Last night during a snow storm this plane flew into Newton Peak. All survived.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Monday, October 27, 2008
Ted Stevens International Airport
Anchorage has this airport they call the Ted Stevens International Airport. I'm thinking that maybe they'll just paint stripes on it. Perhaps make it sort of like a theme park - based on a prison setting. Put up bars on the waiting areas. Special areas for conjugal visits..
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
From Architecture 2030 (above image as well):According to the US Energy Information Administration, oil production from drilling offshore in the outer continental shelf wouldn't begin until around the year 2017. Once begun, it wouldn't reach peak production until about 2030 when it would produce only 200,000 barrels of oil per day (in yellow above). This would supply a meager 1.2% of total US annual oil consumption (just 0.6% of total US energy consumption). And, the offshore oil would be sold back to the US at the international rate, which today is $106 a barrel. So, the oil produced by offshore drilling would not only be a "drop in the bucket", it would be expensive, which translates to "no relief at the pump".
Sunday, June 15, 2008
two bears
Saw these at mile 27, Kougarok Rd. while looking at an eagle's nest. They had been chewing on what looked like a moose kill. A group of birders also watching the eagle nest were excited when I pointed out the bears - which eventually headed towards them. Rick A. had pointed out a sow and two cubs earlier at mile 13 or so just before these guys.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Friday, October 26, 2007
Drumbeat to bomb Iran
I need to make a catagory on things that rile me up. This morning it was a program on NPR radio - morning edition.
Steve Inskeep was interviewing a women (didn't catch her name) about how Iran is causing the USA problems in Iraq. The whole dang piece was built on the tortured confessions of 3 young men. In the news piece, Steve even said that the men were in such bad shape from torture that they had to be dragged into their chairs as they couldn't walk. One was sobbing.
Haven't we learned that torture doesn't work - that it means a guy will tell you whatever he thinks you want to hear so the torture will stop? Yet Steve and his woman co-conspirator were using their statements to rile up the public about how Iran is providing weapons to Iraqi insurgents, trying to destabilize the power structures in Iraq, and generally doing things that would make us want to bomb them.
Steve really pisses me off.
Steve Inskeep was interviewing a women (didn't catch her name) about how Iran is causing the USA problems in Iraq. The whole dang piece was built on the tortured confessions of 3 young men. In the news piece, Steve even said that the men were in such bad shape from torture that they had to be dragged into their chairs as they couldn't walk. One was sobbing.
Haven't we learned that torture doesn't work - that it means a guy will tell you whatever he thinks you want to hear so the torture will stop? Yet Steve and his woman co-conspirator were using their statements to rile up the public about how Iran is providing weapons to Iraqi insurgents, trying to destabilize the power structures in Iraq, and generally doing things that would make us want to bomb them.
Steve really pisses me off.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
adrenaline
Adrenaline gave me a good workout yesterday during my daily noon workout at our rec center. Reason being I nearly got run over by an idiot 4-wheeler driver - some mental moron - as I was riding my bicycle to the gym. Stewing about the near death experience (I wasn't wearing a helmet) kept my mind off my old age aches and pain while I worked on upper body strength exercises.
I was riding my bike north on Division St. and the asshole was speeding west (coming from my right) on 4th Ave. There's a house on that corner that blocks the view only for speeders coming from his direction. This guy crossed his lane into the east bound lane well before the intersection so he could cut the corner - drive across the house's property thereby avoiding the intersection all together -at a good rate of speed. When he was finally around the house he saw me on the bicycle and went into a skid as he hit the brakes - helping him change direction some and avoiding me before speeding off to the southwest.
Less than a block later I had worked up enough wits/rage that I was ready to turn around and follow him. As it was lunch I was guessing he might have stopped at the Hansen's grocery store for lunch, or perhaps the Airport Pizza lunch spot. If I'd turned around immediately I might have seen where he went. I was thinking I would go jerk the spark plug wire off his machine. But dang, I didn't get a good look at his 4-wheeler and would probably vandalize some old man's hapless machine. So I took it out on the weights.
People like to cut corners. I've had to dig a speed bump across our corner lot property to keep jerks from cutting the corner and hitting us as we step out our door. Or even clipping our house with the truck mirror. Cab drivers - I've seen them drive over people's belongings in their yards as they try to cut over someone's property. I had a block of wood on our corner to try and stop corner cutters before I dug the ditch. A cab driver drove over it and lucky for him - it was just rotten enough to split apart and not cause more damage to his vehicle. Double dang!
