I knew the economy was bad, but not this bad...(new sticky)

[jerrypenguin]

More on the power end of things . . . .

My teaching project (Electric Power -- emphasis on Renewable) winds up in June.  So I have started shopping and lining up projects for my guys.  Chatting with Power industry contacts has been a little shocking. 
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On the other hand, folks at the local GM plant (Arlington, TX) tell me they are busy, and military weapons are still doing well (major product of the Dallas/Fort Worth region). 

I have friends who were previously employed by Portland General Electric.  These people have master's level degrees in sciences and engineering.  They got the retirement shaft via Enron and wound up unemployed. 

[graveday]

Enron, the gift that keeps on taking.  One can point to the weak oversight of the SEC I suppose, that led to the destruction of some very viable companies in the Northwest.   Once James Agee, the author, suggested that it would be good to form a squad of volunteers to take out the hundred key assholes of the world.  That was such a simpler time, but I would venture that there would be many who might volunteer if such an opportunity presented itself among just these people whom Enron shorted.  Trouble is they would have to dedicate the rest of their lives and then raise more volunteers in the next generation.  Oops, some MIBs are knocking at my doors.

[J.A.F.O.]

A lovely idea, but you'd have to get a lot more than the top 100, IMO.  There are plenty of assholes-in-waiting who'd step into the breach, if that happened.. you might have to take out the top 1000, or maybe 5000 assholes to make a real impact.

[jerrypenguin]

There is another consideration relative to taking out one hundred key assholes.  They have families.  If my understanding is correct, the Enron Ken Lay family fortune remained intact. 

A current family example is provided by David Brooks, the founder and former head of DHB Industries Inc.  He faces charges that include securities fraud, accounting fraud, tax fraud and insider trading.  DBH Industries manufactures body armor.  The MSM isn't too excited about the charges.

Brooks made headlines in November 2005 when he splurged almost $10 million on a bat mitzvah for his daughter. Brooks leased both floors of the Rainbow Room and hired Aerosmith, 50 Cent, Tom Petty, and DJ-AM to perform. 

By comparison, Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowsk was a piker.  He spent a mere two million dollars of company funds for his wife's birthday party.

Follow the links to the parties.  You were not invited.  You are a mere grunt.  Follow the people, money, and parties.  When will anyone in the United States get mad?  Anger will not be expressed in the immediate future.  There is the Super Bowl...

[Abhaha]

There is the Super Bowl...

Bread and circuses for the masses.

[graveday]

A lovely idea, but you'd have to get a lot more than the top 100, IMO.  There are plenty of assholes-in-waiting who'd step into the breach, if that happened.. you might have to take out the top 1000, or maybe 5000 assholes to make a real impact.

That was the gist of my post.  A golden opportunity was missed, and a simple writer, who sold out to Hollywood, had the idea.  He worked on "The African Queen."

@Jerry Penguin and Abhaha.  Jeez, you two live together, you don't have to back up each other's posts. 

[Abhaha]

We spend a lot of time together but we don't live together yet. Jerry has his own place.

[graveday]

Oops, sorry.  What's the holdup?

[Abhaha]

Jerry needs his own space for now. We each have too much stuff and not enough room in either of them for all our projects combined--both are crammed with preps, tools and so on. Jerry aspires to learn electronics for alternative energy and he has his shop with clean power set up in his living room. The power in my apt. is a dud for that--the house I am in is really OLD.

Once we get to the doomstead, we've got 6 acres for him to take over. I am trying to talk him into camping there intermittantly this summer to check it all out, blend in with the natives, water the fruit trees and perhaps build a shed?? It is about 100 miles south of Seattle.  We have a ton of work to do on it and his main mode of transportation down there would be one or more of his bikes. He would be in hog heaven riding around. He is a bike fiend.

I didn't get down there much last summer, but I plan to this year. I will be his re-supplier when I go.

[muletowntrooper]

Local Sears is closing.

http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2010/02/04/top_stories/02sears.txt

[graveday]

Jerry needs his own space for now. We each have too much stuff and not enough room in either of them for all our projects combined--both are crammed with preps, tools and so on. Jerry aspires to learn electronics for alternative energy and he has his shop with clean power set up in his living room. The power in my apt. is a dud for that--the house I am in is really OLD.

Once we get to the doomstead, we've got 6 acres for him to take over. I am trying to talk him into camping there intermittantly this summer to check it all out, blend in with the natives, water the fruit trees and perhaps build a shed?? It is about 100 miles south of Seattle.  We have a ton of work to do on it and his main mode of transportation down there would be one or more of his bikes. He would be in hog heaven riding around. He is a bike fiend.

