Swedes and Koreans Put a Happy Face on Vectus PRT

The Vectus PRT testing facility takes shape on Swedish television. Here are some stills:



...note the massive steel pipe at the center of the guideway:



... looks just like the Raytheon PRT guideway. Also notice that it's mounted on slim posts close to the ground. Why? Because G-forces would require heavier posts if it were up higher. Here's the Raytheon PRT guideway with the massive posts that I Photoshopped over a typical street in Minneapolis:



If Vectus is just like the Raytheon PRT (which flopped) why the heck are they doing it again? For a clue to what the Vectus testing facility is really about, look at the flag posts:



It's phony prop for the media... a futurist Potemkin village.

It won't be long before we start seeing and hearing a publicity barrage about how Vectus is Sweden's and Korea's technological answer to Global Warming and Peak Oil. In October, there's going to be a PRT Conference in Uppsala, Sweden.

The same thing almost happened here in Minnesota.

Speaking of PRT in Minnesota, what's new with the Taxi 2000 Corporation? Nothing since 2004.

Remember the breathless publicity barrage for Taxi 2000's unveiling of the Skyweb Express model at their Fridley office and at the Minnesota Stae Fair?? Watch the video of the Fridley fiasco with Rep. Mark Olson (trial in July) showing off for the cameras:

"PRT is clearly in the future of transit. It is Jetson-esque but not a cartoon. It is the Microsoft of public transit!" -Rep. Mark Olson.



Ken Avidor says Vectus will likely end up on the trash heap like all the other Personal Rapid Transit projects.

Lawrence Schumacher on Rep. Mark Olson & Global Warming

Lawrence Schumacher on his SC Times blog:

Caught on tape by Ken Avidor, from Friday night's House floor debate on the energy policy bill. Rep. Mark Olson, R-Big Lake, had a few choice words for those who spread the word on global climate change.

Money quote:

"I haven't even studied this extensively. I just became curious about it. And I have received good evidence that it is false ... The national media is known for wanting to tear down this country. They're known for wanting worldwide redistribution of wealth. They're known for wanting a global government. In general, not all of them. They're known for having an agenda."

This was during a floor speech in which he argued that for those who believe in the Bible, the argument of global climate change doesn't make sense.
 
There's enough of the speech there, though a note to Ken: The more you edit the clips the more it looks like you're distorting his argument.

Schumacher is correct about editing giving a biased impression (and I am biased), however, it would be difficult (and painful) to upload a complete Olson rant to You Tube.

You Tube is an example of how the limitations of a technology effects content. A complete video of one of Olson's rants would go beyond the optimum length for a You Tube video. If a video is longer than 3 minutes, it takes many minutes to convert to Quicktime and even longer to upload. Most people don't have the time to watch a 20 minute video... also nobody pays me to blog about politics... unlike some bloggers.

Schumacher mentions another blog's coverage of Olson's antics:

Tom Beckfeld summarizes the remainder of Olson's argument here, describing how Olson decided to conduct an experiment after watching An Inconvenient Truth that you really should read.

Read Beckfeld's post at the Beyond Sound Bites and Headlines blog.

The BSBH blog also has an excellent post on Rep. Mark Olson's obsession with PRT.

Here's a quote I liked:

The only thing I can tell you for sure is that Olson will continue to push this boondoggle for has long as he’s in office. It is his type of Government program. One that will never be built. He can say he’s doing something but even he must know that this is a fraud and a scam. Let’s hope that his time ends very soon.

Here's a video of Olson introducing, then withdrawing his PRT amendment last Friday:



Ken Avidor writes about Personal Rapid Transit and the scoundrels who promote it.

"Pheistychick" Supports Rep. Mark Olson

"Pheistychick" is a self-described "young woman aspiring to become a freelance conservative revolutionist". "Joey" (Pheistychick, I assume) has a post praising crazy Rep. Mark Olson on Pheistyblog:

In my humble opinion, everything that the news media has said about Mark Olson is absolutely and completely distorted. I found him to be a man who is convicted by his values, refusing to succumb to ‘politics as usual’, and a man who has strength like I have never seen.  He is a true public servant, and has come to the realization that if he is going to be in office, he must stand firm for what he believes is the public good, regardless of ay political backlash.

... wouldja believe it? Joey/Pheistychick has a job:

Since I am a Human Resource Manager, I get to go into the schools on occasion and tell the teachers and students what employers are looking for in an employee.

... hmmmm... how about an employee with serious anger management problem who threw a typewriter at a staff worker on one occasion and screamed at staff workers on other occasions and refused anger management counseling?

But then what do expect from a blogger who calls a Gold Star mom like Cindy Sheehan "a prostitute":

Cindy Sheehan thing, in my opinion, is that she is the prostitute for the media and people with anti-war agendas. That isn't right-wing hate speech, that is simply the truth.

... or who links to website called "Minnesotans for Global Warming".

It's sad that there are people like Pheistychick/Joey who would rather whine about not getting presents from her rich parents for her second wedding than show any respect for a Gold Star Mom like Cindy Sheehan or concern for the decline of walleye in Minnesota lakes due to Global Warming.



Ken Avidor blogs about the right-wingers who promote Personal Rapid Transit and other gadgetbahn scams.