Not only has the Cincinnati been a pioneer in using biodiesel in their city buses (PDF), but the Great American Ballpark is being praised as one of the greenest Major League Baseball facilities in the nation. The ballpark composts its grass clippings and convert all the cooking oil in the consession stands to biodiesel fuel according to a recent article. Reds outfielder Chris Dickerson, cofounder and CEO of “WePlayGreen.org,” says there has been great support in Cincinnati from Rumpke dispersing recycling bins to fans participating in efforts to use resources more carefully. Dickerson’s goal is to try and “instill consciousness” among Reds fans.
While visiting Spain last month I was surprised that even in the 21th century that there were towns along the Mediterranean coast (tourist area) who still enjoy a mid-day ‘siesta’ and have little problem with the loss of business For American who have grown accustomed to workplace praise for productivity or have been cultured in hard work, ambition and more money is better, the idea of losing a couple hours in every workday seems … well … foreign.
On the other hand, there are days like Sunday and Monday (today) when the temperatures inch into the mid-90s that I’m ready to put out the Gone Fishin’ shingle … or at least take an afternoon off to clean the pool. FYI … the water was cool and relaxing.
😀
The word — the place — the music — the festival called Woodstock still evokes passion either ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ and the music, politics and lifestyle branded the generation who came of age in the 1960s. The 40th anniversary of the three day concert in Bethel, New York takes place this weekend marking the event that celebrated either “peace, love and music” or “sex, drugs and filth,” depending on your perspective. I thought it might be interesting to search my own memories of that time (BTW, age 10, I don’t remember much about the Woodstock event).
As a ten year old boy growing up in a rural place call Howard Farms just east of Toledo, Ohio, I was mercifully sheltered from the Vietnam politics and radical turmoil of the day. My biggest concern in the summer of ’69 was playing baseball and following the World Champion Detroit Tigers on my transistor radio. When school let out, kids from the city living in summer cottages would move to our sleepy street and we would spend day after day playing baseball in the backyard. Besides baseball we’d hang out on the beach and sleep in the treehouse (click image of a current day Google Cam photo of the house I grew up in and the ‘baseball diamond’ — backyard). Occasionally discussions would address the newsier events of the time, especially the racial issues my summer friends, “city kids,” faced. We’d also squabble over tuning the radio as music was a big deal to the teens of the group, but for the most part I was an idealistic kid dreaming about landing on the moon or being Tiger’s shortstop Mickey Stanley(and eventually Eddie Brinkman). Life was good when the only concern was listening to a music or a ballgame on a rainy day; I’m thankful never to have seriously pondered Vietnam or getting sucked into the hippie culture — ten was a good age for the trials of 1969.
Nevertheless, Woodstock mentality lived on well past the one event — it influence people and music for years to come. In my opinion, it did mark the 60’s generations conclusion of “peace and love” as the generation evolved with more “anger and hate.” The events during the violent year of 1968 may have accelerated the change, and to me it seemed to be reflected and amplified by the music. There was also real anger over its generations pointless dying in Vietnam and seeming futility in effecting change in a passive way.
In the late 60s, ballads of this hippie generation gave way to more aggressive and even violent rock n roll — perhaps it continued to co-exist? Harmonies and dopey (pun-intended) lyrics gave way to angry and strained vocals; acoustical guitar chords turned into to screeching electric “noise” … as my father was known to call it. As 60s icon Bob Dylan crooned earlier in the decade, “The times they are a changin’.”
A crowd of estimated at 400,000 attended the Woodstock music festival
What I remember about 40 years ago and the Woodstock Festival is not much … it is the celebrating and memorializing of the event that sticks with me. The movie, the photos, the stories and the music are what I know and remember … but just like listening to the Detroit Tigers and ‘knowing’ the players of 1969, I know the Woodstock performers. I listened to their music as I grew older the 70s and their performances in my mind are what I remember. As with the Tiger ballplayers I knew their stats and their stance at the plate; with the Woodstock performers I knew their music and their lyrics — that was enough (didn’t really need the drugs and mud). I may not ‘really remember’ Woodstock, but in my opinion growing up with the music and not living the music was a better experience.
