Friday, October 10, 2003
Back, and Worse Than Ever
From Reuters, via Forbes:After three years of false starts, Congress could soon pass a sweeping energy bill packed with tax breaks and other benefits for oil, natural gas, coal and power companies -- a package that could cost taxpayers nearly $53 billion over the next 10 years.
Recently, bitter disagreements on issues such as power grid rules and ethanol have bogged down the bill, possibly delaying a vote by House and Senate negotiators until January. But some analysts say the Aug. 14 blackout and soaring gasoline prices will generate the support needed to pass a bill this year or early in the new year.
....
The bill is good news for a broad range of energy companies -- from oil producer ConocoPhillips and power company Exelon Corp. to drillers like Nabors Industries.
It has tax credits to promote drilling unconventional sources of gas, changes the tax code to encourage pipeline and power grid investments and takes steps to open more federal lands to drilling.
....
For utilities, the bill is even more beneficial. There are financial incentives earmarked for nuclear power, cleaner coal-based power and coal-based synthetic fuels.
....
Critics complain the bill enriches companies that shaped the Bush-Cheney energy policy behind closed doors in 2001. The legislation, they say, does not do enough to reduce energy consumption, curb pollution or develop renewable resources.
"The industry is reaping huge profits from tax credits, yet there are no benefits to the public," said Navin Nayak, an analyst at consumer advocates U.S. Public Interest Research Group. "It's a waste of money."
Final figures are likely to change, but legislation passed earlier this year indicates the bill will carry a hefty price tag.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill's total cost to taxpayers, including lost revenue, would reach $40.3 billion through 2008 and $52.6 billion over the next decade.
Beyond tax breaks, the bill expands access to domestic resources, most notably opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drillers. Producers also seek permission to drill in federal lands in the Rocky Mountains.
The bill may also finally launch construction of a 3,600-mile pipeline to Alaska's North Slope by Exxon Mobil BP and ConocoPhillips. BP and Conoco seek credits that would kick in if gas prices fall below $3.50 before committing to the $20 billion project.
Ultimately, some analysts say, the most powerful benefit to the industry comes from new tax rules such as a 30 percent depreciation bonus, on top of normal first-year depreciation. This could yield huge savings for an industry that makes big pipeline, power line and other infrastructure investments.
[full story]
I need your help. I'll provide you with "take action" links, you take the actions. OK? Together, we can stop this atrocity.
In better news...
The Cubs beat the Marlins tonight to take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS. Yes!
And Greenwich Village is still a fun place to be with good friends on a Friday night.
Posted by Me at 23:52 link
Thursday, October 09, 2003
Methinks Bush Doth Protest Too Much
Speaking to National Guard troops today in New Hampshire, President Bush defended yet again his decision to launch an unprovoked attack against Iraq:"I acted because I was not about to leave the security of the American people in the hands of a madman. I was not about to stand by and wait and trust in the sanity and restraint of Saddam Hussein.
"There is only one decent and humane reaction to the fall of Saddam Hussein: Good riddance," Bush said.
....
And Bush suggested the media focus on life in Iraq has been too negative.
"It’s a lot better than you probably think," the president said.
[full story]
To the untrained, it sounds like he's trying to convince himself more than anyone else. Reality, however, is that Bush is now back on the campaign trail, preaching to his ever-shrinking base of support, the dwindling numbers of Americans who still believe pre-emptive war was a good and just idea. The rest of us are just counting the days until November 2, 2004....
Hooray For Our Side
And now I'm going to appear to contradict myself.
As I drove this evening, I tried to find the Democratic Presidential candidates debate on AM radio — total waste of time! AM these days is totally dominated by Right-wing Rush Limbaugh wanna-bees, busy spewing inaccurate, unfair characterizations of the Left.
I listened to one for awhile, and the way the show made me feel about the Right made me glad that there really aren't any Left-wing equivalents. I was reminded again of the polarization of political debate in the U.S., and how bad this is for all of us.
