Sunday Morning Meltdown

Don't forget to set your clocks forward.

 

Comments

[Soylent Red]

First

[Soylent Red]

All:

Please shut off packages. I am now one month out and with the crap mail service to where I'm currently working, there's no guarantee I get them.

Haggled for rugs today. Successfully acquired three at about 1/4 of the asking price. I'm sure one of them will really tie the room together.

[patch]

Tax time coming - info on the AMT

http://www.walletpop.com/2011/03/10/do-you-have-to-pay-amt-eight-triggers-to-watch-out-for/

[Jack is Back!]

Morning Soylent,

Stay safe Rakkasan.

We awake this morning to find that now all 6 BWR units at Fukushima have lost coolant. But the good news is that they have been able to pump seawater into the pressurized containment vessel ("the bottle"). TEPCO says it is holding and the core if completely covered. If the No. 1 "bottle" is still holding (no noticeable increase of Caessium in the immediate atmosphere) and it is an earlier (41 years) model then the other units may have a better chance of avoiding a breach.

Stay tuned, this is, as Uncle Joe would say, a BFD!

[Jack is Back!]

Mean't to post above. This is what the reactor building looks like after the explosion. Please note that this building is not designed or built to be structurally resistent to any kind of breach of the reactor containment vessel ('the bottle") itself. Compare this type building to the post-tensioned concrete and steel lined pressurized containment structures you have for a PWR or Pressurized Water Reactor such as TMI.

[pagar]

Good Morning Soylent,
Stay Safe, We need you back here.
------------------------
Clarice has another Great Piece's up at American Thinker.

LUN

[clarice feldman]

Thanks, pagar. Good morning, Soylent. I do so hope it does tie the room together, but then what doesn't go with khaki?

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/03/the_chic_of_araby_1.html

[See what they thought of climate science and 'deniers'.]

Pere Ubu awakened to find he was a six foot cockroach.
=================

[hit and run]

Soylent!

[clarice feldman]

hit, we may be the only two up..Where's the liquor cabinet?

[hit and run]

I haven't seen the liquor cabinet in at least 8 hours. It was half full when last I left it. Or half empty depending on whether you're an optimist or pessimist.

[Army of Davids]

Out here in California...the few Republicans in the legislature have the ability to block Jerry Brown's tax increases.

They need to feel the heat. It puts the ball back in the Democrats court to deal w/ legacy pension and healthcare obligations and the public sector (Soviet)unions.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Kim-

Did you mean this post?

[sbw]

Good morning! And welcome to the news. It's 10:13 in New York, 7:13 in Los Angeles, ... and 9:37 in Cleveland.

[centralcal]

Good morning. Gack - I hate time changes! Hi, Soylent. Clarice is right everything goes with khaki!

[Melinda Romanoff]

sbw-

You can play with the Captain any way you want.

[sbw]

NPR Morning Edition suggested that even the "full" release of the O'Keefe video had at least one telling edit that may have changed context. If that is the case, I have a problem with it.

I can take a transcript of an NPR broadcast and illustrate their bad journalism. I don't need Pallywood-style green helmet manufacturing to interfere.

[MarkO]

God bless Mr. Duke. But, how many of you are aware that the Great UNC team was known as the White Phantoms? 1948 was the last year the nickname White Phantoms was used exclusively, both Tar Heels and White Phantoms was used in '49 and Tar Heels was used solely in '50.

I'm looking for the prostitutes to beat the White Phantoms in a few hours. Daddy seems to echo the thoughts of Duke's Broadhead, who, I said, has the new 3 R's.

[sbw]

Hey, Soylent... look for the smallest knots at each point on the back of your rugs. Smaller takes more time and holds up better.

My parents have good old Persians, etc. and they add so much to a room. They are busy enough not to occupy the eye and yet are a beautiful part of the background when you do look at them.

