Someone just sent me an article expounding the idea that the bailed out banks should be bailing out the auto companies. What follows was my reply.
Nobody should be bailing out anybody anymore - enough already. Too many of the banks have already tried to give the money bank and the government won't let them.
The banks now understand (and some of them did beforehand but were forced to take the money anyway) that they are really dealing with loan sharks. And like loan sharks they do not want the principal back they want to continue to collect the Vig (vigorish), the Juice, the Take - and that is the stake they now have in these institutions.
In fact I am totally pissed. This weekend I was watching the golf tournament in Charlotte - one of the real prestige events of the year on tour. It used to be "The Wachovia Championship", but since they took bailout money they couldn't sponsor this year and it was too late to line up another sponsor so the tour carried it themselves.
You may say, "Well what's wrong with that?" and I would say, "Just about everything."
Sponsoring that tournament broadcast on network TV afforded Wachovia millions of dollars of marketing exposure for nothing. Without them the charities in the area that are the beneficiaries of the money raised by the tournament will, this year, receive less or left out altogether
But I have to tell you the thing that irritated me the most was a commercial I saw during Sunday's broadcast. It was a commercial for the United Negro College Fund. They were pushing their (UNCF) campaign for Emrgency Student Aid - saying during these difficult times some students might have to drop out if they can't get help with their day to day living expenses during these difficult times. Hey, I have no problem with that at all. I believe in charitable giving and if you do and that is one of your selected charities then, by all means, fire them off a check - I think they are a fine institution.
But here is what really frosted my turnips. At the very end of the commercial in small print toward the bottom of the screen it read "Sponsored by Wachovia Bank". WHa-a-a-a-a-a-T ??
They were "allowed" to spend money producing and buying air time for a commercial for a non-profit institution but not allowed to spend money on marketing their brand by sponsoring a sporting event.
Who's in charge? As the current administration would say,
"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain".
Monday, May 4, 2009
Let the Healing Begin
I remember back during the campaign for the 2004 election when John Edwards said that if he and John Kerry were elected people like Christopher Reeve would eventually get up out of their wheelchairs and walk. He was, of course, referring to the fact President Bush had stopped all federal funding on new stem cell lines. (As an aside he should have gotten up and walked the first time Rielle Hunter started making eyes at him. Instead, apparently, he just got up but didn't walk).
This faith healer trend seemed to continue in the last campaign when Joe “the Joke” Biden entreated wheelchair bound Missouri state senator Chuck Graham to stand up for a round of applause.
Now, I don't know if it is what they put in the democrats coffee, but it seems that Arlen Specter has jumped on the Benny Hine bandwagon.
What a putz.
If they can just heal everyone I wonder why the Obama administration is setting aside 634 billion for a national health care scheme. Instead they should be figuring out how to close down all the medical schools, set up job retraining for doctors and nurses, and renovate the hospitals for use as public housing.
Come on guys - get on the ball.
This faith healer trend seemed to continue in the last campaign when Joe “the Joke” Biden entreated wheelchair bound Missouri state senator Chuck Graham to stand up for a round of applause.
Now, I don't know if it is what they put in the democrats coffee, but it seems that Arlen Specter has jumped on the Benny Hine bandwagon.
What a putz.
If they can just heal everyone I wonder why the Obama administration is setting aside 634 billion for a national health care scheme. Instead they should be figuring out how to close down all the medical schools, set up job retraining for doctors and nurses, and renovate the hospitals for use as public housing.
Come on guys - get on the ball.
Those Energy Sucking Fluorescent Bulbs
I live in a development that puts out a monthly magazine for the residents. Besides containing information particular to the residents it usually contains "useful" or "interesting" information. This month's issue contained facts compiled FP&L (Florida Power and Light) which detailed the percentage of energy used for different functions. Heating and Air cooling was number first at about thirty-seven percent. Water heating was second at about thirty percent. Lighting was down on the list coming in at a little less than five percent.
They say compact fluorescent bulbs use about seventy-five percent less energy than regular incandescent bulbs. If that is the case (and I am not going to spend a lot of time getting the math absolutely correct) then it's probably going to get the percentage of total energy use to down around three percent.
To me that kind of puts a lie to this kind of rhetoric from the article linked here
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/108/open_lightbulbs.html
What that means is that if every one of 110 million American households bought just one ice-cream-cone bulb, took it home, and screwed it in the place of an ordinary 60-watt bulb, the energy saved would be enough to power a city of 1.5 million people. One bulb swapped out, enough electricity saved to power all the homes in Delaware and Rhode Island. In terms of oil not burned, or greenhouse gases not exhausted into the atmosphere, one bulb is equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the roads.
(and don't you love the way they toss out the "facts" (LOL) - Power a city for how long? Take the cars of the road for how long? Where did they get their "facts"?)
And in order to save that small percentage of energy our homes use you would need to go through this (from an advisory article posted on www.epa.gov) if you break a CF bulb (which contains mercury vapor and dust).
Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal below. Please also read the information on this page about what never to do with a mercury spill.
Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room
Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces
Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug
Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials
If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.
Disposal of Clean-up Materials
Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.
Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming
The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
(notice the admonition for future vacuuming and carpet cleaning)
Personally I would just keep the number for the EPA Hazmat team on speed dial.
I also think the savings would be offset by the printing of the forty-two page booklet that will eventually needed to be included with every bulb to satisfy the manufacturers' attorneys. And what about all those plastic bags and glass jars that will end up in land fills instead of being recycled?
So what's our conclusion folks? It's the same as it is in so many cases....
It's not about science, conservation, or saving the earth - it's about an agenda.
They say compact fluorescent bulbs use about seventy-five percent less energy than regular incandescent bulbs. If that is the case (and I am not going to spend a lot of time getting the math absolutely correct) then it's probably going to get the percentage of total energy use to down around three percent.
To me that kind of puts a lie to this kind of rhetoric from the article linked here
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/108/open_lightbulbs.html
What that means is that if every one of 110 million American households bought just one ice-cream-cone bulb, took it home, and screwed it in the place of an ordinary 60-watt bulb, the energy saved would be enough to power a city of 1.5 million people. One bulb swapped out, enough electricity saved to power all the homes in Delaware and Rhode Island. In terms of oil not burned, or greenhouse gases not exhausted into the atmosphere, one bulb is equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the roads.
(and don't you love the way they toss out the "facts" (LOL) - Power a city for how long? Take the cars of the road for how long? Where did they get their "facts"?)
And in order to save that small percentage of energy our homes use you would need to go through this (from an advisory article posted on www.epa.gov) if you break a CF bulb (which contains mercury vapor and dust).
Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal below. Please also read the information on this page about what never to do with a mercury spill.
Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room
Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces
Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug
Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials
If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.
Disposal of Clean-up Materials
Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.
Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming
The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
(notice the admonition for future vacuuming and carpet cleaning)
Personally I would just keep the number for the EPA Hazmat team on speed dial.
I also think the savings would be offset by the printing of the forty-two page booklet that will eventually needed to be included with every bulb to satisfy the manufacturers' attorneys. And what about all those plastic bags and glass jars that will end up in land fills instead of being recycled?
So what's our conclusion folks? It's the same as it is in so many cases....
It's not about science, conservation, or saving the earth - it's about an agenda.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
The Supreme Court Nominee
I have no idea who will be nominated to replace Souter when he steps down from the Supreme court. I'm sure Monsieur le President has hopes they can find a woman who is part Cherokee, part Black, part Latin, part Asian, and who is disabled in some way (hearing impaired would be good so we could get a signer in the supreme court).
Anyway - thinking about it brought a couple of things to mind............
Wonder what ever happened to the eminent domain case brought to try to seize Souter’s house after he tipped the scales on the New London case? (turned out the land was never developed).
A story about Justice Ginsburg. To me it is a great illustration on the intellectual arrogance of many powerful liberals - as well as some insight into her personally.
Several years ago (and this was before she was diagnosed with cancer) a friend of mine was in Jackson Hole, WY doing some fly fishing. He was staying at one of the area’s better resort hotels. Apparently there was a legal conference going on with a lot of big names in attendance.
One night he at the head of the line at the Maitre D stand putting his name on the list for a table - about a fifteen minute wait. Just as he turned away Ruthie - with hubby in tow - marched past everyone to the head of the line and announced to the Maitre D in a voice loud enough for much of the restaurant to hear “I’m Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I don’t wait and I don’t pay.”
She was shown to a table immediately and a few minutes later my friend was seated at a table near her and her husband. From what my friend said she spent the whole meal time being nasty to the wait staff and berating her husband who sat, cowed, with his head down saying nothing.
Her waiter, who was also waiting on my friend said to him after she (Ginsburg) left - “Not only doesn’t she pay but she doesn’t tip either.”
I guess I can understand her wish to look to foreign law for precedent - looks like she got her manners from Paris.
Anyway - thinking about it brought a couple of things to mind............
Wonder what ever happened to the eminent domain case brought to try to seize Souter’s house after he tipped the scales on the New London case? (turned out the land was never developed).
A story about Justice Ginsburg. To me it is a great illustration on the intellectual arrogance of many powerful liberals - as well as some insight into her personally.
Several years ago (and this was before she was diagnosed with cancer) a friend of mine was in Jackson Hole, WY doing some fly fishing. He was staying at one of the area’s better resort hotels. Apparently there was a legal conference going on with a lot of big names in attendance.
One night he at the head of the line at the Maitre D stand putting his name on the list for a table - about a fifteen minute wait. Just as he turned away Ruthie - with hubby in tow - marched past everyone to the head of the line and announced to the Maitre D in a voice loud enough for much of the restaurant to hear “I’m Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I don’t wait and I don’t pay.”
She was shown to a table immediately and a few minutes later my friend was seated at a table near her and her husband. From what my friend said she spent the whole meal time being nasty to the wait staff and berating her husband who sat, cowed, with his head down saying nothing.
Her waiter, who was also waiting on my friend said to him after she (Ginsburg) left - “Not only doesn’t she pay but she doesn’t tip either.”
I guess I can understand her wish to look to foreign law for precedent - looks like she got her manners from Paris.
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