As U.S. Congressional representatives sweat over whether to have townhall meetings in their states to talk healthcare during the August recess, I sweat over how to plan financial security for my family’s future, of which health insurance is a part. Years ago it seemed logical to just keep plunking away a few dollars into a SEP, 401K and IRA and ‘let it ride’ for the long haul and keep the rose colored glasses on that medicare will cover me when I retire. Nowadays, the entire paradigm has been shaken and very few financial investment experts, mutual fund managers or traders have answers as to how to best protect one’s savings and plan for a secure retirement. The daily statistical numbers coming from the Fed and Wall Street don’t help much when deciding if equities are worth the risk again or if the economy is heading for a recovery from recession or if we’ll see more pain this autumn. On Wednesday the Fed offered an upbeat assessment and this morning retail sales numbers fell despite the government’s Cash for Clunkers program (PDF). Who knows, but I’ll remain a “nervous market bull” and continue to stay in equities for now.
Although I’m not a supporter in the way government is currently getting involved in healthcare, the inevitability is that our growing bureaucracy with be controlling it more and more … be Democrats or Republican be in control — get use to it. Both parties are talking about reform and most Americans are sick (pun intended) of rising heath insurance premiums, reduced care and the convoluted gamesmanship of managing coverage and the associated red-tape.
The key for me is to prevent socialized and rationed medicine that removes investment capital from the equation. These models have been tried in other developed countries are are not ‘the envy of the world.’ When profit is removed from healthcare, be it pay for smart high quality doctors, well maintained hospitals or ROI for biotech and pharmaceutical companies, to the point that it pays more to sue doctors, hospitals and big pharma (ie. no tort reform even being discussed), then we’ll find it challenging to advance medical care in this country. By removing the profit incentive for investment capital, we’ll reduce competition (fewer companies) under government control we are bound to see overall quality of care to go down and will most definitely feel the inconvenience.
Currently, I’m in the waiting mode for a colonoscopy with “insurance company dictated” price controls (where there is at least some capital competition); how much longer do you suppose I’ll be waiting to get a colonoscopy when Washington dictates the price … or will they disallow my personal physician from even requesting it — that’s not to mention the quality of the procedure (paid by how many per day, not how well the scoping is done). Maybe its just me, but when someone probing ‘you know where,’ I don’t want an underpaid, under-incentified, less than qualified person doing as many colonoscopies in a day that they can when it comes to my colon. I can’t find one government run bureaucracy that truly runs efficiently … but would run out of space listing the number of industries that improve both product and service when competition is increased and incentives for excellent products and service are there.
A final point: While we talk healthcare reform, and no doubt it is a ‘huge’ undertaking for our elected representatives, is it so immediate that it must be ‘rammed’ through without reading the bill or discussing it with constituents. To me it seems an important enough, and expensive enough, issue to work on it methodically. Let’s not make the the rash ‘bailout’ style decisions with healthcare that we did with banks and automotive. Let’s not rush into change for change sake without understanding the consequences and long term costs in both dollars and care. If there is one thing different about healthcare from the banking and auto crisis is that there’s time to read, discussion, improve and understand what is being voted on and demanding of our next generation … because in the end, I’m sure of only one thing … government run healthcare will end up costing us all more.
EDIT: For Sirius/XM radio listeners, there is a good relatively non-partisan program on Doctor Radio Thursdays call Health Care Connect hosted by Andrew Rubin. Besides offering Health insurance advice, they do a pretty good job of dissecting the current legislation being proposed. I’m including a short MP3 “How are we paying for it” question from a listener that should give and indication as to the work that needs to be done on this bill, along with an interesting MP3 segment with Steve Forbes.
I found this conversation interesting … and more of the kinds of discussion that people need to contemplate when trying to understand where biotech and investing fits into “healthcare.” (CNBC video from 8/13/2009 below)
After reading and commenting on an article in the Wall Street Journal this morning regarding the upcoming Chevrolet Volt boasting 230 mpg, about all I can say is we (the EPA) needs to create a new system of calculating fuel economy. It’s a bit misleading for a family sized sedan to be able to claim that it can beat a 1 liter vehicle designed for efficiency; its just plain deceptive to even repeat it. On the other hand, I do like the fact that GM is pulling out all the stops in order to compete with hybrid leaders like Toyota and Honda … and seriously wish them well in the gamble … one that I wish would have included diesel technology.
