Why not permanent wildfire breaks?

Areas that have experienced wildfires > 250 acres – Source: nasa.gov

While traveling through wildfire  country of Northern California and Southern Oregon, including being re-routed 80 miles because of a fire in Lassen Volcanic National Park, I had a thought. Instead of a hell-bent chaotic rush to build temporary wildfire breaks during a fire emergency, why not just construct permanent wildfire breaks to protect populated areas and other important features?

Current wildfire locations – Source: http://www.smokeybear.com/wildfire-map.asp

Considering wildfires are a natural event that are necessary for the healthy regeneration of Western forests, it seems to me that permanent wildfire breaks would allow precious resources to be used more efficiently and effectively.  Those areas outside the firebreaks would be allowed to burn as long as they do not jump the pre-constructed breaks.

Am I missing something with this suggestion? It seems being proactive would be much less costly than having to react to each outbreak of wildfires in remote areas that don’t pose a danger to populated areas.

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Hiding from the “D” word

Source: urpe.wordpress.com

When exactly does our “Great Recession” become a “depression?” While I know there are certain indicators to track and measure this economic stuff, I have been wondering for some time if we are just lying to ourselves to avoid using the “D” word. The sub-prime mortgage crisis began more than four years ago, followed by the bailouts on Wall Street, and more recently the deepening financial crisis across much of Europe has caused further economic dismay.

So…I ask again, when does our Great Recession become a depression? We may “officially” have 8.2% unemployment, but everyone knows that is a totally bogus number that does not factor in underemployment or those who have given up the job search. Recent data puts underemployment at over 20% in some areas of the country and in double-digits in many places. Globally, in 2011 under employment was pegged at 18%. Data from February, 2012 showed that more than 87 million Americans were no longer looking for work! That is an astonishing number.

Sure, there are pockets of relative prosperity, but that was true in the 1930s too. Economic downturns are not necessarily universal in their application of pain and suffering – just ask a few Okies from the 1930s or my fellow Michiganders during the 2000-2010 time period.  So…once again I ask this basic question – when do we start being honest with ourselves and call it a depression and not a recession?

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An unfortunate sign of the times

Came across this over the weekend. Sort of speaks for itself.

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When did ending subsides for big oil start being called a tax increase?

Even dubya doesn’t get it.

A month or two ago I wrote my Congressman, Republican Mike Rogers about ending subsidies for oil and gas companies. Today, I received a response in the mail. His letter was very cordial and polite, but the logic of his argument is simply laughable.

“Like you, I am concerned with the high price of oil and gasoline, and I believe that the oil industry must be closely monitored for anti-trust violations. That said, I have serious concerns with raising taxes on any employers, especially now when Americans are struggling to pay for gasoline.” (underline emphasis added)

SOURCE: Letter from Mike Rogers dated July 10, 2012

Are you freakin’ kidding me? Eliminating subsidies is raising taxes? Who the hell came up with that logic? Since when did eliminating a subside become a tax increase? Sir, these idiotic subsides cost all of us from $10-52 billion per year. That’s money that could be put too much better use funding renewable energy, feeding the malnourished, carrying for the poor and unemployed, or at the very least helping homeless veterans.

“In the United States, credible estimates of annual fossil fuel subsidies range from $10 billion to $52 billion annually, while even efforts to remove small portions of those subsidies have been defeated in Congress, as shown in the graphic below.  Download your own pdf copy here.” SOURCE: priceofoil.org

Meanwhile, Congressman, big oil reaps larger and larger profits at our expense. According to priceofoil.org,

“ the top five oil companies alone have made almost a trillion dollars in profit in the last decade.“ 

So, I have no idea where Congressman Rogers gets the idea that ending subsides amounts to a tax increase. My guess is some anal-retentive GOP think tank funded by big oil came up with that bilge of an argument. All I know is it is one of the most illogical things I have ever heard, let alone read.

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“This land is your land” – a 2012 eco-version

Source: mallmemories.com

Saturday, July 14th will be the 100th anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s birth. To honor him and express this eco-bicyclist”s concern beyond those expressed his original lyrics, here is a modified version of Woody Guthrie’s classic folk song This Land is Your Land. The original lyrics written by Mr. Guthrie may be seen through this weblink.

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This land is your land, this land is my land

From Car-lifornia to Wall Street canyons

From clear-cut forests to oil-stained waters

This wasteland was allowed by you and me

-

As I was pedaling – a crowded highway

I saw above me – a concrete skyway

I saw below me – more golden arches

This wasteland was made by you and me

-

Chorus

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I’ve roamed on cell towers  – and taken exits

To sprawling cities - paved over deserts

And all around me – neon signs were shouting

This wasteland was made by you and me

-

Chorus

-

The sun dawns hazy - as I was rolling

Weeds were waving  – and dust was falling

As the smog now settles - voices start shouting

This wasteland was made by you and me

-

Chorus

-

As I tried walking – no sidewalks for me

As I tried biking – drivers scowl right at me

Few remaining places - of peace and safety

Those are the ones for you and me

-

Chorus

-

Throughout  our cities – empty seas of asphalt

Are clearly saying – whose really’s at fault

And some are grumblin’ – and some are wonderin’

Why this wasteland was allowed by you and me?

-

Chorus x 2

(Lyrics based on original song by Woody Guthrie)

Happy 100th Birthday, Woody!

