Quote of the Day

From Jeff Goldstein, at the excellent (if sometimes challenging to understand) Protein Wisdom:

I’ll be here all week. Whereas a pro-democracy Russia? Maybe nyet.

Touché, Jeff...

PowerLink in Jamul?

Reader Michael passed along this article in the San Diego Union Tribune, which reports on a new alternate route proposed for the PowerLink (the huge new power transmission line designed to accommodate San Diego's anticipated growth in energy requirements). As usual, it is frustratingly short of any real information. The graphic in the article is hard to read, but if I've got it right, it shows the route following I-8 west until about Buckman Springs Road, where it heads due south and then makes a sweeping loop to the west, traveling south of Lake Morena, south of Barrett Lake, and then heading north back to I-8, passing between Gaskill Peak and Barrett Lake. That last leg is only a couple miles east of our home.

From one perspective, I can see the attraction in this route -- it passes through some of the least populated areas of San Diego County. However, they are not unpopulated -- and I'm sure the Jamul residents in the area it would pass through are not happy about it.

I've read several debates about whether there's even a need for the PowerLink -- some people question the growth projections, and others claim alternative energy (especially solar) generated within the County would satisfy any growth. Others say the PowerLink is a "must have"; that San Diego's growth will be stunted without it. I have no personal knowledge or expertise on that question, so I have no inclination to take either side of that debate. If, however, you assume (even if just for the sake of argument) that the need for PowerLink is real -- then the darned thing has to be built somewhere. And you know there's nowhere at all it could be built without impacting some group of people.

This is exactly the sort of issue that the power of eminent domain was intended to address. And the sort of messy debate we're currently going through, with lots of shouting and raised blood pressures, is the best way I know of to get it all resolved. It's like making sausages...you really would rather not watch the process unfold, but the end result will most likely be a tasty one...

Joke of the Day

Nutritional Issues...

Two alligators were relaxing in the swamp talking.

The smaller one turned to the bigger one and said, "I can't understand how you kin be so much bigger 'n? me. We're the same age, and we was the same size as kids. I just don't get it."

"Well," said the big 'gator, "What you been eatin', boy?"

"Politicians, same as you," replied the small 'gator.

"Hmm. Well, where do y'all catch 'em?"

"Down 'tother side of the swamp near the parkin' lot by the capitol."

"Same here. Hmm. How do you catch 'em?"

"Well, I crawls up into one of them Lexus and wait fer one to open the car door. Then I jump out, grab 'em on the leg, shake the shit out of 'em, and eat 'em!"

"Ah!" says the big alligator, "I think I see your problem. You ain't gettin' any real nourishment. See, by the time you get done shakin' the shit out of a Politician, there ain't nothin' left but an asshole and a briefcase!"

Thanks, mom...

Ponder the Maunder

Here's a remarkable paper, published on the web, that examines anthropogenic global warming. The most amazing part of the paper is revealed in the introduction:

Welcome to Ponder the Maunder, an extra credit assignment for Honors Earth Science, Portland High School, by Kristen Byrnes of Portland Maine.

This report is a comprehensive look at the global warming issue without financial or political bias. It uses the most updated information provided by scientists and researchers and interjects common sense, an important component missing from the global warming debate.

And then Kristen opens with this:

I will demonstrate that the Earth’s warming climate is a result of natural variance and that man made changes in the warming climate in the last 40 years are negligible at best. I will insert pieces of the puzzle from new scientific studies that were not available or were ignored in previous global warming studies. I add a possible piece of the puzzle, nuclear weapons testing in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, that may have made a small contribution to cooling at that time. After reviewing numerous scientific studies and observing data, it is clear that the theory that “man made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide are causing global warming” is not likely.

It's longish, but well worth reading in its entirety...

Thanks to Simi L. for passing this along...

Baker's Dozen of Doozies...

Check out these amazing photos! Click any of the small images to get a larger version...

Tip of the hat to Jim M. for sending them along...

Slide Rule Collection

If you're wondering where my slide rule collection went to, here it is.

Big Change!

You may have noticed that the blog looks much different!

Due to major technical difficulties, I have switched from using Pebble (open source blog software) on my own server to using Blogger (free software and hosting) from Google.

So far I have not figured out any way to move all my old posts (or photos) from the old blog to the new one -- so for now, at least, I'm simply starting over...