-
Latest 2-8-2011 Toyota issues update:
Government: No Electronic Flaws in Toyotas
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/02/08/government-electronic-flaws-toyotas/
"Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the department's 10-month study has concluded there is no electronic-based cause of unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas."
-
-
Roanoke Times, 12-30-10, Pg 6: Twenty (20) million vehicles were recalled in the US in 2010 and 7.1 million of those were Toyota’s.
-
This data indicates that 35% of recalled cars were Toyota’s.
Who were the other 65%? And why didn’t they deserve to be identified?
Should these "others" be recalling more of their vehicles or are they just waiting for the customers to bring their faulty vehicles into their dealers at customer expense?
-
This slanted reporting can best be viewed by looking at:
Consumer Car Complaints Scoreboard and Car Reports
Main Menu by Car Manufacturer
Total Consumer Complaints on file: 543,556
Last Updated 12/30/2010 5:26:16 AM
http://www.mycarstats.com/reports/complaints.aspx
-
Of the 543,556 complaints: 38,444 were Toyota Complaints
Just SEVEN (7 %) of the total complaints were Toyota!
-
So whats with the “other” 93% of complaints? Apparently we don’t want to look at them! Wouldn’t want to shine a light on Government Motors and their CEO (Obama).
-
Prior Items:
-
Obamas-GM Government Motors: An Introduction to Fascism
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/02/obamas-gm-government-motors.html
-
Obama’s Government Motors (GM) Propaganda Media Machine
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/02/obamas-government-motors-gm-propaganda.html
-
Obama The GM CEO And Major Conflicts of Interest
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/obama-gm-ceo-and-major-conflicts-of.html
-
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Death Panel Paranoia
-
Roanoke Times, 12-29-10, Pg 16: Editorial: Return of the death panels. Obama is empowering Medicare recipients to discuss end-of-life care with their doctors in advance.
-
The Roanoke Times Editors are so paranoid about death panels that they totally neglected to point out that it was the Democrat Senate that deleted these “things” from the ObamaCare legislation and not Sara Palin who didn’t have a vote on the matter.
-
Last we saw of Sara she was administering an end-of-life ObamaCare session with an elk on her Alaska Reality Show!
-
Of course the Senate’s rejection of this program is not going to dissuade Obama from his appointed rounds to ensure we all get an ObamaCare tax paid preview of cost-effective Euthanasia. What a deal!
-
As every sensitive liberal would ask: “How do you feel about that?”
-
Just more hope and change and end of life assistance we can depend on!
-
Roanoke Times, 12-29-10, Pg 16: Editorial: Return of the death panels. Obama is empowering Medicare recipients to discuss end-of-life care with their doctors in advance.
-
The Roanoke Times Editors are so paranoid about death panels that they totally neglected to point out that it was the Democrat Senate that deleted these “things” from the ObamaCare legislation and not Sara Palin who didn’t have a vote on the matter.
-
Last we saw of Sara she was administering an end-of-life ObamaCare session with an elk on her Alaska Reality Show!
-
Of course the Senate’s rejection of this program is not going to dissuade Obama from his appointed rounds to ensure we all get an ObamaCare tax paid preview of cost-effective Euthanasia. What a deal!
-
As every sensitive liberal would ask: “How do you feel about that?”
-
Just more hope and change and end of life assistance we can depend on!
-
Looking at some lidar data
The image shows a bit of the basemap for an orienteering map I've been working on. I prepared the basemap from laser scan (lidar) data that I got for free. I used OL Laser to create a "lutning" image. The "lutning" image seems to be the best base material for this sort of forest.The circles show some of the features that I can pick up from the data and that I show in the video below. The
Video tracking at Attackpoint
Ken has created a new tool for combining video and GPS tracks at Attackpoint. You can see an example here. The video and GPS track are synchronized. Click to start the video and the GPS track follows along. A version with tracking on an O' map is not far away.The low-tech version - watching a head cam video with the O' map in your hand - works really well, too.Several orienteers on
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Dear Tucker, yes, there is a Santa Claus
I had a big workout yesterday, bounding through the snow and dragging Mom behind me. I was kind of like an Alaskan husky, but without the sled.
To replace all those calories, I took advantage of a friend (she owns cats, so what does she know about the swiftness of a canine). She put down our order of Chinese food to take off her coat. I quickly opened a carton, grabbed a Crab Rangoon, and hightailed it.
Question: my Harry Barker Santa toy has a tag on it that says, "This is not a toy." Really? I ignored it and kept chewing.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Boomers Assets Are Low Hanging Fruit
-
Roanoke Times, 12-28-10, Pg 3: More than 10,000 baby boomers a day will turn 65 in 2011; most are nowhere near financially prepared for their retirement. Boomers skimped on saving.
-
The message:
There goes the Social Security System!
There goes the Medicare System!
More Socialism is the answer!
-
The article highlights personal examples of Boomers who made good money and then spent much of it on expendables and depreciating things. The article’s author states that “most” Boomers fit this category and labels them without stating any data or facts.
However, it’s clear from census data that large numbers of Boomers saved, invested, insured and accumulated wealth for their retirement and hope to pass a modest nest egg on to their children and grandchildren.
Something about the American Dream!
-
These Saving-Boomers are now being attacked by the Obama-Pelosi-Reid team who view their assets as the spoils of class-warfare that must be redistributed to the “less fortunate”.
Obama and associates are driving to increase the taxes on their homes, their capital gains their dividends and eliminate credits for mortgage interest and increase the taxes on their retirement and social security incomes and reinstitute the death-tax and inheritance tax.
-
The irony is that those who exercised personal financial restraint and prudence will be stripped of the fruits of their labor and reduced down to the common denominator of those who chose to “live for the day” and not plan and sacrifice for tomorrow!
-
Karl Marx wrote the book and we now see who read the book and is busy implementing it!
-
Prior Items:
-
The Constitution: “We The People”
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/constitution-we-people.html
-
Tax Misrepresentations Become Outright Lies
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/tax-misrepresentations-become-outright.html
-
Obama Hawking Class and Race Warfare
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/09/obama-hawking-class-and-race-warfare.html
-
Roanoke Times, 12-28-10, Pg 3: More than 10,000 baby boomers a day will turn 65 in 2011; most are nowhere near financially prepared for their retirement. Boomers skimped on saving.
-
The message:
There goes the Social Security System!
There goes the Medicare System!
More Socialism is the answer!
-
The article highlights personal examples of Boomers who made good money and then spent much of it on expendables and depreciating things. The article’s author states that “most” Boomers fit this category and labels them without stating any data or facts.
However, it’s clear from census data that large numbers of Boomers saved, invested, insured and accumulated wealth for their retirement and hope to pass a modest nest egg on to their children and grandchildren.
Something about the American Dream!
-
These Saving-Boomers are now being attacked by the Obama-Pelosi-Reid team who view their assets as the spoils of class-warfare that must be redistributed to the “less fortunate”.
Obama and associates are driving to increase the taxes on their homes, their capital gains their dividends and eliminate credits for mortgage interest and increase the taxes on their retirement and social security incomes and reinstitute the death-tax and inheritance tax.
-
The irony is that those who exercised personal financial restraint and prudence will be stripped of the fruits of their labor and reduced down to the common denominator of those who chose to “live for the day” and not plan and sacrifice for tomorrow!
