Minneapolis, April 25, 2008 – Team High Lifter-Polaris Racing had a great showing at the 2008 High Lifter ATV Mud Nationals, held at Mud Creek Off-Road Park, in Jacksonville, Texas. The week long extravaganza featured spectacular mud riding, special events, competitions and entertainment.
In the Supertrapp Mud Bog competition, Maggie Robertson took first place in the “Polaris Mud Chic Open” class on her Sportsman 800 and her husband, Brian, took second out of 65 entries in the “Pro Series” class on his Sportsman 800. JW Otwell and his Sportsman 500 took third place in both the “Bogger” and “Pro Series B” classes. Kelly Knutson and Jesse Johnson took top honors out of 20 entries in the “RUV” class in their bog-dominating RANGER RZR.
For the Maxxis Mudda Cross competition, Randy Miller blazed through the bog on his Sportsman 500 for a first-place finish in the “500cc or Less” class with teammate, JW Otwell finishing second with his Sportsman 500. Miller also took third in the “Open” class on a Sportsman 800. Trey Thomas and his Sportsman 800 X2 took second out of 90 entries in the “501cc & Up” class and Jesse Johnson took third out of 14 in the “RUV” class on his RANGER RZR.
The RANGER CREW also made its Mud Nationals debut as part of the EPI Endurance Challenge. The six-man team entered the race on an exhibition basis and ended up posting the fastest time and was one of nine of the 18 entrants that finished the race. The race result was a true testament to RANGER CREW’s power and ruggedness.
The team’s next outing is the Texas Mudfest, at Gator Park, in Longview, Texas, on May 1-4. For more information on Team High Lifter-Polaris Racing see their official site at http://www.highlifter.com/content/teamhlpol.aspx .
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Earth will enter a stream of dust from Halley's Comet and this will cause the annual eta Aquarid meteor shower. Forecasters say 2008 should be a good year for eta Aquarids with as many as 70 meteors per hour visible. The best time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on May 5th and 6th when the shower peaks.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The U.S. space agency says a motor in the robotic arm of its Mars rover Opportunity that began stalling more than two years ago has become more troublesome.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., are diagnosing why the motor, one of five in the robotic arm, stalled April 14. NASA said the engineers are also examining whether the motor can be used and assessing the impact on Opportunity's work if the motor is deemed unusable.
The malfunctioning motor controls sideways motion at the shoulder joint of the rover's robotic arm. Other motors provide up-and-down motion at the shoulder and maneuverability at the elbow and wrist. A turret at the end of the robotic arm has four tools that are used to study rock and soil composition and texture.
Even under the worst-case scenario for this motor, Opportunity still has the capability to do some contact science with the arm, said John Callas, project manager for the twin rovers Opportunity and Spirit.
Opportunity and Spirit landed on Mars in January 2004 to begin a three-month mission. They have continued operating for more than four years.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., are diagnosing why the motor, one of five in the robotic arm, stalled April 14. NASA said the engineers are also examining whether the motor can be used and assessing the impact on Opportunity's work if the motor is deemed unusable.
The malfunctioning motor controls sideways motion at the shoulder joint of the rover's robotic arm. Other motors provide up-and-down motion at the shoulder and maneuverability at the elbow and wrist. A turret at the end of the robotic arm has four tools that are used to study rock and soil composition and texture.
Even under the worst-case scenario for this motor, Opportunity still has the capability to do some contact science with the arm, said John Callas, project manager for the twin rovers Opportunity and Spirit.
Opportunity and Spirit landed on Mars in January 2004 to begin a three-month mission. They have continued operating for more than four years.
In may of 2006, the city of Nuevo León, Mexico abruptly made it’s way onto the annals of the paranormal. Reports started circulating the Mexican press, as well as the web, about a strange UFO captured on video. Not a UFO in the sense of a “flying saucer”, but a UFO in the true meaning of the acronym. An Unidentifed Flying Object.
The video shot by members of the “OVNI club de nuevo leon” (UFO club) shows what appears to be an object or entity hovering above the mountains of Nuevo León. The object appears to move in parallel with the mountain top in a straight line. The Mexican press was quick to erroneously (in so many levels) call this a witch. Reports of “The witches of Monterrey” spread through the media. As the press moved in on the town and it’s inhabitants, they started to get reports of face to face encounters with these so called “witches”.
Two reports that made headlines were that of two police officers that had a close encounter with these beings. Officer Gerardo Garza from the town of Santa Catarina reported seeing two beings that resembled the stereotypical witch most people think of (cape or hat with long fingernails flying on a broom). Officer Garza reported that while on a routine check of an abandoned area, he encountered these 2 entities floating around a cemetery that was yards away. The Officer described them as being female and covered in what appeared to be plumage. read more at ghosttheory.com
The video shot by members of the “OVNI club de nuevo leon” (UFO club) shows what appears to be an object or entity hovering above the mountains of Nuevo León. The object appears to move in parallel with the mountain top in a straight line. The Mexican press was quick to erroneously (in so many levels) call this a witch. Reports of “The witches of Monterrey” spread through the media. As the press moved in on the town and it’s inhabitants, they started to get reports of face to face encounters with these so called “witches”.
Two reports that made headlines were that of two police officers that had a close encounter with these beings. Officer Gerardo Garza from the town of Santa Catarina reported seeing two beings that resembled the stereotypical witch most people think of (cape or hat with long fingernails flying on a broom). Officer Garza reported that while on a routine check of an abandoned area, he encountered these 2 entities floating around a cemetery that was yards away. The Officer described them as being female and covered in what appeared to be plumage. read more at ghosttheory.com
Get ready for another economic shock of major proportions — a virtual doubling of prices at the gas pump to as much as $10 a gallon.
That's the message from a couple of analytical energy industry trackers, both of whom, based on the surging oil prices, see considerably more pain at the pump than most drivers realize. read more at nysun.com
That's the message from a couple of analytical energy industry trackers, both of whom, based on the surging oil prices, see considerably more pain at the pump than most drivers realize. read more at nysun.com
In the summer of 1931, Nikola Tesla, the inventor of alternating current and the holder of some 1200 other U.S. patents, along with his nephew Peter Savo, installed a box on the front seat of a brand new Pierce-Arrow touring car at the company factory in Buffalo, New York. The box is said to have been 24 inches long, 12 inches wide and 6 inches high. Out of it protruded a 1.8 meter long antenna and two ¼ inch metal rods. Inside the box was reputed to be some dozen vacuum tubes -- 70-L-7 type -- and other electrical parts. Two wire leads ran from the box to a newly-installed 40 inch long, 30 inch diameter AC motor that replaced the gasoline engine.
