Posted By RichC on February 2, 2007
Last month I included a blog post on an autobiographical book by Daniel Tammet; he is a unique 27 year old Autistic Savant living in England. (Born on a Blue Day) He seems to have a normal functioning personality and understands the curiosity people have with his unique talents. Most who here him have an interest in how his mind works. As an articulate man, he has given a few interviews to scientists, doctors and journalists, one this past summer with the CBS’s “60 Minutes.” It aired this past weekend and is available on the “60 Minutes” website. For me, it helped put a face and voice to Daniel’s interesting book.
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Posted By RichC on February 2, 2007
Updating the progress from Donna Lange’s online log … per request.
1024UTC 0724local 0430NY 2324NZ
Feb 2,2007 Friday Good Morn hugs!!
It is Warming!! 55*f this morn.
position: 47*41’S 50*33’W
winds: w 30+kn
sp: 5kn COG: 042 Seas: 10′
point of sail: broad reach
sails: 1/3jib
miles sailed: 130nm!
miles to go: 6749nm to RI
585nm to 40s/42W warm
Forecast: This gale will continue through tonight
into tomorrow, abating tomorrow evening. by later
that night there will be backing light winds.
Conditions: temp 55*f; Bar 997;Warmth is Glory.
It is so good to be able to be on deck even in
the gales. I enjoy watching the power of the storms
and the sea. It was just too cold to stay out at
45*f, but at 55*f I can manage until i get really
thoroughly soaked. All good on board. Inspired
Insanity is managing the seas and beating really
well. She is a mighty little ship. It’s rough
below with the confusion of large seas, but i have
managed to get some rest in the rockin in between
wind changes and adjustments. I am feeling really
great. I was realizing yesterday amidst a moment
of complaining that if someone were to ask me at
any moment, serious, what i need, or want, I would
have to say I have so much more than i could possibly
have dreamed. If you were to ask me if I am happy,
I would sob lightly and say that i am the happiest
person i could have dreamed to be. LIfe is GOOD.
I just had the first chat with my mom for a long
time and it was wonderful. i love you mom. Ernie.
big hugs to all, xoxoxo d
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Posted By RichC on February 1, 2007
Posting a Mt. Gilead I-71 renewable fuel pricing update this afernoon. The Sunoco station is an easy interstate on and off at exit 151.
EDIT: Petroleum Diesel = $2.29; Regular Unleaded = $2.29
Diesel in Southwestern Ohio today 2/3/2007 is priced the same at gasoline. How long has it been since you’ve see that???
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Posted By RichC on February 1, 2007
Here’s and interesting look at what it is like to drive around in Iraq … the short video clip speaks for itself.
VIDEO MISSING
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Posted By RichC on January 31, 2007
Winter is finally here as temperatures in southwestern Ohio are down near the single digits. “Brrr” …. it is cold … but at least I’m not as stiff as the eight-foot boa constrictor found along the Great Miami River. (AP/Middletown Journal photo by John Agliata) A couple of construction workers were cleaning up debris along the river and came across the frozen snake as if it were stretched out laying in the sun next to the bike trail. According to the local paper, boa constrictors do not generally coil when the weather turns cold like many native snakes but extract heat from external sources such as the sun or warm rocks. A pet store owner who carries boa constrictors says that one this size could fetch a couple thousand dollars.
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Tags: boa, cold, constrictor, miami river, ohio, snake, winter
Posted By RichC on January 30, 2007
I have a few extra minutes over lunch today so I’ll add a second post. Several of you have emailed me asking how Donna Lange is doing after setting sail again and I thought I would update that she is cold, but otherwise fine. Yesterday she had several equipment repairs to make perhaps by a more aggressive ‘close hauled’ point of sail (into the wind), but after returning to a reach (more off wind point of sail), all is well …. except for the uncomfortable “wallowing” in rolling seas. Her approximate position above is just off the Faukland Islands and Port Stanley where she could accept an invite to sing and play her music. So far she is resisting the stop as the draw of home is starting to take hold. Of course there are still some 7000 plus miles to put under her keel, but I think being on the Atlantic Ocean feels much closer to Rhode Island than while in the Pacific?
I neglected to mention a recent article in Sail-World … if you are interested it talks about her trip as she was nearing Cape Horn.
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Posted By RichC on January 29, 2007
Many of you have probably already been sent this enjoyable marketing URL for Blendtec Blenders. The company has figured out how to use the Internet as a sales tool; they have an entire series of video clips where the straight faced Tom Dickson attempts to blend some interesting concoctions … an objects. The video site, www.willitblend.com, delivers short “Will it Blend” segments demonstrating their blenders with “Try this at home” and “Don’t try this at home” clips. On February 4th, Blendtec
is encouraging viewers to take a halftime break from the Superbowl game by visiting “Will It Blend Halftime Extravaganza” — four viewers will win a Blendtec Total Blender. The website is both entertaining and an excellent way to bring traffic to their online store. Check it out … it is worth a look.
What’s your favorite clip? (I sort of like the Tilapia Smoothie)
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Posted By RichC on January 27, 2007
I promise not to go overboard in highlighting podcasts or music in my sidebar, but wanted to point out that I’ll be including new audio mp3 clips in the right hand sidebar. The current listenings include Slate’s Paul Boutin’s review of Windows Vista, an EVWorld interview with Representative Roscoe Bartlett on energy (thanks Mike) and a promo song by sailor-musician Donna Lange. (several recent posts on her solo ’round the world’ voyage)
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Posted By RichC on January 27, 2007
After several days ashore at the tip of Argentina, Donna Lange is back at sea and continuing her solo sail north continuing her around the world voyage towards home. (see previous posts) Her Friday log indicated that getting back ‘out’ to sea is challenging — especially having to maintain a constant hand on the helm. She comments reflective on the beauty of the sea and the sky and that it “lessens the frustration with the driving.”
It was about an hour after i had gotten free from the shore when i was graced with the accompaniment of a pod of black and white dolphins. As I played tunes on my whistle they seemed to draw near. the water was so clear i could see the detail of their coloring, but more so, as they came near the surface, they each would roll their head to the side and look straight into my eyes. This was magic…they saw me. Never has this happened. We met gazes. A bit later a single dolphin came by and I played for it a while. …I was comforted. I had seen a full rainbow the night before on the way to Puerto Williams.
Check in with Donna at www.donnalange.com or a new site being created to support some of her favorite causes, www.donnalange.org (under construction).
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Those of you who follow the technology world will recognize