30 June 09 - 22:59The government, here to help you!!

FLASH: The Employment Situation for June 2009 is scheduled to be released on July 2, 2009, at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time.

Place your bets ladies and gentlemen.  What will be happening to the number of people that are unemployed?  Here you see the change in employment which has been downward every month for the last 17 months. Yes, ladies and germs, we are about to mark a steady decline in the number of employed people in the US for exactly 18 months when the stats for June come out, unless.........

The stimulus starts working. ? .

These are exciting times, if the number of people canned and losing their jobs goes up like it did at the beginning of the year, we can see double digit unemployment.  I have never seen that.  My money says I will.  Here is why.

In the 1970's we had trouble with the economy, inflation was the culprit of the era.  Inflation started taking off in the last year of Nixon's first term. Economic woes dogged Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan.  It was Reagan that finally licked inflation, but not before unemployment hit a peak of about 10% in Reagan's second and third years in office.  IN HIS SECOND AND THIRD YEAR!!!

These things don't go away quickly, folks.

Here is a quote "Dealing skillfully with Congress, Reagan obtained legislation to stimulate economic growth, curb inflation, increase employment, and strengthen national defense. He embarked upon a course of cutting taxes and Government expenditures, refusing to deviate from it.... At the end of his administration, the Nation was enjoying its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity without recession or depression."

Reagan had a plan and it took a long time for it to work.  Believe me, without a plan it takes longer.  Reagan's plan included breaks for business, tax cuts, etc.  We have seen none of this yet from our current leadership.  We are playing around with sissy stuff, while that economy is ignored.  My friends,forget about the rise in temperature (yes, it is occuring, but we are not causing it).  Instead be afraid for your job, your quality of life, and your ability to get ahead.

These things are being ignored by our leaders.  Whipping a sick horse and drawing blood from the animal do not make the horse faster or stronger.  The same goes for the economy, and the American way.

Again, my money is for more and more and more economic trouble until our leaders form a plan.  Currently, they are either clueless or negligent.  Either has the same effect.

Go team, go government team...   It's not just Obama anymore.

Lincoln - default - Leave a Comment - § ¶

29 June 09 - 00:13300 Feet? Really.

I just heard a number on one of the "Naughty Global Warming" shows that pollute the airwaves these days.  They threw out the figure of 300 feet that I keep hearing from time to time for the amount that the world oceans would rise if the ice caps completely melted.  Let's see about that.

Should be easy to figure out.  Here are some data that allow the calculation to take place.  The formula is easy, somthing from grade school math.

Volume equals area times height (V = A X h)     -so-

Height equals volume divided by area (h = V/A)

The data is from well established sources such as US Geological Survey numbers available on the internet.

Area of the World = 488,000,000 square kilometers
Area of the Oceans = 361,000,000 square kilometers
Area of the Land = 127,000,000 square kilometers

First of all, we only can consider ice that is on land.  Based on Archimedes principal, ice floating in the ocean will not increase the level of the ocean when it melts.  If you have trouble with this call me, I can work you through it.

From the USGS, the volume of ice in Greenland and Antarctica add to 32,709,800 cubic kilometers.

Thus if this ice were deposited in the oceans,..

Volume of Ice = 32,709,800 cubic kilometers
Area of the Oceans = 361,000,000 square kilometers

Lets do it. 

h= V/A = 32,709,800/361,000,000 = 0.0906 km = 90.6 meters

That's 297 feet.  Damn.

Lincoln - default - Leave a Comment - § ¶

28 June 09 - 23:12Stimulus that works or tax the air...

Which will it be.  Government programs or world leadership.  As we wallow in a recession it seems odd that we are working on ways to restrict industry and the ability to produce.  Afterall, this production will take place somewhere.  As I was reading about the space program of the 1960s when we set a national priority to send a man to the moon, I kept thinking, why do we not take advantage of global opportunity?

This graph shows opprotunity.  The world is using tons of steel.  We could be making it.  If we make more than we need we can sell it on the open market.  In the short term, we have a market at home.  We are currently using about 15% more steel than we make.  An immediate domestic market exists with proper government encouragement.

