Jobs outlook for small businesses may be getting bleaker

[Gaspar]

Uh, Heroin, we were having a productive discussion before you arrived with your GIANT ANGRY BONG.

 


You are really trolling lately.  If you would like to contribute, please do, but do so without your silly anger and insulting tone.

[waterboy]

Wait a minute Gas. Being factual in a passionate way is trolling? Lamenting the failure of our country to use logic instead of protectionism of an existing energy establishment is silly and insulting?

I think your posts show true analysis and intellect, but his is just as valuable. I have seen a lot worse go down around here, by true bullies, and be regarded as thoughtful patriotism.

[Conan71]

Actually Waterboy, Heir shows incredible ignorance at great strides the country has made toward alternative fuels.  Anyone who doesn't believe we aren't exploiting those technologies as much as is practical at this point isn't very observant.  One only has to drive as far west as the Clinton and Weatherford area to see working wind farms.  Solar is in use for many different heating and electrical gathering applications.  In my particular field, geothermal is being exploited more and more.  Anyone aware we were generating electricity with geothermal plants in the 1970's?

Natural gas is being exploited as a clean technology, in fact it heats and makes electricty for much of our state and region.  We have capacity to make millions of barrels of bio-fuels, apparently the need or demand for them has not eclipsed that for petroleum or they would not require a $1 a gallon subsidy from the federal government.

Much of this technology has either been invented or refined and perfected in the United States.  I don't think we run interferance for big oil, it's simply that the industrial engine of our country and the rest of the world was fueled by fossil fuels for the entire last century, that's a hard habit to break when you consider the BTU content of fossil fuels and how dangerous some of the alternatives are percieved as being to move really big machinery (like small nuke reactors to power large ocean-going ships).

Like everything else we seem to do though, apparently our standard of living is too high as much of the solar and wind equipment production is happening in China along with so much other production of industrial and consumer goods these days.  Perhaps we all need to get out of our cars, hop on bikes and be willing to work for $5 a day so we can partake in this great alternative energy bonanza.

[Gaspar]

Wait a minute Gas. Being factual in a passionate way is trolling? Lamenting the failure of our country to use logic instead of protectionism of an existing energy establishment is silly and insulting?

I think your posts show true analysis and intellect, but his is just as valuable. I have seen a lot worse go down around here, by true bullies, and be regarded as thoughtful patriotism.

I disagree.  Heroin is angry in a 3AM intoxicated way.  He is reverting back to FOTD.  Already he has begun to disintegrate interesting threads into name calling garbage.

[rwarn17588]

I disagree.  Heroin is angry in a 3AM intoxicated way.  He is reverting back to FOTD.  Already he has begun to disintegrate interesting threads into name calling garbage.

And calling another poster "Heroin" in the same paragraph somehow isn't name-calling garbage. 

Talk about hypocrisy.

[Gaspar]

And calling another poster "Heroin" in the same paragraph somehow isn't name-calling garbage. 

Talk about hypocrisy.

Sorry, I'm dyslexic.  I thought it was heroin.  My bad.   

[waterboy]

When we reach 20% of our economy powered by alternative energy, and he is still making such statements, then Heironymus could be called ignorant. Until then he's just another poster with a differing view.

We're looking at alternatives right now but the question I was hoping to have answered is why we don't incentivise it along with roadbuilding, bankers and oil? In the seventies there were incentives to homeowners that started to stimulate solar industries, geo-thermal etc. But something happened in the 80's that ended the movement and left a lot of businesses holding an empty bag. Remember?

Wow, FOTD must be quite happy at the attention he still generates and the standards of activity he established.

[Conan71]

When we reach 20% of our economy powered by alternative energy, and he is still making such statements, then Heironymus could be called ignorant. Until then he's just another poster with a differing view.

We're looking at alternatives right now but the question I was hoping to have answered is why we don't incentivise it along with roadbuilding, bankers and oil? In the seventies there were incentives to homeowners that started to stimulate solar industries, geo-thermal etc. But something happened in the 80's that ended the movement and left a lot of businesses holding an empty bag. Remember?

