Katy Perry roars for Hillary Clinton

It's Election Day and I've run out of things to say after this long campaign, so I'm just going to post this.


As Charles Pierce wrote the other day, Nobody Who Followed This Election Can Say It Hasn't Been a Show.

On Saturday night, in a band shed on the north side of the city, Katy Perry put on a show in support of the campaign of Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Clinton has been using Perry's "Roar" as her walk-up music for her entire campaign. This is unfortunate for any decent song because, by the end of the campaign, it can make even HRC's most fervent supporters flee in horror. Hell, Donald Trump even has me wincing at "You Can't Always Get What You Want." I didn't think that was possible.)
...
Katy Perry sang very well on Saturday night. I didn't know many of the songs but people left the shed happy. Maybe they all went out knocking doors and making phone calls. Maybe many of them didn't. But nobody who followed this election can say it hasn't been a show. Are we not entertained?

Everyone, go vote if you haven't done so already, whether by absentee ballot, mail-in ballot, or early voting.  I'll be voting today, then watching the election returns.   I'll be back when the votes are counted.  See you then!

Fall back tonight, even if it may not be good for you, either

Tonight is the end of Daylight Saving Time, so remember to fall back, at least for those devices that don't do so automatically.  In the meantime, enjoy this clip I promised eight months ago in Spring ahead for Daylight Saving Time 2016!>

All of us will get our missing hour back in November.  Just wait.  I'll even have another fake movie trailer for it.

Here it is, Daylight Saving - Movie Trailer.

This November, they call it Daylight Saving but the thing that needs saving...is us! WHAT TIME IS IT?! #DaylightSavingMovie

It turns out that, not only can Daylight Saving Time be inconvenient, but that falling back can be almost as bad for people as springing ahead.  Newsy has the story in Daylight saving time could be bad for your brain.

Researchers found setting the clock back for winter led to a spike in depression for some people.

I used to like Daylight Saving Time, but I'm beginning to wonder if the dozen states considering getting rid of it have the right idea.

Stay tuned for Entertainment Sunday.  As I did for Halloween, I'll put the topic up for a vote--movie trailers, "The Walking Dead," or "Westworld."

Dancing German witches for Halloween

I fell into an "I can't be all DOOM all the time" mood while writing WWF reports massive loss of wildlife populations, so I'm going to take advantage of the holiday weekend to post entries that are a little more fun.  I begin with these dancing German witches.

Die Wolfshäger Hexenbrut tanzt "Schüttle deinen Speck" zu Walpurgis 2016

Translation: "The Wolfshaeger Witches Brood dances to 'Shake Your Bacon' at Walpurgis 2016."  Yes, the song translates to "Shake Your Bootie."

I know that Walpurgis is really a holiday associated with May Day, but this video works better for a U.S. audience during Halloween.  Besides, as New York Magazine wrote, "These Witches Dancing...Are Having More Fun Than You."  We could use more fun in the middle of this election campaign.

Stay tuned for Entertainment Sunday.  Since "The Walking Dead" is on and it's Halloween weekend, expect zombies.

Regular falls below $2.00 in metro Detroit before Thanksgiving as predicted

I concluded Bye, Bobby! Jindal drops out with a program note.

Stay tuned for a gas price update.  Regular fell below $2.00 in my old neighborhood yesterday, just as I predicted it would do before Thanksgiving.

I made that prediction again in Limbo Kitty returns as prices fall to new post-summer lows, when I also noted that all the stations in my old neighborhood were selling regular for $2.19.  The price didn't fall over the next few weeks, as they inched up to $2.22 and then $2.25.  On Tuesday, a co-worker informed me that the price had fallen below $2.00.  Sure enough, regular was selling for $1.95 at all outlets.  I promptly filled up Pearl.

Limbo Kitty continues to dance, as GasBuddy shows that at least one of the two stations down the street from the old corner station has dropped its price for regular again to $1.88.  The station is merely tracking the Detroit average, which is currently $1.97.  Sub-two-dollar gas has arrived in my area by both criteria I use, the average in my old neighborhood and the GasBuddy average for Detroit.

Gas is cheap not only here, but across the state line in Indiana.  Yesterday, WSBT in South Bend posted Gas prices drop below two dollars to its YouTube channel.  Prices are even lower there.


