Thursday, March 10, 2011
Edward Glaeser’s T
GroupMe and Rivals O
Edward Glaeser's Triumph of the City and how to save dying cities. - By Witold Rybczynski - Slate Magazine
I don't know if Edward Glaeser, whose father was born in Berlin, had Leni Riefenstahl's 1935 propaganda film in mind when he titled his book Triumph of the City, but his stirring subtitle, "How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier," suggests that he may. Glaeser's thesis is simple: The chief role of cities is to magnify human strengths. This is true in commerce, science, technology, and the arts; indeed, it is easy to argue, as Jane Jacobs did, that civilization and cities are synonymous.
"To thrive, cities must attract smart people and enable them to work collaboratively," Glaeser writes. The Harvard economist uses the insight that human capital is a key ingredient to a city's success to explain why some old industrial cities like Detroit have continued to decline, while others like Boston have rebounded. From its founding, Boston emphasized education, which helped the city reinvent itself several times: as a trading port with the West Indies and Europe in the 17th century; as a manufacturing center in the 1850s; and as a financial, biotechnology, and hi-tech center a century later. New York is another example of a city that has recently made a successful transition based on human capital, replacing shipping, manufacturing, and the garment industry with global finance.
While urban failure is dismally similar—high poverty rates, abandoned buildings, decaying infrastructure—success takes many forms, which is why Los Angeles, London, and Singapore are physically so different. In fact, some of the most creative urbanized areas in the United States—Silicon Valley and Boston's Route 128—don't look like traditional cities at all. Neither does Houston (the nation's fourth-largest city) which, Glaeser compellingly argues, offers middle-income Americans something missing in more glamorous cities: jobs and affordable housing.
Glaeser defines the city as a "mass of connected humanity." His emphasis on human capital is important because politicians and planners tend to overvalue the physical environment. They encourage cities to look for the Next New Thing, whether it's pedestrian malls, downtown stadiums, iconic museums, or light rail. It is as if 13th-century European cities, envious of Venice's great commercial success, had said "Oh, that's the trick—we just have to turn our streets into canals." The conflict between people and places is currently playing out in the plans to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Glaeser questions the wisdom of this strategy. "It never made sense to spend more than $100 billion putting infrastructure in a place that lost its economic rationale long ago," he writes. It would be better, he argues, to simply distribute the money directly to the people affected in the form of checks or housing and school vouchers, and let them decide how—and where—to spend it.
AdvertisementHuman capital does not always benefit cities. While successful cities attract smart people, sometimes smart people institute not-so-smart policies. Glaeser is critical of thriving cities that impose arcane building regulations, complex zoning, and restrictive conservation rules to limit new construction. Curtailing the building supply simply raises real-estate prices and drives growth into surrounding suburbs, as it has done in New York, San Francisco, and Paris. Also in Mumbai, which surprisingly has some of the most expensive urban real estate on the planet. What is the alternative? Encourage cities to densify. Glaeser proposes replacing the current regulatory maze with a sort of congestion tax: developer fees on the negative effects of new construction such as increased traffic, blocked views, and so on. According to him, a straightforward tax would not only be more transparent—and more speedy—it would also benefit the community directly. He also proposes limiting the powers of historic preservation boards and community groups to block new building. Such an immodest proposal would take a triumph of the will, indeed.
Full disclosure: Glaeser provided an endorsement for my latest book.
Like Slate Culture on Facebook. Follow Slate on Twitter.
Witold Rybczynski is Slate's architecture critic. His latest book is Makeshift Metropolis: Ideas About Cities. Visit his Web site. Follow him on Twitter.
Memphis radio person
Memphis radio personality John 'Bad Dog' McCormack dies » The Commercial Appeal
John "Bad Dog" McCormack
Longtime Rock 103 radio personality John ‘Bad Dog’ McCormack died shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday at Methodist University Hospital after he was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit in critical condition earlier in the day.
