Vox Populi – 5-28-2010

AdLib : Glad to hear that. Rahm was the one behind Clinton offering the Obama Admin position to Sestak. He is such bad news.

AdLib : Night Patsy! Time to wrap Vox Populi too. Thanks so much for joining us tonight! Same to Khirad! And everyone else who’s already headed out! Cheers!

PatsyT : Oh yes one last thing AdLib, I am beginning to agree with you on Rahm

AdLib : This is the whole thing, with all of these crises, he has had the opportunity to go big with change, even if some freak. Instead, he stays “reasonable” (no doubt Rahm is pushing him there) and modest change is what occurs. Now is a time for much bolder thinking and action.

PatsyT : Ahh well I am getting that call to drive up the 5 and pick up kids… Have to say goodnight….Nig ht All

PatsyT : This is where Obama can really clean up I hope he gets tougher

AdLib : THink of how our cars operate. A series of small explosions to push rods up and down. How 1900’s!

AdLib : I think, like any new technology, they want to show that it can have longevity and that these boxes will hold up for years. I

PatsyT : Our energy policy is like the stone ages

AdLib : Nope, they’re a private company, financed by the hedge fund that financed some top silicon valley startups. Google?

PatsyT : So right now we are like the apes seeing the box and not knowing what to do with it..

PatsyT : Are they public yet? Hal?

AdLib : What do you mean, Dave?

PatsyT : That box reminds me of 2001 Space Odyssey

AdLib : I really should invest in Bloom, I’m always promoting that damn company!

AdLib : Bloom is test driving its boxes with top corporations like Google, Coke, Dell, Walmart, etc. Once it shows itself to be reliable and long term, I am hoping that this will be propagated quickly. And they are going to make smaller versions for homes. I will definitely get one once they start selling them, state and fed tax credits will make it very financially viable.

PatsyT : What are we waiting for?

AdLib : And it is decentralized! No more grid leaking and wasting power. Self-sufficency. If Obama made that the centerpiece of his energy policy, we could slash dependency on foreign oil pretty swiftly.

PatsyT : I really hope they can make that work all around – Does this just confuse some people because they think they may have to wait decades for this stuff?

AdLib : So, here is a totally green and self-reliant-on energy supermarket! We could do the same for homes and office buildings!

AdLib : Heh! I just popped another Typagra!

PatsyT : Oh it’s that speed typing again!

AdLib : New Santa Cruz Safeway showcases its environmental-fr iendly features, including two ‘Bloom Boxes’ By ROMAIN FONSEGRIVES Posted: 04/23/2010 01:30:17 AM PDT Click photo to enlarge Safeway vice president for renewable energy Joe Pettus speaks to crowd… (Dan Coyro/Sentinel) * « * 1 * 2 * » Found this update at Bloom energy, please bear with the length of the article… SANTA CRUZ — The Westside Safeway celebrated Earth Day on Thursday by showcasing its new eco-friendly equipment, including two “Bloom Boxes,” alternative fuel cells using a breakthrough technology. Seen as an exciting prospect for the future of renewable energy, Bloom Boxes already seduced Google, which purchased one of the cells to supply power on its Mountain View campus in June 2008. The sand-based fuel cells mix methane, hydrogen or natural gas with the oxygen in the air to produce electricity through an electrochemical process, said Alan Advertisement Russo, director of sales operations at Bloom Energy. Slightly smaller than cargo containers, each 100-kilowatt unit produces a fraction of the emissions of a typical power plant, Russo said. “It really took a lot of faith from Safeway to make that vision come true,” he said. In addition to the fuel cells, 896 solar panels will provide renewable energy to the store. George Waidelich, Safeway energy operations vice president, expects the fuel cells to provide 60 to 70 percent of the store’s electricity while solar panels should bring 30 to 35 percent of the power needed.

Khirad : Special guest Martin Gerschwitz, leadman of 60s heavy metal band Iron Butterfly.

PatsyT : Yea It’s a trip down here

PatsyT : «link»

PatsyT : Oh Well I have learned you can live around many things. Ha it may have been worse up there. There is a real race for our congressman – We are trying to get rid of Ken Calvert and elect Bill Hendrick ?-??-??-??-?-htt p://www.hedrickf orcongress.com/

AdLib : Khirad – I could have gone this way, “…because they recycle their trash into residents.”

Khirad : LOL at the OC trash.

AdLib : And Patsy, it’s clean in Orange County because they use their trash in their politics.

AdLib : Patsy – I like a lot of Cali down your way, but Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks are very Republican too!

