Tim Russert

I, along with many, many others, was shocked and saddened today to hear of the passing of Tim Russert, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press.”  My wife and I loved Tim Russert and I caught his show every chance I got.  (Not easy with two kids bouncing around…)  Tim was one of the few who found a way past his own biases to drive down into the meat of the issue regardless of whom he was interviewing.  He was, on the whole, reasonably balanced and insightful.  He was the only commentator I could sit through and listen to.  His analysis and commentary will be sorely missed.  Our thoughts and prayers and deepest sympathies go out to his family.  Thanks for sharing Tim with us.

 

My Energy Policy

Originally I had planned to go whole hog with my own presidential campaign series of blogs but that would’ve been entirely too much work. But I did want to put a few things out there now and then. Like my energy policy. Well, “my” energy policy. Very little, if anything, of this post is original thought.  The rambling, idiotic portions are all me but I’ll be honest up front and just say this is largely an amalgam of many things I’ve read over the last few years. With that little bit out of the way, let’s get down to it.

Domestic Electricity Needs

Over the last few years terms like “rolling brown outs” have become common terms in the lexicons of many Americans (especially for those in SoCal). One answer that’s fallen way out of favor is nuclear power. The fear of a Chernobyl in one’s backyard is enough to dissuade most people from supporting any such proposition. This is in spite of the fact that we have never had a meltdown in the U.S. (indeed, some would claim that Chernobyl style accidents are physically impossible here in the U.S.) and that nuclear power plants have a drastically lower waste emission rate. Still, there’s a, dare I say, cloud lingering over the idea of nuclear power.

A recent popular addition to the green mania sweeping the country is wind power. But even this seemingly innocuous form of energy production has its detractors. And not all of them wannabe royalty. While these wind farms have 0 carbon emissions (after material construction, of course), some of the main complaints are the noise (see the “whoosh whoosh whoosh” complaints in the NPR link) and the number of birds killed after flying into the effective blender action of hundreds of blades spinning around. There are various workarounds for these problems, but this option should certainly be exploited more.

Solar power is my personal favorite. And here is where I’ll veer away from exposition and into recommendation. Solar panels have been getting increasingly efficient which has been one of the primary complaints I’ve heard about them. However, if I were president (or governor) I would mandate all new residential construction have solar panels installed and that houses be built to be more energy efficient. These panels would produce a decent portion of a household’s electricity reducing the need to pull off the grid. As panels get more effective and households become more energy efficienty, the likelihood of surpluses increases. In some instances, households already show a surplus and the energy companies are required to purchase that surplus.

With the advent of such requirements, we could feasibly move to microgrids instead of expansive region wide grids that cover multiple states. Such microgrids would be more resistant to cascading failures as there would be fewer interdependencies and, not to pass up a GOP talking point, there would be fewer central locations susceptible to terrorism. (Extra points for tying unrelated subjects to the “war on terror!”) As the market for these panels grows because of this mandate, competition will drive down prices and drive up efficiency. It’s a bit pie in the sky perhaps, but there it is.

The Oil Dependency

Every politician seems to his/her own solution to the oil problem with solutions ranging from drilling in ANWR (really just outside it I believe) to raising fuel efficiency standards. I’m actually OK with both proposals but, to be honest, they’re both short term fixes and are largely political sops to each group’s supporters. Neither really fixes the problem. I have a much bolder proposal.

On September 12, 1962 President Kennedy challenged the nation to tackle the difficulties of space flight and put a man on the moon. By the end of the decade we’d done. We put our minds to it and let nothing stand in our. In a similar fashion, if I were president, I’d challenge the nation (or realistically any company doing business in the States) to develop an alternative to the gasoline engine and the distribution system for the fuel to make it work. To the first company (or coalition of companies) that makes it possible, affordable, and the technology freely available to anyone, I’d offer something huge. Say, 5 years with no taxes or 10 years of 50% tax rebates. In effect, the American government would be buying the technology and making it freely available to any company that wishes to build upon it. A stick to go with the tax carrot would be legislation banning gasoline in noncommercial vehicles by, say, 2020. Knowing the road was coming to an end, so to speak, more people would be more inclined to find an alternative. Whether the oil companies or someone from left field like Google fills that gap is entirely open.

This shift would devastate the oil companies unable to make the shift for whatever reason. It would open up an entire new industry however relatively open to all comers. The auto industry would also have to retool but this impact would arguably be easier for them than the energy companies. The transition would disruptive to say the least and destructive in some cases. But there’s a much opportunity as risk there.

One more caveat I’d have to add is that it couldn’t be based on anything foodstuff related. We’ve already seen the nascent ethanol industry driving up food prices. We don’t need any more of that. I’m not an expert by any means (which probably means this is all rubbish) but I think hydrogen is the way to go. There have been a number of breakthroughs in recent years that make the production of hydrogen more cost effective. And with oil prices achieving escape velocity, it doesn’t have to be that economical to be competitive. If this technology is combined with the solar panel idea, it’s entirely conceivable that the massive power plants could be completely replaced.