[clarice feldman]

Glenn Beck's The Blaze blog noted that Schiller was apparently just quoting someone he said was a Republican ambassador when he made those comments about the tea party. In fact, however, that can't be right because the Ambassador, he also said, voted for Obama because of the tea party. Of course, there was no tea party in 2008; Schiller obviously told this tale to pander to the "donors" and, in any event, O'Keefe had made the full transcript immediately available to allow people to check the accuracy of his editing. Tell me when Couric or 60 minutes does that.

[Curry's blog is hawesome.]

MR @ 10:13

That is an excellent post by Judy of an interesting article, but I was referring, in my usual explicit fashion, to what the NPR precious thought of the climate controversy, that they would never challenge the science, but would present the controversy so the righteous could understand whereof the savages spoke.
===========

[Janet]

Hey Soylent!

I posted this on the care package photo album - ***We got the final "stop packages" notice from Soylent today 3-13-2011 at JOM. He is one month till home. A HUGE thank you to all the JOMers that made this possible. Operation Airlift Soylent was a great success & we finished strong! There are a final few items & cash left (about $25) that I will donate to my church's military care package ministry...I'll pick up some cigars with the $25. Again, Thank You...ya'll are the best.***

I love sbw's term Operation Airlift Soylent!

[Thomas Collins]

Clarice, my favorite Sunday morning column is helping me deal with springing ahead. I would prefer to eliminate both springing ahead and falling back, because the extra hour I get from falling back never makes up for having to spring ahead.

I have a question on one of the points in your column. Do you think opening up 501(c)(3) fundraising operations and bringing anonymous donors to light might on balance backfire, because it would provide progs with more opportunities to harass those who give to organizations providing education on politically incorrect ideas (such as the benefits of a market economy). My concern is that because progs are so good at leveraging regulatory laws to advance their own policy goals, on balance we might be better with the current hands off system.

[Captain Hate]

Damn Mark; I can understand why you'd want to forget him but it's spelled "Brodhead".

[Thomas Collins]

See LUN (via Instapundit) for an article on a prog having a meltdown over a missing umbrella. What happened to that prog call for civility?

[clarice feldman]

I don't know about that, TC. I think honesty would compel the disclosure of organiztion donors that have stated agendas.

As for large individual donors to outfits that influence public opinion I think the veil of anonymity should be lifted.

[narciso]

Could be one of those 'lifelong' Republicans like Charles Freeman, Ed Walker, or Edward Peck, who sup on the spoon of despotisms everywhere, that part of the tape is puzzling,
for Schiller apparently doesn't realize who his supposed benefactors are, great pieces, Clarice.

[narciso]

Also when you have someone named 'Simon Templar' greeting you. that didn't raise any alarm bells,

[Melinda Romanoff]

Excellent, as always, and I love the use of the old jazz standard title.

[Melinda Romanoff]

narciso-

That part just cracked me up.

[MarkO]

Capt'n. I was thinking of broads. And he never responds to the return emails where I tell him where to put his solicitation for money.

[clarice feldman]

Thanks.

Even the NAACP thinks Holder went to far in compelling Dayton to hire blacks who failed the police exam.
http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/03/13/naacp-says-eric-holders-doj-goes-too-far-with-race-policy/

[centralcal]

Janet, the donation sounds like a terrific idea. Thank you for all you did on our behalf in keeping Soylent packages from "home." xoxoxo

[clarice feldman]

**toO far***

[narciso]

I think the development background of Schiller and Lilley, suggest that university
funding be investigated, it's this culture
that seems to encourage the blind cul de sac
that they found themselves in, apparently not the most minimal vetting was considered, this
is of course, how they ended up with Obama.

[Jim Ryan]

Kim, it looks like things are moving forward with the UVa-Mann coverup investigation. Any new info?

[Danube of Thought]

Minus 18 at Raz today; 45% overall.

[clarice feldman]

That's my point, narciso. They are motivated and judged by the bottom line. Period. And thus encouraged in this sort of behavior.

Interestingly, PBS did not follow up on the bogus offer but only because they vetted it earlier and only because they couldn't find proof of the outfit's existence.

