Mobile post sent by Richard using Utterz. Replies.
Taken from the Downsizer Dispatch:
The politicians want us to burn more ethanol in
our cars. Like most plans concocted by politicians, this one is a terrible idea
that is having devastating consequences. Here are the facts about ethanol . . .
Ethanol consumes more energy than it produces. A study by Cornell and UC
Berkeley found that corn converted to ethanol consumes 29% more energy than it
creates. Most of these energy losses come from the burning of extra fossil
fuels. Energy losses from other sources of ethanol, such as switch grass (45%) and
wood (57%) are even
worse.
Strike one for ethanol.
Burning ethanol in our cars emits less carbon dioxide (CO2) than burning
gasoline, but this hardly matters given the net energy loss involved in
ethanol’s production. Burning extra fossil fuels to create ethanol adds more
carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than we save by using ethanol as a partial
substitute for gasoline. Overall, ethanol increases CO2 emissions, raising the
risk of global warming.
Strike two for ethanol
When farmers use their land to grow crops for ethanol production, instead of
food, the food supply drops and the price of food rises. Increased food prices
create an incentive to plow new land to replace the missing food crops.
Expanding the acreage used for agriculture also adds extra CO2 to the
atmosphere.
A study reported in the journal “Science” indicates that, depending
on the crop used to create the ethanol, it could take tens or even hundreds of
years for ethanol to make up for the CO2 surge caused by plowing more land for
agriculture.
Strike three for ethanol. If we were playing baseball ethanol would now be on
its way back to the dugout, but we aren’t done yet . . .
Ethanol increases the cost you pay for food. A University of Iowa study
indicates that ethanol production increased the average food bill by about $47
over the last six months of 2007. This increase in food prices is also having
knock-on effects on food prices around the world, devastating
consumers in under-developed nations.
Strike four for ethanol.
Ethanol also makes your fuel prices rise. Politicians mandated that refineries
add 4 billion gallons of ethanol to your gasoline in 2006, in spite of the fact
that ethanol is twice as expensive as gasoline. This is part of the
reason it costs you so much to commute to work.
Strike five for ethanol.
Ethanol has also been sold as a way to make our fuel supply more secure, but an
examination of this claim by scholars from the Cato Institute (published in the
Washington Post) indicates that corn crops are far more variable than the world
oil supply. The more
we depend on ethanol the more likely we are to have fuel shortages after a bad
harvest.
Strike six for ethanol. Having struck out twice, you might think that it’s time
for ethanol to retire from the field, but there’s still more to come . . .
Ethanol has also been sold as an important part of achieving energy independence,
but this is another myth. Even if we used ALL the corn produced in the U.S. to
make ethanol, and NONE of it for food, U.S. gasoline consumption would drop by
only about 12%. This
wouldn’t even make us independent of the oil we import from the Middle East
(which is about 14% of our total consumption), let alone the oil we import from
other parts of the globe.
Strike seven for ethanol.
Ethanol makes it more likely that you will burn to death in your car. Neither
water nor conventional foams work on ethanol fires. Ethanol fires require
special materials and training to extinguish.
Strike eight for ethanol.
The ethanol program is really a government program of corporate welfare. In
“Archer Daniels Midland: A Case Study In Corporate Welfare,” James
Bovard shows how big agri-business corporations have used government subsides
and tax breaks, like those for ethanol, to loot billions of dollars from
taxpayers and consumers. Our government’s ethanol policies are a major culprit.
Bovard estimates that every
$1 of profit earned by ADM from its ethanol operation has cost taxpayers $30.
Strike nine for ethanol. We have now retired the side.
The case is clear. All government mandates, subsidies, and tax breaks for
ethanol production must end, immediately. If we can achieve this goal we will
improve the environment, reduce government spending, and make it easier to
balance the federal budget. Better yet, all of this can be achieved while also
lowering your fuel and food prices.
Please send Congress a message instructing them to end all subsidies and
mandates for the production and use of ethanol. You can do so here.
Our weekly vlog podcast on illegal immigration and border security issues. In this weeks edition:
Importing Mexico? Where is the roughest neighborhood in Mexico? LA!
Reconquista the musical! Mexican rapper demands amnesty makes threats!
100% Preventable! Americans continue to pay the bloody price for open borders. When will the madness end?
