Video: How many baby bears fit in a dumpster?
Posted By RichC on July 25, 2012
No more dumpster diving for the baby bears …
This is one lobster that could feed the entire family
Posted By RichC on July 25, 2012
I’m getting hungry just looking at him … pass the butter please!
New England Aquarium, Emily Bauernfeind/Associated Press – This photo released by the New England Aquarium, in Boston Tuesday, July 24, 2012, shows a 21-pound lobster caught July 14 off Cape Cod, and donated to the aquarium where it will be displayed after a 30-day quarantine period.
BOSTON — A 21-pound lobster caught off Cape Cod has found a new home at the New England Aquarium in Boston.
That’s after a raffle for the lobster at Capt’n Elmer’s Fish Market in Orleans (or-LEENZ’), the town where it was caught July 14.The winner was to receive some smaller lobsters and a chance to be there when the big guy was released into the wild. But the winner wanted the big lobster donated to the aquarium instead.
Aquarium spokesman Tony LaCasse says the lobster arrived Monday and will be displayed after a routine 30-day quarantine period. It’ll be rotated into the exhibit, provided it doesn’t tear up too much of it or eat hard-to-replace fish sharing the space.
Big as it is, it’s smaller than the 35-pound Lobzilla that lived at the aquarium in the 1980s.
Advice: Laugh a little more each day for your own health
Posted By RichC on July 24, 2012
If laughing helps a person live a long and healthy life, my friend Jeff will easily make it to a healthy 100 years!
- Laughter relaxes the whole body.
A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after. - Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
- Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
- Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.
Are automaker’s stock prices forecasting a double-dip recession?
Posted By RichC on July 23, 2012
I’ve noticed that Americans have been buying a few more new cars this year and that after a few lean years car manufacturers “were” starting to feel the recession ending. Now that sounds like good news, eh? (below: first half 2012 sales increase or decrease based on a new car sales price … all up except luxury models)
JD Power reporting on first half 2012 new car sales*
But … I say “were” starting to feel the recession ending because recently the odds seem to be increasing that we are looking at (are near or are “in”) another recession … perhaps indicated when analyzing stock prices in the auto sector – a decent indicator of expected sales and company earnings.
Those charged with keeping the economy growing aren’t necessarily working together in order to help grow the economy and shrink the deficit – or as I prefer, putting policies in place that encourage investment and growth. The mismanagement when it comes to spending tax revenue and living within our means leaves much to be desired as does the leadership coming from the top (President Obama). It would great if there was an easy and painless answer, but without private sector growth and jobs, we can’t “tax the rich” or even “cut spending” enough to dig our way out of our debt.
The only answer is growth … not growing government or the entitlements … but business growth. More jobs creates more taxpayers. Employers competing for the best and brightest employees makes for higher salaries and more tax revenue. So before electing politicians who want to micromanage the long list of federal departments (and it is long!) and add even more bureaucracy … remember that every tax dollar pulled from the private sector is one fewer that can be used to “make another dollar” — the reason we invest in business.
Visiting parents and tinkering with MBG timing and carb
Posted By RichC on July 22, 2012
It was nice to spend Saturday at home after traveling this past week although I did enjoy Thursday evening with Brenda’s mom and dad and then Friday evening with my mom at the rehab/nursing facility. Mom is improving a little bit … emphasis on “little.” Hopefully we are turning the corner? Surprisingly I actually do enjoy doing the few odds 
and end chores (light bulbs, moving a few things, dump run, etc) for my in-laws as they are always so appreciative. One particular task for my father-in-law is the filing of his dental practice’s yearly retirement tax return which can only be done online — an irritant for him to be sure. All in all it was a busy, but enjoyable week of travel (and there was rain!).
Speaking of spending Saturday at home, I postponed my chores list to tinker a bit more on the MGB. Having been frustrated with getting the car to run smoothly after putting in the new cam and machined head last year, I worked a bit more on timing and tuning the Weber downdraft carburetor. Ah … finally it seems to be running a little better (Short “start, stop and idle” cellphone video clip below).