Wow, FOTD must be quite happy at the attention he still generates and the standards of activity he established.

You don't consider $1.00 a gallon subsidy for bio-diesel production an incentive?

Only problem is, the extension of those "credits" for this year are on hold still apparently which has idled many bio-d plants.  Congressional Democrats and the Administration are paying very weak lip service to alt fuels in this instance.

[waterboy]

Bio-diesel? Isn't that food used to make traditional diesel fuel? I honestly think using weeds is a better idea. I'm hoping to see a movement away from diesel anyway. Its low grade fuel that costs more than higher grades and is more polluting.

[nathanm]

Only problem is, the extension of those "credits" for this year are on hold still apparently which has idled many bio-d plants.  Congressional Democrats and the Administration are paying very weak lip service to alt fuels in this instance.

Yeah, it's the Democrats, not the Republican filibuster that kept them from passing that bill. Even if Ben Nelson had voted for it, it wouldn't have mattered.

Everyone gets that Congress is dysfunctional (look at their approval ratings!), but the story isn't being told as to why.

[Gaspar]

FOTD never left.

[heironymouspasparagus]

What IS truly ignorant is the way we have sand bagged, blocked and in general avoided the use of solar and wind in this country for the last 30 years, such that we get a couple percent of our energy from these while the people who have embraced them are well into the double digits and growing much faster than we.  Even China has gotten on the bandwagon, since they, too recognize the future of oil.

We invented solar, by definition.  Shockley created the PN junction that led to a diode, then transistor.  The diode IS a solar cell.

We invented the wind generator technology.  Way over 100 years ago.

And in solar, we have let Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Siemens, and Fuji go blasting past us like we were standing still.  Actually, like we were backing up.

Talk about ignorant.  It's Rupert Murdoch script time again.

I drove through the entire west to California over Christmas and saw literally thousands of wind turbines.  We have made good progress in the last few years - no thanks to Exxon, BP, or Chesapeake.  In fact, in spite of them.  And others.  But we have lagged FAR behind the rest of the world and instead of being the manufacturer's and beneficiaries of that economic activity, we are paying others.  They get the benefit of the profits generated instead of us.

Come on Conan, you argue this economic side all the time... can't go the other way now.

Natural gas is great and here for the long haul.  One small problem is the lack of diversification.  You buy all one stock for your portfolio?  Why would you depend so exclusively on one fuel??  Sounds like an ignorant thing to do, having all eggs in one basket.

If nat gas and oil don't "need" subsidies, then why are they subsidized??

And then the ignorant jump to $5 a day for energy bonanza... gawd, give me a break...

Our energy useage;
Solar making 20%.  Wind making 20%.  That's 40%.  Marijuana and switchgrass cultivation 120%.  160% with 3 EASY things.  Reasonable and practical.  Today.  Just think how much of the heavy fuels that would free up for critical uses like military (airplanes, ships, tanks, Humvees, etc).  And don't even need nukes.  Plenty of room for expansion, too.  Just grow more grass, since less than 10% of our land (about 6) would be needed to grow all the fuel we need for long into the future.

There is nothing more dangerous about a marijuana derived fuel than an oil derived fuel.  Specious ignorance complements of Rupert Murdoch script again.

I realize most of the Rupert Murdoch cult members don't hear any of this.  That's ok.  There are some that do.  And everyone else is using their brain in spite of the force (nay, not just force, perhaps even radicalism) used to make this argument.  Unlike Murdoch, I happen to love the United States.  Yeah, I bet that Aussie really loves it too...  not.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Oh, yeah.... love the bong!  Way cool!

[nathanm]

FOTD never left.

Yeah, everyone who doesn't agree with you is a nutjob.  

[Red Arrow]

Just grow more grass, since less than 10% of our land (about 6) would be needed to grow all the fuel we need for long into the future.

Is there enough water in the Aquifer (sp?) to grow that much grass?  A lot of our land is kind of dry without irrigation.  We have already been warned about water shortages, especially in areas fed by the Rocky Mountains.