Posts from — July 2010

Revel – Ax 3 Domaines

Distance: 184.5 kilometers.

Christophe Riblon led a group that broke away early in the stage and was never reeled in. They made their break and maintained it on the rolling hills with a couple of sprints and capped it by staying ahead up the Hors Catégorie Port de Pailheres, the descent and immediate category 1 climb to the finish at Ax 3 Domaines. Geraint Thomas was originally part of the group with Samuel Sanchez and Denis Menchov, but he faded on the climb and was reeled in by the peloton.

With only 31 seconds separating Schleck and Contador, if neither makes a major mistake, the Yellow will be decided in the individual time trials.

Andy Schleck ( Lux – SAX – 011 ) [Yellow] 68h 02m 30s
Alessandro Petacchi ( Ita – LAM – 208 ) [Green] 187 points
Anthony Charteau ( Fra – BBO – 153 ) [Polka Dot] 115 points
Robert Gesink ( Ned – RAB – 195 ) 6 [White]
Team: Caisse d’Epargne GCE ( 161-169 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Christophe Riblon ( Fra – ALM – 089 )
Combative: Christophe Riblon ( Fra – ALM – 089 ) [Red numbers]

They’ve gone 2,728.4 kilometers [1,695.3 miles] at an average speed of 40.1 kph [24.9 mph].

OVERALL STANDINGS:

Andy Schleck ( Lux – SAX – 011 ) [Yellow] 68h 02m 30s
2 Alberto Contador ( Esp – AST – 001 )
3 Samuel Sanchez ( Esp – EUS – 181 )
4 Denis Menchov ( Rus – RAB – 191 )
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck ( Bel – OLO – 101 )
6 Robert Gesink ( Ned – RAB – 195 ) [White]
7 Levi Leipheimer ( USA – RSH – 025 )
8 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver ( Esp – KAT – 077 )
9 Luis-Leon Sanchez ( Esp – GCE – 161 )
10 Ivan Basso ( Ita – LIQ – 041 )
11 Alexandre Vinokourov ( Kaz – AST – 009 )
12 Roman Kreuziger ( Cze – LIQ – 044 )
13 Ryder Hesjedal ( Can – GRM – 054 )
14 Nicolas Roche ( Irl – ALM – 081 )
15 Carlos Sastre ( Esp – CTT – 091 )
16 Thomas Lövkvist ( Swe – SKY – 037 )
17 Andréas Klöden ( Ger – RSH – 024 )
18 Bradley Wiggins ( GBr – SKY – 031 )
19 Cadel Evans ( Aus – BMC – 121 )
20 Ruben Plaza Molina ( Esp – GCE – 168 )

27 Christophe Riblon ( Fra – ALM – 089 ) [Red numbers] [Stage winner]
38 Lance Armstrong ( USA – RSH – 021 )
48 Anthony Charteau ( Fra – BBO – 153 ) [Polka Dot]
57 Jérôme Pineau ( Fra – QST – 135 )
58 Geraint Thomas ( GBr – SKY – 039 )
128 Thor Hushovd ( Nor – CTT – 095 )
140 Alessandro Petacchi ( Ita – LAM – 208 ) [Green]
150 Mark Cavendish ( GBr – THR – 111 )
154 Julian Dean ( NZl – GRM – 052 )
156 David Millar ( GBr – GRM – 057 )
166 Robbie McEwen ( Aus – KAT – 075 )

George Altman of the Mobile Press-Register writes that Gulf oil well to remain sealed, but only temporarily.

BP is going to leave the well shut off until tomorrow afternoon, then it will connect up the lines to the surface to suck up more oil until those nasty bureaucrats make them seal the well permanently, which is unfair as there will still be profitable amounts of oil left in the ground. [/sarcasm]

BP intends to make as much money as possible from this well because the actual crude is the high priced light, sweet variety that is cheap to refine. After the austerity moves by the various G-20 nations put the global economy back in the tank, the oil won’t be worth much, so they want to sell it as soon as possible.

