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OT: Novosibersk
Never been to Siberia although I've seen some of the Russian Far East; Petro-Pavlosk, Kamchaski (sp), Magadan, and Kharbarsk (sp). Just remember to bring your own tolet paper.
My impressions of Russia and Russians is of a very educated people with an over abundance of natural resources. Even so, after 70 years of communism, tolet paper is still not a commodity. All of their great projects, subway in Vladisvistok, etc, were built with prison labor. Their natural resources, oil and gas, etc. will enable China's growth and prosperity. Alas, not their own.
Russia has many parallels to Latin America. Corruption stymes growth.
I am so thankful to live in the US. As big a mess as our government is at times, it works pretty darn well. The Enrons and World Coms flame out fairly quickly.
Herb: Posting from Dutch Harbor, Alaska waiting for the main engine on the fishing boat to be tuned up so he can get across the Gulf to Seattle. (cam shaft, bearings all the way around, 16 new cylinders, 8 rebuilt heads, rebuilt fuel pump, new salt to fresh water heat exchanger, 2 new turbos, new bearings in the gear box; at $100k + this isn't Jiffy Lube!)
OT: applecider, no I'm surfing from the tribal tech center. Being able to hunt whale is a great source of pride for these people. However, when I ask young people, they say outright they don't really care for the taste of gray whale. The older folks all say they like the taste but, when pressed, they say it's best sauteed with plenty of onions, green peppers, etc.
I think the village choked on 20 tons of whale three years ago. It is interesting that some environmental group offered the tribe a few million to not take anymore animals for the next five years. They were turned down. It worked out to about $20k for each person!
In my neck of the woods, tribal rights are jealously protected.
aapl has been like a rock today; solid not the sinking type.
OT: Whale meat...applecider?
Well, I did have lunch with Thereon and his wife yesterday. Thereon was the harpooner when the Makah's got their whale three years ago. He makes and sells canoes. They look similar to the traditional dug out cedar ones. They are of a unique lap plank construction and are prized for their speed.
In the summer months, Indians from Vancouver Island and the Washington coastal area go on their tribal voyages. They paddle into each rez and then throw a big pot latch. In the old days, I imagine much trading took place during this time.
The Makah are a proud people. They were the tough guys whaling and raiding other villages for slaves.
A Makah man hires me to captain his boat in the Bering Sea. He fishes it during the summer in their tribal whitening (hake) fisheries. At that time, only Makah Indians can be on the boat. This is a good source of income for the rez along with some logging and salmon fishing.
OT: Surfing on the rez...
I'm the only one in the Tribal tech center surfing this morning. One woman is working behind me on some tribal art project. She made coffee. I asked if there was a donation can for the coffee. She didn't know. She said, "Most people around here don't have enough money to donate for coffee!"
OT: Dean comeback...
Blue, the Shrubites sure hope you're right.
OT: Broadband to the ends of the earth...
This morning I'm surfing at the Makah Tribal technology center in Neah Bay, Washington. If you look on a map, Neah Bay is as isolated as you can get in the lower forty eight; northern Olympic peninsula on the Straits of Juan De Fuca.
The DSL connection is fast. The center has 15 online computers. I had to unplug the ethernet on one Windows machine and plug it into my PB. In the afternoons, several younger adult members of the Makah Tribe come in to work on their virtual college classes and do their home work. Some of the young school kids pop in to do their computer thing.
The center's four DELL machines are down at the present. Who ever does their technical work is in Port Angles which is 60 miles but, 1 1/2 hours away.
OT: I'm here waiting for my partner boat to arrive tomorrow. The company likes at least two boats to run together when crossing the Gulf of Alaska in winter. Five years ago one of the company boats didn't make it. Neither the boat or any of the four crew were found. We had to stop in Port Angeles on our way here from Seattle and have three heads replace on the main.
OT: Iowa was devastating to the snowballers
Alpo Gorpo took himself out of the role as elder statesman. His really bad political instincts lost once more. Maybe endorsing Dean early when he looked like the no-brain winner was the only gambit open to him but still...the Dean snowball is melting.
I still think the Bilary people are in control. They still have their cards close to the vest. Eventually, all of the mailing lists and new young Turks will end up working for Hilary in 2008 even though she's making sure Dean has no chance this year.
