Cab Thoughts 3/31/12

20% of the world's fresh water is in the Great Lakes. Maybe we'll fight Canada for it.

Saw a mockup of the Kennedy assassination and, while mostly obvious, it showed several interesting points. First, Jackie was really close to the fatal bullet and second, the "grassy knoll" was a very good, clean shot but certainly would have killed Jackie too. I think there is little doubt what happened, although the Tibbit shooting is hard to explain, but the grassy knoll gave a remarkable shot and, despite the talk, I had never seen the angle.

JFK apparently had chlamydia at his death. He always had a severe back pain and wore a brace. The cause always seemed a bit vague and I wonder if he could have had Reiter's Syndrome, a very rare inflammation that has a venereal source. He was a remarkable careless man.

A PEW study shows that 72% of people know little or nothing about fracking. Of those with opinions, there is a political division. Fracking, a drilling technique, has adherents and opponents based on political affiliation. Republicans supported it 73-15; Democrats opposed fracking by 33-52; and independents supported it 54-35. Doesn't this sound strange? Political positions on technology? Weirdly close to creationism/evolution debates.

Deborah Rogers was made famous by being featured as a shale gas financial expert in the NYT and Rolling Stones Magazine. She is convinced that shale gas is a ponzi scheme. New estimates put the useable gas from the Marcellus at respectively between 267 to 534 trillion cubic feet (IHS) and 460 to 634 trillion cubic feet (ICF study). This is a lot of gas. And the dropping price of gas is more proof that a lot is being produced. But these people continue to talk and continue to be quoted.

Could Tebow have gone anywhere worse for him? New York press will torture him.

30 billion dollars in phones were lost or stolen in 2011. Commonest city for phone loss? Philadelphia. Commonest city for stolen phones: Cleveland. Commonest time? 9 to 2 am. Nothing good happens after midnight.

The huge cracking plant that has been scheduled to be built in Pennsylvania was induced, partly, by the state eliminating state taxes on the plant for 15 years. This in a time where the common mantra is that taxes exert a minimal effect on peoples' decisions.

25% of the 1 trillion dollars in school loans are in default. Stafford loan rates are doubling this year.

For Profit colleges like Phoenix students incur 43 thousand dollars in debt for each student, private 23 thousand and public 16 thousand. There is a special place in Hell for those who prey on people who are trying to improve themselves and cannot.