A New Englander's reflections on Senator Kennedy

Now back to work on Monday....,Yeah man

note:A very good friend of mine wrote today with a reflection on the death of Senator Kennedy and his experiences working for the family. BP

Hello Wilhelm,
Funny how this being a New Englander has such a profound effect on me… Ted Kennedy passes on, and I am all freaked out about it…... 47 years in the senate….WOW that makes us 7 yrs. old when he elected...….
I did a whole bunch of landscaping work and had my brother do carpenter work at the home of the older one, Ted Jr. Funny how these things have an effect on you. I never ever brought up politics with them but….when they did I was always taken back by their genuine compassion for the little guy..It truly is very real with them. They really do truly care for lack of a better word for those who cannot care for themselves …
As I got to know them as much as a "contractor" could I noted a few things…. They are a very close family and they are the stereotypical New England privileged elite clan…"the liberal elite" …very wealthy…money was never an object…. (Joe did well) I met son number two Patrick the congressman from Rhode Island he is a very genuinely a nice guy that you can talk to…. really…I met Kara a sister again very nice genuine people… It is weird to witness such a thing for me… they are The Kennedys…..for the most part ….they know.. it but they don't ever flaunt it…As it was explained to me it is sometimes a real curse…I can see that.
As I watched that whole Kennedy gang on national television this past weekend their sorrow is the nations sorrow. Because Ted Kennedy was besides being a national figure a father, grandfather, uncle etc…he was a real person with faults…like most of us... Most people do not see that…. I cannot tell you how many times when I was dealing with them when the "Senator" would call or have something delivered to his grandchildren….(they are big on having shit delivered)…lots of stuff….. But most people do not see beyond the public persona…
Anyway…after Saturday’s hoopla when four presidents were in attendance in Boston.. I had to take my daughter and her stuff back to school it was quiet, to quiet. I have been to Basstinn quite a few times never have I gone there when there was hardly any traffic.. Almost ghost towns like. weird…but nice after Saturday’s rain. Up and back before 4 pm that is a good thing…we would have got back sooner but there was a red sox game and we got caught up in that traffic on the way back.
Now back to work on Monday….yeah man….

Vermont smart grid security matters

Smart grid metering, digital based delivery and monitoring system for the electric power supply (an energy internet) has been on a very fast track recently as a result of the Federal Stimulus Recovery Act .All those involved are enthusiastic that improvements to efficiency will be huge. Precise monitoring and control of demand for power will help power suppliers adjust capacity accordingly avoiding generating excess power.
Vermont completed a $66 million application for federal stimulus funds for smart grid implementation. The grant, if approved, would pay up to half the costs of $133 million in improvements across Vermont.
Uniform smart grid standards including security, reliability, data sharing, and privacy are still in process as the effort moves forward. Creating smart grid industry standards has been described as a process that’s 10 times more complex than that of the computing industry, with a deadline for delivering those game-changing decisions in a manner of mere months. Standards are to be in place by September.
Given the size and fast pace of the overall effort it is not alarmist that security concerns have been raised. The resulting digital based systems vulnerability to malicious tampering or cyber attack shut down is a valid concern.
When asked about smart grid security Vermont’s head recovery officer Tom Evslin down played concerns stating that the chaotic nature of the system with no monolithic control would be its best defense, like the internet. He said

“I see a very distributed architecture with no single point of failure and no central intelligence - like the Internet whose strength is in it chaotic nature.”

Congressional Homeland Security oversight committees have held hearings and legislators in both houses of congress have proposed greater security oversight legislation. The Washington Post
reports on recent security conference and concerns both centralized and chaotic in nature ………

Yet security researchers have found that these devices often are the weakest link in the smart-grid chain. Smart meters give consumers direct access to information about their power usage and the ability to manage that usage over the Web, but that two-way communication also opens up the possibility that the grid could be attacked from the outside. Many such systems require little authentication to carry out key functions, such as disconnecting customers from the power grid.
Black Hat, the world's largest cyber security conference held annually in Las Vegas, researchers from IOActive of Seattle are slated to demonstrate a computer worm that spreads by taking advantage of the software update feature built into a prevalent brand of smart meters (IOActive is not disclosing which). The worm could in theory give the attackers who launched it the ability to very quickly sever tens of thousands of homes from the smart grid.

Earth2tech.com writes.

