Polaris Industries Inc. Recalls ATVs Due to Risk of Injury to Riders
The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Certain “Outlaw IRS” ATVs, Model Year 2006-2008
Units: About 11,300
Manufacturer: Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minn.
Hazard: A retention bolt can come loose causing the rear wheels to lock-up, which poses a risk of serious injury to the rider.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 11 reports of loss of control, including one rider who suffered a strained leg muscle.
Description: The recall involves certain 2006-2008 Polaris “Outlaw” ATVs with Independent Rear Suspension (IRS). The affected models are:
Model
2006 Outlaw 500 “IRS”
2007 Outlaw 500 “IRS”
2007 Outlaw 525 “IRS”
2008 Outlaw 525 “IRS”
The model name is printed on decals located on either side of the fuel tank.
Sold at: Polaris dealers nationwide from January 2006 through January 2008 for between $6,900 and $7,400.
Manufactured in: United States
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled ATVs immediately, and contact any Polaris ATV dealer to schedule a free repair. Polaris has notified registered consumers directly about this recall.
Consumer Contact: For further information, contact Polaris toll-free at (888) 704-5290 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the company's Web site at www.polarisindustries.com.
Friday, February 29, 2008
The space around Earth is a busy place, as teeming with traffic as a roundabout. More than 500 active satellites are bustling about up there right now. Some are transmitting radio, television, and telephone signals; others are gathering information about Earth's atmosphere and weather; still others are helping people navigate down here; and the rest are conducting space research.
Soon the space around the moon will be busy too. China, Japan, India, Russia, and the US either have sent or plan to send satellites there for a bird's-eye view of lunar features and resources.
Why is the moon such a draw? read more
Soon the space around the moon will be busy too. China, Japan, India, Russia, and the US either have sent or plan to send satellites there for a bird's-eye view of lunar features and resources.
Why is the moon such a draw? read more
Having caught a late night movie at a theater in the area, Bob had dropped off his friend, Todd, and decided to take a deserted country road back to his home. At about 1:45AM on Jan 21st, Bob was stunned as something otherworldly suddenly appeared from behind a tree on his left. Slamming on his brakes, less than 20 feet ahead of him, a gaunt, long-legged creature was caught in the high beams of his headlights. The hairless, long-fingered entity darted across the road in less than 2 seconds flat, surprising him further! However, the real shock came when it paused under the yellow light from a streetlamp, and turned to glance right at him!
Bob maintains this being then resumed its fast, sliding strides. He watched as it moved through a partially open driveway gate to his right. Then, within a few moments, Bob reported that it vanished into the wooded area of the field to his right.
It was so difficult for Bob to witness this thing, at such close range, that he related that he was dazed for a week. Out of a fear people would think he was crazy, Bob only told his friend, Todd, couple of days later. For his part, Todd is a graphic artist, and successfully worked with Bob to create the illustration of the thing I've termed, the "Creature of Copper Canyon" (Texas).
The amazing thing to me as founder of DAPS, is that my wife and I both witnessed a glowing, amber colored, chevron shaped object zoom through the sky, like a stone skipping across the surface of water. The reason that's even more amazing is that our UFO sighting took place within hours of the sighting of the Creature of Copper Canyon! For our part, we filed an official report of our UFO sighting on January 21st, which may be viewed as a case report at www.mufon.com.
I hope our observations and my own research into this bizarre chain of events may engender others to come forward and share what they know.
Lance Oliver's The Creature of Copper Canyon & Discussion Forum
Bob maintains this being then resumed its fast, sliding strides. He watched as it moved through a partially open driveway gate to his right. Then, within a few moments, Bob reported that it vanished into the wooded area of the field to his right.
It was so difficult for Bob to witness this thing, at such close range, that he related that he was dazed for a week. Out of a fear people would think he was crazy, Bob only told his friend, Todd, couple of days later. For his part, Todd is a graphic artist, and successfully worked with Bob to create the illustration of the thing I've termed, the "Creature of Copper Canyon" (Texas).
The amazing thing to me as founder of DAPS, is that my wife and I both witnessed a glowing, amber colored, chevron shaped object zoom through the sky, like a stone skipping across the surface of water. The reason that's even more amazing is that our UFO sighting took place within hours of the sighting of the Creature of Copper Canyon! For our part, we filed an official report of our UFO sighting on January 21st, which may be viewed as a case report at www.mufon.com.
I hope our observations and my own research into this bizarre chain of events may engender others to come forward and share what they know.
Lance Oliver's The Creature of Copper Canyon & Discussion Forum
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Yep, time to haul a month's firewood up and clean the chimney again. Normally I use my little wood-hauling trailer. Today I might use the wheelbarrow instead, since the little trailer is barely peaking out from under a snowdrift. Takes longer with the wheelbarrow, so I'll see. I think I can get to the tongue of the trailer pretty easy, because I keep it plowed out in front of it. If I can hook onto it, the Hawkeye will drag it out ok.
Doesn't look like I'll be going to Jackson County this Sunday. Supposed to rain all day and be crappy. Maybe the following Sunday.
Doesn't look like I'll be going to Jackson County this Sunday. Supposed to rain all day and be crappy. Maybe the following Sunday.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Forget global warming: Welcome to the new Ice Age
Snow cover over North America and much of Siberia, Mongolia and China is greater than at any time since 1966.
The U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) reported that many American cities and towns suffered record cold temperatures in January and early February. According to the NCDC, the average temperature in January "was -0.3 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average."
China is surviving its most brutal winter in a century. Temperatures in the normally balmy south were so low for so long that some middle-sized cities went days and even weeks without electricity because once power lines had toppled it was too cold or too icy to repair them.
There have been so many snow and ice storms in Ontario and Quebec in the past two months that the real estate market has felt the pinch as home buyers have stayed home rather than venturing out looking for new houses.
In just the first two weeks of February, Toronto received 70 cm of snow, smashing the record of 66.6 cm for the entire month set back in the pre-SUV, pre-Kyoto, pre-carbon footprint days of 1950.
And remember the Arctic Sea ice? The ice we were told so hysterically last fall had melted to its "lowest levels on record? Never mind that those records only date back as far as 1972 and that there is anthropological and geological evidence of much greater melts in the past.
The ice is back.
Gilles Langis, a senior forecaster with the Canadian Ice Service in Ottawa, says the Arctic winter has been so severe the ice has not only recovered, it is actually 10 to 20 cm thicker in many places than at this time last year.
OK, so one winter does not a climate make. It would be premature to claim an Ice Age is looming just because we have had one of our most brutal winters in decades.
But if environmentalists and environment reporters can run around shrieking about the manmade destruction of the natural order every time a robin shows up on Georgian Bay two weeks early, then it is at least fair game to use this winter's weather stories to wonder whether the alarmist are being a tad premature.
And it's not just anecdotal evidence that is piling up against the climate-change dogma.
According to Robert Toggweiler of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at Princeton University and Joellen Russell, assistant professor of biogeochemical dynamics at the University of Arizona -- two prominent climate modellers -- the computer models that show polar ice-melt cooling the oceans, stopping the circulation of warm equatorial water to northern latitudes and triggering another Ice Age (a la the movie The Day After Tomorrow) are all wrong.
"We missed what was right in front of our eyes," says Prof. Russell. It's not ice melt but rather wind circulation that drives ocean currents northward from the tropics. Climate models until now have not properly accounted for the wind's effects on ocean circulation, so researchers have compensated by over-emphasizing the role of manmade warming on polar ice melt.
But when Profs. Toggweiler and Russell rejigged their model to include the 40-year cycle of winds away from the equator (then back towards it again), the role of ocean currents bringing warm southern waters to the north was obvious in the current Arctic warming.
Last month, Oleg Sorokhtin, a fellow of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, shrugged off manmade climate change as "a drop in the bucket." Showing that solar activity has entered an inactive phase, Prof. Sorokhtin advised people to "stock up on fur coats."
He is not alone. Kenneth Tapping of our own National Research Council, who oversees a giant radio telescope focused on the sun, is convinced we are in for a long period of severely cold weather if sunspot activity does not pick up soon.
The last time the sun was this inactive, Earth suffered the Little Ice Age that lasted about five centuries and ended in 1850. Crops failed through killer frosts and drought. Famine, plague and war were widespread. Harbours froze, so did rivers, and trade ceased.
It's way too early to claim the same is about to happen again, but then it's way too early for the hysteria of the global warmers, too.
Snow cover over North America and much of Siberia, Mongolia and China is greater than at any time since 1966.
The U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) reported that many American cities and towns suffered record cold temperatures in January and early February. According to the NCDC, the average temperature in January "was -0.3 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average."
China is surviving its most brutal winter in a century. Temperatures in the normally balmy south were so low for so long that some middle-sized cities went days and even weeks without electricity because once power lines had toppled it was too cold or too icy to repair them.
There have been so many snow and ice storms in Ontario and Quebec in the past two months that the real estate market has felt the pinch as home buyers have stayed home rather than venturing out looking for new houses.
In just the first two weeks of February, Toronto received 70 cm of snow, smashing the record of 66.6 cm for the entire month set back in the pre-SUV, pre-Kyoto, pre-carbon footprint days of 1950.
And remember the Arctic Sea ice? The ice we were told so hysterically last fall had melted to its "lowest levels on record? Never mind that those records only date back as far as 1972 and that there is anthropological and geological evidence of much greater melts in the past.
The ice is back.
Gilles Langis, a senior forecaster with the Canadian Ice Service in Ottawa, says the Arctic winter has been so severe the ice has not only recovered, it is actually 10 to 20 cm thicker in many places than at this time last year.
OK, so one winter does not a climate make. It would be premature to claim an Ice Age is looming just because we have had one of our most brutal winters in decades.
But if environmentalists and environment reporters can run around shrieking about the manmade destruction of the natural order every time a robin shows up on Georgian Bay two weeks early, then it is at least fair game to use this winter's weather stories to wonder whether the alarmist are being a tad premature.
And it's not just anecdotal evidence that is piling up against the climate-change dogma.
According to Robert Toggweiler of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at Princeton University and Joellen Russell, assistant professor of biogeochemical dynamics at the University of Arizona -- two prominent climate modellers -- the computer models that show polar ice-melt cooling the oceans, stopping the circulation of warm equatorial water to northern latitudes and triggering another Ice Age (a la the movie The Day After Tomorrow) are all wrong.
"We missed what was right in front of our eyes," says Prof. Russell. It's not ice melt but rather wind circulation that drives ocean currents northward from the tropics. Climate models until now have not properly accounted for the wind's effects on ocean circulation, so researchers have compensated by over-emphasizing the role of manmade warming on polar ice melt.
But when Profs. Toggweiler and Russell rejigged their model to include the 40-year cycle of winds away from the equator (then back towards it again), the role of ocean currents bringing warm southern waters to the north was obvious in the current Arctic warming.
Last month, Oleg Sorokhtin, a fellow of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, shrugged off manmade climate change as "a drop in the bucket." Showing that solar activity has entered an inactive phase, Prof. Sorokhtin advised people to "stock up on fur coats."
He is not alone. Kenneth Tapping of our own National Research Council, who oversees a giant radio telescope focused on the sun, is convinced we are in for a long period of severely cold weather if sunspot activity does not pick up soon.
The last time the sun was this inactive, Earth suffered the Little Ice Age that lasted about five centuries and ended in 1850. Crops failed through killer frosts and drought. Famine, plague and war were widespread. Harbours froze, so did rivers, and trade ceased.
It's way too early to claim the same is about to happen again, but then it's way too early for the hysteria of the global warmers, too.
March is a month of old memories for me. Some good, some not so good.
March 2nd, 2003 I helped the Castle Rock Family ATV Club host the SWIRA ice races on the lake. It was the second thing I had ever done with the club, and a lot of fun (the first thing was only two weeks before). Ah, the good old days.
March 7th, 2002 was the day I had heart surgery at Meriter in Madison.
March 16th is a day of several events. First and foremost, this year Mrs. Reverend and I will have been together for 21 years. Every one of them happier than the last! On this day in 2005 I quit smoking, and have never looked back. And, on this day in 2007 I traded in my old Sportsman 500 and brought home my Polaris Hawkeye ATV.
