Uncommonly Sensible

Niihau

2012-01-24T09:22:00.008-05:00

I returned recently from my annual trip to Hawaii. In addition to Kauai and the Big Island, I also went to Niihau for the first time...so now I've been to all of the main islands typically seen in depictions of the State, as seen below.

Niihau is privately owned, and also has a village of native Hawaiians living there.

A rudimentary map of the island (lifted from "Da 'Net") is here:

The owners of Niihau run helicopter excursions to the island from Kauai; consequently, because I was going to be there I availed myself of the opportunity to "complete the set", so to speak.

I got to sit in the co-pilot seat. :-)

Approaching the island of Niihau.

The village of Puuwai off in the distance.

Northern end of Niihau with Lehua just beyond it. Lehua (like Molokini, which is South of Maui) is the top of a mostly submerged volcano. It used to be owned by the same family that owns Niihau, but they sold it to the State and now it's a bird sanctuary.

Some of the Niihauans met the helicopter, because besides a group of tourists (myself included, of course) it had also brought in some supplies. The village chief (behind the wheel) is in his eighties and the vehicle was from the Korean War era.

This was an interesting and educational trip...

¡Feliz Navidad!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

A couple of years ago, I was in Peru at Christmas time.

In Cuzco, I saw this Nativity scene:

I'm not trying to make any particular point by using this picture, other than to use something on here that I haven't previously; I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas...

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
(Luke 2:1-7)

11-11-11

2011-11-11T16:51:00.007-05:00

Happy Veterans Day...to all of my fellow veterans.
(Also to everyone who appreciates veterans)

11-11-11; Veterans Day always falls on November 11th, but this year it's all eleven(teen!)s. Nice symmetry, but I digress.

There are a number of places offering meal deals to veterans today, so I plan to go have dinner at one of them. Not wanting to totally take advantage though, I'll get a drink and dessert or something, which isn't included where I'm going. Also, I'll be sure to leave a decent tip.

Here's a list of places to go, with embedded links:

Applebee's
Chili's
Golden Corral
Hooters
Olive Garden
Outback Steakhouse
Subway
Texas Roadhouse
T.G.I. Friday's
Uno Chicago Grill

On a more somber note, here's what Michael Yon posted today:

That 1%

11 November 2011

It has been an honor these seven years to cover American and British troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Philippines and elsewhere. It is said that only about 1% of Americans serve in the armed forces. Many of our troops are not even American citizens. I see them in combat regularly. Many veterans are in hospitals or have fresh scars and are recovering from recent wounds. A message just arrived from the military in Kabul that we just lost another service member in Southern Afghanistan.

Many of our finest will be in combat as you read these words. They will cope with their losses and continue to fight. Mostly they are very young. It is common to meet a young combat trooper who has fought for several years overseas. He doesn’t make much money. A heartfelt “thank you” goes a long way.

They have lost friends. Many of our young veterans have been wounded more than once, and yet they are out there right now. Some have more Purple Hearts than stripes. Their strength and dedication is inspirational. Their courage seems bottomless.

Tonight, many will sleep on the ground, their ears ringing from the nearby bullets and blasts that they have experienced so many times. They have killed the enemy, and watched their buddies die in their arms. They have seen and smelled and heard things that most of us rather would not. They will carry these things forever as Veterans. Tonight they will fight. We’ve already lost at least one today, yet most Americans seem to have forgotten that many of our men and women are still out there.

This is the longest war in the history of the United States. It’s far from over. I have not forgotten. I never will forget.

Thank you, Veterans.

So far, so good.

2011-09-10T18:01:00.008-04:00

9-10-11: It has now been ten years since those fateful events that will remain indelibly imprinted on the American psyche.

We have been fortunate, in that between our brave men and women in the armed forces of this nation and our intelligence agencies...in addition to vigilant citizens and incompetent terrorists as well, we have not experienced another atrocity on that scale since then.

Not that I am forgetting the nut job of a so-called psychiatrist and what he did at Fort Hood, or any other malicious acts by deranged individuals killing on behalf of their beliefs.

However, the point of this missive is to discuss the death and destruction wrought on September 11th of 2001.

Ten years, the "Big 1-0"; we are conditioned to pay especial attention to these increments of 10, and here we are.

Apparently Osama bin Laden is no more, and of course that's a good thing on many levels, but ultimately he was only one individual. Also, by having been forced into hiding, he wasn't a very effective leader.

Things may have improved in our struggle with extremist Islam, though there are still plenty of adherents to that ideology who still want to see the "Great Satan" brought to its knees. In case you missed the memo, that would be we decadent Americans with our freedom to pursue happiness.

So, lest we become complacent due to our relative good fortune during the past decade, let us not forget that there are still those who would like to see us killed in vast numbers. Millions, even.

In the words of what I consider to be the most pertinent quote regarding the situation:

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -George Santayana

Keep it in mind...

Previous posts on this subject:
2006 - Jeanette...
2007 - Dwelling on the past...
2008 - Don't forget...
2009 - Once upon a time...
2010 - Remember!!!

Hot enough for you?

2011-07-24T01:03:00.005-04:00

Thirty years (or so) ago, Stevie Wonder put out an album entitled "Hotter Than July"; most notably, it included "Master Blaster (Jammin')". But I digress.

Earlier this month I was in Alaska, where the temperatures were (much!) more to my liking.

Here are some views from where I spent the week:

I'm wishing that I was still there...and looking forward to spending all of my Summers there in a few years.

A hair-razing tale! (Part II)

2011-06-30T20:01:00.004-04:00

The picture is to illustrate my long hair...which is no more.

I wrote over 5 years ago on my practice of donating to "Locks Of Love", which is something that I have continued to do every so often in the intervening years, but my final donation is in an envelope waiting to be mailed to them; I've decided to keep my hair short now, so that (as the saying goes) is that.

I'm still a proponent of the "Locks Of Love" organization, I just got tired of dealing with the long hair.

Update!!!

A picture of the new short-haired me and a Facebook friend:

The picture was taken on 7-9-11 in downtown Anchorage, AK...

Happy...ending?

2011-04-23T23:50:00.003-04:00

Or new beginning? That's a personal decision.

"On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, 'Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.'" -Luke 24:1-6

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." --British author C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)

"I still can't help wondering how we can explain away what to me is the greatest miracle of all and which is recorded in history. No one denies there was such a man, that he lived and that he was put to death by crucifixion. Where...is the miracle I spoke of? Well consider this and let your imagination translate the story into our own time - possibly to your own home town. A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working in his father's shop. One day he puts down his tools and walks out of his father's shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside, walking from place to place, preaching all the while, even though he is not an ordained minister. He never gets farther than an area perhaps 100 miles wide at the most. He does this for three years. Then he is arrested, tried and convicted. There is no court of appeal, so he is executed at age 33 along with two common thieves. Those in charge of his execution roll dice to see who gets his clothing - the only possessions he has. His family cannot afford a burial place for him so he is interred in a borrowed tomb. End of story? No, this uneducated, property-less young man has, for 2,000 years, had a greater effect on the world than all the rulers, kings, emperors; all the conquerors, generals and admirals, all the scholars, scientists and philosophers who have ever lived - all of them put together. How do we explain that - unless He really was what He said He was?" -Ronald Reagan

I copied the above text from the most recent edition of the Patriot Post. There's another link (or two) in the left hand column of this blog.

I consider it very compelling that all but one of Jesus' Apostles were martyred rather than recanting their testimony about Him. They could have had their lives spared by saying that the things they'd been preaching about Him were not true...but they would not do so. Only the Apostle John was spared, although he was sent into exile on the island of Patmos, where he wrote his Revelation. But that's another story...

Good Friday?

2011-04-22T07:38:00.005-04:00

Good for us...but at the time, not such a good Friday for Jesus.

Thinking of what He went through for us brings me to tears, especially when I see images like the one above.

An interesting project has recently come to my attention; I have donated to this worthy cause. I would encourage those who read this to do so as well, if you can afford it and are inspired to.

The Old Rugged Cross

On a hill far away, stood an old rugged Cross
The emblem of suff'ring and shame
And I love that old Cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

Oh, that old rugged Cross so despised by the world
Has a wondrous attraction for me
For the dear Lamb of God, left his Glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

In the old rugged Cross, stain'd with blood so divine
A wondrous beauty I see
For the dear Lamb of God, left his Glory above
To pardon and sanctify me

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

To the old rugged Cross, I will ever be true
Its shame and reproach gladly bear
Then He'll call me some day to my home far away
Where his glory forever I'll share

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

St. Nick...

2010-12-24T00:01:00.003-05:00

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
-Luke 2:11 (King James Version)

There has been quite a bit of complaining going on about the commercialization of Christmas...and rightly so.

However, even though Santa Claus (A.K.A. St. Nicholas) is sometimes vilified as a secular replacement for Jesus (whose birth it is that we celebrate) this "fictional" character is actually based upon a real person, who lived in the 4th century A.D. (That A.D. business also having been based on Jesus' birth)

According to Wikipedia:

Saint Nicholas (Greek: Άγιος Νικόλαος, Aghios ["holy"] Nicolaos ["victory of the people"]) (270–6 December 343),[3][4] also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a saint and Greek[5] Bishop of Myra (Demre, in Lycia, part of modern-day Turkey). Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker (Greek: Νικόλαος ο Θαυματουργός, Nikolaos o Thaumaturgos). He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose modern name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as is common for early Christian saints.[6] In 1087, his relics were furtively translated to Bari, in southeastern Italy; for this reason, he is also known as Nikolaos of Bari. His feastday is December 6.

So, let's not be so quick give this old guy a bad rap:

It seems that celebrating Christmas in the proper way is what he was all about...long before any of us were even born.

As for that commercialization of Christmas business?

Blame the businesses. ;-)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
(↑ Go ahead, click it! ↑)

Cool...

2010-11-10T08:04:00.009-05:00

Well, it certainly has gotten to be just that: cool.

This is the time of year when a lot of motorcycles stay at home. As for me, I ride all year long, provided that temperatures are not going to be freezing or below. I've known too many fellow riders who discovered an errant stretch of icy road the hard way, but there are generally some days throughout the colder seasons hereabouts that get to be above freezing.

At any rate, for those who don't ride their motorcycles every month or so, keeping the battery charged is a good idea:

"The Battery Tender Plus is a 1.25 amp battery charger designed to fully charge a battery and maintain it at proper storage voltage without the damaging effects caused by trickle chargers. Included is a quick connect harness for hard to reach areas."

Another area of concern is tire inflation. I carry a portable compressor in the "Camobile" (my conversion van) that simply plugs into the cigarette lighter socket/utility receptacle...and I saw something similar (but smaller) that would be suitable for carrying on my Harley:

"The Mini-Air Compressor measures only 4”x 2” x 6” making it possible to be carried on virtually any motorcycle, scooter or ATV."
(I'm definitely thinking about acquiring one)

Last, but absolutely not least, my favorite for cooler weather:

Harley heated hand grips "These thermostatically controlled grips have variable heat settings and automatic temperature monitoring to adjust to changing ambient temperatures."

I already have a set of those; they were good on this morning's ride.

Another aspect of cool on a motorcycle is trying to stay that way when it's hot out. Towards that end I installed on my Harley (a couple of Summers ago) a variation on those old classic "wing" windows that were prevalent in vehicles when air conditioning was not:

Seen above in the open position, they direct a surprising amount of breeze at the rider, namely Mr. Jack.

And of course when that's not desirable, they close:

OK kids, that's it for this installment. Ride safe!!!

Get out and vote!

2010-10-25T20:57:00.010-04:00

I received the bumper sticker seen above in the mail last week, and I briefly considered putting it on the back of the "Camobile".
(My conversion van)

The fact of the matter though, is that I wouldn't want people to come to the erroneous conclusion that I'm a supporter, based on a perfunctory glance. Here's a closer look:

In reality, I don't think that impeaching Obama would make a difference. My friend Michael has been after me (for literally years) to write about the fact that the problem in this country is actually Congress...and the Democrats have been in control of that since they were elected into the majority in both houses in 2006, roughly the time when things started going to "Hell in a handbasket" in this country. They like to blame Bush, but they own it, really. In one sense, it may have been a blessing in disguise for Obama to have been elected, because with the Democrats running everything they can't blame the Republicans for the out of control spending spree. That's not to say that the Republicans hadn't gotten out of hand when they were running everything, which is basically why they lost their majorities in the first place. More on that HERE. However, now we have a new crop of candidates who seem to understand that the fiscal path that this country is on is simply unsustainable, and the American people are tired of being ignored by those who think they know better than the "unwashed masses".
(That's you and me, BTW)

Soon we'll have a chance to turn it around; let's not waste it.

Another friend of mine sent some points to consider:

When your family and friends can't explain why they voted for Democrats, give them this list. They can then pick a reason.

10. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.

9. I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

8. I voted Democrat because Freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.

7. I voted Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.

6. I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.

5. I voted Democrat because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies through abortion so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

4. I voted Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education, and Social Security benefits.

3. I voted Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the Democrats see fit.

2. I voted Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.

1. I voted Democrat because my head is so firmly planted up my a$$ that it is unlikely that I'll ever have another point of view.

Do the Right thing, on November 2nd.

PS: Something else to consider: Unemployment

Remember!!!

2010-09-11T16:46:00.005-04:00

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
-George Santayana

I often use that quote, particularly regarding events of that fateful day 9 years ago. It seems to go largely unheeded by many, but here is an excellent article to which I was sent a link by a friend:

Imagining Islam -by Andrew C. McCarthy:

If only the fantasy were true: If only there actually were a dominant, pro-American, echt moderate Islam, an ideology so dedicated to human rights, so sternly set against savagery, that acts of terrorism were, by definition, “un-Islamic activity.” Imagine an Islam that, far from a liability, proved an asset (indeed, an indispensable asset) in combating the threat against us. Imagine that we could accurately call the threat mere “extremism” — no “Islamic” (or even “Islamist”) modifier being necessary because the “extremists” truly were a tiny, aberrant band, fraudulently “hijacking” a great religion.

If the fantasy were true, who among us would not be proud to mark the annual observance of September 11 by breaking ground on a $100 million Islamic center cum mosque at the site of the most horrific attack in American history? In the nine years since the atrocities that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 Americans at the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pa., such an Islam — if it really existed — would have spearheaded the defeat of America’s enemies.

Read more...it's worth the time it'll take.

Here at "La Casa de Camo", 9-11 is not forgotten:

Previous posts on this subject:
2006 - Jeanette...
2007 - Dwelling on the past...
2008 - Don't forget...
2009 - Once upon a time...

It's a bird, it's a plane...part 2

2010-08-30T08:09:00.006-04:00

A few years ago I wrote about the V22, after it was (finally) fielded...in Iraq, as a matter of fact.

Of course, the last combat unit has departed Iraq, and the focus has returned to the war in Afghanistan...so naturally, that's where the V22 squadron has been tasked nowadays.

The pictures I'm posting herein are from there.

Based upon the feedback that we have been receiving in the Military-Industrial Complex™, they are continuing to exceed expectations...

How I spent my (latest) Summer vacation...

2010-07-16T03:57:00.007-04:00

First, I did the tourist routine in Chicago. About a year ago, a new attraction opened in Willis (formerly Sears) Tower, called "The Ledge". This is an adjunct to the "Skydeck" on the 103rd floor.