A few thoughts on the senseless killing in Aurora Colorado
Posted By RichC on July 21, 2012
As I contemplated the senseless killing early Friday morning at a theatre in Aurora Colorado, I wondered just what I should focus on. I thought maybe the much maligned second amendment right of a citizen to own a firearm or perhaps the possible influence of movies … but neither more restrictive gun control or a switch to G-rated movies is going to stop evil or mentally disturbed people from harming others. There are valid arguments for positions on either side, but little evidence that more restrictive firearm laws or the banning of dark and violent movies will prevent people from carrying out evil deeds.
I also am frustrated with the media who understandably focuses so much coverage and attention on the disturbed person who killed and injured so many innocent people. Why should we give him the notoriety and celebrity fame status that he may be seeking — it serves little purpose in my opinion; in fact, I’m not even going to mention his name and hope that he quickly disappears from history (in more ways than one).
The one victim’s story that I find difficult to forget is that of Jessica Ghawi. She was a promising young intern and sports journalist who posted her thoughts after a previous shooting … in which by fate, she was not in the line of fire. For those who don’t know her previous story, check out her blog regarding the June 2, 2012 mall food court shooting Toronto Canada. What eerily stands out to me were her reflective comments regarding these kinds of “senseless crimes” and life. Her deeper than normal thoughts on the “time we have on Earth” and “every second of every day is a gift” stick with me. Who could have imagined that only a short time later, she would be killed in a second encounter? She concludes her post with an attitude to emulate …
I was shown how fragile life was on Saturday. I saw the terror on bystanders’ faces. I saw the victims of a senseless crime. I saw lives change. I was reminded that we don’t know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath. For one man, it was in the middle of a busy food court on a Saturday evening.
I say all the time that every moment we have to live our life is a blessing. So often I have found myself taking it for granted. Every hug from a family member. Every laugh we share with friends. Even the times of solitude are all blessings. Every second of every day is a gift. After Saturday evening, I know I truly understand how blessed I am for each second I am given.
I feel like I am overreacting about what I experienced. But I can’t help but be thankful for whatever caused me to make the choices that I made that day. My mind keeps replaying what I saw over in my head. I hope the victims make a full recovery. I wish I could shake this odd feeling from my chest. The feeling that’s reminding me how blessed I am. The same feeling that made me leave the Eaton Center. The feeling that may have potentially saved my life.
Ohio Visits, Offices Hint at Campaigns’ Strategies – Washington Wire – WSJ
Posted By RichC on July 20, 2012
Washington Wire
By Dante Chinni
Come January, either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney will likely be president, but win or lose it looks like both men will be quite familiar with the highways and tarmacs of Ohio.
Given their recent travel schedules, it almost seems that the president and presumptive Republican nominee should apply for residency. This past week President Obama was in Cincinnati and Mr. Romney stumped in Bowling Green before attending a fundraiser in Toledo.
The infatuation presidential candidates have with Ohio is not new. Any political junky can quote the “importance of Ohio” facts off the top of his head. No Republican has ever been elected president without winning Ohio. Since 1944, Ohio has only voted for the loser in a presidential election once, in 1960, when sided with Richard Nixon against John F. Kennedy. The state’s geographic location, a link between the industrial Midwest and Appalachia, offers a diverse and complicated electorate.
But the 2012 edition of Ohio-mania is particularly impressive. Since May, the two major party candidates have visited the state 13 times between them – six trips for Mr. Obama, seven for Mr. Romney. On average that’s slightly better than one candidate visit a week, not counting campaign surrogates, and remember we are only in mid-July.
Recently, the number of campaign offices in the state has exploded as Republican Victory Centers, which are also Romney offices, have opened to keep up with the Obama team’s advantage. There are some 39 Obama offices in the state and 35 GOP Victory centers.
So yes, most everyone believes Ohio is going to be important in 2012. But mapping those visits and offices hints at some different approaches in the way the Obama and Romney teams are approaching the state.
There are some obvious targets in Ohio. The state’s three largest cities and biggest pools of votes run in a diagonal from east to west, and both Messrs. Obama and Romney have loaded up in them. Each has nine campaign offices in Cuyahoga, Franklin and Hamilton counties, the respective homes of Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. Mr. Obama has visited each county since May – Cuyahoga more than once — while Mr. Romney has been to Cuyahoga and Hamilton in that time.
When you get out of those big cities is when things get a bit more interesting, however.