March 22nd, 2005 was the day I found myself in a hospital bed, on oxygen, fighting pneumonia.
March is also the month we make our annual last ride for the winter in Jackson County, before the trails close until summer. Many years it's kind of wet and cold, but still fun just the same. Only two more Sundays to choose from before the trails close again this spring!
March 2nd, 2003 I helped the Castle Rock Family ATV Club host the SWIRA ice races on the lake. It was the second thing I had ever done with the club, and a lot of fun (the first thing was only two weeks before). Ah, the good old days.
March 7th, 2002 was the day I had heart surgery at Meriter in Madison.
March 16th is a day of several events. First and foremost, this year Mrs. Reverend and I will have been together for 21 years. Every one of them happier than the last! On this day in 2005 I quit smoking, and have never looked back. And, on this day in 2007 I traded in my old Sportsman 500 and brought home my Polaris Hawkeye ATV.
March 22nd, 2005 was the day I found myself in a hospital bed, on oxygen, fighting pneumonia.
March is also the month we make our annual last ride for the winter in Jackson County, before the trails close until summer. Many years it's kind of wet and cold, but still fun just the same. Only two more Sundays to choose from before the trails close again this spring!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The basis of the 2x4-inch "Digital Tattoo Interface" is a Bluetooth device made of thin, flexible silicon and silicone. It´s inserted through a small incision as a tightly rolled tube, and then it unfurls beneath the skin to align between skin and muscle. Through the same incision, two small tubes on the device are attached to an artery and a vein to allow the blood to flow to a coin-sized blood fuel cell that converts glucose and oxygen to electricity. After blood flows in from the artery to the fuel cell, it flows out again through the vein.
On both the top and bottom surfaces of the display is a matching matrix of field-producing pixels. The top surface also enables touch-screen control through the skin. Instead of ink, the display uses tiny microscopic spheres, somewhat similar to tattoo ink. A field-sensitive material in the spheres changes their color from clear to black, aligned with the matrix fields.
The tattoo display communicates wirelessly to other Bluetooth devices - both in the outside world and within the same body. Although the device is always on (as long as your blood´s flowing), the display can be turned off and on by pushing a small dot on the skin. When the phone rings, for example, an individual turns the display on, and "the tattoo comes to life as a digital video of the caller," Mielke explains. When the call ends, the tattoo disappears. full story
On both the top and bottom surfaces of the display is a matching matrix of field-producing pixels. The top surface also enables touch-screen control through the skin. Instead of ink, the display uses tiny microscopic spheres, somewhat similar to tattoo ink. A field-sensitive material in the spheres changes their color from clear to black, aligned with the matrix fields.
The tattoo display communicates wirelessly to other Bluetooth devices - both in the outside world and within the same body. Although the device is always on (as long as your blood´s flowing), the display can be turned off and on by pushing a small dot on the skin. When the phone rings, for example, an individual turns the display on, and "the tattoo comes to life as a digital video of the caller," Mielke explains. When the call ends, the tattoo disappears. full story
The producers of "Wife Swap" must have thanked the heavens when they learned about the Myers family of Huntley.
Samantha Myers, vice president of an insurance company, is the main breadwinner. Shane, her husband, takes care of the kids and home while pursuing a private investigator's license. Their four children range in age from 4 to 19.
Not terribly unusual in 2008, right? But wait, there's more. Shane Myers, an American Indian, says he was raised as a shaman and has psychic abilities. When he met Samantha, a person with similar, if undeveloped, gifts, he passed along his interest in the paranormal to her.
Today, Shane offers tarot card readings in his free time, and the whole family travels to houses and abandoned buildings to encounter spirits or, in some cases, chase them out.
"We go all over the country," Shane said. "We recently got a call from a man in Wisconsin who wants us to exorcise his house. He says he's being clawed by something as he sleeps at night."
The Myers family's ghost-hunting ways made them perfect candidates for ABC's "Wife Swap," a reality show in which the mothers from very different families trade places for two weeks. The Myers episode will air at 7 p.m. Wednesday. full story
Samantha Myers, vice president of an insurance company, is the main breadwinner. Shane, her husband, takes care of the kids and home while pursuing a private investigator's license. Their four children range in age from 4 to 19.
Not terribly unusual in 2008, right? But wait, there's more. Shane Myers, an American Indian, says he was raised as a shaman and has psychic abilities. When he met Samantha, a person with similar, if undeveloped, gifts, he passed along his interest in the paranormal to her.
Today, Shane offers tarot card readings in his free time, and the whole family travels to houses and abandoned buildings to encounter spirits or, in some cases, chase them out.
"We go all over the country," Shane said. "We recently got a call from a man in Wisconsin who wants us to exorcise his house. He says he's being clawed by something as he sleeps at night."
The Myers family's ghost-hunting ways made them perfect candidates for ABC's "Wife Swap," a reality show in which the mothers from very different families trade places for two weeks. The Myers episode will air at 7 p.m. Wednesday. full story
Monday, February 25, 2008
The existence of ghosts is a difficult thing to prove. Tangible evidence is hard to come by. The greatest amount of data we have comes from eyewitness testimony. For millennia, people from every walk of life have reported seeing, hearing, feeling and even smelling entities we call ghosts. In recent years, the enigma of EVPs – electronic voice phenomena – in which a voice from an unknown source is captured by a recording device, has become one of the most fascinating and compelling areas of ghost research.
But people love ghost photos. full story
But people love ghost photos. full story
Your bad days could be worse:
The future looks bright for the Earth – but not in the way we’d hoped. The slim chance our planet will survive when the Sun begins its death throes has been ruled out.
In a few billion years, the Sun will fuse the last of its hydrogen into helium, turn into a red giant and expand to 250 times its current size. At first, the Sun’s loss of mass will loosen its gravitational pull on Earth, which will allow the planet to migrate to a wider orbit about 7.6 billion years from now.
This process has led some to speculate that the Earth might escape destruction Рbut survival now seems impossible, says Peter Schr̦der of the University of Guanajuato in Mexico and Robert Smith of the University of Sussex in the UK. full story
The future looks bright for the Earth – but not in the way we’d hoped. The slim chance our planet will survive when the Sun begins its death throes has been ruled out.
In a few billion years, the Sun will fuse the last of its hydrogen into helium, turn into a red giant and expand to 250 times its current size. At first, the Sun’s loss of mass will loosen its gravitational pull on Earth, which will allow the planet to migrate to a wider orbit about 7.6 billion years from now.
This process has led some to speculate that the Earth might escape destruction Рbut survival now seems impossible, says Peter Schr̦der of the University of Guanajuato in Mexico and Robert Smith of the University of Sussex in the UK. full story
In the early morning hours of February 25th 1942, air raid sirens woke the fitfully sleeping population of Los Angeles at 2:25 AM. Antiaircraft batteries trained their barrels skyward and opened up on targets lighted by arcing searchlights. About 1400 rounds were fired for the next two hours, hitting nothing but homes and cars throughout the L.A. Basin. There were three deaths, and three elderly residents reportedly died of heart attacks. There was also one reported murder committed during the blackout of the city.
The day before, a Japanese submarine surfaced off Santa Barbara and shelled an oil facility in the small coastal town of Goleta. Combined with the recent bombing of Pearl Harbor almost three months before, public awareness was at a wartime high. full story
The day before, a Japanese submarine surfaced off Santa Barbara and shelled an oil facility in the small coastal town of Goleta. Combined with the recent bombing of Pearl Harbor almost three months before, public awareness was at a wartime high. full story
Ewww! Damnit! I got this thing about spiders. Of course, the barn is just full of them. Big ugly ones. When there's a storm coming, they get active. Many times I'll walk right into them while they are hanging from the rafters on the end of their webs. I ignore them as much as possible, to keep from freaking out.
Anyway, there's another snowstorm coming. That brings the spiders out of the rafters. I just got in from milking and was checking the weather on the computer here. Something kept tickling me on the inside of my shirt collar/back of my neck. I thought it was just a piece of hay, maybe some chaff. It wasn't. Here it came, walking around the corner of my shoulder - big ugly spider! I swear, the damn thing was as big as your hand! Freak out. Knock the chair over. Take a big swing at it. Miss it, but hit my sore shoulder that's been bothering me for weeks. Spider falls to the floor. Stomp it into dust! Holy balls.
Anyway, there's another snowstorm coming. That brings the spiders out of the rafters. I just got in from milking and was checking the weather on the computer here. Something kept tickling me on the inside of my shirt collar/back of my neck. I thought it was just a piece of hay, maybe some chaff. It wasn't. Here it came, walking around the corner of my shoulder - big ugly spider! I swear, the damn thing was as big as your hand! Freak out. Knock the chair over. Take a big swing at it. Miss it, but hit my sore shoulder that's been bothering me for weeks. Spider falls to the floor. Stomp it into dust! Holy balls.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
On a whim, I loaded up the Hawkeye and headed over to Necedah for a little while. It was a beautiful day for it. The snow is rapidly wearing out it's welcome though. All of my favorite unloading spots were buried in snow and the route signs are mostly under the snowbanks. All this snow sometimes makes me think about owning a snowmobile again. Years like this, I miss it a little. Then I just remind myself that for the next 8-10 years the snowmobiling conditions will suck again and it would probably be a waste to own one. I have no place to store it, and leaving a snowmobile outside is hard enough on it in the Summer. Not to mention the years that it will be setting unused all Winter too.
It's too bad we can't ATV right from our yard, like the snowmobiles. I remember when they were campaigning to more than double the ATV registration fee to the current $30. Among other things, they promised the money would be used to build new trails and eventually a state-wide trail system. Never happened. Never will. All lies. One thing is for sure, the family that controls ATVing in this state (and all of the ATV registration money) has been doing it for far too long. It's time for a change. Image is nothing when it portrays a lack of courage and an inability to make progress. But, that's the subject of a future post.
It's too bad we can't ATV right from our yard, like the snowmobiles. I remember when they were campaigning to more than double the ATV registration fee to the current $30. Among other things, they promised the money would be used to build new trails and eventually a state-wide trail system. Never happened. Never will. All lies. One thing is for sure, the family that controls ATVing in this state (and all of the ATV registration money) has been doing it for far too long. It's time for a change. Image is nothing when it portrays a lack of courage and an inability to make progress. But, that's the subject of a future post.
The last picture of my 1998 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. 10,000+ miles. March 10th, 2007.
The first picture of my Polaris Hawkeye 0 miles (note the # of headlights, wink wink). March 16th, 2007, also our wedding anniversary.
My 1996 Polaris Trailboss 250 2-stroke. I might trade it off someday on another Hawkeye.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
The Fire Officer's Guide To Disaster Control can apparently be found in firehouses across the United States.
It covers everything from fire and flood response to aviation disasters.
Chapter 13 of the book has an unusual twist. Titled "Enemy Attack And UFO Potential", it outlines what could happen in the event of a UFO crash.
The authors of the book, retired firefighters William M. Kramer and Charles W. Bahme write in part:
It would be remiss to not give some part to the role fire departments might play in the event of the unexpected arrival of UFO's in their communities...In a less optimistic scenario, you may have engine trouble upon approaching the scene, and radio contact could be lost with your dispatcher. If at night, your headlights could go out, the city could be blacked out, and your portable generators may malfunction when you attempt to use them for fans and portable lights. full story
It covers everything from fire and flood response to aviation disasters.
Chapter 13 of the book has an unusual twist. Titled "Enemy Attack And UFO Potential", it outlines what could happen in the event of a UFO crash.
The authors of the book, retired firefighters William M. Kramer and Charles W. Bahme write in part:
It would be remiss to not give some part to the role fire departments might play in the event of the unexpected arrival of UFO's in their communities...In a less optimistic scenario, you may have engine trouble upon approaching the scene, and radio contact could be lost with your dispatcher. If at night, your headlights could go out, the city could be blacked out, and your portable generators may malfunction when you attempt to use them for fans and portable lights. full story
Friday, February 22, 2008
When we go for a walk down the road (normally we walk the dogs in the woods, but not this winter), Snoopy likes to look across the field to try to spot birds, deer, or whatever her little brain is looking for. Anyway, the snowdrifts are so tall that even I can't see over them. Still no problem for that damn dog though!