Naturally, I had to check it out for myself:

(Yes, those are my hiking boots)

My eventual goal was a return to Alaska; I checked out some lots there, looking to establish a Summer retirement home where it's not so oppressively hot. While en route to see one of them, I observed several killer whales in Valdez Bay.

Here's a picture of one, coming up for air:

Other than researching available real estate, I availed myself of the opportunity to complete a "set" of sorts. Having already ridden a Harley in 49 States, I rented one while I was in Alaska, seen here by "Horsetail Falls":

(Those falls are but a few miles outside of Valdez)

My final stop was Kodiak, Alaska...where I saw (among other things) a sea lion eating a fish in St. Paul Harbor:

The calamari at Henry's is awesome there, too.

All in all, a most excellent adventure...

Nautical items...

2010-06-14T03:58:00.012-04:00

...or, if you prefer, "boat stuff". ;-)

I mentioned this project before about a year ago, when it was still basically a work in progress, but...the Turanor (also known as the PlanetSolar Project) is an entirely solar powered boat that was launched on March 31st.

This boat was essentially built to demonstrate that cargo shipping vessels can operate without fuel. Based upon the amount of fuel used by various ships plying the waters all over the world every day, this could potentially yield tremendous savings which would hopefully be passed along to consumers, and would also go a long way towards conserving fuel. Of course I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much it might help mitigate Global Warming™ too.
(Yeah, right!)

Speaking of solar projects on boats, I added a solar charging circuit to my boat, to keep the battery charged:

In order to prevent it from overcharging the battery, I also added a charge controller to the circuit:

Earlier this month, I was on a nice cruise in The Abacos, considered by many to be the sailing destination in The Bahamas.

Here's the boat (and captain) at the dock in Marsh Harbor:

A view of the lighthouse at Hope Town from the boat:

And a view from the lighthouse:

Before this trip, I knew that there are a number of caves in The Bahamas, and my research turned up some information about one at Little Harbor...which happened to be one of the places we'd be visiting, so I went caving too. In fact, I got what I think is an awesome picture of some bats in that cave:

Last, but not least, I'd like to bring up the failed attempt by 16 year old Abby Sunderland to become the youngest person to complete a circumnavigation on a sailboat.

On June 10th, while sailing in heavy seas and high winds in the Southern part of the Indian Ocean, the boat was dismasted and she activated her distress beacons. Thankfully, she was rescued two days later.

Not to be a "Monday morning quarterback", but she and her family had been advised that her planned schedule would put her in that area at the worst time of year, weather-wise. However, she went for it anyway. Hindsight is 20/20 of course, but I think it was irresponsible of her parents to allow her to try it when she did. Some people will do anything to get into the record books; I'm just glad that this particular story didn't end in tragedy...

An American icon, Part 2

2010-05-10T04:10:00.009-04:00

A couple of years ago, I wrote about Earl Shaffer and the project to preserve a trail shelter that he built, which at the time I had helped to disassemble; ultimately it was to be reassembled as an exhibit for the Appalachian Trail Museum.

Here's a picture from that previous post:

(That's me, helping to take it apart)

This past weekend, it was time to put it back together:

(Me again, helping with the restoration)

There were a few people working on this job. In fact, for this phase of the operation the guy who was in charge of it even managed to recruit a Northbound "thru" hiker to assist us, and he was very helpful indeed. Between us all we managed to get it done in a couple of days...Saturday and Sunday.

Here's the finished "product":

The Appalachian Trail Museum will be having its Grand Opening on National Trails Day, which will be on June 5th this year...

And now for the rest of the story...

2010-04-04T01:01:00.002-04:00

Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered his words.
Luke 24:1-8 (New International Version)

The Story of the Geese

There was once a man who didn't believe in the incarnation of Christ or the spiritual meaning of Christmas, and was skeptical about God. He and his family lived in a farm community. His wife was a devout believer and diligently raised her children in her faith. He sometimes gave her a hard time about her faith and mocked her religious observance of Christmas.

"It's all nonsense - why would God lower himself and become a human like us? It's such a ridiculous story!" he said.

One snowy day, she and the children left for church while he stayed home. After they had left, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening.

Then he heard a loud thump, something hitting against the window. And another thump. He looked outside but couldn't see. So he ventured outside to see. In the field near his house he saw, of all the strangest things, a flock of geese! They were apparently flying to look for a warmer area down south, but had been caught in the snow storm. The storm had become too blinding and violent for the geese to fly or see their way. They were stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter, unable to do more than flutter their wings and fly in aimless circles.

He had compassion for them and wanted to help them. He thought to himself, "The barn would be a great place for them to stay! It's warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm." So he opened the barn doors for them. He waited, watching them, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But they didn't notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them.

He moved closer toward them to get their attention, but they just moved away from him out of fear. He went into the house and came back out with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread trail to the barn. They still didn't catch on. Starting to get frustrated, he went over and tried to shoo them toward the barn. They panicked and scattered into every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where there was warmth, safety and shelter.

Feeling totally frustrated, he exclaimed, "Why don't they follow me? Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm? How can I possibly get them into the one place to save them?" He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn't follow a human. He said to himself, "How can I possibly save them? The only way would be for me to become like those geese. If only I could become like one of them! Then I could save them! They would follow me and I would lead them to safety."

At that moment, he stopped and considered what he had said. The words reverberated in his mind: "If only I could become like one of them- then I could save them." And then, at last, he understood God's heart towards mankind, and he fell on his knees in the snow and worshiped Him.

I love that story. He is risen! Happy Easter!!!

Were you there?

2010-04-02T00:01:00.001-04:00

Literally, of course, no...I was not there.

In spirit however, although it humbles me more than anything else ever could, I've been there many times.

The feelings are conveyed quite well in a song:

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
(African-American spiritual)

The truth is, it always makes me cry. Always...

St. Patrick...

2010-03-17T07:40:00.007-04:00

(Saint Patrick's Cathedral, on 5th Avenue in N.Y.C.)

It has been said that everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day.
(Personally, I'm ¼ Irish all year 'round)

Just about everyone has heard of St. Patrick, but how many know all that much about him? Obviously, he's the patron saint of Ireland, and one doesn't have to be Irish to be aware of that. Interestingly enough he has actually never been officially canonized, however, various Christian churches declare that he is indeed a Saint.

Many stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick are false, passed along during hundreds of years of storytelling.

Some things we do know to be true about him though, based upon a couple of letters that he wrote.

St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents in the 4th century. When he was around 16 years old, he was captured in Britain by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. According to his own writing, a voice (one which he believed to be that of God) spoke to him in a dream and told him that it was time to leave Ireland. After returning to Britain, he said that he'd experienced a second dream, in which an angel told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Consequently, Patrick began religious training soon afterward. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland to minister to Christians already living there...and to begin to convert the Irish.

He is believed to have died on March 17, 460...hence the reason for that being date on which we celebrate St. Patrick's Day, although there is also evidence that he may in fact have died in 493.

By the 8th century he was revered as Ireland's patron saint...

My 2½ hour commute...

2010-03-01T06:34:00.003-05:00

This happened a few Winters ago. The duration had less to do with ambient conditions than with freaky circumstances.

I left the building in which I work at 6 AM, right on schedule, but found that the left front tire of the "Camobile" (my conversion van) had gone completely flat. So, I attached my li'l handy-dandy compressor to the valve stem, plugged it into the cigarette lighter socket and waited.

After awhile (it's smallish and a bit slowish) it became evident that the tire wasn't being inflated, at which point I got out my namesake (the "jack") and raised it up to seat the bead on the rim.

Did I say it was completely flat? Well, it really, truly was.

Anyway, having gotten the bead seated, the tire began to inflate...but wouldn't go beyond 30 PSI. I listened closely near the tire, and as expected, heard the telltale hissing of a leak.

Damn and double damn!

At least with the (momentary) 30 PSI in the tire, I could pull forward to access the spare stored underneath in the back, which had been quite blocked due to my reversing into the parking space (as is my customary practice) to facilitate a rapid departure. I had to crank the spare down to the ground with the provided tooling, which took another little while, then swap it for the flat. Having been up underneath, it had an inch or so of rime ice frozen onto it in a few spots, so I smacked that off of the tread before installing it. Then I inflated it to the maximum recommended pressure. About an hour later (SLOW compressor!!!), I finally pulled out of the parking lot and headed for "La Casa de Camo". (My rambling estate)

A few miles up the road, the spare started making weird sounds, so thinking it was losing air I pulled over but could see nothing wrong. I chalked it up to its being of a different type (bias ply) from the other 3 (radial) tires, and continued on. A few more miles, and it was getting worse, so I got out and looked at it again with the same result.

2 more miles, while turning a corner, we...had...separation. The wheel went off on its own, whereas I came to a jarring halt with the disc brake rotor resting on the asphalt.
(Like the one in the picture above)

Near as I can figure, there was also some rime ice on the surface where the wheel mates up to the hub when I put it on, and I did snug it down tight...I've changed a tire or three in my day, and I do "know the drill".

My best guess is that after a while the ice melted, inducing a wobble that got progressively worse, but since I wasn't looking for looseness when I stopped (just proper inflation) the fact that it was no longer screwed down tight completely escaped my notice. Consequently, the wobble of the wheel chewed up the lugs, and the lug nuts (all 5) worked their way off. In fact, I found 3 of them right at the scene of the accident, where they had all let go at the same time. Conveniently, as it happened, because I used them to put the wheel back on after I retrieved it from somebody's (snow and ice-covered) lawn. The ice hypothesis I came up with later, but it fits the facts of the situation.

Pretty wild, huh? The damage to the rotor and supporting suspension components, plus an alignment (and new custom wheels) came to just under $1800 with associated labor.

Good times...

Be prepared...

2010-02-08T00:01:00.002-05:00

Words to live by...and the Boy Scout motto:

("This scout's name is Bob Hamilton and this picture was painted by Norman Rockwell in 1944.")

I was a Boy Scout in my youth, years ago.
(Once a Boy Scout, always a Boy Scout)

I made it to the rank of First Class; there's a lot of valuable training that comes along with doing that, not only for getting along outdoors, but also in life.

Anyway, February 8, 2010 is the centennial anniversary of The Boy Scouts of America. This is an excellent organization, and a much better alternative for an inner city kid (like I used to be) than hanging with a gang and/or on a street corner.

Here's to a hundred more years!

Small world...

2010-01-22T20:25:00.005-05:00

I've been hearing that for a l-o-n-g time.

What with the Internet, it can truly seem that way.

For example, we can visit Hawaii right now.
(I'll go there for real in a couple of weeks)

As I've posted previously, I like to check Site Meter occasionally to see who's been looking at my blog, and from where. I only do so every week or so, and can only see the 100 most recent visits at any given time, so the following list of countries is in all probability incomplete...but here are the ones that I know of from 2009:

Albania, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Europe, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holy See (Vatican City State), Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Venezuela, and Yemen.

So far, 3 weeks into 2010, I have the following:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and Uruguay.

Most of them are looking at various images.

I wonder how many are "repeat offenders"...

Un estudio comparativo...

2010-01-06T03:52:00.013-05:00

...which means (En Inglés) what it would seem: a comparative study. In this case, of photography.

On my recent trip to Peru, I took a lot of pictures.

Let's see how they compare with images on the "Da 'Net".

My picture will be first, followed by one found on the Internet. Also, a link to the site where I found the image will be embedded in the description/name.

SaqsayWaman (pronounced almost like "Sexy Woman"):

(Image of snake built into wall)

Tambomachay:

(The grass is greener on...my picture)

Ollantaytampo:

(Slightly different P.O.V.)

Machu Picchu:

(No, mine is not a "Photoshop" job)

Nazca lines:

(Quite similar, huh?)

Chauchilla:

(No sepia tone added to my picture)

Nazca aqueducts:

(There are quite of few of these wells)

Of course, surfing "Da 'Net" is cheaper...

White Christmas?

2009-12-21T03:43:00.009-05:00

Indeed; I suspect that at least some of the snow that fell over the past weekend will still be lying around on Christmas Day:

(A view from "La Casa de Camo")

It looks nice an' all, but since my garden tractor (with snow blower attachment) refused to start, I had to default to using the dreaded "old school" snow shovel:

(My achin' back!)

The previous weekend I was up at Rockefeller Center:

(Nice tree; it was cold there too)

Next weekend though, I'm heading South...WAY South.
(It'll be Summer there)

Last, and anything but least, the reason for the season:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Travelogue

2009-11-30T00:34:00.023-05:00

Lest I allow yet another month to go by without posting something, (although it nearly has already) I've decided to describe my vacations of 2009. I won't get into weekend trips, for expediency's sake.

I'd already posted beforehand about (what was at the time) the plan for my annual sojourn to Hawaii in January, but here are a couple of the pictures that I took while I was there:

Close approximations of the shots in that prior post?
(The difference being that I took these shots myself)

I have mostly been taking my vacations in conjunction with paid days off for the past several years, so as to get four weeks of vacation out of three weeks of vacation time; the following descriptions are of those weeks that I took off, with a few pictures for each.

Memorial Day Week - Hiking on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia:

Independence Day Week - Cruising 'round BVI on a 44' catamaran:

Labor Day Week - Touring Europe; mostly Italy, 1 day in Slovenia:

(Predjama Castle, above, is in Slovenia)

Thanksgiving Week - Working on the FL Trail, and visiting Springs:

(Armadillo)(MANATEES!!!)

Also, sharing Thanksgiving dinner with family, of course.

But wait! (As they say in the TV ads) There's more!!!

I plan to visit South America during the last week of this year too, seeing such things as Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines:

(I have off Christmas through New Year's Day, too.)

The Military-Industrial Complex™ does quite well by me.

Next year? It all begins again, Lord willin'... ;-)

Once upon a time...

2009-09-11T01:01:00.008-04:00

...there was a set of buildings:

At the time of their completion in the early 1970's, the twin towers were the tallest buildings on Earth. Ultimately however, world records notwithstanding, they were only that...buildings.

As nearly everyone knows, these mere buildings were destroyed as a result of having commercial airliners flown into them.

Of course, there was another building struck by a commercial airliner that day, although that one was not completely destroyed:

Buildings can be replaced with new ones, and although some cynical folks might say the same is true of people, the innocent people who died on September 11, 2001 were all unique individuals with personalities all their own. They were just a bunch of people who had come to work that day, never knowing it would be their last.

I have written on this subject previously:
2006 - Jeanette...
2007 - Dwelling on the past...
2008 - Don't forget...

