Tracking Earth's Future via Current Events, etc.

[aretood2]

Not true. If they perceive there may be a market for a new item, they will do the research. Pharmaceutical companies do it all the time to develop new drugs.
Take LED's for example. Electricity costs money. If I can invent a light bulb which uses 1/10th or less of the electricity that incandescent do, and works as well as incandescents do, I'm pretty sure I can sell them.

But that's not what happened. That's the exact opposite of what happened. It was government action that forced companies to invest in LED. That kinda defeats your point, doesn't it?

On big reason our inet/telcom is poor is the age of the infrastructure; this place has been wired a lot longer than other parts of the world, where the infrastructure has just been installed.
But on this one topic, I don't think it should be in the private sector. Inet/telcom ought to be a very heavily regulated utility, like electric was before the era of mass deregulation.

In some parts of the US? Sure. But if you really read into it, it has more to do with telecoms hiking prices and not bothering to offer acceptable speeds because there's little need for it (no competition). Part of my statement was also related to customer service. Internet will get slower than the rest of the world

Everything has already been invented? That's a weak argument.

It would be a weak argument, if anyone actually made it. Is this what you are devolving to? Strawman arguments and ignoring the points you quote?

[Chaka-Z0]

Not only the US gets ripped off, America as a whole does. We sure as hell do here in Canada too, for stuff such as beer or TV or Cellphones. 1$ for a glass of beer in Italy, here it's 7-10$ in a bar. Hell we still pay about 60$ monthly for a basic cell plan with 1-3 GO of data. Europeans have like 5 times this for half the price. Our beer is overpriced, our cars are overpriced, it is simply the way it is and always been. Acura was created for NA market only, so was Lexus or many others. I saved so much money buying Honda Accords parts for my old 97 Acura TL. It's literally the same car, with a couple minor changes, and slapped a price tag that is 1.5 times the car's worth.

[Annoyed]

But that's not what happened. That's the exact opposite of what happened. It was government action that forced companies to invest in LED. That kinda defeats your point, doesn't it?

The govt. mandated that incandescents were no longer legally sold here, but they did it about 20 years too early. At the time, LED's were in the pipe, but not yet ready for prime time. The only thing available at the time was the horrid & environmentally hazardous CFL lighting.

The market would have naturally gone from the high energy use/cost incandescent bulbs to the energy efficient and equally importantly, acceptable quality LED bulbs within 20 or so years on its own.
How much Mercury is gonna end up in landfills because the powers that be were too stupid to be patient?

In some parts of the US? Sure. But if you really read into it, it has more to do with telecoms hiking prices and not bothering to offer acceptable speeds because there's little need for it (no competition). Part of my statement was also related to customer service. Internet will get slower than the rest of the world

That's why I said that telco should be provided by a heavily regulated private company who holds a legal monopoly in that market. This was how telco & power were handled before the era of mass deregulation. It wasn't as cheap. but it was mostly reliable with few headaches outside of service outages due to weather.

In general, business competition is best, but one of the competing points is price. Cost. should not play a great consideration is some things such as power, water, communications or airline travel.

It would be a weak argument, if anyone actually made it. Is this what you are devolving to? Strawman arguments and ignoring the points you quote?

Eh? You were the one who said something about wheels being easier to invent than Fusion.

[aretood2]

The govt. mandated that incandescents were no longer legally sold here, but they did it about 20 years too early. At the time, LED's were in the pipe, but not yet ready for prime time. The only thing available at the time was the horrid & environmentally hazardous CFL lighting.

The market would have naturally gone from the high energy use/cost incandescent bulbs to the energy efficient and equally importantly, acceptable quality LED bulbs within 20 or so years on its own.
How much Mercury is gonna end up in landfills because the powers that be were too stupid to be patient?

So your major hang up is the Mercury? Innovation is not a linear process that just happens. Something causes it to happen. Not everything devolves to a group of greedy board members deciding how to make a bigger buck.