MADISON, Wis. -- A snowblower is a homeowner's best friend this winter if one can be found.
Snowblower dealers across the Madison area said they've been slammed by sales this winter, WISC-TV reported.
The Engelhart Center said it sold 400 of the machines in December and sales have stayed strong right through mid-February.
As of Monday night, the company had only eight dual-stage snowblowers on hand.
Service on the machines has also been busy this winter, officials said.
Repair experts at Engelhart Center said that many people think snowblowers can also handle chunks of ice, when they can't.
"The biggest issue we've run into from a service standpoint is people running their snowblowers into ice this year," said Michael Sonn. "Ice is causing a lot of damage; a lot of broken belts, a lot of broken auger shoot pins, those types of things."
Sonn also warned homeowners to be aware of where they use the machines so they don't accidentally run over phonebooks, dog chains or Christmas lights. full story and survey
Snowblower dealers across the Madison area said they've been slammed by sales this winter, WISC-TV reported.
The Engelhart Center said it sold 400 of the machines in December and sales have stayed strong right through mid-February.
As of Monday night, the company had only eight dual-stage snowblowers on hand.
Service on the machines has also been busy this winter, officials said.
Repair experts at Engelhart Center said that many people think snowblowers can also handle chunks of ice, when they can't.
"The biggest issue we've run into from a service standpoint is people running their snowblowers into ice this year," said Michael Sonn. "Ice is causing a lot of damage; a lot of broken belts, a lot of broken auger shoot pins, those types of things."
Sonn also warned homeowners to be aware of where they use the machines so they don't accidentally run over phonebooks, dog chains or Christmas lights. full story and survey
Top 10 Best Cars in Movie History:
10. 1948 Ford from 'Grease'
9. 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 from 'Bullitt'
8. 1959 Cadillac Ambulance from 'Ghostbusters'
7. 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe from 'American Graffiti'
6. The Batmobile
5. 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from 'Goldfinger'
4. 1974 Dodge Monaco from 'The Blues Brothers'
3. 1961 Ferrari 250 GT from 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'
2. 1977 Pontiac Trans Am from 'Smokey and the Bandit'
1. 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 from 'Back to the Future'
Top 5 Worst:
5. 1973 Ford Gran Torino from 'The Big Lebowski'
4. The ice cream truck from 'Borat'
3. Volkswagen Microbus from 'Little Miss Sunshine'
2. 1976 AMC Pacer from 'Wayne’s World'
1. The Wagon Queen Family Truckster from 'National Lampoon's Vacation'
Honorable Mention:
* 1983 Ferrari 308 GTSi, "National Lampoon's Vacation"
* 1958 Plymouth Fury, "Christine"
* 1973 Ford Falcon, "The Road Warrior"
* 2003 Mini Cooper S, "The Italian Job"
* 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, "Herbie: Fully Loaded"
* Batmobile Tumbler from “Batman Begins”
* The ‘Mutt Cutts’ van from "Dumb and Dumber"
* 1970 Challenger R/T 400 from “Vanishing Point.”
* 1949 Mercury Series 9CM Coupe from “Rebel Without a Cause”
* 1973 Lotus Espirit from “The Spy Who Loved Me”
full story
10. 1948 Ford from 'Grease'
9. 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 from 'Bullitt'
8. 1959 Cadillac Ambulance from 'Ghostbusters'
7. 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe from 'American Graffiti'
6. The Batmobile
5. 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from 'Goldfinger'
4. 1974 Dodge Monaco from 'The Blues Brothers'
3. 1961 Ferrari 250 GT from 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'
2. 1977 Pontiac Trans Am from 'Smokey and the Bandit'
1. 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 from 'Back to the Future'
Top 5 Worst:
5. 1973 Ford Gran Torino from 'The Big Lebowski'
4. The ice cream truck from 'Borat'
3. Volkswagen Microbus from 'Little Miss Sunshine'
2. 1976 AMC Pacer from 'Wayne’s World'
1. The Wagon Queen Family Truckster from 'National Lampoon's Vacation'
Honorable Mention:
* 1983 Ferrari 308 GTSi, "National Lampoon's Vacation"
* 1958 Plymouth Fury, "Christine"
* 1973 Ford Falcon, "The Road Warrior"
* 2003 Mini Cooper S, "The Italian Job"
* 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, "Herbie: Fully Loaded"
* Batmobile Tumbler from “Batman Begins”
* The ‘Mutt Cutts’ van from "Dumb and Dumber"
* 1970 Challenger R/T 400 from “Vanishing Point.”
* 1949 Mercury Series 9CM Coupe from “Rebel Without a Cause”
* 1973 Lotus Espirit from “The Spy Who Loved Me”
full story
Thursday, February 21, 2008
I had -25 below zero this morning at 4:00. Ho-hum. Same old same old. Another big storm on the way for Monday/Tuesday. Repeat. Old news. Good thing for Global Warming, otherwise it might really be cold and snowy! I think I'll go out and open a couple cases of Freon.
The Moon was Beautiful last night! A spooky red, like it usually is at total eclipse. I tried to get a good picture of it, but with this new camera I couldn't get it exposed like I wanted to. It was too cold to try to figure it out for long, so no good pictures of it last night. I've got some good pictures of the last one somewhere around here, that I took with the old camera.
Won't be long now and I'll be ATVing, biking, and fishing again! 6 months at most. Hee hee.
RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MILWAUKEE
430 AM CST THU FEB 21 2008
...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE AT MADISON...
AT 318 AM CST...THE TEMPERATURE AT MADISON TRUAX AIRPORT FELL TO 15
DEGREES BELOW ZERO. THIS TIES THE RECORD OF -15 PREVIOUSLY SET IN
1873.
SINCE SUNRISE IS AT 647 AM CST THIS MORNING...THE TEMPERATURE MAY
BECOME EVEN COLDER OVER THE NEXT TWO HOURS. IF A NEW RECORD OF -16
OR COLDER IS REACHED...ANOTHER RECORD REPORT WILL BE SENT OUT.
RECORD EVENT REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
750 AM CST THU FEB 21 2008
...APPLETON WISCONSIN CLOSING IN ON ALL TIME SEASONAL SNOWFALL RECORD...
THE 2007/08 SEASONAL SNOWFALL NOW STANDS AT 71.4 INCHES.
THIS IS THE 4TH SNOWIEST SEASON IN THE APPLETON AREA.
The Moon was Beautiful last night! A spooky red, like it usually is at total eclipse. I tried to get a good picture of it, but with this new camera I couldn't get it exposed like I wanted to. It was too cold to try to figure it out for long, so no good pictures of it last night. I've got some good pictures of the last one somewhere around here, that I took with the old camera.
Won't be long now and I'll be ATVing, biking, and fishing again! 6 months at most. Hee hee.
RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MILWAUKEE
430 AM CST THU FEB 21 2008
...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE AT MADISON...
AT 318 AM CST...THE TEMPERATURE AT MADISON TRUAX AIRPORT FELL TO 15
DEGREES BELOW ZERO. THIS TIES THE RECORD OF -15 PREVIOUSLY SET IN
1873.
SINCE SUNRISE IS AT 647 AM CST THIS MORNING...THE TEMPERATURE MAY
BECOME EVEN COLDER OVER THE NEXT TWO HOURS. IF A NEW RECORD OF -16
OR COLDER IS REACHED...ANOTHER RECORD REPORT WILL BE SENT OUT.
RECORD EVENT REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
750 AM CST THU FEB 21 2008
...APPLETON WISCONSIN CLOSING IN ON ALL TIME SEASONAL SNOWFALL RECORD...
THE 2007/08 SEASONAL SNOWFALL NOW STANDS AT 71.4 INCHES.
THIS IS THE 4TH SNOWIEST SEASON IN THE APPLETON AREA.
DoD Succeeds In Intercepting Non-Functioning Satellite
A network of land-, air-, sea- and spaced-based sensors confirms that the U.S. military intercepted a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite which was in its final orbits before entering the earth's atmosphere.
At approximately 10:26 p.m. EST today, a U.S. Navy AEGIS warship, the USS Lake Erie (CG-70), fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) hitting the satellite approximately 247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph. USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Russell (DDG-59) were also part of the task force.
The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the approximately 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel which could pose a danger to people on earth, before it entered into earth's atmosphere. Confirmation that the fuel tank has been fragmented should be available within 24 hours.
Due to the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris will begin to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere immediately. Nearly all of the debris will burn up on reentry within 24-48 hours and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days.
DoD will conduct a press briefing at 7 a.m. EST to provide further information related to the operation. The briefing can be viewed live on www.Defenselink.com through the Pentagon Channel.
A network of land-, air-, sea- and spaced-based sensors confirms that the U.S. military intercepted a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite which was in its final orbits before entering the earth's atmosphere.
At approximately 10:26 p.m. EST today, a U.S. Navy AEGIS warship, the USS Lake Erie (CG-70), fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) hitting the satellite approximately 247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph. USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Russell (DDG-59) were also part of the task force.
The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the approximately 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel which could pose a danger to people on earth, before it entered into earth's atmosphere. Confirmation that the fuel tank has been fragmented should be available within 24 hours.
Due to the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris will begin to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere immediately. Nearly all of the debris will burn up on reentry within 24-48 hours and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days.
DoD will conduct a press briefing at 7 a.m. EST to provide further information related to the operation. The briefing can be viewed live on www.Defenselink.com through the Pentagon Channel.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
UPDATE UPDATE: Rough waters in the Pacific may delay the US Navy's attempt to destroy spy satellite USA 193. According to press reports, an ASAT missile launch originally scheduled for Feb. 20th could be delayed 24 hours or more to improve the chances of a successful strike. Pilots and sailors have been advised to avoid a patch of ocean near Maui for the next five days (Feb. 21-25) around 5:30 p.m. Hawaii time when USA 193 is passing overhead. These represent potential launch windows.
UPDATE: Also keep on eye on the sky after 10:00 p.m. (CST) for debris from the Navy shooting a missile at the disabled spy satellite. Rumor has it they may shoot it down tonight.
Make sure you look at the lunar eclipse tonight. But don't freeze your balls off!
The partial eclipse will begin at 7:43 p.m. (CST) and the total eclipse will begin at 9:01 p.m. (CST) and last until 9:51 p.m.
Because some of the sunlight striking the Earth is diffused and scattered by our atmosphere, the Earth's shadow is not completely dark. Typically there are coppery red and orange hues cast over the moon at and near totality from sunlight refracted from our atmosphere around the edge of the Earth, giving the moon the appearance of an eerie glowing ball.
As a bonus, during the eclipse the moon will be situated, in our sky, near the planet Saturn and the bright bluish star Regulus in the constellation of Leo. The effect will be to create a uniquely beautiful triangle in the sky consisting of the totally eclipsed moon, a bright naked-eye planet and one of the 21 brightest stars in the sky.
UPDATE: Also keep on eye on the sky after 10:00 p.m. (CST) for debris from the Navy shooting a missile at the disabled spy satellite. Rumor has it they may shoot it down tonight.
Make sure you look at the lunar eclipse tonight. But don't freeze your balls off!
The partial eclipse will begin at 7:43 p.m. (CST) and the total eclipse will begin at 9:01 p.m. (CST) and last until 9:51 p.m.
Because some of the sunlight striking the Earth is diffused and scattered by our atmosphere, the Earth's shadow is not completely dark. Typically there are coppery red and orange hues cast over the moon at and near totality from sunlight refracted from our atmosphere around the edge of the Earth, giving the moon the appearance of an eerie glowing ball.
As a bonus, during the eclipse the moon will be situated, in our sky, near the planet Saturn and the bright bluish star Regulus in the constellation of Leo. The effect will be to create a uniquely beautiful triangle in the sky consisting of the totally eclipsed moon, a bright naked-eye planet and one of the 21 brightest stars in the sky.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
UPDATED: Video
This morning at approximately 5:30 am Pacific time, people in Washington, Oregon and Idaho witnessed a spectacular fireball.
