Wednesday, June 29, 2011
More Crap Beer
Mmm Mmmm saw some Hamms laying around recently. The poetic touch is the appropriate paper bag nearby for carrying this precious cargo. Burrrrpp.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Road Trip – Canada Part Four
Pt1. Pt2. Pt3.
On any given day when asked what I am going to fish for my reply is usually ‘whatever is biting’.
Small perch, crappie and bluegill are fun to catch and make for tasty meals. To me, walleye are the best when it comes to good eats and present an angling challenge as well. Bass are fun and put up a good fight but not my favorite for the pan. Carp, catfish and other bottom feeders can stay off my hook. Please.
Big fish require big nets, we come prepared.
Then there are the fresh water predators like Northern Pike and Musky. These fish are downright mean. They don’t nibble or bite, they attack. With a burst of speed and a quick turn of the head it’s hard not to hook one if it decides to go after your lure but I always do a double hook set to be sure and bury the barb. Then hold on.
I don’t mind eating pike but I much prefer walleye. There are some who claim pike taste just as good. Here’s the test. When I offer to trade them even up, one of their walleye for one of my larger pike they simply turn away and change the subject. Case closed.
Both pike and musky are abundant in LOTW and this year we did better than most. The largest was 36” and weighed 12 lbs. They don’t get much larger in this body of water. For real trophy pike over 20 lbs. one must travel farther north (usually by float plane) and be dropped off in a remote lake where fishing pressure is minimal.
Son A.J. with a damn nice musky but too small to keep on LOTW.
All in all it was a great year for numbers of large pike.
These lures are far and away the best baits for catching pike and musky day in and day out.
There are times when some color added works well, other times plain white does the trick. This year they all worked. The one in the middle row on the left is what A.J. used to hook a musky that went over 50”. He lost it but we all saw it next to the boat. It looked like a railroad tie. The lure was purchased that morning at another resort that has a store. We always, always use at least a 6” steel wire leader because these fish have razor sharp teeth.
We caught pike and musky in the same spots. These spinnerbaits were cast out over emerging weedbeds and reeled in slow to medium speed near the surface. The weedbeds were hard to see since the water was near it’s highest point (LOTW is an impoundment controlled by hydro dams) and the season was two weeks late.
Traditionally these baits were designed for bass fishing but can do a real number on the pike. I like the ones with the largest blades possible but these days they're hard to find and cost as much as five gallons of gasoline. Blue Fox is one brand that never fails but they are not made anymore. I have quite a few in my box.
If you look closely there are ‘stinger’ hooks attached to the main hook. This is because the pike often go after the blade and the stinger will manage to catch a few under the chin. Not many lure manufacturers sell spinnerbaits with stinger hooks so we add them ourselves.
I prefer an Abu Garcia Ambassador 6500 reel on a 6'5" or 7' Cabela Fish Eagle Graphite rod to cast these baits a good distance away from the boat. My line of choice is braided dacron at least 20 lb. test over the newer high tech lines. It allows any bird nest overrides to be easily untangled.
We always do everything possible to put the odds in our favor. It. Just. Works.
On any given day when asked what I am going to fish for my reply is usually ‘whatever is biting’.
Small perch, crappie and bluegill are fun to catch and make for tasty meals. To me, walleye are the best when it comes to good eats and present an angling challenge as well. Bass are fun and put up a good fight but not my favorite for the pan. Carp, catfish and other bottom feeders can stay off my hook. Please.
Big fish require big nets, we come prepared.
Then there are the fresh water predators like Northern Pike and Musky. These fish are downright mean. They don’t nibble or bite, they attack. With a burst of speed and a quick turn of the head it’s hard not to hook one if it decides to go after your lure but I always do a double hook set to be sure and bury the barb. Then hold on.
I don’t mind eating pike but I much prefer walleye. There are some who claim pike taste just as good. Here’s the test. When I offer to trade them even up, one of their walleye for one of my larger pike they simply turn away and change the subject. Case closed.
Both pike and musky are abundant in LOTW and this year we did better than most. The largest was 36” and weighed 12 lbs. They don’t get much larger in this body of water. For real trophy pike over 20 lbs. one must travel farther north (usually by float plane) and be dropped off in a remote lake where fishing pressure is minimal.
Son A.J. with a damn nice musky but too small to keep on LOTW.
All in all it was a great year for numbers of large pike.
These lures are far and away the best baits for catching pike and musky day in and day out.
There are times when some color added works well, other times plain white does the trick. This year they all worked. The one in the middle row on the left is what A.J. used to hook a musky that went over 50”. He lost it but we all saw it next to the boat. It looked like a railroad tie. The lure was purchased that morning at another resort that has a store. We always, always use at least a 6” steel wire leader because these fish have razor sharp teeth.
We caught pike and musky in the same spots. These spinnerbaits were cast out over emerging weedbeds and reeled in slow to medium speed near the surface. The weedbeds were hard to see since the water was near it’s highest point (LOTW is an impoundment controlled by hydro dams) and the season was two weeks late.
Traditionally these baits were designed for bass fishing but can do a real number on the pike. I like the ones with the largest blades possible but these days they're hard to find and cost as much as five gallons of gasoline. Blue Fox is one brand that never fails but they are not made anymore. I have quite a few in my box.
If you look closely there are ‘stinger’ hooks attached to the main hook. This is because the pike often go after the blade and the stinger will manage to catch a few under the chin. Not many lure manufacturers sell spinnerbaits with stinger hooks so we add them ourselves.
I prefer an Abu Garcia Ambassador 6500 reel on a 6'5" or 7' Cabela Fish Eagle Graphite rod to cast these baits a good distance away from the boat. My line of choice is braided dacron at least 20 lb. test over the newer high tech lines. It allows any bird nest overrides to be easily untangled.
We always do everything possible to put the odds in our favor. It. Just. Works.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Waking Up to the Behavioral Impact of Taxes
The current administration has continually protested the lower rates signed into law by the previous administration and initially acted as if there was no impact on behavior based on the act of raising tax rates.
However, the administration IS interested in getting re-elected. Thus some new "incentives" have been put into place to incent economic activity, such as a tax credit for capital expenditures that makes them completely deductible in the current year. Since large capital expenditures are usually deducted over many years, this is a significant one-time tax holiday that major companies will consider seriously while planning for uses of their free cash flows (or available financing).
This tax credit, however, is diametrically at odds with the administration getting re-elected, because it provides FURTHER encouragement for companies to replace people with automation. And as the jobless rate remains high, the government starts casting about for more solutions to a problem that they really care about, which is getting people back to work so they aren't disaffected voters (never mind the deficit, the total economy, or other factors).
While the government tried to make labor a bit less un-favorable with a social security tax holiday, the 2% is on the employee side (yes, yes, I know that this factors into wages in the long run, but not in the short or medium term), this type of change isn't going to make businesses hire more in the short term.
Thus now the government has decided to look at other incentives to try to get companies to hire people, such as a more extensive payroll tax holiday, as they discuss in this NY Times op ed piece.
The administration apparently doesn't feel any uneasiness with the blatant contradictions in their policies; officially they say that raising taxes "on the rich" doesn't incent behavior, but here they are starting to see that businesses DO respond to incentives, and that in order to try to get businesses to hire they might want to use tax policies to further this end.
In fact, our tax policies are a complete mess. Not only do businesses want a fair tax climate, they want a PREDICTABLE tax climate. Since businesses are (all) run by high net worth individuals, it also makes sense to have a predictable tax climate for businesses as well as individuals. No one would have foreseen that we would go an entire year without an estate policy; think of all the years of lawyers and various "shifting" transactions that could have been avoided. Likewise, this one time tax break for capital is something that businesses will have to consider for years to come; perhaps the best bet is just to wait to invest until a better tax deal comes along.
I would love to hear the administration explain why taxes DO incent behavior sometimes (like when the administration wants you to hire people) but DON'T incent behaviors at other times (like when they raise rates and expect you to work just as hard as you did before and keep investing and hustling for years to come, knowing that a large chunk of it is going to go to the government in taxes). That would be a good you tube for Goolsbee. (also hilarious that when you put in his name the auto-correct in my computer comes up Goebbels).
Cross posted at Chicago Boyz
However, the administration IS interested in getting re-elected. Thus some new "incentives" have been put into place to incent economic activity, such as a tax credit for capital expenditures that makes them completely deductible in the current year. Since large capital expenditures are usually deducted over many years, this is a significant one-time tax holiday that major companies will consider seriously while planning for uses of their free cash flows (or available financing).
This tax credit, however, is diametrically at odds with the administration getting re-elected, because it provides FURTHER encouragement for companies to replace people with automation. And as the jobless rate remains high, the government starts casting about for more solutions to a problem that they really care about, which is getting people back to work so they aren't disaffected voters (never mind the deficit, the total economy, or other factors).
While the government tried to make labor a bit less un-favorable with a social security tax holiday, the 2% is on the employee side (yes, yes, I know that this factors into wages in the long run, but not in the short or medium term), this type of change isn't going to make businesses hire more in the short term.
Thus now the government has decided to look at other incentives to try to get companies to hire people, such as a more extensive payroll tax holiday, as they discuss in this NY Times op ed piece.