Here’s a snippet from one of my comments:
Call me a skeptic, but I’m more concerned with the total cost of ownership … initial investment + fuel + maintenance ‘minus’ retail value after say 5 to 10 years ‘divided by’ number of miles driven.
When that matches something like a Volkswagen TDI ‘clean diesel’ … then I be convinced that they are on the right path.
or …
Personally I think the old smaller hybrid ‘boost’ motor (or compressed air) linked to an efficient and clean diesel makes more sense. A small diesel is super efficient at highway cruise (American roads) and would be appreciably helped by boost when accelerator demand calls for it.
As for your ‘initial investment’ assumption … I’ll pit the diesel VWs against the Volt and even the BMW 3 series diesel against it. Take a look at 60% of the vehicles in Europe as the initial investment is not “a lot higher” as on respondent suggests.
On the other hand, they are not wildly supported by companies other than the Europeans due to biased EPA measurements toward gasoline and about a 15% tax disadvantage (also US consumer still remember the old diesels — there is no comparison). Too bad memories and manufacturers still want to promote gasoline as the new diesel technology is more efficient … and CLEAN — do a Google search for the 2009 Green Car of the Year (hint: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI) As for other U.S. vehicles besides light trucks … the list is currently mostly European: VW, Mercedes, BMW. Audi and Jeep.
The demand is strong for a moderately priced diesel too … take a look at VW sales and try to find a TDI or even negotiate on one. 🙂 June numbers for the VW Sportwagen TDI were 81% of all their wagon sales … I’m sure the 40 – 50 mpg doesn’t hurt. If you’ve got a clunker and want part of the Obama stimulus thinking one of these VWs would be perfect (and you would be right), don’t bother since nearly all the 2009 are gone and they are waiting for 2010 models in November – get on the list.
My point is still that a moderately price diesel (VW TDI $24,000) would make far more sense when stacked up against the Volt when we’re talking total cost of ownership (and resale is currently stronger than about any other daily driver).
Although I’m not going to refer to myself as a “Rozling” (followers of Roz Savage’s adventure), I do check on her progress and follow the blog of the ocean rowing British adventurer Roz Savage. She is currently 78 days into the second of three legs of a Pacific Ocean crossing after completing the first leg to Hawaii in 99 days in 2008. Her next stop is Tuvalu and then on to Australia. In recent day’s she’s been struggling to stay on coarse although today has made up a significant amount of latitude (map of last month on left).
The purpose of the adventure, if there really needs to be one, is to draw attention to the environmental issues of plastic pollution, climate change and habitat destruction of which she is an excellent spokeswoman. She also is a good motivational speaker using the “one stroke at a time” mantra. When interviewed as to her reason why she goes to such an extreme, she recalls handwriting two obituaries — one with the life she ‘was’ living and one where she pursues a dream — “I had a big dream for a big adventure and decided to make it happen.”
Roz, more than most adventurers, seems to also embrace technology. As a writer, she is excellent at sharing with the written word through her blog, as well as audio and video (see youtube channel). She has done numerous interviews with the press and updates regularly through a satellite phone with tech notables like Leo Laporte.
As a dreamer of adventure on the ocean, I semi-envy her spirit and can-do attitude. Besides the extreme physical endurance, the risk of rowing the Pacific Ocean is substantial.
Last week while trekking through Ohio I detoured off of I-75 in Troy, Ohio to swing by Waco Field (1WF) and the Waco Museum (pronounced “wah-co”). Fortunately the museum wasn’t open or my detour off the interstate would have been significantly longer. It was a nice day though to take a few minutes to walk around the grass strip and snap a couple photos of the museum and field. Having an interest in aviation and living in southwestern Ohio offers the benefit of historic sites and ties to the development of powered flight, as well as its many founders. With Dayton being the home town of the Wright Brothers, numerous companies expanded in and around this midwest manufacturing area in the early part of the 20th century and that included the Waco Aircraft Company. It’s founding started when two men businessmen Clayton J. Brukner and Elwood Junkin met barnstorming pilots Charley Meyers and George Weaver.
One such company was the Waco Aircraft Company which built airplanes in Troy, Ohio. The company was founded as the Weaver Aircraft Company in Lorain, Ohio and moved to Troy just north of Dayton in 1924 taking the name Advanced Aircraft Company. The kept the Weaver logo — WACO — and changed the name in 1929 to Waco Aircraft Company.