A meteor streaked through the sky over the Pacific Northwest and apparently landed in Eastern Washington early today.
A Horizon Airlines pilot reported seeing the meteorite hit earth with a flash and a burst of light near State Route 26 and the Lind-Hatton Road in the southeast corner of Adams County about 5:45 a.m., said Mike Fergus, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman in Seattle. full story
This morning at approximately 5:30 am Pacific time, people in Washington, Oregon and Idaho witnessed a spectacular fireball.
A meteor streaked through the sky over the Pacific Northwest and apparently landed in Eastern Washington early today.
A Horizon Airlines pilot reported seeing the meteorite hit earth with a flash and a burst of light near State Route 26 and the Lind-Hatton Road in the southeast corner of Adams County about 5:45 a.m., said Mike Fergus, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman in Seattle. full story
Deep in the swamps of Florida, something is stirring. Witnesses to its haunting presence speak of howls in the night, unexplained footprints in the mud and glimpses between the trees of a fiery-eyed creature that reeks of death.
Now, a 30-strong team from The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) has embarked on an expedition to try to flush out the mighty skunk ape - the Sunshine State's answer to the abominable snowman. They have thermal imaging equipment, video cameras and microphones poised to capture the secrets of the hairy, 7ft-tall hominid with yellowing teeth and dubious personal hygiene.
“We have to keep these expeditions low-key because unfortunately the subject is still a little stigmatised,” sighs Matthew Moneymaker, head of the BFRO, as he drives to the expedition's secret base camp in southwestern Florida.
“When people don't take this subject seriously, we don't even call it scepticism - it's ignorance. People only know about this stuff from tabloids ... they've created this “other Bigfoot”, a kind of cartoon concept rather than a rare species. They don't understand how creatures could live and die in the woods without us knowing.” full story
Now, a 30-strong team from The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) has embarked on an expedition to try to flush out the mighty skunk ape - the Sunshine State's answer to the abominable snowman. They have thermal imaging equipment, video cameras and microphones poised to capture the secrets of the hairy, 7ft-tall hominid with yellowing teeth and dubious personal hygiene.
“We have to keep these expeditions low-key because unfortunately the subject is still a little stigmatised,” sighs Matthew Moneymaker, head of the BFRO, as he drives to the expedition's secret base camp in southwestern Florida.
“When people don't take this subject seriously, we don't even call it scepticism - it's ignorance. People only know about this stuff from tabloids ... they've created this “other Bigfoot”, a kind of cartoon concept rather than a rare species. They don't understand how creatures could live and die in the woods without us knowing.” full story
Snoopy likes to climb snowdrifts! This picture was taken before the last blizzard.
The following pictures were taken during/after the last blizzard:
My weather radio display.
Snowing #1
Snowing #2
Snowing #3
When it comes to snow, as much as I dislike it, with a little patience, ambition, experience, and some control over whining, I can move mountains!
Watch those intersections, even if you don't see a stop sign!
What stop sign Officer?
A typical road near my house, as of yesterday.
Oncoming car, or Bigfoot?
Rumor has it that the US Navy may make its first attempt to hit the out of control spy satellite this Wednesday evening as the satellite passes over the Pacific Ocean. An air traffic advisory warns pilots to avoid a patch of ocean near Maui from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Hawaii time on Feb. 20th (0230 - 0500 UT, Feb. 21st). This would center the missile strike on the darkness of Wednesday's lunar eclipse and possibly render reentering debris visible from the west coast of North America.
Monday, February 18, 2008
"Shortly after I moved in, the basement flooded and we probably got three feet of water in there, which ruined the original hardwood walls," said Howell, 36. "Once we got the water cleared out, I pulled off the panels and started drilling and putting up wood slats on the walls. At one point, I reached back for my drill and it wasn't there."
Howell said he found the drill on top of the supply cabinet on other side of the basement. The batteries had been removed and were floating in a nearby sink.
"I couldn't understand how that sink was even holding water," Howell said. "There was no stopper for it, so I never even used it. I stuck my hand down in the water to see what was plugging the drain, and there were just rocks and little pieces of debris in the hole. It was the middle of the summer and that water was freezing cold." full story
Howell said he found the drill on top of the supply cabinet on other side of the basement. The batteries had been removed and were floating in a nearby sink.
"I couldn't understand how that sink was even holding water," Howell said. "There was no stopper for it, so I never even used it. I stuck my hand down in the water to see what was plugging the drain, and there were just rocks and little pieces of debris in the hole. It was the middle of the summer and that water was freezing cold." full story
Well, turns out it wasn't too bad of a storm. The wind didn't blow near as much as they predicted, we've certainly had more than a 1/4 inch of ice before, and a lot more than 11 inches of snow in one storm in years past. We've had almost that much in previous storms this year!
They already canceled school last night. The roads weren't that bad. I took a little drive to town (12 miles one-way) and back about 5:00pm and it wasn't bad at all. Got to town and almost all the businesses were closed! Pussies. The few that were open were making good money. I've heard some places, besides schools, will be closed yet today! What?! If we were to get a big storm, what would they do then?
I'll be plowing snow again today, but less than I have ever plowed! My sister's husband bought a brand-new $850 snowblower on Saturday! I've plowed their driveway for them for 17 years. Now I won't know what to do with all the extra time I'll have when it snows. Might have to get a snowmobile. I still have to plow over at Mom's house, until it's sold, but that driveway doesn't take too long. The hardest part is loading the blower up, hauling it over there, then doing it all in reverse to come back home. Easier than doing the same routine was with the old ATV, but still a pain in the ass just the same. Only now I will have to do it once less each time!
My sister's husband called me last night and said a wheel fell off his new snowblower. Apparently there's a pin that holds it on and that is missing. I told him he better take it back to the Co-op where he bought it for $850 and raise hell today! I looked the wheels over on mine, but they're bolted solid onto a splined shaft. No worries there.
They already canceled school last night. The roads weren't that bad. I took a little drive to town (12 miles one-way) and back about 5:00pm and it wasn't bad at all. Got to town and almost all the businesses were closed! Pussies. The few that were open were making good money. I've heard some places, besides schools, will be closed yet today! What?! If we were to get a big storm, what would they do then?
I'll be plowing snow again today, but less than I have ever plowed! My sister's husband bought a brand-new $850 snowblower on Saturday! I've plowed their driveway for them for 17 years. Now I won't know what to do with all the extra time I'll have when it snows. Might have to get a snowmobile. I still have to plow over at Mom's house, until it's sold, but that driveway doesn't take too long. The hardest part is loading the blower up, hauling it over there, then doing it all in reverse to come back home. Easier than doing the same routine was with the old ATV, but still a pain in the ass just the same. Only now I will have to do it once less each time!
My sister's husband called me last night and said a wheel fell off his new snowblower. Apparently there's a pin that holds it on and that is missing. I told him he better take it back to the Co-op where he bought it for $850 and raise hell today! I looked the wheels over on mine, but they're bolted solid onto a splined shaft. No worries there.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
In case you don't hear from me for a day or two!
STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA LATE THIS
MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. THIS WILL LIKELY
RESULT IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION...FOR THOSE THAT SAW
SIGNIFICANT ICING THIS MORNING...THE STRONG WINDS MAY CREATE
DAMAGE TO INFRASTRUCTURE...IN DOWNED POWER LINES...EXTENDED LOSS
OF POWER...AND DOWNED TREES. AT THIS TIME...WE ARE PARTICULARLY
CONCERNED WITH THE AREAS BETWEEN ELKADER IOWA AND ARKDALE
WISCONSIN.
STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA LATE THIS
MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. THIS WILL LIKELY
RESULT IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION...FOR THOSE THAT SAW
SIGNIFICANT ICING THIS MORNING...THE STRONG WINDS MAY CREATE
DAMAGE TO INFRASTRUCTURE...IN DOWNED POWER LINES...EXTENDED LOSS
OF POWER...AND DOWNED TREES. AT THIS TIME...WE ARE PARTICULARLY
CONCERNED WITH THE AREAS BETWEEN ELKADER IOWA AND ARKDALE
WISCONSIN.
JR's current septic tank trouble got me to thinking about all the trouble I've had with mine over the last few years. Our septic systems are about the same age, except that JR's is better because he has two drain fields compared to my one. I've had to dig mine up several times and repair it.
I've got plans for future improvements and modifications, but first, as soon as the ground thaws this Spring, I'll be building an old-fashioned outhouse! Think about it. All the water/electricity that you'd save, even if you only used it in the warm months. The lessened load on the septic system. Not to mention the added convenience of using it for just such emergencies as JR is going through now, and the ones I've been through myself in the past, including the many days of power outages that I see here.
It's me under the yellow/orange!
Blizzard Warning
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
533 AM CST SUN FEB 17 2008
...WINTER STORM WITH BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ON ITS WAY...
.A LARGE AREA OF PRECIPITATION WAS EXPANDING RAPIDLY NORTHWARD
ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. THIS
IS THE BEGINNING OF WHAT WILL BE A DANGEROUS AND HIGH IMPACT
WINTER STORM. IN FACT...DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHEAST IOWA
AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN.
THE PRECIPITATION EARLY THIS MORNING WILL BE PRIMARILY IN THE
FORM OF FREEZING RAIN...GENERALLY SOUTHEAST OF A NEW HAMPTON IOWA
TO WISCONSIN RAPIDS WISCONSIN LINE. ICING ACCUMULATIONS IN THESE
AREAS WILL LIKELY BE UP TO A QUARTER TO A HALF OF AN INCH. THIS
FREEZING RAIN WILL QUICKLY CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW BY ABOUT 9 AM
THIS MORNING.
SNOW WILL FALL ACROSS THE AREA FROM ABOUT 9 AM THROUGH AT LEAST
6 PM THIS EVENING. HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED ALONG AND EAST OF A
LINE FROM NEW HAMPTON IOWA...TO LA CROSSE...BLACK RIVER FALLS...
AND NEILLSVILLE WISCONSIN. SNOW RATES UP TO AN INCH AND HOUR WILL
BE COMMON. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL LIKELY RANGE FROM
5 TO 10 INCHES IN THE WINTER STORM WARNING AND BLIZZARD WARNING
AREAS...WITH SOME LOCATIONS RECEIVING UPWARDS OF 12 TO 14 INCHES.
THIS SNOW WILL BE ACCOMPANIED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING BY
SUSTAINED NORTHWEST WINDS IN THE 20 TO 30 MPH RANGE. THESE WINDS
WILL OCCASIONALLY GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH. AT THIS TIME...THE GREATEST
THREAT FOR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS LOOK TO BE ALONG AND EAST OF A
LINE FROM CHARLES CITY IOWA...TO LA CROSSE AND WISCONSIN RAPIDS
WISCONSIN. THIS WILL COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN TRAVEL IN THESE AREAS.
IN ADDITION... STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY CAUSE DAMAGE TO TREES AND
POWER LINES IN THE AREAS THAT PICK UP SIGNIFICANT ICE
ACCUMULATIONS THIS MORNING.
ALTHOUGH LESSER SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE FOUND WEST OF A LINE FROM
CHARLES CITY IOWA...TO ROCHESTER MINNESOTA AND MONDOVI
WISCONSIN...STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL LIKELY CAUSE CONSIDERABLE
BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW. THIS MAY RESULT IN NEAR WHITE-OUT
CONDITIONS AT TIMES AND THEREFORE DIFFICULT TRAVEL.
IAZ009>011-019-029-030-MNZ096-WIZ041>044-053>055-061-171945-
/O.CON.KARX.WS.W.0003.000000T0000Z-080217T1800Z/
/O.CON.KARX.BZ.W.0002.080217T1800Z-080218T0600Z/
HOWARD-WINNESHIEK-ALLAMAKEE-CHICKASAW-FAYETTE-CLAYTON-HOUSTON-
LA CROSSE-MONROE-JUNEAU-ADAMS-VERNON-CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-GRANT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DECORAH...WAUKON...OELWEIN...