McCormack, 55, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2009 and underwent a bone marrow transplant. He had relapsed and had been re-admitted to the hospital before his condition worsened Thursday.
His WEGR-FM radio partner Tim Spencer posted a message from McCormack on the station’s website. He said the words were written by McCormack to be published in the event of his death:
“I have gone to be with God, and he is holding me tightly and I am surrounded by many of the Ronald McDonald House kids. Do not say you have lost a friend. One is only lost when you don’t know where they are. You know where I am.
“I thank each and every one of you for your support and prayers. I love all of you and that will never go away . . . None of us is guaranteed tomorrow, make every day great, be the spiritual leader of your family. May peace be with you. Your friend, Bad Dog.”
McCormack had been on the air with Spencer Wednesday as part of their new afternoon program, “Bad Dog and Tim.” The pair had been part of the station’s original “Wakeup Crew” with Bev Hart beginning in April, 1988. McCormack had spent much of the last four years as part of a morning show with Ric Chetter until being reunited with Spencer for their afternoon show.
Chetter was at the hospital early Thursday when he said McCormack was moved to the intensive care unit with an aneurysm and lapsed into a coma. Chetter, Spencer and Hart said McCormack had been a passionate supporter of Ronald McDonald House and its annual radiothon. The men said they often played the straight-man role to McCormack’s comedic approach to the airwaves.
His Twilight Phone routines often involved prank calls to unsuspecting people for comedic effect, but, Hart said, “He wasn’t just all about the one-liner. He was a Memphian who loved Memphis, loved being from Memphis and loved everything and everybody about Memphis. He brought genuineness and a sense of ethics. He was about bringing laughter to people’s lives not just to help people through the day but to make Memphis a better place.”
After his diagnosis with leukemia in 2009, McCormack said a CT scan taken for the leukemia also revealed tumors in the kidneys and the pituitary glands. He sometimes said that leukemia saved his life.
In a “Live at 9” interview earlier on WREG-TV this year, McCormack said when he learned of his leukemia diagnosis his reaction he did not panic: “I thought, Lord if this is how you want me to serve you then let’s do it . . . You hold my hand and we’ll get through this together. I’ve lived a real nice life.”
Funeral arrangements were incomplete Thursday night.
— Michael Lollar: 529-2793
Comments » 71
- March 10, 2011
- 6:25 p.m.
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CosmicStargoat writes:
We will miss you Bad Dog.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:25 p.m.
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RuralSquirrel writes:
I want to be the first one to say you were THE BEST!!!
we will miss you BAD!!!
RIP BAD DOG...
- March 10, 2011
- 6:25 p.m.
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arcadedays writes:
Funniest man ever on Memphis radio. An inspiration and a gift. I hope he got as much pleasure out of what he did for a living as he gave.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:27 p.m.
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Noamsayin writes:
Impossible to replace.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:27 p.m.
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big_argus writes:
Memphis will never be the same without Bad Dog. The end of an era for sure.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:27 p.m.
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RuralSquirrel writes:
in response to arcadedays:
Funniest man ever on Memphis radio. An inspiration and a gift. I hope he got as much pleasure out of what he did for a living as he gave.
i cannot even begin to say how much pleasure he game me every morning listening to his wit. his laugh was infectious. this is just not fair. he wasn't supposed to go this suddenly.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:28 p.m.
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giggity writes:
Thank you Bad Dog.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:29 p.m.
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- March 10, 2011
- 6:30 p.m.
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daybow writes:
Thoughts and prayers for his family. I remember meeting Bad Dog at a golf tournament years ago. He was the same in person as he was on the radio. He will be missed.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:30 p.m.
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rukiddingme writes:
He fought a long battle. May he rest in peace. Condolences to family and friends.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:33 p.m.
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Cheryl_Caldwell writes:
Finally one thing Memphis can agree on.
Best wishes to his family.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:33 p.m.