… Too quiet…

On July 15^th at 2:25PM CDT BP announced that oil had stopped flowing from the Well from Hell. The video seems to show that, if the video feed is in fact the well.

Oil started flowing into the Gulf when the Deepwater Horizon exploded at 9:53PM CDT on April 20^th.

That’s 85 days, 16 hours, and 32 minutes of oil flow. At the USGS’s minimum estimate of 35,000 barrels/day, that’s 125,962,667 gallons of crude oil. Some oil has been collected, the amount is only available to BP and their word has proven to be less than trustworthy throughout this ordeal.

No one thinks this is over. As has become the norm with this well, it is not acting as people assumed it would. The pressure readings are lower than were predicted, which might indicate a leak, but they aren’t dropping, which would confirm a leak.

The only real solution for the leak is to fill the well shaft with concrete, which is the purpose of the relief well.

There is still around 100 million gallons of crude oil, 100 thousand 1.8 million gallons of dispersant, unknown quantities of methane, unknown quantities of dead sea life, and an unknown time frame for all this to be over, if it ever is.

At the heart of the tort in English common law is the concept of making the injured party “whole”, the idea of status quo ante, a return to the way things were before the injury. That will never happen. There will never be any justice for the Gulf or those who live around it.

Rodez – Revel

Distance: 196 kilometers.

Alexandre Vinokourov waited to the end of the stage and then took it in the last climb and short sprint. The top twenty are cruising in anticipation of the return to the mountains.

A couple of easy [4s] climbs followed by a sprint. Then a two more climbs [3 & 4] and another sprint. Finally a category 3 to the finish. A good stage for an all-arounder, and the last stage to make a move before the Pyrenees.

Andy Schleck ( Lux – SAX – 011 ) [Yellow] 63h 08m 40s
Alessandro Petacchi ( Ita – LAM – 208 ) [Green] 187 points
Anthony Charteau ( Fra – BBO – 153 ) [Polka Dot] 107 points
Robert Gesink ( Ned – RAB – 195 ) 7 [White]
Team: Radio Shack RSH ( 021-029 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Alexandre Vinokourov ( Kaz – AST – 009 )
Combative: Juan Antonio Flecha ( Esp – SKY – 034 ) [Red numbers]

They’ve gone 2,543.9 kilometers [1,580.7 miles] at an average speed of 40.3 kph [25.0 mph].

OVERALL STANDINGS:

Andy Schleck ( Lux – SAX – 011 ) [Yellow]
2 Alberto Contador ( Esp – AST – 001 )
3 Samuel Sanchez ( Esp – EUS – 181 )
4 Denis Menchov ( Rus – RAB – 191 )
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck ( Bel – OLO – 101 )
6 Levi Leipheimer ( USA – RSH – 025 )
7 Robert Gesink ( Ned – RAB – 195 ) [White]
8 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver ( Esp – KAT – 077 )
9 Luis-Leon Sanchez ( Esp – GCE – 161 )
10 Roman Kreuziger ( Cze – LIQ – 044 )
11 Ivan Basso ( Ita – LIQ – 041 )
12 Alexandre Vinokourov ( Kaz – AST – 009 ) [Stage winner]
13 Ryder Hesjedal ( Can – GRM – 054 )
14 Nicolas Roche ( Irl – ALM – 081 )
15 Carlos Sastre ( Esp – CTT – 091 )
16 Bradley Wiggins ( GBr – SKY – 031 )
17 Michael Rogers ( Aus – THR – 118 )
18 Cadel Evans ( Aus – BMC – 121 )
19 Thomas Lövkvist ( Swe – SKY – 037 )
20 Andréas Klöden ( Ger – RSH – 024 )