I didn't get down there much last summer, but I plan to this year. I will be his re-supplier when I go.

Got it.  Sounds like fun.  Serious fun.

[cabacaba]

Strange day...

Went to Frys Super Market (Krogers) today they were having super duper sales, Things were cheaper than I have seen in a long time. The Market was packed. Got some nice boneless ribeyes for 3.99/lb, beautiful steaks. Throwback 12 pack pepsis 4/10.00 with a case of Aquifina water for free. Plus had coupons for free mayo, free Doritos. Doritos 13 oz were 2.00. Looked like every one was stocking up. Place was a mad house... Fry's gasoline is 2.57. I thought food was going up in price... 

Business around Phx is booming. Stores and restaurants busy, at least on the west side..
More snow birds than usual and they got money.... House prices are holding steady.... Lots of folks moving in from Cali and the snow country... Many are putting up solar panels on roofs. Me, I upgraded my old clunker A/C (R10) to a new Trane (R19). Wow, what a difference in the electric bill. Went from 150 to 70 bucks! I have a super insulated house. Got to check out the solar panels. Neighbors are putting them in.
Summer is  hot and very dry, but you can survive without A/C but a bit uncomfortable... The old timers did...

Don't know about jobs. The State is in trouble and some cities.. Schools are having major cuts.
The house foreclosures are being snapped up... Go figure The retirement areas are holding value. 

[jerrypenguin]

Strange day...

Went to Frys Super Market (Krogers) today they were having super duper sales, Things were cheaper than I have seen in a long time. The Market was packed.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The house foreclosures are being snapped up... Go figure The retirement areas are holding value. 

I always say, "There are three important principles,  These are: 1) how you perceive the world, 2) how the world perceives you, and 3) reality.  The three are not necessarily related.

As with many epic events, the patterns must be viewed in a larger context.  Discreet observations and conclusions can lead to various perceptions.  Within the context of science, the simplest element, hydrogen, can be observed as a pattern of subatomic particles or in the context of a remote galaxy.  In the 1960's, the computer modelling view of weather, consisted small amounts of data collected from large "cells."  The power and instrumentation to collect and process billions of discreet "small cells" was then non-existent. 

With respect to the US economy, I am consistently astonished with what I observe.  A very slow cross continent trip of a few years ago revealed much.  Parts of the US were no different than what I observed in some remote parts of the world.  Other observations included gated communities of obscene wealth in the middle of nowhere.  Parts of the glorious cities retained a robust luster.  My observations made me question our egalitarian society and future. 

One of my discreet observations occurred when I made my biannual visit to a local very up-scale shopping center.  I make the pilgrimage to the up-scale center to obtain two very specific cooking items.  Once, I overheard a conversation between two shopping women.  One made a sweeping hand gesture and said; "Look at all of this!  How could anything possibility be wrong with the economy?"

The true pattern of the world's economic/resource situation is yet to emerge.  It remains to be seen if the Wall Street/Washington DC wealthy whizzes have it right.

[metaforge]

There is the Super Bowl...

Bread and circuses for the masses.

Good article related to this here: http://www.infowars.com/super-bowl-sunday-scientifically-crafted-mass-mental-illness/

Super Bowl Sunday: Scientifically Crafted Mass Mental Illness

Nother funnier related story there: http://www.infowars.com/colts-daniel-muir-on-ben-bernanke-he-looks-like-a-crook/
 

[jerrypenguin]

There is the Super Bowl...

Bread and circuses for the masses.

Good article related to this here: http://www.infowars.com/super-bowl-sunday-scientifically-crafted-mass-mental-illness/

Super Bowl Sunday: Scientifically Crafted Mass Mental Illness

Nother funnier related story there: http://www.infowars.com/colts-daniel-muir-on-ben-bernanke-he-looks-like-a-crook/
 

As a Chicago raised gray-beard, I couldn't be more in agreement with Alex Jones.  When we were kids, our own football game was played on the frozen ground.  We would get bruised and taste blood.  The wind would be knocked out of us.  Professional sports was there as a neighborhood thing.  The players actually were part of the community.  Many owned modest local business enterprises.

My mother often made comments.  She would ask, "What changed?  You kids were always in action.  You were always playing.  You were always building.  You were running.  You were jumping.  You were climbing.  You were investigating.  What happened?"