PatsyT : Nighty Night Kes…

PatsyT : AdLib My hubby wanted to be near Thousand Oaks or Santa Claita We just did not think of the politics I though hey this is CA how bad can it be and the air is so clean.

AdLib : Night Kes! Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Khirad : Night kes.

AdLib : No updates from Bloom Energy on the exploratory period with their energy boxes. Really am fascinated by what it could mean if they work well and reliably and could be widespread.

kesmarn : Oh, Gourd! Just noticed it’s after midnight here in the heartland. No wonder the eyelids are heavy. I may have to call it a day, friends. Good night and have a fine weekend!

AdLib : Thanks kes!

PatsyT : I don’t get it with them they could get in on the ground floor with the new green energy

AdLib : Patsy – Tract housing makes my skin crawl. Then populate it with robotic, conformist conservatives and I will run for the L.A. hills!

kesmarn : ‘Zactly, Patsy. That tends to alter one’s aesthetic sense…

PatsyT : Kes they have a lot of stock in Exxon and bp

kesmarn : LOL, AdLib, on the dessert thing!

AdLib : Kihrad – Yep, they’ve been around in those incredible winds for a long time. When we pass them, my daughter loves pointing out the ones that aren’t working.

PatsyT : I won’t go to OC tonight but only to say … Tract Housing and HOA’s !! Ughh!

kesmarn : Yeah. I keep thinking why are windmills in Holland “quaint” but wind turbines “unsightly” to the Country Clubbers?

Khirad : I know those turbines well, AdLib. They are, but a lot of ’em look real beat up.

AdLib : Whoops, make that desert! I rarely have wind turbines in my dessert unless I’m eating with Ed Begley Jr.

PatsyT : Kes thats cool Hey I remember that lake effect snow with the wind coming down from Canada they should do well with that.

AdLib : Kes – The Wind Turbines in Palm Springs are actually pretty fascinating to drive past on the freeway, very surreal but ultimately, in the midst of an otherwise barren dessert area, kinda cool.

PatsyT : Hey Palin would have used it for an excuse to bomb something

AdLib : Patsy – My sister has and does live in that type of neighborhood in Orange County. It really creeps me out.

kesmarn : Patsy, the Ohio shore view is about to be enhance by a wind turbine farm offshore near Cleveland. I might have to take a drive east to see that. Somehow, those things look cool to me — not “unsightly” as the Repubs have said.

PatsyT : AdLib yes I have those stepfords all around

AdLib : Patsy – Exactly, Repubs take all the benefits from Dems, cleaner environment, SS, Medicare, you name it and are total belligerent ingrates.

PatsyT : Newport Beach is able to enjoy that ocean view because Democrats prevented offshore drilling after Santa Barbarba

AdLib : Orange County in general has some creepy parts. The whole Stepford Republican neighborhood thing is common.

kesmarn : I was thinking the same thing, AdLib. McCain’s answer to everything.

Khirad : Oh my lord, this would have been nuked already.

Khirad : Newport Beach has a creepy Kountry Klub feel.

AdLib : “Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, bomb-bomb the well!”

kesmarn : The right has likely lost the Latino vote for a long, long time…and rightly so.

AdLib : I saw that Jerry Brown is polling 7 points ahead of Whitman and Whitman has a whole angry anti-immigrant campaign going on now to win the GOP primary. You can’t steer back from that in the general and latino’s ain’t gonna vote for the woman who wants to attack them.

PatsyT : Can you imagine if this happened in LA or San Diego? or heavens forbid Newport Beach (orange county repub heaven)

kesmarn : Patsy, McCain would have dropped a nuke in the gulf. That’s how he rolls.

PatsyT : I feel like this will keep Boxer in office… if we let repubs in they will look the other way while the oil companies do whatever.

AdLib : We can all probably agree that if McCain and Palin were in, this would be called “an unfortunate and once-in-a-lifeti me accident” and there would be collusion on helping BP cover up the extent of the spill.

kesmarn : Khirad, it is a curse. I’ve lived with it for a lifetime. (I do fairly well at trivia games, though…small reward.)

AdLib : Patsy – If McCain and Palin were in office, we’d have likely had many more of these wells already up and spilling.

Khirad : No kidding Kes. It REALLY bugs me at times.

kesmarn : KQ, I know how that feels. The mental rolodex will spin until it gets the answer and nothing can stop it.

PatsyT : OK KQ have a great one….

Khirad : Glad you did KQ, have a great time.

Questinia : oh, and adlib

AdLib : Night KQ! Have a great night and weekend!

PatsyT : What if this had happened on McCain watch?

