Arrogant, Entitled, Pompous Windbags

[Castanza]

Isn't the power grid in NYC area built with redundancy with regard to transformer stations? [Here, & nowadays, every time the power grid is expanded, and a new transformer station is built, its redundant & back-up transformer station is built simultaneously.]

 

Much if the US power grid is 2nd world standard at best. Wooden poles leaning over until they fall down, transformers that look they are from the 60’s and high voltage lines  strung and cobbled together are the norm. I list power last winter in an apartment I rented for a week.

 

However on the plus side,  electricity is fairly cheap compared to Europe when you get it. Most larger industrial facilities have multiple power connections for redundancy.

 

Which just goes to show how massive infrastructure projects could easily increase productivity.  Would be such an amazing positive economic investment.

 

What is the US currently missing? The one thing I can think of is mobile network and wifi capability. But this is already really good. Especially when you think about how big the US is geographically. And in the high population areas access to these services is already good.

[meiroy]

Isn't the power grid in NYC area built with redundancy with regard to transformer stations? [Here, & nowadays, every time the power grid is expanded, and a new transformer station is built, its redundant & back-up transformer station is built simultaneously.]

 

Much if the US power grid is 2nd world standard at best. Wooden poles leaning over until they fall down, transformers that look they are from the 60’s and high voltage lines  strung and cobbled together are the norm. I list power last winter in an apartment I rented for a week.

 

However on the plus side,  electricity is fairly cheap compared to Europe when you get it. Most larger industrial facilities have multiple power connections for redundancy.

 

Which just goes to show how massive infrastructure projects could easily increase productivity.  Would be such an amazing positive economic investment.

 

What is the US currently missing? The one thing I can think of is mobile network and wifi capability. But this is already really good. Especially when you think about how big the US is geographically. And in the high population areas access to these services is already good.

 

Practically everything needs upgrading. A few examples in this thread.

 

Another one:

http://t4america.org/maps-tools/bridges/overview/

 

"68,842 bridges – representing more than 11 percent of total highway bridges in the U.S. – are classified as “structurally deficient,” according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Structurally deficient bridges require significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement. A number of bridges also exceed their expected lifespan of 50 years. The average age of an American bridge is 42 years."

 

 

[Cigarbutt]

Isn't the power grid in NYC area built with redundancy with regard to transformer stations? [Here, & nowadays, every time the power grid is expanded, and a new transformer station is built, its redundant & back-up transformer station is built simultaneously.]

 

Much if the US power grid is 2nd world standard at best. Wooden poles leaning over until they fall down, transformers that look they are from the 60’s and high voltage lines  strung and cobbled together are the norm. I list power last winter in an apartment I rented for a week.

 

However on the plus side,  electricity is fairly cheap compared to Europe when you get it. Most larger industrial facilities have multiple power connections for redundancy.

 

Which just goes to show how massive infrastructure projects could easily increase productivity.  Would be such an amazing positive economic investment.

 

What is the US currently missing? The one thing I can think of is mobile network and wifi capability. But this is already really good. Especially when you think about how big the US is geographically. And in the high population areas access to these services is already good.

 

Practically everything needs upgrading. A few examples in this thread.

 

Another one:

http://t4america.org/maps-tools/bridges/overview/

 

"68,842 bridges – representing more than 11 percent of total highway bridges in the U.S. – are classified as “structurally deficient,” according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Structurally deficient bridges require significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement. A number of bridges also exceed their expected lifespan of 50 years. The average age of an American bridge is 42 years."

A lot of data shows the need for significant infrastructure spend in many places but how this is decided and allocated is anything but simple and easy. Going back to the reliability issue of the electric grid around large urban centers, the return on investment principle should include the basic input that reliability is already at 99.99% and, before approving a major budget, one would need to assess the return on the incremental improvement in reliability. International comparisons are often flawed from the start because of incomplete data, variable definitions and other basic reasons such as geography and population density. An interesting feature in the US is that access is widespread and reliability tends to be proportional to population density. It will be interesting to see how different 'systems' will deal with the change of investment focus (from generation and transmission to points of distribution) that is likely to come with distributed energy and the 'smart' grid.