Oil-Price.Net shows futures prices for oil and wholesale prices for gasoline are all down from last month, when WTI was at $45.55, Brent was at $48.71, and RBOB is selling for $1.28.  WTI closed yesterday at $40.75, Brent at $44.14, and RBOB at $1.27, all of which are actually slightly up from their closes on Tuesday.  Even so, watch for more Limbo Kitty between now and Christmas, as I expect gas to fall to $1.75 by then.  Stay tuned.

Gas prices slightly up in old neighborhood to begin fall

When I last reported on the local gasoline market, I observed that the gas price spike was a dead cat bounce.  The stations in my old neighborhood were all selling regular for $2.24.  I followed that with two entries about the lowest gas prices for Labor Day in 11 years.  I then passed along that gas was already below $2 near Grand Rapids and that GasBuddy showed the stations in my former neighborhood all selling regular for $2.19.  I never actually saw those prices, but I did see enough to say that they rose and are now falling.

Last Thursday, all the stations in my old stomping grounds were selling regular for $2.37.  I decided not to fill up, as I expected prices to fall.  They did.  Tuesday, the corner station listed regular for $2.27 and the two stations down the street displayed $2.29 for regular.  I filled up Pearl at the corner station and not a moment too soon, as the dashboard display said the car had only two miles of gas left.  This is exactly where the price should be, as the Detroit average is currently $2.37.  That's up from earlier this month, both from the $2.31 just before Labor Day and from the $2.24 on the 16th.  Therefore, I don't expect prices to go down this week.

Early next week might be another story.  Oil-Price.Net lists yesterday's closes for WTI and Brent at $44.48 and $47.75 respectively, close to the lows for the month so far for both.  In addition, RBOB is selling for $1.38, two cents lower than the first week of September.  Whatever is driving up the price of gas in Detroit, it's not the wholesale price of fuel.  Consequently, I'm still expecting either the price in my old neighborhood or the average price in Detroit to fall below $2.00 between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Happy Autumnal Equinox 2015!

The Washington Post announces the exact moment in Say goodbye to summer as daylight dwindles, the fall equinox is on Wednesday.

Summer warmth has visited many parts of the country this September, but fall is finally in the air as we near the autumnal equinox. This year’s equinox occurs Sept. 23 at 4:21 a.m. Eastern time. At that time, the sun can be seen directly overhead along Earth’s equator, marking the beginning of astronomical fall in the Northern Hemisphere.

The fall equinox is one of only two days each year when all points on Earth outside the polar regions see the sun rise and set at due east and due west, along the horizon. And since neither hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, all latitudes see almost exactly 12 hours of daylight and darkness (though not quite).

Google has a special doodle for today, which is featured in Autumnal Equinox 2015 Google Doodle.


Once again, Happy Autumnal Equinox!

Lowest Labor Day gas prices in 11 years both good and bad

Not only was the gas price spike a dead cat bounce, but gas prices during Labor Day weekend are the lowest they've been in 11 years.  Wochit News reports on the resulting windfall for U.S. consumers in Labor Day Gas Price Bonus: $1.4 Billion.

Labor Day is historically one of America's busiest driving holidays, but this year it's likely to be remembered for being one of the cheapest.

With gas prices continuing to move lower, the national average for a gallon of gas this Labor Day is expected to fall to $2.44, marking the lowest price at the pump since 2004.

By the time the last charcoals have cooled on the barbecue, Americans will have saved a collective $1.4 billion compared with last year.

That in turn could result in more consumer spending on eating out at restaurants and other extras.

If so, that would be good news, exactly the kind that would offset decreases in spending from the recent stock market correction.

Follow over the jump for more good and bad news caused by this year's lower oil prices from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan.

Gas price spike a dead cat bounce

It was only three weeks ago that I wrote the following in Gas price spike prompts outrage and analysis.

A few days ago, the Detroit average was $2.86.  According to Gas Buddy, it's now $3.03, the highest price of the year.  Given that Oil-Price.Net lists yesterday's close for [WTI] as $42.50, and the close the day before was $42.25, a dollar lower than it had been the last time I checked, that does come off as outrageous.

All of that price spike and then some have now disappeared, as Gas Buddy lists the Detroit average as $2.31.  I could tell it was finished earlier this week, when I was able to buy regular in my new neighborhood for $2.39, which was the metro Detroit average at the time.  A few days earlier, I coudn't find regular anywhere near me for less than $2.74.