Questinia : and KQ and Khirad

Khirad : Absolutely, and they can hire the best lawyers anyway.

Questinia : Hi Patsy and kes! Sorry, it’s hard to see this thread.

AdLib : Bourbon Street has been named Petroleum Place.

KQµårk : OK really out this time. I could not have a good weekend without finding the name of that movie.

Khirad : Night nottoolate.

AdLib : Night nottoolate, great to see ya!

AdLib : Khirad – Absolutely not, in fact, a civil settlement with a family has no bearing on a criminal prosecution. But, as we’ve seen with allowing the Bush Admin, Goldman Sachs, etc. getting away with crimes, there is a class of people, the wealthy and powerful, for whom laws don’t apply.

PatsyT : Nighty Night nottoolate…

kesmarn : Good night, nottoo! Have a great weekend!

Khirad : Which reminds me, I haven’t seen Singh Is Kinng yet… at least i can count on Bhangra. I never heard of that one though.

Questinia : I’d really like to go to louisiana. I think it would be a good thing to do. Obama missed the 9/11 after-inspiratio n we all felt in ny before it got Bush-whacked.

nottoolate : I’m out, guys. xxoo.

kesmarn : KQ, cool! I have Netflix instant! Friend recommended “The White Ribbon.” I don’t know much about it, though.

AdLib : Q – “Fly me to the moon, or at least not next to a crying baby!”

Questinia : No, not a staycation. My life has been a staycation too long.

Khirad : I’d be willing to bet, I don’t know, that those families that lost their loved ones got heftily paid out. That still doesn’t prevent federal prosecution, though, right?

kesmarn : Q, your own wonderful backyard?

AdLib : It is already pretty clear. BP has a track record of neglecting safety to save money even when warned about how dangerous it can be. That is intentional, a choice, money over lives. If they want corps to be people, they should be as guilty as if a person killed another for financial gain!

KQµårk : OK it was driving me crazy so I had to look it up the movie was “Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year”. We actually watched it with Netflix instant movies.

Questinia : It’s got a pool and is close to all the destinations…i n the world!

kesmarn : And there are very credible witnesses in both the mining and the oil rig cases that shortcuts were taken that cost lives.

AdLib : Why are the lives of employees so meaningless? WHy can a corporation kill because it’s more cost effective and not be charged with intentional homicide if not murder? It only encourages more of the same to let them get away with it.

kesmarn : Right, Khirad. Personal responsibility. The only comment I’ve heard from the right lately is: “Hey, you know, sometimes shit just happens!”

nottoolate : Totally agree, AdLib. BP has murdered and plundered.

Khirad : Whatever happened to the RW meme of personal responsibility? Especially since BP has the same rights as one?

AdLib : Hey Q! I hear Passaic is lovely this time of year.

kesmarn : Hey, Q! Someplace special this weekend, eh? Hmmm. Hints?

kesmarn : Do you think Carville should have been so public about his opinions?

PatsyT : Hi Questinia!

AdLib : Obama MUST show his populist side and slam BP hard and to the ground. The public NEEDS our leader to voice their frustration but our calm cool and collected Pres may not understand that. This is a time to connect with the people, even if Obama can’t solve the problem.

Questinia : when i go on vacation, i’m going to Lweesianah. i would go this weekend but i have reservations to go elsewhere special.

PatsyT : I just have this feeling that Obama knows what is going on and is waiting for them to fix this leak before he really nails them.

AdLib : Now that’s part of what’s pissing me off with letting BP lead the operation. Why should they have control over the cleanup?! For propaganda purposes, they can allow oil to destroy the coast because it helps their stock price?

kesmarn : That mining company (whose name escapes me), BP and Goldman Sachs are three companies I’d be happy to see disappear.

kesmarn : Yes, between the miners and the oil rig workers who’ve died recently, big business has had a hell of a lot of collateral damage.

nottoolate : How do you not get tough on BP when they flat out lie to us every single day? Did you hear about the 400 employees they bussed in today to make it look like there were a lot of people working on cleanup? They left when O left.

AdLib : My pleasure nottoolate! Great ad, isn’t it?

AdLib : And one enormous question…how come NOBODY at a big corporation ever gets charged criminally for killing people, criminal negligence, destroying the nation’s and people’s property…WTF happened to being a nation of laws?

kesmarn : I was wondering about that, nottoo. I thought the best that could be made of it would be that Obama could say: “Well, I tried to see it your way, and look what happened. Now we’re gonna do it my way.”