LA CROSSE...SPARTA/TOMAH...MAUSTON...VIROQUA...PRAIRIE DU CHIEN...
RICHLAND CENTER...PLATTEVILLE
533 AM CST SUN FEB 17 2008
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TODAY...
...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT
CST TONIGHT...
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TODAY. A
BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT
CST TONIGHT.
FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHWEST
AND CENTRAL WISCONSIN...AS WELL AS NORTHEAST IOWA EARLY THIS
MORNING. THE FREEZING RAIN THREAT LOOKS TO BE GENERALLY SOUTHEAST
OF A NEW HAMPTON IOWA TO WISCONSIN RAPIDS WISCONSIN LINE. ICING
ACCUMULATIONS IN THESE AREAS WILL BE UP TO A QUARTER TO A HALF OF
AN INCH. THIS FREEZING RAIN WILL QUICKLY CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW
BY ABOUT 9 AM THIS MORNING.
THE PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY CHANGE OVER TO HEAVY SNOW BY ABOUT
9 AM. HEAVY SNOW WILL FALL ACROSS THE AREA FROM 9 AM THROUGH AT
LEAST 6 PM THIS EVENING. SNOW RATES UP TO AN INCH AND HOUR WILL
BE COMMON. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL LIKELY RANGE FROM
5 TO 10 INCHES...WITH SOME LOCATIONS CERTAIN TO RECEIVE UPWARDS
OF 12 TO 14 INCHES OF SNOW.
STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA LATE THIS
MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. THIS WILL LIKELY
RESULT IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION...FOR THOSE THAT SEE
SIGNIFICANT ICING THIS MORNING...THE STRONG WINDS MAY CREATE
DAMAGE TO INFRASTRUCTURE...IN DOWNED POWER LINES...EXTENDED LOSS
OF POWER...AND DOWNED TREES.
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...
SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF
YOU MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET
STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.
$$
It's pouring rain right now, at 27 degrees. Looks like we have about 1/4 inch of ice so far. At 5:00 this morning the weather radio alarm went. They issued a Blizzard Warning. I don't think I have ever heard the alarm go off for winter-time stuff in the 15 years that I have had a weather radio. Usually they only set it off for summer-type storms.
I hope this one's not too much like the good 'ol days! Ha ha! I remember when I was a kid and the power would go out for days after a major ice/snow storm. In which case, you might have to wait a little bit for pictures.
I already, in the dark this morning, took a few pictures of the icicles forming on the deck railing, and a short movie of the rain, and a picture of the big word "BLIZZARD" and little red light on the weather radio.
As much as I dislike snow (except a tiny bit at Christmas), I really really hate freezing rain! You can't do anything thing with it, aside from praying for warm weather.
I hope this one's not too much like the good 'ol days! Ha ha! I remember when I was a kid and the power would go out for days after a major ice/snow storm. In which case, you might have to wait a little bit for pictures.
I already, in the dark this morning, took a few pictures of the icicles forming on the deck railing, and a short movie of the rain, and a picture of the big word "BLIZZARD" and little red light on the weather radio.
As much as I dislike snow (except a tiny bit at Christmas), I really really hate freezing rain! You can't do anything thing with it, aside from praying for warm weather.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
. THE SNOW IS THEN EXPECTED TO BECOME HEAVY
AT TIMES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY SUNDAY. WITH THE CURRENT
FORECASTED TRACK OF THIS STORM SYSTEM...ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT
ANYWHERE FROM 6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE SOUTHEAST OF A
LINE FROM NEW HAMPTON IOWA...THROUGH LA CROSSE AND BLACK RIVER
FALLS...TO NEAR NEILLSVILLE WISCONSIN. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OF 10
TO 12 INCHES APPEARS LIKE IT WILL SETUP FROM FRIENDSHIP AND MAUSTON
THROUGH RICHLAND CENTER AND LANCASTER IN WISCONSIN.
DUE TO THE RAPID DEEPENING AND STRENGTHENING OF THE LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM...NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE DURING THE DAY ON
SUNDAY WITH GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH. THESE WINDS COMBINED WITH THE HEAVY
AMOUNTS OF SNOWFALL EXPECTED...MAY LEAD TO AREAS OF BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW. THIS WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS...IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE
TRAVEL CONDITIONS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA.
AT TIMES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY SUNDAY. WITH THE CURRENT
FORECASTED TRACK OF THIS STORM SYSTEM...ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT
ANYWHERE FROM 6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE SOUTHEAST OF A
LINE FROM NEW HAMPTON IOWA...THROUGH LA CROSSE AND BLACK RIVER
FALLS...TO NEAR NEILLSVILLE WISCONSIN. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OF 10
TO 12 INCHES APPEARS LIKE IT WILL SETUP FROM FRIENDSHIP AND MAUSTON
THROUGH RICHLAND CENTER AND LANCASTER IN WISCONSIN.
DUE TO THE RAPID DEEPENING AND STRENGTHENING OF THE LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM...NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE DURING THE DAY ON
SUNDAY WITH GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH. THESE WINDS COMBINED WITH THE HEAVY
AMOUNTS OF SNOWFALL EXPECTED...MAY LEAD TO AREAS OF BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW. THIS WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS...IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE
TRAVEL CONDITIONS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA.
Yuck. Up all night with one of my hurts-so-bad-makes-me-feel-sick-to-my-stomach headaches again. It went away just in time to go down to the barn and is trying to come back again now.
Speaking of barn, I was milking last night when I heard something like a firecracker go off right behind me. The cows and I jumped and I caught a glimpse of a big flame shooting out of one of the light sockets. Then almost all the lights went out. Had to finish milking in the dark. One of his "new" replaced light sockets was all broken inside and shorted out from the water dripping from the leaking roof, running down through the hay in the mow, and into the light sockets. Wonderful.
And just two days ago I got a hell of a shock off one of the milkers. Damn near knocked me on the ground. No wonder some of the cows have been kicking lately. Somebody (I can guess who) had spliced one of the milker wires and used masking tape to tape! Needless to say, masking tape doesn't insulate very well especially when wet and slimy.
At least the last few calves are still alive, including the one born this morning. 5 in a row before these died.
Got my plowing all done yesterday, just in time for 13 more inches tomorrow! What the hell. So sick of snow. Yesterday took me way longer to blow out my sister's driveway than it has ever taken. Her husband decided it was a good idea to try to pack the snow down with his truck before I got there to clear it, because my sister's car has bald tires and he wanted her to be able to drive it right away. Well, that packed snow was almost impossible to cut. I had to put my blower in low gear and go slow to try to scrape as much of it up as I could. There's going to be a real mess when it starts to thaw. All that hardpack is going to turn to ice and slush. Yay.
Speaking of barn, I was milking last night when I heard something like a firecracker go off right behind me. The cows and I jumped and I caught a glimpse of a big flame shooting out of one of the light sockets. Then almost all the lights went out. Had to finish milking in the dark. One of his "new" replaced light sockets was all broken inside and shorted out from the water dripping from the leaking roof, running down through the hay in the mow, and into the light sockets. Wonderful.
And just two days ago I got a hell of a shock off one of the milkers. Damn near knocked me on the ground. No wonder some of the cows have been kicking lately. Somebody (I can guess who) had spliced one of the milker wires and used masking tape to tape! Needless to say, masking tape doesn't insulate very well especially when wet and slimy.
At least the last few calves are still alive, including the one born this morning. 5 in a row before these died.
Got my plowing all done yesterday, just in time for 13 more inches tomorrow! What the hell. So sick of snow. Yesterday took me way longer to blow out my sister's driveway than it has ever taken. Her husband decided it was a good idea to try to pack the snow down with his truck before I got there to clear it, because my sister's car has bald tires and he wanted her to be able to drive it right away. Well, that packed snow was almost impossible to cut. I had to put my blower in low gear and go slow to try to scrape as much of it up as I could. There's going to be a real mess when it starts to thaw. All that hardpack is going to turn to ice and slush. Yay.
Three severed right feet have washed ashore on the Gulf Islands in the past six months, in what police say is one of the most bizarre cases in recent memory.
The latest foot, still in its sneaker, was found last Friday on Valdes Island, a small community near Nanaimo that does not have regular ferry service and is accessible only by private boat or float plane. full story
The latest foot, still in its sneaker, was found last Friday on Valdes Island, a small community near Nanaimo that does not have regular ferry service and is accessible only by private boat or float plane. full story
Friday, February 15, 2008
Polaris Industries Expands Recall of ATVs Due to Fire Hazard
Name of Product: Polaris All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
Units: About 95,000 (45,000 units recalled in June 2005)
Manufacturer: Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minn.
Hazard: The ATVs can have defective Electronic Control Modules (ECM) that overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to riders.
Incidents/Injuries: Since the original recall announced in June 2005, Polaris has received 372 additional reports of smoking and/or melted ECMs on the affected ATVs, and 20 reports of fires, nine of which involved property damage beyond the ATV. No injuries have been reported.
Description: This recall involves select 2005 through 2006 model Polaris Sportsman and Scrambler 500 ATVs. model and serial numbers
Name of Product: Polaris All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
Units: About 95,000 (45,000 units recalled in June 2005)
Manufacturer: Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minn.
Hazard: The ATVs can have defective Electronic Control Modules (ECM) that overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to riders.
Incidents/Injuries: Since the original recall announced in June 2005, Polaris has received 372 additional reports of smoking and/or melted ECMs on the affected ATVs, and 20 reports of fires, nine of which involved property damage beyond the ATV. No injuries have been reported.
Description: This recall involves select 2005 through 2006 model Polaris Sportsman and Scrambler 500 ATVs. model and serial numbers
Thursday, February 14, 2008
WASHINGTON - Taking a page from Hollywood science fiction, the Pentagon said Thursday it will try to shoot down a dying, bus-sized U.S. spy satellite loaded with toxic fuel on a collision course with the Earth.
The military hopes to smash the satellite as soon as next week — just before it enters Earth's atmosphere — with a single missile fired from a Navy cruiser in the northern Pacific Ocean.
The dramatic maneuver may well trigger international concerns, and U.S. officials have begun notifying other countries of the plan — stressing that it does not signal the start of a new American anti-satellite weapons program.
Military and administration officials said the satellite is carrying fuel called hydrazine that could injure or even kill people who are near it when it hits the ground. That reason alone, they said, convinced President Bush to order the shoot-down. full story
The military hopes to smash the satellite as soon as next week — just before it enters Earth's atmosphere — with a single missile fired from a Navy cruiser in the northern Pacific Ocean.
The dramatic maneuver may well trigger international concerns, and U.S. officials have begun notifying other countries of the plan — stressing that it does not signal the start of a new American anti-satellite weapons program.
Military and administration officials said the satellite is carrying fuel called hydrazine that could injure or even kill people who are near it when it hits the ground. That reason alone, they said, convinced President Bush to order the shoot-down. full story
You know how, when it's snowing hard, you can hear the snow falling? Well, I've been able to hear the snow falling all day so far! At 4:30 this morning it was not snowing, but there was a couple inches of fresh snow, so it had snowed a little during the night. Then by 5:30 when I headed down to the barn it was really coming down. It let up a little bit between 7:00 and 8:00, then started snowing hard again after that. Been snowing ever since. I haven't officially measured it yet, but looks like around 8 inches so far. I'll bet we end up with close to a foot by the time it quits!
I haven't taken any pictures of it. I'm getting sick of looking at pictures with snow in them. If I feel like it, maybe tomorrow I'll take pictures of the snowblower. How exciting.
I haven't taken any pictures of it. I'm getting sick of looking at pictures with snow in them. If I feel like it, maybe tomorrow I'll take pictures of the snowblower. How exciting.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Internet Alert: St. Valentine's Day E-Card Carries Storm Worm Virus
If you unexpectedly receive a Valentine's Day e-card, be careful. It may not be from a secret admirer, but instead might contain the Storm Worm virus. full story
If you unexpectedly receive a Valentine's Day e-card, be careful. It may not be from a secret admirer, but instead might contain the Storm Worm virus. full story
Flash!!! Flash!!!!!