Through its history as Weaver, Advanced and Waco, the company built 80 different models (see coding system) of aircraft between 1919 and 1946 from the popular open cockpit bi-plane the UPF-7 to the WWII D-Day Normandy invasion and Operation Market Gardengliders. Waco Aircraft Company was the leading civilian aircraft company between 1924 and 1935 and sold airplanes to 37 different countries including the largest buyer Brazil.
Currently there are several organizations working to preserve and enjoy those original WACO airplanes that are still being flown. The 3 popular clubs are the National Waco Club, American Waco Club and Western Waco Association. A company, Waco Classic Aircraft, in Battle Creek, Michigan which is unrelated to the original Waco company, has used the plans filed with the Library of Congress to build a classic looking but modern day YMF based Waco bi-plane.
I’ve spent the morning finally getting around to tinkering beyond the norm with my Palm Pre. I’ve installed a couple functional ‘homebrew’ apps that really improves my ‘like’ for the smartphone device. First, I learned how to root and use developer mode on the Pre and installed a great little app that improves screen and keyboard lighting for night use — Brightness Unlinked. It is handy in that it offers a dimmer screen (read: longer battery life) and a brighter keyboard. BUT alas … it was only my test install for the more important apps to come.
Enter MyTether— an app that returns the ability to access the Internet from a computer by quickly jumping on the web or downloading email while on the road. MyTether might have Palm and Sprint execs pondering what to do about over using a phone or excessive data use … and could eventually cost us another few bucks to use Phone-As-Modem (PAM). At minimum they may stop the ability to use the Pre with a computer. For now it will really help me when I need a connection in an emergency … or while posting this and FTPing the screenshots.
Speed at my home (see below) isn’t anything to write home about, but certainly is easily as good as a very busy hotel wifi connection or “no connection” while stopping for a quick lunch or in front of a clients office in the car.
A few pluses is that the Palm Pre can be set up to be used as a WiFi router (Wireless Access Point – WAP), and by enabling MyTether in this way several computers can be connect through its Adhoc network and access the Internet. Currently I’ve disabled my home network and have both my Mac and notebook PC running off the Pre — pretty nice if it doesn’t cost $60 more per month? Currently, the Pre is comfortably charging while its doing its duty and offering up some pretty solid 3G network connectivity. (I’ll test the speeds again when I get a better signal)
A few years ago when I was traveling more often, I purchase my first and only ThumbDrive which has served me well (and my son in school too). At the time, a 1 GB USB ThumbDrive was unheard of … and I even had to order it direct from Hong Kong. Of course now a 1GB is laughable, but back then it cost me over $300! (I’m not laughing)Fast forward to 2009 and memory is far less expensive, making small flash memory cards (took two 16GB SD cards on our recent trip) and USB drives give-a-way items, especially smaller ones. Of course I wanted a bigger ThumbDrive in order to transfer larger files, video or to back up more secure data with encryption (I’m storing a Truecrypt directory). The less than $130 price point made the memory drive attractive and considering my son heads back to college in a couple weeks with my USB007 drive, I figure it was a good time to upgrade.
Unfortunately the Kingston 64GB FlashDrive can’t be used as Microsoft Windows “Readyboost” memory — but then that wasn’t the purpose. Real life transfer speeds seem a bit slow, but calculations show 29MB/second moving files from the Kingston DataTraveler 200 ThumbDrive to my Window 7 RC notebooks computer’s hard drive and 13MB/sec transferring data from the computer to the ThumbDrive (the Apple Macintosh was about the same, although I didn’t time it). I’m sure I’ll be kicking myself in a few months as flash memory continues to drop, but then again hyper-inflation could make my purchase a deal?(listen to Peter Schiff speaking about 2009-2010 US Hyperinflation — MP3 audio) 😯
The ballpark composts its grass clippings and convert all the cooking oil in the consession stands to biodiesel fuel according to a recent article. Reds outfielder Chris Dickerson, cofounder and CEO of “WePlayGreen.org,” says there has been great support in Cincinnati from Rumpke dispersing recycling bins to fans participating in efforts to use resources more carefully. Dickerson’s goal is to try and “instill consciousness” among Reds fans.
d more money is better, the idea of losing a couple hours in every workday seems … well … foreign.