Gas was even cheaper in my old neighborhood.  When I was last there, regular sold for $2.54, a low enough price to make me declare  Limbo Kitty returns as oil and gas fall more to close July.  Prices had declined to $2.41 before spiking in time for Dream Cruise, but that was all gone yesterday, when I found all the stations in my old stomping grounds selling regular for $2.24.  That might actually be overpriced, as the stations historically set their price a dime below the metro area average, so they could drop it down to $2.21.  One station a few miles away is already selling regular for $2.19, so the gas war is on.

As for what the near-term future holds, I'll repeat what I wrote three years ago: Eye spy the gas price rollercoaster about to coast down like a parachute.  This is despite oil prices bouncing off their lows for the year so far.  Ten days ago, WTI closed below $40 and Brent about $42.50.*  Yesterday, WTI ended trading at $46.75 and Brent at $50.68.  They may be up eight dollars in a little over a week, but those are still low enough prices to support regular below $2.00 during winter.  Seasonal trends will make sure of that, especially after Labor Day, which is only three days away.  When they do, watch for another return of Limbo Kitty.

*I should probably comment on the state of the stock market.  Be patient; I shall.

Crazy Eddie's Motie News endorsements for the 2014 general election

As I concluded Gas prices fall again:

I'll be back at midnight with the endorsement entry I promised at the end of Obama visits Detroit plus election news from campuses on the campaign trail.  Stay tuned.

It's midnight, so I'm back with the general election edition of Crazy Eddie's Motie News endorses...  I start with my suggestion for Proposals 1 and 2 in the spirit of a picture being worth 1000 words.


How to vote on these proposals was the one thing people at work asked me about.  I told my co-workers to vote no, just as I'm telling my readers.

Follow over the jump for more endorsements.

Halloween drinks from Tipsy Bartender

Happy Halloween, at least for those of my readers in the Western Hemisphere!*  This year, I'm marking the holiday with the five six most recent drink recipes for the holiday from the Tipsy Bartender, beginning with the first one posted, Ez-Squeeze Candy Corn Jello Shots - (Halloween).

Super easy to make Candy Corn Jello Shots!

RECIPE
=======
White Layer
1 Packet Pina Colada Ez Jello Mix
2 1/2 Cups Water
1 1/2 Cups Coconut Rum
Orange Layer
1 Packet Orange Crushed Ez Jello Mix
2 1/2 Cups Hot Water
1 1/2 Cups Butterscotch Schnapps
Yellow Layer
1 Packet Lemon Drop Ez Jello Shot Mix

Skyy, Cecilia, and Bobbi are having way too much fun in the outtakes.  I'm not embedding it, so you'll have to click on the window yourself to see it.

Follow over the jump for the other five videos, where you can enjoy both the booze and the women (and in the next to last, Skyy himself) wearing their Halloween costumes.  I also included a bonus science history lesson after the next video.

$2.89 arrived sooner than I expected

Only a day later, it's time already time to revisit the two opinions with which I opened The limbo bar drops four cents to $2.93.  First, the good news and bad news.

Today, the three stations down the street lowered their prices to $2.93.  That's a surprise, but at least it's not $2.91.  I dodged that bullet by only two cents.  I have until the end of this week to not have to eat my words on the price.  As for the corner station, it's only a matter of time before it matches the rest.

The real good news is that the corner station matched the rest at $2.93.  The weasely good news is that the other didn't lower their prices to $2.91.  The actual bad news, at least for my ability to prognosticate, is this:

As for what to expect next, GasBuddy shows the national average is still $3.03, but just barely.  The Detroit average has finally fallen below $3.00 and is now just above $2.99.  As George Takei would say, oh my!  I might see $2.89 sooner than I thought.

It arrived yesterday, as two of the stations down the street dropped their price for regular to $2.89 and for midgrade to $2.99.  My wife filled up the new car with midgrade.  Meanwhile, the sound you hear is me eating my words.

The limbo bar drops four cents to $2.93

I'm glad I didn't specify what I meant by "soon" in Gas ticks downward once more.

[T]he Detroit average is $3.01.  No wonder the local outlets dropped their prices.  Somehow, I doubt they'll go to $2.91 soon, but $2.89 sometime in the next two months looks very likely.