At the Germantown Board meeting, tonight, Feb 12, 2008, the results of the
ATV Survey was reported by the Road Committee representative as:
Resident (voting in Germantown) ..................... 128 in Favor; 135
Against; and 23 No opinion. Approx 700 surveys were sent out with 286
responding.
Non-Resident (property owner in Germantown).....314 in Favor; 192 Against;
and 58 No opinion. Approx 2600 surveys were sent out with 564 responding.
Combined Resident & Non-Resident...................442 in Favor, 327
Against, and 81 No Opinion. Total Surveys Returned 850.
The Road Committee has not met since the survey tally was completed.
Roger
Happy 1st Anniversary Daily Blog!
As I look back over the last year, I'm rather pleased with the way it has evolved. I originally wanted it to be a place where I could post the things that interest me, and that has turned out to be exactly what it is. The UFO and Bigfoot stuff interests me a lot, even if none of it turns out to be extraordinary. I've seen some things myself that I could not explain, and those of you that know me know that I try to explain everything! There's just so much of it that defies explanation that something must be going on. If not, it makes for good science-fiction stories regardless.
As soon as winter loosens it's grip a little, I'll be back to riding ATV and bicycle. Hopefully I'll have time to go fishing more this summer too and I'll be posting about that. Beginning with last year, it's hard to fish anywhere in Adums County anymore since they make you pay extra everywhere you go. Fortunately, I live close to Marquette County where the fishing is still free to all licensed fishermen, like it should be.
As I look back over the last year, I'm rather pleased with the way it has evolved. I originally wanted it to be a place where I could post the things that interest me, and that has turned out to be exactly what it is. The UFO and Bigfoot stuff interests me a lot, even if none of it turns out to be extraordinary. I've seen some things myself that I could not explain, and those of you that know me know that I try to explain everything! There's just so much of it that defies explanation that something must be going on. If not, it makes for good science-fiction stories regardless.
As soon as winter loosens it's grip a little, I'll be back to riding ATV and bicycle. Hopefully I'll have time to go fishing more this summer too and I'll be posting about that. Beginning with last year, it's hard to fish anywhere in Adums County anymore since they make you pay extra everywhere you go. Fortunately, I live close to Marquette County where the fishing is still free to all licensed fishermen, like it should be.
A disc-shaped object appears to be hovering in the night sky near the top right of the picture, according to Hab Rahman, who captured the image.
The 28-year-old took the photograph near his home in Portsmouth while driving home from work in thick fog. full story
Ed Blatz brought in one of the largest sturgeon ever speared on Lake Winnebago as the season ended after just four days on Tuesday.
Blatz, of Fond du Lac, bagged a 172-pounder that measured 78 inches in length.
It is the third-largest sturgeon taken from the lake since record keeping began in the 1950s. The only larger ones were a 180-pounder caught in 1953 and a 188-pounder caught in 2004. full story
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
My vacation is going great! I haven't done much, but that includes no milking and chores! We went shopping yesterday. I needed more drywall screws and duct tape - the stuff that holds this place together. My shopping list usually doesn't have anything very exciting and fun on it. Today I did a little snowblowing and cleaned up some of the drifts from Sunday. One more morning off and then it's back to the old cowshit.
000
NOUS43 KMKX 121239
PNSMKX
WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-121800-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
634 AM CST TUE FEB 12 2008
...NEW SEASONAL SNOWFALL RECORD SET AT MADISON...
AS OF 6 AM THIS MORNING...THE 2007-08 SEASONAL SNOWFALL AT MADISON REACHED
A SEASONAL TOTAL OF 77.3 INCHES. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 76.1 INCHES
ESTABLISHED IN 1978-79.
$$
GD
NOUS43 KMKX 121239
PNSMKX
WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-121800-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
634 AM CST TUE FEB 12 2008
...NEW SEASONAL SNOWFALL RECORD SET AT MADISON...
AS OF 6 AM THIS MORNING...THE 2007-08 SEASONAL SNOWFALL AT MADISON REACHED
A SEASONAL TOTAL OF 77.3 INCHES. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 76.1 INCHES
ESTABLISHED IN 1978-79.
$$
GD
In 1972, Robert Rines was at a tea party at a home overlooking Loch Ness in Scotland when his host, Scottish air force officer Basil Cary, saw something moving in the water below. Everyone rushed to the porch and, for a few fleeting minutes, watched what appeared to be a large hump with the texture of an elephant move back and forth across the water.
When the hump submerged, Rines's wife told him that he needed to find the animal again, no matter how long it took.
This summer, like nearly every summer since then, Rines is going back to look for the fabled Loch Ness monster. He's 85 now. The rest of the tea party is gone. And he thinks "Nessie" is gone, too.
Rines believes there were at least two Nessies alive in the murky depths of Loch Ness in the '70s, when he took a series of underwater photographs that are perhaps the best physical evidence yet to support the existence of a large unidentified animal. But Rines's sonar hasn't picked up any of the large moving objects since the mid-1980s, and eyewitness accounts have dropped off significantly. full story
When the hump submerged, Rines's wife told him that he needed to find the animal again, no matter how long it took.
This summer, like nearly every summer since then, Rines is going back to look for the fabled Loch Ness monster. He's 85 now. The rest of the tea party is gone. And he thinks "Nessie" is gone, too.
Rines believes there were at least two Nessies alive in the murky depths of Loch Ness in the '70s, when he took a series of underwater photographs that are perhaps the best physical evidence yet to support the existence of a large unidentified animal. But Rines's sonar hasn't picked up any of the large moving objects since the mid-1980s, and eyewitness accounts have dropped off significantly. full story
I was in Dublin, Stephenville, Brownwood and Glen Rose, Texas, between January 29 and February 1, to see for myself videotapes, photos, and drawings of the unusual aerial lights, craft and plasmas that have been reported by dozens of residents there since New Year’s Day. In the first week of February 2008, there have also been reports of two more disc-shaped aerial lights and more unusual spherical plasmas at the infrared deer feeder cameras in Brownwood. At the center of many of the local investigations is Lee Roy Gaitan, the Erath County Constable in Precinct 2, Dublin, Texas. Lee Roy has been Constable about four years and a police officer for seventeen years. Not only is he investigating, he and his son were eyewitnesses themselves to remarkable aerial lights on January 8, 2008.
Lee Roy lives with his wife, son and daughter just south of Dublin. On Tuesday, January 8th, around 7 PM local time, he had walked out to his car to get a credit card so the family could rent a Direct TV movie. The 43-year-old Dublin law enforcement Constable told me that in all his life he had never seen such strange flashing and colors of lights in the sky..........................
.........................COULD YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE DUBLIN AREA HAVE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT SEEING, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE RELUCTANT TO TALK PUBLICLY?
Yes. I saw a video that was taken from an in-the-dash camera (of police car) while an officer was on duty. It was not on the same night (January 8, 2008) that I witnessed the lights with my son.
WAS IT EARLIER OR LATER?
It was later. As a matter of fact, it was that Saturday (January 12, 2008). I had the privilege to see this video. I saw what the officer saw on video and this aerial object changed forms three different times. The first time, I believe he said it was about 2 AM when he first saw it. It’s a white glow moving very slowly in the sky. Then it changes from white to green to blue and red lights. It looks almost like a strobe....................full interview
Lee Roy lives with his wife, son and daughter just south of Dublin. On Tuesday, January 8th, around 7 PM local time, he had walked out to his car to get a credit card so the family could rent a Direct TV movie. The 43-year-old Dublin law enforcement Constable told me that in all his life he had never seen such strange flashing and colors of lights in the sky..........................
.........................COULD YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE DUBLIN AREA HAVE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT SEEING, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE RELUCTANT TO TALK PUBLICLY?
Yes. I saw a video that was taken from an in-the-dash camera (of police car) while an officer was on duty. It was not on the same night (January 8, 2008) that I witnessed the lights with my son.
WAS IT EARLIER OR LATER?
It was later. As a matter of fact, it was that Saturday (January 12, 2008). I had the privilege to see this video. I saw what the officer saw on video and this aerial object changed forms three different times. The first time, I believe he said it was about 2 AM when he first saw it. It’s a white glow moving very slowly in the sky. Then it changes from white to green to blue and red lights. It looks almost like a strobe....................full interview
Monday, February 11, 2008
Madison:
Lightweight utility vehicles could temporarily be driven on some ATV trails in northern Wisconsin if local officials opt to participate in a pending state pilot project being developed by the DNR.
"At this point in time, it's important for the public to realize this pilot program has not started yet," said Gary Eddy, DNR ATV administrator. "If and when municipalities decide to participate, the public will be notified."
Passed as part of the 2007-09 state budget, the pilot program is to be administered by the DNR - in consultation with the DOT - to evaluate use and effects of operating lightweight utility vehicles on ATV trails and routes. Counties named in the budget provision as possible participants, pending local approval, include Florence, Forest, Sawyer, Marinette, Langlade, Lincoln, Oneida, and Washburn.
"Participation in this pilot is optional," Eddy said, adding the agency is aware of counties interested in participating when the pilot is launched. "However, on the other hand, we also have been informed some local units of government will not be participating."
The DNR also is responsible for distributing pilot project grants of up to $2,000 per county to assist in the evaluation of this program. The pilot program is slated to end Sept. 30, 2009. The results of the evaluation will be forwarded to the Legislature.
The lightweight utility vehicle's original purpose was to handle farm chores and maintenance duties either too small or too hard to reach by a bigger truck. However, in recent years, the lightweight utility vehicle's popularity has soared in some camps - from the U.S. military to recreational enthusiasts.
Would you like to name the next great space telescope? Here's your chance: http://glast.sonoma.edu/glastname
Sunday, February 10, 2008
AURORA ALERT: High-latitude sky watchers, be alert for auroras. Earth is entering a solar wind stream and the encounter is causing geomagnetic storms. This morning in Alaska, "the auroras were so bright they lit up the mountains with an emerald green color," reports Dave Taylor from the Matanuska Glacier. Across the Bering Strait in Russian, a similar display was observed.
Even as the national and international media interest calmed down somewhat, other ominous developments were occurring in the Stephenville area.
A local resident stated he had been received threatening phone calls and threats of implied bodily harm or death for talking publicly about what he saw.
An intruder had also appeared on his rural property at 1 a.m., causing the resident to be concerned about the safety of his family.
As Joiner was covering this more serious aspect of the UFO sighting case (in articles published Feb. 3 and Feb. 4) which appeared to be a law enforcement and criminal matter affecting public safety, she was reportedly told by newspaper management to back off.
"My directions were to move on to something else," Joiner said.
The reason given to Joiner for this was, "because our readership had grown tired of the UFO stories."
However, Joiner was still a contact person and resource for community residents, researchers, news media representatives and others.
While trying to obey management's directives to cover topics other than the UFO sightings and related developments, Joiner said, "It was a difficult task to achieve. I was still receiving a surprising number of e-mails and phone calls on the subject."
"I tried to direct those calls and interviews to after hours or during lunch hours. And I forwarded e-mails to my home so that I would not be giving newspaper time to the subject. I honestly tried to do as they had asked."
The apparent irregularities and journalistic priorities of what was starting to emerge at the Empire-Tribune probably also started to dawn on Joiner as she realized things were not going in a good direction at the paper.
She gave her two-week notice, then was told to leave immediately...................................
..........................................The citizens of the Stephenville region, and all the rest of us, must decide about the directions we want to take. Do we want to continue being dumbed down? Do we want to stick our head in the sand and close our eyes?
Or, do we want greater respect as American citizens and intelligent human beings who have the ability to understand sensitive, complex and, yes, even highly unusual and unexpected situations?
When events occur that affect public health and safety, public information, our rights and responsibilities as citizens, what are our roles and those of our institutions such as local and national government and the news media?
These are questions that, it appears, must be faced and dealt with if our communities, our society and our nation will continue to thrive. full story
A local resident stated he had been received threatening phone calls and threats of implied bodily harm or death for talking publicly about what he saw.
An intruder had also appeared on his rural property at 1 a.m., causing the resident to be concerned about the safety of his family.
