Wednesday, March 28, 2012

What's wrong with Smart Meters


The purpose of the "smart meter" idea is to stabilize demand, and attempt to allow all power plants to run at close to capacity all the time, since plants are expensive to build, and the owners hate to see them idle.

The "smart" strategy, to achieve this goal, is to price electricity by the minute rather than by the month: have a rate plan under which the price of electricity goes up as demand goes up, and goes down as demand goes down. A rising price will tend shed demand and reduce peaking, while falling prices will tend to attract load and fill the valleys: crate a rate plan that enough customers will subscribe to to help match demand to the supply.

The customer modifies his usage in accordance with the minute-by-minute rate in his rate plan. One rate plan may be based on historical demand, and the customer may only need to avoid known peak periods. Another plan may set the price according to real-time demand. No one will know the rates in advance. These customers may use their computers to regulate their electric use.

For either type of rate plan, the meter needs to keep track of actual usage each minute, but that's all.

The example often given with the "smart meter" presentation is that the electric company can turn off your electric water heater during peak demand, and "you will never even notice". This assumes that you have an electric hot water heater, which you don't. Possibly there will be a program to get everyone to use electric hot water heaters...
This is what is wrong with smart meters.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Arab Spring: You're next, Assad


Kids were saying that in school last March, "You're next Assad",
the mindless ones were. The teachers were agast.
When they went outside, they wrote it on the walls. Hahaha.
Somehow Bashar found out.
He arrested some kids, and pulled out their fingernails.
This bothered the parents.They wanted their kids back.
He didn't want to give them back. He shot some parents.
Then things began to go downhill.
------
He said "Children? Forget you have children."
Go home and make more.
Call us if you need help.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Freedom is not free

If you are poor, you cannot afford it. But in the works: freedom stamps.

Monday, March 19, 2012

the whole truth, so help me God


I am not so worried about people who do not believe in God,
as I am about people who do not believe in truth, in reality.
Who say - let's be practical.

The culture of poverty

They have only themselves to blame;
they have only themselves.
To blame.
If you give them a marshmello, do they not eat it?
The poor are different. Not really human. Not really.
And they are wrecking it for everyone.
If there were no poor, we could all be rich.

Self possessed


Rid of delusion.
Except covered in gold. Somewhat toxic. Questionable choice.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Occupy Buffalo - Winter 2012


A nice winter day for the Buffalo.

A photo from the old days. Familiar?

Monday, March 12, 2012

Omagh


August 15, 1998 14:50 BST
A few minutes before the bomb, in the car there,
goes off. Looks like plenty of parking.

Stepford Wife


Glenn Greenwald on Fran Townsend. Salon.
This time you've gone too far.

And the Mau Mau?

War as a last resort

Force is a last resort only if it fixes the problem, if it is the final solution. Otherwise you have to try something else.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

What does Rick Santorum have

that Noam Chomsky does not have?
I'm asking.

The Green Economy


Lettuce join.

Friday, March 09, 2012

Democracy Now


Is there Democracy in the dark?
Say you don't know what is behind each door.
Or you know it's a box, but not what's in the box.

The new checks and balances


Where merchants rule, freedom is free trade,
and sanctity is the sanctity of contract.

Killing innocent women and children


And men. Don't forget killing innocent men.

The War on Drugs


Smuggler, president

Thursday, March 08, 2012

Friday, March 02, 2012

Jessica Radack and other heroes


Dave Lindorf
Jane Mayer
Bradley Manning
Julian Assange
John Kiriakou
Thomas Drake, pictured
Ray McGovern
Daniel Ellsberg
Sibel Edmonds
Coleen Rowley
Julie Sirrs
*