Louis Rukeyser, RIP.

The founding father of television financial news, Lou succumbed to multiple myeloma this week. He will be sorely missed, a man of scintillating intellect, dry wit, and panache' that mesmerized one about markets, finance, and the economy. CNBC is doing a wonderful rememberance on him, hosted by one of his TV progeny, Maria Bartaromo.

PBS was literally put on the map by Lou. And they're hardly remembering him.

Energy Arithmetic I.

The US uses 140 billion gallons of gasoline per year. If 10% of this amount is displaced by ethanol, our yearly ethanol production would need to be at least 14 billion gallons per year. Our present ethanol production capacity is about 3.5 billion gallons per year! From an earlier discussion, an E85 fuel would require 8.5 times this production. Is large-scale ethanol replacement of gasoline possible?

Lou Dobbs finds the ANSWER.

CNN's Lou Dobbs has been out front on the illegal alien issue for years, and now he appears to be the lone voice among the Mainstream Meatpackers to recognize the tentacles of the neo-Stalinist group ANSWER grabbing control of the protests supporting amnesty for illegal aliens.

No Cheap Answers?

The Instapundit cited a Popular Mechanics article about alternative fuels, and here is the breakdown in monetary and energy costs for a car to drive coast to coast on these fuels.
Note that the energy content of each of these fuels varies as well, contributing to total costs:

1. Gasoline: 91 gallons required, 4.5 barrels of crude oil required, $270 in fuel
2. 85% Ethanol + 15% Gasoline: 176 gallons, one-half barrel of oil + 53 bushels of corn, $425
3. 85% Methanol + 15 Gasoline: 214 gallons, one-half barrel of oil + 18Kcf of natural gas, $619
4. B100 Biodiesel: 68 gallons, 80 gallons of vegetable oil, $231 (B5 is routinely used)
5. Compressed Natural Gas: 88 effective gasoline gallons, 11Kcf of natural gas, $110
6. Electricity: 16 effective gasoline gallons, 1 ton of coal, $60
7. Hydrogen: 73 effective gasoline gallons, 16Kcf of Hydrogen, $800

Using this data alone, it appears ethanol is not the wonder fuel that some are hyping, while biodiesel and electricity look promising. Licensing more nuclear power plants may help offset the growing costs of electricity generation from coal. We at Deadrifts have lived downwind from a food processing plant with fumes of burning vegetable oil, and the smell makes one yearn for a whiff from the exhaust of a '67 GTO.

The Mayday Shakedown.

It was a masterful exhibition of controlling the vocabulary of a debate, as the Hard Left perverted the issue of illegal foreign workers into an imaginary attack on legal immigrants. The ANSWER Bolsheviks joined in "solidarity" with "immigrants rights" groups - and we wonder what these groups thought was their common cause with ANSWER's notorious anti-American, anti-Israeli, and anti-captialist agitations?

(image courtesy Flyfishing Gear Info)

Opening Day Diary, 2006.

Last Saturday's trout opener in Grayling featured clear skies, fresh breezes, moderate air and water temperatures, plenty of Black Caddis and Hendricksons, but surprisingly few fish. I was skunked (Ye Gods!) on Saturday on the Manistee, but on Sunday the North Branch of the Ausable River yielded plenty of small feisty brookies (by swinging a Pheasant Tail). Later in the day a fine 11" brown snapped up a Hendrickson dry on the Holy Water. A fine opener, with great fishing, beautiful scenery, and convivial companionship.

Cramer rates Couric a Sell.

Tim Russert was looking for supportive righteous indignation when he asked Jim Cramer about the obscene, criminal, rapacious, and predatory gasoline pricing by ExxonMobil. But Cramer didn't take the bait:

MR. RUSSERT: ...and do you believe the oil companies have been adding on a little bit extra profit?

MR. CRAMER: I, I think if they could drill they would drill. If they could refine more, they would. These are companies that are run for the shareholders, but they’re run to be able to produce as much oil as we can possibly use. They want to do that. Lee Raymond, he, he generated $67 billion in profits for his shareholders. I think that that’s a reasonable return, $144,000 a day. Katie Couric makes $85,000 a day. What value has she created vs. 67 billion by Lee Raymond?

MR. RUSSERT: Well, to the “Today” show and to the millions of viewers?

Let's analyze Tim's last question: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!

Evil By Any Other Name Reeks the Same.

About 75 Nazis crawled out from their rocks for a hate-fete' at the state capitol, and there's been a big stink about it. As there should be (remember Woody Allen's reaction to using sarcasm against Nazis?). Then there are these guys (as reported by LGF) , that for some strange reason the Mainstream Meatpackers just can't get as worked up about.

Another Oil-Financed Turnaround.

Brazil has announced its energy independence, and is rakin' in the dough, courtesy of petroleum. Better than any handout from the World Bank or the IMF.


Rush as Press Secretary?

Scrappleface has the story!

Chasin' that Demon in the Thin Air.

Scott Crossfield, test pilot extraordinare and one of the fastest men alive, has died in the crash of the plane he was flying.


Leviathan's Tenacles on Free Speech.

George Will observes that the McCain-Feingold Law is expanding its reach in supressing free political speech.


Ethanol's Unintended Consequences.

Ethanol is being touted as the snake-oil to cure our petroleum ills, but of course it isn't mentioned that (i) it costs a good deal of oil energy to produce and distribute it, (ii) the logistics of blending it with gasoline are a real headache, causing supply disruptions, and increased prices. This NYT article explains some of these problems.