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Southerner writes:
I will miss running in to you at Schnuck's Forest Hill-Irene. Your smile and humor was infectious.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:36 p.m.
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DocRambo writes:
Thanks for the many, many years of brightening our day each morning during our commutes to work.
RIP brother and condolences to the Bad Dog family.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:37 p.m.
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truth_by_rick writes:
I was listening to John on the Rock 103 Radio the other day with Tim Spencer.
Peace. My prayers go out to his Family. John (Bad Dog) was a wonderful living human being. I will miss him and his laughter on the radio.
God Bless Him and his family.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:37 p.m.
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PRND21 writes:
He had such a great attitude. RIP Bad Dog.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:41 p.m.
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mtsugirl09 writes:
RIP Bad Dog. You were amazing at comedy. You will definitely be missed. Prayers for your friends and family.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:43 p.m.
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juren1#204645 writes:
Truly a fine, honorable man. Bad dog, we will all miss you.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:44 p.m.
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favoritetigers252423 writes:
This was a Memphis legend who was called home to early. You will be missed Badly. He had a huge heart and even bigger personality. Good bye Bad Dog! Memphis loves you.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:46 p.m.
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bornin47 writes:
Rest in the peace you so richly deserve, Bad Dog, and thank you so much for all you did for our city and our lives.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:50 p.m.
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Snarky_Spice writes:
RIP Sir
- March 10, 2011
- 6:55 p.m.
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RuralSquirrel writes:
in response to DocRambo:
Thanks for the many, many years of brightening our day each morning during our commutes to work.
RIP brother and condolences to the Bad Dog family.i will never forget the morning i learned what a merken was from Bad Dag on the radio. just one many, many more than a thousand mornings that i was doubled over in laughter and he was laughing so hard he couldn't talk either. and he was like that up until he left us. i paid close attention to him when he went to nights recently, and he NEVER lost that optimistic attitude, even in the face of all this, which we now know was far worse than Tim or Ric or anybody else let on. I was ticked off to hear those new guys in the morning, and i thought: HOW COULD THEY MOVE BAD DOG?? now i think i have the answer as to why. he was a warrior to the end. and funny warrior at that! R.I.P. Bad Dog. Twilight phones will take on a new significance henceforth. Tim, Bev, and Bad Dog were the crew that EVERYONE else in the business aspired to be. and make no mistake which one was the real draw there. I say WE ALL go to his funeral, and make it so big that they are overwhelmed. He deserves that at the very least.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:56 p.m.
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auntie1947 writes:
So, so sad. I LOVED his laugh.
RIP, Big Guy!
- March 10, 2011
- 6:57 p.m.
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Kyle_in_rure writes:
Requiescat in Pace Bad Dog McCormack.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:57 p.m.
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thetruthx writes:
John McCormack has raised millions for the Ronald McDonald house here in Memphis. I think a name change is due, The John McCormack, Ronald McDonald House. We will miss you Bad Dog, RIP.
- March 10, 2011
- 6:58 p.m.
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YeahYeah writes:
Brave fighter and a class act. RIP.
- March 10, 2011
- 7 p.m.
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RuralSquirrel writes:
if you look up Rock 103 in the dictionary, there should be a picture of Bad Dog. he IS the personification of Rock 103 in Memphis. what a loss for his fans. this blows. royally.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:03 p.m.
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RuralSquirrel writes:
in response to thetruthx:
John McCormack has raised millions for the Ronald McDonald house here in Memphis. I think a name change is due, The John McCormack, Ronald McDonald House. We will miss you Bad Dog, RIP.
the possiblities are endless. I fully expect that we will continue to hear his name for many, many years to come.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:05 p.m.
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IAmStillMadLadChilly1 writes:
I'm gonna miss you, man... rest in peace.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:06 p.m.
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Phoebesies writes:
We will miss him. My day was always made better listening to him in the mornings. To his family, know that he touched and enriched many lives with his HUGE personality. My prayers to all.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:07 p.m.