[Castanza]

Isn't the power grid in NYC area built with redundancy with regard to transformer stations? [Here, & nowadays, every time the power grid is expanded, and a new transformer station is built, its redundant & back-up transformer station is built simultaneously.]

 

Much if the US power grid is 2nd world standard at best. Wooden poles leaning over until they fall down, transformers that look they are from the 60’s and high voltage lines  strung and cobbled together are the norm. I list power last winter in an apartment I rented for a week.

 

However on the plus side,  electricity is fairly cheap compared to Europe when you get it. Most larger industrial facilities have multiple power connections for redundancy.

 

Which just goes to show how massive infrastructure projects could easily increase productivity.  Would be such an amazing positive economic investment.

 

What is the US currently missing? The one thing I can think of is mobile network and wifi capability. But this is already really good. Especially when you think about how big the US is geographically. And in the high population areas access to these services is already good.

 

Practically everything needs upgrading. A few examples in this thread.

 

Another one:

http://t4america.org/maps-tools/bridges/overview/

 

"68,842 bridges – representing more than 11 percent of total highway bridges in the U.S. – are classified as “structurally deficient,” according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Structurally deficient bridges require significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement. A number of bridges also exceed their expected lifespan of 50 years. The average age of an American bridge is 42 years."

 

I get that, but the majority of those highways and bridges are still being used regardless. It's more about safety than efficiency. Now if we're talking about adding new routes and lanes sure I get the efficiency/productivity argument. It's like companies who are still running Windows 8. Yeah there is a better product available; but can you justify the cost with the marginal (arguably zero) productivity increase?

[DTEJD1997]

Isn't the power grid in NYC area built with redundancy with regard to transformer stations? [Here, & nowadays, every time the power grid is expanded, and a new transformer station is built, its redundant & back-up transformer station is built simultaneously.]

 

Much if the US power grid is 2nd world standard at best. Wooden poles leaning over until they fall down, transformers that look they are from the 60’s and high voltage lines  strung and cobbled together are the norm. I list power last winter in an apartment I rented for a week.

 

However on the plus side,  electricity is fairly cheap compared to Europe when you get it. Most larger industrial facilities have multiple power connections for redundancy.

 

Which just goes to show how massive infrastructure projects could easily increase productivity.  Would be such an amazing positive economic investment.

 

What is the US currently missing? The one thing I can think of is mobile network and wifi capability. But this is already really good. Especially when you think about how big the US is geographically. And in the high population areas access to these services is already good.

 

Practically everything needs upgrading. A few examples in this thread.

 

Another one:

http://t4america.org/maps-tools/bridges/overview/

 

"68,842 bridges – representing more than 11 percent of total highway bridges in the U.S. – are classified as “structurally deficient,” according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Structurally deficient bridges require significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement. A number of bridges also exceed their expected lifespan of 50 years. The average age of an American bridge is 42 years."

 

I get that, but the majority of those highways and bridges are still being used regardless. It's more about safety than efficiency. Now if we're talking about adding new routes and lanes sure I get the efficiency/productivity argument. It's like companies who are still running Windows 8. Yeah there is a better product available; but can you justify the cost with the marginal (arguably zero) productivity increase?

 

Castanza:

 

Replacing/repairing bridges & infrastructure can absolutely increase efficiency.

 

Here in the Detroit area, most of the infrastructure is literally falling to pieces.  This is manifested mainly in road problems.

 

Michigan has diverted a substantial portion of the "gas tax" to education for a number of years.  As such, our roads are probably the worst in the country.  With these bad roads, our vehicles get damaged every year.  I've had tires blow out and suspension problems with my vehicles in the past 3 years.  I am an EXTREMELY careful driver.  I have family members who have had THOUSANDS of dollars & lost work days due to damaged vehicles.