We will, of course, probably never know how he powered the car, or even if the event actually took place -- though we know Tesla was an unparalleled genius when it came to understanding electromagnetism and how to apply it for benign and some allege, deadly purposes. Legend has it that he actually invented a death ray of some type and this is why the government, on his death in 1943, is said to have confiscated all his personal papers. Presumably, they didn't want his research falling into the wrong hands… or was it because they didn't want the world to figure out how to propel our vehicles on free energy? read more at evworld.com
We will, of course, probably never know how he powered the car, or even if the event actually took place -- though we know Tesla was an unparalleled genius when it came to understanding electromagnetism and how to apply it for benign and some allege, deadly purposes. Legend has it that he actually invented a death ray of some type and this is why the government, on his death in 1943, is said to have confiscated all his personal papers. Presumably, they didn't want his research falling into the wrong hands… or was it because they didn't want the world to figure out how to propel our vehicles on free energy? read more at evworld.com
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
A typical campaign kickoff doesn't resemble an X-Files convention. Nor is there usually discussion of UFOs crisscrossing the night sky or of government programs to conceal extraterrestrial technology.
And most politicians yearning for office avoid banners proclaiming, "It's not about the lights in the sky, but about the lies on the ground."
Joseph Buchman, however, announced his candidacy for the 1st Congressional District of Utah under that banner, and his official announcement was book-ended by talk of the news media ignoring signs of extraterrestrial visits and the military's blockade of information about outer space visitors. read more at sltrib.com
And most politicians yearning for office avoid banners proclaiming, "It's not about the lights in the sky, but about the lies on the ground."
Joseph Buchman, however, announced his candidacy for the 1st Congressional District of Utah under that banner, and his official announcement was book-ended by talk of the news media ignoring signs of extraterrestrial visits and the military's blockade of information about outer space visitors. read more at sltrib.com
The next International Space Station flybys (all in the early morning this time):
3 May 4:48:51 am SE Low and dim in the southeast.
4 May 5:10:51 am SW High and bright starting in the southwest and traveling up and over to the east-northeast.
5 May 4:01:07 am SE Low and dim in the southeast.
6 May 4:22:58 am SSW High and bright starting in the southwest and traveling up and over to the east-northeast.
3 May 4:48:51 am SE Low and dim in the southeast.
4 May 5:10:51 am SW High and bright starting in the southwest and traveling up and over to the east-northeast.
5 May 4:01:07 am SE Low and dim in the southeast.
6 May 4:22:58 am SSW High and bright starting in the southwest and traveling up and over to the east-northeast.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Europe's first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) cargo supply ship has successfully raised the International Space Station into a higher orbit in the first of four re-boost maneuvers scheduled between now and August, its manufacturer and the European Space Agency (ESA) announced Friday.
Using two of its four main engines, the ATV Jules Verne pushed the 308-ton orbital complex for a period of 12.5 minutes, increasing its speed by just over 8 feet (2.65 meters) per second and raising its altitude by 2.8 miles (4.6 km). The ATV consumed 537 pounds (244 kg) of its fuel in performing the task.
The station's orbit of around 211 miles (340 km) regularly degrades from the effects of residual atmosphere at that altitude. Named after the famed 19th century French science fiction author, the Jules Verne cargo ship is scheduled to raise the station's orbit on three more occasions in June, July and August. Russia's unmanned Progress supply vessels are also is capable of boosting the station's orbit, as are the U.S. space shuttles of NASA.
The 19,000-kilogram ATV docked to the station on April 3 loaded with food, fuel, water and other supplies for the station's crew. Once its mission is completed in August, it will be loaded with garbage, separated from the station and burned up over the South Pacific Ocean as it re-enters the atmosphere. read more at space.com
Using two of its four main engines, the ATV Jules Verne pushed the 308-ton orbital complex for a period of 12.5 minutes, increasing its speed by just over 8 feet (2.65 meters) per second and raising its altitude by 2.8 miles (4.6 km). The ATV consumed 537 pounds (244 kg) of its fuel in performing the task.
The station's orbit of around 211 miles (340 km) regularly degrades from the effects of residual atmosphere at that altitude. Named after the famed 19th century French science fiction author, the Jules Verne cargo ship is scheduled to raise the station's orbit on three more occasions in June, July and August. Russia's unmanned Progress supply vessels are also is capable of boosting the station's orbit, as are the U.S. space shuttles of NASA.
The 19,000-kilogram ATV docked to the station on April 3 loaded with food, fuel, water and other supplies for the station's crew. Once its mission is completed in August, it will be loaded with garbage, separated from the station and burned up over the South Pacific Ocean as it re-enters the atmosphere. read more at space.com
One of the few academically credentialed scientists who will acknowledge the possibility Bigfoot exists is Jeff Meldrum. A biology professor at Idaho State University in Pocatello. His book, "Sasquatch, Legend Meets Science," has been cited in some of the most recent documentaries on Bigfoot. He believes he has almost found a scientific basis for the legendary creature from a site in Ontario, Canada. Meldrum says,"We collected tissue, the remains of blood as well as muscle tissue as well as some hairs." Meldrum explains the creature stepped on a board with screws in it, leaving the flesh behind, giving researchers a sample from which to obtain DNA for testing. He says a preliminary test indicated a feature in a strand of DNA that appeared to put the creature somewhere between a human and chimpanzee.
Meldrum admits much more DNA testing is needed, but, says he thinks there's something out there. He says," Based on all the evidence I have seen it suggests this is an unrecognized species of great ape." read more at abclocal.go.com
Meldrum admits much more DNA testing is needed, but, says he thinks there's something out there. He says," Based on all the evidence I have seen it suggests this is an unrecognized species of great ape." read more at abclocal.go.com
Friday, April 25, 2008
Crop circles. I was just reading that the first crop circle of 2008 has appeared. This reminded me of a thought I have always had about crop circles: Why don't we hear more about them in the mainstream media? Think about it. Do a little search and see just how vast and complicated they are. My point is, even if they are a hoax they must be one of the biggest and most complicated hoaxes of all time. That in itself should be almost constant front page news. Although, it seems to me that it would be impossible to hoax such a thing. The labor force needed to constantly perpetrate it would have to be fairly large, and the more people that are involved the greater the chance of someone leaking the secret out.
So, that brings me back to my question. Whether hoax or not, crop circles are an intricate, complicated, amazing phenomenon or trick. Isn't that newsworthy?
