Iran Suspends Uranium Program, Dan and Kofi Weep

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

We're suffering from a lot of guilt from the past.

Covering Israel's ass all the time, covering SKorea's...

[Drachen]

Drachen,

He may not care about his country, but I think you're wrong on that one. Without people to worship him, he's nothing, and he knows it.

I'm sorry you feel the way you do about Alaska. The sooner we can become self-sufficient in the energy market, the sooner we can make a lot of policy changes WRT the Mideast that will largely settle the problems the Muslim world, led by Osama, have with us.

I dont think he cares about his own people at all, the worship is simply not a factor. I think fear and awe are the emotions he is trying to instill in people. Awe especially, because of his stature. Also if he can get these (in NK's eyes) Ueberpowers to "fear" him, then he will have risen up in the eyes of his people.

As for the self sufficient energy market, if we denied these people drilling rights, eventually they will realize that the earnings potential for oil is going down, which will, in turn make them invest in something with a far greater potential (hydrogen refining comes to mind), but as long as they are able to run rampant over this country, they have no reason to stop the way they are going.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Well we need to disagree on Kim Jong Il then until you get a little more knowledge of the situation. Kim's ego is fed and driven by the worship of him by his people. If they all get the Hiroshima treatment, he has no one to feed the ego, not to mention the fact he knows he'd be dead. Not exactly a winning combination there for an egomaniac.

As for energy, I'm not sure what people you are referring to. One of Osama's fundamental tenents is that we are propping up tyrannical regimes in the Mideast because they are hooking us up with cheap oil. That we should let radical "idealogical" Muslims overthrow several regimes in the Mideast and properly run the Arabian peninsula, with part of that "properly running" aspect being us paying about $200 per barrel of oil.

Drilling in Alaska will be augmented with further alternative fuel source research and development. It's kind of assenine to at the government about alternative fuels. There are a crapload of private investors and researchers out there looking for the magic bullet in the energy world, particularly pertaining to automobile use.

Denying drilling rights? I don't follow you. Deny those rights, and we become even more dependent on Middle East oil, in effect linking the fate of the future of our economy and nation even further with a potentially unstable environment in the Middle East. Looking within is smart, prudent, and the right thing to do.

I apologize if I sound condescending on this one, but self-sufficient energy use would radically alter our foreign (particularly Middle East) policy.

[Drachen]

Well we need to disagree on Kim Jong Il then until you get a little more knowledge of the situation. Kim's ego is fed and driven by the worship of him by his people. If they all get the Hiroshima treatment, he has no one to feed the ego, not to mention the fact he knows he'd be dead. Not exactly a winning combination there for an egomaniac.

As for energy, I'm not sure what people you are referring to. One of Osama's fundamental tenents is that we are propping up tyrannical regimes in the Mideast because they are hooking us up with cheap oil. That we should let radical "idealogical" Muslims overthrow several regimes in the Mideast and properly run the Arabian peninsula, with part of that "properly running" aspect being us paying about $200 per barrel of oil.

Drilling in Alaska will be augmented with further alternative fuel source research and development. It's kind of assenine to at the government about alternative fuels. There are a crapload of private investors and researchers out there looking for the magic bullet in the energy world, particularly pertaining to automobile use.

Denying drilling rights? I don't follow you. Deny those rights, and we become even more dependent on Middle East oil, in effect linking the fate of the future of our economy and nation even further with a potentially unstable environment in the Middle East. Looking within is smart, prudent, and the right thing to do.

I apologize if I sound condescending on this one, but self-sufficient energy use would radically alter our foreign (particularly Middle East) policy.