The administration apparently doesn't feel any uneasiness with the blatant contradictions in their policies; officially they say that raising taxes "on the rich" doesn't incent behavior, but here they are starting to see that businesses DO respond to incentives, and that in order to try to get businesses to hire they might want to use tax policies to further this end.
In fact, our tax policies are a complete mess. Not only do businesses want a fair tax climate, they want a PREDICTABLE tax climate. Since businesses are (all) run by high net worth individuals, it also makes sense to have a predictable tax climate for businesses as well as individuals. No one would have foreseen that we would go an entire year without an estate policy; think of all the years of lawyers and various "shifting" transactions that could have been avoided. Likewise, this one time tax break for capital is something that businesses will have to consider for years to come; perhaps the best bet is just to wait to invest until a better tax deal comes along.
I would love to hear the administration explain why taxes DO incent behavior sometimes (like when the administration wants you to hire people) but DON'T incent behaviors at other times (like when they raise rates and expect you to work just as hard as you did before and keep investing and hustling for years to come, knowing that a large chunk of it is going to go to the government in taxes). That would be a good you tube for Goolsbee. (also hilarious that when you put in his name the auto-correct in my computer comes up Goebbels).
Cross posted at Chicago Boyz
Rowe (Inadvertently) Explains Why We Are Doomed On Energy
In my many posts on energy commenters make the point over and over again that I am too gloomy and don't offer solutions. My lack of optimism comes from actually KNOWING how the BUSINESS of utilities works, which is independent of the technology, operations, or dreams of a "nuclear renaissance" or "alternative energy" or anything else.
There are only a few utilities that actually matter in the USA. There is Southern Company (NYSE: SO), which benefits from some old-school regulation in the South that actually encourages investment in base-load generation, and is currently building 2 nuclear units at the site of an existing nuclear plant at Vogtle. Another one that does matter, because of its scale (enough market cap to borrow to fund a nuclear plant) and the fact that it already is a big nuclear operator, is Exelon. And an interview with Rowe, the Chairman, explains in his own words, better than I ever could, how doomed we are if any sort of "new thinking" is needed to get us out of the impending base-load crisis.
Here is the dynamic leadership style of Rowe, in his own words:
Awesome. And here is a Q&A about hiring, where he admits he isn't very good at it:
Most importantly, look at the cutting edge thinking he brings to the question of what he'd ask in an interview:
Really? This is the type of question you'd ask - about Moby Dick? I can't make this stuff up.
Cross posted at Chicago Boyz
There are only a few utilities that actually matter in the USA. There is Southern Company (NYSE: SO), which benefits from some old-school regulation in the South that actually encourages investment in base-load generation, and is currently building 2 nuclear units at the site of an existing nuclear plant at Vogtle. Another one that does matter, because of its scale (enough market cap to borrow to fund a nuclear plant) and the fact that it already is a big nuclear operator, is Exelon. And an interview with Rowe, the Chairman, explains in his own words, better than I ever could, how doomed we are if any sort of "new thinking" is needed to get us out of the impending base-load crisis.
Here is the dynamic leadership style of Rowe, in his own words:
There are probably only four or five real decisions I make in a year. There are an awful lot of things I just quietly ratify. I find it very hard to get officers to let you in before the food is cooked. Their natural tendency is to want to bring it to you all packaged. By then all you can do is say yes or no. And you usually say yes.
Awesome. And here is a Q&A about hiring, where he admits he isn't very good at it:
Q. Let’s shift to hiring. How do you do it? What qualities are you looking for? A. Well, it’s not one of my greatest strengths
Most importantly, look at the cutting edge thinking he brings to the question of what he'd ask in an interview:
Q. If you could interview somebody for only five minutes and ask just two or three questions to check for this sense of responsibility that you touched on, what would you ask?
A. I’d probably ask them if they’d seen the old Gregory Peck movie of “Moby-Dick” where the Quaker sea captain says to Ishmael, “Are you man enough to pitch a harpoon down a live whale’s throat and jump after it?” That’s probably what I’d ask. And Ishmael of course gives the perfect answer. He says, “Well, I am, sir, if it be absolutely indispensible that I do so.”
Really? This is the type of question you'd ask - about Moby Dick? I can't make this stuff up.
Cross posted at Chicago Boyz
Thursday, June 23, 2011
A Harley What?
I did not know this.
Last Sunday the bro had a Dad’s Day family get together. One neighbor of his with deep pockets and a fetish for expensive gadgets brought over his factory made Harley Davidson Destroyer.
The bro had previously described it to me as a Harley drag bike that was illegal to ride on the streets. While I have seen a few true drag bikes what he described to me was nothing that I had envisioned.
His neighbor was describing it to me before he brought it over. I pressed him for details and caught him unprepared to answer them. His frustration caused this guy to go home and get it. It was worth it.
The Harley Destroyer.
This is a highly tweaked, limited edition custom V-Rod model set up BY THE MOTOR COMPANY for retail sale. Well shut my mouth. I did not know they offered something like this.
He cranked it up and revved it. Good Lord! Loud, it was.
When he came up the drive I questioned why it was equipped with 2 into 1 Vance and Hines pipes, since it came from the factory.
That’s the kind of question that really pissed this guy off. I had him flummoxed, unintentionally.
Oh well. That bike sure has some nuts.
Last Sunday the bro had a Dad’s Day family get together. One neighbor of his with deep pockets and a fetish for expensive gadgets brought over his factory made Harley Davidson Destroyer.
The bro had previously described it to me as a Harley drag bike that was illegal to ride on the streets. While I have seen a few true drag bikes what he described to me was nothing that I had envisioned.
His neighbor was describing it to me before he brought it over. I pressed him for details and caught him unprepared to answer them. His frustration caused this guy to go home and get it. It was worth it.
The Harley Destroyer.
This is a highly tweaked, limited edition custom V-Rod model set up BY THE MOTOR COMPANY for retail sale. Well shut my mouth. I did not know they offered something like this.
He cranked it up and revved it. Good Lord! Loud, it was.
When he came up the drive I questioned why it was equipped with 2 into 1 Vance and Hines pipes, since it came from the factory.
That’s the kind of question that really pissed this guy off. I had him flummoxed, unintentionally.
Oh well. That bike sure has some nuts.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Around Chicago June 2011 (more)
Upper left - a car that should definitely not be on the street - a Lamborghini parked right out on the street on a busy Friday night in River North. Upper right - all I could think of when I saw that ridiculous photo of a laptop strapped to the handlebars of a motorcycle was "Get a damn iPhone or a Garmin". Really... that is plain crazy and in a nutshell explains how having the most up to date laptop has gone from a must-have to an I'll-wait-a-while type of purchase. Lower left - can't argue with that sentiment about spring, but funny that it is on a trash bin door. Lower middle - great license plate on a truck in front of the post office. Too true and it should say retire at 50 but that probably won't fit on the plate. Tzar bar - popped up in my neighborhood on Ontario and funny that the name of what was essentially the Emperor of Russia is now a trendy name for a nightclub. Pictures here looks like a fun and expensive place to visit if you are under 30 and can burn a few hundred bucks / night and stay out until daylight.
Cross posted at Chicagoboyz
Fantastic Food Coming Up
It is the crosstown classic between the Cubs and Sox. Gerry and his brother Terry are meeting us over at the Cell. We will go tomorrow and I have a good guess as to where Gerry will be parking, which is to say at the best spot in the house. Tailgating at the Cell is much more civilized than the Bears because 1) it isn't 1 million degrees below zero 2) there is more room to spread out, especially if you get the concrete pad.
The food that Gerry and his brother Terry cook has to be seen to be believed. If Dan can't make it I always send him photos to make him jealous. I am 100% certain that I am eating the best tailgate on the lot, whether it is at the White Sox or the Bears (and that is a BIG statement at the Bears because there must be 25,000 or so people out there grilling).
My soon-to-be compliments to the chef(s)!
The food that Gerry and his brother Terry cook has to be seen to be believed. If Dan can't make it I always send him photos to make him jealous. I am 100% certain that I am eating the best tailgate on the lot, whether it is at the White Sox or the Bears (and that is a BIG statement at the Bears because there must be 25,000 or so people out there grilling).
My soon-to-be compliments to the chef(s)!
Road Trip - Canada Part 3
Part 1 Part 2
Sorry Canada, you're nothing better than a third world country. There. I said it.
Not being much of a world traveler as Carl or Dan, the difference between the USA and Canada is immediately noticeable on a road tip. Eliminating Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver all that’s left is wilderness and natural mineral resources.
Once across the border the road turns grainy and rough. The town of Rainy River Ont. appears to be a depressed area when the only good looking buildings are the Ontario Liquor Control Board (state controlled booze) and the curling rink.
We cross at Baudette MN because International Falls is a cluster fvck of confusion and long delays. Crossing there reminds me of Tijuana. Customs agents and immigration officials on both sides are bigger asswipes than conservation officers. They treat everybody equally. Like crap.