So, that brings me back to my question. Whether hoax or not, crop circles are an intricate, complicated, amazing phenomenon or trick. Isn't that newsworthy?
Human beings may have had a brush with extinction 70,000 years ago, an extensive genetic study suggests.
The human population at that time was reduced to small isolated groups in Africa, apparently because of drought, according to an analysis released Thursday.
The report notes that a separate study by researchers at Stanford University estimated that the number of early humans may have shrunk as low as 2,000 before numbers began to expand again in the early Stone Age. read more at edition.cnn.com
The human population at that time was reduced to small isolated groups in Africa, apparently because of drought, according to an analysis released Thursday.
The report notes that a separate study by researchers at Stanford University estimated that the number of early humans may have shrunk as low as 2,000 before numbers began to expand again in the early Stone Age. read more at edition.cnn.com
When the sun sets tonight, go outside and look south. You'll find a pair of bright "stars" but only one is actually a star. On the left is Saturn, on the right Regulus. The ringed planet and the first-magnitude star are only 2 degrees apart.
A solar wind stream is buffeting Earth's magnetic field, causing not only Northern but also Southern Lights. Sky watchers should be alert for more lights tonight as the solar wind continues to blow.
A solar wind stream is buffeting Earth's magnetic field, causing not only Northern but also Southern Lights. Sky watchers should be alert for more lights tonight as the solar wind continues to blow.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
I heard a whippoorwill last night. I think he's going to freeze his tail feathers off after tomorrow! They're forecasting cooler weather for awhile, which figures because every year when my yellow bush blooms the blossoms freeze off (I always forget the name, forsythia maybe). It's starting to bloom now:
I just can't get over being amazed by a camera with a good zoom lens. My old Sony had a 10x lens, which I loved. Then most camera manufacturers got away from good zoom lenses and went to crappy little ones. Well, the old Sony Mavica is still going strong, after almost 15,000 pictures and over 10 years old, but now new computers don't come with floppy drives. More than two years ago when my old K-mart Bluelight Special computer finally died, the replacement computer had no way to get the pictures from my floppy disc camera. Instead of purchasing and messing with an external floppy drive, I searched high and low to find a new camera with equivalent zoom, but didn't have much luck. I finally found a Sanyo movie camera that also took still images, but with only a 6x zoom lens. I was never really happy with it. It always seemed to be lacking when I really wanted to get closeups of my subjects, when I couldn't physically get up close. Aside from that, it takes movies in MPEG4 format and those give me fits whenever I work with them, locking up my editing program etc.
Along came my birthday this year! All I wanted was a camera that could take pictures of the night sky and have something show up in them that at least looks like stars. I researched for many days on the web and came up with a set of specifications that would meet my needs. I found all of that in a Canon SX100 IS at Wal-mart, and a 10x zoom to boot! That 10x lens is like welcoming back an old friend, after missing the Mavica zoom for the past couple years. And combined with the great improvements being made in digital zoom (which will still never ever match good old optics), I am absolutely amazed by the zoom pictures I can capture:
A jet flying overhead yesterday pictured here with no zoom.
The same jet with zoom!
And here's a few photos from last night's photography lesson:
The Big Dipper
ISO speed rating: 400
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 3264 x 2448 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Time taken: 8:48 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
I thought this one was kind of cool because I captured a jet streaking by.
ISO speed rating: 400
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 3264 x 2448 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Time taken: 8:56 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
And yet another picture of Orion setting in the west, just behind the sun. I like Orion, but it's too bad he's mostly a cold weather constellation. Soon he'll be gone until next winter.
ISO speed rating: 400
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 3264 x 2448 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Time taken: 8:57 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
And here's a few pictures of the UFO from last night:
It glided nearly overhead, and shown a powerful beam on the highway only a few yards from me!(wink wink)
Then it landed alongside the irrigation field! (wink wink)
Suddenly the extraterrestrials spotted me taking pictures of their craft! They revved up their propulsion system and took off, out of sight! (wink wink)
I just can't get over being amazed by a camera with a good zoom lens. My old Sony had a 10x lens, which I loved. Then most camera manufacturers got away from good zoom lenses and went to crappy little ones. Well, the old Sony Mavica is still going strong, after almost 15,000 pictures and over 10 years old, but now new computers don't come with floppy drives. More than two years ago when my old K-mart Bluelight Special computer finally died, the replacement computer had no way to get the pictures from my floppy disc camera. Instead of purchasing and messing with an external floppy drive, I searched high and low to find a new camera with equivalent zoom, but didn't have much luck. I finally found a Sanyo movie camera that also took still images, but with only a 6x zoom lens. I was never really happy with it. It always seemed to be lacking when I really wanted to get closeups of my subjects, when I couldn't physically get up close. Aside from that, it takes movies in MPEG4 format and those give me fits whenever I work with them, locking up my editing program etc.
Along came my birthday this year! All I wanted was a camera that could take pictures of the night sky and have something show up in them that at least looks like stars. I researched for many days on the web and came up with a set of specifications that would meet my needs. I found all of that in a Canon SX100 IS at Wal-mart, and a 10x zoom to boot! That 10x lens is like welcoming back an old friend, after missing the Mavica zoom for the past couple years. And combined with the great improvements being made in digital zoom (which will still never ever match good old optics), I am absolutely amazed by the zoom pictures I can capture:
A jet flying overhead yesterday pictured here with no zoom.
The same jet with zoom!
And here's a few photos from last night's photography lesson:
The Big Dipper
ISO speed rating: 400
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 3264 x 2448 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Time taken: 8:48 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
I thought this one was kind of cool because I captured a jet streaking by.
ISO speed rating: 400
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 3264 x 2448 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Time taken: 8:56 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
And yet another picture of Orion setting in the west, just behind the sun. I like Orion, but it's too bad he's mostly a cold weather constellation. Soon he'll be gone until next winter.
ISO speed rating: 400
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 3264 x 2448 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Time taken: 8:57 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
And here's a few pictures of the UFO from last night:
It glided nearly overhead, and shown a powerful beam on the highway only a few yards from me!(wink wink)
Then it landed alongside the irrigation field! (wink wink)
Suddenly the extraterrestrials spotted me taking pictures of their craft! They revved up their propulsion system and took off, out of sight! (wink wink)
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ALONG A FRONTAL BOUNDARY
ON FRIDAY. MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA
ONCE AGAIN. INSTABILITY AND WIND PROFILES AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE STORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND
POSSIBLY ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER
AT THIS TIME LOOKS TO BE TO THE EAST OF A MEDFORD WISCONSIN...TO LA
CROSSE...TO OELWEIN IOWA LINE.
