For years I have noted a number of ski racks in Atlanta. Now I'm not talking about the cargo racks that are attached to the roof by the manufacturer, like my Jeep Liberty has. I am talking about the ski/watersports/bike racks that are mounted on the roof that have a manufacturer name on them. like Thule or Yakima.
I think some people (and I assume mostly guys) like to leave them on to impress somebody, but I don't know why. When I attach cargo to the top of my Liberty the mileage drops from 2-3 miles per gallon. While I don't think that the mileage will drop that much, an extra rack on the top should be dropping mileage at least a little.
And we live in Atlanta, where the skiing is a couple hours north, if we're lucky. So these racks almost have to be for biking and watersports. Of course, I don't see a lot of the racks with actual gear in them. And another newsflash - it only takes a couple of minutes to talke them off.
I have to assume that the owner is trying to impress somebody. Maybe you could try to impress them with sound financial decisions, like getting the most miles-per-gallon from that itty-bitty car you drive.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Spring is spending Summer in Atlanta
Its been a wonderful summer, with mild temps and above average rainfall. In fact, 7 out of the last 8 months have seen above normal rainfall and highs in the 70's in Atlanta? OMG!
My grass looks better than it ever has and I don't think its just because of the century oak that came crashing down in the corner of my backyard last August. We added some clover to help get nitrogen in the soil, but I told my lawn guy that I thought that the fertilizer I put down over the last 19 years had finally started working.
This July, we are already 10% above normal on the rainfall and only 2 days above the 89 degrees that is normal.
I'm all for this!
My grass looks better than it ever has and I don't think its just because of the century oak that came crashing down in the corner of my backyard last August. We added some clover to help get nitrogen in the soil, but I told my lawn guy that I thought that the fertilizer I put down over the last 19 years had finally started working.
This July, we are already 10% above normal on the rainfall and only 2 days above the 89 degrees that is normal.
I'm all for this!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Pollen at its worst
I have been telling my wife for the month of April that this has been the worst year for pollen since we moved here in 1984. At times I think I can feel the pollen in my eyes when I blink. Its something Atlantans have come to know (and hate!). The yellow pine pollen is too big to cause allergies, but its pretty obnoxious when it gets in your eyes or on your car and when you fly into Atlanta early in April you can see the dome of yellow over our city. Go spring.
One day last week the pollen count hit 8000, which is the third highest count ever, the other two being the 8,163 recorded on March 19, 2012 and the record count of 9,367 on March 20, 2012. Even though they happened a year ago, this year is definitely worse for me.
Meanwhile, scientists are struggling to explain the slowing in the rise of worldwide temperatures. The average global temperature has fallen in the last two years, and is getting closer to the 100-year average. Greenhouse gases including CO2 are not decreasing, but the temperatures are. I have to wonder if the term "global cooling" will be in our future.
I was searching the other day and found this quote on one of those mis-information sites that have such a presence on the web:
As you increase CO2, it tells the allergenic plants to produce more pollen to the tune of three to four times more, and the pollen itself, we think, may actually be more potent.
So, apparently CO2 is the culprit and its causing the allergenic plants to produce more of the much maligned pollen. Wait a second, how does the CO2 know which plants produce allergens? So now that carbon dioxide is not causing global warming it must be causing pollen. So when we find out this is a bunch of crap we'll have to call it pollen-gate. A few years ago climategate exposed problems in the way research groups were using weather data.
One day last week the pollen count hit 8000, which is the third highest count ever, the other two being the 8,163 recorded on March 19, 2012 and the record count of 9,367 on March 20, 2012. Even though they happened a year ago, this year is definitely worse for me.
Meanwhile, scientists are struggling to explain the slowing in the rise of worldwide temperatures. The average global temperature has fallen in the last two years, and is getting closer to the 100-year average. Greenhouse gases including CO2 are not decreasing, but the temperatures are. I have to wonder if the term "global cooling" will be in our future.
I was searching the other day and found this quote on one of those mis-information sites that have such a presence on the web:
As you increase CO2, it tells the allergenic plants to produce more pollen to the tune of three to four times more, and the pollen itself, we think, may actually be more potent.