I was riding my bike north on Division St. and the asshole was speeding west (coming from my right) on 4th Ave. There's a house on that corner that blocks the view only for speeders coming from his direction. This guy crossed his lane into the east bound lane well before the intersection so he could cut the corner - drive across the house's property thereby avoiding the intersection all together -at a good rate of speed. When he was finally around the house he saw me on the bicycle and went into a skid as he hit the brakes - helping him change direction some and avoiding me before speeding off to the southwest.
Less than a block later I had worked up enough wits/rage that I was ready to turn around and follow him. As it was lunch I was guessing he might have stopped at the Hansen's grocery store for lunch, or perhaps the Airport Pizza lunch spot. If I'd turned around immediately I might have seen where he went. I was thinking I would go jerk the spark plug wire off his machine. But dang, I didn't get a good look at his 4-wheeler and would probably vandalize some old man's hapless machine. So I took it out on the weights.
People like to cut corners. I've had to dig a speed bump across our corner lot property to keep jerks from cutting the corner and hitting us as we step out our door. Or even clipping our house with the truck mirror. Cab drivers - I've seen them drive over people's belongings in their yards as they try to cut over someone's property. I had a block of wood on our corner to try and stop corner cutters before I dug the ditch. A cab driver drove over it and lucky for him - it was just rotten enough to split apart and not cause more damage to his vehicle. Double dang!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Suppression of cheap energy technologies?
Imagine if someone came up with a technology that could displace considerably the use of oil. Whole countries could see the loss of billions of dollars. Or any of the multitude of industries that currently profit off oil products might lose their business. Think they might want to protect their assets from loss at about any cost? (I happen to believe the United States actually went to war with Iraq based on oil interests - not terrorism. That is how far I believe oil interests will go to protect themselves.)
Well, if you can imagine that there you are, inventing a device that might do some harm to those countries or corporations bottom lines, would you be perhaps just a little spooked? Sounds plausible to me that you could be paid a visit by "men in black".
So as I was reading some energy blogs I came across this item whereby the above concern may have played out. The link is here and titled: Ravi's Water Fuel Cell Suppressed in India . It is off a wiki style blog called Pure Energy Systems. This is about a system developed by Stanley Meyer who apparently died under mysterious food poisoning circumstances. Some say he was murdered. He apparently made some kind of car that ran on this invention. I followed some links and found some skepticism regarding this water fuel cell he developed, and some convincing rebuttals to that skepticism. So you'll have to read up and decide for yourself.
I haven't yet found a lot of outside info on this water fuel cell, but Ravi made several videos you can view here: http://peswiki.com/index.php/OS:Water_Fuel_Cell . If this technology is not a fraud and could actually work, it is heartening to know that it is in the public domain and being open sourced - a lot of people are sharing their ideas and research on it as they try to reproduce Stanley Meyer's work. Apparently Ravi was making good progress but got a visit from "the men in black" and has for now decided to lay low. Perhaps he figures his life is more important than his work.
It is easy to discard this all as a fraud and a conspiracy theory, yet the pieces are here for this to be an actual case of suppression of technology. If you follow some of the links on the above webpages I have provided, you can learn more. I'm not convinced either way and that is why I decided to blog it. The more eyes on this sort of thing, the more we may learn of it.
Well, if you can imagine that there you are, inventing a device that might do some harm to those countries or corporations bottom lines, would you be perhaps just a little spooked? Sounds plausible to me that you could be paid a visit by "men in black".
So as I was reading some energy blogs I came across this item whereby the above concern may have played out. The link is here and titled: Ravi's Water Fuel Cell Suppressed in India . It is off a wiki style blog called Pure Energy Systems. This is about a system developed by Stanley Meyer who apparently died under mysterious food poisoning circumstances. Some say he was murdered. He apparently made some kind of car that ran on this invention. I followed some links and found some skepticism regarding this water fuel cell he developed, and some convincing rebuttals to that skepticism. So you'll have to read up and decide for yourself.
