bicyclemark

Hi Speed Stimulus

Not quite finished looking at the US Stimulus package since it encompasses so many programs and so much money.? The latest aspect I’ve been looking at and indeed Emmanuel brought up on Off the Wall last week is rail.

The stimulus package designated 8 billion US dollars to high speed rail development on a national level.? Which made me want to see where they hope to have high speed rail service within the country… NY times Map to the rescue:

Of course many of us have heard about the California line and the significant amount of money they’ve approved there to develop? a TGV from Sacramento to San Diego. But some of the corredors I never heard about include the San Antonio to Tulsa line, or the New Orleans to Atlanta corredor. Even St. Louis to Chicago sounds far fetched at this point.

According to the media analysis and the so-called expert analysis, none of this money is actually going to make it to any actual high speed rail projects, except for maybe in the case of California.? The rest of the money will help get existing rail functioning at a normal level, doing the most basic things like making sure switches work and regular trains can pass going a reasonably fast speed. (reasonable for a 30 year old train)

One other thing I never knew about mentioned in the NYTimes article reads as follows:

Voters in Florida passed a constitutional amendment requiring the state to build a high-speed rail system, only to repeal it a few years later after several prominent businesses, along with Jeb Bush, who was then the governor, complained of its expense.

Upcoming Subjects

Quick preview of what is to come here on this here site:

Pirate Bay vs. Hollywood – Currently the founders of the Pirate Bay including my friend Peter are in a Swedish court fighting it out against the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), they’re suing TPB for 100million dollars and accusing them of “promoting copyright infringement”. Just as when we spoke on this podcast around this time last year, Peter is confident that things will go fine as they haven’t violated Swedish law since they don’t host any files. We’ll hear from my correspondant Martin G in Stockholm who keeps a close eye on the media and will share with us how things look from within the country.

The Impact of the Banana – From societies, to politics, to corporate culture, to health and the environment, the banana trade has had an effect that perhaps the average person has never considered or been aware of. And that influence has not ceased to exist. I’ll speak with Mimi Sheller, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of SociologyContinue reading “Upcoming Subjects”

Mom Still Wants Panels

During my time in Portugal this month, my mother and I chatted about all kinds of issues of course.? Among them, the re-occuring discussion about how to make her roof back in New Jersey into a solar panel/film to produce energy for the house.? She spoke excitedly about a friend in central Jersey who apparently had her roof covered with a solar film and apparently the friend has a deal with the power company that whatever extra the house produces goes into the grid and she gets paid for it.

Despite this it still seems to far-fetched that my parents will have a solar film roof in this lifetime.? The costs associated seem to be astronomical. The programs that are supposed to help people afford such advancements are often full and people find themselves on waiting lists. Of course most of this reasoning is based on second hand info, I’d love to hear from someone directly as to how much it cost them and how well it works.

One thing Americans, and actually citizens anywhere could use.. is more help. Help in the form of bringing down the costs of solar technology for private homes. They spend trillions in Iraq and prisoners citizens of Fallujah now have biometric id cards and retnal scans, surely they can help American home owners afford solar panels.

And just as I say that we have the “Stimulus” package, which wouldn’t you know it – includes several provisions for green tech, clean tech, and alternative energy.? Among the points I think could make a difference for my parents and people like them:

Provides a total of $30 billion for such initiatives as a new, smart power grid, advanced battery technology, and energy efficiency measures, which will create nearly 500,000 jobs.

Provides $20 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency over the next 10 years.

Promotes energy-efficient investments in homes by extending and expanding tax credits through 2010 for purchases such as new furnaces, energy-efficient windows and doors, or insulation.

Includes clean renewable energy bonds for State and local governments.

Not quite as exciting once I start making bullet points. But still, economic problems, jobs, even if we put that to the side for a moment. In the fight for cleaner energy, lower emissions, and sustainable living… the stimulus at least tries to do more. Who knows, maybe it can help some people turn their houses solar. Right mom?

Complicated Cairo

I often listen to stories of other people’s visits to Cairo, Egypt.? A place famous for so many things, what always strikes me about how people describe Cairo, is the huge clash between traditional and modern, or what some would call, East and West. Naturally I’d like to learn more and go see it for myself one day soon.? But until then, the world of podcasting and radio provides me with lots of second hand experiences I can live through.

The latest comes from Australia’s ABC radio national, the program background briefing, which last week put out a show about Cairo and the modern versus the old fashioned and all the problems it has brought the city.? Highly recommended listening, I felt the journalist did a great job. Moreover I listen to this show and I think to myself, I’d like to be funded and be able to do similar; bringing my audience with me as I explore and look into the changes a place is undergoing.? Perhaps with my upcoming trip to Istanbul, I can do a little bit of this.

Bonus, follow the link to the Background Briefing post, they included great photos and video. Again, I’d love to do similar.

bmtv97 The Banana Book

The Banana Book, by Dan Koeppel, has arrived here at the politburo. The book that looks at the secrets and controversial history of the banana. How its farmed, how it finds its way to our kitchen, and more.

Also I mention another book I just picked up, and a little on the new camera I traded-up for, the very affordable Kodak Zi6.

I’m not embedding the player on this post, just use the player at the top right of the blog or click on the direct link icon.

100 Years and More

I found myself towards the back of the crowd, almost unable to see the gravedigger doing his work and the people laying down Revolutionary-Red carnations.

There in the cemetary that seemed to be located on top of the world, I scanned the traditional marble slab graves all around me.? Buried immediately in front of me, complete with the traditional brown and white fade-proof photo, is an old woman with the first name Liberia.? The dates on the grave read: 1896 to 2004.? I started looking towards the next grave but it suddenly hit me and my eyes zoomed immediately on that date again.. 1896.. . 2004. 108 years, right there in front of me. Amazing.