PatsyT : Kes I think that will be forgotten somewhat – Obama just need to hit it out of the park on the clean up and going after bp – I don’t think he has been to tough on bp because WE NEED them now to stop the gusher but after some time I hope he nails that whole industry back to the stone ages

nottoolate : AdLib, that link is good. Gracias.

AdLib : Khirad – But-but-but…hu h??? That’s the lesson that’s learned? “We fucked up the south from drilling there so naturally, we’ll drill in the north now.”

Khirad : Thanks AdLib, I was about to hunt down the YouTube version, as well.

nottoolate : Hurt him IMO. Insufficient gov. infrastructure at the very least…no oversight, nobody in place to handle disaster, BP’s felonious record, etc.

AdLib : Here’s one too for VoteVets (probably the same as Patsy’s!) «link»

Khirad : Because ANWAR will totally make up for our fuel demands… gawd it’s so old a talking point and they are still shilling for Big Oil to get only a few extra bucks.

PatsyT : «link»

PatsyT : I hope this one works…

kesmarn : To go briefly back to the gulf spill. How do you think Obama’s earlier acceptance of limited off shore drilling plays out in light of this later disaster? Did making that compromise help or hurt him? Neither?

AdLib : Khirad – Open up ANWAR because we’ve seen how uncontrollable drilling in difficult areas is? Huh?

PatsyT : Oh sorry I will get another

nottoolate : Patsy, VoteVets linky doesn’t work. Problem with letters at end?

kesmarn : Yes, AdLib…I was actually googling to see if…well, you can imagine…

AdLib : Thanks Patsy! I was going to find it in a moment.

PatsyT : «link» vote vets link

nottoolate : Thanks, Kes.

Khirad : It’s such a simple argument. And the Republicans have no answer to it.

kesmarn : nottoo, as far as I know, no one has heard anything from or about bito. Prayers continue. Miss him very much.

AdLib : VoteVets have been hitting this theme and reality-based ads for a while, I think they’re as good as it gets for frank honesty and connecting reality to energy policy.

Khirad : Someone said that this was all the more argument to open up Anwar *facepalm*

PatsyT : I hope they are running those ads on fox round the clock – How can they argue with that ?

nottoolate : Have not seen VoteVets, thanks for tip. May have to check out in a minute, but while I’ve been MIA from Planet…has there be any word on Bito?

AdLib : Kes – Yes, it is such a potent and straightforward argument. How can anyone be honest and say that we can continue to drill mile-deep wells after this…and as the months roll on and the oil destroys parts of many states and livelihoods.

Khirad : Yes, those VoteVets ads are good.

PatsyT : AdLib Yes The best Ads on right now! ! My kids have even commented on them and who ever is doing that campaign is truly on to something Great!

kesmarn : Yes, AdLib! Saw that ad and it was excellent. People like Limbaugh who want to say petro-based have no argument for that line of thought.

AdLib : I loved How to…”!

kesmarn : KQ Bet that was a good one!

AdLib : Talking about the gulf and dream or reality, have you seen the VoteVets ad using the gulf crisis and wars to promote clean energy and less foreign oil? It’s very good.

KQµårk : More like “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” if you remember that move.

Khirad : Alright, but remember that Indian film title.

PatsyT : Bye KQ …. enjoy!

kesmarn : KQ. Will do. You have a great weekend, too.

AdLib : Have a great evening KQ!

AdLib : Kes – Hey, if your son thinks it’s fun and it adds to his skills, great.

KQµårk : Buh bye now try to sneak some fun in this weekend. You know how Johnny feels about all work and no play.

Khirad : Wasn’t Guru was it?

Khirad : Exactly AdLib, they really were making it all up on the fly.

kesmarn : KQ Kind of like a Bollywood version of “The Producers”?

nottoolate : Gulf no bad dream, but continuing nightmare. It’s not going to stop until they get a relief well in.

AdLib : Khirad – Yep, I didn’t watch it a lot but the “They’re all dead!” “twist” was so lame and really didn’t make sense in the end. I think over the seasons they painted themselves into a corner and there really wasn’t any ending that could tie all the pieces together.

KQµårk : We watched a very charming foreign film from India a couple weeks ago. Damn I wish I remembered the name, but it was about this seik (sp) that started his own business by making everyone partners of his business.

kesmarn : My son’s working on a math program that displays 3D problems and requires the funny glasses to view. His “fun” summer project. If someone told me to write that program, I would cry.

PatsyT : Can we make the gulf thing a bad dream ?

Khirad : God, that “Lost” was a let down. Of course, I hadn’t watched the last few years anyway… I even joked that they would resolve it with “it was all a dream” – I wasn’t far off at all.

