Do you care where your tools are manufactured?

[dpb]

Frank Boettcher wrote: ...

And, if you'll recall, I've repeatedly agreed I don't think biofuels in general (and ethanol in particular) are "the" answer, either. I do think there's a role in a transition that is useful, however.

Given the political realities, doesn't appear as though there's sufficient political will to yet allow for new exploration in many of the currently off-limit places and even if that were to change now, it wouldn't have an effect on production for quite some time. It also doesn't do anything to improve/increase the refining capacity which, while it has grown owing to expansion efforts, is still a bottleneck. Meanwhile, if it can coincidentally pump some life into the farm economies of the central plains, that can only be, imo, _a_good_thing_ (tm).

If you're referral is to the CE "standard design" they named that, then yes, there's (yet another) place we went far wrong way back when, along with Jimmy pulling the plug on the CRBRP and stopping NRC licensing review for the proposed GE-built/financed commercial fuel reprocessing facility at Barnwell.

It _is_, otoh, heartening to note that TVA/NuStart have actually filed a formal licensing application for a new unit at the Bellefonte site in N AL (about three weeks ago, now). Of course, it's more than a little disheartening that the Bellefonte I unit sits there over 90% complete, abandoned in situ since the late 80s/early 90s along w/ the roughly 850 MWe that Rancho Seco could have been producing in CA if not for the ill-considered plebiscite orchestrated by the same groups.

Coincidentally to your energy-related background, in a former life I was NE for B&W NPGD Lynchburg. I came back to farm after 30-something years mostly generation-related engineering last 10 or so mostly for the fossil utilities at the EPRI I&C Center located at Kingston Fossil.

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[Frank Boettcher]

Yes it is and hey, what do you know, we've reached agreement on something.

And I was with CE (Oil and Gas division) 1968-1987

Frank

[dpb]

...

Oh, you have no problem convincing me of the advantages of nuclear as the rational long-term choice for baseload electricity generation; it unfortunately doesn't really directly address the issue of liquid fuels under discussion here.

While more nuclear generation would, if were to replace current gas and oil-fired units, alleviate a small portion of current demand and undoubtedly make a (very short term) dent in the current price pressure if it could happen in a short time but, of course, it can't so we're still in the position of "what do we do now that can actually get done?"

...

Who we always considered (their nuc generation division, of course) a quality and fair competitor... :)

Sadly neither are still in the nuclear island marketplace leaving the field in the US to GE and circle-W. :(

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[Brian Henderson]

That's complete crap though. You don't allow people to break the law just to stay in business, if you cannot compete within the bounds of the law that everyone has to follow, you shouldn't be in business to begin with.

The simple fact is, get rid of the illegals, require all employers to follow the same labor laws and if the prices go up, they go up. That's life. Then maybe they can actually COMPETE in a free market.

[mac davis]

No disagreement here.. I was stating what has been allowed to happen, not that I thought it was right.. My point is that you don't need new laws, you need to enforce the ones on the books.. tons of immigration laws, just enforce them..

Like all the new laws about using cell phones in the car... We already have laws to cover drivers that aren't paying attention, reckless, etc... just enforce 'em..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[RonB]

I started my search for a retirement cabinet saw about seven years ago. Initially I was pretty much predisposed to the Delta Unisaw. I had used one in a college cabinet class during the 70's and a cousing had one that was of similar vintage. I was impressed with both.

When I started looking at new unisaws (2001 time frame) I was disappointed. The machining on the top was not as smooth as remembered. Several hardware items (handwheels and nuts for example) were cheapened. We took a trip to the Springfield Griz store. Then I took advantage of their customer referral in our home town and that sold me. I have owned my 1023s for about six years and would put it up against the new Unisaw any day - about $550 less at the time.

I buy based on individual quality and value. If it Griz - Good. If its Powermatic - just as good if the value is right. BTW, a good part of my 2 year old Powermatic jointer was made in China.

RonB

[Brian Henderson]

That's true, I'm just sick of all the politicians who refuse to actually do their jobs because they don't like costing themselves votes. As far as I'm concerned, anyone whose job it is to enforce the law and refuses to should be removed from office immediately and replaced with someone who will.