 

Perhaps even more importantly than that, we now have extensive repair/rebuilding taking place on the freeways.  This is resulting in massive traffic backups.  I frequently make a trip that takes 20-25 minutes on clear roads.  When rush hour starts at about 2:30 PM, that trip will now take DOUBLE the time, sometimes more.  Multiply that extra 1/2 hour times 10,000+ people twice a day.  This has been going on for a long time now.

 

Another example of bad roads: some people won't consider driving/owning certain vehicles.  I used to own a Corvette when I lived in Texas.  I would not even consider owning one in the Detroit area, the roads are simply too bad.  So I won't even consider owning a sports car while I live here.  I doubt I am the only one who thinks this way.

 

Another infrastructure problem we've got in the Detroit area is the water system.  It has not been managed well for a number of decades.  We've also got problems with water going to abandoned areas of the city.  End result is that we've got some of the most expensive water/sewer in the country.  Simply outrageous.

 

So run down, mismanaged infrastructure is a drag on efficiency and a real cost.

[LongHaul]

Are New Yorkers....

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/14/con-edison-apologizes-for-manhattan-blackout-as-governor-orders-investigation.html

 

I lose power occasionally during storms for a short period of time; maybe 1-2 a year. Have had a few 12+ hour outages during incredibly bad weather spurts over the past decade. Shit happens, this sort of stuff is part of life and expected.

 

These tools lose power for 4 hours and now want an "investigation", to "hold all parties accountable", because losing power for a few hours is "unacceptable"? So glad I moved from that area.

 

And clueless De Blasio, out campaigning rather than doing his job despite having less than 1% of the lefties, blamed a manhole fire LOL

 

I used to live in Manhattan and although there are a lot of good people many are arrogant and there are a lot of wimps.  If you really think about it, arrogance is demonstrated stupidity.  And they are wimps.  AC is not some natural right that will be up 100%.  I live in Texas and sometimes it goes out and we deal with it.  Maybe we should all strive to be tougher and complain less in our daily lives as there is much more strength in all of us than we realize.

[cubsfan]

  Maybe we should all strive to be tougher and complain less in our daily lives as there is much more strength in all of us than we realize.

 

 

This would do wonders to help people grow up. Personal sacrifice has taken the back seat to "me too" - to the detriment of the country.

[DooDiligence]

  Maybe we should all strive to be tougher and complain less in our daily lives as there is much more strength in all of us than we realize.

 

 

This would do wonders to help people grow up. Personal sacrifice has taken the back seat to "me too" - to the detriment of the country.

 

Dale Carnegies' principal #1 - Don't criticize, condemn or complain.

 

I find this very hard 2 maintain if I look at Twitter all day long.

 

Before Summer started, I was only allowing myself to visit Twitter for the 1st 7 days of the month.

 

I'm going back to that as of now.

[Castanza]

  Maybe we should all strive to be tougher and complain less in our daily lives as there is much more strength in all of us than we realize.

 

 

This would do wonders to help people grow up. Personal sacrifice has taken the back seat to "me too" - to the detriment of the country.

 

How do you strive for a tougher society when institutions are continually removing the toughness factor from everything. Gym class, Boy/Girl Scouts, everyone gets a trophy, lower military standards, the anti-traditional male propaganda, rapid decrease in person to person interaction, safe spaces, coaches getting fired for yelling at players, continual glorification of obesity, etc etc.

[LongHaul]

That is a Great Dale Carnegie quote.  I need to re-read his book. 

 

You can only control what is within your control. 

If others want to act like whining 3 year olds then that is out of our control.

[DooDiligence]

That is a Great Dale Carnegie quote.  I need to re-read his book. 

 

You can only control what is within your control. 

If others want to act like whining 3 year olds then that is out of our control.

 

I need to re-read it too.

 

The 1st time I read it I was totally in flow for a month +/- & then it went away.

 

Being less self absorbed makes you really powerful.

 

Keeping your thoughts to yourself magnifies that power.