-
Karl Marx wrote the book and we now see who read the book and is busy implementing it!
-
Prior Items:
-
The Constitution: “We The People”
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/constitution-we-people.html
-
Tax Misrepresentations Become Outright Lies
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/tax-misrepresentations-become-outright.html
-
Obama Hawking Class and Race Warfare
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/09/obama-hawking-class-and-race-warfare.html
-
Too dumb to serve?
-
Roanoke Times, 12-28-10, Pg 1 & 13: Editorial: Too dumb to serve? What does it say about our schools that so many graduates (25% of applicants) can’t pass the Army entry test?
-
How incredibly politically incorrect! Calling our children DUMB!
They’re not dumb, they’re “intellectually challenged” and totally empowered by our society to choose to not learn and to choose to the best of their ability to inhibit others from learning in our public school classrooms.
-
The following is a summary of Roanoke Times articles over the last 5 years on the sad performance of our public schools and the associated blog items clearly addressing the core classroom issues with public education.
-
And it’s not the money – Stupid! Taxpayers spend over $10,000 per student per year, that’s over $130,000 for each student for K through 12!
-
As long as parents, school boards, judges, ACLU, politicians and the media empower those students who choose not to learn and to be disruptive we will not make significant improvements in public school performance. The best teachers in the world with the best physical facilities and technology in the world cannot be successful in a disruptive and chaotic classroom environment that is beyond their control.
-
Roanoke School Grades
Roanoke Times, 9/17/06, Pg 1: Teacher turnover spikes to almost 20%.
-
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2006/09/roanoke-school-grades.html
The best Teachers in the world with the best experience and best lesson-plans cannot teach in chaos. It’s not surprising that teachers are leaving. Except for prison guards, there is no other profession that tolerates and accepts the level of disrespect and harassment and chaos as does teaching.
-
Perhaps Mr. Thompson and his division staff should have a meeting and view the Morgan Freeman movie "Lean on Me" as a starting point for establishing action plans and procedures and processes to achieve a teaching-learning environment in every classroom every period of every day.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechleanonme2.html
-
-
School failures
Roanoke Times, 9/17/05, Pg Va 1: Failures cause Roanoke schools to lose students. Under No Child Left Behind, Title I schools that are failing improvement criteria must offer students the option to transfer to other schools. Roanoke has several such situations.
-
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/09/school-failures.html
I could not find in this article a summary or discussion of the real issues involved in these failures. At what point will the school board, and the administrators address the teaching-learning environment in the classrooms and take the necessary steps to return the classrooms to the teaching-learning environment that’s required for each student to learn?
-
The best Teachers in the world cannot teach in chaos. We need a process and system to deal with disruptive students and we need it NOW!
-
Mr. Editor and folks at The Roanoke Times – why not take on this quest as a major effort that will help all the students in Roanoke and The Valley get a much improved education. Put aside the political-correctness mantra and get involved, creative and assertive in demanding classrooms in which teaching-learning can flourish! (Just imagine that George Bush is responsible for each and every dysfunctional classroom – and go get’em!)
-
Teachers short on math
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2008/06/teachers-short-on-math.html
-
Who are the failures?
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2006/12/who-are-failures.html
-
It's the MEASUREMENT STUPID!
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2006/04/its-measurement-stupid.html
-
Schools, who is rsponsible for what?
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/08/schools-who-is-rsponsible-for-what.html
-
Respect at school
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/08/respect-at-school.html
-
Graduation rates
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/graduation-rates.html
-
Hard-to-teach kids
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/04/hard-to-teach-kids.html
-
Longer School Year
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/04/longer-school-year.html
-
$100,000 K12 Education
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/03/100000-k12-education.html
-
No child left behind
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/03/no-child-left-behind.html
-
Gates-Warner Improve High Schools
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/02/gates-warner-improve-high-schools.html
-
Roanoke Times, 12-28-10, Pg 1 & 13: Editorial: Too dumb to serve? What does it say about our schools that so many graduates (25% of applicants) can’t pass the Army entry test?
-
How incredibly politically incorrect! Calling our children DUMB!
They’re not dumb, they’re “intellectually challenged” and totally empowered by our society to choose to not learn and to choose to the best of their ability to inhibit others from learning in our public school classrooms.
-
The following is a summary of Roanoke Times articles over the last 5 years on the sad performance of our public schools and the associated blog items clearly addressing the core classroom issues with public education.
-
And it’s not the money – Stupid! Taxpayers spend over $10,000 per student per year, that’s over $130,000 for each student for K through 12!
-
As long as parents, school boards, judges, ACLU, politicians and the media empower those students who choose not to learn and to be disruptive we will not make significant improvements in public school performance. The best teachers in the world with the best physical facilities and technology in the world cannot be successful in a disruptive and chaotic classroom environment that is beyond their control.
-
Roanoke School Grades
Roanoke Times, 9/17/06, Pg 1: Teacher turnover spikes to almost 20%.
-
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2006/09/roanoke-school-grades.html
The best Teachers in the world with the best experience and best lesson-plans cannot teach in chaos. It’s not surprising that teachers are leaving. Except for prison guards, there is no other profession that tolerates and accepts the level of disrespect and harassment and chaos as does teaching.
-
Perhaps Mr. Thompson and his division staff should have a meeting and view the Morgan Freeman movie "Lean on Me" as a starting point for establishing action plans and procedures and processes to achieve a teaching-learning environment in every classroom every period of every day.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechleanonme2.html
-
-
School failures
Roanoke Times, 9/17/05, Pg Va 1: Failures cause Roanoke schools to lose students. Under No Child Left Behind, Title I schools that are failing improvement criteria must offer students the option to transfer to other schools. Roanoke has several such situations.
-
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/09/school-failures.html
I could not find in this article a summary or discussion of the real issues involved in these failures. At what point will the school board, and the administrators address the teaching-learning environment in the classrooms and take the necessary steps to return the classrooms to the teaching-learning environment that’s required for each student to learn?
-
The best Teachers in the world cannot teach in chaos. We need a process and system to deal with disruptive students and we need it NOW!
-
Mr. Editor and folks at The Roanoke Times – why not take on this quest as a major effort that will help all the students in Roanoke and The Valley get a much improved education. Put aside the political-correctness mantra and get involved, creative and assertive in demanding classrooms in which teaching-learning can flourish! (Just imagine that George Bush is responsible for each and every dysfunctional classroom – and go get’em!)
-
Teachers short on math
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2008/06/teachers-short-on-math.html
-
Who are the failures?
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2006/12/who-are-failures.html
-
It's the MEASUREMENT STUPID!
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2006/04/its-measurement-stupid.html
-
Schools, who is rsponsible for what?
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/08/schools-who-is-rsponsible-for-what.html
-
Respect at school
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/08/respect-at-school.html
-
Graduation rates
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/graduation-rates.html
-
Hard-to-teach kids
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/04/hard-to-teach-kids.html
-
Longer School Year
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/04/longer-school-year.html
-
$100,000 K12 Education
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/03/100000-k12-education.html
-
No child left behind
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/03/no-child-left-behind.html
-
Gates-Warner Improve High Schools
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/02/gates-warner-improve-high-schools.html
-
Monday, December 27, 2010
I'm Never Alone with My Clones
My "Separated At Birth" Doppelganger List (Updated)
Thanks to Cecilia Strakna for the latest sightings of my separated-at-birth siblings, like Martina Navratilova...