I haven't yet found a lot of outside info on this water fuel cell, but Ravi made several videos you can view here: http://peswiki.com/index.php/OS:Water_Fuel_Cell . If this technology is not a fraud and could actually work, it is heartening to know that it is in the public domain and being open sourced - a lot of people are sharing their ideas and research on it as they try to reproduce Stanley Meyer's work. Apparently Ravi was making good progress but got a visit from "the men in black" and has for now decided to lay low. Perhaps he figures his life is more important than his work.
It is easy to discard this all as a fraud and a conspiracy theory, yet the pieces are here for this to be an actual case of suppression of technology. If you follow some of the links on the above webpages I have provided, you can learn more. I'm not convinced either way and that is why I decided to blog it. The more eyes on this sort of thing, the more we may learn of it.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Dangerous eating
I don't know - I guess I should rename this blog something like Angry Man. That's probably taken though. This world, mainly our corporate state, is pissing me off regularly.
On the subject of food, the more I learn about the crap the corporations are putting in or on it, the less I enjoy eating. One problem about living in the sub-arctic - not many organic farms around. I'm not going to list the harm that comes of eating pesticides and the like - you can google that yourselves. You'll be sure to come across sites that are sponsored by the corporations poo-pooing any bad health studies concerning their products, so you'll just have to "follow the money" to figure for yourself who is speaking the truth.
There really is no escape if you want to purge your body of this crap. About everything these days food touches is made from a petroleum product with its deleterious effects. Plastic jugs, bottles, plastic wrap - you name it - google phthalates and bisphenol-a. While you're at it, google saccharin.
What started this rant were two articles that were linked from a blog I frequently read called http://www.hugg.com/ . These two are worthy a good look and hence I wanted to present them. The first is titled Avoid Bisphenol-A In Bottles and Cans . Here's a snippet of what they are saying:
The next one is about soda pop. (I know - soda or pop, not soda pop. But it is how I grew up saying it and its fun.) Now this article is sponsored by a water filtration company so it could appear biased. But you can find these health warnings many other places if you google 'em so I figured this is a nice little digest of 8 Ways Soda Fizzles Your Health. Let me just put the conclusion here for you with the intent it may spark your interest to read the webpage:
On the subject of food, the more I learn about the crap the corporations are putting in or on it, the less I enjoy eating. One problem about living in the sub-arctic - not many organic farms around. I'm not going to list the harm that comes of eating pesticides and the like - you can google that yourselves. You'll be sure to come across sites that are sponsored by the corporations poo-pooing any bad health studies concerning their products, so you'll just have to "follow the money" to figure for yourself who is speaking the truth.
There really is no escape if you want to purge your body of this crap. About everything these days food touches is made from a petroleum product with its deleterious effects. Plastic jugs, bottles, plastic wrap - you name it - google phthalates and bisphenol-a. While you're at it, google saccharin.
What started this rant were two articles that were linked from a blog I frequently read called http://www.hugg.com/ . These two are worthy a good look and hence I wanted to present them. The first is titled Avoid Bisphenol-A In Bottles and Cans . Here's a snippet of what they are saying:
You may have read or heard lately about Bisphenol-A (BPA) and its many disturbing side effects. It was developed in the 30’s as a synthetic estrogen, but is used mostly today in polycarbonate plastic. It’s found in sunglasses, CD’s and the fillings in your teeth, and is used to coat the inside of tin cans and make plastic shatterproof.Unfortunately, BPA can activate estrogen receptors that lead to the same effects as the body’s own estrogens. Some hormone disrupting effects in studies on animals and human cancer cells have been shown to occur at levels as low as 2-5 parts per billion. These health problems include lowered sperm count and infertile sperm in men, and exposure during development has been proven to have carcinogenic effects and produce precursors of breast cancer. BPA has been shown to have developmental toxicity, carcinogenic effects, and possible neurotoxicity.
Canned chicken soup is talked about here. Please read.
The next one is about soda pop. (I know - soda or pop, not soda pop. But it is how I grew up saying it and its fun.) Now this article is sponsored by a water filtration company so it could appear biased. But you can find these health warnings many other places if you google 'em so I figured this is a nice little digest of 8 Ways Soda Fizzles Your Health. Let me just put the conclusion here for you with the intent it may spark your interest to read the webpage:
Still Drinking that Soda…..?That's it for now, my bi-annual post.