The first one was on behalf of The 2,996 Project:
A Tribute to the Victims of 9-11-01

In this era of limited attention spans and sound "bites", I think it is paramount that we do not allow ourselves to forget. Ever.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
-George Santayana

Update:

I am currently in Europe on vacation, and just got access to the Internet; apparently I have been assigned by the 2,996 Project to commemorate Vanavah Alexi Thompson. Of course, I did not know this individual, so I will defer to those who did know him, or at least know his daughter:

Vanavah was my cousin. I was his baby-sitter for some time after he was born. He was a pleasure to know and love. I have pictures of Vanavah and my kids, Ronsheeka and Raionalto, and I look at them often. I know he is in heaven just singing and playing music, the way he loved to do. Vanavah, you will always be loved and missed.
*** Posted by DAWN F. HARTE on 2008-09-15 ***

I am Vanavah's cousin and I miss and love my cousin. He was a sweet person with a great spirit and a beautiful heart.... He will never be forgotten!
*** Posted by Ronsheeka Harte on 2008-09-11 ***

I do not know Vanavah, but I know his daughter, Nia Thompson. I am one of her teachers in Elementary School. Vanavah would be so proud of the beautiful young lady that she has grown to be. She will always remember him, but he can rest assured in heaven that she will be the beacon of light that he meant for her to be. Nia will forever be loved by all.
*** Posted by vhusamudeen on 2007-09-11 ***

I am the mother of Vanavah's only child Nia Thompson. I try not to think about 9/11 because it's just too hard. I get all choked up and can't breathe. I end up crying for hours. I just want to say I miss you so much it hurts. I mean it hurts so bad. Unbelievable grief. Your daughter talks about you almost all the time. If not a memory, a show or something that comes across her mind that leads to you. We miss you, and we love you Vanavah. You're in our hearts forever. I can't even type no more, with tears flowing all over the keyboard. I miss you dearly.
*** Posted by Frauliene Lyte on 2006-07-28 ***

I am Nia Thompson's Big Sister from Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Nia is a wonderful, beautiful, bright, and energetic young lady. I did not meet Nia until after her father passed away, so I never knew Vanavah. I have grown to know him from her stories and memories of him. Vanavah lives on on in Nia's stories and memories of her Dad and in her being. She loves music, just like her Dad did, and she loves to sing - just like her Dad. He is greatly missed, but Nia carries Vanavah's memory on.
*** Posted by Mady Dersch on 2004-06-18 ***

Those comments are from the 9-11 Heroes website.

This stuff never fails to bring me to tears...

American...idle?

2009-08-16T11:22:00.003-04:00

Is this show still on the air? Do you care? Do people still follow it closely and discuss it amongst themselves? I never really cared about it...ever. It's not as though I'm about to begin. I'm just curious, wondering online (as opposed to out loud) here; the foregoing should be considered rhetorical questions. It's just been awhile since I posted anything, FWIW.
(Prob'ly not much)

Anyway, speaking of my curiosity, here's yet another list of countries from which my humble little corner of "da blogosphere" has been visited since the last time I posted something:

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, Europe, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holy See (Vatican City State), Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

Now, since I'm trying an experiment (not sending out any notification of this new post), we'll see how long it takes anyone to notice... ;-)

Everything under the Sun!

2009-06-26T21:01:00.004-04:00

Well, OK, not everything.

However, here are some solar energy projects representing solar-powered transportation by land, sea and air.

The first (by land) is by the brother of an acquaintance.

(Battery bank under the hood)

Here's what she (my acquaintance) had to say about it:

"This year's project was to convert an old El Camino truck to an electric car. One of the challenges was, when he finally loaded all 48 lithium batteries under the hood, the old springs sagged and the front end dropped so the roof of the wheel well was just above the tire. A neighbor hauled it off to a guy, who knew a guy, and the new stiffer springs did the trick - adequate lift. Well, it works. Saturday, we took a load of recyclables to the dump."

Check it out: Electric El Camino

Next up (by sea) is the PlanetSolar project.

(Artist's depiction)

From their website:

"In 2010, the first round-the-world trip powered by solar energy will be realized, with stopovers, along the equator, where the maximum amount of sunlight is available. The over 40,000-km voyage will last 120 days, for an average speed of 10 knots. PlanetSolar's two-man crew will cross the Atlantic Ocean, the Panama Canal, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and finally the Suez Canal, to return to the Mediterranean. After a roadshow with the village that will cross Switzerland in 2009, the boat will stop in cities like Monaco, Paris, Marseille, Dubaï, Abu-Dhabi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hambourg, New-York and San Francisco."

And last (by air), but not least, the Solar Impulse project:

"The Solar Impulse project...aims to have an airplane take off and fly autonomously, day and night, propelled uniquely by solar energy, right round the world without fuel or pollution."

Speaking of solar energy, I'm off for some "fun in the sun"...

Where in the world?!

2009-06-24T22:06:00.009-04:00

I've been keeping track of all the visitors from other countries who've been looking at my blog; in the past few months there were visits from the following countries:

Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Many of them are just looking at images, mostly of various aerospace and motorcycle related items.

Anyway, speaking of where in the world, I was just up in New Hampshire last week for Laconia Bike Week:

Next week, I'll be off to the Caribbean again:

(Picture above from a previous trip)

And while I've been enjoying the "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" that being an American affords me, people are fighting and dying in hopes of gaining their own freedom in Iran. I have been hoping for a revolution there for many years now; I really empathize with them. Of course, we shouldn't ever forget the true costs of revolution...in blood, death and suffering.

May God be with them in their struggle...

Now Let the Vault Of Heaven Resound

2009-04-12T00:59:00.005-04:00

Now let the vault of Heav’n resound
In praise of love that doth abound,
“Christ hath triumphed, alleluia!”
Sing, choirs of angels, loud and clear,
Repeat their song of glory here,
“Christ hath triumphed, Christ hath triumphed!”
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Eternal is the gift He brings,
Wherefore our heart with rapture sings,
“Christ hath triumphed, Jesus liveth!”
Now doth He come and give us life,
Now doth His presence still all strife
Through His triumph; Jesus reigneth!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

O fill us, Lord, with dauntless love;
Set heart and will on things above
That we conquer through Thy triumph,
Grant grace sufficient for life’s day
That by our life we ever say,
“Christ hath triumphed, and He liveth!”
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Adoring praises now we bring
And with the heavenly blessèd sing,
“Christ hath triumphed, Alleluia!”
Be to the Father, and our Lord,
To Spirit blest, most holy God,
Thine the glory, never ending!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

In the past few weeks, this blog has been visited by people in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Europe, France, Germany, India, Israel, Latvia, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, The Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

A fair number of them were looking at this:

I posted it for Easter last year; I think it's awesome...

On a hill far away...

2009-04-10T06:54:00.004-04:00

...stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

(Refrain):
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

(Refrain)

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

(Refrain)

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

"The Old Rugged Cross" -by George Bennard (1873-1958).

Such a bittersweet song; one of my favorites, although I don't know if it's in the latest revision of the hymnal at my church...I'll have to check, maybe later today if I remember.

I've always had a rough time of it on Good Friday, although of course that is as nothing compared to what Jesus went through on that fateful day. For me, and you...

When you're hot, you're HOT!!!

2009-04-04T09:13:00.005-04:00

The Naga Jolokia Pepper

People who know me well are aware of my predilection for spicy food.

Actually, my tolerance for such things is nearly legendary in some circles...if I do say so myself.
(And I just did, huh?)

I was just reading the other day about this Naga Jolokia Pepper, which I was rather amazed to learn is many times hotter than the Habañero Pepper on the Scoville Scale.

In fact, they are the hottest peppers that exist.
(On this planet, anyway)

Now I've just got to acquire some of 'em.

Update!

Look what I found:

They're Scotch Bonnets, not the hottest, but still pretty hot...

I quit!

2009-04-01T21:22:00.005-04:00

My blogging here has gone from several times per week to about once a month...it takes that long (sometimes longer) for my personal benchmark of "eleventeen" comments (some of them my responses) to accumulate; occasionally I don't even get that many.

Consequently, I am "pulling the plug" here.

I'll stick to posting comments elsewhere...

This & that...

2009-03-16T11:16:00.004-04:00

The following are things I've been reading about recently. I find them of interest, because they're the sort of things I'm thinking of using when I build my retirement home someday. Anyway, read on; each item has a description, a picture and a link to a website.

Swift Wind Turbine:

"Swift is a rooftop mount wind turbine that is quiet. Traditional wind turbines generate some noise as the wind travels the length of the blade. The outer ring on Swift acts as a diffuser as the wind travels down the blades and is dispersed along the outer ring, therefore eliminating the noise and keeping the turbine quiet."

Rainwater HOG:

"The Rainwater HOG is a novel solution to the problem of rainwater or greywater storage in areas where space is at a premium. The Rainwater HOG’s relative small size enables it to fit into many spaced previously not available to water tanks, while its modular design enables it to be extended and capacity increased bit by bit and in multiple locations around your house and property. The Rainwater HOG’s narrow profile makes it the perfect water storage solution along side walls, down narrow passages and underneath decks and house structures. Being able to sit flat, on its side or stand upright on its end the Rainwater HOG is adaptable to almost any situation."

RainTube:

"The patented RainTube material is porous and fits snugly into the body of the gutter keeping debris high up out of the water where it can dry out quickly. Water flows in great volumes around and through the tube via thousands of tiny passageways. In most installations, RainTube "crowns" slightly above the top of the gutter creating a slippery aerodynamic surface that removes most debris with a natual breeze."

Big Ass Fans:

"In hot weather, the fans are operated at the upper range of speed to circulate the air within a facility. The circulation results in an even temperature throughout the area covered by the fans. People are cooled by the breeze, so they are much more comfortable, even though the actual temperature has not been lowered. In cold weather, the fans should be run at slow speeds to slowly push warmer air down to the floor without creating the cooling breeze."

SG Blocks™:

"Using recycled steel shipping containers as the foundation of SG BLOCKS™ coupled with a high tech ceramic insulation make this system a standout in shrinking the environmental footprint. It’s an engineered Safe and Green structural system. It’s the blocks plus the engineering necessary to make it work together. its repeatable, scalable, and so on. We take the container, perform our engineering and fabrication processes, and make it 'Architect and Contractor ready'. It retains its logistic features but becomes a structural building system ready to go. It’s the roughed in, dried in framing package."

Have to plan ahead, right?

It's electric!

2009-02-26T08:13:00.006-05:00

Something I wanted to post about since first reading about it in Popular Science last Summer is the Deus Ex Machina:

The Deus Ex Machina is an exoskeleton, (designed by one Jake Loniak) to be worn by its user, and driven at speeds up to 75 mph.

Although not strictly a motorcycle (more like a "muscle" Segway), it has been picked up as a concept vehicle by Yamaha; now it remains to be seen if it will be mass-produced for the consumer market.

Did I mention that it's run on lithium ion batteries?

I will be interested to see what comes of this, if anything.

Speaking of motorcycles, my brother Bill wanted me to make people aware of a poll being taken by the American Drag Racing League...but I've been a bit lax in my posting here. In any case, the poll he was referring to is here, although it's not the current one. However, it would appear that the category he has won the last 2 years (Pro Extreme Motorcycle) wound up being voted the most popular. Feel free to go there and vote anyway...

What're you lookin' at?

2009-01-09T06:55:00.007-05:00

I was looking again to see who's been checking out my blog; in the past week there've been visits from the following countries:

Australia, Austria (2), Belgium (2), Canada (3), Croatia, Germany (3), Israel, Latvia, Netherlands, Philippines (2), Slovakia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Sweden (2), Thailand (2), Turkey (2), Ukraine and the United Kingdom (3).

Mostly they're checking out aerospace- and motorcycle-related stuff, and the most popular by far is this:

(Mosquito Ultralight Helicopter)

Fact is, I think it's pretty cool, too.

OK, so, it's time for my annual Winter sojourn.

There'll be a slight variation from the usual itinerary in that I'll be on Kauai for my first week there, and then on to the Big Island.

I'm looking forward to hiking the Kalalau Trail on Kauai:

I'll also do a side trip to Hanakapi’ai Falls:

Behave yourselves while I'm away...

South of the border...

2008-12-08T07:15:00.008-05:00

...is where I went for a while recently.

In fact, I was South of a number of borders...in Costa Rica.

The first place I stayed was the Hotel Santo Tomas in San José, which is the capital city:

This had been a huge mansion at one time, but has since been converted into a hotel. It was undergoing a lot of renovation when I stayed there, but my room was fine. There was a nice little restaurant in the hotel, too.

Within easy walking distance of the hotel were numerous points of interest, as one might expect in the capital of a country.

The first spot I checked out was a national park:

It wasn't a National Park along the lines of a Yellowstone or Yosemite, for example, but they do have (and I did visit) a number of those as well. More on that later.

After visiting the park, I meandered around an old part of the city:

It's actually a nice and quaint kind of place.

Eventually, I went to the national zoo:

That was also within easy walking distance of the hotel.

The Rio Torres passes through town, and runs along the zoo:

It's really a pretty little municipality.

Other than in the zoo, there's some cool wildlife:

Those guys are pretty mellow, unless you get too close.
(In which case they tend to scramble away)

OK, as previously mentioned, Arenal National Park:

I found it rather amusing that they had several signs stating that it was a "high volcanic risk" area, considering the fact that the most recent lava flow there was in 1992. I realize that's a very brief span in geological terms, but generally speaking I'd have to consider it quite safe. There is some genuine volcanic activity going on at the Poas Volcano, but I only saw that venting steam from my flight back out of the country.

Another Parque Nacional is Marino Las Baulas.

There's a Playa Grande (big beach) there:

This is a popular nesting area for sea turtles, in fact.

After the hotel stay came the resort.

Here's a view from there, looking out over the Pacific:

They had beach access a short walk from my condo.

The last Parque Nacional I went to was Monteverde:

It's called El Bosque Nuboso, which means "cloudy forest" in Inglés.

It truly is a cloudy forest, most of the time:

I think that's a pretty decent photograph, myself.

Last, but not least, I visited my "hometown":

Well, not really, but the name is very close...

Update! More pictures posted HERE.

My brother Bill...

2008-11-11T10:10:00.004-05:00

...has won the championship in his dragbike class for the second year he's competed in the American Drag Racing League.

He was (at least!) a 10 time National Champion in the American Motorcyclist Association racing division, but has basically moved on to the aforementioned American Drag Racing League.

I went to see him race this year, but I'm more of a doer than a watcher, so I don't go often; I am definitely proud of his success, however.

I've been meaning to write about him, but at least I finally got around to it. Better late than never, so "they" say....whomsoever "they" are.

I remember when we were too young to ride motorcycles, Bill used to always want to go as fast as he possibly could, pedaling for all he was worth down hills. As for me, I was generally content to let gravity take me down those same hills.

Anyway, he surely does go fast now.

Oh, and let's not forget Veterans Day...

Got plans this Saturday?

2008-11-05T21:49:00.006-05:00

From the Carlisle Theatre website:

FOREVER WILD: A CELEBRATION OF WILDERNESS A Benefit Concert to Establish the Appalachian Trail Museum in Central Pennsylvania. One of America's most unique folksingers and backcountry travelers, Walkin' Jim Stoltz, on tour from the mountains of Montana, will bring his powerful multi-media show, Forever Wild, to the Carlisle Theatre, 40 West High Street, Carlisle, PA, on Saturday, November 8, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. The mix of stunning photography, stories, and music make this one-of-a-kind concert an inspiring journey into our nation's last wilderness areas. This event is sponsored by the Appalachian Trail Museum Society and is a fund-raiser to help establish the Appalachian Trail Museum, designated for Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Michaux State Forest, Cooke Township.

I mentioned the Appalachian Trail Museum project in a piece that I wrote here this past August.

This coming Saturday in Carlisle, PA there will be a concert, the proceeds of which will benefit the project.

We need someplace to reassemble the Earl Shaffer shelter, which we took apart the first weekend in August.

It is being negotiated for the museum to be established in Pine Grove, near the Ironmaster's Hostel, which is located at the midpoint of the Appalachian Trail.

If you can make it, then that would be great.

An appreciation for folk music would help...

"Talking the Talk" vs. "Walking the Walk"

2008-11-02T19:48:00.008-05:00

I took the picture above about 1½ miles from my home, along the route I take to and from where I work. As you can see, both of the major Party's candidates are represented therein. So much for the "Party of tolerance", eh? Someone had stolen my next door neighbor's McCain sign from his lawn too...but each sign has since been replaced. In fact, my neighbor just added a "Democrat for McCain" sign to his lawn this past weekend as well.