Next the world.  We are making only 4% of the world's steel.  That means there is a lot of steel being made.  What ever happened to good old American know-how?  If we are to be a world leader we need to lead in industry.  If we are to be a world leader we need to understand the world.  At this time our leadership seems to exhibit neither world leadership in industry or understanding of the world.

Go government team, might as well tax the air instead, at least you understand taxes and what not.  Obama wants to be a world leader?  Any time, my president, any time.

Lincoln - default - Leave a Comment - § ¶

26 June 09 - 01:57Thank you

Thank you Clarence Thomas for being the only voice of reason on the Supreme Court today.  I quit teaching years ago and the lack of options to discipline students was one of my concerns.

Rights?  Bullshit.  This little girl is probably a spoiled brat that is out of control and our Supreme Court does not understand in the least what they have done here.

Again, thank you Clarence Thomas for being the voice of reason in a sea of stupidity provided by both liberals and conservatives it would seem in this case.

Lincoln - default - Leave a Comment - § ¶

26 June 09 - 00:56Naughty Global Warming

As the men and women in Washington "wrangle" with carbon credits, greenhouse gas control, and other methods to "tax the air."  I keep asking myself how the American people, in fact, the people of the world, can be so gullible.  We are docile sheep who do not understand even the basics of energy budgets in our atmosphere, yet we allow greenhouse gas zealots to get to us through the media.

All global warming news stories and public statements always place an adjective before the words "global warming" such as "harmful", "dangerous", "damaging", "anthropomorphic", etc.  The news folks will talk about how deep the oceans will be, how scarce the food will be, and how hot the noon day sun will be.  Then, they pop in a piece about how we need to curtail "greenhouse gas emissions" which is followed up by a discussion of that bad boy product of combustion "carbon dioxide."

Never a bother as to how this minor constituent of the atmosphere is actually controlling climate, just chatter on what is happening with the climate.  The climate is trending hotter.  We get that.  Now, what is the mechanism that allows this minor player in the overall system to leverage everything else?

I look, and look, and look, but I still don't find it.  I did find this nice picture of a polar bear however.

Lincoln - default - Leave a Comment - § ¶

23 June 09 - 23:09Quotable quotes that make you think!

• A day without sunshine is like night.
• On the other hand, you have different fingers.
• 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
• Remember, half the people you know are below average.
• He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
• Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
• How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
• Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
• What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
• Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?'
• Just remember -- if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.
• Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
• Support bacteria. They're the only culture most people have.
• A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
• Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
• If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
• How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.
• OK, so what's the speed of dark?
• When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
• Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
• Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos.
• What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow.

Lincoln - default - Leave a Comment - § ¶

21 June 09 - 20:11Test Pilots, the X-15, IGY, and My Weekly Reader

In 1952, the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) proposed a comprehensive series of global activities to span the period July 1957-December 1958, the International Geophysical Year (IGY).  This was when I first learned about sun spots as a first and then second grade student in Lisbon, ND.  It was also where I learned about Sputnik, Vanguard, Explorer, and a variety of of space related things.  One of the ways I learned was through the Weekly Reader, a newsprint magazine which we received every week in grade school.

The Weekly Reader shown here has a picture of Iven Carl Kincheloe, Jr., in a March 1958 issue.  He is holding a model of the Bell X-2 research rocket plane which he had flown to a world's record the previous fall.  Here the article states he will soon be flying the X-15 rocket plane to the edge of outer space and teases the reader that he may be the first man to do so.  It didn't happen. While flying a jet over the Mojave Desert the following summer in 1958, he crashed to his death.

His replacement, Robert M. White, successfully flew 16 flights, reached the edge of space and pushed the test craft to a speed of over 4000 miles per hour (Mach 6).  Other test pilots were not so lucky and met the fate of Kincheloe. One involved an X-15 rocket craft.  There were three of them.  The jinxed plane was X-15 number 3.

The third X-15, while doing engine tests was nearly destroyed in an explosion on a test stand.  The explosion occured when a worker placed a fuel vent in a bucket of water to get rid of it's smell, which was bothering him.  The man at the controls survived and this same plane was rebuilt, delivered, and successfully flew until on X-15 Flight 3-65-97 (X-15 Flight 191) in November 1967 pilot Michael J. Adams was killed when he could not completely recover from a spin and the plane broke up in mid air.