Hard to believe that so much mayhem can come from a little can or bottle, but there is absolutely nothing good or redeemable about soda. The sooner you can remove it from your diet, the better. If the FDA were doing its job, it wouldn’t be allowed on the market. If you care about your health and the quality of your life, put the Mountain Dew down!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
snowhills of imajanation
This is just too good to pass up.
Someone posted these signs all around this little subdivision. The city "bulldozes" the snow at the end of the streets to get snow off the roads. Kids are apparently upset about it.
It says: "Bulldozers are recing [wrecking] childrens snowhills of imajanation" You can click on the image to go to a larger view.
Someone posted these signs all around this little subdivision. The city "bulldozes" the snow at the end of the streets to get snow off the roads. Kids are apparently upset about it.
It says: "Bulldozers are recing [wrecking] childrens snowhills of imajanation" You can click on the image to go to a larger view.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Plastic bags
So Nome struggles with plastic grocery bags blowing all over the country from the landfill and also around town and country from people's carelessness. A lot probably blows right out to sea, as that is the prevailing wind direction. If anyone cares, here is a site that talks about the problem of plastic bags and also that of paper bags, which could be worse.
www.cleangreenbags.com/
One of their images:
www.cleangreenbags.com/
One of their images:
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Need to vent - torture and stupid Americans
It has been awhile since the last post as I struggle with how I want to deal with this blog, if at all. But I do need to vent occasionally, and with the Congress passing this torture bill which is also the "buck doesn't stop here - no accountability" bill, I just need to say something.
So now we are about to join the torture community - all those despot type countries we've been taught through our formative years to hate because they torture people. Not that we haven't been a torture country under this and previous administrations, but now if we get caught with our prisoners' pants down nobody can be held responsible for it. And I hear the administration's herd of sheep defending this with "this isn't torture - it is just clarifying [the decades useful] Geneva conventions", or "what - are you trying to coddle the terrorists?". Give me a break. These people are not utilizing their brains. And this is what makes me so sad about America today.
We have lost our ability to think critically, it seems. We have become a nation afraid to question authority. We are followers of despots, liars, and criminals and we don't even know it. Well - this is where I seek solace from my anguish - some of us know it. There's a good many Americans who know it. Unfortunately these people that can think critically are not the ones in power today.
Perhaps I should amend that last paragraph - maybe lots of those in power can think but they are only thinking of how they can selfishly prosper or otherwise benefit. If our voters could turn on their brains for as long as it took to look around them - there would probably only be about 2% voting Republican - that is Bush's base - the billionaires who stand so much to lose. Sheesh - if the Dems ran the country these rich folk might have to pay taxes, and government contracts might actually be put out to bid instead of handed to them outright.
Perhaps it is mean to infer that people who believe in our current administration don't think. But I just don't know how else to explain it, short of maybe they're living in an alternate reality. But it is plenty mean of them to say any who oppose their nefarious means are not patriots, are appeasers of terrorists, or don't support the troops.
I wonder how this has come about - this stupidity. I don't think we have always been this brain dead or apathetic to what goes on around us. I wonder if it is television sucking the life out of us. I am convinced it is at least partly to blame. Hence, I don't watch it. It probably is due to the media in large part - helping us to misplace our values in quest of consumerism and lowest common denominator art/culture/literature/news. How could someone's brain be so addled as to believe what a Rush Limbaugh is telling them? I mean, come on!
I have no insights how to improve our lot. I suppose the schools could do more to teach that what one is told is not necessarily true. Of course the schools would probably need to be better funded. What bothers me locally (and I will probably be ostracized from the community for even saying this) is the High School ROTC program - a youth militarization program. There is a lot of community support for this. But to me it reeks of indoctrination of youth ala the nazis era. It teaches out kids not to think critically - that is discouraged. It teaches them to be a team player- not to question those in authority above them. At least that is my impression - I'm not too close to what actually goes on there. But during the 2004 election, one high school buddy who has bought ROTC hook, line, and sinker, said that his commander told him (and I assume the other kids in ROTC) that Kerry was no good. Of course he thought then that this was true, that Bush was actually a better candidate. Bleh.