Forty Cents on the Dollar.

Nigeria is paying off its $30 billion debt - well $12 billion of it. But, as Jim Cramer would say, it's better than a sharp stick in the eye. And it's made possible by petroleum revenues, with the help of Big Oil.


Hillary's Tax Visions.

Remember Hillary's "get used to higher taxes" speech in SF a few years back? Larry Kudlow reports that she's at it again.

We Apologize That You're Totalitarians.

Red China's President Hu Jintao, after his gala reception at the Republic of Microsoft, got around to visiting the regional leaders of North America, like George W. Bush. During Hu's completely pointless remarks on the White House lawn, a dissident pleaded with W to encourage his Excellency to stop persecuting his fellow citizens. W later apologized to Hu for the shocking lack of decorum and politeness the heckler demonstrated toward the leader of the world's preeminent totalitarian nation, and expressed his hope that this incident would not spoil Red China's appetite for US Government Bonds and T-Bills.


Prepare to Board the Ether, Mateys!

The FCC has asked Johnny Danger to cease operations of his popular pirate radio station based in Depot Town, Ypsilanti. What a shame - Johnny gave the locals 100 flea-bitten watts of pure listening pleasure. You know, radio that people really liked:

"It was the best thing that ever happened to Depot Town. ... Everybody loved it,'' said Linda French, owner of Sidetrack restaurant. "Part of the fun was trying to figure out where it was being broadcast from. It wasn't like they were interfering with anybody.''

...Depot Town Radio played a wide variety of music, from country and standards to Motown and patriotic songs. It also included coverage of Depot Town-specific events...

(Excerpt from AA News article linked above)

Imagine that: a public-oriented radio station serving the local community. Without a several million dollar budget, nor with station personnel indicted for embezzlment and kickbacks.

Please, FCC, bring back low-power community radio.

Aye, Jim, I spy a safe anchor for Johnny!

Discard the China Card.

Jay Nordlinger of National Review talked with Bill Bennett this morning, reminding us of the abuse of human rights in Red China so that we can get cheap cute "Simpsons" slippers.


Meaning What We Say.

The AP (via WaPo) reports that Iran would upgrade the centrifuges of its nuclear program so that enriched uranium will be produced rapidly in large quantities - making an Iranian bomb truly possible.

When the world superpowers took the first steps toward nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, they surely must have contemplated the possibility that some rogue state would ignore all calls by the civilized world to cease and desist from building a bomb. What did they conclude that civilization would have to do in such a circumstance?


It's Leviathan's Suppertime.

Yes, it's Tax Day. Here's to the Procrastinators - Huzzah! Depicted by the Mainstream Meatpackers as boobs or delinquents, Deaddrifts salutes their steadfast resolve. As with Crockett, Travis, and Bowie, they hold back overpowering forces as long as humanly possible, contributing in some small and symbolic, but not insignificant way in slowing the juggernaut of the ever growing, consuming State.

Christus Resurrexit!

Matthew 28:1-10

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he[a] lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."

Have a Blessed Easter!

Consummatum Est.

John 19:17-30

So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but rather, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, "They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."

So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

The Death of Jesus After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst." A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Mandatum Novum Do Vobis.

John 13:34-35

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Amen.

Open Arms.

At Deaddrifts we believe - fiercely - in legal immigration. To believe otherwise is, well, anti American. So, please, come to America and live your dream. Just play by the rules: don't take "cuts" in the line, tell us you're here, pay your taxes, and obey our laws.

Another Job a Michigander Wouldn't Take?

Example 2: Construction Worker. $22 an hour, plus benefits. Yes, illegal foreign workers get these jobs - about 14% of this workforce is illegal.

Current Research.

The justification used incessantly for illegal foreign workers is that they just "do the work that other Americans won't do". Given the Michigan unemployment rate, which is nearly 50% higher than the national rate, this claim really needs close scrutiny. Deaddrifts will investigate the types of jobs in which illegal foreign workers can be found, and consider whether a Michigander if offered such job would take it.

Example 1: Housecleaner. The rate for 4 hours of work for independent housecleaners in our neck of the woods is at least $60, or $15 an hour, and $20 an hour is common. This is a good wage. Disclaimer: Deaddrifts' household member has worked such a job, so we're not above doing it.

Big Deal.

Katie Couric will now read the news for CBS. If you're interested in the details, check any online entertainment news site.

The Victor$.

The Ann Arbor News, to their credit, put together an excoriating article on the skyrocketing tuition and out-of-control spending at the University of Michigan:

• The yearly tuition for in-state students has grown at over three times rate of inflation since 1990
• Despite state funding increases at 20% below the rate of inflation during this period, the University swelled its budget at twice the inflation rate.
• Much of this increased spending was not for instructional and classroom activities, but for student services, "community programs", and a 30% increase in the university workforce, with much of this hiring for high-paid adminstrators and research technical staff
• The University's capital expenditures - its aggressive building program - is being partially paid for by tuition increases
• The pay increases for tenured faculty salaries increased at a rate 20% above the inflation rate; for deans it rose at twice the inflation rate
• Half of the credit hours at UM are now taught by non-tenure track faculty and instructors; the number of professors increased by only 2%, non-tenure track instructors by 20%, while student enrollment rose by 9%

Why does the University of Michigan view itself beyond the common sense of a balanced budget? The state funding shortfall is only $50 million of a $1.2 billon budget - this is just out of control spending by UM, very cynically piled on the back of students, their parents, and Uncle Sam with low interest student loans.