Today, the three stations down the street lowered their prices to $2.93.  That's a surprise, but at least it's not $2.91.  I dodged that bullet by only two cents.  I have until the end of this week to not have to eat my words on the price.  As for the corner station, it's only a matter of time before it matches the rest.

As for what to expect next, GasBuddy shows the national average is still $3.03, but just barely.  The Detroit average has finally fallen below $3.00 and is now just above $2.99.  As George Takei would say, oh my!  I might see $2.89 sooner than I thought.

Before I look at commodity prices to see what they foretell, I'm going to share this video from PBS Newshour asking What's behind the sudden drop in US gas prices?

According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. dropped from $3.52 in late July to $3.12 today. Isaac Arnsdorf, an energy and commodities reporter with Bloomberg News, joins Hari Sreenivasan to explain the factors contributing to the drop.

Yes, it's a week old, so the gas price data are out of date, but the analysis of what happened and what it means are still valid.

Follow over the jump for the latest in crude oil and wholesale gasoline prices from the Wall Street Journal.

Psychology of campaign ads and other election stories

It's time for the next installment of election news from campuses on the campaign trail.  I begin with an article from The Gazette of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that I used as the top story of last Saturday's Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (Psychology of Campaign Ads) on Daily Kos.*

Psychology behind the political ads
What ads say, what ads mean and how the messages stick with us
By Erin Jordan, The Gazette
Published: October 19 2014

CEDAR RAPIDS — Television these days is filled with drama, name-calling and emotional button-pushing.

And those are just the political ads.

The Gazette asked Iowa political scientists, communications experts and psychologists to analyze the tactics used in political ads that have been blistering the Eastern Iowa airwaves. Amid the heartfelt testimonials, mudslinging attacks and goofy spots with national actors are some new strategies for 2014.

“We break down ads looking at verbals, nonverbals and video production style,” explained Dianne Bystrom, director of Iowa State University’s Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics. “Men and women running against each other have adapted styles that are very similar to one another.”

Here are some of the other findings from the article, beginning with my favorite.

Parties prioritize different values

Conservative candidates tend to play up the group mentality more than liberals, said Daryl Cameron, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Iowa. He pointed to Ernst and other Republicans drawing attention to Braley’s gaffe of apparently criticizing veteran U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley for not having a law degree.

“Ernst is trying to push buttons by saying, ‘He (Braley) isn’t one of us, he’s betraying the group,’” Cameron said.

Liberals, on the other hand, tend to emphasize fairness and distribution of resources over other values, he said.

Yes, the major parties really are different.  ideologies and interest groups matter to American political parties, although Duverger's Law mostly limits the choices to two.

What about a factor that transcends party?

When male and female political candidates face off, they talk about a different set of issues than in male-versus-male races, Bystrom said.

Bystrom, who has been studying mixed-gender elections for U.S. Senate that have occurred since 1990, said these races traditionally have focused more on education, Social Security and health care. An all-male race might include more discussion of war and crime.

The economy, she said, has become gender neutral.

The sexes are different, too.

The article includes more findings, such as why negative ads work, how fear and disgust play a part in politics (see the video at the end of Food Fight! Thoughts on liberalism and conservatism inspired by the Preface to Food, Inc. for how these work better on conservatives), and how a dialog of sorts can be achieved with campaign ads.  It also offers this helpful note.

If the negative ads are getting you down, take heart. As we get closer to the Nov. 4 election, Iowans should see the return of the positive ads, experts said.

And after Election Day, we’ll get back to the usual commercials using psychology to sell us cars, prescription drugs and junk food.

To say nothing of getting us to buy Christmas presents.  Ah, the stink of retail desperation!

Follow over the jump for more election stories from campuses on the campaign trail.

Gas ticks downward once more

When Gas below $3.00 arrived in my neighborhood, two of the three stations down the street were at $2.99.  Shortly afterward, the rest of the stations joined them.  The corner station peeked out of its trench into No Man's Land, but raised its price to only $3.01.  By the next day, it had returned into its shelter at $2.99.  Yesterday, I noticed all the stations had lowered their price to $2.97, another record low in the history of the blog.

Speaking of low prices, GasBuddy shows that my prediction that the national average for gas would remain above $3.10 is no longer valid.  The national average is $3.03.  I knew that would happen.  Also, the Detroit average is $3.01.  No wonder the local outlets dropped their prices.  Somehow, I doubt they'll go to $2.91 soon, but $2.89 sometime in the next two months looks very likely.