That's why I said that telco should be provided by a heavily regulated private company who holds a legal monopoly in that market. This was how telco & power were handled before the era of mass deregulation. It wasn't as cheap. but it was mostly reliable with few headaches outside of service outages due to weather.

In general, business competition is best, but one of the competing points is price. Cost. should not play a great consideration is some things such as power, water, communications or airline travel.

Eh? You were the one who said something about wheels being easier to invent than Fusion.

Are you seriously arguing that eventing the wheel is the same level of difficulty as reliable cold fusion? Wow...just...wow...

[Annoyed]

So your major hang up is the Mercury? Innovation is not a linear process that just happens. Something causes it to happen. Not everything devolves to a group of greedy board members deciding how to make a bigger buck.

No, my major hangup is that by being impatient, they screwed up

Just as they did 30 years ago when they pushed us all into plastic grocery bags, rather than paper bags. They didn't bother to think that paper bags rot in 6 months, while plastic bags last for many years and can easily kill critters that come in contact with them.

They just don't freakin' think. The enviro crowd tries to legislate (or more often as of late use the courts) their pipe dreams into reality without thinking things through as to the practical matters.

Are you seriously arguing that eventing the wheel is the same level of difficulty as reliable cold fusion? Wow...just...wow...

Not in the least. But we are starting from somewhat higher on the ladder than the guy who invented the wheel did. Invention is still possible.

[aretood2]

No, my major hangup is that by being impatient, they screwed up

Just as they did 30 years ago when they pushed us all into plastic grocery bags, rather than paper bags. They didn't bother to think that paper bags rot in 6 months, while plastic bags last for many years and can easily kill critters that come in contact with them.

They just don't freakin' think. The enviro crowd tries to legislate (or more often as of late use the courts) their pipe dreams into reality without thinking things through as to the practical matters.

You don't understand. I meant that if that's your hang up your issue isn't really government regulation, it's just the alleged stupidity of those involved...or the lack of hindsight...

Not in the least. But we are starting from somewhat higher on the ladder than the guy who invented the wheel did. Invention is still possible.

When did I say it wasn't? All I said is that our inventions are more complex and require more than some lightbulb going off in someone's head. To invent today, you need large amounts of resources and personnel. It only took one guy to figure out that pottery wheels could be used for transportation. It's been taking dozens of scientists working on the backs of geniuses since Einstein's time, millions and millions of dollars and we still don't have cold fusion. It took a national effort to develop the technology to send men into space and to the moon. No one person or small organization, not even a company, could have done that. The billion dollar budgets could only be approved in the aurora of the Cold War, that "necessity" beyond simple financial foresight. Sure, in hindsight LED is a great idea...but hindsight is 20/20 vision.

[Annoyed]

You don't understand. I meant that if that's your hang up your issue isn't really government regulation, it's just the alleged stupidity of those involved...or the lack of hindsight...




When did I say it wasn't? All I said is that our inventions are more complex and require more than some lightbulb going off in someone's head. To invent today, you need large amounts of resources and personnel. It only took one guy to figure out that pottery wheels could be used for transportation. It's been taking dozens of scientists working on the backs of geniuses since Einstein's time, millions and millions of dollars and we still don't have cold fusion. It took a national effort to develop the technology to send men into space and to the moon. No one person or small organization, not even a company, could have done that. The billion dollar budgets could only be approved in the aurora of the Cold War, that "necessity" beyond simple financial foresight. Sure, in hindsight LED is a great idea...but hindsight is 20/20 vision.

You neglect the "holy shiznit" factor. Many inventions have been made by random thoughts in people's minds. Or as you put it, "the light bulb going on". There is nothing preventing that from happening today, in any field.

No one is likely to have an earth shaking revolution about the wheel, but who knows what might pass across someone's mind regarding more complex problems?

[jelgate]

You missed aretood's point to make a random generalization

[Chaka-Z0]

I don't agree that you necessarily need large amount of personnel/resources to invent life-changing products. Most high-budget science ventures are privately funded, for the benefit of businesses. Product improvement, new avenues, etc.

