133. Summary of Important Events/News/Books

1. Obama still doesn't want to LEAD. Have you ever seen a leader so indecisive? See this for his rejection of the four options put forward to him re Afghanistan today.
2. We have noticed in the last month or two that Lou Dobbs has finally put his guts and opinions above the liberal CNN network limitations. Tonight he announced his last broadcast with CNN! We're with you Lou! We had both commented that he would be better off with Fox News. Rumors have it that he is going to Fox Business.
3. Fort Hood - I want to thank Bill O'Reilly for calling a spade a spade and even getting a liberal columnist to finally agree and use the words Muslim Extremist Terrorist. The Political Correctness needs to cease! Maybe to respect all religions, the words should be Jihadist Terrorists -- but still, a Jihadist is a Muslim who supports the Jihad. Its unfortunate that the Jihadists don't have a separate, distinct religion to separate the majority of peace loving Muslims and the few radical Jihadists.
4. The market continues edging upward and not losing any strength
5. We started to browse through Glenn Beck's book "Arguing With Idiots." I didn't realize it, but the succession to the presidency isn't bad enough that the next in line is Joe Biden, then Nancy Pelosi. Who do you think is 3rd? The Pro-Tempore of the senate: Robert Byrd. Wow, we need some revisions to the Constitution! What is he? 101?
6. Renewable Energy:

• 100 sq. Miles of land is required for a wind/solar farm to "produce" the same energy as a one sq. mile coal or nuclear plan
• The Energy transmission grid is a major inhibitor of wind/solar energy. Note that the green people are saying build the solar in the Mojave Desert where there are thousands of sq. miles of land, or build the wind in the plains where large farmlands are available, then send it to California and other needy states. Fact is that energy losses are 10% for every 60 miles of transmission lines. For California, only around 9% of the energy produced will be there to consume.
• Greenies site the progress made by telling you 9% of today's energy demands are met by renewable energy. Facts are that 90% of the 9% has been around for decades via Hydro plants. And, it is many of these that are being threatened because of other environmental groups who want, and have already succeeded, in tearing down dams.
• The solar energy hitting the earth results in the ability of lighting ONE 100-watt light bulb per the area of a card table IF if the techno;logy can convert at 100% efficiency. No technology has gotten over 20% yet.
• An interesting paradox realized decades ago is that any increase in improving energy efficiencies will result in more energy to be consumed. Why? I give you a car that gives you 30 mpg instead of the 22 mpg you have and you drive it more to the tune of more gas being consumed. You swap out those old light bulbs for the new ones that fail faster if you turn then off and on and you leave them on longer. Think of anything and you will see this paradox's reality.
• One type of energy production, Geothermal, is viable, but not readily availability everywhere. Iceland will enjoy 70% of the electric from Geothermal by 2010. California has Geothermal. You need a vent hole -- natural or man made drilled deep into the earth, more than the 3 miles of that of the deepest oil well. What is Geothermal? A Terrestrial energy -- the decay heat of radioactive Uranium and Thorium heats the water underground that is pumped or naturally sent to the surface (think geysers) and can be used to spin the generators. Now think nuclear energy -- produced exactly the same in a controlled environment.
• Is nuclear energy safe: Chernobyl is the only incident that harmed mankind (only 40 dead) BECAUSE the Russians did not build a plant with safety standards as were built elsewhere in the world (note, France has most nuclear generation). For example, they never built an iron and concrete containment around the boiler. They also used a graphite moderator instead of water moderator. What this? A water moderator is the interjection of elements of water whose atoms can slow down the neurons of splitting uranium/thorium which move to fast to cause a chain reaction unless slowed down. Hence, if a leak in the water cooling tank happens, the chain reaction will stop instead of continuing to heat up. This principle is a built-in safety to absolutely avoid any explosions. However, in Russia they used graphite atoms which provide more efficient chain action production, but if the water cooling leaks the graphite does the opposite. It accelerates the chain reactions and gets hotter. Eventually, it itself becomes flammable and explodes -- hence, Chernobyl. More radioactivity was reported at Three Miles Island from Chernobyl than from the minor incident there. There was no breach of any deadly/harming radioactivity from Three Miles island at that event almost 30 years ago today.
• I could continue the facts. Let me point you to "Terrestrial Energy" by William Tucker instead. Learn why the only viable solution to the energy problems is a Nuclear-Solar alliance. Nuclear for the base and solar for peak needs.