OT: Oregon primary
You're lucky to be part of the process. We independents in Washington got a stake driven through our hearts. We used to be able to cross party lines and vote for any candidate. Not any more. So, please elect a candidate I can vote against.
OT: Admittedly, my suggestion in the past of either 'big tobacco', Edwards, or 'big oil', Breaux, was made in part to irritate iHub liberals. Sorry. However, I don't think the demos can beat Shrub with a left wing New England or NE elitist of any kind.
It might be unfair but, there is a large portion of the country that believes the NE has lost its freedom loving roots. By the way, I have the same feeling for the politics in this beautiful city in which I now sit, Seattle. Anyway, to oust an incumbent, a candidate has to carry the South. To carry the South, it is easier to be a Southerner. Edwards might be the demos best chance but, still fall short.
OT: Lango, Energy
The dams on the Columbia river will never go away because of farm irrigation in eastern Washington and Oregon. I accept the fact salmon runs will never recover to historic levels on the Columbia. Also, the Aluminum plants are closing one by one. Days of subsidized cheap power are over.
I believe nuclear energy is our cleanest option. All of the fossil fuel options have their environmental costs also. Wind turbines have some promise but, suffer from being gawd awful ugly. I've only seen the huge farm near Palm Springs. Speaking of wind turbines, don't they have gear cases full of lubricating and cooling oil? What happens when the seals go out? Oil in the desert?
I worked for Westinghouse when they were promoting the LMFBR(light metal fast breeder reactor) program. It never got off the ground. Might have had something to do with producing plutonium.
My foot print on this earth is pretty darn small. My home has a heat pump and low-E windows and is of 2x6 construction (more insulation). My pickup sits idle for several months at a time as does my house. I just haven't found anyone yet I thought worth me apologizing for living.
Is there trading today? MLKD! No wonder my streamers appear fracked.
OT: Deleet
I'm not trying to pick an argument with you; just wasting time. I thought Carter graduated from the Naval Academy. Wouldn't he have been a lieutenant upon graduation? An ensign?
In modern America if you accidentally win office and don't have what it takes to serve, doesn't the party step in and surround you with people to fix things? Before 911, many accused Shrub of being propped up with capable advisors. My senator, Patty Murray is dumber than a fence post and made a real fool out of herself her first year. Since then, her staff has her reading from cue cards and she only appears slow.
I don't drive a SUV Cadillac. I used to have an SUV but, got enough flack and switched last year. I highly recommend the Ford F150 with the 5.4 V8.
My personal power option of the future is nuclear. The dams on the Columbia river have killed too many salmon.
OT: I believe he was a engineer on a nuclear submarine. This isn't the same as being a nuclear engineer or physicist. He watched gauges!
There is a battle royal in my town over the installation of a single cell phone tower. I can't wait for them to install a wind turbine farm to further Carter's goals.
OT: Neil Bush? I must have confused him with Jeff. Always wondered why no one was up in arms about his Denver energy deals. So there are three brothers? Any more? Wild sisters?
OT: Carter
Blue, I'll concede Camp David. Camp David, Nixon opening China, and Reagan, ".tear this wall down..." are the three great foreign relations success of the last century; all coming from America.
The Panama Canal give away and the Alaskan land grab are shameful.
I remember Carter's excess profit tax on the oil companies. The little liar knew I was paying those taxes every time I filled my tank. How about the 10% luxury tax? My little coastal village with 2000 people had one industry that was picking up the unemployment slack; yacht building. Rich folks from the big cities stopped having their custom yachts built at Westport Shipyards and went up to Canada. Thanks Jimmie, you literally took bread off the tables of my friends who had it rough already.
His limits on foreign autos worked well also, not! He forced the Japanese to import luxury vehicles with higher margins thereby cutting the throats of the auto companies who needed the profits to re-tool.
His greatest sin was the un-American doom and gloom of limits. How could a person of faith with the best minds available still come up with a future outlook of freezing to death in the dark? God has always provided! Have we not just gone through a golden age?
Sorry about getting your dander up.
OT: The Dean people are in real trouble if they want an endorsement from the worst president in US history.
Remember, some of us are taking notes. The Bilary people will make sure Dean is crippled if he is the eventual demo candidate. In four years, Hilary will be using the Dean organization and mailing list. We just don't want to hear you folks cheering for the person who cut the throat of today's darling.
OT: I didn't know Koch endorsed Shrub last Monday...http://www.virtuosityonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=145
Cube Redux...