It takes only one guy in his basement, or one scientist, physicist, freethinker with decent funding to have an Eureka. You don't need to work for Umbrella Corp, you can have access to a decent budget working as a professor in an University.

Most of them let their assistant/attaché teach, while they study and research.

[SGalisa]

Human waste ---- environmental issue!

(NOTE: website to article/link may require or request subscription?)

"Yosemite a 'free-for-all' as trash, waste pile up during government shutdown"
By The Associated Press,
PUBLISHED: December 31, 2018 at 4:07 pm, UPDATED: January 1, 2019 at 7:32 am
By Ellen Knickmeyer and Jocelyn Gecker; Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Human feces, overflowing garbage, illegal off-roading and other damaging behavior in fragile areas were beginning to overwhelm some of the West's iconic national parks on Monday, as a partial government shutdown left the areas open to visitors but with little staff on duty.

"It's a free-for-all," Dakota Snider, 24, who lives and works in Yosemite Valley, said by telephone Monday, as Yosemite National Park officials announced closings of some minimally supervised campgrounds and public areas within the park that are overwhelmed.

"It's so heartbreaking. There is more trash and human waste and disregard for the rules than I’ve seen in my four years living here," Snider said.

The 10th day of the partial federal government shutdown, which has forced furloughs of hundreds of thousands of federal government employees, has left many parks without most of the rangers and others who staff campgrounds and otherwise keep parks running.
. . .

That's disgusting and there's NO excuse for this. People can use bags to put their solid poop waste in and properly dispose of it when they get home (if necessary put a plastic bag into another ZIPLOC bag to keep smell away!)... just like town folks have to pick up after their dog's poop sessions... Unless a person is homeless and lacks income to shop for poopy baggies, Not difficult to do at all. People are just (being) lazy AND in this "parks" case -- utterly disgusting.

As for the noisy *behaviors* ---- people CAN curb their emotional / attitude "appetites" as well, but obviously have displayed that they won't do that... to be considerate to other people. Nevermind, about the effects of what types of filth left behind and lack of noise control does to the animal life out there, too. Total disregard for peaceful living of others (all living creatures) within the area. Anything goes FREE-for-ALL seems to describe this to the extreme. Little to no supervision, and the *barbarians* let loose their worst behaviors and habits. ...

Previews seem to be on full display there of *Signs of the times* yet to come in thousands of mega-doses magnifold!

Some of the reader's comments after the article seemed/were Spot-On target! (California is full of Democrats--with an *anything goes* attitudes, anyway, so, it makes sense.) ugh...!

[SGalisa]

In other idiot news... California governing mayor wants to start up the "Green New Deal" NOW and enforce/*force* it on everyone in his Los Angeles (California) area. For details, please read full article at link below. (Highlighted color/bold fonts mine.)

"Eric Garcetti Declares 'Green New Deal' in L.A., Cancels Natural Gas Plants; Officials Doubt 'Keeping the Lights On'"
by Joel B. Pollak
11 Feb 2019

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared Monday that the city would abandon plans to rebuild three natural gas power plants, despite concerns that the city could face acute power shortages as a result.

Instead, the city will look for energy from renewable sources, including wind and solar, he decided.

"This is the Green New Deal ... Not in concept, not in the future, but now," Garcetti said, as quoted by the Los Angeles Times.
. . .
Environmentalists are also opposed to using one of those renewable sources, hydroelectric power, because of concerns about environmental damage caused by dams.

California has a law already in place mandating a shift to 100% renewable sources — but by 2045, not 2030. It is not clear how the state will achieve that goal.

In his comments, Garcetti slammed natural gas as an energy source: "[N]ow is the time to start the beginning of the end of natural gas."
. . .

OMG! As if revolving blackouts now aren't bad enough. Push ALL *green* stuff on people... ditch the current transportation systems --- WALK folks ...or Peddle-Drive a Fred Flintstone wagon with your own feet.

These *progressive* folks are forgetting that (storage) batteries are composed of precious minerals too... some which are limited in earth's resources. There won't be enough of those to support the entire nation, let alone the whole planet! duh...!

