Feb 9, 2010
The Big Storm III
Got power back at about 530 yesterday evening. Of course, this was less than 10 hours after I scored one of the last 3 generators at Lowe's - they got a short shipment of a couple dozen in at 7, opened the store at 730 and were sold out by 10. But I don't care. I'm so fucking tired of this Post-Apocalypse bullshit I could spit bricks thru a car door.
The phones came back maybe 15 minutes ago, so I needed to grab some webtime and post some of this before the next storm starts in earnest. The phone issue has been very annoying. Losing the land line is bad enough, but the power outage also took out our local cell tower, so communications has been difficult as well.
It's already been flurrying a bit off and on all morning. Forecasters are saying we'll get 4-8 more inches tonite. Given the sorry state of the grid to begin with, and the simple fact that lots of trees are bent and damaged and ready to go, it shouldn't take much to put us back to where we were 3 days ago.
But at least I've got enough juice now to run the Reefer, 2 space heaters and various lights and appliances. I also scored 2 more Jerry cans, so I can run for 30 hours if we're a little careful.
The main thing is figuring out how best to heat the joint. If I didn't hafta run the space heaters, I could stretch the gas out to several days. Nick and Luke have been scavenging from the woods, but trudging thru 2 feet of snow across the open ground before you get to the woods is a real chore. Plus, you gotta load up the little sled and drag it all back to the house. Once back at the house, we can use the electric chainsaw, I've resisted buying the gas-powered version, thinking I'll convert a couple of the fireplaces to some other fuel once this is all over.
The other thing I'll be working on is figuring out a way to take the whole subdivision off the grid. We have a gas main that runs pretty close, and we've been approached once before to see if enough of us wanted to convert from propane to natural. The attempt failed, but it might be a really good time to ask again. I'm thinking we could do a mid-sized fuel cell generator and stop worrying about the power going out every stinkin' time more than 11 snow flakes get together. Distributed Power Generation is something that'll probably have to happen at some time anyway because the traditional grid system is aging badly and becoming ridiculously expensive to maintain. It's stupid to go on pouring billions into a system that won't be able to keep up with us.
Schools have been closed 6 out of the last 7 days.
Challenges remain, but we're working the problems one at a time, hoping to turn a couple of them into opportunities.
The phones came back maybe 15 minutes ago, so I needed to grab some webtime and post some of this before the next storm starts in earnest. The phone issue has been very annoying. Losing the land line is bad enough, but the power outage also took out our local cell tower, so communications has been difficult as well.
It's already been flurrying a bit off and on all morning. Forecasters are saying we'll get 4-8 more inches tonite. Given the sorry state of the grid to begin with, and the simple fact that lots of trees are bent and damaged and ready to go, it shouldn't take much to put us back to where we were 3 days ago.
But at least I've got enough juice now to run the Reefer, 2 space heaters and various lights and appliances. I also scored 2 more Jerry cans, so I can run for 30 hours if we're a little careful.
The main thing is figuring out how best to heat the joint. If I didn't hafta run the space heaters, I could stretch the gas out to several days. Nick and Luke have been scavenging from the woods, but trudging thru 2 feet of snow across the open ground before you get to the woods is a real chore. Plus, you gotta load up the little sled and drag it all back to the house. Once back at the house, we can use the electric chainsaw, I've resisted buying the gas-powered version, thinking I'll convert a couple of the fireplaces to some other fuel once this is all over.
The other thing I'll be working on is figuring out a way to take the whole subdivision off the grid. We have a gas main that runs pretty close, and we've been approached once before to see if enough of us wanted to convert from propane to natural. The attempt failed, but it might be a really good time to ask again. I'm thinking we could do a mid-sized fuel cell generator and stop worrying about the power going out every stinkin' time more than 11 snow flakes get together. Distributed Power Generation is something that'll probably have to happen at some time anyway because the traditional grid system is aging badly and becoming ridiculously expensive to maintain. It's stupid to go on pouring billions into a system that won't be able to keep up with us.
Schools have been closed 6 out of the last 7 days.
Challenges remain, but we're working the problems one at a time, hoping to turn a couple of them into opportunities.
Feb 6, 2010
The Big Storm II
As of about 1:30 pm Saturday Feb 6:
It's been snowing since yesterday at about daybreak.
Lost power at 6:30 last night.
Probably close to 20 inches on the ground so far, expecting another 3 or 4 through tonight at about 10.
I bought a second power inverter last week, so this time we can run the WiFi and one laptop, the phones and the TV and satellite receiver.
If the official total snowfall is over 18 inches, it sets the record for most snow in a season.
All for now.
It's been snowing since yesterday at about daybreak.
Lost power at 6:30 last night.
Probably close to 20 inches on the ground so far, expecting another 3 or 4 through tonight at about 10.
I bought a second power inverter last week, so this time we can run the WiFi and one laptop, the phones and the TV and satellite receiver.
If the official total snowfall is over 18 inches, it sets the record for most snow in a season.
