Mothballs, WPPSS and Giza—Religious Models

How religion is a constant reminder of our failures as a species.

Anyone from the Pacific Northwest that has a few years under their belt may remember WPPSS, or as it came to be known—Whoops. The Washington Public Power Supply System, but whats in a name, right? Foresight?

The cooling towers at Satsop still remain, void of any generating equipment or reactors. The budget swelled to over $25B (1970 money, $163B today) and with the three mile island accident eventually sealing the waining public opinion, the project was mothballed.

At 460 feet tall (same as Giza) they are a reminder for miles around of bad ideas and how difficult it is to get rid of them. Not to mention bonds that were to be repaid with future revenue that defaulted. Lots of redesigns “in process” and contractors bilking the system by “business with government as usual” faith Giza is a reminder how hard it is to get rid of a bad idea that has the churches support.

Enter religion—

Talking about energy and actually delivering it are quite different at best. Promises to bring power to the region with others money (tithing tax free), Christianity has yet to deliver the promised results (that comes much later) Redesigned components multiple times “in progress”, the perfect idea is the worlds boondoggle and become too unsafe to continue. So much time and thought invested, such visions and reactions promised to them that believe, but waaiitt!!

What we’ve built is an eyesore. You get used to it (or numb) after a while, but these towers are part of my life now. I can’t remember them not being there. Even though the name has changed to Northwest Energy (rebranding) how quickly people forget the origins. Why? To keep their sanity which allows duplicating the hoax again and again even more successful due to the coping mechanisms of human survival.

—Forget because you have to, remember because you need—

And it’ll be there another 5000 years unless someone dismantles it—but the name will survive through rebranding.

Author: jimoeba

Alternatives to big box religions and dogmas

26 thoughts on “Mothballs, WPPSS and Giza—Religious Models”

  1. Interesting juxtaposition. It’s the touchy feely nature of accepting religious beliefs that complicates things. It’s a way of ruminating your way through life with a premiss each individual gets to mold to their on emotional and intellectual satisfaction. It’s the only way to make a reasoned justification for acceptance of the god claim. Or not.

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    1. You know how so many people say “I’m spiritual, not religious? I think it’s mostly the other way around. The gathering needy, touchy-feely sociality is ritual, not spiritual. Although the dopamine can flow pretty freely in the sermanic highs, it’s all about the religious experience. Spirituality is found solo.

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  3. You are absolutely right. My wife and I took our young twenty-somethings to Cracker Barrel the other day for a big ol country breakfast. It was their idea. At any rate, we had to wait a bit for a table.

    During that time, I wondered about in the merchandise area. Probably ninety percent of the stuff is Christian related. Jesus plates, plaques with Bible quotes, angels here and there, books on how to find God (okay), CDs, DVDs, of Christian music.

    What one is painfully reminded of is the massive, intrusion of the Christian Industry into the work-a-day world of the working class consumer, who as you show in a very cogent manner, are so easily taken by the Chuch’s lucrative “waiting game.”

    “God’s coming for you, soon, soon, but meanwhile, just buy this latest DVD by Elevation Worship and fill your soul with the love of God. Only $15.99.”

    And folks do, by the thousands.

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    1. This … massive, intrusion of the Christian Industry — is what’s so bothersome to those of us who “don’t believe.” I sometimes wonder — what next? Guns and ammunition on display because of the Second Amendment?

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      1. At the local “nice” supermarket, they have a magazine section. Larger than most, but we are not talking Barnes and Nobles here. I counted 16 separate glossy magazines devoted to the Ammosexual religion. It is amazing.

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    2. 785,000 catalogued publications per year in the US alone to explain the wait. It radiates a smugness as well against the non believer. You just wait too Paul, you’ll be sorry.

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    1. We’ve built some ugly things the next generation just lives with. Who would know any better when it’s just the way life is? Thanks for the stretch though. Maybe I should try yoga.

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  6. I interviewed for a job at The South Texas Project, a nuc power plant south of Houston. No cooling towers. They use a lake that drains into the Gulf. I had a hard time finding it, but the eerie feeling driving around the night before, with fog and all the lights was awesome. STP was on line, fully functional, and still is (I think).

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  7. Just a short distance from home, the old Trojan nuclear power plant site still sits on the Columbia River. I used to fish on the opposite shore. The plant was shutdown in 1992 because of safety issues and public opposition. Is this religion’s future too?

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    1. Evidently a good portion of the population still needs someone to tell them what to do. With the collapse of religion it would have to be proceeded by some self examination. I would like to see courses in grade school on human cognitive bias, neurology demonstrations and perception. Awareness of the craziness of human psychology at least people would be informed before they leap into a system solely on faith.
      You a steeheader too by chance? Worlds greatest fish?

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