[mac davis]

Totally off topic, but I think government went to hell when they invented a career called "politician".. Used to be you got talked into running for office and if you won, you did your term and then went back to whatever it was you did for a living.. Now, kids are groomed almost from birth to run for and hold office.. YMWV

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[Bonehenge (B A R R Y)]

The poster child for that is now a "temporary resident of Iowa".

CT's own, Chrissssss Dooooodd!. .

Daddy was a Senator, Chris has never had a real job, and now he hasn't even been bothering to vote in the Senate, as he pursues a Presidential campaign that doesn't even register in the primary polls. He can't register in the primary polls, because he has nothing to show for 30 something years in Washington, and no real platform. I'm quite sure he feels he should run for Prez. based simply on seniority, he's due the job!

Dodd is such a pompous ass that he told the Hartford Courant, "Though I haven't done well in the polls, at least I'm enjoying myself." All CT voters should be glad for that!

The idiot has actually rented a home and enrolled his children in school in Iowa, so he can "be close to the people", while ignoring the job we pay him to do.

We deserve what we get, as we continue to elect on name recognition and govern without the benefit term limits.

[CW]

Would you be willing to pay $15.00 for an apple? How about $18.00 for a pear? Those who claim that the problem is as simple as throwing out the illegal either don't live in farm country or are not paying attention. Ever picked apples? I have. You won't find enough Americans to get the crops in. You couldn't pay most people enough to do the work. It is not because of low pay. A (Mexican) apple picker can easily make $20.00 an hour. Mexican labor is what keeps the fruit producers going. This is from first hand experience, I live in apple country and used to work in the industry. I could talk to my wife (BTW, it's our 26 wedding anniversary today) about other facets of the farm industry that are just as dependent on Mexican labor (she is an ex migrant farm worker).

[Swingman]

A well administered "guest worker" program, retroactive to include those already here without granting citizenship and rewarding illegality, would be a most sensible solution ... along with elected officials with less self-interest and enough sense to implement one. Countries in Europe have been doing it for years, with less risk to sovereignty and greater benefit to economy.

[Brian Henderson]

Exactly. I think we not only need term limits, we need political office limits. You can work in politics... ANYWHERE in politics, for a maximum of 10 years, then you need to work for at least 10 years in the private sector, completely outside of the political realm.

[Brian Henderson]

If that's what it took, absolutely, but that's not even remotely close to reality. Prices on produce would go up a few cents at best. What you're presenting above is a complete and total lie and hopefully, you just swallowed someone else's load of crap and are not purposely spreading it yourself.

[Bonehenge (B A R R Y)]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

#18 was last week for me.

[Mark & Juanita]

... snip

Another poster child: Hillary Clinton. She moved to New York solely to run for office and now claims that her qualification for office is that she was married to the president and has been in the white house before (paraphrasing). That, and it's "her turn".

[Mark & Juanita]

That hasn't exactly been working out too well for the Europeans either. Suburbs around Paris have been in flames the past couple of weeks because of some of those "guest workers". Britain is having similar problems.

[Bonehenge (B A R R Y)]

I hear ya'!

[Doug Miller]

Yep. I've picked apples, too. Enough to know that the idea that using American labor to pick them would cause apples to cost fifteen bucks apiece is sheer lunacy, a fictional number with no factual basis whatsoever, invented for no purpose other than scaring people into believing the lie that our economy would collapse without the cheap labor provided by illegal aliens.

Do the math. You claim an apple picker can easily make $20 an hour. Now let's suppose that the picker's wage is only one-fifth of the retail price of an apple. That means $100 retail worth of apples picked in an hour, or (at $15 per apple) one apple every nine minutes.

That's one damned lazy apple picker.

And one damned stupid grower, who's paying that lazy-ass picker three dollars _per_apple_.

[Glen]

Dec. 19 will be twenty, and I'm more in love than the day I married her.

Glen

[dpb]

Problem is, you can't get "'Murricuns" to do the work at any price...the unemployed are mostly in the urban centers and on welfare. Unemployment here in rural, ag area is under 3%. Since typically 1% or so is considered "unemployable", it's already scraping the barrel for bodies.