The 14 hour drive we take has a lot of sightseeing opportunities as we pass by (we only stop to take a pee or buy fuel and on the way up some guys prefer an overnight stay in Grand Rapids) so I try to keep the camera ready. The best part is the last 1/3 north of Deer River MN. This time we saw more deer than ever on that stretch and they were hard to spot since for some reason they were standing parallel to the road and, at times, right on the shoulder. Very hard to spot.
What I like about passing thru Wisco and Minn. are the obligatory huge fiberglass figures tht dot the landscape. It could be a 40’ tall mouse eating cheese, a gigantic orange moose or in the case of Baudette MN, a giant walleye. I guess the intent is to get travelers to stop for a photo and possibly spend a few bucks.
One of my favorite spots is Ted’s between Bergland and Morson Ont. Not much different from a redneck junk yard in the southern suburbs of Chicago. Love that sign and always look out for it on the trip to make sure Ted is still alive and collecting crap.
Ojibwe Indians are what Canadians call part of the ‘First Nation’. That’s a Canadian PC term for their dwindling Indians tribes. We know one Ojibwe very well. His name is Lenny and works at the resort. Lenny is a very dedicated hard working quiet guy and we hired him as a fishing guide a few times years ago. He remembers us because we tip him well and treat him as one of us. He taught us a lot about walleye fishing.
In Canada they have reservations just as they do in the USA. Here’s the local tribe sign. Isn’t that a phrase used in an old Three Stooges short?
We were told a few years back that the local Ojibwe were given housing courtesy of the taxpaying Canadians. But the Ojibwe weren’t happy. Uh uh. Since the homes were built inland and they historically lived on the shores of LOTW they demanded newer homes be built on the water. The government surrendered and built them all new homes on the water.
Along the way these are often seen. No, that is not a Gitmo detention center for radical Islamists. But close. That is a roadside garbage protection facility. It protects the garbage from black bears who would rip those trash bags to shreds IF they could get at them.
No way would I ever drive 14 hours to ice fish. I may be crazy but not stoopid.
Sorry Canada, you're nothing better than a third world country. There. I said it.
Not being much of a world traveler as Carl or Dan, the difference between the USA and Canada is immediately noticeable on a road tip. Eliminating Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver all that’s left is wilderness and natural mineral resources.
Once across the border the road turns grainy and rough. The town of Rainy River Ont. appears to be a depressed area when the only good looking buildings are the Ontario Liquor Control Board (state controlled booze) and the curling rink.
We cross at Baudette MN because International Falls is a cluster fvck of confusion and long delays. Crossing there reminds me of Tijuana. Customs agents and immigration officials on both sides are bigger asswipes than conservation officers. They treat everybody equally. Like crap.
The 14 hour drive we take has a lot of sightseeing opportunities as we pass by (we only stop to take a pee or buy fuel and on the way up some guys prefer an overnight stay in Grand Rapids) so I try to keep the camera ready. The best part is the last 1/3 north of Deer River MN. This time we saw more deer than ever on that stretch and they were hard to spot since for some reason they were standing parallel to the road and, at times, right on the shoulder. Very hard to spot.
What I like about passing thru Wisco and Minn. are the obligatory huge fiberglass figures tht dot the landscape. It could be a 40’ tall mouse eating cheese, a gigantic orange moose or in the case of Baudette MN, a giant walleye. I guess the intent is to get travelers to stop for a photo and possibly spend a few bucks.
One of my favorite spots is Ted’s between Bergland and Morson Ont. Not much different from a redneck junk yard in the southern suburbs of Chicago. Love that sign and always look out for it on the trip to make sure Ted is still alive and collecting crap.
Ojibwe Indians are what Canadians call part of the ‘First Nation’. That’s a Canadian PC term for their dwindling Indians tribes. We know one Ojibwe very well. His name is Lenny and works at the resort. Lenny is a very dedicated hard working quiet guy and we hired him as a fishing guide a few times years ago. He remembers us because we tip him well and treat him as one of us. He taught us a lot about walleye fishing.
In Canada they have reservations just as they do in the USA. Here’s the local tribe sign. Isn’t that a phrase used in an old Three Stooges short?
We were told a few years back that the local Ojibwe were given housing courtesy of the taxpaying Canadians. But the Ojibwe weren’t happy. Uh uh. Since the homes were built inland and they historically lived on the shores of LOTW they demanded newer homes be built on the water. The government surrendered and built them all new homes on the water.
Along the way these are often seen. No, that is not a Gitmo detention center for radical Islamists. But close. That is a roadside garbage protection facility. It protects the garbage from black bears who would rip those trash bags to shreds IF they could get at them.
No way would I ever drive 14 hours to ice fish. I may be crazy but not stoopid.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Monday Morning Blues
Dan tossed me the keys to the Life In The Great Midwest
Monday Morning Blues tour bus again.
Look out now chillins. And hide your wimmens too.
Monday Morning Blues tour bus again.
Look out now chillins. And hide your wimmens too.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Happy Father's Day
That's my grandfather at the motor, my dad in the middle and me in the background. Lake Of The Woods Ontario 1964. I was eleven years old.
Those guys got my fishing jones started when I was nine and I still can't get enough. We made the trip to Ontario each year. They put up with my wise ass attitude.
Dad can barely walk now let alone climb into a boat from the pier. His fishing days are over.
Last week I collected all the photos of us fishing in Canada from the early 60's to the present. Then I went to a local arts and crafts store and bought a photo album. I scanned and color corrected the old photos and more recent film snapshot prints so no negatives will ever be needed. After printing them out at Kinko's they were cut out and placed in the album in chronological order. I plan on giving it to him later today.
I can never thank him enough for everything he taught me about fishing. And life.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Guess Who?
The guy on the left is well-known offensive football genius Charlie Weiss.
The guy on the right could very well be son of Charlie Weiss. But it's not.
The Final Jeopardy answer is : The offspring of two POP Music icons.
Good luck.
Damn you, Trebeck!
The guy on the right could very well be son of Charlie Weiss. But it's not.
The Final Jeopardy answer is : The offspring of two POP Music icons.
Good luck.
Damn you, Trebeck!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Road Trip - Canada Part 2
Part one is here.
Eating walleyes is as enjoyable as catching them but the catching part isn’t always easy. Unless you go where the walleyes are.
Walleyes are a species that make sharp seasonal movements and adapt very well to their available food source. One day you can’t keep them off the hook and the next they may be gone. Anglers must learn to adapt in order to consistently be successful.
Walleyes live in many lakes and anglers spend a lot of time trying to catch them. Walleyes are as valued to northwoods fishermen as bass are to the good old boys down south. The economies of northwoods business depend on two things, walleye fishermen and paper mills.
Years ago I could catch walleye an hour away in southwestern Michigan. Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota all have lakes with walleyes. But I don’t waste my time there because of the pressure. Fishing locally we do much better with bass, perch and other panfish that are all fun to catch and good to make tasty meals. In all my years spent fishing, only Canada and portions of northern Minnesota that share the border with Canadian waters like Lake Of The Woods and Rainy Lake are worth my time when it comes to walleye fishing.
Lake Erie has a large population of walleye and I know many who go there but the walleye out of Lake Erie taste musty. Like frying and eating a wet shag carpet from a flooded basement. None for me thanks.
For the past twenty out of twenty-five years our group has consistently out-fished the others in camp at Red Wing Lodge. But catching the really big ones has eluded us until the past five years. This is partially due to size restrictions placed by the Ontario Ministry Of Natural Resources. Another reason we do well is because we go early in the season, usually the second week of June. This year was better because the seasonal cycle is two weeks late in Canada due to weather. Two weeks before we arrived some areas of the lake still had ice remnants. At this time of year the walleye are still close to shore in shallow water where they just completed spawning.
When I was a kid we kept everything we caught regardless of size. The old man (grandad) would not stop fishing until the cooler in the boat and sometimes a stringer hung overboard were filled. He made it like work while we sat uncomfortably in a small boat with bench seats and a floatation cushion. There was a quantity limit but not a size limit. Walleyes we kept were always big back in the 60’s.
Currently the Ontario walleye restrictions go like this.
Only two walleyes per license can be in the boat in possession at any time. In our boat we could legally keep eight total between the four of us. We could have an additional two each in the cabin refrigerated or frozen as well for a total catch limit of four walleyes per licensed fisherman. On top of that only one walleye per person could exceed a 19.4” size limit. We have a ruler decal on top if our side compartments to make sure we don’t (cough) break any laws.
IF the fishing is hot as it was this year we simply fry our catch for dinner, eat them and go back out for more the next day. Repeat. Nothing wrong with that legally, besides, we love eating them.
Of course we always want to bring a limit of walleyes home with us to share with family and friends. We always manage to do that. Fish we like to bring home are larger ones if possible. Some claim the smaller ones taste best. I disagree. Those claims come from anglers who only catch small fish. It would be perfect if they were all 19 inches with one being an oversize walleye each. We came very close to that last week.
LOTW is a huge body of water and very fertile. It is well managed and the commercial netting is now restricted to native tribes and monitored.
This is where the big fish are. We sure got a lot of them this time.
Eating walleyes is as enjoyable as catching them but the catching part isn’t always easy. Unless you go where the walleyes are.
Walleyes are a species that make sharp seasonal movements and adapt very well to their available food source. One day you can’t keep them off the hook and the next they may be gone. Anglers must learn to adapt in order to consistently be successful.