If you operate a patriotic business, website, blog or are simply a generous individual with a patriotic bent who would like to see our borders secured and would like to sponsor a show you can contact us about that here.
This has been the Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst. The Blogs For Borders Blogroll is dedicated to American sovereignty, border security and a sane immigration policy. If you’d like to join find out how right here.
Technorati Tags: illegal immigration, deportation, open borders, pedophile, california, mexico, vlog, podcast, 287g, el chivo, kinto soul, reconquista, racist, the minutemen, si si puede,
The larger than life legend and actor Charlton Heston, who has been suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease for several year has passed away at his home.
Heston’s wife of 64 years, Lydia, was by his side at the time of his death, according to the family statement.
Heston is survived by a son, a daughter and three grandchildren.
“We knew him as an adoring husband, a kind and devoted father, and a gentle grandfather, with an infectious sense of humor,” the family said. “He served these far greater roles with tremendous faith, courage and dignity. He loved deeply, and he was deeply loved.”
While no funeral plans have been announced, the family said it would hold a private memorial service.
According to IMDB, Heston has been in at least 126 TV and movie roles over the years although the last few years he has really been more interested in promoting American values, and gun owner rights. He was also very heavily involved in civil rights early on, before it became fashionable for stars to do so, having been a supporter of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a man of his convictions, much like many of the roles he played in the movies.
Heston was born John Charles Carter on October 4th 1924 in Evanston, Illinois, and made his feature film debut as the lead character in a 16mm production of Peer Gynt (1941), based on the Henrik Ibsen play. Shortly thereafter, he played ‘Marc Antony’ in Julius Caesar (1950), however Heston firmly stamped himself as genuine leading man material with his performance as circus manager ‘Brad Braden’ in the Cecil B. DeMille spectacular The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), also starring James Stewart and Cornel Wilde. The now very popular actor remained perpetually busy during the 1950s, both on TV and on the silver screen with audience pleasing performances in the steamy thriller The Naked Jungle (1954), as a treasure hunter in Secret of the Incas (1954) and another barn storming performance for Cecil B. DeMille as “Moses” in the blockbuster The Ten Commandments (1956). Heston delivered further dynamic performances in the oily film noir thriller Touch of Evil (1958), and then alongside Gregory Peck in the western The Big Country (1958) before scoring the role for which he is arguably best known, that of the wronged Jewish prince who seeks his freedom and revenge in the William Wyler directed Ben-Hur (1959). This mammoth Biblical epic running in excess of three and a half hours became the standard by which other large scale productions would be judged, and it’s superb cast also including Stephen Boyd as the villainous “Massala”, English actor Jack Hawkins as the Roman officer “Quintus Arrius”, and Australian actor Frank Thring as “Pontius Pilate”, all contributed wonderful performances.
With all of the powerful storms that have moved through the south and southeast over the last couple of days, there has been quite a bit of damage. As I am typing this Friday night, offline, we are currently under a severe thunderstorm warning for the next hour or two and a tornado watch for the next three hours.
This is a bit of AP video from the Jackson, Mississippi area.
So I paid off the trip to Disney when I woke up this morning. W00t. $5400 in six weeks. That kicked my tail, trying to make sure I made enough to pay for it as well as the bills. I know it’s still eight weeks away but time flies and the end of May will be here before you know it.
With both of us working out trying to lose weight, we may end up having to get new clothes before we leave. Of course I very rarely buy clothes so the same stuff that’s been in my dresser for the last six or twenty years should fit me through several size decreases. The wife may want to get more stuff, at least for the pool. I’m sure we’ll end up looking for bathing suits, if not for her then for the girls. I think one piece swimwear is called for in this case 🙂
You would think that going to Disney that we wouldn’t spend much time in the pool, but even at the end of May it’s pretty darned hot in Central Florida. The last time we went to Disney was in the middle of October and we swam then too. I expect that we will spend a bit of time in the pool every day and I know we’re planning on going to at least one of the water parks.
For some reason it has felt like Saturday since I got up this morning. I think that’s due to the fact that the girls are on Spring Break. Since they’ve been out of town all week I haven’t gotten used to them being here and now that they are it feels like a weekend.