The biggest barrier to adding more security to the smart meter, from the perspective of the manufacturer and the utility is the upfront cost. Each meter already costs several hundred dollars and additional security functions will just continue to boost that sticker shock. But at the end of the day, it will cost considerably more to add on security functions after the smart grid is already built out, compared to weaving security into the network as it’s built. IOActive …studies show that overall project costs are 60 times higher when gaps in information security controls are addressed late in the development cycle, as opposed to projects where security is implemented in the design phase. With the large initial start up costs and perhaps larger costs to build security into an already established system it would be wise for the state and the utilities to start smart and secure with this grid.

Senator Harry Reid and a private public option

Two things confusing for most people

Here is thing one............
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid supports a public health care option

Here is thing two..............

the public option can be contracted to a private company [!]

During a tele-townhall with constituents today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he supports a public option...but then he added an extremely important caveat. Reid said he doesn't think the public option ought to be a government run program like Medicare, but instead favors a "private entity that has direction from the federal government so people that don't fall within the parameters of being able to get insurance from their employers, they would have a place to go. "
Reid spokesman Jim Manley emails in that Reid's preference is for a "public option," but would not confirm that Reid means "public option" as commonly understood: an insurance program run by the Department of Health and Human Services or another government body.

Manley adds, "The govt could contract with a private company to administer the public option. [Sen. Reid] is willing to consider a co-op if he is shown it works to make insurers honest."

It is a powerful person that can make a public option into private yet still refer to it as public option while simultaneously considering a co-op situation .Amazingly its all done with a straight face .I suspect plenty of smoke and mirrors will ultimately be involved to pull off one of these two things.

103 year old Stanley Steamer speed record broken

Steam power!



This is really fascinating stuff.Really.
Until yesterday a car similar to the one above ( #4 ) held the speed record for a steam power car .It was set it in 1906 at what was then called Ormand Beach(now more familiar as Daytona Beach ).Driving a Stanley Steamer Fred Marriot drove 127.659 mph and that record has held for 103 years .British Steam Car News webpage explains that this was in the days when gasoline and steam powered cars competed neck and neck for such honors .The Stanley Steamer was manufactured by twin brothers F.E. and F.O. Stanley .In the 1900’s they constructed several thousand passenger cars until internal combustion gasoline powered engine vehicles gained commercial prominence .

The 7.7-metre (25.25 feet) British Steam Car, nicknamed the "fastest kettle in the world", reached an average speed of 139.843mph on two runs over a measured mile at the Edwards air force base in California.
Charles Burnett III piloted the car for both runs, reaching a peak speed of 136mph on the first run and 151mph on the second, a team spokesman said. Record officials recognize a land speed record as the average speed of two passes made across the same measured distance in opposing directions within 60 minutes of each other. The time of the two runs is averaged to obtain the official recorded speed.
The British Steam Car team are based in Lymington, New Forest in Hampshire and, with minimum funds by maximum British ingenuity and pluck, they have constructed the car in farm outbuildings belonging to Mr. Burnett.
The engineering team worked for the last ten years to overcome the technical obstacles. One main engineering obstacle was to develop a compact boiler system which every minute could turn 40 litres (8.8 gallons) of water into superheated steam at 400C (752F), at 40 times atmospheric pressure.

British Steam Car News

Vermont Governor Jim Douglas shuns stimulus signs

Gov. Douglas and Tom Evslin (Vermont's chief recovery officer)have decided to shun the Federal Recovery signs that Sen. Judd Gregg earlier sought national legislation to ban. “Axe the Stimulus Plaques” Gregg said and declared them "Simply for political self interest “. He introduced a bill in the senate “that would have prohibited the use of stimulus funds for signs that say a project is being carried out using those funds.”
It seems Vermont will as Gregg desired forego the signage. The savings are small in context and the symbolism high. Vermont's Recovery Officer says

“here in Vermont we decided that we’d rather spend the stimulus highway dollars on roads than signs. We have lots of projects but we don’t have signs. Once I explain almost everyone agrees with this decision.”

For me this begs the question, would Jim Douglas stop his trademark aggressive ribbon cutting habits if it would save a few thousand dollars?

Obama’s Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood(R) says of the signage "Signs tell a story, and the story being told is hard-earned taxpayer dollars are being spent to rebuild roads, resurface roads, resurface bridges,".