Walleyes live in many lakes and anglers spend a lot of time trying to catch them. Walleyes are as valued to northwoods fishermen as bass are to the good old boys down south. The economies of northwoods business depend on two things, walleye fishermen and paper mills.
Years ago I could catch walleye an hour away in southwestern Michigan. Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota all have lakes with walleyes. But I don’t waste my time there because of the pressure. Fishing locally we do much better with bass, perch and other panfish that are all fun to catch and good to make tasty meals. In all my years spent fishing, only Canada and portions of northern Minnesota that share the border with Canadian waters like Lake Of The Woods and Rainy Lake are worth my time when it comes to walleye fishing.
Lake Erie has a large population of walleye and I know many who go there but the walleye out of Lake Erie taste musty. Like frying and eating a wet shag carpet from a flooded basement. None for me thanks.
For the past twenty out of twenty-five years our group has consistently out-fished the others in camp at Red Wing Lodge. But catching the really big ones has eluded us until the past five years. This is partially due to size restrictions placed by the Ontario Ministry Of Natural Resources. Another reason we do well is because we go early in the season, usually the second week of June. This year was better because the seasonal cycle is two weeks late in Canada due to weather. Two weeks before we arrived some areas of the lake still had ice remnants. At this time of year the walleye are still close to shore in shallow water where they just completed spawning.
When I was a kid we kept everything we caught regardless of size. The old man (grandad) would not stop fishing until the cooler in the boat and sometimes a stringer hung overboard were filled. He made it like work while we sat uncomfortably in a small boat with bench seats and a floatation cushion. There was a quantity limit but not a size limit. Walleyes we kept were always big back in the 60’s.
Currently the Ontario walleye restrictions go like this.
Only two walleyes per license can be in the boat in possession at any time. In our boat we could legally keep eight total between the four of us. We could have an additional two each in the cabin refrigerated or frozen as well for a total catch limit of four walleyes per licensed fisherman. On top of that only one walleye per person could exceed a 19.4” size limit. We have a ruler decal on top if our side compartments to make sure we don’t (cough) break any laws.
IF the fishing is hot as it was this year we simply fry our catch for dinner, eat them and go back out for more the next day. Repeat. Nothing wrong with that legally, besides, we love eating them.
Of course we always want to bring a limit of walleyes home with us to share with family and friends. We always manage to do that. Fish we like to bring home are larger ones if possible. Some claim the smaller ones taste best. I disagree. Those claims come from anglers who only catch small fish. It would be perfect if they were all 19 inches with one being an oversize walleye each. We came very close to that last week.
LOTW is a huge body of water and very fertile. It is well managed and the commercial netting is now restricted to native tribes and monitored.
This is where the big fish are. We sure got a lot of them this time.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Wrigley Field Rooftop Seats
Worst Seats In The House
No fan of the Chicago Cubs am I. Wrigley Field? No big whup. Been there. It’s a urine soaked dump loaded with more drunks than a Soldier Field parking lot on an autumn Sunday.
So much about the Cubs and their fans amuse me to no end. To me, those rooftop bleachers across the street from the park are the biggest hoax in sports.
That’s why THIS caught my eye.
Fans can watch the Cubs v. Yankees from a rooftop seat for half price. That’s $125 for seats usually selling for $275. For what?
From the page (emphasis mine):
You sit in the bleachers, (no, not the real bleachers) watching the Cubs-Yankees face off, hoist a beer to your friends, and exclaim this is the best seat in house. Or rather, on the house. This is your chance to watch the Cubs battle in Wrigley from excellent rooftop seats along Sheffield Avenue.
If you haven’t watched a game from a roof deck, you haven’t experienced a crucial, authentic Chicago experience. Call it a Bucket List entry: watching the game atop an endorsed rooftop with unobstructed views, easy bathroom access, and all you can eat and drink. There are limited seats for each, so call early.
Rooftop access starts one full hour before the game. Help yourself to as much as you can eat and drink: pizza, burgers, dogs, Italian beef, cookies, brownies, ice cream and more. When you grab this daily deal you grab yourself the best seat on the house.
One may as well watch a baseball game from the Goodyear fvcking blimp at 2,000 feet.
I might be willing to sit in those rooftop seats under certain circumstances. If it were free and they provided limo transportation to and from, served Bombay Sapphire martinis with prime porterhouse steaks and offered me the opportunity to snort coke off a stripper's tits.
It appears that Cub fans are finally losing their enthusiasm for losing judging by this incredible offer. The bloom is off the Wrigley rose. The honeymoon for new owner Ricketts is officially over. But enough of the cliches.
The joke is on the fans.
No fan of the Chicago Cubs am I. Wrigley Field? No big whup. Been there. It’s a urine soaked dump loaded with more drunks than a Soldier Field parking lot on an autumn Sunday.
So much about the Cubs and their fans amuse me to no end. To me, those rooftop bleachers across the street from the park are the biggest hoax in sports.
That’s why THIS caught my eye.
Fans can watch the Cubs v. Yankees from a rooftop seat for half price. That’s $125 for seats usually selling for $275. For what?
From the page (emphasis mine):
You sit in the bleachers, (no, not the real bleachers) watching the Cubs-Yankees face off, hoist a beer to your friends, and exclaim this is the best seat in house. Or rather, on the house. This is your chance to watch the Cubs battle in Wrigley from excellent rooftop seats along Sheffield Avenue.
If you haven’t watched a game from a roof deck, you haven’t experienced a crucial, authentic Chicago experience. Call it a Bucket List entry: watching the game atop an endorsed rooftop with unobstructed views, easy bathroom access, and all you can eat and drink. There are limited seats for each, so call early.
Rooftop access starts one full hour before the game. Help yourself to as much as you can eat and drink: pizza, burgers, dogs, Italian beef, cookies, brownies, ice cream and more. When you grab this daily deal you grab yourself the best seat on the house.
One may as well watch a baseball game from the Goodyear fvcking blimp at 2,000 feet.
I might be willing to sit in those rooftop seats under certain circumstances. If it were free and they provided limo transportation to and from, served Bombay Sapphire martinis with prime porterhouse steaks and offered me the opportunity to snort coke off a stripper's tits.
It appears that Cub fans are finally losing their enthusiasm for losing judging by this incredible offer. The bloom is off the Wrigley rose. The honeymoon for new owner Ricketts is officially over. But enough of the cliches.
The joke is on the fans.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Road Trip - Canada
Late Saturday night we returned from a Canadian fishing trip. We spent seven days on Lake of the Woods (LOTW), located in the Ontario side north of Minnesota. It’s a fourteen hour drive including pit stops to or from the Illinois/Indiana state line.
“Lake of the Woods is over seventy miles long and wide, and contains more than 14,552 islands and 65,000 miles (105,000 km) of shoreline. It would amount to the longest coastline of any Canadian lake, except that the lake is not entirely within Canada. Lake of the Woods is also the 6th largest freshwater lake located (at least partially) in the United States- after the five Great Lakes.”
More LOTW info is here.
If one is serious about catching fish instead of simply fishing around the key to success is to go where the fish are. Most lakes have a habitat that supports a fish population but few lakes support a huge amount of large fish that receive the least amount of human fishing pressure. From there we analyze the body of water and eliminate the areas that don't hold fish. Concentrate on those few areas that will hold large amounts of large fish and determine the best tactics to place the odds in our favor. Conditions change seasonally so smart anglers understand what works best at a given time and when. Knowledge + experience + strategy + tactics = success. It works every time.
I have not made this Canadian trip for the last few years. My first trip to LOTW was in 1962 when I was nine years old with my family. Then those feisty high school and art school years got in the way and caused a brief pause.
We have been going back to LOTW for twenty-five years and know parts of that lake like our back yards. This is one huge body of water and we probably have fished less than 1% of it. Red Wing Lodge located near Morson, Ontario has been our base camp. Mike and Ann Bartlett run a clean and modern establishment compared to other affordable resorts in Ontario.
Sure, there are deluxe corporate style country club accommodations to be found elsewhere on the lake that provide all the amenities such as three squares a day cooked by a certified four-star chef, waitresses, bussed tables, a fully stocked bar and bartender, daily bed linen change, bell hops, servants, and native guides who cook shore lunch and all but put fish on your hooks, filet your catch, wipe your ass and put mint chocolates on your pillow before you go to bed after a visit to the spa.
We prefer the more rustic cabins where we can come and go as we please, fish where and when we want to, and cook our own food when we feel like it. One thing is for sure, we eat very well all week long. Screw the chef. Last week we enjoyed five fresh caught fried walleye dinners and meals that cannot be beat anywhere and we prepared them in our own cabin. We had lots of laffs and froze plenty of walleye to bring home.
There were seven in our gtoup. There was son AJ, the bro, Old Weird Harold and myself in our own boat. Two members of the SWAT team were in the other. There was Tommy the cop, his cop buddy Patrick and Pat’s dad Tony. We rented what was once a summer home that was recently purchased by Mike and Ann who own the Red Wing Lodge. Our cabin was located adjacent to the main camp but is much more secluded. It sleeps eight comfortably with a full kitchen, dining area and our own private pier.