I managed to sleep late for the first time this week. I don’t think I have gotten to sleep in on my day off in quite some time. Crawled out of bed around nine and just bummed around the house for a while, which was nice. Pete made muffins for breakfast. Even though she forgot to grease the muffin cups I managed to get most of them out without mishap. It’s been pretty quiet here today, much more quiet than usual when the girls are home, that’s for sure.
I did get to work out this morning, spending quite a bit more time there than I have. I worked out on all the weight machines, then spent 35 minutes on the elliptical. Talk about sweating your ass off, but that’s what it’s designed for. All in all I spent a couple of hours at the gym today and once I got home the wife went to do the same thing. I believe she’s out grocery shopping right now so once I get a couple of posts up I think I may just have to take a nap. Nap-time is a good thing 🙂
You know what I’ve noticed about not smoking. Today is day number six oh by the way. That’s not what I’ve noticed though. My house smells like shit!
I don’t know if it’s eight years of smoking in it or if my dog is just making it smell but damn! I’m starting to smell all kinds of stuff that I couldn’t a week ago and you know what? I may just have to get some nose plugs because most of what I have smelled so far sucks. It’s enough to make me want to smoke again, although right now ANYTHING is enough to make me want to smoke.
Know what else? I’m blogging nekked right now. Probably more than you needed to know but that’s why you really come here anyway, I know it is. You guys are just waiting for a webcam shot of my ballsack hanging over my computer chair while I merrily type away. I can do that. The wife and girls are in Hilton Head right now. Actually they are in Bluffton but unless you are from the lowlands or visit there often most people don’t have a fucking clue as to where Bluffton is, which is due west of Hilton Head Island, on the mainland. The only thing separating the two towns now is the water. If they could build shopping centers on the bridge you’d never notice the difference anymore except that Bluffton doesn’t restrict builders quite as much in what they are tearing down. I don’t know when they are coming home but since my paycheck won’t be in the bank until Friday morning it’s a pretty safe bet they will be there until at least Friday.
Hey! Only $1054 left to pay on my Disney trip. I’m taking care of that on Friday and there went a quick five big ones. That pays for just about everything though, except for my gas to get down there. Six nights and seven days. Sweet. I’m looking forward to the trip and judging from the way things have been at work lately I’ll damn sure need the vacation. I have two of my managers going on back-to-back vacations in three week, which pretty much means me working 20 days straight. I may manage to get a day off during that time, it just depends on if I am staffed.
So the manager called me this afternoon from the store I was at the last two days. Apparently the waitress I sent home yesterday was upset and the manager wanted an explanation. I told her that when her employees call me five minutes after they should have already been there to tell me they are going to be late, chances are I will send them the fuck home if I can get it covered before they get there. If I can’t get it covered, then they get to work. Kind of like the lottery for stupid fucking people that are consistently late.
I went and worked out this afternoon. I ended up skipping yesterday. I got out of work two hours later than I had planned, so I came home and wrote for awhile, planning on going back after I did shift change last night. I got to the gym and there were three or four buff dudes and their girlfriends there all working out and showing off. I didn’t even get out of the fucking car. Fat old man syndrome kicked in and I beat a hasty retreat home. I like going early in the day when all of the old fat people are there. Makes me feel much better about myself 🙂 I am much less self-conscious when nobody else is around, so when I can manage to shoot out of work by 2:15 that’s the best time, although on my days off last week I went in the morning. That was cool because it’s just the owner or his father-in-law working and all the milfs coming in to use the tanning beds. Speaking of tanning, I did that as well today. I sort of varied it though. I worked out on the weights, tanned and then used the elliptical for half an hour. I have been using it for shorter periods of time the couple of occasions that I have tried it and it hasn’t really been a big deal but damn I got a workout on it today. I was sweating my ass off. That’s a good thing because I need to burn this tire off the middle. I was fine until it told me to go backwards. Backwards? I can barely get on the fucking thing and move in a semi-forward direction and you want me to move backwards? Damn.
So here I sit. Nekked. Munching on microwave Burritos. Can it get any better than this? I suppose if I moved my chair to the front porch that would be better, but most likely short lived.
I am running a bit behind getting to work but wanted to get these two posts up before I left.
This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Mary Ann
I may have posted this already, or one like it, when I was discussing the wedding last month but I adore this photo.