Deny drilling rights and oil companies have to consider other sources of income. Provide energy from another source. I just read an article that surprised the outta me. Ireland is opening a wind farm off it's coast with 7 windmills that will provide power to 16000 homes. 16k from 7 turbines! link . In the article it says that there is opposition from both the left and the right, the most unnerving as a Dem is Ted Kennedy (I wanna spell this out for you guys "I disagree with some democrats on this one"). One of the reasons of opposition is that you will be able to see it from the coastline. I think this is stupid as I go to mustang island every year and see oil platforms (mobile ones), and the windmills are much more asthetically pleasing. With the oil industry's huge and powerful lobby, I think this problem could be taken care of. Also, I read another article stating that solar power has just about reached the holy grail of $1 per kilowatt hour (about the cost of producing energy w/oil). I cannot provide a link because I cant remember the magazine I read it in or if its even available online. I also think that OPEC will see this and realize that they cannot bully us with oil prices anymore as we are moving away from it, and as a last ditch effort to dissuade us from turning away from oil, will lower prices (plus the laws of supply and demand will kick in causing lower prices anyway). This will make the conversion to the other energy sources considerably softer. I want to go back to wind power for a second, the coastal generators work so well because there is a constant wind speed of around 16 to 20 mph. If they work so well at these speeds, WHY OH WHY are we not harvesting the katabatic winds?? They are at a constant 60-80 mph. We could partner w/canada to accomplish this. I dont think that it is assanine to at the govt about alternative sources of energy. Yes there is much private funding, but if the government made policies that really encouraged the move away from oil, then it would happen.

I know this is one big paragraph and it isnt organized in the best way, but I have a tendency to type what comes to me when it does. I read a ton, and I guess my brain doesnt have the greatest filling system and as such I dont generally pull up ideas in order .

Lastly, I will go ahead and
A. disregard the shielded insult about NK directed at me, and
B. agree to disagree on that one.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Sounds good. I just think that in the case of NK, we have enough friends over there to keep the leash on KJI, and that as screwed up as he is in the head, he knows if he screws with us his entire country will be turned to glass 30 minutes later.

Interesting thoughts on energy, but until we do come up with alternatives that match or beat the costs of oil, that won't happen.

When it does, you'll see a lot more movement towards alternative fuels. In the same vain, you've got to consider the situation.

I.E., with the houses in the north in the winter, solar's not going to happen, and the windmills would be iced over.

[Drachen]

Sounds good. I just think that in the case of NK, we have enough friends over there to keep the leash on KJI, and that as screwed up as he is in the head, he knows if he screws with us his entire country will be turned to glass 30 minutes later.

Interesting thoughts on energy, but until we do come up with alternatives that match or beat the costs of oil, that won't happen.

When it does, you'll see a lot more movement towards alternative fuels. In the same vain, you've got to consider the situation.

I.E., with the houses in the north in the winter, solar's not going to happen, and the windmills would be iced over.

Use oil in that situation, or (in a few years) hydrogen. I dont think that we need to completely phase out oil tomorrow, but with the decreased use due to the aforementioned alternative sources, the little oil we do use could come from the US (and not from preserved wildlands).

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I agree, and like I said - we are also working feverishly with Russia to develop oil reserves there.

The sooner we move away from dependence on Mideast oil, the better off we'll be.

[Drachen]

BTW I just wrote to the American Wind Energy Association about my idea with the katabatic winds. I have been curious about this for a long time and want to find out why it hasnt been tried yet.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Like I said, there are a lot of energy projects being worked on, but you won't hear it until it's up and producing.

Announcing it would be basically telling OPEC "please jack up prices and empty our wallets."

[Drachen]

Like I said, there are a lot of energy projects being worked on, but you won't hear it until it's up and producing.

Announcing it would be basically telling OPEC "please jack up prices and empty our wallets."

Hmm, the prices are currently "Jacked" my wallet is "empty". Coincedence? I think not!

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Actually prices have dropped about 12 cents in the last week or so, I think you'll see the prices continue to fall. It's really best for all sides if the price per barrel is about $35 or so.

If you think the prices were jacked up, just keep in mind if Osama got his way we'd all be paying about $10/gallon.

Like I said, I've seen us roll out several things already since Bush got elected policy wise that in the big picture are leading us to become self-sufficient and get our interest out of the Mideast. It's brilliance.