As Joiner was covering this more serious aspect of the UFO sighting case (in articles published Feb. 3 and Feb. 4) which appeared to be a law enforcement and criminal matter affecting public safety, she was reportedly told by newspaper management to back off.
"My directions were to move on to something else," Joiner said.
The reason given to Joiner for this was, "because our readership had grown tired of the UFO stories."
However, Joiner was still a contact person and resource for community residents, researchers, news media representatives and others.
While trying to obey management's directives to cover topics other than the UFO sightings and related developments, Joiner said, "It was a difficult task to achieve. I was still receiving a surprising number of e-mails and phone calls on the subject."
"I tried to direct those calls and interviews to after hours or during lunch hours. And I forwarded e-mails to my home so that I would not be giving newspaper time to the subject. I honestly tried to do as they had asked."
The apparent irregularities and journalistic priorities of what was starting to emerge at the Empire-Tribune probably also started to dawn on Joiner as she realized things were not going in a good direction at the paper.
She gave her two-week notice, then was told to leave immediately...................................
..........................................The citizens of the Stephenville region, and all the rest of us, must decide about the directions we want to take. Do we want to continue being dumbed down? Do we want to stick our head in the sand and close our eyes?
Or, do we want greater respect as American citizens and intelligent human beings who have the ability to understand sensitive, complex and, yes, even highly unusual and unexpected situations?
When events occur that affect public health and safety, public information, our rights and responsibilities as citizens, what are our roles and those of our institutions such as local and national government and the news media?
These are questions that, it appears, must be faced and dealt with if our communities, our society and our nation will continue to thrive. full story
Yee Haw! I'm on vacation! It's not much, I'll be back to milking the cows Wednesday night, but of course it's without pay too. Not that it matters when you don't even make minimum wage. Like I always say, the less money you make the easier it is to give it up and I make less money than anybody I know! It's even more time off than when I had heart surgery! This is more time off than I have ever taken, except the time I had pneumonia, almost died, and had to have an IV coupler hanging out of my arm for a week. 
Probably won't be doing anything special. The only reason I'm taking time off is because Mrs. is and she told me that if I didn't start taking vacation time with her this year, then she'd find somebody that would. Hmm. Threat or a promise? She's taking a week off with pay. Kind of crappy weather, but she has to use more of her vacation time up by April or she loses it. She gets something like 6 weeks per year off with pay.
Maybe I'll go riding and leave her home? She wouldn't go in the cold anyway. Rarely ever goes when it's warm!
Probably won't be doing anything special. The only reason I'm taking time off is because Mrs. is and she told me that if I didn't start taking vacation time with her this year, then she'd find somebody that would. Hmm. Threat or a promise? She's taking a week off with pay. Kind of crappy weather, but she has to use more of her vacation time up by April or she loses it. She gets something like 6 weeks per year off with pay.Maybe I'll go riding and leave her home? She wouldn't go in the cold anyway. Rarely ever goes when it's warm!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Mark Wednesday, Feb. 20, on your calendar as "Lunar Eclipse Night," for if the weather is fair you should have no difficulty observing a total eclipse of the moon.
The eclipse will be visible wherever the moon is above the horizon during the time frame that the eclipse is taking place. As it turns out, North and South America will turned toward the moon and will be in excellent position for this sky show.
The eclipse will be visible wherever the moon is above the horizon during the time frame that the eclipse is taking place. As it turns out, North and South America will turned toward the moon and will be in excellent position for this sky show.
Time travel could be a reality within just three months, Russian mathematicians have claimed.
They believe an experiment nuclear scientists plan to carry out in underground tunnels in Geneva in May could create a rift in the fabric of the universe....................
...................Cynics often point out that if time travel was really possible, we would have been visited by people from the future.
However, Einstein's laws of physics suggest that time travel is only possible into the past as far as the point when the first time machine was invented. full story
They believe an experiment nuclear scientists plan to carry out in underground tunnels in Geneva in May could create a rift in the fabric of the universe....................
...................Cynics often point out that if time travel was really possible, we would have been visited by people from the future.
However, Einstein's laws of physics suggest that time travel is only possible into the past as far as the point when the first time machine was invented. full story
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Holy balls! There's just too much snow out there. I made it a little farther today on my woods trail, but not much. The snow underneath is just like sugar. It's so loose and slippery that the tires have nothing to grip on. Actually, once I was finally able to get to the neighbor's so I could turn around, coming back home was almost as hard even though the tracks were already made. My little Polaris Hawkeye really had it's tongue hanging out. I didn't have much choice but to keep going once I started off, because I couldn't turn around until I got to the neighbor's and I didn't think I would be able to back up the mile or so all the way home! I wanted to take more pictures, but I couldn't let off the throttle!
Here's my Hawkeye by the snowdrift in my yard.
One of the many spots I got stuck.
See how sugary the snow is in the wheel tracks?
I finally made it to where I could turn around and now I'm on the way back.
This is a picture of my override button being overridden by my button overrider! Say that three times fast. That button is the stupidest damn invention. What a pain in the ass. Just one of those things designed to save the stupid people from themselves.
This is a short video of me getting stuck and backing up to hit it again.
Here's my Hawkeye by the snowdrift in my yard.
One of the many spots I got stuck.
See how sugary the snow is in the wheel tracks?
I finally made it to where I could turn around and now I'm on the way back.
This is a picture of my override button being overridden by my button overrider! Say that three times fast. That button is the stupidest damn invention. What a pain in the ass. Just one of those things designed to save the stupid people from themselves.
This is a short video of me getting stuck and backing up to hit it again.
As each head reached the end of the table, a worker would insert a metal hose into the foramen magnum, the opening that the spinal cord passes through. High-pressure blasts of compressed air then turned the brain into a slurry that squirted out through the same hole in the skull, often spraying brain tissue around and splattering the hose operator in the process.
The brains were pooled, poured into 10-pound containers and shipped to be sold as food — mostly in China and Korea, where cooks stir-fry them, but also in some parts of the American South, where people like them scrambled up with eggs.
The person blowing brains was separated from the other workers by a plexiglass shield that had enough space under it to allow the heads to ride through on a conveyor belt. There was also enough space for brain tissue to splatter nearby employees.
“You could see aerosolization of brain tissue,” Dr. Lynfield said.
The workers wore hard hats, gloves, lab coats and safety glasses, but many had bare arms, and none had masks or face shields to prevent swallowing or inhaling the mist of brain tissue.
Dr. Lynfield asked Mr. Wadding, “Kelly, what do you think is going on?”
The plant owner watched for a while and said, “Let’s stop harvesting brains.”
Quality Pork halted the procedure that day and ordered face shields for workers at the head table.
Epidemiologists contacted 25 swine slaughterhouses in the United States, and found that only two others used compressed air to extract brains. One, a plant in Nebraska owned by Hormel, has reported no cases. But the other, Indiana Packers in Delphi, Ind., has several possible cases that are being investigated. Both of the other plants, like Quality Pork, have stopped using compressed air. full story
The brains were pooled, poured into 10-pound containers and shipped to be sold as food — mostly in China and Korea, where cooks stir-fry them, but also in some parts of the American South, where people like them scrambled up with eggs.
The person blowing brains was separated from the other workers by a plexiglass shield that had enough space under it to allow the heads to ride through on a conveyor belt. There was also enough space for brain tissue to splatter nearby employees.
“You could see aerosolization of brain tissue,” Dr. Lynfield said.
The workers wore hard hats, gloves, lab coats and safety glasses, but many had bare arms, and none had masks or face shields to prevent swallowing or inhaling the mist of brain tissue.
Dr. Lynfield asked Mr. Wadding, “Kelly, what do you think is going on?”
The plant owner watched for a while and said, “Let’s stop harvesting brains.”
Quality Pork halted the procedure that day and ordered face shields for workers at the head table.
Epidemiologists contacted 25 swine slaughterhouses in the United States, and found that only two others used compressed air to extract brains. One, a plant in Nebraska owned by Hormel, has reported no cases. But the other, Indiana Packers in Delphi, Ind., has several possible cases that are being investigated. Both of the other plants, like Quality Pork, have stopped using compressed air. full story
Sorrells made international news along with other witnesses on Jan. 14 after the Associated Press contacted him for his story and took video of the exact spot the UFO was seen along with Sorrells’ description of the object.
Not just once, but four times, he claims to have seen the massive flying object he estimates to be the length of “three or four football fields.” He said he’s not sure about the size because the first time he saw it was the best view. At that time, the craft hovered directly over him in the woods about 300 feet above his head and his view was blocked by tree branches.
“I don’t know why it keeps coming back here,” Sorrells said.
He’s convinced that someone representing himself as a Lt. Colonel knows what it is — and Sorrells wants an explanation.
He said the man contacted him by telephone on Jan. 15, one day after his interview with the Associated Press.
“I didn’t worry about writing his name down or taking notes,” Sorrells said. “I didn’t know what was about to happen. But, I think he said he was with the Air Force.”
Sorrells said the conversation started out nice enough.
“He was sort of nice to me right off,” Sorrells said. “He asked to come and talk to me.”
Sorrells said he told the man that he needed time to think about it and then, “He (the man) became really arrogant.”
The caller told Sorrells he wasn’t taking “no” for an answer and would be out to talk to him. Sorrells again tried to politely tell the man he did not wish to have company.
After that, Sorrells said the conversation became heated and he told the man not to cross his cattle guard.
Sorrells said the man responded with, “ Son, we have the same caliber weapons as you do but a lot more of them.” full story
Not just once, but four times, he claims to have seen the massive flying object he estimates to be the length of “three or four football fields.” He said he’s not sure about the size because the first time he saw it was the best view. At that time, the craft hovered directly over him in the woods about 300 feet above his head and his view was blocked by tree branches.
“I don’t know why it keeps coming back here,” Sorrells said.
He’s convinced that someone representing himself as a Lt. Colonel knows what it is — and Sorrells wants an explanation.
He said the man contacted him by telephone on Jan. 15, one day after his interview with the Associated Press.
“I didn’t worry about writing his name down or taking notes,” Sorrells said. “I didn’t know what was about to happen. But, I think he said he was with the Air Force.”
Sorrells said the conversation started out nice enough.
“He was sort of nice to me right off,” Sorrells said. “He asked to come and talk to me.”
Sorrells said he told the man that he needed time to think about it and then, “He (the man) became really arrogant.”
The caller told Sorrells he wasn’t taking “no” for an answer and would be out to talk to him. Sorrells again tried to politely tell the man he did not wish to have company.
After that, Sorrells said the conversation became heated and he told the man not to cross his cattle guard.
Sorrells said the man responded with, “ Son, we have the same caliber weapons as you do but a lot more of them.” full story
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Got my plowing all done and the roof shoveled off. We lucked out and only got one inch, but I haven't plowed the last couple times. The driveways needed to be cleaned out today. I've been watching the snow on the radar and it's been snowing only a few miles to the south of here - since yesterday! So close I can almost see it when I look to the south. We got our inch in a couple snow showers and that's all it has snowed here. Ok with me.
Now dry off by the woodstove a few minutes and go down to the barn to pull the tits again.
Now dry off by the woodstove a few minutes and go down to the barn to pull the tits again.
ASTEROID FLYBY: That was close. Yesterday, newly discovered asteroid 2008 CT1 flew past Earth only 72,000 miles (0.3 lunar distances) away. Had it struck our planet, the 13-meter wide space rock (similar in size to a school bus) would have done little damage, probably exploding in the atmosphere and peppering some lonely stretch of ocean with meteorites.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Bring it on. I'm ready. Got my wood hauled up and the chimney cleaned. Stove just starting to get back up to temperature again now.
Once I got the wood hauled up and the trailer unhooked, I hadn't started cleaning the chimney yet. I decided to give my woods trail a try. I just couldn't resist. There's a valley right behind my house. I made it down into the valley, then started up the other side. About halfway to the snowmobile trail, I broke through the icy crust underneath! At that moment, I thought; "How stupid can I be. I haven't even started cleaning the chimney yet and here I am buried in the woods!" Well, the little Hawkeye backed right out of it with no trouble. So what did I do then? Yep, I floored it and tried it again! This time I made it all the way to the snowmobile trail. Then I chickened out and didn't go any farther. I turned around in the snowmobile trail and came back to start cleaning my chimney.
