July 29, 2011
July 28, 2011
Guess The Number
52.4
Hsgbdmama nailed it, Percentage of MTEA teachers who oppose additional concessions. #butitsforthechildren
In short the teachers in Milwaukee have decided they care more about their own benefits than saving colleagues jobs, decreasing class sizes, etc.
Hsgbdmama nailed it, Percentage of MTEA teachers who oppose additional concessions. #butitsforthechildren
In short the teachers in Milwaukee have decided they care more about their own benefits than saving colleagues jobs, decreasing class sizes, etc.
Run to the hills!
In case you missed it, hurricane season (June 1 to November 30 ) is under way.
I'm sure once the MSM's focus stops being on the debt ceiling talks, this will be the next shiny object to focus on. Or shark attacks.
The prediction for this year:
[ "The conditions expected this year have historically produced some active Atlantic hurricane seasons. Therefore, the 2011 season could see activity comparable to a number of active seasons since 1995. We estimate a 70% probability for each of the following ranges of activity during 2011:
- 12-18 Named Storms,
- 6-10 Hurricanes
- 3-6 Major Hurricanes
- An ACE range of 105%-200% of the 1981-2010 median." ]
"Could see?"
Hmm...12-18 NAMED storms. Wow, that sounds so....technical. This scientific process was started during the height if satellite tracking - 1950, so you know its based on constant,blaket-like surveillance of the oceans. As comic book store guy on the Simpsons would say: "Worst. Stat. Ever." I bet it makes algore feel vindicated, tho.
The "ACE range.” Now THIS sounds technical! Percentages and everything!
Anyone? Anyone?
To make a long story short, it stands for Accumulated Cyclonic Activity; basically the power of all the storms for any particular season. The activity is then listed at above or below “normal.”
Stay with me, this is going to be a fun scientific stat…
In the years 1950-1994 – BFA (Before AlGore) there were a grand total of 13 seasons listed as “above normal.”
In the years 1995-2010 – AAG (After AlGore) there were a total of 11 seasons listed as “above normal.”
Now the true believer may look at that stat and say “See! It’s getting worse!”
Yeah, those people are crazy lemmings. And the "scientists" that push this on us as "science" rather than a short-sighted statistical variation, should turn in their Scientific Community membership cards.
The only thing they fully understand seems to be that there are liars, damn liars and statistics.
Since my scientific career is currently in a lull, I'll be keeping count.
July 27, 2011
The Green Thing.
Swiped from JTI
In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment."
He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.
But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that old lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.
In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.
When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.
We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But we didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.
We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But we didn't have the green thing back then.
In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment."
He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.
But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that old lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.
In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.
When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.
We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But we didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.
We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But we didn't have the green thing back then.
July 26, 2011
Terrorist gets Life without parole
My family finally has the beginnings of closure on the terrorist attack and murder of my nephew - Pvt. William Andrew Long and the severe wounding of Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula in front of the Little Rock Arkansas Army recruiting Center in June 2009 a little over two years ago. Arkansas has the death penalty for murderers but a plea bargain was reached (with the consent of our family) for the murderer to plead guilty and get life without parole instead of the death penalty.
Thank you to all of those who have supported our family through this long process and for the kind wishes expressed over the past two years.
This chapter has begun to close - now the next chapter can begin. Grieving is not completely over yet. Only time can heal that wound.
We miss you Andy.
Thank you to all of those who have supported our family through this long process and for the kind wishes expressed over the past two years.
This chapter has begun to close - now the next chapter can begin. Grieving is not completely over yet. Only time can heal that wound.
We miss you Andy.
July 25, 2011
MRQ things to deep fry.
MRQ
it’s a BIG thing Kate
They seemed insane Althouse
never made it to the beach Patrick
mastered by the elite Steve
I am (almost) thankful Egg
knocking my socks off Cindy
acting like spoiled children CFR
she’s got me doing it Wigdy
Knock Knock Dipity
FBRQ
My wife made me promise Fritch
things to deep fry Vicki
busy, yet BORED CFR
When you came Holly
everyone leave me alone Patrick
Whyyyyyyyy? Dipity
*seriously* unhip and out of the loop Frank (We know, we know)
I'm always in bed when all the sweet things r said Sandy
delicious meat. Nate
You can exempt yourself. Shoebox
Done dead and burried. Jazz
it’s a BIG thing Kate
They seemed insane Althouse
never made it to the beach Patrick
mastered by the elite Steve
I am (almost) thankful Egg
knocking my socks off Cindy
acting like spoiled children CFR
she’s got me doing it Wigdy
Knock Knock Dipity
FBRQ
My wife made me promise Fritch
things to deep fry Vicki
busy, yet BORED CFR
When you came Holly
everyone leave me alone Patrick
Whyyyyyyyy? Dipity
*seriously* unhip and out of the loop Frank (We know, we know)
TRQ
I'm always in bed when all the sweet things r said Sandy
delicious meat. Nate
You can exempt yourself. Shoebox
Done dead and burried. Jazz
Left Wing Tolerance On Display....