[Army of Davids]

By a continuing process of inflation, government can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens.
—John Maynard Keynes, Economic Consequences of Peace

The rent is too damn high

[clarice feldman]

Bully, bully, DoT.

[Melinda Romanoff]

The JammieWearer points to a NYPost piece by Michael Goodwin on the sayings of Chairman Maobama

Here's the Fool's post, with pithy commentary.

[Thumbs on the scales. Fraud surrounds Mann like rings do trees.]

I don't know anymore than you do, but yes, the judge backed Cuccinelli, and that seems to be progressing. That the University is resisting so strongly is both unwise and portentous.

Steve McIntyre is focussing now on something an Inspector General found about Michael Mann's emailing, and that points to Penn State's investigation of the Piltdown Mann being a whitewash. Mann forewarded to Eugene Wahl an email from Phil Jones asking for the deletion of emails. Mann told the Nittany Lyin' investigation that he'd not deleted any emails. Do you see the pea, or is there even one there?
============

[narciso]

Goodwin, has come out of the cave, since he left the Daily News, there are some purported
in our orbit, who are still there, or caught
in what Tyrell called the 'kultursmog'

[Sandy Daze]

13 March 2011

Soylent - Knocked him down 75% ! -- That means you only paid twice what the carpets are worth ! (ha-ha) Actually, I've seen many good carpets find new American homes with deserving owners. Congratulations.

DoT - Although I am heartened when the negatives go up, I no longer trust the roller-coaster polling results in Rass. Today, minus 18, next week minus 8. Way too volatile to my way of thinking. I just do not believe that Americans' opinion of him is that mercurial.

I have looked at a LOT of imagery over the years; but one does not need to be a trained squint to quickly grasp the total devastation in these before/after overlaid images. Moving the cursor across the image reveals the other image, making direct comparison, very tragically precise. (From Australia's ABC.)

Take good care,
Sandy

[Henry]

Sandy, thanks for the link. That shows the scale of destruction in a powerful way-- all those houses then nothing...

[clarice feldman]

Thanks, Sandy. I posted it on the Tatler. What an enormous tragedy for an ally already reeling.

[Jane]

Clarice,

I think that was my favorite Pieces ever.

[Danube of Thought]

Bully, bully, DoT.

It is indeed good news, but Sandy and I are on the same page. As someone pointed out a while back, any index that is the sum (or difference) of two other indices is likely to be more volatile than a single poll result, but even the two components of the Raz index seem unusually volatile.

A number of times when it has dropped to this range I have thought it was there to stay, only to be disappointed. Will this be the time? Since gas prices are likely a good part of it, I would guess it would stay here until they come down, and God only knows when that will happen. And certainly there must be a spreading sense of shame at his craven approach to the Middle East in general and Libya in particular, and I wouldn't think that would dissipate.

I forget the name of the person I excerpted yesterday (Bruce McQuain?), but he sure did hit the nail on the head: there is abundant material in this clown's background to suggest that he seeks out the position (Law Review President, law firm where he "worked," state legislature, US Senate, and now the presidency), but has neither the interest nor the ability to actually do the job itself. He just doesn't like to decide things--or is afraid to. It has happened over and over and over again. He is a flim-flam man.

[Regressive support for Nukular]

Nuclear Plants soon to dot the Japanese countryside, and if we're lucky we will feel the free energy dispensed by the jet stream across the good ol' USA,

Damn those wind farms. They will help the cloud spread across the Heartland. We knew Green energy would do us in.

[clarice feldman]

Ah, yes, regressive..If only the Japanese had had windmills..Dumbbell.

[Ah, but we were greener then, much greener than today.]

I think of cows dotting the pasture and remember how fertile Leo once was.
======

[clarice feldman]

DoT I ckling to the hope that Bismarck was right and God watches over the USA, drunks and infants.

[narciso]

the devastation shown there, never has a 'picture worth a thousand words,' been more true,

[Rick Ballard]

JiB,

Thanks for the update on the Japanese nukes. It sounds as if they have lost a significant (+-10%) amount of generating capacity. Can normal maintenance shut downs on the balance of the plants be postponed in order to minimize the impact of the loss of capacity? Is their national grid as redundant and resilient as that of Europe or the US?

