Just a bit on EMP

It is a beautiful day and you may be feeling pretty good, so let me mention two items to ruin you day: 

1.  One is a site dedicated to preparing for EMP attacks Irene sent along.  The site is more of a "Oh MY God, you better send me money" affair, but you may feel that my warnings are less the ranting of a disgruntled curmudgeon than a fair concern of a disgruntled curmudgeon. 

Speaking of curmudgeons, Greg isn't so worried about the EMP problem because we can track trawlers, etc.  He also says the military is ready for it which is of no solace.

Even if we could track a bad guy or vessel, I don't trust morons.  Could you see any member of the administration saying, "Sure, take out that trawler."  No, there would be days of meetings and, then, a law barring the prevention of attacks without a grand jury indictment.

The EMP attack is the only viable one that can take us out and requires very little in the way of preparation. It is the type of thing that would appeal to sneaks who threaten to wipe out nations and has no care of killing off its own people as the time has come for the kuku bird, or whatever, to come with and provide millions of virgins.  I wonder who fits that?  Indeed, a Russia or China could be behind the attack and make us think it was Iran.

I suggest a car without any computer that gets good gas mileage, like a 1965 VW.


2.  The latest "green" hype is the creation of a smart grid, which, of course, will take a generation to even get work started, but shhhh, don't let on.  Part of the new grid system is the electro mechanical elements of the grid will be replaced by digital stuff.  This is so that an EMP can completely eliminate our grid.  But wait, there is more...

The problem with a huge volume of current (I am thinking you can say capacity) is less building super-cooled lines, which we can do and are testing in the grid in Menands, than stopping the current in the event of problems.  If ten times the electricity suddenly has no where to, a power company plant in its wat won't sustain a few boxes blowing up, the entire station will blow up and a bit of the town around it.  We are planning on introducing a system that will be easy to cripple, resulting in massive explosions that will prevent the repair of the grid for many years.  (Think about it: recreate the electric infrastrucure without electricity and, for a long time, gas or oil.

I wonder if being a lineman for the county is a green job.