Once I got the wood hauled up and the trailer unhooked, I hadn't started cleaning the chimney yet. I decided to give my woods trail a try. I just couldn't resist. There's a valley right behind my house. I made it down into the valley, then started up the other side. About halfway to the snowmobile trail, I broke through the icy crust underneath! At that moment, I thought; "How stupid can I be. I haven't even started cleaning the chimney yet and here I am buried in the woods!" Well, the little Hawkeye backed right out of it with no trouble. So what did I do then? Yep, I floored it and tried it again! This time I made it all the way to the snowmobile trail. Then I chickened out and didn't go any farther. I turned around in the snowmobile trail and came back to start cleaning my chimney.
Have you noticed a dramatic decrease in the amount of spam lately, like I have? For the first time since I can remember, my spam filter has been empty the last few days. Does most of the spam in the world come from India and Egypt? Starting to look that way. Read the news story. If that's the case, leave the damn cables cut!
Time to get hauling firewood and cleaning chimney before the storm. Sure wish I could get out in the woods and cut a little. I miss it when I can't do it.
Time to get hauling firewood and cleaning chimney before the storm. Sure wish I could get out in the woods and cut a little. I miss it when I can't do it.
There is much more evidence of the extraordinary event, known as a Close Encounter of the 2nd Kind (CE-2), a variety of eyewitness accounts from an entire community stricken with terror by the tremendous light that lit all of the nearby hills, and even caused the city’s own electric lights to dwindle, all of this amid strong winds and the cold nights of early 2008. full story
Monday, February 4, 2008
A picture doesn't lie -- the one-hundred-and-five-story Ryugyong Hotel is hideous, dominating the Pyongyang skyline like some twisted North Korean version of Cinderella's castle. Not that you would be able to tell from the official government photos of the North Korean capital -- the hotel is such an eyesore, the Communist regime routinely covers it up, airbrushing it to make it look like it's open -- or Photoshopping or cropping it out of pictures completely.
Even by Communist standards, the 3,000-room hotel is hideously ugly, a series of three gray 328-foot long concrete wings shaped into a steep pyramid. With 75 degree sides that rise to an apex of 1,083 feet, the Hotel of Doom (also known as the Phantom Hotel and the Phantom Pyramid) isn't the just the worst designed building in the world -- it's the worst-built building, too. In 1987, Baikdoosan Architects and Engineers put its first shovel into the ground and more than twenty years later, after North Korea poured more than two percent of its gross domestic product to building this monster, the hotel remains unoccupied, unopened, and unfinished. full story
Oh damn. Just checked the latest weather update and it sounds now like we will be getting more snow here than they originally predicted. Might be plowing tomorrow instead of hauling wood up. Might have to plow on Wednesday too! Maybe Thursday before I can get my wood up and chimney cleaned. Just started snowing here right now.
While doing the laundry this morning, I've been watching a program on the Wisconsin Channel about the history of the state's post offices. Pretty funny and quite interesting! One of the stories was about the stink of Limburger Cheese! Now there's a show about the state's lake ice harvesting coming on. The tavern in Easton was an icehouse at one time, along with a cheese factory, etc. This digital TV that they are changing to is the best thing since satellite and cable. Even better, because it's free! That pays for the TV or converter box itself in only a few months.
I think tomorrow I'll haul my month's worth of wood up again and clean the chimney. January is always the month we use the most wood. Still not bad though. It was the 15th when I did it last. I could probably go a few more days, but it might snow today and again tomorrow night and Wednesday and then I might be plowing. Who knows, but tomorrow sounds like about the best day for it and I've got too much leftover yet today to fit it all in my woodbox.
I sure have been itching to go for a ride! Too much snow in the woods yet. There's a heavy crust under the top 6 inches, but if I was to break through that I'd be stuck for sure! I could go trail riding at BRF or maybe route riding at Necedah. I guarantee I will be going somewhere soon! Here's a few pictures of the last Castle Rock Family ATV Club "Meeting - Wilderness - Ride to Follow - Bear Bluff" ride way back on October 13th. It was a record-breaking attendance the other way:
Here we are! Oops, I mean me.
My well-worn from the rides of the old days official Castle Rock Family ATV Club hat.
6 people were at the meeting that day.
Hello? Anybody here?
One of the many miles of roads in the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge that I helped the Castle Rock Family ATV Club clean up garbage on every year.
One of the canals on the beautiful Fall day.
I think tomorrow I'll haul my month's worth of wood up again and clean the chimney. January is always the month we use the most wood. Still not bad though. It was the 15th when I did it last. I could probably go a few more days, but it might snow today and again tomorrow night and Wednesday and then I might be plowing. Who knows, but tomorrow sounds like about the best day for it and I've got too much leftover yet today to fit it all in my woodbox.
I sure have been itching to go for a ride! Too much snow in the woods yet. There's a heavy crust under the top 6 inches, but if I was to break through that I'd be stuck for sure! I could go trail riding at BRF or maybe route riding at Necedah. I guarantee I will be going somewhere soon! Here's a few pictures of the last Castle Rock Family ATV Club "Meeting - Wilderness - Ride to Follow - Bear Bluff" ride way back on October 13th. It was a record-breaking attendance the other way:
Here we are! Oops, I mean me.
My well-worn from the rides of the old days official Castle Rock Family ATV Club hat.
6 people were at the meeting that day.
Hello? Anybody here?
One of the many miles of roads in the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge that I helped the Castle Rock Family ATV Club clean up garbage on every year.
One of the canals on the beautiful Fall day.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
I was just watching one of those home improvement shows on TV. The guy was telling us how to cut firewood. Well, you all know what a firewood fanatic I am! I agreed with most of what he said except on a couple points.
First thing is mostly a difference of opinion. He was pushing the use of a hydraulic log splitter instead of a maul. I guess it's ok for the weekend weakling, and if you have a crew of two or three people to operate the thing. Not me though. I get pretty serious about my firewood cutting, and dragging one more thing around the woods takes a lot of extra time. Not to mention the extra work involved with carrying the wood to it, and adding the extra steps to the process just because you have another machine to feed. Much simpler with a maul and your manly muscles. Cut the tree to length where it falls, tip the blocks up on end where they lay, swing the maul, put the finished split wood right onto the wood hauler. Done. My maul swings a lot faster than the log splitter moves, and the only time a log splitter can out pace me is when there are two or more people running it.
The second thing is not a matter of opinion. The guy showed how he had the tree-length logs cut down the year before. Then when he is going to start burning wood for the season, he drags the tree-length logs out of the woods with his pickup (good luck getting that full-size truck into where I cut). He said that the wood is ready to burn as soon as it's cut to length and split. Wrong! I've never seen a fallen tree completely dry and ready to burn, especially ones with the bark still on them like his were. It helps if they are standing dead with the bark off, but even in that case they are several years old and still wet inside. Doesn't really start seasoning until after it's been cut, split, and properly stacked. And then it still takes at least a couple years before it gets real good!
First thing is mostly a difference of opinion. He was pushing the use of a hydraulic log splitter instead of a maul. I guess it's ok for the weekend weakling, and if you have a crew of two or three people to operate the thing. Not me though. I get pretty serious about my firewood cutting, and dragging one more thing around the woods takes a lot of extra time. Not to mention the extra work involved with carrying the wood to it, and adding the extra steps to the process just because you have another machine to feed. Much simpler with a maul and your manly muscles. Cut the tree to length where it falls, tip the blocks up on end where they lay, swing the maul, put the finished split wood right onto the wood hauler. Done. My maul swings a lot faster than the log splitter moves, and the only time a log splitter can out pace me is when there are two or more people running it.
The second thing is not a matter of opinion. The guy showed how he had the tree-length logs cut down the year before. Then when he is going to start burning wood for the season, he drags the tree-length logs out of the woods with his pickup (good luck getting that full-size truck into where I cut). He said that the wood is ready to burn as soon as it's cut to length and split. Wrong! I've never seen a fallen tree completely dry and ready to burn, especially ones with the bark still on them like his were. It helps if they are standing dead with the bark off, but even in that case they are several years old and still wet inside. Doesn't really start seasoning until after it's been cut, split, and properly stacked. And then it still takes at least a couple years before it gets real good!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
In the early-morning blackness, partially bathed in a Hollywood-weird glow of incandescent light and rolling fog, Dan Jackson slowly uncoiled from a half-hour crouch in his hiding place behind a garbage Dumpster.What he saw — the very thing he had spent 20 years looking for — was so terrifying, Jackson would see it in his broken sleep for months. A dark, hairy head. Glistening black eyes. A mouth full of bared teeth clenched in rage.“He was huffing like a damn freight train,” recalled Jackson, a venomous-snake expert from Lithia, who claims he came face to face with a fearsome creature he once didn’t believe existed.“In November 1983, if you had asked me whether I believed in Bigfoot or Sasquatch, I would have said, ‘You mean that thing Hollywood made movies about? full story
They are convinced they saw ghosts flying around the school on Sunday -- in the classrooms, the dormitories and the assembly hall. With many of the girls at the co-educational boarding school in hysteria, classes for the 600 students of the school were cancelled for the rest of the day. On Monday, the hysteria repeated itself so the school was closed, and remained so as of yesterday. Many of the students who live nearby have been taken home by their parents, but the out-of-state students had no choice but to remain in their dormitories.School administrators and the state Education Department did not want to comment, but one of the parents, Mazlan Ariffin, said his daughter said she had seen ghosts flying around the classroom. full story
It is yet another attempt by man to triumph over nature.
Determined not to let anything spoil their party, organizers of the 2008 Summer Olympics said Wednesday that they will take control over the most unpredictable element of all -- the weather.
While China's Olympic athletes are getting ready to compete on the fields, its meteorologists are working the skies, attempting the difficult feat of making sure it doesn't rain on the Aug. 8 opening ceremonies.
"Our team is trained. Our preparations are complete," declared Wang Jianjie, a spokeswoman from the Beijing Meteorological Bureau, addressing a news conference at the headquarters of the Beijing organizing committee.
The Chinese are among the world's leaders in what is called "weather modification," but they have more experience creating rain than preventing it. In fact, the techniques are virtually the same. full story
Determined not to let anything spoil their party, organizers of the 2008 Summer Olympics said Wednesday that they will take control over the most unpredictable element of all -- the weather.
While China's Olympic athletes are getting ready to compete on the fields, its meteorologists are working the skies, attempting the difficult feat of making sure it doesn't rain on the Aug. 8 opening ceremonies.
"Our team is trained. Our preparations are complete," declared Wang Jianjie, a spokeswoman from the Beijing Meteorological Bureau, addressing a news conference at the headquarters of the Beijing organizing committee.
The Chinese are among the world's leaders in what is called "weather modification," but they have more experience creating rain than preventing it. In fact, the techniques are virtually the same. full story
The Beatles are about to become radio stars in a whole new way.
NASA on Monday will broadcast the Beatles’ song “Across the Universe” across the galaxy to Polaris, the North Star.
This first-ever beaming of a radio song by the space agency directly into deep space is nostalgia-driven. It celebrates the 40th anniversary of the song, the 45th anniversary of NASA’s Deep Space Network, which communicates with its distant probes, and the 50th anniversary of NASA. full story
NASA on Monday will broadcast the Beatles’ song “Across the Universe” across the galaxy to Polaris, the North Star.
This first-ever beaming of a radio song by the space agency directly into deep space is nostalgia-driven. It celebrates the 40th anniversary of the song, the 45th anniversary of NASA’s Deep Space Network, which communicates with its distant probes, and the 50th anniversary of NASA. full story
Friday, February 1, 2008
You like antique snowmobiles, races, radar runs, fisherees, poker runs, parties, and more? February is the month for you! calendar
“They have all inherited the same switch at exactly the same spot in their DNA. From this we can conclude that all blue-eyed individuals are linked to the same ancestor,” said Prof Eiberg, who reports the work in the journal Human Genetics. full story
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