36 Lance Armstrong ( USA – RSH – 021 )
51 Anthony Charteau ( Fra – BBO – 153 ) [Polka Dot]
55 Jérôme Pineau ( Fra – QST – 135 )
58 Geraint Thomas ( GBr – SKY – 039 )
74 Juan Antonio Flecha ( Esp – SKY – 034 ) [Red numbers]
128 Thor Hushovd ( Nor – CTT – 095 )
133 Alessandro Petacchi ( Ita – LAM – 208 ) [Green]
144 Mark Cavendish ( GBr – THR – 111 )
150 Julian Dean ( NZl – GRM – 052 )
153 David Millar ( GBr – GRM – 057 )
164 Robbie McEwen ( Aus – KAT – 075 )

The BBC reports on another solar aircraft: Zephyr solar plane flies 7 days non-stop

The UK-built Zephyr solar-powered plane has smashed the endurance record for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The craft took off from the US Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona at 1440 BST (0640 local time) last Friday and is still in the air.

Its non-stop operation, day and night, means it has now gone five times longer than the official mark recognised by the world air sports federation.

The plane has been developed by the defence and research company Qinetiq.

Its project manager, Jon Saltmarsh, said Zephyr would be brought down once it had flown non-stop for a fortnight.

“Zephyr is basically the first ‘eternal aircraft’,” he told BBC News.

The purpose of the aircraft is to provide a long-term platform for surveillance and communications relay, rather than depending on low-earth satellites.

It is launched by five people picking it up and running into the wind, and, no, I’m not kidding.

The Miami Herald reports that the Florida Legislature session on oil-drilling ban in jeopardy.

The Republican leadership will tell you it is so they don’t give Charlie Crist a victory because he left the party. Garbage. The initial reports of the session being in trouble came from oil lobbyists, not politicians. The Republicans want to drill, and don’t want to admit it until after the election. They know that if they oppose a drilling ban amendment they will be killed at the ballot box, so they are going to fight it all the way. The leadership will probably block any attempt to bring it to a vote.

If they block it, anyone voting for a Republican is voting for drilling off Florida’s coast. It really is that simple.

The Pensacola News Journal has the unemployment figures for Florida and Escambia county, while the Local Puppy Trainer has them for Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties.

While Florida dropped to 11.4%, Escambia rose to 10.9%, Santa Rosa rose to 9.8%, and Okaloosa rose to 7.6%.

“This is the time when we would have hit our peak employment right now. We should be way up,” said David Goetsch, vice president for community relations and workforce development at Northwest Florida State College. “It’s an indication of what the oil spill is doing, unfortunately. In fact, that might be the best indicator we’ve got for the financial impact of that oil spill.

These are figures for the “non-farm workforce” and don’t count the fishing industry, which was heavily impacted, at all. Because of Eglin AFB, and farming in the North County, the Okaloosa County unemployment rate is normally in the 2 to 3% range. That number is further distorted by the construction industry, which normally comes in from out-of-state and isn’t counted in Florida statistics as all. The same thing is happening with the contractors working for BP.

Bourg-de-Péage – Mende

Distance: 210.5 kilometers.

Update: This was the leaders going to work for a change and challenging rather than just clumping. Alexandre Vinokourov led the break-away that enabled Alberto Contador to attempt to take the Mende stage, something he has been successful at in the past. While picking up 10 seconds on Andy Schleck, Alberto’s goal was foiled by Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver, who won by inches with a better sprint.

That short, steep climb is well suited to Alberto, and Alexandre was in position to help him make the attempt when Andy chose not to pursue the break-away.

It’s the finish that wipes them out. This stage starts with a couple of category 3 climbs followed by a sprint. Then there is a category 2 climb, a category 3 climb, and another sprint. Since that isn’t enough, you end with a 3 kilometer category 3 that rises at 10% or better to face a 2 kilometer sprint to the finish.

Andy Schleck ( Lux – SAX – 011 ) [Yellow] 53h 43m 46s
Thor Hushovd ( Nor – CTT – 095 ) [Green] 167 points
Anthony Charteau ( Fra – BBO – 153 ) [Polka Dot] 107 points
Robert Gesink ( Ned – RAB – 195 ) 7 [White]
Team: Radio Shack RSH ( 021-029 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver ( Esp – KAT – 077 )
Combative: Alexandre Vinokourov ( Kaz – AST – 009 ) [Red numbers]

They’ve gone 2,347.9 kilometers [1,458.9 miles] at an average speed of 40.0 kph [24.9 mph].