IN ADDITION TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS BY FRIDAY EVENING WILL RANGE
FROM A 1/2 TO 1 1/2 INCHES. WITH SOME CREEKS AND RIVERS RUNNING
HIGHER THAN NORMAL...THIS ADDITIONAL RAIN COULD CAUSE RISES ONCE
AGAIN.
ON FRIDAY. MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA
ONCE AGAIN. INSTABILITY AND WIND PROFILES AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE STORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND
POSSIBLY ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER
AT THIS TIME LOOKS TO BE TO THE EAST OF A MEDFORD WISCONSIN...TO LA
CROSSE...TO OELWEIN IOWA LINE.
IN ADDITION TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS BY FRIDAY EVENING WILL RANGE
FROM A 1/2 TO 1 1/2 INCHES. WITH SOME CREEKS AND RIVERS RUNNING
HIGHER THAN NORMAL...THIS ADDITIONAL RAIN COULD CAUSE RISES ONCE
AGAIN.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
UFO investigator for over thirty years, Philip Imbrogno discussed the Hudson Valley sightings of the 1980s, as well as hidden connections between UFOs and other unexplained phenomena on Coast to Coast AM last night. Working with the renowned J. Allen Hynek, he investigated the Hudson Valley cases which began around 1983, and were accompanied by a host of paranormal phenomena.
A triangular craft larger than a football field, referred to as a "city in the sky," was repeatedly seen moving silently over the Hudson Valley by witnesses from all walks of life, said Imbrogno (a photo of the craft is the first of the images here). The UFO was seen shining a bright beam of light down on individual cars and houses-- later, people who came into contact with the light reported contact or abduction experiences, he noted.
A similar UFO flew over the Indian Point Nuclear Plant and was the subject of a police investigation, he detailed.
A triangular craft larger than a football field, referred to as a "city in the sky," was repeatedly seen moving silently over the Hudson Valley by witnesses from all walks of life, said Imbrogno (a photo of the craft is the first of the images here). The UFO was seen shining a bright beam of light down on individual cars and houses-- later, people who came into contact with the light reported contact or abduction experiences, he noted.
A similar UFO flew over the Indian Point Nuclear Plant and was the subject of a police investigation, he detailed.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
It wasn't too bad cutting wood today once it quit raining. A little humid perhaps, but certainly cooler than yesterday. My spare saw ran great, which at one time would have been unusual. Used to run too rich. Unlike my favorite saw, which is older, the spare saw doesn't have any external carb adjustments. I assume due to Al Gore and his EPA buddies' infinite wisdom. If it's running too rich all the time and you can't adjust the carb easily, isn't that worse for the environment? Duh. Anyway, I ripped the spark arrestor/screen out of the muffler, put my crappiest worn out air filter on it, and ever since it runs pretty good.
Time for a little bike ride!
Time for a little bike ride!
Monday, April 21, 2008
I was out and cut a little jag of firewood today. The good news is that the chain I hit the nail with the other day is cutting great again. The bad news is that my favorite 026 saw is running poorly. It leans out at high speed once it's warmed up and I can't get it to richen. It started doing it when I removed the tree from the highway during the wind and rain. It was doing it again today. I think it's got an air leak somewhere, or else the carb needs some work. No big deal. I won't be shedding tears about it, it's just the way it goes. I'll hang it on the spare saw's hook for now, until I feel like working on it one of these days, and I'll use the spare 026 as my primary saw. If all else fails, I'll buy a new saw. Money doesn't mean anything to me. It's hard to fret about losing something you never had! Besides, it's still cheaper than buying LP gas!
The following pictures are a few that I thought were interesting:
5 deer in "Dad's" field behind my house last night.
These jets were really high. So high that it was hard to make them out with my naked eyes. That 40x zoom really kicks ass!
What the hell is this? Redneck cable installer maybe? Ha ha!
The following pictures are a few that I thought were interesting:
5 deer in "Dad's" field behind my house last night.
These jets were really high. So high that it was hard to make them out with my naked eyes. That 40x zoom really kicks ass!
What the hell is this? Redneck cable installer maybe? Ha ha!
Last night I had trouble taking pictures of the moon. I couldn't get them to turn out like I wanted, and I couldn't remember what settings I used the other night. I didn't write the settings down. I figured out what the problem was this morning though, when I compared the EXIF info of the pictures. I had the f and ISO screwed up. (Hey, that even sounds like what was wrong - the f'ing ISO was screwed up!) I experimented a little more with star pictures too. Here's some of what I did last night: (OH, and one other thing I learned is that if you remove the EXIF info from your picture files before you upload them to the web or e-mail them, it makes the file size WAAAAYYYY smaller! Hmmm, maybe can teach an old dog new tricks.)
The Big Dipper. Can you see it?
Orion The Hunter, setting in the west beyond the pasture, not too far behind the sun.
For the following sequence of pictures, I left everything exactly the same, except that I changed the ISO rating from 1600 through 80. I'm kind of leaning towards the ISO 400 rating as the best, at least for these pictures from last night.
ISO: 1600
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time taken: 8:45 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
ISO: 800
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time taken: 8:46 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
ISO: 400
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time taken: 8:47 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
ISO: 200
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time taken: 8:48 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
ISO: 100
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time taken: 8:49 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
ISO: 80
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time taken: 8:50 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
The Big Dipper. Can you see it?
Orion The Hunter, setting in the west beyond the pasture, not too far behind the sun.
For the following sequence of pictures, I left everything exactly the same, except that I changed the ISO rating from 1600 through 80. I'm kind of leaning towards the ISO 400 rating as the best, at least for these pictures from last night.
ISO: 1600
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time taken: 8:45 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
ISO: 800
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time taken: 8:46 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
ISO: 400
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time taken: 8:47 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
ISO: 200
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time taken: 8:48 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
ISO: 100
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time taken: 8:49 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
ISO: 80
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time taken: 8:50 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
Earth gives off a relentless hum of countless notes completely imperceptible to the human ear, like a giant, exceptionally quiet symphony, but the origin of this sound remains a mystery.
Now unexpected powerful tunes have been discovered in this hum. These new findings could shed light on the source of this enigma.
The planet emanates a constant rumble far below the limits of human hearing, even when the ground isn't shaking from an earthquake. (It does not cause the ringing in the ear linked with tinnitus.) This sound, first discovered a decade ago, is one that only scientific instruments — seismometers — can detect. Researchers call it Earth's hum.