It will be interesting in November to see what happens with the national vote. They are saying there is a possibility the Dems could take control of the House. I hate to get my hopes up as I was so bitterly disappointed by the 2004 election - I could not conceive of the possibility that Americans could re-elect that man our president. So I have little faith. What keeps me from moving out of this country, from giving up on it completely, is knowing that there is a large community of like minded people here. And there's bad where ever you go.
And I'm none too impressed with the Democrats either. Why the silence - where's the outrage? I know a few are speaking up - but where's the tidal wave? Or is it the media that just isn't reporting it? People talk of a liberal media but I sure don't see it - it is as conservative as I hope it ever gets. Much too conservative for me. I want the facts, not the Republican party line. Thank goodness for the blogs like www.crooksandliars.com and many others to keep on it.
Ok - I've vented and need to get on with living. I may come back and delete this, or edit it in the near future, but I feel better for it now. cheers.
So now we are about to join the torture community - all those despot type countries we've been taught through our formative years to hate because they torture people. Not that we haven't been a torture country under this and previous administrations, but now if we get caught with our prisoners' pants down nobody can be held responsible for it. And I hear the administration's herd of sheep defending this with "this isn't torture - it is just clarifying [the decades useful] Geneva conventions", or "what - are you trying to coddle the terrorists?". Give me a break. These people are not utilizing their brains. And this is what makes me so sad about America today.
We have lost our ability to think critically, it seems. We have become a nation afraid to question authority. We are followers of despots, liars, and criminals and we don't even know it. Well - this is where I seek solace from my anguish - some of us know it. There's a good many Americans who know it. Unfortunately these people that can think critically are not the ones in power today.
Perhaps I should amend that last paragraph - maybe lots of those in power can think but they are only thinking of how they can selfishly prosper or otherwise benefit. If our voters could turn on their brains for as long as it took to look around them - there would probably only be about 2% voting Republican - that is Bush's base - the billionaires who stand so much to lose. Sheesh - if the Dems ran the country these rich folk might have to pay taxes, and government contracts might actually be put out to bid instead of handed to them outright.
Perhaps it is mean to infer that people who believe in our current administration don't think. But I just don't know how else to explain it, short of maybe they're living in an alternate reality. But it is plenty mean of them to say any who oppose their nefarious means are not patriots, are appeasers of terrorists, or don't support the troops.
I wonder how this has come about - this stupidity. I don't think we have always been this brain dead or apathetic to what goes on around us. I wonder if it is television sucking the life out of us. I am convinced it is at least partly to blame. Hence, I don't watch it. It probably is due to the media in large part - helping us to misplace our values in quest of consumerism and lowest common denominator art/culture/literature/news. How could someone's brain be so addled as to believe what a Rush Limbaugh is telling them? I mean, come on!
I have no insights how to improve our lot. I suppose the schools could do more to teach that what one is told is not necessarily true. Of course the schools would probably need to be better funded. What bothers me locally (and I will probably be ostracized from the community for even saying this) is the High School ROTC program - a youth militarization program. There is a lot of community support for this. But to me it reeks of indoctrination of youth ala the nazis era. It teaches out kids not to think critically - that is discouraged. It teaches them to be a team player- not to question those in authority above them. At least that is my impression - I'm not too close to what actually goes on there. But during the 2004 election, one high school buddy who has bought ROTC hook, line, and sinker, said that his commander told him (and I assume the other kids in ROTC) that Kerry was no good. Of course he thought then that this was true, that Bush was actually a better candidate. Bleh.
It will be interesting in November to see what happens with the national vote. They are saying there is a possibility the Dems could take control of the House. I hate to get my hopes up as I was so bitterly disappointed by the 2004 election - I could not conceive of the possibility that Americans could re-elect that man our president. So I have little faith. What keeps me from moving out of this country, from giving up on it completely, is knowing that there is a large community of like minded people here. And there's bad where ever you go.
And I'm none too impressed with the Democrats either. Why the silence - where's the outrage? I know a few are speaking up - but where's the tidal wave? Or is it the media that just isn't reporting it? People talk of a liberal media but I sure don't see it - it is as conservative as I hope it ever gets. Much too conservative for me. I want the facts, not the Republican party line. Thank goodness for the blogs like www.crooksandliars.com and many others to keep on it.
Ok - I've vented and need to get on with living. I may come back and delete this, or edit it in the near future, but I feel better for it now. cheers.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)