Me and Martina (I'm the one on the right)
and Tom Petty...
Nothing petty about this comparison: Me and TP
Yes, the Martina comparison is frightingly spot-on, and I used to get Tom Petty comments all the time when I was younger, gaunt-er (is that a word?) and had more - and longer - of my trademark straggly hair. It used to be every African-American person I met would call me either "Tom Petty" or, back when I played pick-up basketball, "Larry Bird" - the latter comparison inevitably forcing me to reply, "I'm flattered, but you'll soon see my game is more Chucky Driesell [former Maryland Terrapins coach Lefty Driesell's talent-challenged/benchwarming son] than Bird!"
Of course, I naturally prefer Lori Heddinger's pic of my blue-eyed twin, Paul Newman:
Me and Paul Newman (FYI, I'm on the left)
OK, fair enough. Add 'em to my ever-growing list...This isn't my list, but one comprised of people I've been told I resemble - most comparisons here come from high-functioning mentally deficient peeps, though some are courtesy of normal people who weren't dropped on their heads as babes.
Team Doppleganger: Wuz We Separated At Birth?
This is me. Now check out the rest of my alleged clones.
1. Carson Kressely
"Lemme blow ya - a kiss!"
My Couture Cousin from TV's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. I'm a better dresser though (Carson is too into flaming pastel threads!).
2. Keith Urban
I wish! Dude looks like a lost brother of the Gibb Brothers Tribe. The Country & Western-loving bagger lady at Eddie's insists I look like him. (Was this middle-aged grandma hitting on me?)
3. Julian Sands
We both have that manly, Slavic jaw thing going on, like something only a Cubist painter or Rock 'Em-Sock 'Em Robot would envy. Oh yeah, and that Flying V receding hairline thang is definitely going on as well!
4. Bob (Frank Silva) from TWIN PEAKS
Fear me!
5. Charlie Watts
Definitely. And I played drums, too! Wait - or should that line be: "But unlike me, Charlie could actually play drums"?
6. Martin Short
Guess it's the schnozzola. I used to work as a contractor at BGE and this Jamaican guy there would always greet me at the coffee machine with a "Greetings, Mr. Marteen Short, mon!"
7. Nick Gilder
Hmmm, maybe when I had long hair and my youthful cheeks were more sullen and gaunt. Does anyone even remember "Hot Child in the City"? These days I'm more like "Old Man in the Suburbs."
8. The Greaseman (DC 101 DJ Don Tracht, greaseman.org)
"> 
When his hair thinned, he kinda looked like me on Steroids. Always loved the Greaseman - better than his old station mate Howard Stern, for my money!
9. Kato Kaehlin
Exhibit A: Classic longhair edition
Exhibit B: Nouveau shorthair edition
Conair the Barbarian! I can certainly see a resemblance, though Kato looks smarter.
10. William Hurt
All I know is, the resemblance is Hurt-in' me bigtime.
11. David Spade
I do love his "No Can Do" attitude!
12. Southside Johnny of Asbury Jukes fame
God what an ugly fucker! Let's move on, shall we?...
13. Bill Maher
I don't see this one at all, but there's this pain-in-the-ass regular at the library who I detest who insists that I look like Bill Maher - probably just to (further) annoy me. Again, as with Martin Short, I think it has to do with my studly schnozz. (You know what they say: big nose, big...nostrils!)
14. Gary Numanesque Alien from made-for-TV doc FUTURE SHOCK.
OK, I made that last one up (taking a pic from the little known 1972 documentary based on Alvin Toffler's book Future Shock and featuring narration by Orson Welles from his I-Need-A-Paycheck period) - but only because of my triskadekaphobia (I needed a #14!). My girlfriend Amy says this looks like a mummified Incan child. (I didn't ask her if that was turn-on or not.) Personally, this dude reminds me more of Paul Williams. Either way, it's an improvement over Southside Johnny!
***
Well, there you have it People Watchers. I neglected to mention the junkie guy at the library who once quipped that I looked a lot like "This dude I knew who got shot in the face" (he didn't specify whether I looked like the guy before or after his face got blown away), but I left that one off because no picture (and possibly no face) was available to post. Please lemme know if you can think up any more. Suggestions are always welcome. But please limit submitted likenesses to mammals.
Thanks to Cecilia Strakna for the latest sightings of my separated-at-birth siblings, like Martina Navratilova...
Me and Martina (I'm the one on the right)
and Tom Petty...
Nothing petty about this comparison: Me and TP
Yes, the Martina comparison is frightingly spot-on, and I used to get Tom Petty comments all the time when I was younger, gaunt-er (is that a word?) and had more - and longer - of my trademark straggly hair. It used to be every African-American person I met would call me either "Tom Petty" or, back when I played pick-up basketball, "Larry Bird" - the latter comparison inevitably forcing me to reply, "I'm flattered, but you'll soon see my game is more Chucky Driesell [former Maryland Terrapins coach Lefty Driesell's talent-challenged/benchwarming son] than Bird!"
Of course, I naturally prefer Lori Heddinger's pic of my blue-eyed twin, Paul Newman:
Me and Paul Newman (FYI, I'm on the left)
OK, fair enough. Add 'em to my ever-growing list...This isn't my list, but one comprised of people I've been told I resemble - most comparisons here come from high-functioning mentally deficient peeps, though some are courtesy of normal people who weren't dropped on their heads as babes.
Team Doppleganger: Wuz We Separated At Birth?
This is me. Now check out the rest of my alleged clones.
1. Carson Kressely
"Lemme blow ya - a kiss!"
My Couture Cousin from TV's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. I'm a better dresser though (Carson is too into flaming pastel threads!).
2. Keith Urban
I wish! Dude looks like a lost brother of the Gibb Brothers Tribe. The Country & Western-loving bagger lady at Eddie's insists I look like him. (Was this middle-aged grandma hitting on me?)
3. Julian Sands
We both have that manly, Slavic jaw thing going on, like something only a Cubist painter or Rock 'Em-Sock 'Em Robot would envy. Oh yeah, and that Flying V receding hairline thang is definitely going on as well!
4. Bob (Frank Silva) from TWIN PEAKS
Fear me!
5. Charlie Watts
Definitely. And I played drums, too! Wait - or should that line be: "But unlike me, Charlie could actually play drums"?
6. Martin Short
Guess it's the schnozzola. I used to work as a contractor at BGE and this Jamaican guy there would always greet me at the coffee machine with a "Greetings, Mr. Marteen Short, mon!"
7. Nick Gilder
Hmmm, maybe when I had long hair and my youthful cheeks were more sullen and gaunt. Does anyone even remember "Hot Child in the City"? These days I'm more like "Old Man in the Suburbs."
8. The Greaseman (DC 101 DJ Don Tracht, greaseman.org)
"> When his hair thinned, he kinda looked like me on Steroids. Always loved the Greaseman - better than his old station mate Howard Stern, for my money!