[scott]

I'm more concerned about TSA radiation than Japanese. Link Under Name (LUN).

"The Transportation Security Administration announced Friday that it would retest every full-body X-ray scanner that emits ionizing radiation — 247 machines at 38 airports — after maintenance records on some of the devices showed radiation levels 10 times higher than expected."

I tried to find detail specs for these machines to no avail last year. Many other concerned EE's did the same. Not much publicly released info concerning single point failures etc. I'm still unsure if any agents are wearing radiation badges.

[Sandy Daze]

Sea Base Developing Off Japan

Based on the information released from various press outlets and the 7th fleet, a Sea Base appears to be developing off Miyagi Prefecture to assist Japanese authorities with providing at-sea search and rescue and recovery operations. The US contribution of this sea base will be centered around the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), USS Preble (DDG 88), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54), USS Mustin (DDG 89), USS Tortuga (LSD 46), and USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10).

A number of US Navy ships will be following this initial force including the Essex ARG and the USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19).

Early reporting suggests the US Navy forces will be tasked to support primarily Japanese SDF but also US Navy and Marine Corps helicopters for search and rescue operations in the area, as well as provide humanitarian operations as requested . . . .the Sea Base will be more international in nature with Japan taking the lead in tasking.

Based on various news reports, Japan has dispatched 50,000 troops to the region including over 190 aircraft so far. Japan has asked for the US military to transport 900 troops and 250 vehicles as part of the relocation of thousands of Japanese SDF troops from various regions of the country. News reports also indicate a large (but unknown number) of Marine Corps helicopters are being shifted from Okinawa to bases north in Japan to support operations.

[MayBee]

Just got an email from one of my friends in Tokyo.
Folks, it sounds horrible. The ground was moving beneath his feet as walked home after the quake. And they are the lucky ones.

[narciso]

And Joe Lieberman, steps on a banana peel, in the LUN, could be an edit.

[Ignatz]

--NPR Morning Edition suggested that even the "full" release of the O'Keefe video had at least one telling edit that may have changed context.--

It would seem NPR is a slightly interested party in reporting on this story.

[Soar over dark defiles.]

Two digit midget
Rolls out the magic carpet.
Ride, My Captain, ride.
==========

[Frau Atomkraft über alles]

At least the profound Luddite troll knows how to pronounce "Nukular."

[Jack is Back!]

Rick,

Japan is a strange duck. Half the country is 50hz and the other half 60hz. But they have a very sophisticated grid which uses both high voltage AC and high voltage DC. I think the DC is for inter-island connections but I could be thinking somewhere else. So they have AC/DC converters to handle it back to normal HV tansmission.

The biggest problem they will have is if they have to take the nukes off line. That accounts for 15% of total electric generation. Over 63% comes from oil and NG of which they import 85%. How to make up the difference?

Cleo (above) will have them using windmills but for every mega-watt of so-called green energy (renewables) you must have a backup mega-watt of baseline power as standby. In other words, you can go green but beside its non-competitive cost it is not as reliable, available or maintainable. (So many RAM analysis' has been done comparing the two forms of energy production you could fill the grand canyon). Conventional (hydrocarbon fueled and nuclear) always wins this war. Plus you have to have baseload power for reliability that renewable cannot provide.

What I think they are going to do is keep nuclear on-line where they can for baseload power. They can produce single cycle gas turbines pretty fast since they are just big jet engines powering an electrical generator. They can use these for peak power, localized distribution, emergency power, etc. The rub comes in where you get the NG - via LNG carriers from Indonesia and the ME?? Or you burn distillate - but also importated.

Back in the 50's, Japan generated over 50% of its power from coal but not anymore. Japan's electricity costs more than any other of the OECD community to begin with and this will be a big hit to their economy. Add on the cost of imported energy and you have the 3rd largest economy on the brink. One more nail in the coffin of energy exploration moratorium in this country (I pray).