Mike’s dad and family homesteaded this resort in 1980 on the shores of a protected smaller bay on the much larger Sabaskong Bay. They built this resort from scratch, one hell of a lot of work in this remote area of Canuckistan which is not exactly wilderness but very primitive.
Sabaskong Bay has hundreds of small rocky islands bursting with pines and generously spotted with moss and lichens creating a delightful ever-present aroma that is simply indescribable. Seagulls (of course) pelicans, piping plovers and ducks fly by freely (as if they own the place).
It was mating season for ruffed grouse and the male wing beats could often be heard while we fished near island shores.
Piping Plovers appear to be small seagulls. We could see them diving into the water to emerge with small fish. They looked like dive bombers crashing into the water, resurfacing and flying away with dinner.
But the very best show in the sky were the bald eagles.
While looking out from the cabin over our small bay one evening I watched as a large bald eagle dove out of the sky talons first and wings cupped as it easily snatched a good sized fish from the water’s surface and in one fluid motion turned and flew parallel to the opposite shore about three feet off the lake with it’s fresh caught sushi dinner. Ann Bartlett confirmed the next morning that she had also witnessed that same bird from their lodge.
On another occasion we watched from the boat toward an island as a family of mallards grew extremely nervous when an eagle appeared to be eyeballing their ducklings as it circled at low altitude overhead.
Once we watched from the boat as a mink with a small fish in its mouth scurried along the long sandy shoreline of an island peppered with rocks. Beaver lodges were present around every corner. A few years ago we drew a bit too close to one beaver lodge and king beaver approached our boat closely and repeatedly slapped it’s tail on the water as if to say GTFOOHYA.
Late in the day last week Pat the cop was outside in front of the cabin (sunset lasts over two hours up there) and suddenly came rushing back into the cabin screaming, “BEAR IN THE CAMP, BEAR IN THE CAMP.” That black bear was most likely more afraid of Pat (who is built like a pro wrestler and probably bigger than the bear) and ran the other way.
After sorting through copious amounts of photos I will post some of the larger fish we caught later this week. The largest fish was caught by son AJ. It was a Muskie that measured 44 inches. LOTW is world-class muskie waters and it is only getting better due to conservation regulations. Muskie were out of season while we were there and the keep size limit must be larger than 56 inches in season.
Then there was one walleye caught by Old Weird Harold that went over 30 inches and weighed at least seven pounds unofficially. On the very last day, a northern pike caught by Andy measured 36 inches and officially weighed in at twelve pounds. That is about as large as pike get in LOTW according to Mike. Pike share the same habitat as muskies and I believe that has caused a drop in the pike population over the past ten years.
We went. We caught. We ate. And we kicked fish ass.
Those seven days produced a decade’s worth of stories.
More to come.
“Lake of the Woods is over seventy miles long and wide, and contains more than 14,552 islands and 65,000 miles (105,000 km) of shoreline. It would amount to the longest coastline of any Canadian lake, except that the lake is not entirely within Canada. Lake of the Woods is also the 6th largest freshwater lake located (at least partially) in the United States- after the five Great Lakes.”
More LOTW info is here.
If one is serious about catching fish instead of simply fishing around the key to success is to go where the fish are. Most lakes have a habitat that supports a fish population but few lakes support a huge amount of large fish that receive the least amount of human fishing pressure. From there we analyze the body of water and eliminate the areas that don't hold fish. Concentrate on those few areas that will hold large amounts of large fish and determine the best tactics to place the odds in our favor. Conditions change seasonally so smart anglers understand what works best at a given time and when. Knowledge + experience + strategy + tactics = success. It works every time.
I have not made this Canadian trip for the last few years. My first trip to LOTW was in 1962 when I was nine years old with my family. Then those feisty high school and art school years got in the way and caused a brief pause.
We have been going back to LOTW for twenty-five years and know parts of that lake like our back yards. This is one huge body of water and we probably have fished less than 1% of it. Red Wing Lodge located near Morson, Ontario has been our base camp. Mike and Ann Bartlett run a clean and modern establishment compared to other affordable resorts in Ontario.
Sure, there are deluxe corporate style country club accommodations to be found elsewhere on the lake that provide all the amenities such as three squares a day cooked by a certified four-star chef, waitresses, bussed tables, a fully stocked bar and bartender, daily bed linen change, bell hops, servants, and native guides who cook shore lunch and all but put fish on your hooks, filet your catch, wipe your ass and put mint chocolates on your pillow before you go to bed after a visit to the spa.
We prefer the more rustic cabins where we can come and go as we please, fish where and when we want to, and cook our own food when we feel like it. One thing is for sure, we eat very well all week long. Screw the chef. Last week we enjoyed five fresh caught fried walleye dinners and meals that cannot be beat anywhere and we prepared them in our own cabin. We had lots of laffs and froze plenty of walleye to bring home.
There were seven in our gtoup. There was son AJ, the bro, Old Weird Harold and myself in our own boat. Two members of the SWAT team were in the other. There was Tommy the cop, his cop buddy Patrick and Pat’s dad Tony. We rented what was once a summer home that was recently purchased by Mike and Ann who own the Red Wing Lodge. Our cabin was located adjacent to the main camp but is much more secluded. It sleeps eight comfortably with a full kitchen, dining area and our own private pier.
Mike’s dad and family homesteaded this resort in 1980 on the shores of a protected smaller bay on the much larger Sabaskong Bay. They built this resort from scratch, one hell of a lot of work in this remote area of Canuckistan which is not exactly wilderness but very primitive.
Sabaskong Bay has hundreds of small rocky islands bursting with pines and generously spotted with moss and lichens creating a delightful ever-present aroma that is simply indescribable. Seagulls (of course) pelicans, piping plovers and ducks fly by freely (as if they own the place).
It was mating season for ruffed grouse and the male wing beats could often be heard while we fished near island shores.
Piping Plovers appear to be small seagulls. We could see them diving into the water to emerge with small fish. They looked like dive bombers crashing into the water, resurfacing and flying away with dinner.
But the very best show in the sky were the bald eagles.
While looking out from the cabin over our small bay one evening I watched as a large bald eagle dove out of the sky talons first and wings cupped as it easily snatched a good sized fish from the water’s surface and in one fluid motion turned and flew parallel to the opposite shore about three feet off the lake with it’s fresh caught sushi dinner. Ann Bartlett confirmed the next morning that she had also witnessed that same bird from their lodge.
On another occasion we watched from the boat toward an island as a family of mallards grew extremely nervous when an eagle appeared to be eyeballing their ducklings as it circled at low altitude overhead.
Once we watched from the boat as a mink with a small fish in its mouth scurried along the long sandy shoreline of an island peppered with rocks. Beaver lodges were present around every corner. A few years ago we drew a bit too close to one beaver lodge and king beaver approached our boat closely and repeatedly slapped it’s tail on the water as if to say GTFOOHYA.
Late in the day last week Pat the cop was outside in front of the cabin (sunset lasts over two hours up there) and suddenly came rushing back into the cabin screaming, “BEAR IN THE CAMP, BEAR IN THE CAMP.” That black bear was most likely more afraid of Pat (who is built like a pro wrestler and probably bigger than the bear) and ran the other way.
After sorting through copious amounts of photos I will post some of the larger fish we caught later this week. The largest fish was caught by son AJ. It was a Muskie that measured 44 inches. LOTW is world-class muskie waters and it is only getting better due to conservation regulations. Muskie were out of season while we were there and the keep size limit must be larger than 56 inches in season.
Then there was one walleye caught by Old Weird Harold that went over 30 inches and weighed at least seven pounds unofficially. On the very last day, a northern pike caught by Andy measured 36 inches and officially weighed in at twelve pounds. That is about as large as pike get in LOTW according to Mike. Pike share the same habitat as muskies and I believe that has caused a drop in the pike population over the past ten years.
We went. We caught. We ate. And we kicked fish ass.
Those seven days produced a decade’s worth of stories.
More to come.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Chicago Tribune Finally Wakes Up On Our Dismal Energy Future
Over the last few years I have written many articles about power and electricity, and in particular how transparently wrong the "dreams" and plans are for alternative technologies or the re-birth of nuclear power (although that makes me sad, for I am a big supporter of nuclear power).