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Algonquin_J_Calhoun writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
- March 10, 2011
- 7:07 p.m.
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Algonquin_J_Calhoun writes:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever, in Jesus name, Amen
- March 10, 2011
- 7:08 p.m.
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ronaldray writes:
in response to thetruthx:
John McCormack has raised millions for the Ronald McDonald house here in Memphis. I think a name change is due, The John McCormack, Ronald McDonald House. We will miss you Bad Dog, RIP.
Excellent idea about the name change. His wit and wisdom will truly be missed.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:09 p.m.
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MaxHammer writes:
Very sad news.
A terrific and immediately recognizable Memphis radio voice and an irreplaceable talent.
Condolences to family and close personal friends.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:12 p.m.
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YeahYeah writes:
in response to Algonquin_J_Calhoun:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Was that really necessary? Show some respect. This isn't a time to proselytize.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:13 p.m.
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bbomar writes:
Will miss hearing your voice on the radio, your compassion, your generosity...What an amazing person and an amazing battle. You made me not miss home so much ... rip my friend!
- March 10, 2011
- 7:13 p.m.
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Pippin writes:
What a wonderful man. My condolences to his family. My goodness, he will be sorely missed.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:16 p.m.
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CosmicStargoat writes:
in response to Algonquin_J_Calhoun:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
I'm not taking the bait, not in this thread. John was a good Catholic and completely not disingenuous. We were not friends as such, but I did meet him and talk to him on the phone. He loved life and humor and was ground-breaking with his crew in slaying sacred cows. He's one of a kind, regardless of his religious views.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:19 p.m.
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bporlando writes:
John, you brought so much joy to this world. Thanks for so many years of joy and laughter. You will be greatly missed.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:19 p.m.
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TN1234 writes:
RIP Baddog. You were one of a kind.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:21 p.m.
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CosmicStargoat writes:
in response to IAmStillMadLadChilly1:
I'm gonna miss you, man... rest in peace.
I feel kinda like I felt the day John Lennon was murdered. Break the mold.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:24 p.m.
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LouBunch writes:
Bad Dog, you fought the good fight. You will be sorely missed by all you knew you. My condolences to your family. May they be comforted by the thoughts and prayers of others.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:27 p.m.
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Rockford writes:
in response to Algonquin_J_Calhoun:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
He did! I hope you do too.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:29 p.m.
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meanbuicks#384306 writes:
Bad Dog left the following message that's posted at Rock103.com:
"I have gone to be with God and he is holding me tightly and I am surrounded by many of the Ronald McDonald House kids. Do not say you have lost a friend. One is only lost when you don't know where they are.. you know where I am.
I thank each and every one of you for your support and prayers. I love all of you and that will never go away. When you are having a bad day, think of my laugh or a Twilight Phone or the time we met. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow, make every day great, be the spiritual leader of your family. May peace be with you. Your friend, Bad Dog."
I will surely miss his fantastic laugh.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:32 p.m.
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tiggerintn#245437 writes:
I met Bad Dog on many occasions, he always remembered my husband and I, and he was a wonderful man. I will miss hearing his laughter. Prayers go out to his family.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:36 p.m.
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ronaldray writes:
in response to YeahYeah:
Was that really necessary? Show some respect. This isn't a time to proselytize.
Agreed. Surely Bad Dog was keenly aware of his possible death and planned accordingly, in his own mind, physically and spiritually. In the end religion is quite personal. What anyone else believes about the hereafter isn't necessarily what others do. IMHO, he will continue to be a great benefit wherever he is now, just like he was before.
RIP Sir.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:38 p.m.
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CommonSenseNE1 writes:
Hard to see through the tears....God bless your boys and your family, as well as the rest of us, who now have to go through life unable to hear that infectious laugh of yours. Heaven has a new angel tonight, that's for sure!