OVERALL STANDINGS:

Andy Schleck ( Lux – SAX – 011 ) [Yellow]
2 Alberto Contador ( Esp – AST – 001 )
3 Samuel Sanchez ( Esp – EUS – 181 )
4 Denis Menchov ( Rus – RAB – 191 )
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck ( Bel – OLO – 101 )
6 Levi Leipheimer ( USA – RSH – 025 )
7 Robert Gesink ( Ned – RAB – 195 ) [White]
8 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver ( Esp – KAT – 077 ) [Stage winner]
9 Luis-Leon Sanchez ( Esp – GCE – 161 )
10 Roman Kreuziger ( Cze – LIQ – 044 )
11 Ivan Basso ( Ita – LIQ – 041 )
12 Alexandre Vinokourov ( Kaz – AST – 009 ) [Red numbers]
13 Ryder Hesjedal ( Can – GRM – 054 )
14 Nicolas Roche ( Irl – ALM – 081 )
15 Carlos Sastre ( Esp – CTT – 091 )
16 Bradley Wiggins ( GBr – SKY – 031 )
17 Michael Rogers ( Aus – THR – 118 )
18 Cadel Evans ( Aus – BMC – 121 )
19 Thomas Lövkvist ( Swe – SKY – 037 )
20 Andréas Klöden ( Ger – RSH – 024 )

32 Lance Armstrong ( USA – RSH – 021 )
48 Anthony Charteau ( Fra – BBO – 153 ) [Polka Dot]
61 Jérôme Pineau ( Fra – QST – 135 )
63 Geraint Thomas ( GBr – SKY – 039 )
135 Thor Hushovd ( Nor – CTT – 095 ) [Green]
148 David Millar ( GBr – GRM – 057 )
150 Mark Cavendish ( GBr – THR – 111 )
159 Julian Dean ( NZl – GRM – 052 )
163 Robbie McEwen ( Aus – KAT – 075 )

[Read more →]

Morning Routine

Zzzz, zzzz, zzzz…

[Editor: Every morning I have to evict this pile of gray fuzz, Income, from my office chair. The sleeping position may look like an invitation to a tummy rub, but that is contra-indicated unless you subscribe to the old medical practice of bleeding, i.e. IT”S A TRAP! DON”T ATTEMPT IT!.]

Friday Ark

Apollo 11

Commander:

Neil A. Armstrong

Pilot: Columbia Command Module

Michael Collins, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF

Pilot: Eagle Lunar Module

Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr., Colonel, USAF

Launched: 16 July 1969 UT 13:32:00 (08:32:00 CDT)

Landed on Moon: 20 July 1969 UT 20:17:40 (15:17:40 CDT)

Landing Site: Mare Tranquillitatis – Sea of Tranquility (0.67 N, 23.47 E)

Returned to Earth: 24 July 1969 UT 16:50:35 (11:50:35 CDT)

When I reloaded the page at 4:43PM CDT I noticed that the Leak Meter had stopped. Clicking through to PBS, they are reporting that the oil has stopped flowing into the Gulf from the Well from Hell after BP closed the valves on their cap. [Update: BP puts the stop time at 2:25PM CDT.]

This is a test, and they have to monitor the pressure to be sure that the oil doesn’t have another path to the surface, and hope that the pressure doesn’t blow the wellhead off the shaft. For now, I will take what is offered, while I wonder: why they didn’t do this months ago?

A nice Lee Judge cartoon from the Kansas City Star to look at while waiting for the announcement of when there will be an announcement, possibly announcing the imminent announcement that could be about what might be a problem, or not, that might affect a product that was recently announced by Apple.