I was reminded, too, of an exercise from Economics class, the "Oligopoly Game." In this exericise, a small number of competing teams (companies) set prices for their theoretical products; teams can either cooperate (collude) with each other, resulting in higher profits for everyone, or they can attempt to undersell each other, which results in higher profits only for the low-price team. What happened in our experiment was that the teams initially agreed to cooperate, but when we actually submitted our prices, one team had abandoned the agreement and set their prices lowest, making themselves a tidy profit — and screwing everyone else over in the process. We all learned our lesson: in subsequent rounds, all the teams submitted the lowest possible price. Nobody did very well. Everybody lost, essentially, but everyone lost equally.
To me, this is the state of modern politics. Compromise and concession are out; demonization and de-humanization are in. Nobody plays fair, because, with no one else playing fair, it would be suicidal. Everything is sacrificed, including principles and values, in the interests of winning — or rather, of not losing. Nobody wins in this scenario. How do we get out of it?
If you're in the NYC area, come to Don Hill's in Greenwich Village Friday night for Opti-Grab's record release party. Rumor has it, some of the area's most prominent bloggers will attend....
We start the party at ten— Zen Frisbee, "Rakeisha"
Posted by Me at 22:08 link
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
Kids Today, I tell ya....
From NewScientist.com:Today's teenage generation is now the biggest the world has ever seen, according to a UN report released Wednesday. One in five people on Earth are adolescents between 10 and 19, and about half the world's population is under 25.
The youthfulness of the world's population carries dangers, the report warns. Teenagers are the most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, the health impacts of poverty, drugs, discrimination, violence and sexual trafficking, it states.
However, if their healthcare and social needs can be met, the adolescents could develop into the largest, most vibrant workforces ever seen when they reach adulthood.
[full story]
I'm fairly certain it hasn't escaped the attention of governments around the globe that such a large mass of youth is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, such hordes of angry young people could create unprecedented social upheaval; on the other, they provide the raw material for vast armies. Something tells me the next few years are going to be very interesting. Cubs Win! Sox Win!
The Chicago Cubs beat the Florida Marlins 12-3 at Wrigley Field tonight to even the National League Championship Series at one game each in the best of seven series.
Meanwhile, at Yankee Stadium, the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 5-2, to take a 1-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.
All is right with the world again!
I might as well explain, because many of you may be puzzled at my glee, knowing that I'm a lifelong New York Mets Fan.
Well.... of course I'm still a Mets fan! But they're long gone for this season. Like almost everyone else, I love an underdog, and Charlie Brown himself may be less of an underdog than the Chicago Cubs! They won the World Series last in 1908. Since then "Wait 'til next year" has become their unofficial motto. The Boston Red Sox won the Series a bit more recently — in 1918. Legend has it that the fates have conspired to prevent the Sox from winning since then as punishment for trading Babe Ruth, arguably the game's most dominant player, to the Yankees after winning the World Series that year.
So, as a lifelong Mets fan, I'm sorry my team had such a horrible year. Oh, well. But as a lifelong baseball fan(atic), I'm delighted that baseball's two most loveable losers are finally getting a taste of victory. Even vicariously, it's pretty sweet! Stay tuned....
More good news
I was able to view Ziboy's fotoblog from school today. Maybe it's just something with my home computer that prevents me from viewing it here. Anyway, I'm seriously relieved. Leave a comment and let me know if you're able (or not) to view his site. Thanks.
Posted by Me at 21:02 link
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
Dark Day For Democracy
Hey, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger will be a good governor for California. Maybe he'll lead wisely, and make decisions that benefit all Californians. But I doubt it. Though most of his positions are moderate (the handful of positions he's revealed, that is), I think he owes a lot to the people that helped put him in power; I think essentially, he'll be used as a tool of the Right. We shall see.
The whole episode drives home some ugly lessons about politics:
- Big Money usually wins
- Name recognition trumps just about anything else
- Most folks don't pay enough attention to know the difference between looking tough and being able to get the job done
- When things are good, voters usually favor incumbents; when things are bad, voters usually favor challengers
Also, and most disturbing, folks right now seem predisposed to seek extreme solutions, to avoid compromise and consensus-building. Thus, as in the 2000 Presidential election, even close results become Continental Divides, with nearly half the people (or at least, half of the ones paying attention) deeply disappointed with the policies of the elected. In short, right now, it doesn't look good. But stay tuned....