All for now.
Feb 5, 2010
Into The Lions' Den Again
I posted earlier about Obama going to the Repub Retreat and suggested at the time that if Obama beat up on people at The Prayer Breakfast, we might get an idea of how the administration intends to navigate the various minefields left over from the last 30 years of partisan warfare.
I've seen some of the video (if you go looking for it, don't forget to include Hillary's remarks - as often as I find her grating and unpleasant, I think she's doing a really good job for us at State). Anyway, The Big O had some pretty sharp and direct criticism for the Goddies, but he said it in a nice way. It didn't sound a lot different than any sermon you might hear in any given church on any given Sunday.
So I'm left to believe he got thru to at least some of 'em. Or maybe he's doing a kind of surgery - like he sees an unhealthy element in these groups of people who are otherwise decent folk, and he's trying to talk to the 'moderates' in a way that says "I can help you regain power inside your own organizations if you'll help me push the nutballs back into the bleachers".
Watch the last 20 minutes of the first episode of The West Wing for a fair illustration of the idea.
I've seen some of the video (if you go looking for it, don't forget to include Hillary's remarks - as often as I find her grating and unpleasant, I think she's doing a really good job for us at State). Anyway, The Big O had some pretty sharp and direct criticism for the Goddies, but he said it in a nice way. It didn't sound a lot different than any sermon you might hear in any given church on any given Sunday.
So I'm left to believe he got thru to at least some of 'em. Or maybe he's doing a kind of surgery - like he sees an unhealthy element in these groups of people who are otherwise decent folk, and he's trying to talk to the 'moderates' in a way that says "I can help you regain power inside your own organizations if you'll help me push the nutballs back into the bleachers".
Watch the last 20 minutes of the first episode of The West Wing for a fair illustration of the idea.
Feb 4, 2010
Curiouser About Mr O'Keefe
James O'Keefe is quite a piece of work. Via the watchdogs at One People's Project, here's a new twist.
Reality Will Out
The wingers tho't they had the perfect gift in the way Obama approached the Undies Bomber. Of course, ya gotta remember they count on us having short attention spans and even shorter memories. Anyway, it was just amazing to hear them criticize Obama for how he handled it - especially the part about Mirandizing Abdulmutallab.
Take a look at this from The Washington Monthly.
Political hypocrisy knows no bounds when they're just trying to stay outa jail.
Take a look at this from The Washington Monthly.
Political hypocrisy knows no bounds when they're just trying to stay outa jail.
Call Their Bluff
Here's Sully's whole post today about politicians who're all style and no substance; and the Press Poodles who can't quite figure out what to do with all that airtime.
In my view, every single Republican who appears on cable or radio and who complains about the debt and rules out any tax hikes should be directly and specifically asked every single time what they propose to cut. Specifically. Every single time. Equally, every single Democrat who says they want to tackle the debt needs to be asked every single time which taxes they propose raising. Specifically. Every single time. If the journalist looks like an asshole, get over it. It is our job to look like assholes. We are professional assholes. We get paid to be rude. In order to expose the truth.
One reason this country is in a fiscal crisis is that journalists are not doing their job.
They chase ratings and politician "gets" more than they chase the truth. Why did it take the president to expose the Republicans' appalling fiscal record and lack of seriousness on spending rather than the press? Why are these politicians allowed to go on the air without being pressed relentlessly for their actual proposals.
And by relentlessly, I mean - if they fail to answer, or offer vague generalizations, ask again. And again. And again. And again. On air. Refuse to move on. Put them on the spot. Both parties. Every time.
In my view, every single Republican who appears on cable or radio and who complains about the debt and rules out any tax hikes should be directly and specifically asked every single time what they propose to cut. Specifically. Every single time. Equally, every single Democrat who says they want to tackle the debt needs to be asked every single time which taxes they propose raising. Specifically. Every single time. If the journalist looks like an asshole, get over it. It is our job to look like assholes. We are professional assholes. We get paid to be rude. In order to expose the truth.
One reason this country is in a fiscal crisis is that journalists are not doing their job.
They chase ratings and politician "gets" more than they chase the truth. Why did it take the president to expose the Republicans' appalling fiscal record and lack of seriousness on spending rather than the press? Why are these politicians allowed to go on the air without being pressed relentlessly for their actual proposals.
And by relentlessly, I mean - if they fail to answer, or offer vague generalizations, ask again. And again. And again. And again. On air. Refuse to move on. Put them on the spot. Both parties. Every time.
Demand Question Time
Obama did a good and right thing by standing up and taking the heat. I think if we could get a lot more of this, then we might begin to see something that more closely resembles the government we ought to have. It's worth a try anyway.
Democracy requires participation. Spend 30 seconds filling in just 3 fields and let's see what happens.
http://demandquestiontime.com/
Democracy requires participation. Spend 30 seconds filling in just 3 fields and let's see what happens.
http://demandquestiontime.com/
Feb 3, 2010
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