There's a BIG election coming up this week. After what may have been the longest campaign season in U.S. history, we are poised on the brink of deciding to vote for either Barack Obama or John McCain.

While McCain is not the candidate I would have preferred, there are many positive attributes about the man and his policies, demonstrated over a long and distinguished career of government service. I won't go into the negatives about McCain; some of them he has already redressed.

Mostly, I am going to point out why I believe that voting for Obama would be an enormous mistake.

Obama claims to be an agent of change. That's all well and good, and to be expected in any event...all candidates running for public office (except incumbents) promise some variation on this theme.

However, let's look at the facts. There are plenty of them out there, try though the Obama team might to obfuscate and spin them away.

Associations.

Obama has had plenty of questionable liaisons over the years, with Rashid Khalidi, William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright and Tony Rezko to name but a few. His typical answer when questioned about them has been to minimize their actual involvement in his life.

Rashid Khalidi and William Ayers are a couple of former (?) proponents of terrorism, one imported, the other domestic. Obama has had long-running and close ties to both of them.

Rashid Khalidi has expressed support many times for Palestinian terror, calling suicide bombings a "response to Israeli aggression". Obama admitted "I do know him because I taught at the University of Chicago". In fact, at a 2003 farewell party for Khalidi (from an article in the L.A. Times): "A special tribute came from Khalidi's friend and frequent dinner companion, the young State Senator Barack Obama."

William Ayers was a founding member of the Weather Underground, a radical group that bombed a number of government facilities in this country, injuring some while killing others. He got off on a technicality, and was quoted in the New York Times (in an article published on 9-11-01, no less) as regretting only that he didn't do more. Obama's political career was started at a party in Ayers' home, yet Obama claims that Ayers is "just a guy who lives in my neighborhood". That is only one of many extremely transparent lies told by Obama during his campaign.

Another lie regards Jeremiah Wright, his former (?) mentor and pastor of the church he attended with his family for 20 years. When it first surfaced that Jeremiah Wright is a hate monger, calling upon God to damn America, Obama claimed that he never heard such things when he attended that church. Later he admitted that he had indeed heard such vitriol. Finally, he cut ties with that church, after it was affecting his chances of being elected.

Regarding Tony Rezko, another "guy who lives in his neighborhood", he is a slum lord who was convicted on multiple counts of fraud and bribery. Obama's house in Chicago was purchased for hundreds of thousands of dollars less than the asking price by working out a deal with Rezko. Evidently the Obamas and the Rezkos were on quite friendly terms with each other.

Thus, he has repeatedly demonstrated that he is in fact a liar. One common theme that I heard while discussing Obama with some of his supporters has been their insistence upon what "Obama says". Talking the talk is cheap; anyone can do that. Walking the walk is another matter, and McCain made an excellent point during the debates about comparing record to rhetoric.

What else is he lying about? How can we know?!

Tax and spend.

According to CBS News, after reviewing Obama's "infomercial" last week, "his numbers don't add up."

As McCain has said regarding Obama's proposals: "Do the math".

Although he has already stated that he intends to raise taxes, he also claims that he will only do so on the top 5% of taxpayers. Never mind that this particular demographic group already pays 60% of the income tax revenues that the IRS collects. Never mind that the bottom 50% of all income earners only pays 3% of the income tax revenues that the IRS collects. The cold, hard fact of the matter is that it would be quite impossible to raise taxes on only the top 5%. Why? Because when the costs of doing business go up, those costs invariably get passed on to the consumer. It's really very simple, basic economics. So, though you might not pay a higher income tax rate, ultimately you will be paying for any tax hikes.

Of course, to pay for his (estimated) $4.3 trillion of new spending over the next 10 years, taxes will definitely have to go up. As I just illustrated, we will all be footing the bill for that.

The most costly expenditure that Obama wants to add to the budget is health care for everyone. This may well be a very high-minded ideal, but I submit that it will drive up costs, while driving down quality...for everyone. While traveling this past Summer, I was discussing this very issue with some Canadians, who assured me that their health care in Canada is "not that bad". I told them that I preferred my good health care to a government-run version that's "not that bad". Then I asked them if it was true that they were paying more than half of their income in taxes, which they verified. I informed them that I had no desire to be placed into the same situation.

Speaking of health care plans, there seems to be some confusion regarding McCain's proposed approach. While he does want to tax employees' health care benefits that are employer provided (which are a de facto form of compensation) as income, he also wants to give everyone a tax credit to offset this. In other words, a deduction from federal taxes due, which is worth more than what the tax on a premium health care policy would be. That would mean that the proposed tax credit would more than make up for having one's benefits taxed as income. It would also help anyone who pays for their own health care by providing the same tax credit to them, and would also allow people to shop around for the best deal.

Obama's plan is to "spread the wealth around", A.K.A. Socialism. As he said to Joe the Plumber (whom he later contemptuously mocked) in one of his more candid moments, "I think that when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody".

"Spread the wealth around"? As in rob from Peter to pay Paul. According to George Bernard Shaw, "a government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul."

This socialist philosophy that Obama espouses has been cultivated for a long time, probably beginning while he was living with his grandparents in Hawaii, when he was influenced by Frank Marshall Davis. From an article in the U.K.'s Telegraph: "Although identified only as Frank in Mr Obama’s memoir 'Dreams from My Father', it has now been established that he was Frank Marshall Davis, a radical activist and journalist who had been suspected of being a member of the Communist Party in the 1950s. In his memoir, Mr Obama recounts how he visited Mr Davis on several occasions, apparently at junctures when he was grappling with racial issues, to seek his counsel. At one point in 1979 Mr. Davis described university as 'an advanced degree in compromise' that was designed to keep blacks in their place."

In a radio interview back in 2001, Obama pointed out that the Supreme Court (under Chief Justice Earl Warren) had "never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth", which is apparently something he would like to see them legislate from the bench. Were he to be elected President, it is projected that he could very well nominate 2-3 Justices to the Supreme Court, or as many as 5 of them in the event of his serving two terms in office. This alone should be considered by those who have not decided which Presidential candidate they plan to cast their vote for. Of course, if we wind up with a Democrat in the White House and a filibuster proof majority of Democrats in Congress, the legislation from the bench point may be a moot one. This redistribution of wealth will happen, in that case, with nobody being able to prevent it. You can read an excellent Wall Street Journal article on the subject at the following link: Obama's 'Redistribution' Constitution Also, you can check out Obama's discussion about "redistribution of wealth" on the aforementioned 2001 radio program HERE.

Again, regarding Obama's claim to be an agent of change, he didn't take long to join in with the "business as usual" practice in Washington of adding earmarks to various bills. During his first term as a U.S. Senator, he has requested the better part of a billion dollars worth of them.

John McCain, during his 20+ years in the Senate has never asked for a single earmark; zero, zip, zilch.
(Nada)

The War On Terrorism.

Obama's prediction that the "Surge" in Iraq would be unsuccessful (to put it mildly; he actually said that it would make things worse) he has yet to admit that he was wrong, only allowing that it had "succeeded beyond our wildest dreams".

He still maintains that a similar "Surge" strategy would not work in Afghanistan, even though his claim that it would fail in Iraq was proven incorrect.

He has also said that Iran "doesn't pose a serious threat", and that he would invade Pakistan. On matters of National Security he seems to be completely out of his depth, which apparently isn't all that deep to begin with.

A young veteran of the war in Iraq posted his views about that particular conflict in a much viewed video on YouTube: Dear Mr. Obama.

Abortion.

This is a touchy subject for many; I've heard it said that since I have no uterus, I'm not entitled to an opinion about it. However, even those who believe in a woman's right to choose generally agree that there should be reasonable limits. Obama thinks there should be none whatsoever, even with regard to the utterly heinous and horrific practice of partial birth abortion. For those who remain blissfully unaware of what that barbaric procedure entails, it is when a baby's skull is punctured so that the brains can be sucked out, while in the course of passing through the birth canal. Sickening. Obama goes one step farther; he has argued against even providing medical care to babies who survive being aborted, some of whom have been left to die amongst the soiled linen and infectious waste bins in various hospitals. Apparently Obama has no philosophical problem with all of that. I shall repeat: sickening. "Obama's radical stance on abortion puts him further left on that issue than even NARAL Pro-Choice America."

Media coverage.

The "mainstream" media has been so thoroughly and blatantly in the Obama camp that a majority of Americans have noticed. Some journalists have even broke ranks and are criticizing peers about their obvious lack of objectivity. Some good articles about that situation are "Embarrassment" by Jules Crittenden and "Media's O-colored glasses blank out leftist truth" by Diana West

Listen to reason.

Reasons to vote for McCain/Palin

More reasons to vote for John McCain

Reasons against an Obama Presidency

More reasons to vote against Obama

In case you haven't guessed, I'm one of the Bikers for McCain:

As is this fair lady:

Additional articles for your consideration:

Huntley Brown explains why he won't vote for Barack Obama

Senator Government by Larry Elder

What would an Obama Presidency be like? Let's Never Find Out.

PS: It has also been credibly suggested that Obama has Narcissistic Personality Disorder...

How 'BOUT dem Phillies?

2008-10-30T09:37:00.006-04:00

Here's their Number One "Phan"...the "Phillies Phanatic":

Of course, it's a paid position, their official mascot.

The Phillies almost didn't make the playoffs, but once they got there, they also got right down to "bidness".

They made short work of the L.A. Dodgers to win the National League Pennant, then they proceeded to make short work of the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series...something they hadn't done since I was still in the military, back in 1980.

There was much "joy in Mudville" last night!
(So to speak)

Game Five was one for the books, what with the 6th inning being interrupted for two whole days, but "all's well that ends well".
(To use a cliché)

Unless, of course, one happens to be a Rays fan.

Interestingly enough, this was the first season in years that I didn't get out to see any of the Phillies games. If I was superstitious, I might think that meant something. But I'm not...

WOO HOO!!!

Well, shoot...

2008-09-26T09:17:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow (September 27th) is National Hunting and Fishing Day.

The picture above is of my first gun. I've had it since I turned old enough to go hunting, which makes that nearly 40 years. I just got it back a week ago from the gunsmith where I dropped a couple of "C notes" to have it reconditioned.

Anyway, regarding National Hunting and Fishing Day; in June 1971, Sen. Thomas McIntyre, N.H., introduced Joint Resolution 117 authorizing National Hunting and Fishing Day on the fourth Saturday of every September. Rep. Bob Sikes, Fla., introduced an identical measure in the House. In early 1972, Congress unanimously passed both bills. On May 2, 1972, President Nixon signed the first proclamation of National Hunting and Fishing Day, writing, "I urge all citizens to join with outdoor sportsmen in the wise use of our natural resources and in insuring their proper management for the benefit of future generations."

There is an organization devoted to the day.
(You can find their website HERE)

Ted Nugent, well known musician and outdoorsman, wrote about it:

Kill 'Em & Grill 'Em

The "Motor City Madman" certainly has a way with words...

Declaration of Independence

2008-09-16T19:45:00.003-04:00

(John Trumbull's "Declaration of Independence")

"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation." -Thomas Jefferson
(Preamble to the Declaration of Independence)

Based upon recent developments, it would seem that it's time for a new declaration of independence...independence from the biased, Leftist "mainstream" media, that is.

A majority of Americans are now convinced of that bias, and they are not happy about it. Some of us have been onto this for quite some time, but now we are in the majority, unlike in previous years.

I happened to pick up a copy of the local "fish wrap" the other day, which someone had left in the break area at my place of employment in the military-industrial complex; as usual, it was chock full of the usual partisan tripe, masquerading as objective journalism.

To be fair, there are still a lot of excellent journalists out there, and much of their work is chronicled at the following websites:

Human Events
Jewish World Review
Patriot Post
Town Hall

Of course, what with the advent of the "blogosphere", we are no longer limited to getting our news pre-digested for us by a "mainstream" media with an agenda of its own.

A few years ago a former co-worker (who died recently) introduced me to ScrappleFace, which opened up a whole new world for me, that being the aforementioned "blogosphere".

From there, I eventually started this little blog of mine, wherein I am free to write about whatever strikes my fancy.

I am not by any means the first or only person to start blogging after being exposed to the "blogosphere".

Another most excellent blog is Villainous Company; it was an early spin-off from the comments section at ScrappleFace.

I've had the pleasure of meeting the authors of both blogs. Besides the fact that they are both wonderful human beings, they are also good enough at what they write that they should be being paid (handsomely!) for so doing.

I have also met a number of other bloggers, and their respective blogs are all in my "blogroll", in the left hand column.
(← ← ← ← ← ←)

At any rate, it's great to be able to dialogue amongst ourselves about the events of the day, rather than being dependent upon the "mainstream" media.

Also, it is terrific to have so many options...

Don't forget...

2008-09-10T21:40:00.004-04:00

It seems that many have forgotten.

I remember finding out about the events of that fateful day.

Since I'm on third shift and was fast asleep at the time that they were occurring, it was only after the fact that I found out.

During that time frame, I had been transcribing a trail journal for a friend who was attempting to hike the Long Trail in Vermont; he too found out about the events of the day after the fact...because that was the day he blew out his knee and left the trail. Since he is also a patriot and a veteran, I know that he won't forget what happened anytime soon either, or ever.

Oh, how we Americans came together in the days that followed!

Oh, how many have already forgotten and learned nothing.

Don't be one of those who have forgotten...

"The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt."
-John Philpot Curran

Three points of contact...

2008-08-29T08:36:00.005-04:00

This "Boss Hoss" trike has hidden characteristics:

From a "Boss Hoss" press release:

"Boss Hoss Cycles, manufacturer of America’s ultimate V8 powered cycles, has teamed up with V-8 Performance, Inc., creators of the Hossfly, to produce the Boss Hoss Advantage Trike, the first wheelchair accessible trike that is tailored specifically to the disabled rider. The new Advantage Trikes are scheduled for release in September 2008."

Check it out:

I think that's pretty awesome!

Boss Hoss trike (standard version)

Cheetah Trikes:

Precision Cycle Works - Tri-Cycle:

Renegade Trikes:

Rewaco Trikes:

So Cal Trikes:

Thoroughbred Motorsports:

Kind of sleek; almost an automobile.

TriRod: "ride it like a motorcycle, corner it like a race car. The best of two very intriguing worlds."

That's what they say, at any rate. To me, it looks kind of backwards, with the double wheels in front an' all.

In the event that I live long enough, I figure I'll consider something along the lines of one o' these machines.

First, of course, I have to live long enough.
(One never really knows)

I'm not being maudlin; merely pragmatic...

I see...

2008-08-23T17:30:00.004-04:00

A few months ago, I was reading in Popular Science about an experimental procedure to get rid of cataracts.

It seems that this inventive fellow's father was suffering from cataracts, so he decided to see what he could do about it.

The article follows:

When Rajiv Bhushan’s father complained of blurry, browned vision and pain from bright lights, doctors told him that surgically replacing his eyes’ lenses was the only way to correct the cataracts that had left him legally blind. Instead, after learning that cataracts result from an age-related accumulation of proteins and lipids in a person’s lens, Bhushan, an electrical engineer, set to work concocting a chemical solution to break up the molecules clouding his father’s eyes.

