Comments by thethinker
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Posted on June 13 at 9:32 a.m.
I said: "Currently there is no viable substitution for the internal combustion engine fueled by gas or diesel."
AmyO said: In over 75% of what people do in their lives on a daily basis, there absolutely is.
Her ascertion is inaccurate. This is a rural area where people often work 25+ miles from home. There is no mass transit system. The only feasable way to get to work is via a car. Perhaps in Fargo/Moorhead more people could use mass transit or bike to where they need to go. Not here. Not in Ottertail, Becker, Wilkin, Grant, Douglas, Polk, Todd and several other nearby counties. You seem to think I believe the answer is to drill more oil. That is not true. The answer is to develope a more efficient, more available, less polluting, and cheaper fuel source to power the transportation needs of the world (maybe hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe). I reiterate, currently no such option exists. Oil is the only realistic option and it will eventually run out. In the mean time, while science looks for a better way, we need to acquire as much domestic oil as is possible. Drill off our coasts. Drill in ANWR. Start up the rigs in western ND. Whatever it takes we should be doing it so we are not reliant on crazies in Nigeria, Iran, Argentina, etc.
Posted on June 12 at 12:34 p.m.
AmyO - go ahead and TRY and grow all the food you need in your garden. Enjoy. Or should I say, you won't enjoy ANY of the following: avocados, pineapples, bananas, ANYTHING MADE FROM RUBBER, bamboo, water chestnuts, many types of beans and numerous other foods that just don't grow in this climate. Furthermore, I hope you enjoy salting or pickling your produce as it most likely won't do too well in January in MN. Of course, you could build a greenhouse - but wait! You will need to use electicity to keep it warm and using electric uses up, you guessed it: carbon based fuels like oil and gas. (Less than 10% of all electric comes comes from wind, solar, or other "clean" fuels).
Currently there is no viable substitution for the internal combustion engine fueled by gas or diesel. None. E85 is not an option as it actually costs MORE to produce a gallon of that than it does for gas. Everyone should try and conserve energy as much as possible (and, AmyO, I have driven less and used far less electricity, but my commute to work is 30 miles so a bike is well outside of the equation). If the USA had more home-drilled oil we would be less dependent upon foreign oil. There would be more available oil globally. Does this alleviate the need for gas? No. But until a new form of energy is created we are stuck with gas and diesel. That is a fact.
Posted on June 12 at 12:12 p.m.
How far? You're looking at it. If they finish at .500 the season can be considered success. Face facts: the AL Central is the weakest division in the AL.
Posted on June 11 at 10:36 a.m.
Someone above keeps saying Cars-R-Coffins...ride a bike...it must be pleasant to live in a fantasy world all day long. Allow me to state this obvious fact (not a fantasy): 95% or more of ALL GOODS in the USA travel via a diesel powered engine so they can arrive at your local stores/vendors for yours and my consumption. Hmmmmm.....tell the trucking industry to ride a bike. Ask the railroads to pull freight with those handcars. Fact: gasoline usage in the USA has dropped steadily since late last year. Fact: mass transit usage has risen steadily since mid 2007. Fact: diesel fuel usage has remained roughly the same (as has been the case for many years). Fact: the price of gasoline/diesel has risen beyond all historic proportion over the last 6 months. Speculators on global stocks have caused the majority of the price increase. If the USA were less dependent upon foreign oil-in other words, if we actually allowed our own companies to drill for oil in our own nation, we would not have such a big mess on our hands. Prices would still be higher but the govt could realistically affect them - within our borders. Ride a bike....lol....
Posted on June 10 at 12:37 p.m.
I blame the US Congress almost totally for the current oil situation. Mostly the democrats but several "liberal" republicans are also at fault. Explain to me why it is GOOD that no oil drilling, no oil refineries, and no new oil production has occurred on US soil for over 30 years? Why are the oil pumps 6 hours to our west sitting idle when the largest oil reserves in the continental US are sitting below them? Why are foreign nations drilling within 100+ miles of our own shores but US oil companies are forbidden to do so? Some of you want to blame Bush and the Iraq War; or blame SUV's and trucks; or blame the US gluttonous consumption of gas. No. Blame the last 30 years of Congressional blockage (due strongly to various conservation groups). Nobody disagrees that oil is not going to last forever - or that a better fuel source is necessary. But such a source is not currenlty feasable. The world depends on oil. We the People should DEMAND that Congress allows further drilling and developement of US based oil supplies to lessen the dependency on foreign oil. To do otherwise will only cause financial hardship as oil prices rise dramatically - oh wait....that's happening right now...
Posted on June 10 at 10:03 a.m.
Coleman in a landslide in November. The DFL needs to rethink what to wants to do in this state. For example: over riding the Governors VETO of the gas tax increase was a stupid move. Raise taxes during a recession? And on gas when gas prices are at a historic high? The DFL has no clue.
Posted on June 6 at 11:20 a.m.
Well this guy's an idiot but he is also creative. Perhaps that will come to good use over the next 200+ days while he sits and plays wist or hearts with other "clients" of the county.
Posted on June 3 at 11:04 a.m.
Mel is right....they all need to go....how about term limits for Congress???
Posted on June 2 at 2:50 p.m.
If the price of oil doesn't retreat significantly before winter returns (which seems like this week - nice weather), the entire globe will be in for some extremely hard times. I'm no economist but when I see people rioting over food in parts of the world, the UN having a huge meeting to discuss the food shortage, and the obvious fact that transportation costs have exploded, I can see a global depression on the horizon. Granted, I certainly was not around during the Great Depression. My grandparents were and they told me how tough it was to be alive back then. With the markets of the 190+ nations across the globe so extensively linked together, all it will take is for 1 or 2 big players (read: USA and China) to stumble and all the dominoes (countries) will topple. Not being apocalyptic here - I am just someone who pays very close attention to what is happening in the world and how the USA fits in that puzzle. Sure it stinks that we are paying $4/gallon...but did you see prices in other places? $9/gal to $12/gal in Europe?
Well ok, I'll step away from the podium now so someone else can talk. One last thing: support your LOCAL businesses. They are us.
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Posted on June 13 at 2:40 p.m.
Coleman will win easily. His record is very strong as working for MN. Top that off with an extremely poor choice from the Dems and you have a landslide victory in November. Thank God....Franken is a pathetic joke.
On Coleman record of helping people forgotten by Franken