Investigators suspect this murmur could originate from the churning ocean, or perhaps the roiling atmosphere. To find out more, scientists analyzed readings from an exceptionally quiet Earth-listening research station at the Black Forest Observatory in Germany, with supporting data from Japan and China. read more at livescience.com
Now unexpected powerful tunes have been discovered in this hum. These new findings could shed light on the source of this enigma.
The planet emanates a constant rumble far below the limits of human hearing, even when the ground isn't shaking from an earthquake. (It does not cause the ringing in the ear linked with tinnitus.) This sound, first discovered a decade ago, is one that only scientific instruments — seismometers — can detect. Researchers call it Earth's hum.
Investigators suspect this murmur could originate from the churning ocean, or perhaps the roiling atmosphere. To find out more, scientists analyzed readings from an exceptionally quiet Earth-listening research station at the Black Forest Observatory in Germany, with supporting data from Japan and China. read more at livescience.com
Ann's audiovisual address ends with her projecting on to the screen behind her a series of extremely blurry photographs. From time to time, she says, Jason is summoned to the spaceship for some psychic brush-up training. When this happens, Ann tries to photograph the UFOs. But she has only a disposable camera and so the pictures always come out fuzzy and inconclusive.
It's time for the Q&A. Unexpectedly, Robbie's friend Brandon stands up and walks to the front. Brandon is a record producer and co-wrote some of the songs on Robbie's last album, Rudebox.
"I just wanted to ask, why don't you buy a better camera?" he says. A slight gasp reverberates around the hall. People don't usually ask cynical questions at UFO conferences. read more at music.guardian.co.uk
It's time for the Q&A. Unexpectedly, Robbie's friend Brandon stands up and walks to the front. Brandon is a record producer and co-wrote some of the songs on Robbie's last album, Rudebox.
"I just wanted to ask, why don't you buy a better camera?" he says. A slight gasp reverberates around the hall. People don't usually ask cynical questions at UFO conferences. read more at music.guardian.co.uk
Sunday, April 20, 2008
A Russian Soyuz capsule returned to Earth Saturday, but missed its planned landing point by 260 miles. The crew -- Yi So-yeon (South Korea's first astronaut), Yuri Malenchenko (Russia) and Peggy Whitson (America) -- are safe, but were subjected to severe G-forces during a steeper than normal 'ballistic re-entry,' a spokesman for mission control said. More info and video report available at BBC News.
Yesterday we did our part to help clean up the wildlife refuge. It's the least we can do for the privilege of being able to ride our ATVs there! (a few of the pictures are uploaded to my home page) There was some talk of light rain or drizzle, but it never happened. It turned out to be a beautiful day for it. Almost too hot by afternoon. Ashley drove the Hawkeye while I rode on the trailer and jumped off to apprehend the occasional can or wrapper. I think she actually enjoyed herself, although she'd never admit. She only said she was bored about 100 times, instead of the normal 1000 times! At first she somewhat forgot that I was riding on the trailer and ended up soaking me while going through one of the bigger water puddles! I'm certain she enjoyed that most of all!
The Hawkeye did a strange thing. I think it was just a little hot and vapor locked from riding double and pulling a trailer. After a short break, we took off and it made it about 30 feet and quit running. It acted as though it was flooded. Had to hold the throttle wide open to get it to go again. It was fine before that and after though. Just a freak thing, I guess.
Our house water pump has been acting up a little again. The well is no good, and has been no good since we bought this shack almost 20 years ago. It seemed like it was trying to over-pump the well, like it has done many times in the past. I had to adjust the output a little again yesterday, while I was trying to get loaded up to go to the refuge, then again when I got home last night. One of these days it will quit altogether. The price of a new well is incredible. I'd pound my own new well down, but it's too far to water here for a shallow-well pump to work. Just another one of those things.
JR came over last night after I got home, and we went for a short bike ride around the block. All that fresh air and exercise sure made me tired, and then I still stayed up until midnight watching Dr. Who and South Park (the new season of Dr. Who starts next Saturday night - yea!). Plus, I went out and took a bunch of pictures of the night sky again.
Here's a few of last night's pictures:
Last night's moon.
ISO speed rating: 80
Shutter speed: 1/40 sec
Aperture: f/8.0
Zoom (Focal length): 330mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Time taken: 10:18 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
Moon through clouds and trees.
ISO speed rating: 80
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/8.0
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Time taken: 10:23 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
An exact representation of the sky last night (if your monitor is adjusted properly). I'm finally learning how to take night sky pictures! Oh ya, and this camera helps too.
ISO speed rating: 200
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Time taken: 10:28 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
The Hawkeye did a strange thing. I think it was just a little hot and vapor locked from riding double and pulling a trailer. After a short break, we took off and it made it about 30 feet and quit running. It acted as though it was flooded. Had to hold the throttle wide open to get it to go again. It was fine before that and after though. Just a freak thing, I guess.
Our house water pump has been acting up a little again. The well is no good, and has been no good since we bought this shack almost 20 years ago. It seemed like it was trying to over-pump the well, like it has done many times in the past. I had to adjust the output a little again yesterday, while I was trying to get loaded up to go to the refuge, then again when I got home last night. One of these days it will quit altogether. The price of a new well is incredible. I'd pound my own new well down, but it's too far to water here for a shallow-well pump to work. Just another one of those things.
JR came over last night after I got home, and we went for a short bike ride around the block. All that fresh air and exercise sure made me tired, and then I still stayed up until midnight watching Dr. Who and South Park (the new season of Dr. Who starts next Saturday night - yea!). Plus, I went out and took a bunch of pictures of the night sky again.
Here's a few of last night's pictures:
Last night's moon.
ISO speed rating: 80
Shutter speed: 1/40 sec
Aperture: f/8.0
Zoom (Focal length): 330mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Time taken: 10:18 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
Moon through clouds and trees.
ISO speed rating: 80
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/8.0
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Time taken: 10:23 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
An exact representation of the sky last night (if your monitor is adjusted properly). I'm finally learning how to take night sky pictures! Oh ya, and this camera helps too.