I agree we should proudly display what our tax dollars are doing for us.
The new Federal Recovery logo and sign compare favorably to the Blue Eagle of the depression era National Recovery Act. It is a visible symbol of what good government can do on a practical local level .The signs were to be posted for transparency and so the people that drive the roads know how and where their tax stimulus dollars are being used .They were to be the visible symbol of America back on the move. Florida, Texas and Virginia have not put up the stimulus signs.
Tom Evslin Vermont's chief recovery officer claims the signs cost $1500 each and you need at least two for each project. The exact form for the sign and the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) logo are spelled out in federal guidelines along with a”recommendation” that the signs be displayed. The Federal Highway Administration designed the recovery act signs in two sizes. Given the scope of the projects overall and the small savings in this seems petty. It has been reported that the cost of the signs can vary depending on size some running as much as the New York state behemoth of 84 square feet(about the same as three sheets of plywood )and costing $6,000 to $8,000 each to the diminutive and reasonably priced Illinois sign at about 45.5 square feet and costing $300.00.

Other Signs
Criticism of Vermont stimulus transparency from Vermont's Times Argus newspaper about two weeks ago .

Philip Mattera, lead author of "Show Us the Stimulus: An Evaluation of State Government Recovery Act Web Sites. said " Vermont does a serviceable job of explaining in what government sectors the recovery money is being spent. What the Web site does not do, he says, is offer a geographical breakdown of where in the state that money is being spent.
"And that would be useful to know, so people can know how available money is distributed in different parts of the state," he says. "And there's no information up there about specific projects that are being planned with the money."

It’s the least they can do: or,How about a little oblige with that noblesse?

After the fat tax cutting years of the Bush regime would it be ungracious to suspect that maybe the rich have eaten their fill pushed themselves away from the table and are able to or indeed need the relief of sharing ? Burp.
A recent study from the University of California-Berkeley shows that, in 2007, the wealth disparity grew to its highest number on record, based on US tax data going back to 1917. The top 0.01 percent of earners in the US are now taking home six percent of all the income, and a whopping six-fold increase since the start of the Reagan administration

Tax me please is unlikely to be the next big thing among the moneyed but a group called Wealth for the Common Good has called on President Obama and Congress to rescind the Bush tax cuts immediately. Good for them, because as the familiar saying goes "Taxes are what we pay for civilized society”. The Bush tax cut would sunset at the end of 2011 automatically if left unchanged. Commenting on the Wealth for the Common Good concept the Wall Street Journal noted that the recession weary rich may have already suffered enough and naturally aside from having greater a ability to pay them, the rich, you know just don’t like taxes . First, the rich pool has been drained markedly by financial crisis. And second, the wealthy -- like many Americans -- don't really like paying taxes.

The head of an organization called Wealth for the Common Good is hitting the airwaves to urge wealthy Americans to sign a petition that would reverse the Bush-era tax cuts on household incomes of more than $235,000.
The group seeks an increase of the top tax rate to 39.6% from 35%, which it estimates could raise $43 billion in tax revenue a year. "We believe high-income households want President Obama to move our country toward stability, fiscal responsibility and sensible taxation and investment," the group states.
One of the group’s co-founders is Chuck Collins, great grandson of hot dog magnate Oscar Mayer, who has been a vocal proponent of the rich sharing more of their wealth with society. In 2003, he co-authored the book Wealth and Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes with William Gates Sr., father of the founder of Microsoft.

Wealth for the Common Good

Why the big pause in health care momentum?

Maybe big money in the health care debate is the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room that isn’t being covered adequately in the news. Coverage of the disturbing traveling circus that is the public side of the debate lately has focused largely on town hall disruptions .That certainly is where all the shouting has been. The media follows the shouts. However as this astro-turf sponsored war rages some record breaking lobbying is going on in Washington.One republican media consultant said “If we slow this sausage-making process down,we can defeat it.” Big money, big medicine and it works quietly.

According to the Blog of Legal times Wal-Mart is adding to its lobbying team. The lobby firm Wal-Mart hired includes…………. senior policy adviser David Russell, a former chief of staff to ex-Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska); senior policy adviser Jennifer Stewart, who worked for Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.); and former aides to Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), both Republican whips. Wal-Mart spent nearly $2.6 million lobbying in the second quarter of 2009. About $340,000 went to seven outside lobbying firms, including the Podesta Group, Patton Boggs, and Miller & Chevalier.
Here are some other superlatives from Bloomberg.com. This could explain the pause in the health care legislation momentum . There are 3,300 lobbyists who have lined up to work on the issue that is six lobbyists to every 535 members of the House and Senate.