AdLib : Khirad, they are starting to sell 3-d televisions that use glasses.

PatsyT : Hey KQark I would like to hear a review from KQ

AdLib : Just kidding!

AdLib : Hope this doesn’t ruin Avatar for you but I really hate the ending where it turns out that it was all a dream. Whoops!

Khirad : We should totally do reviews. I don’t know why I or anybody else hasn’t, come to think of it.

KQµårk : Good idea Adlib. Wink wink nod nod say no more.

Khirad : How does that work with Avatar?

kesmarn : Sounds like fun. Do you have the 3D glasses for Avatar?

AdLib : We should do some movie reviews at The Planet.

KQµårk : We rented a few including Avatar.

PatsyT : Funny how reality comes around and kicks some people upside the head -I feel for the animals they can’t vote and we will never know how will be lost

Khirad : That’s exactly it, he makes them feel good to vote for someone of color, even though he’s a witch-doctorin’ evangelical.

kesmarn : Hey, KQ! What movie are you gonna see?

AdLib : KQUARK!!! Great to see you even if it’s briefly!

KQµårk : Hey folks just checked in to say hi. We’re having movie night tonight and gonna enjoy some grilling this weekend. Everyone have fun and stay safe.

AdLib : Khirad – I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Louisiana, even met Jindal a while back when he was a Congressman. He was the protege of a crooked Governor and stole credit of others in the government to take the spotlight for a welfare overhaul. That was his key strength, he also made racists feel good to vote for someone of color even though inside he thought just like them.

kesmarn : I hear you, AdLib. I tried to google the article this friend was quoting and wasn’t able to find it. I give her a call and see if she can get me a copy. I realize there are disillusioned people on both left and right, but there’s a lot they DON’T share, too.

Khirad : They are the biggest frauds for that AdLib. It makes me spittin’ mad the audacity they have to have pulled this 180° and now claim they were always libertarian.

PatsyT : Khirad LOL !!

Khirad : Someone said the funniest thing in regards to the Saudi trip: Dick of Arabia.

AdLib : Hi nottoolate! Welcome!

AdLib : Kes – I have been a “Question and Distrust Authority” Progressive my entire adult life. Trust should be earned on a regular basis, the powerful should not be trusted just because they are authority figures. That is not the way these TPers think. They are frauds, they trusted government fine when a white conservative Republican was in the White House and all while he was destroying the country and tearing up the Constitution. They are frauds, they are Republicans and far too many are racists who despise our president because he’s half black.

PatsyT : Hey nottoolate you are never too late!

kesmarn : Hey, nottoo!! And what are we talking about here but the oil spill!

PatsyT : AdLib Yes take away that small gov stuff and what do they have ??/

nottoolate : Hi, yall. Took a break from obsessive following of oil spill.

kesmarn : True, Patsy. Cheney was all over the media for a while. Now…seems to have crawled back into the bunker. Maybe too much daylight for Richard Lugosi Cheney.

Khirad : Someone actually said Jindal 2012 today, for real. Well, I hope there’s never a volcano disaster. Such a putz. Oh, and I’m in a bit with the Indian community. They disown him. Of course, they’re liberal Indians.

PatsyT : Khirad I agree When Chris M is on he is great He is always after Cheeny I wonder why he has not asked about where is D Cheny about this bp stuff?? Those Cheenys are so quite!

AdLib : Patsy – Exactly! Interesting how the Repubs are against government spending when it helps anyone but the rich…until they have a great need for it then it’s alright. Jindal is screaming for government help and money now…it would be funny if it wasn’t so nauseating.

kesmarn : Yes, AdLib and when people say “anti-govt”– to me — it depends on the “government” they’re referring to. Dubya’s govt? Never. But Obama and company, I can support, no problem.

AdLib : “Myah! Where’s your PUMA’s now? Myah!”

AdLib : Khirad – Very interesting and predictable. They are a fraud, of course they would try to bolster their fraud.

Khirad : PUMA’s, sheesh. Matthews was guilty with that, as well. He still has his moments though. I like the challenge for any Republican to rebuke Rush on anything, myself.

PatsyT : Ii hear Edward G Robinson saying ” “Where’s your PUMAS now?

kesmarn : Patsy, interesting now that the spill is seemingly unstoppable, government is supposed to “get big” instantly and fix it. Which side are they on?

AdLib : Kes – IMO, the writer is terribly misguided to think that those on the left who distrust authority have anything in common with TPers. I am one of those types of Progressives and I don’t see the TPers as anything I could ever be associated with.