Look how vulnerable you can be without substansial domestic production. We are lucky, we have unparallel coal reservers, oil deposits, NG and oil shale deposits plus abundant hydraulic resources and a world class nuclear industry, all of which are under attack by progressives. But if the S**t hits the fan, we have better prospects to deal with it than the Japanese.

Now the question is what is the world economic fallout of Japan dropping down more than a few notches? I wouldn't worry too much about the level of radioactive fallout since unlike Chernobyl Japan uses light-water reactors. But it will certainly create healt-physic issues and political nose twitching.

[Danube of Thought]

My young cousin is an Ensign aboard Mustin. I have e-mailed her to ask for any info she is at liberty to provide.

[Frau Perser Teppich]

"I'm sure one of them will really tie the room together."
Soylent, are you channeling your inner Big Lebowski?

[Jack is Back!]

narciso,

Concerning Joe Lieberman: I would remind the good Senator that more people were killed in the back seat of Ted Kennedy's Buick than from Three Mile Island.

[Ignatz]

--That accounts for 15% of total electric generation.--

I've read a couple of times it's 24-30%.

As for poor demented cleo, as I pointed out yesterday, green mass rail transit is apparently responsible for at least several hundred dead. Seems nukular is a lot more catastrophe resistant than high speed rail.

[centralcal]

P.J. Crowley bites the dust!

[Danube of Thought]

I've read at a number of sites that nuclear power provides 30% of Japan's electricity.

[centralcal]

Buh bye, P.J.

Who will be next to go in this administration?

[narciso]

He was always the 'slow child' in Soros's play pen, as far as I can recall.

[sbw]

I am not sure that Soros cared whether O succeeded or failed. If O succeeded in neutering the US, Soros wins. If O was a failure, he hobbled the US for four years, Soros wins.

I do think the positive result of O was to crystallize understanding of the kind of governance that matters and coalesce our opposition to what has never worked and never will.

[Rick Ballard]

Here is the EIA country analysis for Japan. Percentage discrepancies re nukes relate to 'total energy consumption' vs 'electricity generation'.

[glasater]

A small miracle in the sadness:

Japan tsunami survivor Hiromitsu Shinkawa found 10 miles out at sea

[narciso]

btw, I found the 'courtiers dance', called the Gridiron, a particularly distasteful enterprise, last night.

[Jane]

I know you guys don't like to discuss the Mayan calender thing (which utterly fascinates me every time there is a disaster). I'm considering partying like it is 2012.

Who will be next to go in this administration?

That moron who testified last week and said Gaddafi was going to win.

[narciso]

Well the Mayan's didn't pick their own demise, so there's that, but good tip, Yes, Clapper has been forced to mouth the administration's platitudes, and now speaks
the truth, as Admiral Blair did, he's out of there

[PD]

He was always the 'slow child' in Soros's play pen, as far as I can recall.

"as far as I can recall"? When have YOU ever not been able to recall something?

[MayBee]

There have been such disasters many times before. They always feel worse in real life than when a geologist writes about them as history.

[sbw]

I have a question that I, from the boonies, have not the experience to divine a useful answer.

Of such organizations as the Cato Institute, the American Enterprise Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and perhaps others, which enjoys the strongest reputation and is the least dogmatic?

I'd like to put some educational ideas forward for consideration and have little experience in these matters where one might find a) a receptive response, and b) would not be perceived as, "Oh, them again."

[jimmyk]

Of such organizations as the Cato Institute, the American Enterprise Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and perhaps others, which enjoys the strongest reputation and is the least dogmatic?

Least dogmatic is clearly the AEI. Cato is both the most dogmatic and with the spottiest reputation (though I know someone there who is working to improve it). AEI and Heritage are probably close in reputation, but AEI is more middle-of-the-road and less partisan, so it may have more impact. For some reason I haven't been hearing as much from the AEI lately, but that might be me.

[Jack is Back!]