- March 10, 2011
- 7:39 p.m.
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educated_redneck writes:
in response to Algonquin_J_Calhoun:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
He did.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:41 p.m.
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MRTIBBS writes:
RIP John. You were the heart and soul of the crew.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:42 p.m.
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loosebooub#232713 writes:
Thanks for all the laughs you have given us all these past years. May you spend eternity in the presence of God. You were and shall continue to be a source of amusement, strength and inspiration to all those who struggle against overwhelming odds with honor and integrity and true faith and trust in God's infinite goodness and justice. You will be sorely missed and never replaced. Rest in peace you f...ing prince.
- March 10, 2011
- 7:43 p.m.
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Southerner writes:
in response to meanbuicks#384306:
Bad Dog left the following message that's posted at Rock103.com:
"I have gone to be with God and he is holding me tightly and I am surrounded by many of the Ronald McDonald House kids. Do not say you have lost a friend. One is only lost when you don't know where they are.. you know where I am.
I thank each and every one of you for your support and prayers. I love all of you and that will never go away. When you are having a bad day, think of my laugh or a Twilight Phone or the time we met. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow, make every day great, be the spiritual leader of your family. May peace be with you. Your friend, Bad Dog."
I will surely miss his fantastic laugh.
Wow. Just wow.
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LinkedIn Today, soci
AOL jobs: AOL to cut
AOL jobs: AOL to cut 20% of its jobs - latimes.com
AOL Inc. is planning to cut its workforce by about 20%, or more than 900 of the 5,000 employees it has on its payroll worldwide.The job cuts are part of a restructuring aimed at increasing revenue and reflect the integration of operations with the Huffington Post, said Graham James, an AOL spokesman.
AOL's chief executive, Tim Armstrong, announced the planned job reductions Thursday in an e-mail to employees.
In the U.S., about 200 jobs will be cut, most of them in AOL's offices in New York and Dulles, Va., James said. About 700 jobs will be cut in India, he said.
LinkedIn Today, social news: LinkedIn starts social news service LinkedIn Today - latimes.com
Reporting from San Francisco—LinkedIn Corp. unveiled a social news service Thursday in an effort to broaden its appeal to the more than 90 million people who use the professional network as it prepares to become the first in what is likely to be a string of high-profile social networks going public in coming months.LinkedIn Today is the latest feature the Mountain View, Calif., company has rolled out to make its website a more popular destination. The service will let users tap into articles that are being shared by their connections or by people in their industries.
LinkedIn, which makes money through advertising and by offering premium services, is popular with job hunters, but user activity on the site has lagged behind that of others. In its prospectus for an initial public offering, LinkedIn warned that a "substantial majority" of its users don't visit the website on a monthly basis.
Saudi police open fi
Economist warns of d
Ron Paul Was Right:
Ron Paul Was Right: Will GOP Voters Care? - Joshua Green - Politics - The Atlantic
PELLA, IOWA -- Representative Ron Paul of Texas was back in a familiar place Monday, campaigning for president before a lunchtime crowd of likely caucus-goers at Pella Christian High School. He has not formally declared his candidacy, but there can be little doubt about his intentions. And who can blame him?If the Republican presidential nomination was awarded based on prescience, Paul would be the clear frontrunner. Long before the financial crisis of 2008, he had been warning about a housing bubble, about the enormous potential cost of taxpayers backstopping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and about the dangers that cheap credit was posing to the economy. Back when people were lionizing Alan Greenspan as the maestro, Paul was the chief critic of the Federal Reserve.
Economist warns of double dip recession if oil hits $140
Nouriel Roubini, the economist who correctly predicted the global financial crisis, warned on Thursday that some advanced economies could experience a double dip recession if the price of oil climbs to $140 a barrel."It the turmoil in the Middle East becomes much worse and the price of oil reaches $140-150 a barrel then the risk of a double dip recession increases," Roubini said in a keynote speech here at MIPIM, the world's annual gathering of real estate professionals.