9. Kato Kaehlin
Exhibit A: Classic longhair edition
Exhibit B: Nouveau shorthair edition
Conair the Barbarian! I can certainly see a resemblance, though Kato looks smarter.
10. William Hurt
All I know is, the resemblance is Hurt-in' me bigtime.
11. David Spade
I do love his "No Can Do" attitude!
12. Southside Johnny of Asbury Jukes fame
God what an ugly fucker! Let's move on, shall we?...
13. Bill Maher
I don't see this one at all, but there's this pain-in-the-ass regular at the library who I detest who insists that I look like Bill Maher - probably just to (further) annoy me. Again, as with Martin Short, I think it has to do with my studly schnozz. (You know what they say: big nose, big...nostrils!)
14. Gary Numanesque Alien from made-for-TV doc FUTURE SHOCK.
OK, I made that last one up (taking a pic from the little known 1972 documentary based on Alvin Toffler's book Future Shock and featuring narration by Orson Welles from his I-Need-A-Paycheck period) - but only because of my triskadekaphobia (I needed a #14!). My girlfriend Amy says this looks like a mummified Incan child. (I didn't ask her if that was turn-on or not.) Personally, this dude reminds me more of Paul Williams. Either way, it's an improvement over Southside Johnny!
***
Well, there you have it People Watchers. I neglected to mention the junkie guy at the library who once quipped that I looked a lot like "This dude I knew who got shot in the face" (he didn't specify whether I looked like the guy before or after his face got blown away), but I left that one off because no picture (and possibly no face) was available to post. Please lemme know if you can think up any more. Suggestions are always welcome. But please limit submitted likenesses to mammals.
The Blizzards of 2010 – Yet More Global Warming
-
Roanoke Times, 12-27-10, Pg 1, 3, 14: Heavy coastal storm batters Northeast; Virginia still under state of emergency; winter weather cripples travel on the East Coast.
-
All this and no mention of the Jan 2010 Blizzard that book-ended a year of real winter weather. Not anything like the Blizzard of 1888 but still real winter weather. 1888 being approximately 100 years after the decline in the “little ice age” and well before any significant man-made CO2.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blizzard_of_1888
-
Timing is everything and therefore not mentioned in these articles were the shrill cries of the Goreites and the Alarmists warning us of the on coming devastation's of man-made global warming. That will apparently be left to some upcoming hot summer days.
-
The reality of one degree global warming in the last 100 years and no global warming in the last 10 years are a reality that blunts and confounds and frustrates the Alarmists and their associates in the media and the Obama administration and those who suck at the teat of global warming public tax-money grants.
-
The following is an index to this blogs Global Warming items for 2010, most in direct response and rebuttal to the mis&dis-information published by the Roanoke Times:
-
More Hot Air At Yet Another UN Climate Meeting
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/more-hot-air-at-yet-another-un-climate.html
There’s Money In Rising Tides
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/theres-money-in-rising-tides.html
Global Warming, Political Science, and Apocalypse Not Now
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/11/global-warming-political-science-and.html
STOP BURNING FOOD!
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/11/stop-burning-food.html
Distinguished Scientist Hal Lewis Rejects Global Warming Alarmists
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/10/distinguished-scientist-hal-lewis.html
Global Warming Alarmists Employ Violence to Terrorise School Children
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/10/global-warming-alarmists-employ.html
More Arctic Ice Data Bias and Slant
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/09/more-arctic-ice-data-bias-and-slant.html
Roanoke Times Hiding From The Environmental Throwdown
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/09/roanoke-times-hiding-from-environmental.html
Hype the Hot, Hide the Cold
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/07/hype-hot-hide-cold.html
Science and Ideology
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/07/science-and-ideology.html
More ClimateGate Doublespeak
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/06/more-climategate-doublespeak.html
Rejecting and Stalling APC’s Renewable Wind Energy
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/06/rejecting-and-stalling-apcs-renewable.html
The Hypocrisy of the UVA Faculty
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/05/hypocrisy-of-uva-faculty.html
Challenging Global Warming Alarmists
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/05/challenging-global-warming-alarmists.html
Global Warming Conference Chicago May 16, 2010
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/global-warming-conference-chicago-may.html
Obama’s EPA’s Conflict With Virginia AG Cuccinelli and Fourteen States in Rebellion.
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/obamas-epas-conflict-with-virginia-ag.html
Climate Change Not For Some Birds
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/climate-change-not-for-some-birds.html
Where’s the Roanoke Times Carbon Footprint?
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/wheres-roanoke-times-carbon-footprint.html
Gore’s Water Retention Problem
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/gores-water-retention-problem.html
Roanoke Times Global Warming Omissions
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/02/roanoke-times-global-warming-omissions.html
Roanoke Times Global Warming Double-speak & ClimateGate DoOver
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/02/roanoke-times-global-warming-double.html
Roanoke Times And The Sound of Global Warming Silence
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/02/roanoke-times-and-sound-of-silence.html
Obama ClimateGates And Snow Jobs (The Blizzard of Jan 2010)
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/02/obama-climategates-and-snow-jobs.html
Shoveling Global Warming Frigid Storms
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/shoveling-global-warming-frigid-storms.html
AEP Rates: The Reality of Democrat Energy Policy
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/aep-rates-reality-of-democrat-energy.html
Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, Obama – Green Energy & Jobs NOT
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/tim-kaine-mark-warner-obama-green.html
ClimateGate GlacierGate OzoneGate And The EcoScientists
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/glimategate-glaciergate-ozonegate-and.html
ClimateGate Heats Up Into GlacierGate
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/climategate-heats-up-into-glaciergate.html
Global Warming Runs Hot and Cold
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/global-warming-runs-hot-and-cold.html
-
Roanoke Times, 12-27-10, Pg 1, 3, 14: Heavy coastal storm batters Northeast; Virginia still under state of emergency; winter weather cripples travel on the East Coast.
-
All this and no mention of the Jan 2010 Blizzard that book-ended a year of real winter weather. Not anything like the Blizzard of 1888 but still real winter weather. 1888 being approximately 100 years after the decline in the “little ice age” and well before any significant man-made CO2.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blizzard_of_1888
-
Timing is everything and therefore not mentioned in these articles were the shrill cries of the Goreites and the Alarmists warning us of the on coming devastation's of man-made global warming. That will apparently be left to some upcoming hot summer days.
-
The reality of one degree global warming in the last 100 years and no global warming in the last 10 years are a reality that blunts and confounds and frustrates the Alarmists and their associates in the media and the Obama administration and those who suck at the teat of global warming public tax-money grants.
-
The following is an index to this blogs Global Warming items for 2010, most in direct response and rebuttal to the mis&dis-information published by the Roanoke Times:
-
More Hot Air At Yet Another UN Climate Meeting
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/more-hot-air-at-yet-another-un-climate.html
There’s Money In Rising Tides
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/theres-money-in-rising-tides.html
Global Warming, Political Science, and Apocalypse Not Now
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/11/global-warming-political-science-and.html
STOP BURNING FOOD!