Bonus Points

Though, I joked about it earlier, there is a definite perk in all this for national security and the “war on terror,” etc. etc. With plummeting demand for oil, we can begin to hope to provide for our own oil needs with our own reserves reducing or eliminating the need for oil from the middle east. And let’s be honest, oil is the only reason we really care about that region. Sure there are other imports from the region, but oil is far and away the chief item of concern. With little/no need for oil from external sources, we could essentially pull out of the region and close most/all of our bases. This is what bin Laden and company want: the U.S. out of the Middle East with our “evil” influence. This seems like a win/win to me. We’d be out of the Middle East and we’d save billions of dollars in base upkeep costs and staffing. Of course, the Middle Eastern economy would take a hit so maybe it’s not all win/win.

OK, I’m done

So to make specific points out of all this rambling, I’ll sum up with a few bullet points.

1. Mandate solar panels on each new house.
2. Tax breaks for whoever develops an alternative to the gasoline engine and the distribution system to support it.
3. Outlaw gasoline engines in noncommercial vehicles.
4. Close as many bases in the Middle East as we can. My vote is all of them.

 

Knocked Up

Well, the wife and kids are out of town this week off visiting some family. I usually take these opportunities to watch guy flicks that I know she’ll never want to see thereby making it very difficult for me to ever see. I’d have to time such flicks for late at night or when she’s out to yoga and it’s just me and the girls. (Just kidding. Sort of.) Anyway, I loaded up the netflix queue with some choice, classy selections and today was rewarded with the arrival of Knocked Up.

Now, this is Judd Apatow. The same guy who gave us Superbad, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. These are not, shall we say, Best Motion Picture Oscar winning type films. But they are, with the exception of Anchorman, really funny. The film is full of low brow humor, bodily function jokes, obscenity, and drug use. Just what the doctor ordered. But the end of the movie was the best. It was not surprising. Wasn’t a bomb shell. I won’t give away any spoilers, but let’s just say there’s a baby involved.

The closing credits has a montage of video clips of the little baby growing up. And it’s a cute baby. Not as cute as mine, of course, but the whole sequence really connected with me being a parent all. It was a bit surprising to have that kind of a connection with an Apatow flick, but there it is. It made me miss my little girls. I can hardly wait for them to come home. Is it Saturday, yet?

 

Nailed it!

All you warmists should probably read this “reprint” of a Newsweek article. As of 1975, we were hopelessly sliding headlong into a new ice age. Here we are 30 years on and now we’re apparently in danger of roasting. This is ultimately my problem with all the global warming hysteria. We just don’t really know what the hell we’re seeing. And, for me, it’s actually irrelevant whether or not humans are contributing to global warming. I think a lot of the “green” initiatives are good ideas. Some of them are beyond stupid. (I’m looking at you, Sheryl Crow!) But the whole idea of global warming is still highly questionable to be rallying point. It’s really much easier than all that.

If you live in a city L.A., DAllas, Atlanta, Denver, etc. just get out the city’s edge and just look out over the city someday. See that brown haze? That’s from your car. Your power plant. etc. There are visible, immediate examples of why we should be looking at more sustainable practices. It’s a much easier sell to talk about switching to hydrogen cars with reasons like “no smog,” “water for exhaust,” “no smelly fumes,” etc. It’s hard to argue against being able to breathe. And ultimately, it’s good for the environment. It’s good for the economy. And it’s good for America globally which I’ll blog about next…

 

I should be Favre’s replacement

With the Republican race for president all but settled for a month now (and recently locked up), we’ve been left with only the Democrats to watch for any entertainment value. With Hillary getting her … hat handed to her for 12 straight contests before she finally won 2.5 elections this last Tuesday, the debate has become one about words vs actions. Hope vs experience. Hillary keeps trumpeting the “fact” that she’s the only one who can lead on day one. But I’m not sure what experience she’s talking about. What has she done? She was First Lady in Arkansas then the White House. So, sure, she was in the room. Maybe she even discussed things with Bill. But that’s not experience. My wife couldn’t do my job just because I’ve had conversations about it with her. But I guess that’s what she’s talking about. I don’t know what else it could be.

But if that kind of “experience” is a qualification, then I hereby announce my bid to be the new starting quarterback for the Packers. I have plenty of experience. I’ve been watching football for over a decade now on TV. I’ve been to many games in the stadium so I have plenty of first had experience, too. And for those who say that all my experience is from a distance, just know that I worked for over 3 years in the football stadium while I was in college. I saw many players up close and personal. I know how to talk to these guys. How to lead them (to the print button). Best of all, I know how to get these guys’ respect (or I’ll delete their files!). Sure, I’ve never actually thrown a ball in a live game with defensive linemen trying to plant my corpse at midfield, but I’ve criticized, literaly, thousands of decisions by quarterbacks at the college (state) and NFL (national) levels.

If that doesn’t make me qualified to lead the Packers to another Superbowl, I don’t know what does. Come on, Coach, give me the call. I’m ready. Let’s do this.

 

Saddle Up!