Six years later, the eyedrops, called C-KAD, are entering the final stages of clinical testing. If all goes well, they will hit pharmacy shelves in two years, becoming the first non-surgical treatment. "Nobody, including myself, would have looked at this and thought it would work," says Randall Olson, chairman of the department of ophthalmology at the University of Utah School of Medicine and scientific adviser for Bhushan’s company, Chakshu Research. "But during trials, I’ve seen cataracts disappear." Even better, the drops might also relieve the blinding symptoms of glaucoma and macular degeneration.

If Bhushan’s guinea-pig dad is any indication, the drops could slash the three million cataract surgeries performed every year in the U.S. After three months of daily drops, his vision had improved to 20/80—good enough to read his e-mail for the first time in a year.

There's another article about it HERE.

Things may be "looking up" for people with cataracts...

To the moon!

2008-08-10T15:51:00.006-04:00

Boeing was selected to provide its recommendations on lunar habitats as part of a six-month study for NASA. NASA's Constellation Program is getting to work on the new spacecraft that will return humans to the moon and blaze a trail to Mars and beyond. This artist's rendering represents a concept of a lunar lander. lunar rover and astronauts on the moon's surface.
[NASA photo]

An official Boeing update:

Boeing will be sharing its recommendations with NASA on lunar habitation elements as part of a study contract awarded Monday.

NASA had issued a broad agency announcement on April 29 for studies in six different areas in support of lunar surface systems. Lunar surface systems may include habitats, pressurized and un-pressurized rovers, communication and navigation elements, electrical power control, and natural resource use.

Under the six-month study contract, Boeing will provide recommendations on a minimum functionality habitation element to sustain humans on the moon, which was one of the six areas.

NASA will distribute approximately $2 million for the study contracts to 12 different companies and the maximum amount for each study area is limited to $250,000.

Boeing's contract, performed by Advanced Systems, will be approximately $220,000.

"These studies provide new ideas to help the Constellation Program develop innovative, reliable requirements for the systems that will be used when outposts are established on the moon," said Jeff Hanley, the Constellation program manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Dallas Bienhoff, manager of In-space & Surface Systems, says he is excited about the study because it allows Boeing to help craft our nation's future space program. "NASA will also use our study to form the foundation of the infrastructure and support systems that are needed on the moon," said Bienhoff. "It is important to our overall business strategy to bring innovative ideas and expertise to NASA to help define the future requirements for lunar systems."

"Although small in dollar value, these study contracts allow Boeing's Advanced Systems division to bring the best and brightest ideas from across the company to NASA," said Steve Johnston, director of Advanced Space Exploration.

Boeing coupled its space shuttle and International Space Station experience with Advanced Systems' innovation for the habitat proposal.

"We have put together a team across the space station suppliers, entrepreneurs, and academia to provide an innovative approach to define a minimum functionality habitat. We are not just bringing the same old set of human space solutions, but are looking forward," said Bienhoff. NASA was impressed with Boeing's innovative approach, according to Bienhoff.

NASA will use the results to help establish the minimum set of requirements for the Altair lunar module and the starting point for defining an operable habitat that NASA will provide on the moon.

Bienhoff, who has been with the company since 1974, has supported all of the advanced space exploration architecture studies since 1982, working on programs such as the X-33, space station program, and the space shuttle main engines.

"I have traveled the universe in science fiction since I was a kid, but this time we get to do it for real. We need to be living on the moon and the planets. Who knows what we can do when we go back to the moon and maybe we can make it available for the masses instead of only a few," he said.

The other selected companies performing studies include Astrobotic Technology Inc., ATK Space Systems Group, Battelle Memorial Institute, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Hamilton Sundstrand, Honeybee Robotics, Honeywell International Inc., ILC Dover, Oceaneering Space Systems, University of Maryland and United Space Alliance.

The recommendations from the studies will help determine packaging options, identify basic functions for lunar habitats, provide innovative avionics architectures and sparing approaches, compare alternative software architectures, assess energy storage ideas and evaluate equipment and techniques for handling lunar soil that could help preparation for the lunar outpost site.

NASA's Constellation Program is building the nation's next generation fleet of spacecraft - including the Ares I and Ares V rockets, the Orion crew capsule, the Altair lunar lander and lunar surface systems - to send humans beyond low Earth orbit and back to the moon.

NASA plans to establish a human outpost on the moon through a successive series of lunar missions beginning in 2020.

Of course, $220K is as nothing to Boeing.

The big money will be in the actual R&D and building the things.

Now, on a less serious note:

BANG! ZOOM!!!

An American icon

2008-08-05T09:41:00.004-04:00

From Wikipedia:

"Earl V. Shaffer was an American outdoorsman and author known from 1948 as "The Crazy One" for attempting what became the first documented hiking trip over the entire length of the Appalachian Trail." (A.T.)

From the Earl Shaffer Foundation website:

"In late 1947, the urge to hike the Appalachian Trail started to grow within him when he learned from a magazine article that no one had hiked the entire Trail in one season. It was thought to be an impossible feat by the Appalachian Trail Conference leadership and hiking public. This urge to thru-hike had first surfaced during the late 30's while hiking with his close friend Walter Winemiller, a neighbor in York. He and Earl had planned on hiking the Trail after the war. Walter was killed during the landing at Iwo Jima, though, so Earl headed for Mt. Oglethorpe in Georgia alone in May of 1948 to begin his historic journey. He went on to become the first person to "thru-hike" the A.T. in one continuous journey that year. His hike was in many ways a memorial to his friend."

Here he is, in a 1948 photo, upon completion:

"After his 1948 hike, Earl's first book Walking With Spring was published privately and later, in 1982, published commercially by The Appalachian Trail Conference. Earl took to the trail again in 1965, hiking from Mt. Katahdin in Maine south to Springer Mountain, which had recently been designated as the Trail's Southern terminus, replacing Mt. Oglethorpe. He was the first to complete a thru-hike in both Georgia to Maine and Maine to Georgia directions."

"After half a century of on and off Trail work with the ATC and local A.T. clubs, Earl decided to try a third thru-hike in 1998 ... at the age of 79 years! He completed this "anniversary" hike just two weeks prior to his 80th birthday. While on the 1998 trip, Earl kept notes as an "Ode to the Appalachian Trail", which became the basic manuscript for his latest book, The Appalachian Trail: Calling Me Back To The Hills, now available at book stores and through online book sellers."

And here he is, back again, in 1998:

"Earl V. Shaffer succumbed to cancer on May 5, 2002, after a brief illness and hospitalization. He was 83 years old."

"On August 2, 2008, an enthusiastic group of volunteers hiked to the site on Peters Mountain (near Duncannon, PA) where Earl Shaffer had built a log Appalachian Trail shelter more than 50 years ago. This was the last shelter still standing of the 6 A.T. shelters that Earl built during his lifetime. Organized by the Appalachian Trail Museum Society, the group held a ceremony honoring Earl's many contributions to the A.T. community, then carefully dismantled the shelter and hauled it on foot 3 miles to the nearest forest service road. From there it was transported to temporary storage where it will await the opening of a new Appalachian Trail Museum. Thanks to all the volunteers whose hard work is making possible the preservation of this splendid symbol of Earl's legacy."

More Photos of This Event

The shelter, which was built by Earl circa 1960, is the last remaining intact shelter that Earl built himself and was one of the oldest and smallest remaining on the entire trail.

I was one of three who spent the last night there before it was dismantled.

Here are the other two:

I know people who hiked with Mr. Shaffer; the closest I got was attending Trail Days in '99 when he came to speak about his '98 "thru-hike".

Here I am, removing the floor of the shelter:

Mr. Shaffer, being a purist, disapproved of the addition of that floor.
(If you click on the link, scroll down to page 5)

I like to think that he was looking down and smiling; when the shelter is reassembled, it will be restored to the way he originally built it...

The land of the midnight sun...in review

2008-07-29T07:14:00.005-04:00

OK, in an effort to parallel my previous post about what was to be my upcoming trip to Alaska, I've inserted pictures that I took myself of ones that I'd gotten off of the Internet...like the one above of the Anchorage Visitor Center, in lieu of the one in the prior post of the Anchorage skyline with mountains in the background.

Then, the following of the train I took to Denali and beyond:

It was a fairly long train; I took that shot from the back end.

And here I am, where it let me off near Denali N.P.:

I took an air tour to get this picture of the BIG mountain:

(The National Park Service buses get you no closer than 25 miles)

I found the spot where that other pipeline picture was taken:

(Go to the earlier post and see if you don't think so too)

The paddlewheeler has been replaced by a power catamaran:

(It made fairly short work of 100+ miles on the Yukon River)

I eventually made it to Skagway, where the cruise ship was.

Here's a view from my accommodations on said ship:

(Looking out at some ice floating in Glacier Bay)

Lest I forget, I got some pretty good pictures of wildlife.

If you look closely, you can see lots of big salmon here:

(Click on the picture for a larger version)

I got pretty close to this guy:

(FYI, there's no "zoom" function on my camera)

And last, but not least, a picture of a wolf:

I actually took over a thousand pictures. 170 are posted HERE.
(Along with several others from previous trips...)

Who wants to know?

2008-07-19T16:48:00.003-04:00

As I occasionally do, I was looking to see who's been checking out my blog.

Other than people in the U.S., in the past week there have been visits from the following countries:

Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Monaco, Oman, Philippines, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, and The United Kingdom.

Some were just looking at the latest posts, but aerospace and motorcycle related posts remain ever popular.

What would my faithful readers like me to post about?

The land of the midnight sun...

2008-06-25T07:40:00.006-04:00

...another name for Alaska, is where I'm going next. It's the only State I've never visited (unless you count flying over the Aleutians; I don't) so I'm planning to do it up right.

I'll be starting in out Anchorage:

Then taking a train:

To Denali National Park:

I plan to visit the Alaska Pipeline:

After which is a 100 mile riverboat ride on the Yukon River:

Followed by a 1,000 mile cruise ship ride to Vancouver:

Maybe I'll get to do some whale watching:

Those things are just "the tip of the iceberg", so to speak.

Anyway, I'm leaving in a few days.
(I'll be gone a couple of weeks)

Hold my calls. And my emails...

Get your wings!

2008-06-17T08:21:00.007-04:00

Before air conditioning was standard equipment on vehicles, the "wing" window had to suffice:

Well, I added a variation on 'em to my Harley, in lieu of the small, clear ones that were on there when I got it.

The lower fairings already came with louvers to let more air through, to cool the engine...and the rider.

Here's what one of the "wings" looks like in the closed position:

And then, when it's open:

It was hot riding up to New Hampshire for Laconia Bike Week:

They really do seem to make quite a difference...

Flying in Paradise...

2008-06-07T19:54:00.003-04:00

From a Boeing press release:

Hawaiian Airlines will expand its interisland fleet with the addition of four 717-200s to be leased from Boeing Capital Corporation. The expansion is part of the airline's response to market needs created by the recent closing of its primary competitor, Aloha Airlines.

Hawaiian's current interisland fleet comprises 11 717s, which are used for 150 daily flights among four of the state's islands. It will add two airplanes in September and one each in November and December, for a total fleet of 15 of the Boeing twinjets, all on long-term lease from BCC.

"The 717, with its operational capabilities and fuel efficiency, is an ideal match for Hawaiian's market. We're delighted to be able to support Hawaiian's expansion as it responds to the community's need in the wake of Aloha's closure," said Jordan Weltman, BCC vice president for the Americas region.

BCC is the largest lessor of 717s. The airplanes destined for Hawaiian are already in BCC's portfolio and coming off of long-term lease with another operator. The airline also is planning to use a reserve 717 in active service and add a long-haul 767-300 it already operates to its Honolulu-Maui route to help meet the interisland travel demand. It is also recruiting additional pilots and ground staff to support increased operations.

This interests me for a couple of reasons.

Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines had been taking advantage of a limited clientèle for some time. Although fuel costs are decidedly higher in Hawaii, the prices they were charging for the distances flown were rather exorbitant.

Enter "Go!"; here's what their website says:

Over the past several years, interisland airfare has increased while the number of interisland travelers has steadily decreased. It's about time you had access to cheap airfare. go! brings you the cheap Hawaiian tickets and great service you deserve. Whether it's one-way or round trip, go! will make traveling less expensive and more enjoyable. Before go!'s entry into the Hawaiian market, it was not uncommon to see tickets selling for as high as $171 each way. But all that has changed since we entered the market in June 2006 offering regular one-way fares from $39* to $79*. Support affordable interisland airfare by flying go!. We look forward to becoming your interisland airline of choice.

I flew on "Go!" when I went to Molokai in February. They're a big part of the reason for Aloha Airlines going out of business. Hopefully a bit of healthy competition will make Hawaiian Airlines more reasonable...otherwise, they might just go out of business too.

The other reason for my interest is that as a Boeing employee, what's good for the Company is good for me...

Gone fishin'...

2008-05-23T23:33:00.004-04:00

Well, in just a few hours I'll head to the airport.

I'm looking forward to cruising in the Caribbean again.

Last year, I experienced great difficulty getting there.

But once I finally did, it was well worth the trouble.

I'll be looking at spectacular views like this one:

OK, "off into the sunset", as they say...

How I spent my weekend

2008-05-05T07:06:00.005-04:00

I finally put up a boat shed that I'd acquired in the Summer of 2005.

A number of things had prevented it going up, but they've all been dealt with...finally!

The last thing that needed doing was to level the spot where my driveway got extended several years ago, which is where I've been parking the boat ever since I got it.

This happened last week, because I saw a guy working just up the street with a backhoe, and persuaded him to come by to do the job a couple of days later.

Once that was done, there was no stopping me.

So now, my boat has a home of its own.

Update!

Here it is with the door open:

And with my boat inside:

Now I just have to install a Roll-up Door Kit.

I ordered one; I'll install it when it arrives...

Nice wheels!

2008-04-14T07:09:00.003-04:00

I checked out the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum this past weekend; it's located in Pickerington, Ohio...just East of Columbus along I-70.

The American Motorcyclist Association, of which I've been a member for many years, operates the museum.
(Consequently, I got in for free)

Unfortunately, they were undergoing a massive renovation, so most of the collection wasn't on display at the time of my visit.

Anyway, I took a few pictures of what was there...

Here's what it says on the placard:

Replica 1885 Daimler "Einspur"

The first known gasoline-powered cycle was designed and built by Gotlieb Daimler as a test-bed frame for a prototype automotive engine. It was first successfully operated in Germany on November 10, 1885.

This replica was constructed by Jim Carlson, Roy Behner and Ray Behner of New Brunswick, Ohio and was purchased for the Museum through donations from AMA members and staff in 1985.

(Old Harley-Davidson "panhead" DuoGlide)

(Really old Indian)

(Old BMW)

(Old Excelsior-Henderson)

Those have nothing on my Harley...

Getting to the heart of the matter...

2008-04-08T09:15:00.005-04:00

I was reading recently that doctors took a dead animal heart and after painstakingly removing the dead cells, were left with nothing but a collagen matrix. This they reconstituted it with living heart cells; after it had grown enough of them, it started beating again.

This was an unprecedented accomplishment.

It was done using a laboratory rat's heart. In theory a pig's heart, which is actually a close physiological match for the human heart, could be processed in the same way...thereby producing, once infused with human heart cells, a viable replacement suitable for transplant. In theory.

Here are some photographs showing various stages:

Also, here are couple of articles about it:

First bioartificial heart may signal end of organ shortage

'Spare part heart' beats in lab

It's still theoretical, but I think it's heartening news...
(I know, OUCH!)