World oil prices fell back Thursday after spiking sharply higher a day earlier, with New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in April, dropped 32 cents to $104.06 a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for April shed 51 cents to $115.43.
Several analysts have forecast oil could again reach the record $147 it set July 2008 before the onset of the global financial crisis if unrest spreads through the Middle East.
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My Visit to An Ameri
My Visit to An American Rare Earth Metals Mine | Popular Science
The electronic future is buried under the ground in Missouri
Pea Ridge Mine Tailings Mining operations at Missouri's Pea Ridge iron mine ceased in 2001, but the owner hopes Chinese dominance over rare earth metals will spur the milling and crushing equipment seen here to start humming again by the end of this year. Rebecca BoyleA chunk of magnetite guards the office door at the Pea Ridge iron mine near Sullivan, Mo., a mascot of the mine’s past and future. When Jim Kennedy bought the mine in 2001, he’d planned to restart production on a high-grade iron ore deposit. He didn’t realize he was sitting on a mother lode of 600,000 metric tons of high-grade rare earth elements -- elements the U.S. is desperately hungry for. Four years ago, he almost threw away reams of documents describing Pea Ridge’s deposit. “Nobody bothered to tell me about it,” he said.
At present, the U.S. is almost totally reliant on China for rare earth elements, which are used to make lasers, guided missiles, efficient batteries, and other technologies of the future. But China has recently slashed its exports of these materials, promising new regulations over their production, while raising prices — and the hackles of numerous national governments. As scientists work on possible alternatives to rare earths, some think renewed domestic production of the minerals could loosen China’s grip over 95 percent of the world’s rare earth supply.
Right now, the Pea Ridge mine is a quiet, muddy place with rusting mills, storage sheds cluttered with cracked core samples, and a marshy lake full of mine tailings. But when it’s renovated and reopened, Kennedy hopes to become only the second rare earth producer in the western hemisphere. He envisions a bustling mine producing billions of dollars of rare earths, feeding the renewable energy and defense industries. He has a few hurdles to clear before that dream becomes reality.
Rare earths are recovered just like other metals — from rocks removed from the ground that are broken up, milled and processed into purified forms. It’s a water-intensive, toxic process, but Kennedy says his mine has plenty of rare earths in the mile-long, 100-foot-deep lake of tailings, a slurry-like waste byproduct of almost 40 years of iron mining. He aims to start mining the lake’s 22 million tons of waste by the end of the year and restart underground mining in 2012.Related Articles
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Technology, Feature, Rebecca Boyle, batteries, lasers, magnets, missiles, most powerful magnets, prius, rare earth elements, rare earth minerals, rare earths, volt battery, wind energyOn the frigid day I visited, Kennedy took me to Pea Ridge’s core room, a metal shed stuffed with stacks of long, thin cardboard boxes. Inside each box is a section of a core sample taken when the mine was first developed. The one-inch-diameter cylindrical rocks helped Bethlehem Steel, the original owner, determine what the mine had to offer. Back in the 1960s, however, they were only interested in iron. Kennedy pulled out a broken piece and held a magnet to it, and it stuck — a chunk of magnetite, just like the front office sentinel. Another slice of rock was embedded with some glinting yellowish speckles. Those could be bits of rare earth oxides, he said.
Kennedy aims to resume the mine's production of iron, but to produce rare earths as a byproduct of iron purification. That’s possible due to the way the metals are situated in the earth.
The iron ore is criss-crossed with breccia pipes, a mass consisting of broken sedimentary rock infused with intriguingly named minerals like xenotime and monazite. The rare earths are part of those minerals. "The entire system is flooded with rare earths," Kennedy said.
The phosphorus in these minerals must be removed if their iron is to be used, but it turns out that’s a good thing for rare earth production. The rock is crushed into a fine powder and added to a pine oil solution to produce a frothy liquid. The phosphorus and the rare earths float out, separating them from the high-grade iron.