In other news, the Cubs lost in extra innings. Crap.
Posted by Me at 22:59 link
Monday, October 06, 2003
Too Many Gizmos
I'm weary of politics, so I'm going to talk about bicycling. Just to let you know.
I don't know how many of you cycle recreationally. I just got back into it myself, after a 12-year hiatus. Back then, I kept it very simple: a walkman and sunglasses. And a hard, hard head. Those were my only accessories. I rode all over Iredell County, NC like that, on my red Schwinn Varsity 10-speed. I really got into it for several months; every weekday, weather permitting, I rode between 1-2 hours. A couple of times a month I rode 4 hours. Several times that summer, I rode all day. I wasn't in very good shape in March, when I started, but by October, I was as fit as I'd ever been in my life. I'd scarcely even seen a mountain bike, and didn't really understand the appeal. After all, who'd want to ride on dirty trails when there were so many miles of nice, clean ashpalt!
Now, I hate riding on streets and roads, mainly because of the dangers of traffic. I ride everyday, but usually only a few miles around town, for transportation. A couple of times a month, I load the bike into my car and go for a ride someplace beautiful. I wouldn't dream of wearing a walkman when I ride now, and I won't ride anywhere but a towpath/railtrail without a helmet. I don't even own a road bike anymore.
What bugs me is that I'm accumulating gizmos! Just in the last three days, I've ordered two new ones: an "Incredibell" to warn pedestrians (politely) to "move it or lose it" and bar ends, to help prevent the numbness in my fingers which has become more than just annoying on long rides. Besides these, I have
- A kryptonite lock, to prevent theft
- A frame pump, in case I need to inflate a tire
- A tool kit containing, in about 12 ounces of weight, enough tools to completely disassemble the bike
- Spare parts (tube, brake pads, et cet.)
- A helmet, as mentioned above
- Ultralight, stylie sunglasses (old ones were super cheap)
- A cycle computer, to tell me how far I've gone, how fast I'm going, et cet.
- A heart rate monitor, to tell me how hard my heart's working, how many calories I'm burning, et cet.
- A 2-liter hydration pack, so I can drink while I'm moving
Being one of those "be prepared" ex-Boy Scout types, I also carry the "ten essentials" of hiking with me on any ride longer than an hour, and/or on any ride in a remote location. Not to mention a camera, of course. I'm wondering, too, whether I really ought to get toe clips, "clipless" pedals or such like to improve my pedalling efficiency, a headlight for night riding and/or padded gloves (again to prevent numb fingers). Geez!
Yeah, as much as I gripe about yuppies, I can't seem to live without stuff, and yes — it bugs me! I guess I need most of it, and I really want the rest, but I do miss the days when cheapie shades and a good mix tape were all I needed. Sigh....
Another shortcoming of desire is that it leads to so much that is undesirable.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche, The Door to Satisfaction
Posted by Me at 21:58 link
Sunday, October 05, 2003
Recall No, Bustamante Yes
That's my advice to California voters. Go to your voting place on Tuesday. Cast your vote Against the recall, then cast your "insurance" vote For Cruz Bustamante. Between now and Tuesday, urge everyone you know to do this same.
15 women (so far) have accused Schwarzenegger of groping them against their will. His campaign should be Terminated. He doesn't deserve to be elected Kindergarten Cop. Maybe he should take his vast fortune and Jingle All The Way back to Austria. Okay, okay — I'll stop now!
Cubs Win! Cubs Win!
Never mind all the other crap....The [Chicago] Cubs won their first playoff series since 1908 with a 5-1 [victory] over the Atlanta Braves in front of a franchise record 54,357 people at Turner Field.
[full story]
That just makes everything a little easier to take, somehow. It's possible — not likely, mind you, but possible — that the Series could end up being between the Cubs and the Red Sox. Wouldn't that signal that the end of the world was truly near? Bring it on, I say, if that's the price we have to pay!
Posted by Me at 22:20 link