Zombies, gangsters, and sideshows

I'm finally making good on one of the topics I promised last week, but copped out on when I posted World Series Music--Lorde's 'Royals' vs. They Might be Giants' 'San Francisco'--entertainment leftovers from the past month's Overnight News Digests.*

Before I serve the leftovers from campuses on the campaign trail, I present this appetizer from Cracked, which explains 4 Ways Terrible Zombie Movies Foretell the End of Society so I don't have to.

#4. Zombie Movies Explained the Horrors of Our Society ... Until They Stopped

[Z]ombie stories get me every time...[b]ecause they're a story where our monster plays like a societal problem. Zombies are an insistent and dramatically useful malevolent force you can plan against...[I]f you're facing a corrupted mob of fellow PTA members operating in ways that can be scientifically studied like a sociological phenomenon? Time to grab some guns and potable water, and find out if your personal politics are compatible with the real world.

I can't defend any non-pilot episode of The Walking Dead, but damned if their third season poster tagline doesn't sum up what makes zombie movies worthwhile. Fight the dead, fear the living, and find out what makes society work and what's killing it in the process. George A. Romero formatted the whole genre that way: an implacable zombie epidemic pushes the surviving members of society to face their racism or consumerism or municipal governing corruption, and they either survive by fixing it or die instructively.
...
#3. We're All Convinced Society Is Screwed
...
[W]hat's worse than our disagreements (and what's magnifying them) is that we're sure our only problem-fixing apparatus is broken. If Congress doesn't work, and capitalism is robbing us blind, maybe Western, free-ish market democracy doesn't work. But if we re-elect that democracy's leaders every chance we get, and we don't have any better social arrangements in mind, and our favorite new levers of change like Occupy-ing and the Internet and hashtivism don't accomplish anything ... well, shit. Are we really out of ideas?
...
#2. If We Invented a Way to Save the World, We'd Work It Into the Next Great Zombie Movie
...
Zombie fiction can work the same way. It's basically science fiction already, just instead of (or in addition to) future technology changing our lives, it has got future biocatastrophe turning us into Earth/space's rough-and-tumble badasses. And biocatastrophe is the perfect sandbox for SF-prototyping new social models.
...
#1. What's Left of Zombie Movies Casts Us as the Zombies
...
These days, every one of us is changing the world! As long as a sluggish horde of other people are in lockstep with us...[I]f anything, our undead mob is good at entertaining itself. And maybe it'll start to demand better entertainment from the artists making today's zombie epics.

I couldn't have said this better myself.  Thank you, Cracked, for showing how humor is good at telling the truth, especially these days, when the comedians are sometimes the only ones who dare to do so.

Follow over the jump for entertainment news from campuses on the campaign trail, including more on zombies.

Michigan vs. MSU--battle of the research press releases

Today is the Michigan-Michigan State game, and it doesn't look good for my alma mater.  MSU has six wins and one loss and is ranked either 5th or 8th, while Michigan is unranked with three wins and four losses.  According to the Free Press, MSU is favored by 17 points.  That's probably understating the likely magnitude of the predicted loss.  The Sagarin computer rankings at USA Today have MSU ranked 10th while Michigan is ranked 70th and indicate a likely margin of victory of 22 points.  If I were a betting man, I'd put money on MSU to beat the spread, as much as it would pain me.  Fortunately, gambling is not one of my vices.

Since the action on the football field won't favor Michigan, I'll have to pick another form of competition between the state's flagship university and its land-grant university.  I'll be a good environmentalist and recycle the concept of Research from BCS Championship universities and feature both schools' research.  Follow over the jump for the press releases of the two institutions that I orginally included in Overnight News Digest on Daily Kos during October, beginning with a sneak peek at what I'm including in today's edition.

Food news for Food Day 2014

A happy Food Day to all of my readers!  To celebrate the day,* I present a linkspam of food news, beginning with Discovery News asking Are Healthy Foods REALLY More Expensive?

Healthy foods: Are they more expensive than foods that are bad for you? Tara takes a look at some recent research that might confirm this theory.

That's a video I should show my class, especially after they've seen 'Food, Inc.'

Now for something a little less serious from Discovery News, The Surprising Benefit Of Reheating Pasta!