Madam, I'm Adam.

2008-03-29T07:14:00.007-04:00

I've always been fascinated by words, and especially the many different and clever uses for them.

I recently got to thinking about the palindrome.
(The post title is one)

What set this particular train of thought into motion was seeing a new one in a magazine article I was reading.

Along with the one in the title, some common ones are:

"A man, a plan, a canal; Panama."

and

"Able was I, ere I saw Elba."

They all have to read the same backwards as forwards.
(In case you didn't click on the palindrome link)

I remember when I was growing up in Philly, someone once told me that a nearby street (Camac) was the only one in the city that was the same both ways. Being something of a skeptic even in my youth, I looked into the matter and found a couple more.
(Radar and Reger)

While surfing "Da 'Net" to do this post, I found an interesting website that lists plenty of them here...so apparently I am not alone in my fascination with them.

Anyway, the one that I saw in the magazine was:

"Go hang a salami; I'm a lasagna hog."

Big deal, right? I know, I'm weird...

Views from around the world...

2008-03-23T01:01:00.004-04:00

It's been awhile since I posted anything about people viewing my blog from around the world. Most of the visits here are by people right here in the good ol' U.S. of A., but in the last week my "li'l corner o' the blogosphere" has also been seen by people in Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, The United Arab Emirates and The United Kingdom

So, here's my big chance to evangelize.
(Some may say proselytize. Oh, well)

Read on:

In a province occupied by the Roman Empire, about two thousand years ago, a man was put to death for crimes against the State.

This was a fairly commonplace occurrence in those days, even in cases like that one, where the accused was actually innocent.

What was not common is what happened afterward; eleven of this man's original twelve followers (less one traitor), having fled in fear for their lives when he was captured, began to spread the news that the man had risen from the dead.

Even though they were told that they could be put to death themselves if they persisted, and all but one of them (the sole exception was sent into exile) was in fact executed, every single one of them refused to recant their incredible story:

Jesus is risen!

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
-C.S. Lewis

Works for me...

Making waves?

2008-03-07T08:37:00.005-05:00

Solo sailor will now navigate wave-powered boat to Japan
-by Sudhin Thanawala

AP: Honolulu, HI - "Kenichi Horie, who has sailed nonstop around the world and crossed the Pacific in a solar-powered boat made of recycled aluminum beer cans, is getting ready for his next solo adventure.

In less than two weeks, Horie is expected to begin what he says is the world's longest voyage in a wave-powered boat. He plans to travel more than 4,000 miles from Honolulu to Japan aboard a 3-ton catamaran called the Suntory Mermaid II at a speed of up to 5 knots.

The boat, made of recycled aluminum, relies on the energy of waves to move two fins at its bow and propel it forward..."

From Wikipedia, About Kenichi Horie:

In 1962 he crossed the Pacific Ocean in 94 days aboard a 19 foot sailboat (called the Mermaid) from Nishinomiya, Japan to San Francisco. He arrived at San Francisco with no passport or money and was promptly arrested. After learning of his voyage the mayor freed him and gave him a 30 day visa and was awarded the key to the city. He wrote a book about his voyage, titled "Kodoku" ("Alone on the Pacific"), which was made into a movie (also titled "My Enemy, The Sea") in 1963 by Kon Ichikawa, which was nominated for a Golden Globe.

In 1985 he sailed a solar boat from Hawaii to Chichijima.

In 1992 to 1993 he sailed from Hawaii to Okinawa in a pedal powered boat.

In 1996 he sailed from Salinas, Ecuador to Tokyo in a solar boat made of recycled aluminum. This crossing covered 10,000 miles in 148 days which earned the Guinness World Record for the fastest ever crossing of the Pacific in a solar-powered boat.

In 1999 he sailed from San Francisco to Japan aboard a boat made primarily from recycled materials. The boat, Malt's Mermaid II, designed by Kennosuke Hayashi, was a 32.8 foot long, 17.4 foot wide, catamaran constructed from 528 beer kegs welded end-to-end in 5 rows (Horie joked that 500 of them were empty) The rigging consisted of two side-by-side masts with junk rig sails made from recycled plastic bottles. This boat is on display Okura Beach, Akashi.

In 2002 he sailed from Nishinomiya to San Francisco aboard the Mermaid III, which was a replica of the original Mermaid constructed from a variety of recycled materials, including whiskey barrels for the hull, aluminum cans for the mast and plastic soda bottles for the sails.

With a maximum speed of five knots, the Suntory will take two to three months to complete a voyage that diesel-powered craft accomplish in just one. But speed is not the point. The voyage aims to prove that wave propulsion can work under real-world conditions, opening up the technology for commercial applications such as cargo shipping. "Oil is a limited power source," Horie says, "but there is no limit to waves."

I don't know about no limit, but it's a fascinating concept...

The Friendly Isle!

2008-02-27T07:14:00.009-05:00

Those who know me are aware that I go spend some time in Hawaii every Winter; usually I just go to the Big Island, but this time I also went to Moloka'i, because (unlike most of the other Hawaiian Islands) I'd never really spent any time there:

As the title of the post implies, it is indeed a friendly isle...or at least the inhabitants are, at any rate. Perhaps that's because it is one of the least visited of the Hawaiian Islands, so it's a bit more "laid back" and relaxed. Anyway, all of the islands have a nickname (eg: Kauai is known as "The Garden Isle") and Moloka'i is "The Friendly Isle".

The first thing I went to see was Kalaupapa:
(From an overlook; access is limited)

"Kalaupapa is a small village on the island of Moloka‘i in the state of Hawai‘i, and part of Kalawao County.

The village is located on the Kalaupapa Peninsula at the base of the highest sea cliffs in the world, dropping about 3,315 feet (1,010 m) into the Pacific Ocean.

The village is the site of a former leprosy settlement which was attended by Father Damien and Mother Marianne Cope, among others. At its peak, about 1,200 men, women, and children were in exile in this island prison. The isolation law was enacted by King Kamehameha V and remained in effect until 1969, when it was finally repealed. Today, 33 former sufferers of leprosy—now known as Hansen's Disease—continue to live there. The colony is now part of Kalaupapa National Historical Park."
(From Wikipedia)

The Kalaupapa Peninsula is on the North side of Moloka'i, as seen on the map toward the top of this entry.

At the far Western end is a pristine beach:

It's called Papohaku Beach and is 3 miles long.

On the Eastern end of Moloka'i is Halawa Valley:

Halawa Valley is the site of the oldest known Hawaiian settlement on Moloka'i. It was extensively cultivated with taro, from which poi is made, among other things. The valley is divided by Halawa Stream which provided the water for the taro patches. Before a tsunami in 1946, this valley was heavily populated. Today very few people live there, but it's still a popular destination.

The South side of Moloka'i is mostly protected by a reef. Here's one of many old fish ponds on the South shore, where fish were fattened up as a food source:

An old outrigger rests quietly therein, Maui in background.

In the middle of the South shore, about a mile West of the main town of Kaunakakai is Kapuaiwa, one of the few remaining royal coconut groves in Hawaii, which was planted on what was once the vacation retreat of King Kamehameha V in the 1860s:

You can see the Island of Lana'i in the background of the picture above. Although the Kapuaiwa grove is in one of the driest places on the island, it is fed by underground springs. It is said that the original grove was about 10 acres and contained 1,000 coconut trees.

The guesthouse where I stayed is the Hale Malu:

Of course I love the seats in back of the vehicle on the right...

Bad motor scooter...

2008-01-07T08:23:00.002-05:00

Probably the best known custom is "Captain America":

It was ridden by Peter Fonda in the 1969 movie "Easy Rider".

Nowadays, there are a lot of custom bikes to choose from:

American Iron Horse Motorcycles

American Performance Cycles

Arlen Ness Motorcycles

Big Bear Choppers

Big Dog Motorcycles

BMC Choppers

Bourget’s Bike Works

Confederate Motorcycles

Intrepid Cycles

Logic Motor Company

Orange County Choppers

Paramount Custom Cycles

Redneck Engineering:

Saxon Motorcycle Company

Sucker Punch Sally's

Thunder Mountain Custom Cycles

Ultra Motorcycle Company

Here's a picture I took at Laconia Bike Week:

OOH! Shiny!!!

Mele Kalikimaka!

2007-12-25T01:53:00.000-05:00

In my never-ending quest to investigate Climate Change™, I discovered (much to my wondering eyes) that Santa's Workshop at the North Pole was no more, due to the fact that the ice upon which it formerly stood had melted and the entire complex sank.
(Undoubtedly, to be claimed by Russia at some future date)

Not to worry though, Santa Claus is on top of things, if not the world any longer; he moved his entire operation to someplace that stays warm all year 'round:

But seriously, as I've said before:

"I like this picture because it portrays the (nativity) scene in a cave, which many believe to be accurate. In fact, the actual cave in question is located within the present-day Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.":

Actually, the silver star beneath the altar in the Grotto of the Nativity marks the spot believed to be the Birthplace of Jesus:

Luke 2:1-12 (KJV)

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger'."

Merry Christmas!!!

Update!

I'm not dreaming of a white Christmas; I got one:

Read any good books lately?

2007-12-14T09:34:00.000-05:00

"Bedtime Story" by Jim Daly

I have been what one might term a voracious reader for quite some time now.

I'm always reading something, often (usually) more than one thing at a time...most days I read one of the many magazines to which I'm subscribed, in addition to my books.

In the "reading room" at home is an historical novel, based on actual events.

In my lunchbox, for reading at lunchtime (go figure!) and on break, I'm currently in the middle of a Dean Koontz novel. I've read a lot of his stuff; he's one of a select few authors that makes me have to look words up occasionally.

Anyway, on the subject of reading, there's a great website with over 20,000 free books.

It's called the Project Gutenberg Online Book Catalog.

I haven't read too much there (yet) but plan to.

Looks like hours (and hours!) of enjoyment.

Check it out...

Wanderlust...

2007-12-07T06:48:00.000-05:00

wan·der·lust (noun): A very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.

This condition is definitely one with which I've been living for quite some time. But I have also acted upon it for a long time; for example, take my recent excursion to one of the "ends of the Earth" (Antarctica) to research the effects of Climate Change™:

(Just kidding; I took that at SeaWorld)

For Thanksgiving Week I went to Southern California, La Jolla to be precise. Across the street from where I stayed there was an apparently popular surfing spot:

This plaque was about two blocks to the East of the condo where I was staying:

Also, the historic San Luis Rey Mission was a few miles up the coast:

Here's part of the original structure:

I took quite a few more pictures on that trip, some of which I'll share in a future post.

Last weekend I went to visit a friend who is in the MBA program at Yale. After touring the campus, we both got a guided tour of Yale's Peabody Museum...from one of the members of its Board of Directors. I thought that was kind of nice; even though I serve on several Boards myself, none of them are quite so prestigious as that.

There's a really nice (award-winning, even) panoramic painting in the background of this photo, taken in the "Great Hall":

They just don't build like this anymore:

Next destination, Colorado...

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...

2007-11-28T06:44:00.000-05:00

...both actually, in a manner of speaking.

It's the "Osprey", A.K.A. V22:

I've been working (intermittently) on the V22 program for going on 20 years; it will be 20 years in the Summer of 2008. The program itself has been "on again, off again" for various reasons during that same timeframe, although it and my assignment thereto have been steady since the turn of the millennium.

Anyway, they were finally given the operational "go ahead" earlier this year, and without any fanfare were deployed to the Middle East a couple of months ago:

AL ANBAR PRO, Iraq - An MV-22B Osprey with Marine Medium Tilt rotor Squadron-263, flies over the Al Anbar Province of Iraq during a mission out of Al Asad Air Base.
(U.S.M.C. photo by Cpl. Sheila M. Brooks)

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - An MV-22B Osprey with Marine Medium Tilt rotor Squadron-263, prepares to land on a flight line aboard Al Asad Air Base.
(U.S.M.C. photo by Cpl. Sheila M. Brooks)

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - U.S. Marine Sgt. Danny L. Herrman, a flight line crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-263, mans a 240 Gulf heavy machine gun on the back of a MV-22B Osprey while flying on a mission over the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.
(U.S.M.C. photo by Cpl. Sheila M. Brooks)

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - U.S. Marine Sgt. Danny L. Herrman, a flight line crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-263, mans a 240 Gulf heavy machine gun on the back of a MV-22B Osprey while another Osprey taxies behind as they prepare for take off from Al Asad Air Base.
(U.S.M.C. photo by Cpl. Sheila M. Brooks)

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - U.S. Marine Sgt. Danny L. Herrman, a flight line crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-263, test fires a 240 Gulf heavy machine gun on the back of a MV-22B Osprey while flying on a mission over the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.
(U.S.M.C. photo by Cpl. Sheila M. Brooks)

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - U.S Marine Sgt. Justin Shadrick, a flight line crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-263, uses hand and arm signals to communicate with the pilots of an MV-22B Osprey while taxiing it out of the chalks on the flight line at Al Asad Air Base to prepare for a launch.
(U.S.M.C. photo by Cpl. Sheila M. Brooks)

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - An MV-22B Osprey with U.S. Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, prepares to land on the flight line on board Al Asad Air Base for the first time.
(U.S.M.C. photo by Cpl. Sheila M. Brooks)

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - An MV-22B Osprey with U.S. Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, taxies on the flight line at Al Asad Air Base after landing.
(U.S.M.C. photo by Cpl. Sheila M. Brooks)

Since the V22 can take off/land like a helicopter then transition into "airplane mode", it can go twice as fast and far as a conventional helicopter, thereby increasing the rapid forward projection of our forces more than twofold.

For national security reasons, I have waited to post about the V22 deployment until it was already in the public domain.

Many of us have high hopes for this revolutionary new platform, which is intended to replace the aging fleet of CH-46s, among other aircraft...

Power trip?

2007-11-03T15:29:00.000-04:00

Some alternatives to fossil fuel...

(This is also my desktop "wallpaper")

Wave Energy: Ocean waves are a concentrated form of wind energy. As wind blows across water, friction develops between air and water. As energy from wind flow is transferred to water, waves are produced. Generating energy from waves is a matter of taking the motion of the waves and translating it into mechanical or electrical energy.

An excellent reference for learning about various types of wave energy generators (and others) can be found at the Rezachek & Associates' Energy & Environmental Resources website.

(PacWind "Seahawk" generator)

Wind Energy: Windmills have been around for centuries. The picture above is of an interesting new design which, according to the PacWind website, is "ideal for homes, small commercial buildings, boats, remote power, emergency power, and battery charging." The beauty of this one is that it can be stacked on a tower that will accommodate up to 5 units, works in low wind conditions and is safe in all wind conditions.

There are plenty of other choices out in the market when it comes to wind generators, too.

(Algae tanks)

GreenFuel Technologies: "GreenFuel's high yield algae farms recycle carbon dioxide from flue gases to produce biofuels and feed, reducing net carbon dioxide production as waste becomes profit. Harvesting algae for biofuels enhances domestic fuel production while mitigating CO2."

(Spicy jatropha - Jatropha integerrima)

Jatropha: "The hardy jatropha is resistant to drought and pests, and produces seeds containing up to 40% oil. When the seeds are crushed and processed, the resulting oil can be used in a standard diesel engine, while the residue can also be processed into biomass to power electricity plants."

All of the above is but a small sample of the alternative energy sources being researched and currently available in today's market.