According to Senate records, and three times the number of people registered to lobby on defense.These groups spent $263.4 million on lobbying during the first six months of 2009, according to the Center for Responsible Politics a Washington-based research group, more than any other industry. They spent $241.4 million during the same period of 2008. Drugmakers alone spent $134.5 million, 64 percent more than the next biggest spenders, oil and gas companies.
The health-care industry also contributed $20.5 million to federal candidates and the political parties during the first six months of the year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat who is up for re-election next year, received $382,400, more than any other lawmaker.

Are we really in a green shoots economy?

I've got nothin' today.
But things ain't that bad considering .

For more infinite wisdom click here :The Hyper Kitchen


More about the Flying Head

Yer blues

In Vermont the Burlington Free Press has a sad lament by a man claiming he must leave the state .This is the second I believe in a series the Free Press is running. Sort of an ongoing Festivus style airing of the grievances on Why Vermont has failed me theme. Today’s public lamentation goes a step further than some noting multiple areas that Vermont has allegedly failed this poor and long suffering fellow .Taxes ,naturally are in the mix ,trivialization of the institution of marriage makes the list but new and perhaps foremost is the perceived lack of pride in America by Vermonters .
Our apparently soon to depart uber-patriot questions ; Are Vermonters still proud to be Americans?Thus adding failure of being properly proud to his list .He does note that perhaps many Vermonters are still proud of America, but the pervasive attitude seems to him

“a grievance mentality that indicts America at every opportunity. It's a mentality that cheers President Obama as he travels the world apologizing for America. That mentality expresses itself in many ways, chief among them the tendency to assert moral equivalency between America's enemies and America's defenders. This mentality has been especially offended by the forceful and successful actions taken by the Bush administration after 9/11 to protect the American people from the terrorists who would kill them.”

This fellow is truly grieved by the grievance mentality he imagines to surround him. A grievance mentality, high living costs, taxes and perceived lack of proper pride are moving motivation for some .I would suggest a tolerance mentality might work wonders and save expensive moving costs .He does however strike a conciliatory note at the end and even hints that he may not actually be leaving at all .I guess he sees a glimmer of hope that one day we will walk in lock step with what he sees as the proper way.

No doubt Vermonters offended by the things I've said will want to tell us not to let the door hit us on the way out. Well, we won't be leaving soon, and there's still hope that Vermont can recapture the spirit of personal independence that made this nation great. We fear, however, that the majority of Vermonters are increasingly embracing personal dependence on government.

posted here also :Green Mountain Daily

“Troubled” Vt. captive insurance company?

Is a Vermont captive insurance company is jeopardy? Vermont is business home of one of the larger groups of captive insurance companies in the World.The Cayman Islands is the second largest,Bermuda number one . Captives are financial risk management insurance companies which insure investments of a parent companies. Burlington based Customer Asset Protection Company, known as Capco has drawn some attention in several newspaper articles and from U.S. Senate regulators recently regarding its ability to cover its obligations to the now bankrupt Lehman Bros. . Capco is owned by financial giants Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo banks and smaller brokerage firms.
New York Times reports

“It has become clear that this entity is thinly capitalized Senate Finance Committee, Robert Menendez wrote in a letter to Treasury Secretary Geithner.
Capco, he said, potentially posed “systemic risk.” Capco was created in 2003 by Lehman and 13 other banks and brokerage companies as a kind of marketing tool. The pitch was that while Capco would not insure customers against investment losses, it would compensate them if the firms failed. Capco promises to provide virtually unlimited coverage above the $500,000 offered by the Securities Investors Protection Corporation(SIPIC) and its equivalent in Britain.

The New York State insurance department reviewed some industry estimates and Capco could face nearly $11 billion in claims but has only about $150 million with which to meet them.
All this should make for an interesting 24th Annual meeting of captive insurance professionals in Burlington, Vermont on August 11-13 titled Building Better Captives. Vermont Deputy Commissioner of Captive Insurance David Provost said to the Burlington Free Press that he believes those figures are inaccurate, but could not elaborate, citing privacy regulations. No one mentioned when the last audit was performed.
In an article about the state of South Carolina’s concerns with its own captive insurers it was noted that yearly audits are desirable but the frequency of audits in Vermont can be flexible. Vermont's captive law allows the state to expand the examination period from three to five years if the captive has been audited, and the division has used that flexibility to smooth its examination load.