Still waiting

Residential solar power. Energy directly from the sun made and used off grid in your home - pretty cool. The average residential solar panel installation costs about $15,000 - $20,000 after government rebates and subsidies. A lot of money to invest upfront. But financing is available with repayment periods of 15-20 years allowing for monthly payments that are less than the average current electric bills. So why don't we see solar panels on every roof? Simple - technological growth is exponential, the systems are becoming obsolete every 3-5 years, long before they are paid off. Each generation of systems significantly cheaper and much more efficient than the preceding ones, producing more power for less money. So much so that hanging on to solar panels for the 15-20 years it takes to pay them off would be like hanging on to your PC that long.

What is needed is to be able to pay off the systems before they become obsolete while making payments no greater than current electric bills. Since the average household electric bill is about $150/month this translates into systems costing about $5000 - $6000 installed. Pay them off in 3-4 years, keep them 5 years, make a little money over what you would normally have to pay, and then upgrade.

An alternative may be to offer installations larger than needed for free. Companies would make money on a monthly fee that is less than current electric bills and on the sale of the excess electricity to the utility companies, the customer would never own anything.

One thing is for sure - as long as prices stay where they are the grid as we know it is safe and greenhouse gases, king.

The Best We Can Do?

Mitt Romney -  "The trees are just the right size in Michigan".

Rick Santorum - "The 2012 election is similar to the time between 1940 and 1941 when Americans didn’t act against Adolf Hitler".

Newt Gingrich - “The idea that a Congressman would be tainted by accepting money from private industry or private sources is essentially a socialist argument”. “You can’t trust anybody with power".

Ron Paul - "[It is the] destruction of civilization", on the end of apartheid in South Africa. "If you have ever been robbed by a black teen-aged male, you know how unbelievably fleet - footed they can be". "Order was only restored in L.A. when it came time for the blacks to pick up their welfare checks".

"One Useless Man is Called a Disgrace; Two are Called a Law Firm; Three or More Become a Congress", John Adams.

Where Medical Technology and Greed Meet

The Republican Party and some of the extremely wealthy in this country have declared full out war on the poor and middle class. They have attempted to gut the social net while protecting the wealthy - their tax breaks, the oil companies- their subsidies, the banks and Wall Street - their unbridled, unregulated greed.  With no end to their lust for ever more, they have been ever willing to destroy the lives of millions here in the US. Outside of this country they have been willing to take it even all the way to murder - hundreds of thousands have died and millions have had their lives ripped apart in their pursuit of wealth and power through war - these 'wars' serving at least in part to transfer wealth on a massive scale from the average American to them, while distracting and consolidating power along the way. They have been ever willing to destroy lives, even take life in their never-ending quest for more.

Now realize there is coming a day when scientists will unlock the secrets of aging and then think of their greed. The next great leap in medical care will center on learning to manipulate genetic machinery in each and every cell in our bodies. The cure for cancer, disease, deformity, and even aging, to soon follow. Yes, this will occur. But it will be expensive and if history teaches us anything those in power, those with the greatest greed will pull out all stops to keep it so and to control it. They will attempt to monopolize medical technology - guaranteeing extended life free of disease for themselves, while denying the masses, in their never ending pursuit of more - more money, more power, more control, better health and even more life. After-all not everyone can be given extended life will go their arguments. The wealthy being superior - deserve it - the poor do not.

They will no doubt think they will get away with parents having to watch their children die of disease for lack of money. They will no doubt believe at first that people will settle for watching the suffering and death of their loved ones while they, the wealthy, live on.  They will no doubt think it - and they will no doubt be amazed at the rage and wrath they will awaken in doing so.

It is in fact the only scenario where I can see the masses of this country rising up to violent revolt. Barring an entirely new paradigm in government and financial structure worldwide, this is likely to occur - twenty to thirty years from now. Greed, unbridled lethal greed, will stand in the way of the potential for immortality and in doing so will finally; finally have seen its day.

A Time Honored Tradition

Doctors white coats: 19th century costume 
perfectly designed to spread 21st century germs

Modern day scourge

1.0 The 24 hour news cycle
2.0 Right wing talk radio
3.0 Left wing talk radio
4.0 Carry on luggage
5.0 HR departments
6.0 'Smart' phones
7.0 TSA
8.0 Destination weddings
9.0 'Happy' meals
10.0 Corporate convenience
11.0 Blogs (Ancil Nance's addition to the list)