When I retire to warmer climes, it is my plan to utilize various forms of alternative energy and hopefully even sell my excess electricity to the local utility company.

An alternative "alternative lifestyle"?

Ouch...

Humor in uniform...

2007-10-22T07:16:00.000-04:00

...with apologies to Reader's Digest.
(For the headline)

I'd like to introduce you to one of my sailing buddies; here he is, on his boat in The Keys:

His boat at the Blue Water Marina in Bimini:

And under sail:

I've sailed with him (and his lovely wife) in flotillas, from The Keys to the Dry Tortugas, and from Florida to The Bahamas; he was the commodore.

He's currently serving in Iraq, and sent me some amusing anecdotes in one of his emails...he also gave me permission to share them.

He titled the e-mail, FUN AND GAMES WITH ROCKETS AND MORTARS:

In the midst of all this going on, there's humor.

Lots of it.

We get mortared and rocketed almost daily. On 9/11, we took a big one nearby. They come in at all times of day and night. Not predictable at all.

Two days ago, at about 10:30 in the morning, I felt the call of nature and left to go to the portapotties, which are nearby. As I pulled down my fatigue trousers and got comfortable, the electronic alarm went off (you can hear it all over the base) - "INCOMING! INCOMING! INCOMING!"

Now this alarm is not unusual. We hear it all the time. The purpose of it is to give you a few seconds to seek cover.

Except when you are sitting on the portapottie.

I was sitting there, staring at the plastic door, wondering what the density of the door was and how much it would slow down fragments of red-hot shrapnel.

"Great," I thought. "I'm going to get blown up while on the portapotty." I waited a few minutes, knowing if something blew up nearby, my biological function of removing solid waste would kick into overdrive.

I thought about the medics who would rush to the blown up pile of plastic and pull my bleeding, blue-stained body out and prepare to medevac me. The blue, of course, would be from the "water" you poop in.

The rapid-fire commands from the medics would go something like this:

"OK Private, get that tourniquet on him, NOW!"
"YES, SERGEANT"
"OK, now plug up that sucking chest wound with a compression bandage!
Now, Private! Move"
"YES, SERGEANT"
"OK Private, now wipe his butt and lets get him on the bird!"
"Say what?"
"I said wipe his butt. NOW. We gotta save his life!"
"I...you serious? He can die. You wipe his butt."
"Yeah. I see what you mean."

So they'd load me up, smelling bad, on the helicopter.

But there was no boom, so everything was good.

BUT... I later thought about what the local paper would say:

"**** *****, wounded in the line of doo doo is recraperating at a hospital in Germany"

Morbid humor, but funny.

THEN THE NEXT DAY...

Same thing. I'm in the "solitude cell" in the morning and I hear "ka-Boom! ka-Boom! ka-Boom! ka-Boom" Four mortar rounds about a half-mile away. I'm stuck again thinking, "Great. Now I can't go to the bathroom for the next six months."

I have put in a request for an up-armored portapottie, but I have yet to hear about it.

Yesterday we took two rockets at about 2:30 p.m. One landed nearby (300 yards). We stepped out to see the mess and went back inside. Very common thing.

My lieutenant comes in about ten minutes later. He is wearing his bicycle helmet, breathing hard. You have to understand that he is a little effeminate. He often reminds me of one of my seventh grade girls.

"Did you hear those rockets?"

We look around at each other. There are a couple of crusty sergeants with me. "No," I say. "What rockets?"

"Those rockets! One almost hit me!"
(Drama queen moment)

I look around. "Did anyone hear a rocket?" Everyone shakes their head ruefully.

"Lieutenant, I don't guess we heard a rocket. Did you hear one?"

"Yes! It almost hit me!"

We keep him going a while and finally come around to him admitting it was not really near him. He just heard the rocket motor as it flew overhead.

We got a big laugh over his hissy fit.

Later that night, my roommate asked if that rocket hurt anyone near us. He knew it hit near our building, but he is in a building a good distance away.

I said, "No, but we're still trying to pull my lieutenant's panties out of his crack."

NEXT STORY

My roommate is a Navy Lieutenant Commander, the equivalent of an Army Major. He just arrived in Iraq and has never been in country before. We were sitting around the trailer talking when we heard heavy gunfire break out nearby. It was pretty close, too.

I say, "Wow, they're shooting it up out there tonight!"

This is the first time he has heard gunfire close by.

He says, "Is that a shooting range nearby?" I almost break out laughing, but I don't.

"Nope. They're shooting the crap out of someone on the other side of the wall." The wall is about 250 yards from our trailer.

He is in a total state of denial. "I think there is a shooting range over there. They're probably night firing."

I point in the direction of the range. "The range is that way. The bad guys are this way." I point to the direction of the firing, which is intensifying. I'm having soooo much fun with this poor guy.

"You sure?" he says hopefully.

I crush his hopes. "Yep. That's a .50 caliber (you can hear the whomp-whomp-whomp). Those are M-16s. Someone has attacked one of the towers."

He looks around like, What are we going to do? I grab my towel and head to the showers.

The next day, he saw on the reports that, yes, it was a firefight.

Priceless...

Here's a picture he sent me of a li'l piece of "Americana" over there:

And last but not least, here he is hanging out with the locals:

A fine gentleman, outstanding American and a great sailor, with a terrific sense of humor...

Far out...

2007-09-17T21:41:00.000-04:00

... and I mean really far.

I was reading in the latest issue of Popular Science about EADS Astrium, a company that's planning to build a spaceplane which is slated to begin passenger service in 2012...at approximately $275K per seat.

With only 4 seats, that's 1.1 million per flight, but with an estimated 1.3 billion in startup costs it'll take awhile just to break even...especially when taking operating expenses into account, however much those may be.

Anyway, according to Wikipedia, "In June 2007, EADS Astrium announced it would be entering the space tourism sector. On June 20th the company unveiled a model of the space rocket, a one-stage hybrid craft, utilising both jet and rocket engines. Carrying four passengers, the space jet would take off from regular airports using conventional jet engines. Once flying to the needed altitude the rockets would then be fired. When reaching its final altitude of 37 miles, passengers would experience weightlessness for three minutes."

Sounds pretty expensive for what you get.

Here's a picture:

It's loosely based on the Rocketplane:

Rocketplane, Inc. is "a commercial space transportation company focused on providing safe, reliable and low-cost access to space. With a diverse family of fully-reusable space vehicles and the ability to serve multiple space markets, the company is poised to redefine space transportation."

Armadillo Aerospace is "a small research and development team working on computer-controlled LOX/ethanol rocket vehicles, with an eye towards manned suborbital vehicle development in the coming years."

Their prototype is called the "Pixel":

Bigelow Aerospace, on the other hand, is "the leading private company for space habitat destinations. Featured in articles in Popular Science, Wired, The Economist, Reader's Digest, the BBC, CNN, MSNBC, The Los Angeles Times and more, Bigelow Aerospace is the only private company with habitable spacecraft currently in orbit, the Genesis I and Genesis II."

Genesis I:

"Launched on July 12, 2006, from the ISC Kosmotras Space and Missile Complex in the Orenburg region of Russia, Genesis I ushered in a new era of private space vehicles. The spacecraft was designed to enter space and expand to increase its volume. A one-third scale model of the eventual modules, Genesis I contained various items, photos, and a NASA experiment. Shortly after launch, Genesis I expanded successfully and sent back extensive data and images to the North Las Vegas, Nevada, Mission Control Center."

"Las Vegas, NV 06/28/07 – Bigelow Aerospace has established contact with its second pathfinder spacecraft, Genesis II. Launched from Yasny, Russia, Mission Control in North Las Vegas, Nev., made first contact at 2:20 p.m. PDT."

Hello from Genesis II:

(A Fish-Eye View Of Earth)

And last, but not least is Virgin Galactic, which is the most recognized of the bunch.

From their site, "Virgin Galactic is the world's first spaceline. Giving you the groundbreaking opportunity to become one of the first ever non-professional astronauts. Virgin Galactic will own and operate its privately built spaceships, modelled on the remarkable, history-making SpaceShipOne":

"The press conference unveiling the design for Spaceport America, the New Mexico facility from which Virgin Galactic intends to launch paying customers on suborbital spaceflights, was originally going to be held on July 27. The day before, however, a tragic explosion killed three engineers at a test facility in California operated by Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites, the company building Virgin's spacecraft."

It's a dangerous business, but I'd sure like to try it out anyway...

Dwelling on the past...

2007-09-11T07:27:00.000-04:00

...is generally discouraged, because the things "dwelt" upon are typically negative ones.

It's not the same as fond memories or reminiscing.

But sometimes, there is value in dwelling on the past; sometimes, there are lessons to be learned.

I read an excellent article about it a few days ago:

"Sept. 11 should not be remembered for maudlin, ghoulish and certainly not for nostalgic reasons. Unlike those other mostly forgotten or no longer observed dates, this one is key to defending ourselves from a future attack and further disasters. Not to remember Sept. 11 is to forget what brought it about. That can lead to a lowering of our guard and a false sense of security, the conditions that existed immediately prior to that awful day six years ago."

I recommend reading it all:

Forget 9/11 at our peril By Cal Thomas

Here, at "La Casa de Camo", it shall not be forgotten...

Are you ready for Freddy?

2007-09-07T06:40:00.000-04:00

There's something new...in the Presidential race, and on my sidebar.

Fred Thompson has finally, after much "grassroots" support, thrown his proverbial hat into the ring.

I've read a few of his editorials, and seen a few of his promotional videos, not to mention some of his (other!) acting performances; thus far, I have liked what he's had to say.

For those who don't know, he hasn't just played a politician on television, he's been one on the Federal level as one of the Senators for Tennessee. He stepped down voluntarily a few years ago, which indicates (to me, at least) that he isn't the typical politician.

So unless he has some unforeseen "skeletons in the closet", I'm hoping he gets the Republican Party's nomination.

I haven't been too terribly impressed by the rest of the choices so far...

If Man was meant to fly...

2007-09-05T07:40:00.000-04:00

...he'd have rotors!!!

I did get extensive helicopter flying lessons (all "off the books") when I was in the military, at which time I was a crewchief on a UH-1, popularly known as a "Huey":

For a long time (decades!) I have wanted a helicopter of my very own.

There've been a couple of problems with that:

1. Finances.
2. A place to keep it.

The first problem has mostly been because I've spent large portions of my "disposable" income on motorcycle and boat stuff; a used, flying "kit" helicopter can be had relatively inexpensively.

The second problem is due to the fact that I'd want to keep it at my home, and although I do have enough room to land one at "La Casa de Camo" (my rambling estate) if I cleared out some trees, I'm fairly certain that my local "powers that be" would not approve of the idea. Once I retire, it might be a different story, and I'm hoping that it is. So far as I know, there's nothing in the covenants and restrictions (for the subdivision where my retirement acreage is) that says I can't.

The one that I was most interested in, for the longest time, is the Rotorway Exec:

The brand new kit was about $70K, and I'd have to build it myself. The building part shouldn't prove to be too difficult, since I build aircraft for a living. But since it's possible to buy one for much less that's already built, with relatively few hours on the airframe, that would seem to be the logical approach.

Anyway, a used Exec is all you can get now, since RotorWay’s got a new helicopter which debuted in July at AirVenture 2007.

It's called the A600 Talon:

Another nifty li'l "chopper" is the Mosquito Ultralight Helicopter, and since it's an ultralight, you don't even need a license to fly one:

Of course, it's only a one-seater, and I want to be able to carry a passenger.

Last (but not least) is the AirScooter, which is also a one-seater:

However, soon they'll be coming out with a version that can carry two people.

You ride it like a motorcycle...

More big toys for big boys...

2007-08-29T07:10:00.000-04:00

...and girls, of course.

This is the "Aquada":

From the official website:

"The Aquada is a revolutionary showcase of High Speed Amphibian (HSA) technology."

"Entry to the water is via beach, boat ramp, slipway or directly from the water's edge. Once afloat, the transition from road vehicle to High Speed Amphibian (HSA) is effortlessly achieved."

"Simply press a button and drive into the water. The wheels automatically rise and as you press the accelerator nearly a tonne of thrust pushes the Aquada onto the plane. The whole process takes less than 12 seconds. The Aquada can plane at over 30mph."

"Powerful enough to tow a water-skier and with a style and class of its own, the Gibbs Aquada is the perfect leisure vehicle. It combines the thrill of an open top car with the sheer exhilaration experienced in a high performance speedboat."

These are slated to go for about $85K...which ain't cheap.

They also plan to produce a couple of other platforms; one is the "Quadski", an amphibious ATV which will go for $15-18K:

Another is the "Humdinga", based on the Hummer:

Predating these vehicles by many decades is the "Amphicar"; according to some "Amphicar" owners' groups, hundreds of them are still operational:

Here are a couple of their websites:
http://www.amphicar.com/
http://www.amphicar.net/

I'm thinking a "Quadski" (or 2) might be nice to have in Hawaii...

Big toys for big boys...

2007-08-24T06:52:00.000-04:00

...and girls. More women are taking up riding motorcycles on their own all the time.

Anyway, here are some new ones that caught my discerning eye:

Introducing Die Moto, a custom-built performance diesel motorcycle capable of running on diesel, biodiesel, or straight vegetable oil (SVO) fuels.

By taking the minimalist supermotard racing concept, then adding Ducati’s unrivaled twin-cylinder power and Superbike heredity, the Hypermotard delivers a remarkable experience.

Named after the first engine mounted on the prototype, 984 C3 2V, the Vyrus is powered by the new 1000DS. Each bike is unique, hand made in Italy and personalised for each owner.

Pretty nifty stuff...

From my perspective...

2007-08-20T11:09:00.000-04:00

...I'm sitting on top of the world:

I took yet another trip, not that it should surprise anyone.

I went to Colorado, climbed some rocks in the Rockies, and toured the Coors plant:

I learned that Coors makes more different malt beverages than I'd thought; they make Grolsch, Molson, Blue Moon and Zima, among others...that I did know about.

I also took in some pretty scenery:

I've been losing interest in blogging, especially since there seems to be less interest in what I post. Anyway, this blog has been little more than a travelogue of my wanderings of late, so I can understand why I've only gotten 5 comments from others in over a month. But that's OK, I really ought to be getting less abstract things done. Not giving up, just taking it easy.

See you 'round "Da Blogosphere"...

My other bike...

2007-07-17T06:32:00.000-04:00

As I've written about before, I have been bicycling sections of the C & O Canal Towpath for a number of years now, working my way along the Potomac River from Cumberland, MD to Washington D.C.

I left off at Swain's Lock last time, so that's where I began this time 'round.

There's lots of nice scenery to look at along the way:

Big bird in the canal

Old lock keeper's house

Old, original mile marker

Great Falls

One of the many locks

Georgetown "canyon"

Renovated canal boat entering lock

Historic Georgetown

Weird aerodynamic bike

This was the final section; I have now ridden the entire 184.5 miles:

What a long, strange trip it's been...

2007-07-13T08:21:00.000-04:00

...or "How I spent my Summer vacation":

I scheduled a 4 hour layover in San Juan, on the way down to a most excellent cruise on a crewed 44' catamaran in The Grenadines, but it turned into a 3 day layover.