ISO speed rating: 200
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Time taken: 10:28 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Along with superstars like Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, and Shia LaBeouf, the newest Indiana Jones movie promises to showcase one of the most enigmatic classes of artifacts known to archaeologists, crystal skulls that first surfaced in the 19th century and that specialists attributed to various "ancient Mesoamerican" cultures. In this article, Smithsonian anthropologist Jane MacLaren Walsh shares her own adventures analyzing the artifacts that inspired Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (in theaters May 22), and details her efforts tracking down a mysterious "obtainer of rare antiquities" who may have held the key to the origin of these exotic objects. read more at archaeology.org
A Chetek family driving on Hwy. 53 near Hwy. 8 at about 9:40 on Monday evening, April 14 is convinced they had an encounter with a UFO. Sheriff’s dispatch logs have reports from Chetek and Cameron at about the same time.
But Rice Lake airport manager Jerry Stites said he reviewed the survelliance tapes from the airport, which could have recorded activity along Hwy. 53, and found nothing unusual. He did say, however, that the tape showed an aircraft doing touch-and-go landings at the airport from about 9:20-10:35 p.m. read more at chronotype.com
But Rice Lake airport manager Jerry Stites said he reviewed the survelliance tapes from the airport, which could have recorded activity along Hwy. 53, and found nothing unusual. He did say, however, that the tape showed an aircraft doing touch-and-go landings at the airport from about 9:20-10:35 p.m. read more at chronotype.com
Friday, April 18, 2008
After all the "do not call" lists, legislation, and other anti-spam initiatives that have been tried over the last few years, you'd think the spam problem would have gotten better and not worse. Unfortunately, the problem has grown to a point that many find it difficult to even do business (reliably) via electronic mail. Of course, part of the problem is that people continue to click on spam and the links within the spam message since there would be no market for spam if no one responded to it! And of course, many spammers don't follow the law, or worse, exploit it so that they include an "unsubscribe" link in the spam as required by law, but clicking on it does nothing but validate that your email really exists and puts you on even bigger spamming lists! Bottom line: never respond to spam, never click on "unsubscribe" links unless they relate to services that you know you signed up for, and never, ever click on links within a spam message! read more at steves-digicams.com
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The International Space Station is growing. In the past six months alone, astronauts have unfurled 230-ft solar wings, added a 30,000-lb docking port (Harmony), installed a 28,000-lb science lab (Columbus) and, while they were at it, a European robot ship (Jules Verne) flew up to the ISS and docked itself.
A new round of flybys over North America begins in early May.
A new round of flybys over North America begins in early May.
Appearing during the first three hours on Coast to Coast AM last night, retired professor of climatology, Dr. Tim Ball argued that climate change is not due to manmade causes such as increased CO2. Environmental issues are being politicized and exploited, he said. It is arrogance that we can stop climate change, and human energy into the system is miniscule-- global climate change is caused by natural cycles mostly related to the sun and the oceans, he noted.
The bullying atmosphere about the future of our planet is misguided, and environmental extremism leads us away from the real issues, he commented. For instance, fears of overpopulation begun in the 1960s have not played out, and if anything, there is a bigger problem of declining populations, Ball offered. He also addressed water concerns-- droughts are part of a cycle, such as in the Great Plains of North America, which undergoes a 22-year pattern.
It is a myth that fossil fuels are running out, and the increased usage of biofuels such as ethanol is threatening world food production, he detailed. For more, see this article Ball wrote for the Canada Free Press.
The bullying atmosphere about the future of our planet is misguided, and environmental extremism leads us away from the real issues, he commented. For instance, fears of overpopulation begun in the 1960s have not played out, and if anything, there is a bigger problem of declining populations, Ball offered. He also addressed water concerns-- droughts are part of a cycle, such as in the Great Plains of North America, which undergoes a 22-year pattern.
It is a myth that fossil fuels are running out, and the increased usage of biofuels such as ethanol is threatening world food production, he detailed. For more, see this article Ball wrote for the Canada Free Press.
To get the most out of viewing digital images on your computer, you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C. If not, you can adjust your monitor's contrast and/or brightness setting. This alters the monitor's perceived gamma.
In digital imaging systems, color management is the controlled conversion between the color representations of various devices, such as image scanners, digital cameras, monitors, TV screens, film printers, computer printers, offset presses, and corresponding media.
The primary goal of color management is to obtain a good match across color devices; for example, a video which should appear the same color on a computer LCD monitor, a plasma TV screen, and on a printed frame of video. Color management helps to achieve the same appearance on all of these devices, provided the devices are capable of delivering the needed color intensities. read more at wikipedia.org
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Last night's sky photos:
The moon was so bright that it washed out a lot of the stars.
This one was at 200 ISO.
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Time taken: 8:52 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
400 ISO. A bit darker and a little more noise than 200 ISO.
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Time taken: 9:14 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
Next time I will experiment more with ISO. Soon as the moon is gone in the evenings, the stars should pop out in the pictures better - will be interesting to see if my theory is correct.
The moon was so bright that it washed out a lot of the stars.
This one was at 200 ISO.
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Time taken: 8:52 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
400 ISO. A bit darker and a little more noise than 200 ISO.
Shutter speed: 15.0 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Zoom (Focal length): 33mm (equiv.)*
Exposure bias: +0.0 EV
Original image size: 640 x 480 Pixels
Flash used: No
Date taken: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Time taken: 9:14 PM
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
Next time I will experiment more with ISO. Soon as the moon is gone in the evenings, the stars should pop out in the pictures better - will be interesting to see if my theory is correct.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
I couldn't see the ISS last night. It was supposed to be quite low to the horizon, and it must have been behind the trees. There are no more visible passes at least through April 25th now.
I did manage to take my first (and so far only) night sky photo that actually has stars in it! I set up the tripod, pushed some buttons on the camera, flicked around some of the settings, set the timer, and walked away. 15 seconds later I looked at the viewfinder and there were stars! I was so excited that I never even tried to take a second picture - I grabbed the tripod and ran in the house to show everybody! I had it pointed in the general direction of the little dipper, and you can see part of it in the picture. The next night I go out my pictures should be better because maybe I'll think a little harder about the settings etc. And as soon as the moonlight goes away again it should help too.
Click to see the stars!
I did manage to take my first (and so far only) night sky photo that actually has stars in it! I set up the tripod, pushed some buttons on the camera, flicked around some of the settings, set the timer, and walked away. 15 seconds later I looked at the viewfinder and there were stars! I was so excited that I never even tried to take a second picture - I grabbed the tripod and ran in the house to show everybody! I had it pointed in the general direction of the little dipper, and you can see part of it in the picture. The next night I go out my pictures should be better because maybe I'll think a little harder about the settings etc. And as soon as the moonlight goes away again it should help too.
Click to see the stars!