Rare Earth Elements: The REEs show up as bright colors under UV light. Courtesy Jim KennedyWhen it starts production, Pea Ridge would follow California’s Mountain Pass mine, becoming only the second American producer of rare earths. Molycorp Inc. started work at Mountain Pass in December, the mine’s first activity since 2002, when it closed amid regulatory problems stemming from a wastewater spill. Mountain Pass now produces about 3 percent of the world’s rare earth supply, and Molycorp hopes to increase that to 25 percent, producing 40,000 metric tons a year by 2013.
Mountain Pass will be the country’s leading rare earth mine, but it won’t be able to produce many of the so-called heavy rare earths, like dysprosium, which is used to make computer memory and lasers. One analyst suggested this week that Molycorp should diversify by buying up companies with claims on heavy rare earth deposits. Pea Ridge has them in abundance, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Despite their name — a holdover from the 1800s and early 1900s — rare earths aren’t particularly rare; they’re much more common than gold, and some are nearly as common as lead. They’re found in relatively low concentrations, however, requiring the processing of lots of rock. Ten states are known to have significant rare-earth deposits, according to a 2010 study by the USGS. Most are in the western U.S., but the Pea Ridge deposit has the highest grade of any site in the country, averaging 12 percent rare earth oxide concentration. Mountain Pass has much more tonnage, but at an average of only 8 percent concentration (and the vast majority is “light” rare earths).
Given its resources and existing infrastructure, why isn't Pea Ridge already producing rare earths? There’s a catch. Along with iron, the heavy rare earths at Pea Ridge are found intermingled with thorium, a radioactive element that requires special processing and cleanup. Hoping to turn this into a positive, Kennedy is drumming up support for thorium as an alternative energy source, namely powering molten salt reactors that could be scattered throughout cities. “When you mine for rare earths, you get the thorium for free,” he said.
More Than Meets the Eye: Chunks of hematite and magnetite, found scattered on the ground at the Pea Ridge iron mine in Sullivan, Mo., contain iron, phosphorus and trace amounts of rare earth metals. Later this year, the mine's owner aims to become the second producer of rare earth metals in the western hemisphere. Rebecca BoyleKennedy, a former Army Special Forces soldier and investment banker, has become an outspoken evangelist for rare earths and thorium, speaking to members of Congress, mining groups and engineers — he just gave a presentation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory — about the problem of Chinese dominance and the potential for American resurgence. He is pressing lawmakers in Missouri and Washington to establish a public-private cooperative to come up with $1 billion to build a rare earth refinery in Missouri, and he is hoping to spur a new thorium energy industry.
For now, his plans center on iron production. He wants to build a pipeline to ship iron ore to the Mississippi River 44 miles to the east, where he already has a permit for a processing facility and barge port. Pea Ridge will be the only domestic producer of merchant pig iron, which is used to make steel. Currently, American mills import pig iron from countries like Brazil and Sweden. Just like in its past, iron will be the mine’s main motivation, Kennedy said. But the almost-forgotten rare earths could be the icing on the cake.
Clinton: U.S. suspending relationships with Libyan Embassy - CNN.com
Washington (CNN) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, testifying Thursday before the House Appropriations Committee, said, "We are suspending our relationships with the existing Libyan embassy so we expect them to end operating as the embassy of Libya."
A senior administration official, speaking on background because he was not authorized to speak on the record, tells CNN, "This is recognition that Gadhafi is no longer the legitimate leader of Libya and therefore his representatives should leave."
Meet the Martinezes: One Family’s Reach For the American Dream - Noel Castellanos - God's Politics Blog
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27)
I met the Martinez family almost 20 years ago. They had just received their green cards after immigrating to Chicago from Puebla, Mexico, an impoverished community outside of Mexico City. Like many families, the Martinezes came to the United States in search of a better life for their children.