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/11/stop-burning-food.html
Distinguished Scientist Hal Lewis Rejects Global Warming Alarmists
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/10/distinguished-scientist-hal-lewis.html
Global Warming Alarmists Employ Violence to Terrorise School Children
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/10/global-warming-alarmists-employ.html
More Arctic Ice Data Bias and Slant
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/09/more-arctic-ice-data-bias-and-slant.html
Roanoke Times Hiding From The Environmental Throwdown
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/09/roanoke-times-hiding-from-environmental.html
Hype the Hot, Hide the Cold
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/07/hype-hot-hide-cold.html
Science and Ideology
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/07/science-and-ideology.html
More ClimateGate Doublespeak
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/06/more-climategate-doublespeak.html
Rejecting and Stalling APC’s Renewable Wind Energy
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/06/rejecting-and-stalling-apcs-renewable.html
The Hypocrisy of the UVA Faculty
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/05/hypocrisy-of-uva-faculty.html
Challenging Global Warming Alarmists
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/05/challenging-global-warming-alarmists.html
Global Warming Conference Chicago May 16, 2010
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/global-warming-conference-chicago-may.html
Obama’s EPA’s Conflict With Virginia AG Cuccinelli and Fourteen States in Rebellion.
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/obamas-epas-conflict-with-virginia-ag.html
Climate Change Not For Some Birds
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/climate-change-not-for-some-birds.html
Where’s the Roanoke Times Carbon Footprint?
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/wheres-roanoke-times-carbon-footprint.html
Gore’s Water Retention Problem
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/gores-water-retention-problem.html
Roanoke Times Global Warming Omissions
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/02/roanoke-times-global-warming-omissions.html
Roanoke Times Global Warming Double-speak & ClimateGate DoOver
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/02/roanoke-times-global-warming-double.html
Roanoke Times And The Sound of Global Warming Silence
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/02/roanoke-times-and-sound-of-silence.html
Obama ClimateGates And Snow Jobs (The Blizzard of Jan 2010)
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/02/obama-climategates-and-snow-jobs.html
Shoveling Global Warming Frigid Storms
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/shoveling-global-warming-frigid-storms.html
AEP Rates: The Reality of Democrat Energy Policy
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/aep-rates-reality-of-democrat-energy.html
Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, Obama – Green Energy & Jobs NOT
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/tim-kaine-mark-warner-obama-green.html
ClimateGate GlacierGate OzoneGate And The EcoScientists
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/glimategate-glaciergate-ozonegate-and.html
ClimateGate Heats Up Into GlacierGate
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/climategate-heats-up-into-glaciergate.html
Global Warming Runs Hot and Cold
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/global-warming-runs-hot-and-cold.html
-
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Some fieldchecking
The map clip shows a bit of terrain that I fieldchecked yesterday. The cliffs in this area are fairly low - mostly about 1.5 meters. I've used the boulder field symbol to show areas where the cliffs are either broken up or too low to be mapped as cliffs. I've been using a laser scan (aka lidar) basemap with 2.5 meter contours and a "lutning" image from OL Laser. You can see a clip below.
"WAY OUT IN SPACE TOGETHER..."
 |
| Steve and Zoonie - but how did they fit in the box? (I know.) |
Here's a nice little Christmas present for you - a picture of toy company GOLDEN GATE's STEVE ZODIAC & ZOONIE THE LAZOON on a FIREBALL XL5 JETMOBILE. The copyright date on the box is 1962, so it must have been released to toyshops no later than 1963, as it wasn't unusual for a toy to carry a copyright date of the year before it came out. (Another example is MATTEL's MAJOR MATT MASON - it came out in 1967, but bears the date 1966.) Of course, it may well have come out in 1962 just like the box says.
I didn't actually didn't get my hands on this friction-drive toy until 1968, in the Scottish town of Millport (just across the water from Largs) on the Isle of Cumbrae, so it was old stock when I purchased it. Good as it was, I'd have loved to get one of Steve and ROBERT THE ROBOT on a jetmobile, but - alas - such a toy never existed.
 |
| Gordie, Steve, Zoonie & Paul. |
Saturday, December 25, 2010
A Certain Girl by Naomi Neville
A Certain Girl by Naomi Neville
Artist: Eric Clapton
There’s a certain girl I’ve been in love with a long, long time.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
I can’t reveal her name until I’ve got her.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
Well, I’ve tried to get her time and time again.
We just end up as nothing but friends.
And there’s a certain girl I’ve been in love with a long, long time.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
Well, there’s a certain chick I’ve been sweet on since I met her.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
I can’t repeat her name until I get her.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
Well one day, I’m gonna wake up and say,
I’ll do anything just to be your slave.
And there’s a certain girl I’ve been in love with a long, long time.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
Well, I’ve tried to get her time and time again.
We just end up as nothing but friends.
And there’s a certain girl I’ve been in love with a long, long time.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
There’s a certain chick I’ve been sweet on since I found her.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
I can’t reveal her name until I get her.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
Well now one day, get her time and time again.
We just end up as nothing but friends.
And there’s a certain girl I’ve been in love with a long, long time.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
I can’t tell you. (no!)
I can’t tell you. (no!)
I can’t tell you.
Artist: Eric Clapton
There’s a certain girl I’ve been in love with a long, long time.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
I can’t reveal her name until I’ve got her.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
Well, I’ve tried to get her time and time again.
We just end up as nothing but friends.
And there’s a certain girl I’ve been in love with a long, long time.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
Well, there’s a certain chick I’ve been sweet on since I met her.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
I can’t repeat her name until I get her.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
Well one day, I’m gonna wake up and say,
I’ll do anything just to be your slave.
And there’s a certain girl I’ve been in love with a long, long time.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
Well, I’ve tried to get her time and time again.
We just end up as nothing but friends.
And there’s a certain girl I’ve been in love with a long, long time.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
There’s a certain chick I’ve been sweet on since I found her.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
I can’t reveal her name until I get her.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
Well now one day, get her time and time again.
We just end up as nothing but friends.
And there’s a certain girl I’ve been in love with a long, long time.
(what’s her name? ) I can’t tell you. (no!)
I can’t tell you. (no!)
I can’t tell you. (no!)
I can’t tell you.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Government By The Rejected
-
Our Constitution is based on Government By The People; NOT Government By The Rejected!
-
The team of Obama-Pelosi-Reid and their hacks in the liberal press celebrated this week. Not for the Birth of Christ but for passing a number of pieces of major legislation during the “lame duck” session.
Essentially what they accomplished was to give the American people the proverbial finger!
-
On Nov 2nd the American people rejected the Obama-Pelosi-Reid team and their policies and legislation and sent 60 new Congressmen to Washington to change the course of the Government. What the American people got for Christmas was more raw arrogance.
The Obama-Pelosi-Reid team rammed through a laundry list of legislation that clearly should have been extended into January to comply with the wishes of The People.
The Russians have delayed until 2011 consideration of the nuclear weapons and antimissile START treaty; apparently passage in Dec 2010 wasn't important to them!
-
The issue is not which pieces were good or not good.
The issue is that the American people had made the biggest change in their government in over 50 years and their new government should have been the representatives to address all major new legislation.
-
Once again the Obama-Pelosi-Reid team have show their disdain for The Constitution and The American People. What a sad period in American History.
-
One can only image the hue and cry from the liberal media if a Republican administration had carried out such an ugly raw power coup.
-
Just more hope and change and hypocrisy we can depend on!