Monday, April 14, 2008
A defective, new, power steering pump. Yep, that's what it was. I sold auto parts for ten years (and was the manager of a NAPA for a few of those), so I know how it is. It happens sometimes, albeit not too often, but it does happen. Of course, my luck (or the lack of it) always dictates that if there is a defective part anywhere to be found, it's in my hands!
I came straight home after milking this morning and didn't even take my barn boots off. I headed directly to the garage and started taking the defective pump back off, and pulled the pulley. With that done, I called the WI Rapids Autozone to see what my options were. They were out. The only one they stock was the defective one I bought. He could get me another one tomorrow. Or, since he understood that I needed it last night, he would refund my money. Advance Auto, just down the road from them, had one in stock. So that's what I did, got my money back, zipped down to Advance on the way out of town, and picked one up from them. The guys at Autozone are great and were very apologetic for the defective part, but I understand it isn't their fault. Shit happens. And if anybody knows first hand that shit happens, it's Karen and I! Ha ha!
And the next new one from Advance Auto works great. No screaming sounds, no foaming fluid, and no leaking! I went through all the fluid I had last night (two quarts - $10 worth) and had to buy more today. Didn't need very much this time, with no leaking.
My poor, old, bald tire, pickup truck went 200 miles in the last two days. Shit, I only drove it 1500 all of last year! Normally the only time is leaves the garage these days is to haul my ATV to Necedah! In those 200 miles it didn't quite use 6 gallons of gas. It may not look like much, but it always did get in the upper 30s for gas mileage.
Here's the old pump still on the car - the bearing was blown completely out - balls everywhere!
Here's the old pump off the car with the pulley still on it, to the right of the new defective pump (not yet known when I took the picture).
Here's the $40 kit for pulling the pulley off the old pump - and then again off of the new defective pump this morning.
Now onto other projects!
I came straight home after milking this morning and didn't even take my barn boots off. I headed directly to the garage and started taking the defective pump back off, and pulled the pulley. With that done, I called the WI Rapids Autozone to see what my options were. They were out. The only one they stock was the defective one I bought. He could get me another one tomorrow. Or, since he understood that I needed it last night, he would refund my money. Advance Auto, just down the road from them, had one in stock. So that's what I did, got my money back, zipped down to Advance on the way out of town, and picked one up from them. The guys at Autozone are great and were very apologetic for the defective part, but I understand it isn't their fault. Shit happens. And if anybody knows first hand that shit happens, it's Karen and I! Ha ha!
And the next new one from Advance Auto works great. No screaming sounds, no foaming fluid, and no leaking! I went through all the fluid I had last night (two quarts - $10 worth) and had to buy more today. Didn't need very much this time, with no leaking.
My poor, old, bald tire, pickup truck went 200 miles in the last two days. Shit, I only drove it 1500 all of last year! Normally the only time is leaves the garage these days is to haul my ATV to Necedah! In those 200 miles it didn't quite use 6 gallons of gas. It may not look like much, but it always did get in the upper 30s for gas mileage.
Here's the old pump still on the car - the bearing was blown completely out - balls everywhere!
Here's the old pump off the car with the pulley still on it, to the right of the new defective pump (not yet known when I took the picture).
Here's the $40 kit for pulling the pulley off the old pump - and then again off of the new defective pump this morning.
Now onto other projects!
After the sun sets tonight, go outside and look south. You'll see Saturn, the Moon, and the star Regulus gathered together in the form of a triangle. With the bright Moon to guide your attention, Saturn is easy to find. Got a telescope? Point it at Saturn and see the planet's rings.
You might be able to catch a glimpse of the International Space Station passing low in the southwest sky tonight at 8:00 pm. This looks like it will be the last time it will flyby until at least April 24th. But don't despair, because if I have anymore trouble replacing the power steering pump on the wife's Jeep Cherokee today, I'm going to blast that S.O.B. into orbit and we'll be able to watch it flyby!
You might be able to catch a glimpse of the International Space Station passing low in the southwest sky tonight at 8:00 pm. This looks like it will be the last time it will flyby until at least April 24th. But don't despair, because if I have anymore trouble replacing the power steering pump on the wife's Jeep Cherokee today, I'm going to blast that S.O.B. into orbit and we'll be able to watch it flyby!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The bearing went bad in the power steering pump today on the wife's Cherokee. I went to Autozone in the Rapids and got a new one. Changed it, and the new one leaks terrible! So, tomorrow I'll take the $181 new pump back off, pull the pulley off of it with the $40 pulley puller, and back to the Rapids to exchange it for another one. Hopefully a good one this time.
Oh well, that's just the way it goes. No big deal really. The wife and I have had so much bad luck in our lives that it doesn't bother us much anymore. Just one more day. No different really than being poor. We don't notice it much, since we've never actually had money to know the difference! Ha ha!
Doesn't look like I'll be trying out the night photography tonight. Maybe tomorrow.
Oh well, that's just the way it goes. No big deal really. The wife and I have had so much bad luck in our lives that it doesn't bother us much anymore. Just one more day. No different really than being poor. We don't notice it much, since we've never actually had money to know the difference! Ha ha!
Doesn't look like I'll be trying out the night photography tonight. Maybe tomorrow.
So here I am at 3:30 this morning letting the dogs out and checking the fire and I notice that the stars are shining! Yeehaw! In my excitement I almost grab my camera and head out to try my hand at night sky photography, like I've been studying, but decide against it. I think I'll wait until tonight, probably. A clear sky just seems like such a rare thing lately that I don't want to miss the opportunity. Sounds like better weather ahead though.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Where's Waldo?
A Canadian artist has brought the game into the 21st Century, by painting an enormous Wally that can be seen by Google Earth satellites.
The 55ft figure was installed on an undisclosed rooftop in Vancouver last month, sparking a flurry of interest among internet users keen to be the first to spot this Web 2.0 Wally. read more at telegraph.co.uk
A Canadian artist has brought the game into the 21st Century, by painting an enormous Wally that can be seen by Google Earth satellites.
The 55ft figure was installed on an undisclosed rooftop in Vancouver last month, sparking a flurry of interest among internet users keen to be the first to spot this Web 2.0 Wally. read more at telegraph.co.uk
Friday, April 11, 2008
After milking the cows this morning, I grabbed the saw and finished cleaning up the tree that fell. First thing, I hit a nail or piece of wire in it. I think it was probably a nail. Somebody most likely nailed a sign to it many years ago. It was pretty high up on the tree to be a fence wire. I managed to finish cutting it up though. Fortunately it was an old chain anyway, and I think I got it sharpened fairly good again. I'll see how it cuts next time I head out into the woods with it. I have a couple new spare chains in stock, if I need one, plus the spare saw has a good chain on it and I have a few used chains yet that are in pretty good shape. I guess I got it covered.