Once again the left shows their lack of tolerance in diversity of thought.
For the record, I can not imagine one of my conservative friends being that mean based on something I was reading.
For the record, I can not imagine one of my conservative friends being that mean based on something I was reading.
Is the KRM rail line dead?
So says JSOnline.
They're wrong of course. I've lost count of how many times this thing has been declared dead but yet rose from the grave to haunt the region.
You see the left never gives up. At some point in the future they'll gain power again and then KRM will be risen from the dead once again.
Here are a couple of reminders about KRM. It was projected to run at an 87% loss with ridership of about 1.7 million per year.
Based on those projections and the planned daily trips this line would have had to maintain an average ridership of 321 people per train to meet those projections. Assuming the ridership projection was a bit optimistic then revenue figures (projected losses) would have also been too low.
Can you imagine? Something projected to run at an 87% loss doomed to lose even more money than that?
That is of course the point with these things. Once they get started they can never be stopped.
And to those who point to mass transit needs in the region, there is an existing Coach line that runs this route. In short, you aren't trying to provide any new service, just a different and more expensive way to do it.
I remember once being in a debate with local green party guy Pete Karas. The question about KRM came up and Pete stated he was absolutely in favor of it. He provided the following as his rationale, mass transit is good for the environment so I am in favor of it.
I don't write that to trash Pete, I like Pete. But this is about as far as the usual leftie gets on these huge money projects. They talk about the environment and economic development but there is just example after example out there that they are just wrong. These projects always cost more than they say and we see less development than is promised.
As a reminder check out the video I made of economic development by the new Amtrak station in Sturtevant. This is along the popular Hiawatha line. Still waiting on that Starbucks. To be fair a Dental practice opened in that close Saturn dealership. But I don't really think they were looking for the Hiawatha dental monopoly, I think it had more to do with frontage on the major road into Racine.
As for KRM, I'm glad it is dead for the moment. But it will be back.
They're wrong of course. I've lost count of how many times this thing has been declared dead but yet rose from the grave to haunt the region.
You see the left never gives up. At some point in the future they'll gain power again and then KRM will be risen from the dead once again.
Here are a couple of reminders about KRM. It was projected to run at an 87% loss with ridership of about 1.7 million per year.
Based on those projections and the planned daily trips this line would have had to maintain an average ridership of 321 people per train to meet those projections. Assuming the ridership projection was a bit optimistic then revenue figures (projected losses) would have also been too low.
Can you imagine? Something projected to run at an 87% loss doomed to lose even more money than that?
That is of course the point with these things. Once they get started they can never be stopped.
And to those who point to mass transit needs in the region, there is an existing Coach line that runs this route. In short, you aren't trying to provide any new service, just a different and more expensive way to do it.
I remember once being in a debate with local green party guy Pete Karas. The question about KRM came up and Pete stated he was absolutely in favor of it. He provided the following as his rationale, mass transit is good for the environment so I am in favor of it.
I don't write that to trash Pete, I like Pete. But this is about as far as the usual leftie gets on these huge money projects. They talk about the environment and economic development but there is just example after example out there that they are just wrong. These projects always cost more than they say and we see less development than is promised.
As a reminder check out the video I made of economic development by the new Amtrak station in Sturtevant. This is along the popular Hiawatha line. Still waiting on that Starbucks. To be fair a Dental practice opened in that close Saturn dealership. But I don't really think they were looking for the Hiawatha dental monopoly, I think it had more to do with frontage on the major road into Racine.
As for KRM, I'm glad it is dead for the moment. But it will be back.
July 24, 2011
Best Feingold line I've ever seen.
From Howie Carr in the Boston Herald.
...Progressive Patriots [team stats] Fund, which appears to be a creation of ex-Sen. Russ Feingold, who retired from politics last year due to ill health. The voters of Wisconsin got sick of him.
...Progressive Patriots [team stats] Fund, which appears to be a creation of ex-Sen. Russ Feingold, who retired from politics last year due to ill health. The voters of Wisconsin got sick of him.
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