AdLib : I think the number of active TPers is miniscule, the press wants the conflict. Remember how the PUMAs were built up from the Repub astroturf group they started out as into a huge threat to Obama? They too were a molehill exaggerated into a mountain by the MSM.

PatsyT : How are they going to keep up with that small government bs now with the mess that created in the gulf that was caused by small gov !!

Khirad : The Tea Party Express even admitted that Idaho’s 1st district Democrat they endorsed, they did just so they could have one Democrat. The local Tea Party got angry, and backed their own. Sarah, of course, backed the loser plagiarist. I don’t even hear baggers trying that “non-partisan” line much anymore. It’s such BS.

kesmarn : I think this writer was saying that there’s a deep distrust of government that dates back to the 60’s among lefties…govt and corporate ties…and this is somehow being cycled through the T-Party.

AdLib : Has anyone here seen any evidence of an anti Republican fervor in the Tea Party movement? Why is it always those who are not RWs that are attacked? How many Dems are part of that mob?

PatsyT : Hi Khriad!! Chris Mathews is doing some special on the TP and that erks me why give them the attention? Ratings…. Sometime I like him (CM) but not how he is roasting Obama about this bp mess

kesmarn : Hey, Khirad!

kesmarn : I really hope not. Was discouraged to go to work, though, and hear two anti-Obama comments from two college grads! People I thought would be libs.

AdLib : Hey Khirad I meant!

Khirad : Hola.

AdLib : Hwy Khirad!

AdLib : Kes – That is intellectual BS, IMO. I have not seen the Tea Partiers angrily attack RW Republicans once.

Khirad : But seriously, in what party is that rooted?

AdLib : Much as purist Dems may oppose Obama, they’re not going to be part of a group carrying racist signs and pictures of Obama as the Joker and Hitler.

kesmarn : This author said that this new populism was an expression of an extreme individualism and a distrust of government that is not rooted in a party. I don’t know if I buy it or not, either.

AdLib : Kes – I don’t buy the proposition. Polls confirmed that the Tea Partiers are mostly white, male and Republican.

kesmarn : Was talking with a friend earlier and she said there was a good article in the N Y Review of Books (I think) about the Tea Party movement and how both the left and right were part of it.

AdLib : I don’t know, how many people in the GOP are left that aren’t lockstep and RW? They are pretty much down to their core radicals with 20% – 25% of voters.

AdLib : If only I knew there was a button for that. Or an app.

PatsyT : The repub base I wonder if any of them will switch?

AdLib : Kes – Heh!

kesmarn : No. But suddenly I feel “easy.”

AdLib : Patsy – Will any of whom switch parties?

AdLib : “That is correct. Please press that button. Has the oil spill stopped?”

PatsyT : They are so screwed … I wonder will any of them switch parties?

kesmarn : Is it labeled: “Easy”?

AdLib : “Please look for a red switch that says, ‘Stop Oil Spill’. Have you found it?”

kesmarn : That’s when we have to get them to tell us how to do step 1 — turning off the well. If that’s on the dialogue flow chart…

PatsyT : I like the accents though ..

AdLib : The only problem with calling India to fix the oil spill is that they will take months instructing you to try their list of troubleshooting tasks that their computer prompts them to say, “Have you tried turning off than restarting your well? Please do so now.”

PatsyT : Thanks Kes

kesmarn : Sorry, Patsy, “Quants” are the mathematicians who work for Wall Street and create these algorithms or whatever for super-fast trading.

PatsyT : If bp was chinese they would have offed the head guys by now.

PatsyT : Hmmm Quants ?? explain ?

AdLib : We don’t engineer or build anywhere near what we used to. 60% of our economy now is financial market crap, nothingness being traded for nothingness. No building of real things that have intrinsic value.

kesmarn : We need to call India about the Gulf mess, Patsy!

PatsyT : The engineering departments have moved to India

AdLib : Heh! Typagra! No wonder I keep hitting the “Shift” key!

kesmarn : “Quants” rule the day on Wall Street.

AdLib : Back in those days, engineering was a much more populated profession. Now engineering minds are in Wall Street engineering bubbles and derivatives.

kesmarn : And all three of us are really into working with words, writing. What’s that all about?

PatsyT : Thats because your typing is enhanced What are you on Typagra?

AdLib : Beat ya! Heh!

PatsyT : Adlib Jinx

PatsyT : All our dads engineers of some kind hun? small world!

AdLib : Three for three on engineer dads! Whoa, that’s amazing!

