Not quite sure what to expect other than the usual booths with the usual swag and the usual Moscone Center crowd. Maybe there’s an interesting idea or two to be had. One has to wonder if the Web 2.0 meme has run its course…..There still seems to be money poured into the segment, but community this, social that, for the sake of doing so isn’t that interesting. Even with successful Web 2.0 companies, I still haven’t seen a business model that works (i.e., generates cash and lots of it.)

We’ll see what the expo has to offer. If there’s something that catches my eye, I’ll write about it.

    

Helps wash some of the taste of the last Ohio State game from your mouth…..The spring game is Saturday.

For those of you who procrastinate, now is the time (that’s me this year…) April 17th this year to get the Federal and State tribute completed. But what about “hidden taxes?”



I stumbled across this chart and was unpleasantly surprised to see the growth in the gas tax over the past 20 years. It’s invisible since it’s rarely broken out of the total taxes paid on a gallon of fuel. I don’t object to the gas tax per se, but I do believe there should be transparency in the taxes citizens are asked to pay and some consistency applied to the situation.

Property tax, use fees, sales tax, vehicle registration, “insurance,” social security – these are all taxes and they add up quickly. Taxes are necessary to fund our civilization and infrastructure, but I’d prefer one, visible bill that is either usage based or income based. Wouldn’t you?

According to the CDC, the number of consumer-related (vs. contractor-related) nail gun injuries has increased three-fold since 1991. Guess that brings new meaning to “getting nailed…”

As previously announced, the energy content normally posted on this site has a new home at Montara Energy Ventures. As a community service, here is a digest that summarizes the content posted on the MeV site. As a reminder, you can easily subscribe to content on the MeV site as well as the content from this site, Musings from the Coast.

• Federal Production Tax Credit increases
• 90.5 million acres of corn planted
• Tesla Turbines
• Consolidation Time
• Raser up 30% on private placement
• Chrysler Challenge
• Ocean Energy Harvest
• Ocean Energy Thermal Conversion
• Raser gets more resource
• Mechanical Ocean Energy Conversion
• UTC scores big deal
• Court ruling changes economics
• Mechanical Ocean Energy Conversion., Part II

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