A large part of the problem is that there are many variables that need to be understood in order to see what is likely to occur in the future in the energy industry. These include:
1 The motivation of key players, whether they are utility companies, government entities like the TVA or the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
2 The financial capabilities of the key players, because often the ones with the largest amount of available funding are unlikely to "risk it all" for uncertain financial gains
3 The role of state regulators, since the utility industry still has a very strong state orientation, particularly in Texas, which has its own grid (except for El Paso)
4 The role of Federal regulators, who have can order components of deregulation which have shaken up the industry for better and for worse
5 The role of Federal agencies, such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which for the most part has rubber-stamped nuclear re-licensing so far (prior to Japan), and the Department of Energy which has spectacularly failed with the Yucca Mountain storage project for nuclear waste. Also the EPA with particulate emissions
6 The role of special interest groups, particularly those against new construction of nuclear or coal plants, or transmission lines to connect the grid. These interests have won huge and damaging victories such as the demented Shoreham situation and the transmission line under Long Island that can't be powered on
7 How electricity works (and gas, for they are intertwined), with the key note being that it is a "peak" business and not having the right amount of power in the right place makes for bad outcomes (blackouts)
8 That "classes" of rate payers such as industrial titans (aluminum plants), companies, government entities and residents have different motivations and goals. One of the most insightful things I heard in a rate case proceeding was "I don't care if you raise utility rates, just don't raise them on my class of service"
9 The different segments of utility operations, from generation to transmission to distribution, and how each has different economics and "closeness" to customers (you may hate your local distribution utility, but it is the generation and the lack of transmission that is driving the rates that they must charge)
10 The role of individual politicians, such as prominent ones from either party that come into power and proclaim that they can "change" the system or achieve a particular type of transformation
11 The fact that utilities are regressive in that an increase in utility rates disproportionally impacts the poor because it can represent such a big portion of their expenses and the utility actually takes action if you don't pay (one of my first encounters in the industry happened when a small child on a plane asked if I was the guy who "turns off the power" when I said I worked in the electricity industry)
12 The availability and impact of alternatives of which the most important by far is decline in the price of natural gas for generation or to a lesser extent the fact that gasoline powered generators for home backup were once rare but are getting more common, and that many major businesses simply have to purchase parallel backup power units(quite expensive) because they can't rely on the "dirty" power from their local utility
13 The advancement of technology captures the popular imagination, but I hardly pay attention to it at all. Our energy infrastructure is ancient; our hydro faculties may as well have been built by the ancient Egyptians, and the vast, vast majority of our nuclear plants are running on technology designed 30-40 years ago. Items like smart metering and "alternative" technologies are a drop in the bucket and don't solve our fundamental issues of lack of base-load power and properly placed and sized transmission lines
14 The cost & availability of money whether measured in interest rates or in availability of credit or buying power is very important to capital-intensive businesses; in the 70's during high inflation up to 25% or more of the cost of a major investment such as a nuclear power plant was just capitalized interest which was driven by the high cost of money
15 The motivation of oligopoly players is important since major utilities are adjacent to one another and tend not to compete in the other guys' backyard; the most famous example of this was AT&T which was broken up in the classic Judge Greene decision in 1982 and then regrouped slowly over the next 25 years as shown in this hilarious but true Colbert bit
Of all the variables... the popular imagination tends to favor #13 "new technology" with magazines like Popular Mechanics talking up new reactor designs and other cool advances as well as #10 when the incoming administration talked of a (never-gonna-happen) "nuclear renaissance" in 2008.
The "real" answer, in my opinion, is that "it depends". What pre-killed the nuclear renaissance in the USA was the fact that the major players either didn't have the money to buy them (#2) or if they did have money, didn't have a motivation to do so (#1) which is tied to the fact that they profit anyways off the status quo.
When the (sad) situation in Japan occurred, instantly the most important item was #6, the role of special interest groups, which would fight tooth and nail until the end of time, draining money and adding risk, in order to see the utility fail in its mission of adding new generating capacity.
The most important general trend now is the low price of natural gas (#12) which means that now not only is it insane from a regulatory point of view to consider nuclear or coal, natural gas at its current price presents a rational economic alternative.
Back to the Chicago Tribune...
Due to the fact that you have to understand so much, the typical "reporter" method of asking some questions, fact checking what you were told, and then adding a "human" element of the average "Joe" on the street, and kicking it out in the paper, fails utterly. You could ask 100 people and get different answers, with few to none understanding the financial and regulatory hurdles that OBVIOUSLY prevent anything from happening at all (except the status quo). Thus in order to understand and write insightful articles you need to see "the big picture" which means at least a decent understanding of all the components above, or at least the elements that are the most important at the time the article is being written.
Due to the importance of this issue and the fact that it keeps popping up year after year, more and more journalists and papers are starting to be more insightful in their conclusions. Today's article is called "Consumers' Electric Bills Likely To Spike As Coal Plants Close".
The first line is:
Well that is a good start. We have been shielded from rate increases for years as the utilities "wind down" the lives of their existing assets and don't re-invest in new base-load generation (along with price caps in Illinois), but that good fortune is coming to an end. Implied is (#11) the impact of these increases on everyone in Illinois, especially the poor.
Also true - pointing out that environmental regulations from the EPA (#5) with a sop to the fact that our (state) regulators (#3) don't have any solutions, although they claim to be working on it.
All true. There is no free lunch, and (#1) the MOTIVATION and (#2) FINANCIAL CAPABILITIES of the key players will drive what happens. That is a good insight that whatever happens, customers pay.
This is an interesting quote. Note that they are retiring 25% of their coal base-load capacity (they have some nuclear, too) and then spending billions just to keep the rest in operation (which doesn't add ANY net new capacity, we just tread in place) to keep up with new regulations (#5).
While the numbers may be fine, the reporter misses a KEY DISTINCTION; there is no "ComEd". ComEd gets most of its energy now from Exelon, and will get MORE in the future as the coal plants shut down. "ComEd" is OWNED by Exelon, and Exelon will make money hand over fist as they run their nuclear plants forever, and their poor subsidiary ComEd will come crying to politicians hat in hand saying it needs money to pay for power generated by some distant utility, which is basically themselves.
Ultimately the CRAZY SCENARIO I see is that Exelon "dumps" ComEd, which is just a conduit for power purchased by others that makes a bit of money on a regulated return, so that they no longer have this tie to their subsidiary that will allow them to pass on massive increases in power costs (for the same power that state ratepayers funded decades ago, mind you). That is why I have this item - motivation - as #1 on my list (although they aren't in order, it just jumped out at me as I started the list).
And then the CRAZIER SCENARIO, which is right out of the movie "Too Big To Fail" which I just saw on HBO, is that the state or local governments just get tired of this and seize the Exelon nuclear plants. They could do this directly or by stealth (through pecking them to death with local violations); but at some point these rate increases will go so high that politicians will have to "do something".
In any case, this is a well written article, and the reporter obviously could see the situation from several angles, and pretty much discounted any hopes of avoiding these rate increases. There isn't much of a tone of hope in the article, which is appropriate, because our situation is bad and getting worse, saved only by the low cost of natural gas as a fuel source. The article was also mostly free of "alternative energy" mumbo jumbo; it doesn't provide base load power anyways and we'd all be paying far more than 60% higher on our electrical bills if it provided a substantial portion of our electricity.
Cross posted at Chicago Boyz
A large part of the problem is that there are many variables that need to be understood in order to see what is likely to occur in the future in the energy industry. These include:
1 The motivation of key players, whether they are utility companies, government entities like the TVA or the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
2 The financial capabilities of the key players, because often the ones with the largest amount of available funding are unlikely to "risk it all" for uncertain financial gains
3 The role of state regulators, since the utility industry still has a very strong state orientation, particularly in Texas, which has its own grid (except for El Paso)
4 The role of Federal regulators, who have can order components of deregulation which have shaken up the industry for better and for worse
5 The role of Federal agencies, such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which for the most part has rubber-stamped nuclear re-licensing so far (prior to Japan), and the Department of Energy which has spectacularly failed with the Yucca Mountain storage project for nuclear waste. Also the EPA with particulate emissions
6 The role of special interest groups, particularly those against new construction of nuclear or coal plants, or transmission lines to connect the grid. These interests have won huge and damaging victories such as the demented Shoreham situation and the transmission line under Long Island that can't be powered on
7 How electricity works (and gas, for they are intertwined), with the key note being that it is a "peak" business and not having the right amount of power in the right place makes for bad outcomes (blackouts)
8 That "classes" of rate payers such as industrial titans (aluminum plants), companies, government entities and residents have different motivations and goals. One of the most insightful things I heard in a rate case proceeding was "I don't care if you raise utility rates, just don't raise them on my class of service"
9 The different segments of utility operations, from generation to transmission to distribution, and how each has different economics and "closeness" to customers (you may hate your local distribution utility, but it is the generation and the lack of transmission that is driving the rates that they must charge)
10 The role of individual politicians, such as prominent ones from either party that come into power and proclaim that they can "change" the system or achieve a particular type of transformation
11 The fact that utilities are regressive in that an increase in utility rates disproportionally impacts the poor because it can represent such a big portion of their expenses and the utility actually takes action if you don't pay (one of my first encounters in the industry happened when a small child on a plane asked if I was the guy who "turns off the power" when I said I worked in the electricity industry)
12 The availability and impact of alternatives of which the most important by far is decline in the price of natural gas for generation or to a lesser extent the fact that gasoline powered generators for home backup were once rare but are getting more common, and that many major businesses simply have to purchase parallel backup power units(quite expensive) because they can't rely on the "dirty" power from their local utility
13 The advancement of technology captures the popular imagination, but I hardly pay attention to it at all. Our energy infrastructure is ancient; our hydro faculties may as well have been built by the ancient Egyptians, and the vast, vast majority of our nuclear plants are running on technology designed 30-40 years ago. Items like smart metering and "alternative" technologies are a drop in the bucket and don't solve our fundamental issues of lack of base-load power and properly placed and sized transmission lines
14 The cost & availability of money whether measured in interest rates or in availability of credit or buying power is very important to capital-intensive businesses; in the 70's during high inflation up to 25% or more of the cost of a major investment such as a nuclear power plant was just capitalized interest which was driven by the high cost of money
15 The motivation of oligopoly players is important since major utilities are adjacent to one another and tend not to compete in the other guys' backyard; the most famous example of this was AT&T which was broken up in the classic Judge Greene decision in 1982 and then regrouped slowly over the next 25 years as shown in this hilarious but true Colbert bit
Of all the variables... the popular imagination tends to favor #13 "new technology" with magazines like Popular Mechanics talking up new reactor designs and other cool advances as well as #10 when the incoming administration talked of a (never-gonna-happen) "nuclear renaissance" in 2008.
