Some scattered thoughts and links, each too small for a single post-
Given that we are near planting season for 2009, I wonder how the loan picture is for farmers wanting to borrow money for the upcoming crop. It’d be a form of catastrophy if money was too tight for farmers to buy seed, fertilizer, and diesel.
One of my favorite reference books is by Francis X. McConville, The Pilot Plant Real Book, 2nd Edition, FXM Engineering and Design, 2007; ISBN 0-9721769-2-6.
Glass blowing supplies are available here. Here is some coursework.
The Very Large Array (VLA) sits 50 or so miles west of Socorro, NM, just south of Hwy 60. A few hours east on Hwy 60, across White Sands, is Roswell, NM.
Atomic tourists should know that the Trinity site is open only twice per year: once in April and once in October.
Godwins Law.
A new POS (warning- really bad language!).
Lamentations on Chemistry 
My Kennametal scribe says “Wale NO.1050” if you put a piece of paper over it and rub with a pencil. It has scored a lot of glass tubing.
An end to farming on credit would be an end to devastating artificial agricultural surpluses. A deep economic recession squeezes all the juice from social advocacies. Burning ecofuel in social engineering contradiction of thermodynamics does not sustain no matter who pisses in the wort,
http://www.yumsugar.com/2806190
http://www.arcamax.com/weirdnews/s-495650-679629
I hope the farmer could borrow enough money for this season. but is going to be really difficult.