So, apparently CO2 is the culprit and its causing the allergenic plants to produce more of the much maligned pollen. Wait a second, how does the CO2 know which plants produce allergens? So now that carbon dioxide is not causing global warming it must be causing pollen. So when we find out this is a bunch of crap we'll have to call it pollen-gate. A few years ago climategate exposed problems in the way research groups were using weather data.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Wilcox County Prom
When Georgia integrated in the 1960's Wilcox County made a decision not to hold a prom for its seniors. Since that decision kids have organized proms that were, for the most part, segregated. This year a group of seniors have decided to hold a prom that crossed racial boundaries and I think its wonderful.
The problem is that folks in the metro Atlanta area and even more from outside the state want to make a big deal about the choices of the kids in Wilcox County and turn it into a problem of the county's school system. The kids have chosen for years to hold two proms. Since the school system does not support either one, nor the system that creates them, its fine with me. Its fine with Nathan Deal as well because he believes that government should not interfere in a private matter.
In fact, Governor Deal said, "I believe that anything that’s associated with a school should not have the distinction or discrimination made based on race or gender or any other separation..." Hooray for the Governor. One site took exception to Governor Deal and wrote, "The reason we have civil rights law is because we understand that certain private actions, such as race and gender discrimination, wound our society so deeply that they cease to be a merely private concern." (thinkprogress.org)
Well, that's not quite right, and I think that 100 Black Men of Atlanta might have a problem with that definition of Civil Rights. Rev. King fought hard for the government to rid itself of the specter of "separate but equal" that really meant "separate but un-equal." Society has come a long way from the days of segregation, and its time to start realizing that the days of bigotry and racism, are history. There still are racists and bigots, and there always will be, but I can't believe that a county that elects its first black President can be considered racist or bigoted.
Some kids in Wilcox County have decided to hold an integrated prom for 2013. I support their decision and hope that all involved have a great time. We really need to get behind this positive change and let history be history.
The problem is that folks in the metro Atlanta area and even more from outside the state want to make a big deal about the choices of the kids in Wilcox County and turn it into a problem of the county's school system. The kids have chosen for years to hold two proms. Since the school system does not support either one, nor the system that creates them, its fine with me. Its fine with Nathan Deal as well because he believes that government should not interfere in a private matter.
In fact, Governor Deal said, "I believe that anything that’s associated with a school should not have the distinction or discrimination made based on race or gender or any other separation..." Hooray for the Governor. One site took exception to Governor Deal and wrote, "The reason we have civil rights law is because we understand that certain private actions, such as race and gender discrimination, wound our society so deeply that they cease to be a merely private concern." (thinkprogress.org)
Well, that's not quite right, and I think that 100 Black Men of Atlanta might have a problem with that definition of Civil Rights. Rev. King fought hard for the government to rid itself of the specter of "separate but equal" that really meant "separate but un-equal." Society has come a long way from the days of segregation, and its time to start realizing that the days of bigotry and racism, are history. There still are racists and bigots, and there always will be, but I can't believe that a county that elects its first black President can be considered racist or bigoted.
Some kids in Wilcox County have decided to hold an integrated prom for 2013. I support their decision and hope that all involved have a great time. We really need to get behind this positive change and let history be history.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The new fourth estate
Her name is Alexandria Goddard and with a knowledge of technology, Steubenville, Ohio and a little help from a hacker group she broke a rape case against 18 football players for the local football team wide open. Two players, Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'Lik Richmond, 16 were convicted of rape on Sunday, March 17 and receive a year of time in the juvenile system. Mays was given an additional year for posting a picture of the rape victim, who was 16 at the time. Both must register as sexual offenders.
Goddard used the school's web site to get the names of football players, then searched Twitter for posts. What the rapists were posting to each other is mind-numbing. Adding photos of the posts to her blogs, Goddard brought public awareness to the case after the arrest of Mays and Richmond. The boys had posted a 12 minute video of the event with the keywords “drunk” “rape” and “offensive.” The tape and additional evidence was produced with the help of a hacker group. In the video the child's attackers mention an earlier rape, apparently in April, 2012.
In spite of the charges and the August arrest of Mays and Richmond, they were permitted to play football in the Fall of 2012 and were not tried until 2013. Thanks to the case, however, additional victims have come forward and once again the Steubenville police are investigating charges. We hope Alexandria is going to keep an eye on them.