Anyway, the wood is all split and stacked in the pile. It'll probably be about 4 years or so before I burn that tree.
What sucky weather. I guess I'll never get to try my technique for taking night sky photos. I'm beginning to think the space station will grow old and fall back to Earth before I ever see it again! Some of the information I have doesn't show the ISS coming into view at all for the next ten days now. Another source I use shows tonight will be a high and very bright pass, starting at 8:32 pm from the west, then a real low pass in the WSW tomorrow night at 8:53 pm. Then nothing until sometime after April 22nd. Yet a third source I use shows a real low pass again on the 14th at 7:59 pm out of the west. So, after compiling the data from all three sources, this is what I'll say is the upcoming schedule:
ISS Schedule:
11 Apr 8:30:26 WNW
12 Apr 8:52:25 W
14 Apr 7:59:55 W
Anyway, the wood is all split and stacked in the pile. It'll probably be about 4 years or so before I burn that tree.
What sucky weather. I guess I'll never get to try my technique for taking night sky photos. I'm beginning to think the space station will grow old and fall back to Earth before I ever see it again! Some of the information I have doesn't show the ISS coming into view at all for the next ten days now. Another source I use shows tonight will be a high and very bright pass, starting at 8:32 pm from the west, then a real low pass in the WSW tomorrow night at 8:53 pm. Then nothing until sometime after April 22nd. Yet a third source I use shows a real low pass again on the 14th at 7:59 pm out of the west. So, after compiling the data from all three sources, this is what I'll say is the upcoming schedule:
ISS Schedule:
11 Apr 8:30:26 WNW
12 Apr 8:52:25 W
14 Apr 7:59:55 W
Thursday, April 10, 2008
While I was milking the cows, a dead oak tipped over just a few yards from my mailbox and was blocking most of the road. As soon as I saw it, this being a busy highway with almost nobody on it that knows how to watch the road, I grabbed one of my trusty Stihl 026s and removed it from the road. It's a tree that I have been wanting to cut down for a long time (it's not actually on my property anyway, but on my cousin's) but it leaned right over the road. Too risky for me to drop it on the road and have some dumbass crash into it. Mother Nature took care of it for me tonight. There's several more ready to do the same thing!
Now if it quits raining long enough, tomorrow I'll go out and process it and add it to one of my piles.
Now if it quits raining long enough, tomorrow I'll go out and process it and add it to one of my piles.
Reminder - Castle Rock Family ATV Club Clean-up Day, April 19, 2008
Club Members and Interested Parties:
The next club activity will be our annual, route clean-up day. We will meet
at 10:00am in the Vets Hall parking lot in Necedah. Following the clean-up
ride, we will have a potluck at the Vets Hall, please bring a dish to pass.
The club will furnish the meat, etc. This information and other schedule
activities are also posted on the club web site www.crfatvc.com .
See you next Saturday, April 19th.
For the Board of Directors
Roger
Club Members and Interested Parties:
The next club activity will be our annual, route clean-up day. We will meet
at 10:00am in the Vets Hall parking lot in Necedah. Following the clean-up
ride, we will have a potluck at the Vets Hall, please bring a dish to pass.
The club will furnish the meat, etc. This information and other schedule
activities are also posted on the club web site www.crfatvc.com .
See you next Saturday, April 19th.
For the Board of Directors
Roger
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Maybe one of these nights the clouds will finally go away!
Almost any camera—either digital or film—will work for photographing the night sky, as long as you can adjust it manually to take time exposures of 10 seconds or longer (an all-automatic camera probably won’t work well for nighttime sky photos, I’m afraid).
For film, an older mechanical camera body—one that doesn’t use batteries to open the shutter—will usually work best. That doesn't mean that your automatic or semi-automatic camera won't work. It's just that long exposures tend to sap battery strength, and you may find yourself changing batteries more frequently than you'd prefer. Always carry with you plenty of spare batteries and a battery charger.
Digital cameras can do a great job if you can set them for a fast ISO (200 or 400), and don’t need to take exposures longer than about 30 seconds or so.........Night Sky Photo Tips from dennismammana.com
REMINDER: ISS tonight, 9:22 pm, WNW.
This will be a fairly bright and fairly high pass. But, if I'm reading the information correctly, we won't be able to see it all the way to the eastern horizon because it will pass into Earth's shadow and wink out 2 minutes after it rises. Hopefully all the snow and clouds are gone for a few hours now and we'll have a clear evening!
Upcoming (both bright and high):
10 Apr 8:08:52 NW
11 Apr 8:30:19 WNW
This will be a fairly bright and fairly high pass. But, if I'm reading the information correctly, we won't be able to see it all the way to the eastern horizon because it will pass into Earth's shadow and wink out 2 minutes after it rises. Hopefully all the snow and clouds are gone for a few hours now and we'll have a clear evening!
Upcoming (both bright and high):
10 Apr 8:08:52 NW
11 Apr 8:30:19 WNW
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
I really did it now. Yep, I sure did. I cut my first firewood this year! Exciting, I know. I didn't get stuck either, in what's left of the snow. I can't believe it's April and I was just now able to get out there in the woods. Normally I cut periodically all winter long. Global Warming.
Usually there isn't anybody else out there. My good neighbors haven't been up all winter, but hopefully I'll see them again soon. I get to the spot where I'm going to be cutting, and there's a guy standing in the middle of it! Turns out he's from the forestry office of the DNR and doing their spring survey of the neighbor's property, since it's in the forest management program. Had a nice chat with him about the woods etc.
Brrr. It's not real cold, but it sure feels chilly! Looks like it could rain at any minute.
Usually there isn't anybody else out there. My good neighbors haven't been up all winter, but hopefully I'll see them again soon. I get to the spot where I'm going to be cutting, and there's a guy standing in the middle of it! Turns out he's from the forestry office of the DNR and doing their spring survey of the neighbor's property, since it's in the forest management program. Had a nice chat with him about the woods etc.
Brrr. It's not real cold, but it sure feels chilly! Looks like it could rain at any minute.
At just 1ft 11 in tall, she is dwarfed by her neighbour's baby, but Jyoti Amge is 15 years old. The teenager, who is the world's smallest girl according to the Indian Book of Records, has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia. Now fully grown, she weighs just 11 lb. read more at telegraph.co.uk
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