Jose, the father of the family, struggled to adjust to a new culture that was filled with strange sounds, smells, and values. His kids also struggled, but they found it easier to fit into the “American way of life” by learning English and navigating the dangers of the streets. This family of five got by through hard work and staying together. Maria, the mother of the family, worked odd jobs cleaning homes and doing whatever other work she could find. Jose worked as a line cook at a downtown diner catering to bankers and professionals — most of whom made as much money in a couple of months as Jose earned in an entire year.
Due to the extreme pressure of providing for his family, both here and back in Mexico, Jose often turned to drinking. When I met him and Maria, their marriage was on the rocks; their financial situation was in constant crisis; and their kids needed support. Most of all, the Martinezes were desperate for opportunity and hope.
Not long after I met them, the entire family responded to the good news of God’s love, which they knew they needed. Unlike so many U.S. citizens who have too much material comfort to see their spiritual malnutrition, the Martinezes devoured every opportunity to study the Word, fellowship with other seekers, and attend Sunday service. They found countless ways to serve God and others. They worked hard to get ahead, and on a few occasions they almost became homeowners. In many respects, the Martinezes began to experience the life they longed for in coming to “El Norte” (the North). Life was not a picnic, but their new life, built on hard labor and minimum wages, was much better than what they had left behind.
I wish I could say that their dramatic conversion to Christ changed their economic well-being in a radical way, but 20 years later, they are still pounding out a living, one day at a time. Like most Americans, the Martinez family has been hit hard by the current recession. Jose lost the restaurant job he held for 13 years, and he is very grateful to be working five hours a day at his current place of employment, although he knows it’s not enough to provide for his family. Maria works at a school across the street from their home, which saves them the gas money they don’t have. Also, a couple of their kids still chip in to help make ends meet. But instead of complaining, the Martinezes work harder and trust that God will meet their needs, not their wants, one day at a time.
Jose called few days ago and asked me to keep my eyes open for a second job, which he desperately needs. Then he asked me if I would help him round up 10 computers for his church because they want to start a learning center for kids in the neighborhood who need a safe place to study and escape the danger of gangs. “If we don’t look out for each other, we’ll never make it,” Jose told me. I could not agree with him more. As simple as this sounds, my friend Jose’s admonition is exactly what James reminds us is at the core of true, Christ-centered religion — a radical sense of responsibility to care for the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the vulnerable in a way that expresses what my friend Shane Claiborne calls, “the economics of love. ”
As I travel across the country listening to the stories of the poor and the concerns of Christians from every economic spectrum, I sense that the church is recalibrating its priorities to be an agent of compassion at this time of extreme economic crisis. I lament that our government is on the verge of turning its back on the most vulnerable in our still very wealthy society, while paying special attention to the wealthy, who need our help the least.
At the start of Lent, we must remind our lawmakers, our business leaders, our citizens, and ourselves that when we ignore the poor in favor of our own comfort, we do so to our own demise, and, ultimately, to the demise of our entire nation.
Noel Castellanos is CEO of the Christian Community Development Association.
Kathleen Sebelius: H
Hands-on: Chrome 10
Hands-on: Chrome 10 pushes the browser speed barrier - Computerworld
Computerworld - As Web sites become increasingly complex, streaming media becomes more common, and applications migrate from PC-client-based to Web-based, it becomes increasingly important for browsers to be as fast and responsive as possible. In fact, if you spend most of your life in Web-based apps, a speedy browser has gone from being a nice-to-have to a must-have.
Kathleen Sebelius: House CR would stop Medicare payments - David Nather - POLITICO.com
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is warning that the House CR would force the department to stop making Medicare payments — and Senate Republicans are saying it’s just not true.
It’s one of the most direct clashes Republicans have had with Sebelius yet. In fact, the Senate Republican Policy Committee insists there’s no reason HHS should have to stop the payments “unless the administration wishes to withhold Medicare program benefits to score political points.