-
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/constitution-we-people.html
-
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/danger-of-arrogant-disregard-for.html
-
Our Constitution is based on Government By The People; NOT Government By The Rejected!
-
The team of Obama-Pelosi-Reid and their hacks in the liberal press celebrated this week. Not for the Birth of Christ but for passing a number of pieces of major legislation during the “lame duck” session.
Essentially what they accomplished was to give the American people the proverbial finger!
-
On Nov 2nd the American people rejected the Obama-Pelosi-Reid team and their policies and legislation and sent 60 new Congressmen to Washington to change the course of the Government. What the American people got for Christmas was more raw arrogance.
The Obama-Pelosi-Reid team rammed through a laundry list of legislation that clearly should have been extended into January to comply with the wishes of The People.
The Russians have delayed until 2011 consideration of the nuclear weapons and antimissile START treaty; apparently passage in Dec 2010 wasn't important to them!
-
The issue is not which pieces were good or not good.
The issue is that the American people had made the biggest change in their government in over 50 years and their new government should have been the representatives to address all major new legislation.
-
Once again the Obama-Pelosi-Reid team have show their disdain for The Constitution and The American People. What a sad period in American History.
-
One can only image the hue and cry from the liberal media if a Republican administration had carried out such an ugly raw power coup.
-
Just more hope and change and hypocrisy we can depend on!
-
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/constitution-we-people.html
-
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/danger-of-arrogant-disregard-for.html
-
Naughty and nice: the year in review
I know there's a Santa, and that he and his crew have been tooling around my neighborhood, because all of a sudden I am awash in antlers.
My friend Lucy's parents clued in my folks to the power of antlers for teeth cleaning, and so they sent up a wish to Santa. I have elk and deer antlers, and maybe moose. They are great for chewing. Mom was so inspired she gave our relatives an antler-handled bottle opener for their Minnesota beverages, although I am assuming they will not chew on them. Maybe, in Minnesota, they are a people delicacy, too, but I am not fully informed.
I got to thinking about my behavior over the past year, and toting things up, I have to admit, I was naughty and nice.
Naughty: knocking Dad over in the middle of the road at morning rush hour. Nice: snuggling with my sister to relieve her college application stress.
Naughty: grabbing items willy nilly from every corner of the Wellesley Booksmith. Nice: not pouting when Mom didn't buy everything I wanted.
Naughty: executing the Plop O'Doom on a regular basis. Nice: starting to learn to come when called.
Just a few examples. Now, I cannot claim to be as food-naughty as my pal Biscuit, who ate an entire pumpkin pie the day after Thanksgiving. Go, Biscuit! There's something to strive for. (Note: favorite dog poetry book, Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia MacLachlan. Read it and laugh hysterically.)
Does Santa count the week after Christmas toward next year's list, or does he take a hiatus from toting things up? I'd like a little break from having to balance things out all the time.
My friend Lucy's parents clued in my folks to the power of antlers for teeth cleaning, and so they sent up a wish to Santa. I have elk and deer antlers, and maybe moose. They are great for chewing. Mom was so inspired she gave our relatives an antler-handled bottle opener for their Minnesota beverages, although I am assuming they will not chew on them. Maybe, in Minnesota, they are a people delicacy, too, but I am not fully informed.
I got to thinking about my behavior over the past year, and toting things up, I have to admit, I was naughty and nice.
Naughty: knocking Dad over in the middle of the road at morning rush hour. Nice: snuggling with my sister to relieve her college application stress.
Naughty: grabbing items willy nilly from every corner of the Wellesley Booksmith. Nice: not pouting when Mom didn't buy everything I wanted.
Naughty: executing the Plop O'Doom on a regular basis. Nice: starting to learn to come when called.
Just a few examples. Now, I cannot claim to be as food-naughty as my pal Biscuit, who ate an entire pumpkin pie the day after Thanksgiving. Go, Biscuit! There's something to strive for. (Note: favorite dog poetry book, Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia MacLachlan. Read it and laugh hysterically.)
Does Santa count the week after Christmas toward next year's list, or does he take a hiatus from toting things up? I'd like a little break from having to balance things out all the time.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
... I had a moment to play around with sprays at the top of this wreath.
It has not been often this fall that I have found time to re-charge like this.
Putzing around, fluffing the nest.... a favorite activity of mine ~ in need of restoring.
Here is a link to a new friend who has done such a lovely and sentimental job of getting
her nest feathered! Do please stop in to say hello to her.
It has not been often this fall that I have found time to re-charge like this.
Putzing around, fluffing the nest.... a favorite activity of mine ~ in need of restoring.
Here is a link to a new friend who has done such a lovely and sentimental job of getting
her nest feathered! Do please stop in to say hello to her.
Merry Christmas!
xo,
Mary
... I had a moment to play around with sprays at the top of this wreath.
It has not been often this fall that I have found time to re-charge like this.
Putzing around, fluffing the nest.... a favorite activity of mine ~ in need of restoring.
Here is a link to a new friend who has done such a lovely and sentimental job of getting
her nest feathered! Do please stop in to say hello to her.
It has not been often this fall that I have found time to re-charge like this.
Putzing around, fluffing the nest.... a favorite activity of mine ~ in need of restoring.
Here is a link to a new friend who has done such a lovely and sentimental job of getting
her nest feathered! Do please stop in to say hello to her.
Merry Christmas!
xo,
Mary
Obama, Richardson & More North Korean Bribes
Roanoke Times, 12-21-10, Pg 3: North Korea backed off threats to launch all out war on the South after Bill Richardson “counseled” with them.
-
Obama sent Bill Richardson (now Gov of New Mexico and now apparently yet another Czar) to North Korea to bribe them again into playing nice. At this point we don’t know what the bribe involves or costs. This, after the unprovoked sinking of a South Korean ship and launching an artillery attack on a South Korean civilian occupied island and these acts of aggression being embedded into a steady diatribe of threats of all out war.
-
Obama’s mentor, Bill Clinton had Bill Richardson (then his Energy Secretary) negotiate One-on-One with North Korea to stop their nuke development. Clinton/Richardson gave them money, fuel, food and a nuclear power plant for a "promise" to stop nuke development.
Talk about failed policy, failed diplomacy and lame-brained appeasement!
-
Obama has failed for two years to have any impact on North Korea’s hostile acts, nuclear weapons development, proliferation of nuclear weapons technology or ongoing threats against our friends and allies.
And now more failed policy, failed diplomacy and lame-brained appeasement!
-
Anyone see a pattern here?
-
Just more hope, change and hypocrisy we can depend on!
-
Prior Items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2007/01/richardsons-experience.html
-
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2006/10/north-korean-nukes.html
-
-
Obama sent Bill Richardson (now Gov of New Mexico and now apparently yet another Czar) to North Korea to bribe them again into playing nice. At this point we don’t know what the bribe involves or costs. This, after the unprovoked sinking of a South Korean ship and launching an artillery attack on a South Korean civilian occupied island and these acts of aggression being embedded into a steady diatribe of threats of all out war.
-
Obama’s mentor, Bill Clinton had Bill Richardson (then his Energy Secretary) negotiate One-on-One with North Korea to stop their nuke development. Clinton/Richardson gave them money, fuel, food and a nuclear power plant for a "promise" to stop nuke development.
