permalinks is to lens-cagr where developments are reported. I periodically check in to see what is ne

Vote Them All Out?

I've been wondering whether we should start a movement to vote out all the incumbents and start fresh. New Congressmen and Congresswomen with no ties to lobbyests and new viewpoints. I could get excited about Representatives who are MD's, CPA's, engineers, math professors, economists, programmers...basically anyone who understands math or science. Clearly the current crowd is math challenged and incapable of getting tax reciepts and spending within the nearest trillion or so. I don't know, maybe engineers and programmers are too logical to subject themselves to the election process. But I'm going to continue to wonder about it.

Republican Strategy Survey

Just received one of those bogus surveys from the fundraisers. This one has a cover letter from Senator John Cornyn, who I generally believe to be a good guy. The survey is designed to infuriate (in this case conservatives; I'm sure the Dems have a version too) with questions like "I do not believe our healthcare system should be socialized". These things must work, or they wouldn't keep sending them. I sent the good Senator a reply, noting that I'll resume making contributions when the Republicans take a "no earmarks" pledge. (Sadly, I've given up on either party being willing to make the tough decisions to actually balance the budget).

Healthcare Tax Credit

We've been treated a shocking level of incompetence and ignorance, as a ranking Member of Congress bloviated about the tax -related writedowns that companies just took. Companies offering health care to retirees and others that qualified for a tax credit are required to adjust the carrying value of tax assets and liabilities when the law changes. Congressman Henry Waxman (D. CA), showed his ignorance of the SEC rules and ineptness at finding out how the process works. If you are Waxman, wouldn't it be easy to wander over to the room where the committee that budgets the SEC meets, and do a little checking? Presumably not, one being consumed with the task of summoning those miscreant corporate officers in for a major public humiliation. Or,couldn't you have a staffer call the SEC? I mean, it is a government agency after all. If you've ever read an 8K (which is the document these companies are legally required to file within days of such an event) or a 10Q or 10K, you

Michael Steele and the RNC

In the company I work for, we've been cutting costs for two years. No one has received a raise since early in 2008. Bonuses went to zero. We fly coach. Recently, travellers from the east to west coast have taken some one-stop or plane changes to be more thrifty. We are staying in Hampton Inns. We haven't seen a 401(k) match in a long time. I don't say this to draw sympathy. Many companies are in the same boat, and people are generally happy to have a job. But apparently it is high tide and green grass at the RNC. I used to send them the occasional contribution. Lately, I've been sending a note back for every solicitation I send asking candidates to take a "no earmarks" pledge. I've given up on fiscal sanity and a balanced budget, and would now settle for our elected representatives to just stop abusing us. Now it has come out that RNC folks hang out in expensive strip joints, fly on private jets and take limo's. Fine if it is on your dime, but don'

Praise for the President

My recommendation for all conservatives is that when the President does something right, he should get commendation from our side. In my view, he has been on a hot streak: visiting the troops in Afghanistan, opening up some coast line to drilling and talking up nuclear power. Former President Bush could have opened up the coast line seven or eight years ago - and we would be getting some of that oil right now. Good job Mr. President.