Possibly the most famous X-15 pilot was Joseph Albert Walker. In 1960, he was the first NASA pilot to fly the X-15 aircraft after initial tests by North American Grummand (the manufacturer) test pilot, Scott Crossfield.  Walker would fly the X-15 24 times, and was the first to fly into space. Walker was killed on June 8, 1966, when his F-104 collided with an XB-70 Valkyrie. Walker had been flying for a publicity photo, and was knocked out of control by the supersonic bomber's wake.  The "publicity" photo is shown here to the right.

Want to read about the X-15?  Go here to the NASA X-15 Page.

Lincoln - default - Leave a Comment - § ¶

19 June 09 - 00:46My Youth and the X-15

I am reading a book.  I just started it.  The book is titled "Angle of Attack, Harrison Storms and the Race to the Moon" and it was recommended to me by a stranger when we started talking about our backgrounds during a call that was originally work related.

All I have read are the introduction, the forward, and part of the first chapter, but the topic of the first chapter is the X-15.  I read all about the X planes as a young child, even before my age had entered double digits.  I was very well aware of the accomplishments of the planes and pilots such as Chuck Yeager, and I also knew exactly what the significance of the X-15 design was in comparison to other man controlled airplanes.

The X-15 was propelled by a rocket engine, not a ramjet, not a turbojet, but a rocket engine.  A rocket engine, I learned, carries its own oxidizer as well as fuel, thus it is not limited to gathering oxygen from the environment.  This meant that the X-15 could travel into outer space, where there is no oxygen.

I read and read about how these things worked.  The way the X-15 was carried up to altitude in a cradle under the wing of a B-52, then dropped to start its rocket engine and fly to the edge of space.  How exciting that was for me.  And the best part of the book?  I know what happens next, and now I can read about the men responsible for making this happen.

Wow.

Lincoln - default - one Comment - Leave yours - § ¶

14 June 09 - 23:22UFOs of the past and the Future

This is something I believe.  We are not alone.  If it is not possible for others to travel in time and space to our planet, then it is impossible for us to do so to the stars and planets of the heavens.  I believe we will one day understand enough of the fabric of the universe to travel through it.  In fact, if you believe in God, you must believe that travel from one end of the universe to the other within a reasonable time frame is possible.  Now, what about visits from aliens.  What is the record?  Here is one.  

This is part of Ezekial Chapter 1, from the Jewish and Christian Bible.  This is the bible passage where the "Wheel within a wheel" is talked about as well as other things.  Many people think this may be a reference to what we call a UFO today, in its most exotic meaning, an alien spacecraft.  I believe that this is likely true.  Look at the picture gallery and think of how you would describe these things if the only wheels you had ever seen were wooden wheels on oxcarts or fancy wooden wheels on chariots.

...And I saw, and behold a whirlwind came out of the north: and a great cloud, and a fire infolding it, and brightness was about it: and out of the midst thereof, that is, out of the midst of the fire, as it were the resemblance of amber: 5 And in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures: and this was their appearance: there was the likeness of a man in them. 6 Every one had four faces, and every one four wings. 7 Their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their foot was like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like the appearance of glowing brass. 8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides: and they had faces, and wings on the four sides, 9 And the wings of one were joined to the wings of another. They turned not when they went: but every one went straight forward. 10 And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox, on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four. 11 And their faces, and their wings were stretched upward: two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their bodies:

12 And every one of them went straight forward: whither the impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went: and they turned not when they went. 13 And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, and lightning going forth from the fire. 14 And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning. 15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared upon the earth by the living creatures one wheel with four faces. 16 And the appearance of the wheels, and the work of them was like the appearance of the sea: and the four had all one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the midst of a wheel. 17 When they went, they went by their four parts... That is, indifferently to any of their sides either forward or backward: to the right or to the left. 18 The wheels had also a size, and a height, and a dreadful appearance: and the whole body was full of eyes round about all the four. 19 And, when the living creatures went, the wheels also went together by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up with them. 20 Whithersoever the spirit went, thither as the spirit went the wheels also were lifted up withal, and followed it: for the spirit of life was in the wheels. 21 When those went these went, and when those stood these stood, and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together, and followed them: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.