Talk about failed policy, failed diplomacy and lame-brained appeasement!
-
Obama has failed for two years to have any impact on North Korea’s hostile acts, nuclear weapons development, proliferation of nuclear weapons technology or ongoing threats against our friends and allies.
And now more failed policy, failed diplomacy and lame-brained appeasement!
-
Anyone see a pattern here?
-
Just more hope, change and hypocrisy we can depend on!
-
Prior Items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2007/01/richardsons-experience.html
-
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2006/10/north-korean-nukes.html
-
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Constitution: “We The People”
-
Roanoke Times, 12-20-10, Pg 15: Commentary by M. Waldman (speech writer for Bill Clinton): Tea Party’s love for Constitution may kill it.
“The drive to strike down ObamaCare, a jarring move by those long opposed to judicial activism.”
-
-
Yet another in an ongoing long term liberal explanation of why the US Constitution is just a set of ideas and principles and a “living document” to be interpreted by politically appointed judges, most of whom serve for life.
-
All these liberal explanations fly in the face of the first three words of the US Constitution “ We The People” and the context in which the Constitution was written.
“The People” fought and won freedom and independence from The King. At that point “The People” were totally and completely in control of the country, their lives and the future. The Constitution was then written as a “contract” by “The People” granting specific powers to the Federal Government and to the States with any ambiguity being reserved to the States.
-
A major ongoing 20th Century constitutional issue is the Executive and “judicial activism” expansion of Federal control over the States and The People by treating the Constitution not as a “contract” but as a set of guidelines. It is difficult to find any examples within our society in which one party to a legal contract can unilaterally and at will redefine the terms and conditions of the contract to suit their desires.
-
This expansion of Federal powers is most evident in the huge bureaucracies that overlap and duplicate at great taxpayer expense the States responsibilities, including:
• Dept of Education
• Dept of Transportation
• Dept of Energy
• Dept of Environment
• Dept of Health & Human Services
• Dept of Housing
• Executive Departments
• Over two dozen Obama-Czars
-
This Federal concentration of government has resulted in a level of Socialism that mirrors countries like England where opportunity and development and prosperity have been suppressed by socialist controls and processes.
-
The Obama-Pelosi-Reid team has clearly implemented major socialist controls, programs and staggering debt and in the process have awakened large numbers of “The People” who have become activated to participate in the political process with the objective of confronting these major transgressions into personal freedom, opportunity and States Rights.
-
The Nov 2010 elections with the election of 60 new Congressmen could well be just the beginning of a major grass-roots movement to reestablish that “The Constitution” starts with “We The People” and was written as a legal and binding contract to limit government control and enable individual freedoms and opportunity and keep the focus of government at the State level close to “The People”.
-
There are no examples in history in which socialism has resulted in individual freedoms and opportunity that are even close to the American free enterprise system.
Click to see Apples reenactment of the conflict between free people and Federal-socialism in Orwell’s 1984.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R706isyDrqI
-
Prior Items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/danger-of-arrogant-disregard-for.html
-
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/11/some-republican-national-priorities.html
-
Roanoke Times, 12-20-10, Pg 15: Commentary by M. Waldman (speech writer for Bill Clinton): Tea Party’s love for Constitution may kill it.
“The drive to strike down ObamaCare, a jarring move by those long opposed to judicial activism.”
-
-
Yet another in an ongoing long term liberal explanation of why the US Constitution is just a set of ideas and principles and a “living document” to be interpreted by politically appointed judges, most of whom serve for life.
-
All these liberal explanations fly in the face of the first three words of the US Constitution “ We The People” and the context in which the Constitution was written.
“The People” fought and won freedom and independence from The King. At that point “The People” were totally and completely in control of the country, their lives and the future. The Constitution was then written as a “contract” by “The People” granting specific powers to the Federal Government and to the States with any ambiguity being reserved to the States.
-
A major ongoing 20th Century constitutional issue is the Executive and “judicial activism” expansion of Federal control over the States and The People by treating the Constitution not as a “contract” but as a set of guidelines. It is difficult to find any examples within our society in which one party to a legal contract can unilaterally and at will redefine the terms and conditions of the contract to suit their desires.
-
This expansion of Federal powers is most evident in the huge bureaucracies that overlap and duplicate at great taxpayer expense the States responsibilities, including:
• Dept of Education
• Dept of Transportation
• Dept of Energy
• Dept of Environment
• Dept of Health & Human Services
• Dept of Housing
• Executive Departments
• Over two dozen Obama-Czars
-
This Federal concentration of government has resulted in a level of Socialism that mirrors countries like England where opportunity and development and prosperity have been suppressed by socialist controls and processes.
-
The Obama-Pelosi-Reid team has clearly implemented major socialist controls, programs and staggering debt and in the process have awakened large numbers of “The People” who have become activated to participate in the political process with the objective of confronting these major transgressions into personal freedom, opportunity and States Rights.
-
The Nov 2010 elections with the election of 60 new Congressmen could well be just the beginning of a major grass-roots movement to reestablish that “The Constitution” starts with “We The People” and was written as a legal and binding contract to limit government control and enable individual freedoms and opportunity and keep the focus of government at the State level close to “The People”.
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There are no examples in history in which socialism has resulted in individual freedoms and opportunity that are even close to the American free enterprise system.
Click to see Apples reenactment of the conflict between free people and Federal-socialism in Orwell’s 1984.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R706isyDrqI
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Prior Items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/danger-of-arrogant-disregard-for.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/11/some-republican-national-priorities.html
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Cookies have me salivating...for a Dreams du Dog Christmas
No worries! Dreams du Dog cookies are made with ingredients—the best—right from the people pantry. I'm crazy about them, but then I'll eat anything (see previous post). Sparky was the true inspiration for the baking business. No stale supermarket "treats" for him—only the best. He'd just spit out all those old Milk-Bones that people proffer. Pitooey! So my sister and Mom started doing some baking, and he supervised every move.
Today I even sat, stayed and zoomed over when called, then knocked Mom over for my reward. "Bones for Good Boys?" she reminded me.
So, what's in a name? When she refused to give me any more, I went into the pantry and helped myself.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
A disquisition on the littering habits of my countrymen
I've got to hand it to those treasure-seeking trollers on the beach of Mom's childhood: you never know what you're going to find. While they were on the lookout for coins of the realm, I'm interested in more caloric fare.
Today, for example, I found a great hunk o'bread round the shores of Lake Waban, under a pile of leaves. Then, I snagged a piece of a cupcake (chocolate! with icing!) that somehow was stuck to the trunk of someone's car. That was just a single outing.
Chicken legs, chicken bones, big hunks of roasted chicken. Parts of McDonald's Quarter Pounders. Fries to go with them. Did I mention chicken bones? Bones of all kinds.
One could conclude we are a nation who likes to throw its extra food out the window.
Now that we have a critical mass of Dunkin' Donuts emporia (roughly every 200 feet; otherwise, immediately across the street) in our town, one can expect a concomitant increase in insignia trash. When my sister was 5 and on a visit to our nation's capital, she became disturbed at all of the Dunkin' Donuts cups and napkins she saw strewn about.
While she planned to write a letter to the company president, I'm not at all sure she got around to it. Meanwhile, if people would just toss the donuts away so I can find them, and throw the paper stuff in the trash, I'd be good with that.