The "real" answer, in my opinion, is that "it depends". What pre-killed the nuclear renaissance in the USA was the fact that the major players either didn't have the money to buy them (#2) or if they did have money, didn't have a motivation to do so (#1) which is tied to the fact that they profit anyways off the status quo.
When the (sad) situation in Japan occurred, instantly the most important item was #6, the role of special interest groups, which would fight tooth and nail until the end of time, draining money and adding risk, in order to see the utility fail in its mission of adding new generating capacity.
The most important general trend now is the low price of natural gas (#12) which means that now not only is it insane from a regulatory point of view to consider nuclear or coal, natural gas at its current price presents a rational economic alternative.
Back to the Chicago Tribune...
Due to the fact that you have to understand so much, the typical "reporter" method of asking some questions, fact checking what you were told, and then adding a "human" element of the average "Joe" on the street, and kicking it out in the paper, fails utterly. You could ask 100 people and get different answers, with few to none understanding the financial and regulatory hurdles that OBVIOUSLY prevent anything from happening at all (except the status quo). Thus in order to understand and write insightful articles you need to see "the big picture" which means at least a decent understanding of all the components above, or at least the elements that are the most important at the time the article is being written.
Due to the importance of this issue and the fact that it keeps popping up year after year, more and more journalists and papers are starting to be more insightful in their conclusions. Today's article is called "Consumers' Electric Bills Likely To Spike As Coal Plants Close".
The first line is:
Consumers could see their electricity bills jump an estimated 40 to 60 percent in the next few years.
Well that is a good start. We have been shielded from rate increases for years as the utilities "wind down" the lives of their existing assets and don't re-invest in new base-load generation (along with price caps in Illinois), but that good fortune is coming to an end. Implied is (#11) the impact of these increases on everyone in Illinois, especially the poor.
The reason: Pending environmental regulations will make coal-fired generating plants, which produce about half the nation's electricity, more expensive to operate. Many are expected to be shuttered. The increases are expected to begin to appear in 2014, and policymakers already are scrambling to find cheap and reliable alternative power sources. If they are unsuccessful, consumers can expect further increases as more expensive forms of generation take on a greater share of the electricity load.
Also true - pointing out that environmental regulations from the EPA (#5) with a sop to the fact that our (state) regulators (#3) don't have any solutions, although they claim to be working on it.
"Each generator will have to decide for itself whether the investment required to meet environmental requirements can be justified based on its projection of market prices and the cost of its capital. In any case, those costs will be passed through to consumers," said Mark Pruitt, director of the Illinois Power Agency, which procures electricity for Illinois.
All true. There is no free lunch, and (#1) the MOTIVATION and (#2) FINANCIAL CAPABILITIES of the key players will drive what happens. That is a good insight that whatever happens, customers pay.
American Electric Power, one of the country's largest coal-burning electricity generators, said Thursday it will retire nearly a quarter of its coal-fueled generating capacity and that it will spend up to $8 billion to retrofit remaining units to meet regulations that start taking effect in 2014. Those moves will have an impact.
This is an interesting quote. Note that they are retiring 25% of their coal base-load capacity (they have some nuclear, too) and then spending billions just to keep the rest in operation (which doesn't add ANY net new capacity, we just tread in place) to keep up with new regulations (#5).
What analysts know is that a portion of ComEd bills that pays electricity generators to reserve a portion of their power three years into the future will increase more than fourfold. That would translate into increases of $107 to $178 a year for an average residential customer in ComEd's territory, starting in 2014, according to calculations by Chris Thomas, policy director for consumer advocacy group Citizens Utility Board.
While the numbers may be fine, the reporter misses a KEY DISTINCTION; there is no "ComEd". ComEd gets most of its energy now from Exelon, and will get MORE in the future as the coal plants shut down. "ComEd" is OWNED by Exelon, and Exelon will make money hand over fist as they run their nuclear plants forever, and their poor subsidiary ComEd will come crying to politicians hat in hand saying it needs money to pay for power generated by some distant utility, which is basically themselves.
Ultimately the CRAZY SCENARIO I see is that Exelon "dumps" ComEd, which is just a conduit for power purchased by others that makes a bit of money on a regulated return, so that they no longer have this tie to their subsidiary that will allow them to pass on massive increases in power costs (for the same power that state ratepayers funded decades ago, mind you). That is why I have this item - motivation - as #1 on my list (although they aren't in order, it just jumped out at me as I started the list).
And then the CRAZIER SCENARIO, which is right out of the movie "Too Big To Fail" which I just saw on HBO, is that the state or local governments just get tired of this and seize the Exelon nuclear plants. They could do this directly or by stealth (through pecking them to death with local violations); but at some point these rate increases will go so high that politicians will have to "do something".
In any case, this is a well written article, and the reporter obviously could see the situation from several angles, and pretty much discounted any hopes of avoiding these rate increases. There isn't much of a tone of hope in the article, which is appropriate, because our situation is bad and getting worse, saved only by the low cost of natural gas as a fuel source. The article was also mostly free of "alternative energy" mumbo jumbo; it doesn't provide base load power anyways and we'd all be paying far more than 60% higher on our electrical bills if it provided a substantial portion of our electricity.
Cross posted at Chicago Boyz
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Bye bye Combat Mission
Recently I was going through old stuff and threw out my Combat Mission CD's. Combat Mission is a military simulation that Dan and I used to play online several years ago. This wasn't a real time game; both players "plotted" their turns and then the computer calculated the turns and we could send the results back and forth (Play by Email) or could play head to head. We were pretty dedicated to playing this; we'd have a couple of games going back and forth and we rarely "missed a turn" which means returning an email back to the other guy. But times move on, and everyone gets new and more healthy hobbies, like Dan racing up a mountain in France. Even I am far less sedentary than I once was (but a stone slacker compared to Dan).
So goodbye to all that, and here's an inside joke to Dan of a license plate that I saw recently.
So goodbye to all that, and here's an inside joke to Dan of a license plate that I saw recently.
Yuck - It Is All The Past To Them
Recently I was in London I heard about a band called "Yuck" that was getting a lot of hype. The lead singer is young (only 20 years old) and the band builds on the grunge rock of the 90's and you can hear Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, and all the rest spread throughout. Their album (CD?) is great and highly recommended. Here they are playing "Get Away" live on an English TV show.
Here is their CD cover... this is an image that they kind of use throughout as you can see on their blog site here (they even have a horse-and-buggy blog just like us at LITGM).
I remember growing up and there was an endless talk of "influences" on band. Led Zeppelin "borrowed" liberally from the blues especially on their first album and were even sued a few times. We argued about what influenced the metal bands; some like Sabbath were obviously based on part of the blues but then Metallica had a big dose of classical music instead. These are the kinds of drunken disputes that you have when you are a kid with time to kill and a beer in your hand.
But now you have a band like Yuck that is based on the 90's grunge bands that were some sort of second derivative of the metal bands / punk bands with a bunch of other stuff thrown in. The first time I thought of someone basing a band on 90's music it seemed insane to me; but the more I thought about it, to someone like "Yuck", the famous line from Seinfeld comes to mind (when George is arguing about clowns and his predilection for Bozo):
To someone who is 20 what is the difference between original blues, hard rock, metal, and grunge? It is ALL IN THE PAST. What for us was once new is just detritus waiting to be rediscovered and repackaged, one as good as the next.
Check out that album, you'll laugh seeing all the 90's influences repackaged for the second decade of the 21st century.
Here is their CD cover... this is an image that they kind of use throughout as you can see on their blog site here (they even have a horse-and-buggy blog just like us at LITGM).
I remember growing up and there was an endless talk of "influences" on band. Led Zeppelin "borrowed" liberally from the blues especially on their first album and were even sued a few times. We argued about what influenced the metal bands; some like Sabbath were obviously based on part of the blues but then Metallica had a big dose of classical music instead. These are the kinds of drunken disputes that you have when you are a kid with time to kill and a beer in your hand.
But now you have a band like Yuck that is based on the 90's grunge bands that were some sort of second derivative of the metal bands / punk bands with a bunch of other stuff thrown in. The first time I thought of someone basing a band on 90's music it seemed insane to me; but the more I thought about it, to someone like "Yuck", the famous line from Seinfeld comes to mind (when George is arguing about clowns and his predilection for Bozo):
You're living in the past, man
To someone who is 20 what is the difference between original blues, hard rock, metal, and grunge? It is ALL IN THE PAST. What for us was once new is just detritus waiting to be rediscovered and repackaged, one as good as the next.