For his part, Mr. Romney seems particularly focused on the suburbs. He has six offices in counties Patchwork Nation calls the Monied Burbs – three each in the suburban counties around Cleveland (Medina, Lorain and Lake) and Columbus (Delaware, Fairfield and Licking). The counties around Columbus all went for Sen. John McCain in 2008 and likely good territory for Mr. Romney. His activity in the counties around Cleveland, where Mr. Obama did better, is a more aggressive move. But Medina and Lake are wealthier and Mr. Romney may see them as targets of opportunity.
More surprising is the way that, so far anyway, Mr. Romney has not looked partly active in travel to or offices in Ohio’s aging Emptying Nest counties in the north of the state and the small town Service Worker Centers, largely in its south. Those counties, overall, were good territory for Mr. McCain.
For its part, the Obama team has not been as active in the wealthy Monied Burb counties. Even though they have more offices in Ohio, overall, they have only four in those counties, two around Cleveland (Lake and Lorain), one near Columbus (Licking) and one in Miami County, near Wright Patterson Air Force Base.
But Mr. Obama also has nine offices in Ohio Service Worker Center counties – that’s more than Mr. Romney in counties that generally favor Republicans. Some of those places intrinsically make sense, like Erie County, which he won in 2008. But others, like Ross and Scioto in the south and Allen and Richland in the north, he lost by good-sized margins. What could be driving Mr. Obama’s interest there?
It’s impossible to know what goes into a campaign’s decisions without being inside of it, but here’s one point to consider: All those counties had a 2010 median household income of under $40,000.
We noted in this space during the primary campaign that while Mr. Romney tends to do well with wealthier voters, he’s had trouble connecting with – and winning – voters in less wealthy places. These more far-flung office locations suggest that the Obama campaign may have that pattern in mind.
It certainly fits with the more populist tack the White House has taken lately on topics like Mr. Romney’s time at Bain Capital and it is something to watch as both campaigns continue their plans to open offices. (Mr. Obama, of course, is a far different alternative for those voters than former Sen. Rick Santorum or former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.)
Moreover, these data also suggest the presidential campaign may be more complicated than some analysts believe.
One bit of conventional wisdom holds that the 2012 presidential race is going to be a “base election,” like 2004 when President George W. Bush won by bringing social conservative voters out to the polls. That may end up being true. It’s still not August and there are more offices to open and many more campaign trips to come – in Ohio and elsewhere.
But the way the candidates are handling travel and offices in Ohio, suggests there may be more subtle strategies being employed by both sides.
Politician in Washington DC have lost all common sense
Posted By RichC on July 19, 2012
When someone who suggests they are a “social liberal” like Barry Sternlicht (Chairman and CEO Starwood Capital Group) mentions that he is concerned regarding the direction the U.S. and Europe are going when it comes to business, capitalism and taxes … it is time to listen. Some excellent commentary comes after the Verizon comments — 30 second in.
Liberty Township Ohio lightning takes another home
Posted By RichC on July 18, 2012
Yikes … another lightning strike and fire too close to home (below is an out the window Palm Pre video on my way home tonight).
This make the second house fire due to lightning in the last couple months in an area within walking distance from our home (May 2nd: LINK–amateur video). The surrounding area is an elevated plateau and has been a target for weather in the past, but having lost two homes back to back to fire makes me question this location (Four Bridges home and King of Kings “Jesus” statue). I can also recall several other homes being hit by lightning and suffering damage within a 1/4 mile radius … and think a previous home which has since been replace by a church burned to the ground???
I’ve suspected that the area we live in was chosen for the Voice of America Bethany Station years ago due to the elevated ground and clay based flat antenna space. Fortunately cold war ended, but unfortunately for shortwave radio hobbyists the VOA towers were taken down. It still seems that the location attracts sheer winds, tornadoes and thunderstorms more than other places I’ve lived and we get more lightening strikes too. I hope all were safe in today’s fire as it looked to be a townhome type area (update later).
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The shape of things to come, in aviation anyway
Posted By RichC on July 18, 2012
Do you ever wonder what aircraft of the future will look like?
Well according to a CNET post from Edwards Airforce Base and the Dryden Flight Research Center, the X-48 “flying wing” inspired prototype could look something like the next generation aircraft … or are we closing in on spaceplanes? (click images for slightly larger versions)