Well, thank God it could not happen in Georgia. Oops. actually, it has on a number of times. Athens, Georgia, home to the University of Georgia and their multitude of sports teams that have been repeatedly victimizing women. A few years ago rapes charges were brought against basketball and football players who were allowed to play in spite of rules against it. An Athens jury did not convict the men in spite of what the district attorney considered to be solid evidence including a message from one of the rapists to a friend where he said they were "running a train." In West Georgia 3 baseball players were convicted of aggravated sexual battery 3 years after a sexual assault in a dorm that they videotaped.
I congratulate Alexandria on a job well done. Georgia needs a blogger like her.
Goddard used the school's web site to get the names of football players, then searched Twitter for posts. What the rapists were posting to each other is mind-numbing. Adding photos of the posts to her blogs, Goddard brought public awareness to the case after the arrest of Mays and Richmond. The boys had posted a 12 minute video of the event with the keywords “drunk” “rape” and “offensive.” The tape and additional evidence was produced with the help of a hacker group. In the video the child's attackers mention an earlier rape, apparently in April, 2012.
In spite of the charges and the August arrest of Mays and Richmond, they were permitted to play football in the Fall of 2012 and were not tried until 2013. Thanks to the case, however, additional victims have come forward and once again the Steubenville police are investigating charges. We hope Alexandria is going to keep an eye on them.
Well, thank God it could not happen in Georgia. Oops. actually, it has on a number of times. Athens, Georgia, home to the University of Georgia and their multitude of sports teams that have been repeatedly victimizing women. A few years ago rapes charges were brought against basketball and football players who were allowed to play in spite of rules against it. An Athens jury did not convict the men in spite of what the district attorney considered to be solid evidence including a message from one of the rapists to a friend where he said they were "running a train." In West Georgia 3 baseball players were convicted of aggravated sexual battery 3 years after a sexual assault in a dorm that they videotaped.
I congratulate Alexandria on a job well done. Georgia needs a blogger like her.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Did we leave the poop?
While walking the other day in a local park my wife and I were accosted by an older woman who was very upset because we did not "scoop the poop," a requirement in the park. She literally accosted us over the poop. When I asked her to calm down, she got even madder. Then I told her if she could not address me in a civil tone I would not listen to her. For some reason this worked and she calmed down to the point where I was willing to listen to her.
She said that our dog had pooped a few feet back and that we should clean it up. I said, "No, neither one pooped." I also explained that both our dogs were girls. so they might give the wrong impression. She wouldn't listen and backtracked to an old pile that she claimed our dogs had left, so to avoid any more conflict I decided to bag the pile and continue with our walk.
I have found that as I have gotten older I try to avoid conflict more than step into it (sorry for the bad pun). The woman who accosted us could have gotten much further if she had simply talked to us about what she thought she saw instead of getting mad at us. She was generating conflict.
Most dogwalkers do not leave piles on the trails, otherwise the heavily traveled trails would be packed with excrement. I think some dog lovers do need to be reminded from time to time that cleaning up is their responsibility. I noticed an owner leaving his dog's pile one time and he said the bags were gone from the stand at the start of the trail. "No problem, I've got one!" and the owner cleaned up the mess.
There is a cost for the local/state/federal governments to provide bags and to clean up poop left by other, less considerate dogwalkers. On the other hand, roughly 40% of American families own at least one dog and we do pay taxes. As our North Georgia becomes more crowded and the local/state/federal governments are cutting costs, we all must work together to keep our common areas clean.
She said that our dog had pooped a few feet back and that we should clean it up. I said, "No, neither one pooped." I also explained that both our dogs were girls. so they might give the wrong impression. She wouldn't listen and backtracked to an old pile that she claimed our dogs had left, so to avoid any more conflict I decided to bag the pile and continue with our walk.
I have found that as I have gotten older I try to avoid conflict more than step into it (sorry for the bad pun). The woman who accosted us could have gotten much further if she had simply talked to us about what she thought she saw instead of getting mad at us. She was generating conflict.
Most dogwalkers do not leave piles on the trails, otherwise the heavily traveled trails would be packed with excrement. I think some dog lovers do need to be reminded from time to time that cleaning up is their responsibility. I noticed an owner leaving his dog's pile one time and he said the bags were gone from the stand at the start of the trail. "No problem, I've got one!" and the owner cleaned up the mess.