...will work for me too. I want the ability to run two flat screens which is now possible on most single video cards. Throwing in lots of RAM and quiet is the other two things I require. Firewire, USB, and airport take care of any expansion needs.
Did I mention quiet? My G4 tower is fine for my needs except it sounds like a leaf blower.
Manateecat, I remember those bust days in Texas. Weren't those the days of McCain and the Keating five!
I know of several people who flew down to Texas with suitcases full of money and bought real estate properties from the banks 60 cents or less on the dollar. They turned around and stretched out building leases to their tenants to keep them afloat until the next recovery. It worked out well for them.
OT: Cotton..."Anecdotal: I used to work in metal chemical treatment processes at Boeing. We are dealing with some nasty chemicals here."
Cotton I just replaced the trawl warps on the fishing boat I work on. We can no longer buy US made galvanized wire rope because the environmental constraints has shut the galvanizing process down. For heaven sakes, they sell zinc tablets to ward off colds! Anyway, our wire rope came from Korea which doesn't have the same reputation for strength per a given diameter.
The US still makes bright but no galvanized. One sometimes questions whether all types of regulation have gone too far. What does the quality of life mean if you can't afford to feed yourself?
Kurt: Cheap debt
I've been mulling the idea of buying some cheap dept. My thinking is to buy a condo with a mortgage while rates are still low and pay it back with inflated dollars.
OT: Importing jobs
Didn't Siemans buy 60,000 worth of Westinghouse jobs? Westinghouse shed most of their businesses except for CBC some years ago.
OT: Altaire4 long term contingency planning is a good thing. It worked out well. Iraqii women are years closer to being treated kindly.
Annie: I have a 'white' apple or a 'rainbow' apple sticker you may have if you can get me a mail to address.
If Tom, lango, Louis, Wmc or anyone else has your e-mail and mine they can send me a mailing address. If you have a PO Box and want to post it here, I remember your first name. That would be enough to get it to you. I suppose you want a blue sticker like the OS X menu! Can't help there.
LisaAu: It is possible aapl will just follow the NAZ now. The NAZ goes up, aapl goes up. The NAZ goes down, aapl goes down.
I would like to see one more bump up for earnings. Although the direction for Apple is positive, I'm not so sure the stock will out perform the market. The first quarter should be robust. I'm not so sure how the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th will be.
LisaAu, aapl is being tugged back into following the NAZ mode.
OT: Jobs
My local bank, US Bank, has at least 7 teller stations. The most they keep open at any one time is two. However, if you have one of their accounts, they will deposit $5 in your account if you wait over five minutes in line. They probably come out ahead shorting the number of employees against keeping customers from getting too p*ssed!
Now, I have to wait in the parking lot until they get a high influx of customers before going in and wait again in line to get my 5 bucks!
Herb sold 10 CCs for July 25 @ 2.25.
I figure even with all of the excitement it will be a push for aapl to reach 27 or stay there for ever. Some expectations may be built in at this time. On the other hand, I can be wrong.
Not to be boring but, did anyone see any true bluetooth trackballs at MWSF?
OT: Roni...Portland is famous for "black ice". I can remember years past when all of the overpasses in the sky were filled with tractors and trailers after sliding from the top of the banked curves to the bottom.
OT: roni...Seattle has melted.
Install a pair of standard size photo finishing machines...
I like your idea Lango. The photo department in Cosctco is always busy, busy.
Lango: The first rumors were for Xserve G5s in a 3U case! Some were speculating they would fit in a 2U case if you left them outside in Maine. The 1U is good news.
I just covered my Jul22.5 put position. Took $650 worth of profits.
Roni: I think you are the wise one; sticking with your trade goals. I'm sitting her stuck in a snow bound internet cafe in Seattle frozen in the headlights.
I am going to let the Jan. 20 puts I sold ride until expiration. May as well keep the full $500 on these.
Oops, we have a mini rally!
MWSF...for me, ho hum.
Come on Steve! Get out of bed! Surprise us!
Lango: Real unemployment is when a young fellow graduates with an engineering degree and there is 60,000 experienced Boeing engineers walking the streets. 1970
Famous sign outside Seattle on I-5, "Will the last person leaving Seattle please turn out the lights."
Applecider: Are you thinking of rolling into Feb. 22.5s? You originally bought calls rather than sell puts like myself, right?