Once again... gotta love reading some of the reader's comments after the end of the article.

I know about there being a solar plant somewhere in the desert over there near or in California. Not sure what city or regional area it controls. But that is desert -- where the sun shines a lot and doesn't rain much. Where the energy gets piped into a grid, I don't know. But it is a very large field of (what looks like) mirrors that are angled at various degrees in a circular field, so the sun can pour its life-giving sustenance into those solar unit absorbers at each daylight hour. That system won't work in cloudy and rainy/snowy zones.

Even the "Opportunity" rover on Mars finally gave up its energy *ghost* on its renewable source/solar power, because it is apparently heavily covered in dust with no one to care for it (dust it of to keep it moving... working...). So, just imagine such solar power supplies getting corroded on earth by bird poop and dust, etc. Been thru these conversations before...
but certain (progressive?) politicians WANT this sounds too good to be true *GREEN New DEAL* now! Just heard this week that even USA's NY state AND NYC is starting to jump on that same do-it-NOW wagon, without any supporting back-up power-train attached.

[Annoyed]

In other idiot news... California governing mayor wants to start up the "Green New Deal" NOW and enforce/*force* it on everyone in his Los Angeles (California) area. For details, please read full article at link below. (Highlighted color/bold fonts mine.)



OMG! As if revolving blackouts now aren't bad enough. Push ALL *green* stuff on people... ditch the current transportation systems --- WALK folks ...or Peddle-Drive a Fred Flintstone wagon with your own feet.

These *progressive* folks are forgetting that (storage) batteries are composed of precious minerals too... some which are limited in earth's resources. There won't be enough of those to support the entire nation, let alone the whole planet! duh...!

Once again... gotta love reading some of the reader's comments after the end of the article.

I know about there being a solar plant somewhere in the desert over there near or in California. Not sure what city or regional area it controls. But that is desert -- where the sun shines a lot and doesn't rain much. Where the energy gets piped into a grid, I don't know. But it is a very large field of (what looks like) mirrors that are angled at various degrees in a circular field, so the sun can pour its life-giving sustenance into those solar unit absorbers at each daylight hour. That system won't work in cloudy and rainy/snowy zones.

Even the "Opportunity" rover on Mars finally gave up its energy *ghost* on its renewable source/solar power, because it is apparently heavily covered in dust with no one to care for it (dust it of to keep it moving... working...). So, just imagine such solar power supplies getting corroded on earth by bird poop and dust, etc. Been thru these conversations before...
but certain (progressive?) politicians WANT this sounds too good to be true *GREEN New DEAL* now! Just heard this week that even USA's NY state AND NYC is starting to jump on that same do-it-NOW wagon, without any supporting back-up power-train attached.

There is a reason I refer to Ocasio-Cortez as a Kindergartner. She the political equivalent of a 5 year old, screaming "I want" and stomping her feet and threatening to hold her breath till she gets what she wants. She just doesn't understand how things work.

But, she might end up being good for the country anyway. If the Democrats can't shut her up, she's likely to push the country back into the arms of the Republicans in 2020.

Oh, and since when has California ever displayed any common sense whatsoever? Last thing I can think of was Proposition 13 which limited the states ability to levy taxes back in the 1970's or thereabouts.

[jelgate]

There is a reason I refer to Ocasio-Cortez as a Kindergartner. She the political equivalent of a 5 year old, screaming "I want" and stomping her feet and threatening to hold her breath till she gets what she wants. She just doesn't understand how things work.

But, she might end up being good for the country anyway. If the Democrats can't shut her up, she's likely to push the country back into the arms of the Republicans in 2020.

Oh, and since when has California ever displayed any common sense whatsoever? Last thing I can think of was Proposition 13 which limited the states ability to levy taxes back in the 1970's or thereabouts.

You just described Trump.

[aretood2]

You just described Trump.

And at least AOC doesn't use the Constitution for toilet paper.

[Gatefan1976]

And at least AOC doesn't use the Constitution for toilet paper.

Toilet paper is a great 'murrican invention, why are you against toilet paper you socialist scum!!