There is a cost for the local/state/federal governments to provide bags and to clean up poop left by other, less considerate dogwalkers. On the other hand, roughly 40% of American families own at least one dog and we do pay taxes. As our North Georgia becomes more crowded and the local/state/federal governments are cutting costs, we all must work together to keep our common areas clean.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Occupy or protest
I am a strong proponent of the American right to protest, in my mind guaranteed under the First Amendment. From a historic prospective, the Occupy protests are similar to the Hoovervilles that formed in the early 1930's. The largest was in New York's Central Park, but Hoovervilles were common throughout the United States. There was one near Cabbagetown in Atlanta, and probably others.
With high unemployment and no welfare, Hoovervilles were a cheap place to live in a home crafted from wood taken from crates and palettes. Normally, these "homes" remained as a family moved on, ready for the next occupant who came into the town.
The occupy protesters are very disorganized. Only recently have they begun to focus their frustration on the banks (apparently the original "Wall Street" target was falling on deaf ears). As Georgians know, many banks, especially the local banks, are barely getting by. Each Friday it seems another small local bank in the state fails, only to be taken over, mostly by a stronger regional bank.
Recently, the protesters have begun to center on foreclosures in an attempt to attract support. Well just about everybody, myself included, hates to see a bank foreclose on a property. Maybe if the bank had done more due diligence upfront, checking credit ratings, verifying employment and requiring a down payment we might have avoided this foreclosure mess. But they were forced to accept the so-called sub-prime loans thanks to one man, Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank.
In 2003 when the Bush Administration asked Congress for oversight on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae congressman Barney Frank stated that the entities "...are not facing any kind of financial crisis" Frank, as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee starting in 2007 tried to offset a statistical drop in home ownership with no down, no credit check home loans. This kicked off the famous mortgage bailout skit on Saturday Night Live, which NBC banned for many years:
Now, I don't blame the financial mess we got into in 2008 on Barney Frank. I do blame it on some Wall Street firms who knew they were taking advantage of antiquated laws with Mortgage Backed Securities and Credit Default Swaps. The banking mess, however, was because of the banks being forced to shore up the housing market courtesy of Mr. Frank. So, for the protestors to try and blame Wall Street or the banking industry without including the Pelosi Congress is sadly mistaken. Their movement is failing to catch widespread support because the basic tenant is wrong.
When we protested the killing of the Kent State students in 1969 many people who joined were righteously indignant over the killings and joined the protests across the United States. 100,000 people protested in Washington D. C. alone. The occupy movement pales in comparison.
With high unemployment and no welfare, Hoovervilles were a cheap place to live in a home crafted from wood taken from crates and palettes. Normally, these "homes" remained as a family moved on, ready for the next occupant who came into the town.
The occupy protesters are very disorganized. Only recently have they begun to focus their frustration on the banks (apparently the original "Wall Street" target was falling on deaf ears). As Georgians know, many banks, especially the local banks, are barely getting by. Each Friday it seems another small local bank in the state fails, only to be taken over, mostly by a stronger regional bank.
Recently, the protesters have begun to center on foreclosures in an attempt to attract support. Well just about everybody, myself included, hates to see a bank foreclose on a property. Maybe if the bank had done more due diligence upfront, checking credit ratings, verifying employment and requiring a down payment we might have avoided this foreclosure mess. But they were forced to accept the so-called sub-prime loans thanks to one man, Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank.
In 2003 when the Bush Administration asked Congress for oversight on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae congressman Barney Frank stated that the entities "...are not facing any kind of financial crisis" Frank, as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee starting in 2007 tried to offset a statistical drop in home ownership with no down, no credit check home loans. This kicked off the famous mortgage bailout skit on Saturday Night Live, which NBC banned for many years:
Now, I don't blame the financial mess we got into in 2008 on Barney Frank. I do blame it on some Wall Street firms who knew they were taking advantage of antiquated laws with Mortgage Backed Securities and Credit Default Swaps. The banking mess, however, was because of the banks being forced to shore up the housing market courtesy of Mr. Frank. So, for the protestors to try and blame Wall Street or the banking industry without including the Pelosi Congress is sadly mistaken. Their movement is failing to catch widespread support because the basic tenant is wrong.
When we protested the killing of the Kent State students in 1969 many people who joined were righteously indignant over the killings and joined the protests across the United States. 100,000 people protested in Washington D. C. alone. The occupy movement pales in comparison.
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