The Power of Green By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

The article is 11 pages long, so don't expect a point by point critique... I agree that it would be good for the U.S. if oil prices fell and part of that would be that it would defund some of our enemies. I will cry no tears if Hugo Chavez comes up a little short, or if the Saudi's need to cut-back on radical madrasa funding. The problems are two and they are related: How can we decrease the price of oil? If we somehow reduce the price of oil, won't that stimulate demand, and then short-out his other concern--global warming? His solution set can be summed up as, "conservation". With the rapidly industrializing economies of India and China, this strikes me as absurd. We could stop the use of oil completly and in ten years, they will have sopped-up all the oil we saved. I have a better and more "American" style solution: Why don't we turn our efforts to finding a new and better source for oil or better yet a replacement entirely. As a first baby-step how about ANWR? Follow this with the big step of nuclearising our electricty production: It is now about 80% coal and 15% nuke. We have about 100 reactors, so 500 more would cover all of our electric needs and free up our coal for other uses. (I put an extra hundred reactors in the calculation to allow for increased demand) While we are at it, why not have our new reactors use Thorium? It has got some nice advantages over conventional uranium reactors. How about we turn our coal into oil the way the South Africans have figured out how to do? Or make an extra 500 atomic plants and use the power to extract oil from shale? If we flood the market with oil, we would be doing a huge favor to third-world nations trying to develop and it would stick a shiv in the side of a bunch of oil-producing bad-guys. It sure would be nicer than converting our food (corn) into fuel (Ethanol), which causes higher food costs to people who spend a large fraction of their income on food. Win win.

A Scanner Darkly (2006)

I saw A Scanner Darkly last night. This will not be a full review, just a couple of observations: Just a note that I have read a lot of Philip K. Dick, but not this one--for what it is worth. Okay the Movie: Meh. It was late and perhaps if I was less tired I could have followed it. Highlights: The roles played by Robert Downey Jr. and Woody Harrelson, especially how they interact with each other. Another thing: I did read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and saw the movie when it came out. I am a fan of Johnny Dep but the movie just did not capture the tone of the book. Now take Robert Downey Jr. and the character he played in Scanner and you have perfect casting and direction for Fear and Loathing. dbp

Training Log

Course:..............Time:-----Distance:.....Date:

Faun Lake............42:06 -----5.5 .........4/18/07

Nutting Lake.........29:34 -----3.5 .........4/19/07

Nutting Lake.........27:40 -----3.5 .........4/20/07

Rangeway loop........96:01 -----10.5 ........4/21/07(thought I was having a stroke)

Nutting Lake.........28:37 -----3.5..........4/23/07 It was hot

Bedford neiborhood...33:38 -----4.1..........4/25/07

Nutting Lake-plus....40:45------4.5..........4/26/07

Groton 10K...........44:41------6.2..........4/29/07 (PR) Annual Race

Nutting Lake.........29:45------3.5..........4/30/07 Recovery run

Bedford neiborhood...33:57------4.1..........5/1/07 Another recovery run, still sore from Sunday.

Nutting Lake.........29:41------3.5..........5/2/07

Faun Lake............46:34------5.5..........5/3/07

Nutting Lake.........29:25------3.5..........5/4/07

Cranberry Bog........80:36-----10.0..........5/5/07

Wow! 36.3 miles last week. I don't think I have done that many since High School--except for that Summer day right after High School ended when I did 40 miles in one day as part of the MS charity run across the state of Washington.

Nutting Lake.........28:51------3.5..........5/7/07

Bedford neiborhood...34:31------4.1..........5/8/07

Nutting Lake.........28:52------3.5..........5/9/07

Nutting Lake.........27:12------3.5..........5/10/07--(PR)

Faun Lake............42:37 -----5.5 .........5/11/07

New Carlisle loop....87:11-----10.54.........5/13/07 3:11 too much time!

Nutting lake.........31:39------3.5..........5/14/07 Recovery from above lackluster performance

Bedford Neiborhood..33:20-------4.1..........5/15/07

Nutting lake plus...37:17-------4.5..........5/16/07

Nutting Lake........28:05-------3.5..........5/17/07 Ran with Matt

Faun Lake...........41:01-------5.5..........5/18/07 Ran with Ross (PR)

I should note here that this time is more than one minute faster than my previous best time for this course. I have run this course more than 45 times. In fact, this pace is better than what I did last year in the Groton Road Race. So, I am either improving or just trying much harder.

Looks like this is becoming a blog-within-a-blog. How meta is that?

I didn't run over the weekend due to having a cold, plus it was rainy and dreary all weekend.

Nutting Lake........28:00-------3.5..........5/21/07 Still have a cold, whatever.

Bedford Neiborhood..36:15-------4.1..........5/22/07 Ran with Matt, his girlfriend made his legs weak.

Bedford Neiborhood..32:05-------4.1..........5/23/07 Ran alone

Note: I have actually been running most days, but have neglected to enter it.

Nutting Lake plus Bedford 55:30---6.0.......6/01/07--Really stinking hot. Ran with Ted, he had wanted an easy run and was not happy. Sorry Ted, I really did not expect it to be so stinking hot.

Cranberry bog....9-10----78:30........6/03/07--misting rain cool and nice.

Nutting lake......3.5----28:28........6/04/07--Raining cats and dogs, deployed band-aids (you know where)

Middlesex cc----4.3......36:44........6/05/07--Hot and muggy, felt sluggish

Bedford neiborhood---4.1...35:40......6/6/07--Ran with Ted, really nice day.

Bedford neighborhood-4.1...31:25......5/4/09--Stopped to give an old lady directions

Faun Lake.....5.5.....42:20.....7:42/mile....5/8/09