There's nothing better than leftover pasta, and now science has a reason to love it even more! Tara reveals some surprising evidence that cold pasta might be good for your diet!

Cool, but I'm not showing this one to my students.

Follow over the jump for food news from the past two months of Overnight News Digest on Daily Kos.

Partial solar eclipse at sunset today

For every lunar eclipse, there is a paired solar eclipse within two weeks.  Sure enough, a fortnight after the last lunar eclipse, there will be a solar eclipse today.  Science at NASA posted the original video ScienceCasts: Sunset Solar Eclipse.

On October 23rd, the Moon will pass in front of the sun, off-center, producing a partial solar eclipse visible in most of the United States.

Last I checked, that version of the video wouldn't embed.  However, its clone at Space.com on YouTube does: Partial Solar Eclipse - How To View It | Video.

Warning: Do not look directly at the Sun. On October 23rd, 2014, most of the North America will be treated to the eclipse. Viewing from the eastern U.S. will be especially beautiful, weather permitting, due to it occurring at the end of the day.

With any luck, I'll be able to see the setting sun from inside my classroom.  I hope my readers have a good view, too.

World Series Music--Lorde's 'Royals' vs. They Might be Giants' 'San Francisco'

It's time to make good on that entertainment entry I promised at least four times.  However, tonight I'm not posting about any of the topics I suggested--Gamergate, college bands doing zombie marching band shows, or entertainment leftovers from the past month's Overnight News Digests.  Instead, I'm posting music for the World Series.  Thank Vox for the inspiration: Bay area radio stations realize Lorde’s “Royals” is Kansas City-inspired, freak the hell out.

Two San Francisco radio stations have put the kibosh on Lorde's song "Royals" until the World Series is over. Baseball, apparently, is much more important than Lorde singing about having "never seen a diamond in the flesh."

That's wanky.  It's also a good excuse to play her song here.

Music video by Lorde performing Royals.

How did one of the Kansas City radio stations respond?

"We won't let their anti-Royals spirit ruin this moment," said Tony Lorino, Program Director of 99.7 The Point. "A few angry San Franciscans who don't have a song called ‘Giants' won't rain on our parade."

I don't know of any pop songs with the title "Giants," but the band They Might Be Giants has a song called "San Francisco."

From TMBGs Venue Songs "San Francisco (In Situ)" recorded live at the Fillmore. A tip of the hat to jlassen's photostream on flickr for the fine zombie photos used in this slide show presentation!

Giants fans, you can thank me later.  After all, I'm originally from California, so I'm rooting for your team.

Also, zombies!  I managed to post about a band using a zombie theme after all.

Detroit officially joins the salvage economy

In Dark Age America: The End of the Old Order, Greer wrote about the usefulness of waste in his model of catabolic collapse.*

As I pointed out in a paper published online back in 2005—a PDF is available here—the process that drives the collapse of civilizations has a surprisingly simple basis: the mismatch between the maintenance costs of capital and the resources that are available to meet those costs. Capital here is meant in the broadest sense of the word, and includes everything in which a civilizations invests its wealth: buildings, roads, imperial expansion, urban infrastructure, information resources, trained personnel, or what have you. Capital of every kind has to be maintained, and as a civilization adds to its stock of capital, the costs of maintenance rise steadily, until the burden they place on the civilization’s available resources can’t be supported any longer.

The only way to resolve that conflict is to allow some of the capital to be converted to waste, so that its maintenance costs drop to zero and any useful resources locked up in the capital can be put to other uses.

Detroit has long been neglecting the manufactured capital of its infrastructure because it has unable to maintain it, but I don't recall it actively converting the resources locked up in its neglected and obselete infrastructure--until now.  Take it away, Detroit Free Press: Detroit to make $25M from scrapping its own copper.

Detroit is turning to a source to make money post-bankruptcy: Its own supplies of copper.

The city is privatizing and decommissioning its electricity delivery services, and over the next six years expects to make at least $25 million from the sale of copper in underground and overhead electricity lines, a top financial consultant to the city testified this morning in Detroit's bankruptcy proceedings.

Note the "at least."  The same consultant thought that up to 40 million dollars could be realized from recycling all the copper that the city no longer needs.  No wonder Detroit is thinking about doing this.

Follow over the jump for more on Detroit officially joining the salvage economy.