People are speculating that someone might tell them that if they actually try to hold the newest iPhone, they will ground out the antenna that was part of the elegantly designed stainless steel band that runs around the outside of the device. But maybe, not.

Oh, I had this problem with my first portable transistor radio, but a couple of layers of electrical tape fixed it… mostly. It was AM, so it was hard to tell.

The Washington Post tells us water is wet: Companies Piling Up Cash But Not Adding Jobs

Nonfinancial companies are sitting on $1.8 trillion in cash, roughly one-quarter more than at the beginning of the recession. And as several major firms report impressive earnings this week, the money continues to flow into firms’ coffers.

Yet all the good news from big business hasn’t translated into much promise for jobless Americans, leading many to wonder: If corporations are sitting on so much money, why aren’t they hiring more workers?

The answer to that question has become a political flash point between the White House and big business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which held a jobs summit Wednesday and accused the Obama administration of dumping onerous regulations on businesses. That has created an environment of “uncertainty,” which is causing firms to hold back on hiring as the unemployment rate has hovered near 10 percent, the Chamber said.

The White House countered that companies are wary of hiring not because of new regulations but because they’re still waiting for consumer demand to return. The administration also claimed credit for 3.5 million jobs created by the stimulus bill from last year.

What are these “onerous demands” – Keep poison out of your products? Don’t sell things that kill the buyers? Don’t destroy the planet to make a profit? What are the regulations the Chamber is talking about?

If these regulations are so “onerous”, how did these corporations manage to salt away $1.8 trillion in cash?

The financial industry is facing new regulation because they blew up the global economy, and the oil companies are being look at because there is crude gushing into the Gulf, but no one else is being talked about. This makes as much sense as all of the NRA claims that “Obama is going to take your guns”, another creation from whole cloth. This preemptive whining isn’t attractive in small children, much less CEOs.

McClatchy chronicles the stupidity that is the “disloyal opposition” – GOP: No more help for jobless, but rich must keep tax cuts

WASHINGTON — Republicans almost unanimously oppose spending $33.9 billion for extended unemployment benefits for some 2.5 million people who’ve lost them, because they say it would increase federal budget deficits.

At the same time, they’re pushing a permanent extension of Bush administration tax cuts, especially for the wealthy, which could increase federal budget deficits by trillions of dollars over the next 10 years.

How do they justify this?

“Tax policy is dynamic. If you have the right kind of tax reform, it helps generate a more dynamic economy,” said Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which writes tax law. While that may be true, even the Bush Treasury Department concluded that its tax cuts increase budget deficits.

Besides, wouldn’t providing $33.9 billion to extend unemployment benefits to 2.5 million people help the economy?

“There’s a distinction between taxes and spending,” Crapo said. “We have a huge problem with a lack of spending restraint.”

In addition, noted Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the committee’s top Republican, “This is a tax increase if you don’t extend, and it’s not a tax cut if you do.”

Look at the chart – the Bush II tax cuts are the number one factor in the current deficit, just like they were the number one factor in the Reagan deficit. Things were so bad that Bush I reneged on his “no new taxes” pledge to start dealing with the Reagan deficit. Bush I and Cheney, then Secretary of Defense, reduced military spending to start to rein in costs.

The ABC is carrying an AFP report that covers what has become “standard operating procedure” for BP, incompetence: Leak forces BP to delay cap test

After finally getting the green light to begin pressure tests, BP said it would have to postpone the procedure for a second time to repair a leak in a system of triple blowout preventers being used in the operation, known as rams.

“In preparation for commencement of the well integrity test, the middle ram has been closed and a leak has been detected in the choke line of the three-ram stack,” BP said in a statement on its website.

“It has been isolated and will be repaired prior to starting the test.”

BP has since discovered that miracle cure, a wrench, and tightened the connections, something that would have been a hell of lot easier if it had been done before they lowered the unit a mile under water. You may remember that one of the many faults with the original blowout preventer was a hydraulic line that was loose.

Mark Fiore has a new animation out that is tangentially related.