AdLib : “Dude!” “Dude!” “Totally!” “I know!” “Well…” “Yuh…”

kesmarn : Funny…my dad was an automotive engineer!

kesmarn : Gosh, if we knew what the corps around us were putting into the air/water/ground …oy! We have a beryllium plant nearby (youch!) AND a BP refinery!! Lucky us!

PatsyT : My dad was an engineer and took great pride in teaching all the tricks of the stick shift

AdLib : Two heads and yet all they still can’t carry a conversation, even with themselves.

AdLib : My daughter went to Autopia at Disneyland a few weeks ago. Based on her performance, we are redirecting her college fund to future car insurance.

PatsyT : Adlib I think I have seen some two headed surfers around here

AdLib : Kes – I don’t even let my daughter put a laptop on her lap without a pillow between. You won’t see us knocking on a nuclear plant’s door to offer brownies and take a look around. And we won’t be using the drinking fountain in the hallway there.

kesmarn : Patsy, stick shifts are tremendous fun. Especially starting from a stoplight on a hill!

PatsyT : I learned to drive in Ohio on a 5 speed stick shift – My oldest does not want to drive anywhere the 5 is just to scarry

kesmarn : My kids went on a tour of the oil refinery east of Toledo when they were younger. Got all sorts on re-assurances of how safe and non-polluting they were. Hahahahahaha!!

AdLib : Patsy – Yes, I know about that campground and there’s a beach not to far away. The one with two headed sand crabs.

AdLib : Kes – That’s going back to the 60’s or early 70’s. He was an M.E. too, don’t know if it was related to that. Nowadays, no way!

AdLib : DOn’t get me started on Louisiana drivers. Many see the action of someone coming on the on ramp of a highway as taking something away from them. They’ll speed up from hundreds of yards back just to cut you off.

kesmarn : They let you take tours of a nuclear plant, AdLib? They don’t allow that at Davis-Besse. Maybe because they’re doing everything wrong there!

PatsyT : They have a campground near San Onofre No one seams to be bothered about it at all. Creepy like how they acted in LA about the Oil Rigs

kesmarn : Patsy, yes, Ohio drivers are minor leaguers compared to the ones from Michigan. Whew! When they talk about the Motor City, they aren’t kidding!

AdLib : My dad was a Mechanical Engineer, took us as kids to tour San Onofre. DOn’t remember a lot of it, lots of dials though. And when we went camping that summer, we didn’t need flashlights!

AdLib : Patsy – They probably drove a lot faster in rush hour than we do!

kesmarn : This really rings a bell. I live not too far from the infamous Davis-Besse nuclear plant in Ohio. We came this close to a meltdown. But no sirens to tip us off!

PatsyT : Thanks for those links… now I want to move to ventura

AdLib : I mean, it’s not like we don’t have a first rain of the season or holiday weekends every year.

PatsyT : I was in Ohio (Cleveland) with my oldest daughter last winter and she could not believe how slow everyone drove and they had two lane highways!

AdLib : Why is it when Californians drive on holiday weekends or in the first rain of the season, they freak out?

AdLib : Patsy – The second incident I noted happened this January, here’s a link to the article: «link»

kesmarn : It’s about a 20 mile drive home from work, but not too bad tonight…so far.

AdLib : Yep Kes, it’s a bit quiet at The Planet, lots of folks in Purgatory…whic h is what we call the CA. freeway system on a day like today.

kesmarn : Wow. Speed-typin’

PatsyT : Around here they are on the road but not going anywhere Traffic is horrible because of accidents

kesmarn : Hey! Everybody on the road for the holiday weekend?

PatsyT : Thanks Hi Kes That Adlib is on something with all that fast typing

AdLib : Hey Kes!

AdLib : Saw this too: SAN CLEMENTE — A siren went off at the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant early Tuesday, prompting a flurry of calls from concerned residents, according to sheriff’s officials. The siren sounded around 4:45 a.m. at one of the towers and authorities “got a whole bunch of calls,” said Sgt. S. Baker of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “Not sure how many, but it was a parcel. A whole bunch.” The plant is on the coast in San Diego County about three miles from San Clemente and the Orange County line. The plant also borders the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. Authorities shut off the siren almost immediately, Baker said, adding that it was a false alarm. It was not immediately know what tripped the siren, or why it went off. Technicians at the plant were investigating the incident.

kesmarn : Hi, Adlib, Patsy! Home from work. What’s up?

AdLib : Here’s the link to that article: «link»

PatsyT : I have to look that up – There is a popular surfing spot there

AdLib : I cheat.