Source: en.wikipedia.org

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“Billion dollar babies” – will they ever learn?

Large financial institutions who were either shut down or recipients of at least one billion dollars in bailouts in 2008-2009 (a.k.a billion dollar babies):

Source: originalalbumcoverart.com

• Lehman Brothers
• Merrill Lynch
• AIG
• Goldman Sachs
• Citibank
• RBS
• Bank of America
• Wells Fargo
• Morgan Stanley
• Bank of New York/Mellon
• Regions Financial
• SunTrust Banks
• Northern Trust
• U.S. Bancorp
• BB&T
• Valley National (NJ)
• State Street Bank
• Huntington Bancshares
• Comerica
• Zions
• Capital One
• Marshall & Isley
• Webster Financial
• CIT Group
• Fifth Third
• PNC
• American Express
• The Hartford

Eurozone financial problems follow in 2009 to the present at the following:

• Irish banks
• Icelandic banks
• Portuguese banks
• Greek banks
• Spanish banks
• Italian banks

and now, the moneychangers in New York and London have start playing dangerous games yet again, in 2012:

• JP Morgan Chase
• Barclays

Exactly, when will the billion dollar babies ever learn? And when will we stop letting them get away with it? Apparently, as George Santayana said:

“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Sure seems like a wasteful and painful way to learn lessons.

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More disappearing acts to depart soon

Here are eleven more items that I believe will all but disappear within the next decade – some a little more controversial than the previous list:

• The Euro – good idea, but not everyone came to the party with the same idea in mind.
• Gasoline only cars – there will still be a plethora of gasoline only cars left over, but within a decade all new cars will be flex-fuel, hybrid electric, diesel, or electric.
• Paper business cards – instead we will have some type of RFID business cards that can be read by cell phones.
• Paper maps – as a map collector this one makes me sad, but I sure am holding on to the ones I have.
• Printed lodging directories
• Mail boxes – to save money, the post office will require everyone to maintain a post office box instead.
• Super-sized cola drinks – what New York City starts will be followed as obesity costs rise.
• Training wheels – as studies start to show they may hinder learning to ride more than they help, off they will go.
• Three-car or more garages – long overdue as starter castles start reflecting reality. Perhaps a separate bicycle door instead?
• Facebook – keep changing things arbitrarily without telling people ahead of time and it will soon go the way of myspace and digg. Hope you didn’t buy the stock.
• The BCS – this cannot come soon enough. Bring on playoffs.

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Obsolete watch – things about to disappear

Here’s my initial list of things that will largely disappear in the next decade. Sure, you can still find buggy whips in certain places, but they don’t permeate the market like they did 100 years ago.

• Wristwatches – who needs them when everyone carries a cell phone?
• Alarm clocks – ditto
• Video rental stores – Can you say, “bye-bye Blockbuster?”
• Film – remember Fotomat’s? Forget largely any kind of film for photography and the equipment that goes with it.
• CDs – the music and data storage disks, not the investment option. Not sure if I am thrilled about his one. Seems like every time I get all my crap transferred onto a new storage medium it goes out of date. Everything’s going digital or to the cloud, wherever the heck that is?
• Chain bookstores – personally, I am sad about this one. Love wandering through a good bookstore. Used and niche bookstores will remain, but the chains are being replaced by electronic options.
• College bookstores – same reason, but I won’t miss the price ripoffs, especially on returns.
• Daily newspapers - neighborhood-oriented and specialty ones may remain, as well as national publications like the New York Times, but most small to mid-sized cities will have none.
• SUVs – the sooner the better for these gas hogs.
• Schedule planners and non-photographic calendars – who needs them in our electronic world?
• Dial-up internet – sorry AOL hanger’s on, time to join the 21st century.
• Phone books – despite how many they pile up at your doorstep.
• Land lines for homes. Haven’t had one for a year myself. Still may be necessary for work.
• Keys – with electronic door locks, keys may all but disappear for many uses. This prediction will not be true for Florida where they have many lovely keys dotting its coastline. : )
• Key chains – ditto.

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Two celebrity cafes

For fun, here are photos of two coffee shops/cafes in the United Kingdom that have a certain amount of celebrity status associated with them. The first is the Beatles Coffee Shop in London. If you take the excellent and interesting two-hour Beatles Walking Tour, this is where your trip concludes.

The second is the Elephant House Tea and Coffee Shop in Edinburgh, Scotland where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter. It has excellent food and an outstanding view of the Edinburgh Castle. Be sure to see the table where Ms. Rowling sat and wrote the books as she looked out over this lovely city. Definitely worth a stop to visit.

Source: flickr.com

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A few more predictions

The U.S. single family housing market will remain stagnant, not only because of the 2008 crisis, but as the baby boom generation ages there will be less demand for single family homes for the next 20 years.

Exurbs and distant suburbs will wither due to increased fuel costs and desire for shorter commutes.

Demand for scooters will soar in the USA for at least five more years.

Educational attainment will fall drastically in the USA by 2020 largely due to cuts in public school funding.

At least one of the big three hamburger chains will fail by 2020.

Independently owned department stores will gradually return to the retail landscape as consumers grow weary of “retail sameness.”

Despite attempts to derail funding, both AMTRAK and high speed rail will flourish.

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