East Winds

Ha, the East Winds have blown some leaves back to the neighbors who always want their scapled lawns to blow Westward.  I am gratified but not satisfied.  This was a 30 load year and that is OK.  If it is 35, then I am not even gratified.

Today happened.  Barry called and made me a great offer of a $3K kayak for $1.3K.  This is a deal but I want to spend my limited $ on a solar panel &/or windgenerator. 

The new Medicare really sucks.  If it changes much then the Obamacare will be the death of us.

Related article

• “Obama talks money in China” and related posts (foreignpolicy.com)

Indian Summer

Today was a perfect most beautiful day.  I used the opprotunity to take aout SAM’s kayak – a 16′ x 22″ Perception Shadow – and did a turn around our lake.  It is not too far, perhaps a mile, but it was fun none the less.  While out I noticed the rudder did not see to act correctly.  It would turn to port fine but the starbord turn was very slow with full rudder against an unusual feeling stop.  When I returned and carried the boat up to the shop, I looked into the problem.  I had to laugh.  There was no way the rudder ever worked correctly since someone had changed the foot rests.  One of the foot rests had a tab sticking down that would not let the slide fully back.  I took the assembly apart and removed the tab and re-installed and, walla, now it works.  I was surprised that SAM did not complain sooner.

Now I am wasting my time writing blogs, answering emails and working on the TSA Hangars website.  SAM is out at a church function and who knows when the return will be.  It was a fun, relaxing day with nothing to do.  I talked with Jerry Moeller this morning and he is in Sarasota with his boat.  He hit someting with the props while going down the Tenn-Tom and spun one of the props.  The water is so high due to hurricane Ida that he just pulled the boat and trailered it down to my very favorite marina – Sneed Island Marina – and will repair it there.  So that is it for this blog post, maybe later as SAM just got back and will have some tales to tell.

Other articles I saw today

• Sea kayaking off Newfoundland can take you where the fish go (thestar.com)
• Maine Kayak Source (coolhunting.com)
• Plantraco’s Micro Butterfly (geardiary.com)

No leaves

Looking at the lake through trees with no leaves.

Look everyone – no leaves on the trees.  That means we are almost finished for this season – oh, let me count the loads.

We installed new cables in a hangar yesterday and it took less time than expected.  It is a good thing we did as one cable was about half gone.  Seriously, it looked real bad and the owner was sort of shocked when he saw it.  Anyway, we are pro’s at it now and there were no hitches at all.  Two ladders helped a whole bunch.

Today is Friday the 13th and there are lots of sales and better yet the stock market is in the green.  I like green.  This morning I had my eye exam and everything appeared to have healed properly from my torn retina surgery 6 months ago.  I am happy about that.

This has been a busy week but a rewarding one.  Now for next week, hum, lets see – Monday at 1615 hrs old AHS school building for a meeting.  Tuesday if nice will be a kayak trip somewhere.  Wednesday is security detail at the church.  Thursday and Friday are open but I have to finish the sailboat companionway doors so maybe that will take place.

Interesting articles I found

• Energy Sector Leading Negative Run in Stocks (blogs.wsj.com)
• By the Way, Stocks Soar! (blogs.wsj.com)
• Beware The False Profit (liveactivecultures.net)
• Market rebound fuels 4.6% gain for CPP (thestar.com)
• The mother of all broadband? (nevillehobson.com)

Global Gamechanger

The video below describes a global gamechanging plan for the USA.  It is very simple, straightforward and can be accomplished within 10 years without hardly any pain on our part : switch to natural gas based transportation schema.  The picture on the right show natural gas production by country.  Please take the two minutes to view the video and you will see. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4kMSzjX5bc&feature=player_embedded

Related articles

• 2007 oil sands frenzy dogs new Horizon project (financialpost.com)
• What will be the active rotary rig count in the US on 9-Oct-2009 (hubdub.com)
• Enbridge to build Gulf of Mexico pipeline (cbc.ca)

Nanotechnology Research

IMEC (www.imec.com), a nanotechnology research center based in Leuven, Belgium, has developed a unique microchip with microscopic nail structures that enables close communication between electronics and biological cells.

IMEC’s micronail chip (see photo) can be used to study the communication mechanisms between cells, such as cardiomyocytes (heart cells) or neurons (brain cells). The electrodes in the chip are the size of cells and even smaller. They consist of tiny nail structures made of a metal stem covered with an oxide layer, and a conductive (e.g. gold or titanium nitride) tip. When cells are applied on the chip surface, the cell membranes naturally engulf the nail structures, thereby creating a strong contact with the electrode. This close contact improves signal-to-noise ratio, enabling precise recording of electrical signals and electrical stimulation of single cells.

Related articles

• Nanowires That Behave Like Cells (technologyreview.com)
• Reflections on nanotechnology (in a curved mirror) (metamodern.com)

Veterans Day

Today, we pay tribute to the valor of those who have honored our state, crossed an ocean, left their families behind and answered the call to serve. And we pay our solemn respects to the 118 Hoosiers and 6195 warriors who have made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan and Iraq. Thank you veterans.

A Trillion dollars for oil next year -count on it

In September 2009, we imported 357 million barrels of oil at a cost of $25 billion. That represented about 63 percent of the oil we consumed in September. At current prices, we will spend about a third of a trillion dollars on imported oil over a 12-month period. That is money circulating through the economies of Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela instead of South Carolina, North Dakota and Virginia.

Related articles – Read & Weep

• Facts About US Energy (eagleviews.org)


• Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil by Peter Maass | Book review (guardian.co.uk)

Young Man builds wind generator

If you w ish you can follow on http://williamkamkwamba.typepad.com/

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arD374MFk4w

Lunch today is

After putting three more loads of leaves near the beach and trimmed some trees and cut up a downed hickory.  We should be winding down but my predicition is this will be a 35 load year.  Now I am hungry and it looks like chicken salad and squash.  Later I might have some Herring in Wine Sauce later. Mummm. 

I started taking 500mg Vit C and 1000 of Vit D3 this morning.  I will probably go in for routine blood work tomorrow AM.  It will be interesting to see what my D3 level is as SAM’s was 50% or the recommended level.  It is funny because we are in the sun a lot.

A delay in my posting this article makes it after lunch: Squash, Chicken salad and a piece of apple pie with old fashion crust.  Great!

Related article

• Tapioca and Chicken Dry Curry – Best Combination (kisaso.com)

Flaw in US Data Overstates Growth, Productivity

“A widening gap between data and reality is distorting the government’s picture of the country’s economic health, overstating growth and productivity in ways that could affect the political debate on issues like trade, wages and job creation.”  Click the link below to read the short article

http://www.cnbc.com/id/33786428

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• WSJ/NBC Poll: Insecurity Spreads in the Labor Market (blogs.wsj.com)
• The Coming U.S. Crackup (paul.kedrosky.com)
• Jobs market decline ‘set to slow’ (news.bbc.co.uk)