AdLib : Scary, huh? And the RW wants this to be multiplied all around the nation.

PatsyT : I was going to say what are you on that makes you type so fast?

AdLib : Whoops! Didn’t mean to post so much of the article!

AdLib : Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009 | Mistakes and management problems continue to mount at the San Onofre nuclear plant, despite an unprecedented executive shake-up and a year-long effort to convince federal regulators and an industry ratings group that things are improving. Federal regulators stress that the coastal facility south of San Clemente remains safe, and that nearby residents in San Diego and Orange counties have nothing to fear. Southern California Edison, the utility that operates San Onofre, has acknowledged its performance weaknesses, but executives there say the plant “is operated in a safe and reliable manner.” Still, internal reports and Nuclear Regulatory Commission assessments indicate that the plant’s shortcomings include a degraded safety culture; falling behind on preventive maintenance; allowing equipment to become less reliable; not finding, analyzing and fixing problems adequately; not providing employees with sufficient training and written procedures to prevent mistakes; and lagging well behind its peers in worker safety. Those problems have led to falsified fire watch records and caused such problems as a loose battery connection on a safety system to go undiscovered for years. “People should be concerned about this,” nuclear engineer David Lochbaum said in an interview before he became a trainer for the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission in mid-February.

PatsyT : I don’t remember that one

AdLib : Do you remember, there was a small incident at San Onofre a while back?

AdLib : Really? That’s a great idea. I still don’t have an earthquake supply kit at home! We reorganized and tossed out the old stuff. If there’s an earthquake this weekend that devastates L.A., I will be really pissed off.

PatsyT : All this week I have been thinking about how if that mess from bp can happen because of lack of regulation. What about the San Onofre?

AdLib : Hmm…holiday weekend, may not be too many around for VP. We just got back from our trip so staying home is a vacation to us.

PatsyT : I have friends that have survival kits in their cars just for such things getting trapped in traffic

AdLib : Exactly, you’re all packed up with the family and planned your trip and then you’re stuck in limbo, helpless on the fwy for hours?

PatsyT : You would have had a trip to the 91 parking lot

AdLib : Glad we did our trip to Grandma in Palm Springs last weekend.

PatsyT : Well if this can do that imagine if we had a bigger issue everyone would be trapped

AdLib : Perfect, on Getaway Friday night for Memorial Day Weekend.

AdLib : That’s messed up! When will they make transporter technology more affordable!

PatsyT : The 5 was all backed up down here

PatsyT : Oh I have yet to go out again and pick up my oldest from Orchestra concert! And The 91 is shutdown eastboouund

AdLib : Really? How big? Shut down the freeway?

AdLib : What are you up to tonight?

PatsyT : Huge accident on the 91 today

AdLib : Hmm…you had to make me choose…

PatsyT : Ohh thats better then wheatenna !

AdLib : I fixed it just for you!

PatsyT : The side bar works !

PatsyT : Hi Guys I can’t stay long but wanted to say a quick hi!

AdLib : There once was an oilman from Hell. Who offered to drill a deep well. He lobbied a bill, that caused a big spill, and for that was soon hired by Shell.

Blues Tiger : ok I’ll try the side bar

AdLib : While we’re waiting for folks to join us…a limerick.

AdLib : FYI – The sidebar entry works on all pages EXCEPT when you are on the Vox Populi page.

AdLib : What’s not working?

AdLib : Oh! How did I miss that?

Blues Tiger : it’s not working

AdLib : Oily to bed and oily to rise makes BP execs creepy, greedy and lie.

Blues Tiger : AdLib I know the joke thats why I said what. what is on second.. heh heh heh

AdLib : Slippery characters.

Blues Tiger : slimey subjects eh

AdLib : Welcome back! Your system firing on all cylinders now?

Blues Tiger : back

AdLib : Hmm…wonder if we’ll talk about oil or the GOP tonight…if there’s a difference and which creates bigger messes.

AdLib : Okay, see you in a moment!

AdLib : It’s an old Abbot and Costello bit. “The name of the player on first base is “Who”. So, Who’s on first?” “I don’t know.” No, “I Don’t Know” is on third. It’s kind of an old joke now.

Blues Tiger : I think I need to reboot

Blues Tiger : what?

AdLib : Heh! And who’s on first?

Blues Tiger : hi when you arrive..

AdLib : Vox Populi is starting shortly, please say “HI!” when you arrive!

AdLib : VOX POPULI BEGINS TONIGHT AT 7:00 PM PST! Use the sidebar or go to the Vox Populi page to discuss the week’s events by clicking this link: «link»