We made the best of it by checking out the sights in Puerto Rico, like one of the forts, El Morro:

Fountain in Old San Juan:

El Yunqué N.P. (the rainforest):

Camuy River Cave Park:

Anyway, as is often the case nowadays, the original June 30th flight to San Juan on U.S. Airways was overbooked; there was another one that was supposed to get us there still having a 2 hour layover, but that was delayed, so when we finally got into the terminal it was down to 45 minutes. That should've been sufficient, but the departure board was displaying only one flight with the little "puddle jumper" airline (LIAT) that our flight to The Grenadines was on, and it wasn't the one we were scheduled for. So, we had to go out of the gate area and find the LIAT counter, at which time we had about 35 minutes remaining until our 3:30 PM flight to St. Vincent. When we booked the flight back in late April, the terms and conditions said that if we showed up with less than 30 minutes until the flight, we could be denied boarding. However, when we got up to the LIAT ticketing agent, we were informed that the policy had been changed one month prior...to 45 minutes. Of course, they never bothered to update us on the situation, and they gave our seats to a couple of people on standby. Then, the ticketing agent told us that because of some festival going on in St. Vincent, all flights were booked until Tuesday the 3rd. Not only that, but they told us we would have to buy new tickets, since the ones we'd already bought to get down there were no longer valid. I would advise anyone and everyone not to fly with LIAT, which I have concluded stands for "Lousy Island Airline Team". They have a bit of a monopoly on getting to certain islands, but there are ways around them on many of those. They haven't heard the end of this, either.

We had been in contact with the (Elite Island Yachts) cruise folks from the very beginning of our difficulties, and they offered to let us go some other week, but I was bound and determined to get there that week. When we finally got to St. Vincent on Tuesday evening, the boat was at the other end of the Grenadines island chain, so the helpful people with the cruise company booked us into a hotel right next to their base of operations. Early the next morning, they got us back to the airport to catch an air "taxi" to Union Island, where the boat would rendezvous with us.

Coming in at Union Island by plane:

Leaving Union Island by boat:

Let me tell you, these guys really went the "extra mile" (and then some) to work with us, even though the problems we'd had were no fault of theirs.

Captain Trevor, and Carla the First Mate:

This is what the boat looked like:

A view from atop Mayreau Island, looking down on Salt Whistle Bay, where the boat was anchored at the time:

If anyone's interested, I can get you a sweet deal with Elite Island Yachts for a cruise like the one we enjoyed, maybe for even less than we paid.
(And we got a bargain!)

Even though we only experienced half of our cruise as originally planned, it more than made up for the odyssey we dealt with getting there.

Elite Island Yachts have 3 different locations beside The Grenadines where they operate at present; The Bahamas, The British Virgin Islands and St. Maarten. Also, they are planning to expand into other markets.

So, what's all this crap about Friday the 13th being unlucky???

Write on!!!

2007-06-22T07:16:00.000-04:00

The Fightin' 6th Marines

There's an easy thing that anyone can do to boost morale in Iraq: send email.

You're doing that regularly anyway, right?

I first found out about the "RCT-6 Email Project" at BLACKFIVE; their latest post about it is HERE.

Then I read about it again at Villainous Company.

The following is a sample template (originally posted as a comment at BLACKFIVE) to help get started:

Dear Marine,
My name is _________________ and I'm writing to you from _______. I hope I don't say the wrong thing; it's hard to put myself into your shoes (or boots.) But I'll stumble through this because you need to know: I'm grateful for your service to this country. I can't imagine how hard it must be for you to do what you do.

We don't know each other so I'll tell you a little about myself. Every day I go to X and I X. (Insert opinion of X here). My X and X live with me and I wish you could see them. They are so X. (Insert story?) Anyways, I thought you'd like that little glimpse of the country you so faithfully protect.

You are in my thoughts/prayers. What you are doing is important. I look forward to the day you can come victoriously home, but until then take care, keep doing a great job, and remember that America is proud of you.

Warmest wishes,
X

Why not do it right now?

Send email to RCT-6lettersfromh@gcemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil

Or, if you wouldn't mind registering, comment at their blog:
Fightin' 6th Marines!

The Fightin' 6th Marines would love to hear from you...

There's something in the air...

2007-06-04T07:06:00.000-04:00

It's called the Dynalifter:

If Ohio Airships, (incorporated in 1999) is successful, you might be seeing a lot more of them in years to come.

Ohio is known by many as the "Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers" (it's even on their State quarter) because the plane that first flew at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903 was designed and built in the Wright brother's bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio...but I digress.

The Dynalifter is a heavier-than-air aircraft which generates lift from a combination of lifting body, wings, canards, and non-flammable helium gas. This could allow for unprecedented volumes of cargo to be moved between landing sites.

As for stability, Dynalifters are designed to withstand up to 30 knot crosswinds. Under extreme conditions (winds in excess of 30 knots), the Dynalifter can remain on the ground either by pointing into the wind, refueling before the cargo has been released, not releasing the cargo, or by being tied down.

Ohio Airships wasn't the first to conceive of an airplane/airship hybrid. One of Howard Hughes’ last projects was the development of the heavy-lift "Megalifter" hybrid, but that project died with him.

In addition to "Roadless Trucking", the company envisions a number of other applications:
- Trans-oceanic Transport
- Remote Supply
- Disaster Relief & Support
- Homeland Security
- Firefighting
- Personal Transport
- Military

It could help with the traffic congestion on the Interstates, too...

All the rage?

2007-05-17T21:21:00.000-04:00

Or just plain outrageous? Fashion statements are one thing, and I certainly have my share of tattoos, but the "state-of-the-art" in personal mutilation is getting pretty extreme.

Here we have carving:

I guess tattoos weren't enough; I can't tell if there are any body piercings, but some of those get quite carried away as well.

Anyway, here's the end result:

Oh, and let's not forget the "leftovers":

Kind of makes me want to get some fried pork rinds...

I'll be back! Or will I?

2007-05-11T09:03:00.000-04:00

Arnold Schwarzenegger will always be considered the consummate Terminator, much the same as Sean Connery is regarded by many (myself included) as the quintessential James Bond.
[I found that last URL edifying, yet amusing]

However, the "Halcyon Company has announced plans to revive the cyborg-battling movie series with at least three more films, after the production company purchased all rights to the dormant franchise for an undisclosed, though likely eight-figure, sum."

Arnold is more interested in being Governor of California nowadays, although that wouldn't prevent him from making at least an appearance in any future Terminator films.

At present there are three planned, starting with the next one to be tentatively released in 2009.

I've always enjoyed the Terminator series, and what with the state-of-the-art in CGI FX, they should still be worth the price of admission.

I know that I'll be back, to see them...

Flyin' HI...

2007-05-05T23:44:00.000-04:00

"HI" being the postal abbreviation for Hawaii. Well, not flyin' all that high; only enough for a decent View From Above.*

I've had a number of requests for pictures, so I'm posting a few.

Many more pictures, taken on the ground, can be found HERE.

Here we have a view into the "belly of the beast":

Look closely in the caldera; you can see glowing lava.

A study in contrasts:

The desert of the Ka'u (South) District meets the rain forest of the Puna (spring) District. The island of Hawaii, commonly referred to as the "Big Island", is roughly the size of Connecticut...and all one county, with 9 Districts.

This is Waipio Valley:

Formerly favored by the Ali'i (Hawaiian nobility), but it got wiped out periodically by tsunamis. Currently inhabited by an eclectic group of farmers and recluses, easily accessible to 4WD vehicles. There's a mile-long black sand beach.

Further along the Hamakua Coast:

Towering cliffs and waterfalls. The only way to see them is by air or on a boat. There are a few hiking trails, but sometimes people go in and are never heard from again. I intend to go check it out for myself someday.
(Surprised?)

This is "Tourist Central" on the Big Island:

Commonly referred to as simply Kona, it's the "happening" place for "tourons".
(Note huge cruise ship)

Also, for most of your retail needs; other spots on the island have varying availability of basic, typical goods and services.

One layer at a time:

The whole island was built up of innumerable individual lava flows, which continue to this very day...

*My "cyber-bud" Hawkeye's blog

New in the neighborhood...

2007-05-01T08:03:00.000-04:00

On my way home from work last week, I noticed something new:

About a ¾ mile ride down the road from "La Casa de Camo" (my rambling estate) the totem pole shown above has mysteriously appeared.

Whereas totem poles are thought by many to be a symbol of Native American culture generally, their production was actually limited to tribes in the region that is now British Columbia and southeastern Alaska.

Here's an example of one by the Tlingit tribe:

Naturally, this has piqued my curiosity...

New Reconnaissance Robot

2007-04-24T07:42:00.000-04:00

ST. LOUIS, April 23, 2007 - Boeing and iRobot Corp. today announced they have signed a teaming agreement to design and develop a next-generation, small unmanned ground vehicle (SUGV) called the SUGV Early. The vehicle will provide military, civil and commercial users with unprecedented reconnaissance and secure, real-time intelligence capabilities.

The SUGV Early will be a smaller, lighter version of the iRobot PackBot, which is used daily in Iraq and Afghanistan to safely disarm Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and search buildings, caves and tunnels for hostile forces. To date, iRobot has delivered more than 900 PackBot robots to a broad range of military and civilian customers worldwide.

The robots have performed tens of thousands of missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and are credited with saving soldiers' lives.

The remotely operated and highly maneuverable SUGV Early will feature a video camera and commercial electro-optics, infrared sensors mounted on an articulated manipulator arm and a track-driven chassis that will allow it to negotiate rough terrain and stairs. The 30-pound backpackable unit is designed for use in a wide range of hazardous situations, such as bomb disposal and disaster relief operations.

The system, which utilizes commercial off-the-shelf technology and employs the basic design of future networked robotic systems currently under development for the U.S. Army, will be ready for delivery in 2008.

Under the agreement, Boeing will provide expertise in systems integration, large volume production and global marketing, while iRobot will design, develop and manufacture the robots. Boeing and iRobot will jointly offer these commercial robots to all U.S. Department of Defense, civil and international markets.

iRobot is a provider of robots that perform dull, dirty or dangerous missions in a better way. The company's proprietary technology, iRobot AWARE Robot Intelligence Systems, incorporates advanced concepts in navigation, mobility, manipulation and artificial intelligence. This proprietary system enables iRobot to build behavior-based robots, including its family of consumer and military robots.

For additional information about iRobot, please visit their website.

That's not to be confused with the movie I, Robot...

Something new...

2007-04-21T15:44:00.000-04:00

It's called the "Spyder Roadster" and is manufactured by Can-Am, a division of Bombardier Recreational Products...better known for personal watercraft (A.K.A. "jet-skis") and snowmobiles.

Here's the website.

In a reversal from the typical "trike" arrangement, rather than having two wheels in back and one in front, these are t'other way around.

It's an interesting concept, and is stabilized around corners and such by computer-aided technology.

I think I'd be more inclined to get a conventional trike if I was to get one at all, or perhaps the old "tried and true" sidecar rig.

But like other alternative vehicle concepts I've posted about, the "Roadster" is neat to look at, if nothing else...

Scrapple!

2007-04-19T08:06:00.000-04:00

Scrapple is a tasty, traditional Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast food. Slice thin, fry or broil it. In Southeastern Pennsylvania, where I come from, it's a local favorite. It is made up of 50% cornmeal and 50% pork "products"...including, as it's said: "everything but the oink".
(We try not to dwell on that o'ermuch)

I bring it up because of the website that got me into this whole "blogosphere" scene in the first place, which is ScrappleFace.

A number of the "regulars" had been discussing some type of get-together for quite a while, so a few of us actually went ahead and started organizing one, which I've been tentatively calling "ScrappleFest".

Anyway, Western Pennsylvania seems to be relatively central to many of the "Scrapplers", so during Labor Day Weekend a bunch of us will converge there.

It ought to be an interesting gathering...

OK, I'm back...

2007-04-17T08:22:00.000-04:00

...big deal, right?

I don't like the "new" blogger...at all.

However, beggars can't be choosers.

Well, actually, they can when it comes to free blog hosting services.

I have been mulling over going with one of the other free ones, but as with most folks, I am basically ruled by inertia.
(A body at rest tends to remain so)

Besides, I've basically been working 7 days per week since I got back from my last vacation, and haven't felt much like doing anything extra. Like adding new posts to my blog, for example, which also required converting over to the new format upon my return.

Some of my work has been voluntary, but work is work is...you get the picture.

Anyway, for the time being at least, I have been "assimilated by The Borg" as it were. Resistance is futile. Didn't you know?!

I'm not sure when I'll post anything of substance here, but then, if you ask the "troll" types I never really have anyhow.

Ciao, for now...

Off to paradise...

2007-02-02T00:43:00.000-05:00

Handy reference map:

The Waipio Valley, central Northern coast; a highly sought after location at one time, but when the tsunamis come (almost always from the North) it gets wiped out:
There's a mile-long black sand beach, and gorgeous scenery in which to hike.
(There's a green sand beach on the other end of the island)

This is a picture of me in the second most extensive lava tube type cave system (the most extensive is Kazumura Cave) on the planet:
It's called the Kipuka Kanohina System; at last count there were 20+ miles of interconnected passages...and I own a parcel with a couple of entrances thereto.

Facing inland (the Hawaiian word is "mauka", which means toward the mountain; the other way is "makai" or toward the sea) from the black sand beach in the Waipio Valley you can see a waterfall with a 1600' drop:
I've hiked all over this valley, above and below.

This is a view from a beach in Kona, on the West coast:
If there's a clear view to the horizon at sunset (it's often obscured by clouds) you can see the "green flash", which I've only witnessed once.

I spend most of my time in and around Ocean View, which is nearly as South as you can get in these United States.

Hold my calls. And my emails...

Seen any good movies lately?

2007-01-29T00:38:00.000-05:00

I just saw "The Departed" on DVD. The official DVD release Date isn't until February 13th, but since I am a member of the Screen Actors Guild (A.K.A. "SAG") I get to vote on the SAG awards...consequently, at this time of year I get a number of free movie passes for "my consideration", and (this year) an early copy of a DVD.

I've written about this before; last year I got a free DVD of the movie "Crash", which did go on to be an award winner, after they sent out 130,000 free copies of the DVD.

I haven't bothered to even attend a casting call since '97, and don't typically go to all that many movies for that matter, so I do not really feel qualified to vote.

The production companies don't know that, however, so they send me the "freebies" too.

Last year when I received a free DVD in the mail, that movie was no longer in the theaters; this time, since the film in question is still in theatres, maybe they're hoping it'll give them an "edge".

I'll have to admit, even though I could've attended a screening of "The Devil Wears Prada" in New York, Los Angeles or Chicago (my choice) last week, I did not.

Nor have I availed myself of any of the other free passes I've gotten this year, so maybe the producers of "The Departed" are onto something.

Now that I have viewed "The Departed", I found it to be a good movie, on a number of levels. It was one of the films currently showing that I had considered seeing, anyway. Lots of "big name" performers are in it, something one might expect with a Scorsese flick, along with the obligatory violence and strong language.

If that stuff doesn't bother you, check it out...

What's all the ruckus about?

2007-01-26T08:21:00.000-05:00

Here's where I'll be this weekend.

The Ironmaster Hostel; at about the midpoint of the Appalachian Trail, site of the annual PA Ruck.

What's a "Ruck"?

Well, the actual definition follows:

Ruck: (ruk) n. The undistinguished crowd or ordinary run of persons or things.

In the context of this weekend's event, it's a place for a diverse group of people from all walks of life, with one thing in common - love of the trail - to get together.

Here's a picture from last year:

And HERE are some more...