22 And over the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of the firmament, the appearance of crystal terrible to behold, and stretched out over their heads above. 23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other, every one with two wings covered his body, and the other was covered in like manner. 24 And I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, as it were the voice of the most high God: when they walked, it was like the voice of a multitude, like the noise of an army, and when they stood, their wings were let down. 25 For when a voice came from above the firmament, that was over their heads, they stood, and let down their wings. 26 And above the firmament that was over their heads, was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of the sapphire stone, and upon the likeness of the throne, was the likeness of the appearance of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as it were the resemblance of amber as the appearance of fire within it round about: from his loins and upward, and from his loins downward, I saw as it were the resemblance of fire shining round about. 28 As the appearance of the rainbow when it is in a cloud on a rainy day: this was the appearance of the brightness round about....

We have plenty of examples of wheels within wheels in modern contrivances, and some if them might even have had a complicated or dreadful appearance to a man living in Ezekial's time.  For now, I am thinking about the "wheels", later we can talk some more about other pars of this same historical document.

Is this man of the past really telling us about a mechanical vehicle that is difficult for him to explain, based on his life experience?

Lincoln - default - one Comment - Leave yours - § ¶

14 June 09 - 00:43Liberal Thinking

Here is a headline from the New York Times, "A.I.G. Balks at Claims From Jet Ditching in Hudson".  This interested me enough to read more.  So I did.  Here is the bitch,

Attorneys (I peg them as liberals by virtue of their job decision) are grousing that AIG is not paying claims from the US Airways flight that crashed into the Hudson recently.  AIG insures airlines for instances where they might be negligent.

Recall that the plane took off and was being guided by air traffic control when it sucked in birds which caused the engines to quit.  No negligence there.  The plane was being flown in the manner prescribed by the current protocol.

Then the pilot (US Airlines employee representing the company in the situation) landed the plane and basically saved everyone on board with only minor injuries. Then the company (US Airline) gave everyone on the flight $5,000 to cover inconveniences, loss of clothing and computers, etc. caused by a situation which was out of their control.  The airline did not have to do this.

Here is the test for you.  Do you think that AIG should pay claims for those who feel further inconvenience due to this incident?

If you do, you are a liberal.  You believe that nothing happens that is the fault of the person who is the underdog or feels bad as a result.  It is not pain and misery that determines you should get a pot full of money, if you are trying to sue somebody or make a claim based on an incident in your life that was inconvenient, there has to be somebody other than birds at fault.

That is why liars, oops, I mean lawyers exist.  To twist the truth to suit the needs of people who want to extort money from people with deep pockets.  This is also why I am not a lawyer.

Sorry, Alan.

Lincoln - default - one Comment - Leave yours - § ¶

10 June 09 - 23:18Change you can count on.....

I am still hoping that the "change we can count on" starts improving the economy.  I see we are bullying Israel, that is a change.  Ignoring the fact that Muslims have a sizeable extremist following that seem out to get us is a breath of fresh air and being buddies with latin American bullies is also new.

My family has two members on the verge of changing their unwavering support for any breathing Democrat, that's definately a change I never thought I would see in my lifetime.

I remember in the 70's when inflation was out of control Nixon, Ford, and Carter fought it daily with different ideas plans and programs.  It was Reagan who licked it by encouraging Volcker to raise interest rates and then moving in with supply side economics of the type expoused by John Kennedy (you saw that correctly) to restart the economy.

Essentially Reagan and Volcker tuned the economy and it has run pretty damn well for quite some time.  Now the economy needs tuning and leadership, again.  In the past four presidents in a row worked daily on the ecomomy to get it running well.  Obama has given us the most expensive pork barrel bill ever.  EVER!!!!  This done he has done little else to redirect the economy.  Now that's change!  Instead of focusing on this huge issue, we can bully Israel and wander about Europe again.

Change you can count on.  Count on it!

