Given that the premises underlying (an apt word) the cement importation plan seemed a bit farfetched I asked a noted authority with a worldwide reputation for expertise in the cement industry about the feasibilty of shipping cement in bags capable of holding 12 tons.
This PhD, with 42 years of experience in the field, who has created and implemented plans for cement manufacturing projects worldwide, who spent 12 years with the World Bank analyzing such projects as to feasibility, etc. and who is now an independent consultant, says he has never heard of a bag capable of holding 12 tons of cement.
Now just because he hasn't heard of such a thing doesn't mean it doesn't exist - only that the claimant, whose experience in the cement industry probably relates to using Tester's Cement to build model airplanes (or maybe sniffing it???) as a kid, is floating a grand plan that will revitalize certain dormant stocks. At its heart is the importation of cheap cement from Indonesia in these bags so they'll fit the railcars that ordinarily carry coal one way to ports on the coast. Never mind that materials handling equipment probably doesn't exist that will safely pick up and transfer these bags from railcar to bulk carrier, the latter of which usually has its own conveyer belts for bulk commodities such as grain or coal or chemicals or other loose materials rather than bagged items which will require a crane...
Ask to be shown the bag before you get bagged! Not a drawing but actual specifications and who the manufacturer is (Goodyear?), where it can be seen, etc.
Let's examine some other statements made by LS: he invented the portable computer in the 1960s. I remember the 60s well enough as I was interested in possibly pursuing a career in computers after becoming exposed to computer operations in a company I worked for. CA 1966 they installed an IBM 360 mainframe and it was the size of 2 25 cubic foot side-by-side refrigerator-freezers adjacent to one another. That's without the tape drives and the cardpunchers and readers (if you're old enough to remember keypunching you're old indeed!).
There were mainframes and little else at that time. Mini computers did not come about until a few years later and they too were sizeable - about the size of a desk. I know because in 1976 I bought one.
Now if Stockett "invented" a portable computer it probably was something he thought would be nice to have or even made sketches of what it ought to be like - just as I drew rocket ships 14 years earlier (inspired by Heinlein's books). If that's what it takes to be the inventor of something I guess I qualify since my rockets were capable to interstellar travel!
And he claims to have invented the first fiberoptic computer network, nationwide at that! If someone plans to talk to him again ask him for the details - where was this, using what routers and which cable line owned by whom, the date, and who can verify this claim.
Henry Flagler's private railcar was built in 1886, not in the 1960s. I guess that could have been transposition of numerals, somewhat dyslexicly, so possibly that claim is correct. For a view of the real Flagler car, restored to as it appeared in 1912, go to: flagler.org
If you can get a photo of its "sister" you might compare the two.
Why am I so skeptical? This is the guy who invented a corporation (Neuropro Nevada) and on the strength of its existence in his mind alone (never registered as a corp. in the State of Nevada nor were there any other aspects that showed it existed), created and signed contracts on its behalf that bound the other parties to certain terms that itself could not perform since it did not exist except on those contracts. As the SEC's AL Judge indicated those contracts never were valid since the company didn't exist!
As to the authority cited above regarding 12 ton cement bags this is how he describes his expertise:
"...World Cement Specialist & Consultant
After 42 years experience in all aspects of the CEMENT industry, Dr.--- has established a consulting firm in the US to offer his "extensive hands on" in the industry for both greenfield and existing cement plants, throughout the world.
This expertise covers: raw material prospecting and evaluation, raw mix design and burnability, production, operation, maintenance, quality and quantity controls,
environment, health and safety aspects, clinker microstructure, general lay-out and engineering, sales and marketing, production cost and methods of cost savings,
process including heat and materials balance, equipment sizing, selection and sourcing project implementation and progress of the construction/erection of greenfield cement plants, feasibility (including technical, commercial and financial) and appraisal studies (for financial institutes), environmental assessment, market studies, equipment list for new plants, tender documents, bids evaluation, contract
negotiation, plant valuation and financial plan and projections.
From 1987 to 1999, Dr. ---- was with The International Finance Corporation (IFC) /The World bank, Washington DC. He was the cement specialist and was in charge of about 35 cement, ceramic tiles and aggregate projects, throughout different developing countries and financed by IFC. The total capacity of these plants exceeded 40 million tons annually and included the largest cement plant capacity in the world. During this period, Dr. ----- travelled
extensively throughout the world to:
1.Appraise and evaluate the new projects, discuss with the sponsor all the technical aspects, raw materials, plant site, project and production cost, market and cement prices, environment, management and training, and project implementation.
2.Supervise the existing projects in the portfolio, to review their operation, environment, production cost, cement prices, profitability and market.
Dr. ---- is a specialist in financing cement projects and putting together the financial plan. He has strong contacts and is well known in the cement field worldwide. During the period with IFC, he published several papers related to IFC
and the Cement Industry, as well as writing about 200 reports...."
Dee Jay |