Today, for example, I found a great hunk o'bread round the shores of Lake Waban, under a pile of leaves. Then, I snagged a piece of a cupcake (chocolate! with icing!) that somehow was stuck to the trunk of someone's car. That was just a single outing.
Chicken legs, chicken bones, big hunks of roasted chicken. Parts of McDonald's Quarter Pounders. Fries to go with them. Did I mention chicken bones? Bones of all kinds.
One could conclude we are a nation who likes to throw its extra food out the window.
Now that we have a critical mass of Dunkin' Donuts emporia (roughly every 200 feet; otherwise, immediately across the street) in our town, one can expect a concomitant increase in insignia trash. When my sister was 5 and on a visit to our nation's capital, she became disturbed at all of the Dunkin' Donuts cups and napkins she saw strewn about.
While she planned to write a letter to the company president, I'm not at all sure she got around to it. Meanwhile, if people would just toss the donuts away so I can find them, and throw the paper stuff in the trash, I'd be good with that.
12 SONGS OF CHRISTMAS...
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| "Mr. Velvet" - Jim Reeves |
You'll probably have to track down the original CD on the internet, but the 12 Christmas songs are on an album called THE JIM REEVES CHRISTMAS SONGBOOK, which mixes them with some of his gospel songs (slightly diluting the pure Christmas effect in my opinion). Never mind, this can be overcome by programming your CD player to play only the 12 Yuletide tracks - available now at your local HMV store.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Ok, Ok... no quick chocolate treats that I promised you, yet. However....
Look what I do have for you!
Life can be so very hectic, even traumatic today. I have started some pieces and stopped,
called away... All good. No worries, "Balance" can be restored.
If you need some Balance in your life perhaps you should visit Oh Merci.
Sweet Sugar Plum Dreams to you all!
Mary
Ok, Ok... no quick chocolate treats that I promised you, yet. However....
Look what I do have for you!
Life can be so very hectic, even traumatic today. I have started some pieces and stopped,
called away... All good. No worries, "Balance" can be restored.
If you need some Balance in your life perhaps you should visit Oh Merci.
Sweet Sugar Plum Dreams to you all!
Mary
Monday, December 13, 2010
4 p.m. T-time: that's Tucker time
4 p.m., and I'm raring to go. So I make the appropriate noises, nudge my leash, and plaster myself to the door to the garage. There's only one way I go after 4 p.m., and that's by C-A-R.
Mom, thinking she's going to win this one, coaxes me to the front door. She wants to walk, not drive, after she's just filled the wagon with gas at $3.15 per gallon. And blah, blah, blah. She's complaining that she's going to put on all her gear, make sure she has this, has that, etc., etc. and that after she's all ready, I'll refuse to go.
Boy, she's got that right. I look like I'm aiming for the front door, but I slip—stealthily (and you can check my definition of that in an earlier post) —right into the crate, which my folks quite properly term "The $100 Avoidance Chamber." And I look perfectly comfy in there.
I'm good at this. So good, in fact, that when my very first blog follower came for a visit, I pulled the same trick. The idea was we all were going for a walk to Morses Pond. No one, of course, consulted moi.
"Does he like his crate?" this dear person asked. Mom practically snorted.
Sure, I like it just fine, and just long enough for Mom to give up and drive me to a nice, big field. After all, I like to do things one way—my way.
Mom, thinking she's going to win this one, coaxes me to the front door. She wants to walk, not drive, after she's just filled the wagon with gas at $3.15 per gallon. And blah, blah, blah. She's complaining that she's going to put on all her gear, make sure she has this, has that, etc., etc. and that after she's all ready, I'll refuse to go.
I'm good at this. So good, in fact, that when my very first blog follower came for a visit, I pulled the same trick. The idea was we all were going for a walk to Morses Pond. No one, of course, consulted moi.
"Does he like his crate?" this dear person asked. Mom practically snorted.
Sure, I like it just fine, and just long enough for Mom to give up and drive me to a nice, big field. After all, I like to do things one way—my way.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Head cam notes
A few notes on orienteering head cam videos...Watching a head cam video lets you count how many times an orienteer looks at the map. Map reading frequency is something I've been interested in for a while. The camera I've been using - GoPro Hero HD 960 - does a great job of picking up the voice of the person wearing the camera. You could run a course and narrate what you're doing. It wouldn't
Check up: good news, bad news, and does this count as a bath?
Mom then tried the "door #2" method to get me into the back room where they do all those yucky procedures, but all I could say was: No can do. Finally, I gave in to have a heartworm check, bordatella vaccination, etc. etc., but having successfully tried the patience of everybody, they somehow forgot about the weigh-in. Whew!
In my defense, I recently had my mass accounted for. When I was last there a couple of weeks ago, the technician came out with a sad look. "He's 88 pounds," she lamented. Mom exulted—at least four lbs off my top weight! I didn't tell either of them that I exhaled just before getting on the scale, then shifted my bulk onto just one hindquarter.
Now the bad news. Dr. S. says I have oily skin and need a bath once a week. Sparky only needed a bath twice a year! So, does my walk this morning count? I got soaked.
THE "OLD" NEW DALEKS...
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| Copyright: Raymond P. Cusick & Terry Nation |
Back in 1989, RAYMOND CUSICK, the designer of the original DALEKS, was invited by DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE to design a new version of the classic menaces - what you see is the result. Mr. Cusick explained, "The original Dalek design was governed by cost. I think we produced the original three for something like £250. I visualised the surface of the new Dalek as textured, some metal or substance quite unlike anything found on earth. The original Daleks were very smooth and polished. It (the new version) would be dark green or blue in colour. Also, I didn't want to make them any smaller - they should have menace. Generally, small objects lack that. But they still wouldn't be as big as humans. I imagine my design would be film-scale budget, but it could be modified for television. I'd like to develop it further..."
And there you have it - yet another fascinating glimpse into the world of "what might have been".
FIREBALL 21 or CENTURY XL5...?
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| Century 21. Art by Derek Meddings |
Two posts back, I referred to the fact that, when FIREBALL XL5 was first envisaged, it was called CENTURY 21. In the accompanying illustration by the late Derek Meddings, we can see what the craft was originally intended to look like. Why did they change it? At this point I don't know - the original design was certainly more futuristic, so one can only wonder as to the change.
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| Century 21/Fireball XL5 hybrid by Neville Main |
In the next pic (by Neville Main), we can see that this is the CENTURY 21 ship with the FIREBALL XL5 colour scheme. This comes from the 1962 TV COMIC Annual, which was published before the series premiered on TV, so presumably Neville was supplied with copies of the original design as his primary source of reference. Perhaps the XL5 colours were added at the last moment before the contents were shipped to the printers - any further information from anyone who knows the facts will be gratefully accepted.
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| Art by Reg Hill |
Next up is a presentation illo of the CENTURY 21 logo, as well as a couple of pictures of, again, far more futuristic-looking (in my opinion at least) jetmobiles. These three illustrations are by Reg Hill, who was joint designer - along with Derek Meddings - of the FIREBALL XL5 ship.
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| Steve on jetmobile. Art by Reg Hill |
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| Art by Reg Hill |
A fascinating look at what could have been, don't you think?
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