The wife has recently started attending a yoga class on Sunday mornings which means I get the girls to myself for a few hours. This is a pretty nice little routine over all. The tricky part is that Lucy doesn’t nap well sometimes in the morning. She prefers being in the stroller apparently. To accomodate this (and to achieve some measure of peaceful coexistance) we all get bundled up, pop Lucy in the stroller and head to Ozzie’s. Lucy usually passes out either on the way there or shortly after arrival so she’s set. For Amelia, we take crayons and markers and lots and lots of paper. She can happily sit and draw for a couple of hours. Sometimes we play word games where I pick a word and she writes it. (She’s getting pretty good…) For myself, I either take a book or the laptop and, um, borrow a neighbor’s wifi. All in all, fun for all.

Now, in NYC (and I’m sure in other places) there are these … let’s call them shelves that hang on the walls of many businesses. Really, they’re collections of little cubbies that open to one side and have a label of some sort on the front. In these cubbies you find things like cards advertising plays on Broadway or Asian health spas and the like. Pretty innocuous stuff for the most. Sometimes a new CD will get an advert there. Etc. This particular display is a little different in that on the top there is a back full of NYC condoms. It’s just part of the city health department trying to slow the spread of certain diseases. Thankfully nothing I’ve had to explain to Amelia since I don’t think she’s even noticed them to wonder what they are. But there they are.

I mention all this because last Sunday took a disturbing turn. We’d been sitting at our table for an hour or two when a group came. One member claimed a table while the rest went through the line to purchase coffeess and the like. While she was waiting for the rest of her group, I saw, out of the corner of my eye, this lady reach up and grab a handful of these condoms and stick them in her purse. Not that big a deal, really. Slightly awkward, I suppose had I been looking right at her, say. But did I mention this lady, and her entire group, was over 60?

 

What’s Your Theme Song?

It’s not uncommon to hear about people pondering this question. The idea of a soundtrack for your life has been used in a number of books and movies. Still the question persists. If you had to pick one song as your theme song, what would it be? Would you go for something heroic like Eye of the Tiger or the Rocky theme? Maybe something more inspirational? The possible answers are virtually limitless. I’ve been pondering this question off and on for a while now and I think I have my answer. (Warning: the language isn’t exactly kid friendly…)

So what’s yours?

 

Let’s embolden our enemies a bit

One of the recurring themes that the GOP trots out when someone mentions withdrawing from Iraq or setting a timetable is that such an action would “embolden our enemies.” I’ve never really bought into that line, personally. It seems like they’d take a look at that date and just decide to lay low until we’ve let then start blowing up stuff again. Maybe there’s some intelligence indicating otherwise. I don’t know.

But I had this thought about it (and it’s certainly not unique to me I should hope): setting a timetable should embolden our allies. Say Obama gets elected and takes office next January and he says “In 18 months, all of our troops will be out of Iraq come Hell or high water.” The insurgents might see this as a moral victory for them, but I don’t really care what they think on that score. But I would hope would happen is that the Iraqi political leadership would see that the gravy train is coming to an end and they need to get their asses in gear. With Uncle Sam around to pull the kids apart and make them settle things nicely, Iraq does indeed stand a decent chance of descending into chaos. So if the leadership there doesn’t want that, they’d have to learn rather quickly to put trivial things like theology (which have no place in government anyway) aside and come to agreements about how to make this thing work.

So regardless of what our enemies may or may not think, maybe it’s time we light that proverbial fire and pull the plug on the life support system there. Babies never learn to walk if you hold them all the time. The Iraqi government needs to figure a few things out on its own, I think. We can’t afford to keep picking up that tab forever.

 

Obama and Entitlement

This is arguably one of the most interesting presidential races in history. Never before have a woman and a black man been viable, serious contenders for the Oval Office. I’ve turned into a bit of an election junkie actually. Now, I don’t know who I’ll vote for come November, but I’d sure rather have Obama in the Oval Office than Hillary. But I do take issue with a certain … expectation in this election. And I say this as a complete outsider of the target demographic: the black vote and to whom it belongs.

Not everyone is guilty of this, but I’ve caught a bit of an undertone (supported by anti-Hillary protestors in Harlem this weekend) that suggest that the black vote is, in essence, Obama’s simply by virtue of his race and that Hillary is trying to “steal” it.. I find the idea that a block of voters would vote for a candidate simply because of his or her race a bit … well, prejudiced? presumptuous? racist? I’m not sure what would quite captures my distate for the idea. Whether it’s Latinos voting for Richardson or blacks for Obama, voting for a man simply because of this race seems as racist as not voting for someone for the same reasons.

Granted, as member of the Privileged White Protestant Majority, one could argue that I don’t understand the plight of minorities and any sense of desperation they might feel. And I’ll concede that that is almost certainly the case. But voting for a candidate, or not, has to be about more than skin color. If race shouldn’t matter when applying for an office job on Wall Street, it shouldn’t matter if the office is on Pennsylvania Avenue.

 

Check Please!

Normally, I don’t really care much about what celebrities do or believe. Granted some of the more despicable behavior might trigger a personal boycott, but for the most part, I’m pretty much live and let live. But I think I might be done with Tom Cruise. The guy is nucking futs! Just watch this video and try not to get creeped out.