Check out that album, you'll laugh seeing all the 90's influences repackaged for the second decade of the 21st century.
Around Chicago June 2011
Upper left that sticker on the window says "I love manboobs and I like to cry". No idea what to make of that but it is damn funny. Middle top - you can't have a party without throwing a couple cans of PBR down, apparently. Upper right the ad is for a "cheap and tacky 2 bedroom" and the yellow sign is kind of tacky, too. Lower left - all you can eat sushi? Does that sound like a good idea? Didn't they see that episode where Homer "denuded" the all-you-can-eat shrimp bar? Lower right - I see a lot of graffiti but this is pretty funny and not your usual tagger someone added "Got any dr*gs?" to the Chanel model.
Ready
What you have just seen is a condensed version of one of the mountains I will soon be riding my bicycle up - the famous Tourmalet. I leave in a week to live a dream - ride my bike in the Pyranees.
The Pyranee mountains hold significant importance in the cycling world as the Tour de France does several stages in and around them each year, and sometimes the Tour is decided on those slopes. Along with the Alps, it is sort of the World Series and Super Bowl of bicycling all wrapped into one.
I started thinking about doing this a couple of years ago. I couldn't do it last year for scheduling reasons, but I am going there for two weeks this year. I couldn't be more excited.
I also couldn't be in better shape. I expect to put a full thousand miles or more on my bicycle over 14 days, many of those miles in misery climbing mountains thousands of meters tall. I have told my wife that I will probably lose ten pounds or so by the end of it all from the wear and tear so she is expecting me to be a little scrawny when I return. This is what my vacation looks like.
One day I am actually in a race that is 165 km and goes over five mountains. I am nervous and excited about that all at once. It will be very cool to bump shoulders with actual professional cyclists at the start and to be able to talk to them at the finish - since that is the next place I will probably see them. Think playing one on one with LeBr0n Jame$.
I will have plenty of photos and stories to tell I am sure. We will be riding some Tour routes and we are hoping that they will have some of the barriers and banners set up for the Tour when we are there. I am going to paint my name on the road as so many others will do before the Tour comes.
I am a bit concerned about the descents - that should be intense. I have new brake pads installed. But I am a good bike handler so I will do well. If nothing else, I will die in a spectacular fashion as my broken corpse careens down the side of a mountain. Better to burn out than to fade away, I always say. My Road ID will get my broken sack of bones back to my wife for creamation.
Seriously, I plan on being very careful on the descents and I will be fine.
I have trained as much as is humanly possible for a guy with my schedule. I have spent countless hours in my basement suffering on the trainer this Winter and Spring. I hit the road with my bike early and often this Spring and endured cold, windy weather and now my bike is broken down and packed into a travel case. It is coming. I am heading to France in a week.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Can't Believe Cubs Coaches
On Saturday the Cubs played their bitter divisional rival, the Cardinals. And how did they lose, in extra innings? From a walk-off home run by Albert Pujols.
On Sunday... what happened again... another walk off homer by Albert Pujols.
What I find totally astounding is that Albert Pujols is and has been the best baseball player over the last ten years. ESPN has a great article here titled "Albert Pujol's decade of dominance" if you want to see the common wisdom distilled down to a simple article full of statistics.
This is possibly the stupidest run of coaching I have seen since the Bears allowed Cutty to get absolutely slaughtered on play after play in that horrendous game against the Giants, until it ended with his concussion.
On Sunday... what happened again... another walk off homer by Albert Pujols.
What I find totally astounding is that Albert Pujols is and has been the best baseball player over the last ten years. ESPN has a great article here titled "Albert Pujol's decade of dominance" if you want to see the common wisdom distilled down to a simple article full of statistics.
This is possibly the stupidest run of coaching I have seen since the Bears allowed Cutty to get absolutely slaughtered on play after play in that horrendous game against the Giants, until it ended with his concussion.
Friday, June 03, 2011
Ultimate Bummer For Madison Businesses and Residences on the Square
I have lived in Madison for almost seventeen years now. It really is a nice place to live. There is always a lot going on - tons of restaurants, bands, the university, you name it. Drive five minutes out of town and there is farmland and peace and quiet.
I get a lot of questions about Madison from those who don't live here. Especially lately. What about all those "protesters"? What is it like to live there?
Well, some parts of the city are just like any other in the US. If you didn't know where you were, you would think you were in any Midwestern town. The "protests" were nothing but a rumor once you get a few blocks off the square.
But there are the fruits and nuts. And they make a racket, as evidenced by the "protests" a few months ago. I use the word protests in quotes because they were, in reality, planned political rallies, not true protests.
They are ramping up again. For the next month or so, there will be more rallies, shouting, drumming, the whole shebang. There will be lunatics, leftists, crazies, dudes making a point so they can get laid, college kids, hippies, socialists, communists, and all the rest down on the square. It is budget season.
In a show of how infinitely stupid a city council can be, the city of Madison has issued permits for people to create "Walkerville". A tent city around parts of the square. I already know what this is going to end up looking like. Here is an article on it.
See that map? OH MAN do I feel sorry for those business owners and folks who live in that area. They tried in vain to get the city to not pass this but to no avail. In a true show of lunacy, the City of Madison put POLITICS right up front and gave them the permit. Of course this sets precedent. The Klan and any other kook group will now have full rights to camp out on the square from this day forward or the city will get its pants sued off.
I will get some photos and video of this bullshit when the time comes. It is going to look like crap, sound like shit, and smell worse. There will be garbage everywhere. The business owners will lose their minds. I honestly do feel sorry for them. I hope the farmers market vendors are ready for those tents NOT to move on Saturday mornings. I will be interested to see those fights when the vendors show up to their expensive stall spots and some stinky people are squatting there. I think physical violence may ensue. At least I am hoping so. Wouldn't that make great footage seeing an Amish dude with an axhandle tapping a tune on some college student's cranium?
Madison really is a nice place. You just have to stay out of the insanity. About once a day I see somthing and say - fuckin' Madison. Nowhere else.
I get a lot of questions about Madison from those who don't live here. Especially lately. What about all those "protesters"? What is it like to live there?
Well, some parts of the city are just like any other in the US. If you didn't know where you were, you would think you were in any Midwestern town. The "protests" were nothing but a rumor once you get a few blocks off the square.
But there are the fruits and nuts. And they make a racket, as evidenced by the "protests" a few months ago. I use the word protests in quotes because they were, in reality, planned political rallies, not true protests.
They are ramping up again. For the next month or so, there will be more rallies, shouting, drumming, the whole shebang. There will be lunatics, leftists, crazies, dudes making a point so they can get laid, college kids, hippies, socialists, communists, and all the rest down on the square. It is budget season.
In a show of how infinitely stupid a city council can be, the city of Madison has issued permits for people to create "Walkerville". A tent city around parts of the square. I already know what this is going to end up looking like. Here is an article on it.
See that map? OH MAN do I feel sorry for those business owners and folks who live in that area. They tried in vain to get the city to not pass this but to no avail. In a true show of lunacy, the City of Madison put POLITICS right up front and gave them the permit. Of course this sets precedent. The Klan and any other kook group will now have full rights to camp out on the square from this day forward or the city will get its pants sued off.
I will get some photos and video of this bullshit when the time comes. It is going to look like crap, sound like shit, and smell worse. There will be garbage everywhere. The business owners will lose their minds. I honestly do feel sorry for them. I hope the farmers market vendors are ready for those tents NOT to move on Saturday mornings. I will be interested to see those fights when the vendors show up to their expensive stall spots and some stinky people are squatting there. I think physical violence may ensue. At least I am hoping so. Wouldn't that make great footage seeing an Amish dude with an axhandle tapping a tune on some college student's cranium?
Madison really is a nice place. You just have to stay out of the insanity. About once a day I see somthing and say - fuckin' Madison. Nowhere else.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Expensive Tiki
As readers of this blog know I love the "tiki lifestyle". How can you have a bad time with a tropical drink in your hand and a palm frond above your head? It is impossible.
I had to laugh when I recently saw this ad for a tiki bar - look at the price - that is a LOT of money for fronds and bamboo! Almost $4000!
I recently saw this place by Rush and Division which seemed to be a pretty pale tiki imitation. I like the spray painted sign though, nice touch.
I had to laugh when I recently saw this ad for a tiki bar - look at the price - that is a LOT of money for fronds and bamboo! Almost $4000!
I recently saw this place by Rush and Division which seemed to be a pretty pale tiki imitation. I like the spray painted sign though, nice touch.
A Photo Of My Wiener
It seems like the contemporary pop cultural twitter twat thing to do.
And by the way, I always put ketchup on my wiener. So sue me.
And by the way, I always put ketchup on my wiener. So sue me.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Opposite Rides
Recently I was walking around town when I saw this parked scooter. I like the cool helmet.
The complete opposite was a recent ride that I took in a BMW 760 IL. This car had a V12 engine. I love the fact that when you walk in the door it is lit up on the running board.
The complete opposite was a recent ride that I took in a BMW 760 IL. This car had a V12 engine. I love the fact that when you walk in the door it is lit up on the running board.
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