Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
Dead batteries, Long puts Lileks on the couch, Bill Kristol on Romney, Iran, Santorum, and a brokered convention, Mike Daisey punks NPR, and Rob's new iPad. Yup, it's another Ricochet Podcast.
And, attention, Ricochet member Oblomov -- come on down! Your post Did Reagan Usher in the Age of Obama? is this week's winner of the coveted Ricochet Podcast Member Post of The Week. Your coffee mug is on the way.
Music from this week's episode:
- This Is Why We Fight by The Decemberists
- Crystal Blue Persuasion by Tommy James & The Shondells
Here's the direct link to this week's episode (but use our new audio player below), however the best way to hear the podcast is to subscribe! Visit our Feedburner page for a number of other subscription options. Or better yet, use Stitcher.
Photo of this week's podcast recording session by EJHill.
The Ricochet Podcast is proudly sponsored by Encounter Books. This week's featured title is The Case for Polarized Politics: Why America Needs Social Conservatism by Jeffrey Bell. Coming soon to EncounterBooks.com and Amazon.com.
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Feb '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
Rob, you are talking on Ricochet to Ricochet people and you think you have to translate "ROI?"
May '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
Peter, what year is the Taurus? Have you checked for any Technical Service Bulletins (TSB)? I see a few electrical system related ones on the TSB data base for a 1991 Taurus. Your battery should last a LOT longer than six months. Maybe the diodes on the alternator are shot, this could cause the battery to be over charged, which would shorten it's life!
I'll listen to the rest of the podcast on my run tomorrow!
Mar '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
While describing his dream, James literally says that he was arguing about 99% "all the way to the bank."
Is any interpretation required? Clearly, arguing about OccupyX is his bread-and-butter.
Jan '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
Like Rob and Stu suggest, Peter, the problem is most likely with your battery-charging circuit and it's probably your alternator. I would think that Rob's 'Charles-Murray-Quiz' score has unofficially increased some.
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
Dear Stu and Lowcountry Joe,
My Taurus is either a '91 or a '92--it's been so long now, I've forgotten. An alternator? Lord. In junior high shop class I think I may have known what an alternator was, but that was a looooong time ago. Is this the sort of thing I should be able to repair myself? Or should I simply take the car into the shop and say--knowingly, of course, as if I knew what I was talking about--"I've got a problem with my alternator. You might want to check the TSB for '91 Taruses"?
May '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
Take the car to an auto parts store first (O'Reilly, Auto Zone, whatever there is where you live, call ahead). They can test the alternator and battery for free and offer some advice. They should also have a gizmo to let you do a computer diagnostic. It's easy, just plug it into the car and follow instructions. My guess is the alternator.
I had to change my truck's alternator in the pouring rain in Houston 2 weeks ago, in a drug store parking lot. Wasn't hard, but I've done a lot of maintenance/repair on my vehicles (car, bike, truck).
That's just me. I'm a 72.
Jan '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
Rick offers some solid advice in #26. Contemplating the replacement of parts that you think may be the problem without doing your troubleshooting its due diligence isn't a good strategy. And then doing the work yourself when you don't have a comfort level with it? You could. But when you know you're into a $70 battery every six months it might be best to let the cost-benefit analysis lead you to a David Ricardo-like solution: let someone who specializes in this stuff perform the work while you spend your time helping make the United States a more informed and better place from where it's at now.
Edited on March 22, 2012 at 9:26pmDec '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
I completely agree with LpwcountryJoe, with the caveat that there are boys involved and these are boys that are obviously enbubbled. Please consider this modest purchase:
It's called a digital multimeter and you can get one for around $10. Batteries should read around 12.4 V at rest. When the motor is running, you should see around 13.6 V, minimum and preferably in the low 14 volts going into that battery.
If the cables going into the battery show you appreciably more than 13.6 V, then the alternator is probably OK. If the battery terminals themselves register lower than the cables, then the problem is probably the connection to the alternator that is the problem (you'll have to check for loose or dirty connections). If the battery at rest continually drops below 12 V when at rest, then it's the battery (or something in the car that is always on and draining the battery).
The important thing is that the boys need to understand that the car isn't running off the battery unless the alternator is bad or there is a bad connection and the battery is the only source for a spark.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
Kristol is right that Romney is still essentially a one-issue candidate and that his message is too limited. Romney's message is aimed at employers, but most voters are employees. The liberal media is shamelessly supporting Obama at every turn. Deserved or not, Romney is a poster boy for the rich white investors who Democrats claim brought the economy down. It's an uphill battle (largely because Republicans in general stink at PR).
It's amusing that the foreign policy debate during the main election is likely to involve Iran, perhaps North Korea, but not China. Our debt payments are paying for China's military buildup. Why worry about that, right?
People are inclined to ignore Iran because we have been talking about that conflict for years. Every year, people say "any moment now" and nothing happens. The boy cried "wolf" too many times. That's an inherent problem with strategies of protracted sanctions and negotiations.
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
Douglas
I usually mistrust salesmen, and I loathe getting sales pitches. I'm the type that usually knows what he wants and researches the options and gets it myself. "Don't call me, I'll call you" fits me perfectly. There are few things I hate worse than a salesman showing up on my doorstep or getting cold called. I hate being spammed. Woe to the salesman that calls me when I'm busy at something.
But... this place is special, and just to let you know how much I like it here, I did something I normally hate to do: I "recruited". I sent email to right-leaning friends asking them to take a peek at the place. Some of them seem intrigued. I hope some of them join. So, I did my part as best I know how. · 19 hours ago
Wow! Begging works!
Seriously, thank you very much, Douglas. That's the whole reason we started this thing: to give everyone a "I like it here" feeling.
Apr '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
Thanks to James Lileks for the heads up about the Pork Eating Crusader patch.
I now have a patch and a sweet T-shirt on the way.
Take that hippies with your "COEXIST" bumperstickers.....
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
Yes. Thank you.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #111: Kristol Clear Dreaming
I like this; let's all try to help Peter with his Taurus...
A battery should last a solid four years or so. So replacing the battery after 6 months shouldn't actually be fixing the real problem.
A bad alternator would would cause the engine to drain the battery, certainly, but in that case the battery would only last a couple days, not 6 months.
Perhaps somebody just left a light on overnight and all you need is a jump to start the car, and a little highway driving to recharge the battery. That would be the extra-simple case.
But in this situation the car started, so the battery had enough oom-pah to do that, and then the engine conked out after backing out of the driveway. That suggests an intermittent or corroded electrical connection somewhere between the battery and the spark plugs . For that you'd want to go to a professional. (I like Kurt's and Dorn's on Emerson Street.)