Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

[Random]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

The answer is yes. The bailout was promoted as restoring consumer confidence in the financial markets that would result in a stronger Stock Market. So far, that's not working. The reason it is not working is that foreign nations do not have confidence that this bailout is going to work. The proponents of the bailout forgot to figure in that part of the equation.

Meh. They'll come around.

[Random]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

I've heard, but can't cite right now, that people object to to the look of wind farms; that they're a blight on our landscape. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Some believe the white windmills distract from our scenic landscape that we're proud of. But to "camouflage" it would also present a hazard to flying birds.

I don't mind. Perhaps in the future there will be better ways to capture wind as energy resource that can be visually appealing, but for now, I want a wind farm (preferably for my own island's use).

[Random]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

Has the idea of establishing a wind generating farm on Koho'olawe ever been discussed? The island is uninhabited. It is owned by the governement. It is 7 miles from the nearest island, Maui. It could supply enough power for the whole state of Hawai'i.

You'll have to ask the Native Hawaiians, who have other pre-existing design for Kaho'olawe.

Hawai'i is a natural for electric vehicles because of the small distances traveled. Electric vehicles can now get up to about 250 miles per charge and technology is improving on a daily basis.

Where would I get such a car and at such an affordable price ... now?

[tutusue]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

Some believe the white windmills distract from our scenic landscape that we're proud of. But to "camouflage" it would also present a hazard to flying birds.

I don't mind. Perhaps in the future there will be better ways to capture wind as energy resource that can be visually appealing, but for now, I want a wind farm (preferably for my own island's use).

I remember when solar panels on roofs were considered sightly. Now I don't even notice them. While I'd prefer an out of sight solution to the wind farm issue, at this point I, like you, wouldn't mind a view of a wind farm. My Makaha condo has a beautiful view of the Waianae range. I wouldn't object to that view including a wind farm.

[Random]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

I remember when solar panels on roofs were considered sightly. Now I don't even notice them. While I'd prefer an out of sight solution to the wind farm issue, at this point I, like you, wouldn't mind a view of a wind farm. My Makaha condo has a beautiful view of the Waianae range. I wouldn't object to that view including a wind farm.

I remembered being a futurist at a very young age (being spoiled by Star Trek) so solar panel is a welcoming sight to me.

I would love to have a personal windmill to power my own household. I like the old western windmill that is a staple of every US [Midwest] farms, though its only function at the time were to help pump water from a deep well, IIRC.

[Kalalau]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

Senator Gramm was able to exploit a fatal flaw of our legislative branch. He inserted his amendment when he knew there would be no time for it to be read and its implication of prohibiting regulation understood. Had there been a rule requiring that legislation the Congress votes on actually be read, it is highly unlikely that this disaster could have happened. It seems absurd that thousands of pages of bills and acts and amendments with actual legal force are enacted without having been read. This is indeed a fatal flaw of our system and it has come back to haunt us big time. Of course Gramm should be prosecuted, so should the Wall Street lawyers who wrote the deregulation act that he snuck in, I believe it was into an omnibus funding bill. The Congress should immediately adopt rules that prohibit such tactics. If it means hiring staff to actually read the legislation Congress will be voting on, that could only be considered money well spent.

[matapule]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

You'll have to ask the Native Hawaiians, who have other pre-existing design for Kaho'olawe.

You underestimate 100% polynesian Hawaiians, which is my definition of "native Hawaiian." Everyone else is an interloper.

Where would I get such a car and at such an affordable price ... now?

Where is your vision? Where is your inspiration? Think outside the box, man! The future needs people with imagination. If we can put a man on the moon within three years of starting the project, then we can design, and build, and produce a car within 3 years that will get 250 miles or more on a charge at top speed of 50mph and cost $15K to $20K and with a 10 year warranty on the batteries. This would be easy to do if the government got behind the project.....but of course the oil companies (and Alaska) would be opposed unless they had a big chunk of the pie.

Are you going to lead or follow? If neither, then get out of the way.

[Vanguard]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

Where is your vision? Where is your inspiration? Think outside the box, man! The future needs people with imagination. If we can put a man on the moon within three years of starting the project, then we can design, and build, and produce a car within 3 years that will get 250 miles or more on a charge at top speed of 50mph and cost $15K to $20K and with a 10 year warranty on the batteries. This would be easy to do if the government got behind the project.....but of course the oil companies (and Alaska) would be opposed unless they had a big chunk of the pie.

The future is now.

I'd like to see if this gets a chance to take off. Either they get forced out by the big three (if everything that George Lucas says is canon) or we get to see another one of those sleek electric/hybrid cars from a big auto company at a trade show "Oh hey, look at our electric/hybrid car! But uh no, we're not gonna sell this to American customers because it wouldn't sell."

[MyopicJoe]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

Here's an interesting article about GE (whose financial future is supposedly many times more important than AIG's). Written by Geoffrey Colvin and Katie Benner:

When Warren Buffett went to bed at his Omaha home on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 30, he asked his wife, Astrid, to wake him in the morning at 6:55 a.m. He had an important call coming in. By 7:30 the call was over. Buffett walked into the kitchen, still wearing an old robe he likes, and announced to a breakfast visitor that he had agreed to send General Electric $3 billion of Berkshire Hathaway money in return for a new issue of preferred stock and warrants allowing Berkshire to buy an equal amount of common stock over the next five years.It was the beginning of one of the more dramatic days in GE's 130-year history.

[matapule]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

The future is now.

Thanks, Vanguard, I have a deposit on an Aptera. Do you think it might turn some heads on the highways of O'ahu? But the price really needs to come down to hit the bullseye. But I am willing to prime the pump to get some of these babies on the road. These are inspirational guys thinking outside the box. Take a look at the Tesla too. Very expensive but we are getting closer each year.

[Random]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

Where is your vision? Where is your inspiration?

It's there. The money's not.

Think outside the box, man! The future needs people with imagination. If we can put a man on the moon within three years of starting the project, then we can design, and build, and produce a car within 3 years that will get 250 miles or more on a charge at top speed of 50mph and cost $15K to $20K and with a 10 year warranty on the batteries.

Heh. Even NASA needs money to research and develop rocket. They also need Nazi German scientists.

[Vanguard]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

Thanks, Vanguard, I have a deposit on an Aptera. Do you think it might turn some heads on the highways of O'ahu? But the price really needs to come down to hit the bullseye. But I am willing to prime the pump to get some of these babies on the road. These are inspirational guys thinking outside the box. Take a look at the Tesla too. Very expensive but we are getting closer each year.

You're quite welcome, Matapule! Did you arrange this deposit after I linked it? If so, I really hope it's as good as they say it is (now I'm nervous! ). Plus you'd have to wait for them to have maintenance opportunities in Hawai'i.

[timkona]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

Electric Car. Less than $10k. Goes pretty far. Even in the rain. http://www.gemcar.com/

How often can you actually go over 25-30 mph in this crazy traffic?

[Vanguard]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

Anti-democratic nature of US capitalism is being exposed: "The United States effectively has a one-party system, the business party, with two factions, Republicans and Democrats."

[matapule]

Re: Unsettled Economy & The Bailout

Did you arrange this deposit after I linked it?

No, I've had a deposit for about 2 months now.

Plus you'd have to wait for them to have maintenance opportunities in Hawai'i.

I do my own maintenance. I see a business opportunity for Hawai'i in the future.