Lincoln - default - Leave a Comment - § ¶

07 June 09 - 23:35Criminals. lllegals. Simple?

June 7, 2009

(CNN) -- An SUV carrying almost two dozen undocumented immigrants crashed in Arizona over the weekend, killing 10 people and injuring several others, state police reported Sunday....

SONOITA, Ariz. (AP) — Ten illegal immigrants "stacked like wood" in the back of a sports utility vehicle crammed with at least 27 people were killed when the driver lost control and rolled over on a remote southern Arizona highway, authorities said Sunday.... from Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and perhaps Mexico....

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Undocumented immigrants, illegal immigrants, what?  Criminals.  Simple enough. I have heard liberals say that the only thing these folks are guilty of is "wanting a better life for themselves and their families."  That may be what they want, but that is not the only thing they are guilty of.  They arebreaking the law.  Try entering a foreign country and you find you need identification and documents (such as a visa) and a reason to be in their country consistant with their current entry requirements.  Why? Because it's their country.  If you go there any other way, you will be a criminal as well.

Want a better life?  Why not try an experiment.  Break into somebodies house.  Take only what you need to have a better life for yourself and your family.  It OK to do that?  Right?  It's all relative.

Have a better day!

Lincoln - default - Leave a Comment - § ¶

03 June 09 - 00:12The pendulum swings some more

In January this year the first of the American car companies to go bankrupt was on January 16, 2009, when Checker Motors filed for Chapter 11 protection. Chrysler soon followed and this week I watched the pride of American industry, General Motors, follow in the same footsteps.  These events made me think back to some questions of my youth.  I noticed when I was around the age of ten that American automobile companies were going out of business.  The list has continued from the fifties to the present as Packard, Studebaker, Rambler, Crosley, Kaiser, Willys, and American Motors are a few of the American car companies to evaporate in my llifetime.

I really don't know what killed these companies, but I also noticed as I entered into the workforce as a schoolteacher that automobile makers seemed to be getting raped by the unions.  For years these organized extortionists have milked the automotive companies of our nation making them, in my opionion, ill prepared to compete on a global scale with the use of organized American labor.

This greedy organized workforce managed to chip away at these companies getting enormous wages compared to their worth and benefits through their predatory tacktics.  Always the darlings of the Democrats, I think it is only fitting that the a Democrat president isin office to oversee the results of the greed of labor unions.

There is nothing wrong with getting a good wage and benefits, but it has become more apparent over the years that the automotive industry would be strangled by it's burdensome labor agreements.  As I listen to the Democrats howl about corporate greed, it does seem to me that corporate greed tends to build businesses which create jobs while greedy actions which result in overpayment for a skill level do nothing to create jobs.  (There needs to be balance.)  It may be time to let business fluorish with some labor concessions.

There is another Democrat darling hurting Americans these days, the bloated, massive, out of control EPA.  It appears this agency is beyond the ability of anyone in Washington to throttle. As I was helping my daughter do sample questions for some post graduate math test she is going to take, I was thinking, is there anyone who can help the Washington politicians pass the science and economics tests they are flunking by not balancing the EPA with national versus global reality.

So much to gripe about and so little space.

Lincoln - default - one Comment - Leave yours - § ¶

01 June 09 - 00:13An old joke (really old)

Little Johnnie Joke Number 4,375

Little Johnnie's neighbor had a baby.

Unfortunately, the baby was born without ears.

When mother and new baby came home from the hospital, Johnnie's family was invited over to see the baby.

Before they left their house, Little Johnnie's dad had a talk with him and explained that the baby had no ears.

His dad also told him that if he so much mentioned anything about the baby's missing ears or even said the word ears, he would get the spanking of his life when they came back home.

Little Johnnie completely understood and he told this to his dad.

At the neighbor's house, Johnnie looked in the crib he said, "What a beautiful baby."

The mother said, "Why, thank you, Little Johnnie."

Johnnie said, "He has beautiful little feet and beautiful little hands, a cute little nose and really beautiful eyes. Can he see?'

"Yes," the mother replied, "we are so thankful; the Doctor said he will have 20/20 vision."

That's great," said Johnnie, "cuz he could never wear glasses..."

Lincoln - default - one Comment - Leave yours - § ¶