Cato = Librtarian
Heritage = Reagn Coservatism (high level analysis & policy wonks)
AEI = Neo-Con think tank

I know I simplified it but at the beach on iPhone.

[Danube of Thought]

Jane, you absolutely must download the Kindle app. And open an Amazon account; you can get any book onto your Ipad in thirty seconds.

Sara, i was at that A-N game in the Rose Bowl too. 1983. We took the opening kickoff back for a TD and won, big-time.

[Sandy Daze]

dear Jane,

Am not an astrophysicist, and I did not sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night, but. . .

the folks who are interested apocalyptic scenarios (and who are likely not astrophysicists either), are looking at three separate things which are occurring between now and 23 March.

First is something called the Elinin Comet. This video provides an overview. Or just Bing Elinin (on your new iPad!)

The second event is a "super moon" and third thing is a coincident planetary alignment. Seems that the moon will be closer to the earth during the next full moon 18/19 March, than at any time in the last 18 years (221,567 miles).

So, between the comet, the planetary alignment and the "supermoon", some folks are getting all lathered up. The tragic events in Japan only enhance the frisson for those so inclined.

YMMV.

Take good care,
Sandy

[Janet]

Another little thing about Wisconsin - this short video at Gatewaypundit shows the protesters climbing the walls of the capitol & harassing legislators through the windows. You can hear the chant "This is what democracy looks like!". Really??? Is that what democracy looks like?

[Danube of Thought]

I feel that if our side loses this thing in Wisconsin we will have passed a point of no return--the bullying, brownshirt thugs will be in control, able to loot the taxpayers at will from now on.

[daddy]

Good job Marko.

You guys kicked our ass.

Even in Paris I was able to find a live venue to watch that ugly episode. Ughh.

On to March Madness.

[MarkO]

The White Phantoms lived up to their name. Beating down UNC is even better than winning the NCAA.

[Old Lurker]

I agree DoT and if compounded by a SCOTUS support of Obamacare, the slide will be certain and swift.

[Boatbuilder]

If (big if) the bigs play like they did today, the NCAA looks like a good shot. If not, not so much. Today was sweet, MarkO.

[MarkO]

Next year, The Three Plumlees, a lost Wodehouse novel.

[Jack is Back!]

Democracy? Where in the United States do we have a democractic form of government? Democracy is where the majority rules and rules with an iron grip (in most cases). But then this is what a "public school" education looks like. Maybe they think of themselves as an "anarchist direct democracy" since that is what they are acting like.

No this is what a Soros funded, Obama supported democracy looks like but too many syllables for this ilk to use.

[sbw]

Thanks, JiB.

[Janet]

I agree DoT and if compounded by a SCOTUS support of Obamacare, the slide will be certain and swift.

I agree too. I keep watching Wisconsin because I can't get over the lies told about the Tea Parties vs. the thuggery of the unions.

[Jack is Back!]

Just when you thought this regime could not be more stupid, naive and self-destructive, Geithner poves us all wrong. LUN

Amazing!

[harrjf]

rse, I am sure that Mel will be an excellent tour guide but if you don't mind let me toss out a suggestion. Take the young'uns to see the facade of the Tribune building. In addition to the impressive architecture the artifacts (LUN) embedded in the facade are fascinating. A must see for anyone visiting the Windy City.

[Jane]

Dot,

I think I got kindle. No books yet. And I Agree that if we lose Wisconsin, it is game over.

[Jim Ryan]

a lost Wodehouse novel

Egad! You have unmanned me with this tidbit!

[Jim Ryan]

The fate of the Union lies in the hands of Justice Kennedy and the Wisconsin muddle in the next state election.

[Jane]

Sandy,

That is just fascinating.

Dot, how do you keep your IPaD clean - mine is just a mass a fingerprints no matter how how many times I clean them off.

[Janet]

Democracy is where the majority rules and rules with an iron grip (in most cases).

Yeah JiB. I link to this video a lot, but it is a great explanation of our form of government. I got it from Ms. Underestimated awhile ago.