Monday, February 28, 2005
Deja Vu II
You may remember the image from 1/23/05:
Here's today's forecast:
Here's today's forecast:
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Happy Birthday!
February 27, 1979 at 11:12 PM I saw the older HLS smile for the first time.
Here she is one year later celebrating her first Birthday.
Many, many more happy ones have and will follow. I LUV U!
Here she is one year later celebrating her first Birthday.
Many, many more happy ones have and will follow. I LUV U!
Caledonia
Adjacent to our development on the south is the Caledonia golf course. It's a really beautiful public course. I hope to play more this year than last (always the case). I went by last week to day dream anyway...
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Fishes the pilin's
More JB lyrics...from He Went to Paris
I went to Charleston (the other one) today to learn of "Fishin' the pilin's"
On the way home saw these pilin's where Rt. 17 crosses the North Santee River .
I went to Charleston (the other one) today to learn of "Fishin' the pilin's"
On the way home saw these pilin's where Rt. 17 crosses the North Santee River .
Thursday, February 24, 2005
The Beat Goes On
He continues to amaze me and make me laugh (albeit with a tear in my eye):
Bushism of the Day
By Jacob Weisberg
"After all, Europe is America's closest ally."—Mainz, Germany, Feb. 23, 2005
Bushism of the Day
By Jacob Weisberg
"After all, Europe is America's closest ally."—Mainz, Germany, Feb. 23, 2005
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Mars
In JB's 1994 album, Fruitcakes, he sang about the August 21, 1993 tragic loss of NASA's Mars Observer thusly:
"We lost our martian rocket ship
The high paid spokesman said
Looks like that silly rocket ship
Has lost it’s cone shaped head"
The world's exploration of Mars has recently gone significantly better!
NASA's twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity have celebrated over a year on the Martian surface and like the Energizer Bunny are still going!
Today the European Space Agency announced that their Mars Express orbiter has found a sea of water ice on Mars.
As a child of the "Sputnik Generation" and a near "Trekkie" these remarkable accomplishments thrill me!
"We lost our martian rocket ship
The high paid spokesman said
Looks like that silly rocket ship
Has lost it’s cone shaped head"
The world's exploration of Mars has recently gone significantly better!
NASA's twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity have celebrated over a year on the Martian surface and like the Energizer Bunny are still going!
Today the European Space Agency announced that their Mars Express orbiter has found a sea of water ice on Mars.
As a child of the "Sputnik Generation" and a near "Trekkie" these remarkable accomplishments thrill me!
Initials
I've been thinking of my good friend C. R. Whetnall, whom I mentioned in earlier posts this month. He and his lovely wife Rosemary are coming to visit and we are anticipating it so much. CR has been lurking around this and Andy's blog asking of tales of MamaJama. Although he's got his months and years screwed up, he'll still have to wait, as she is more than a bit shy about being discussed in this venue.
After meeting and living with Rees in Fiji we returned to CRW. I soon went to work there for Standard Laboratories and played softball in the summers. One of my close friends and employees was Carl Reilly; known by all as CR. CR and I played softball together on a tournament team; I played during the week for the CRC (Citzen's Recycling Council). An interesting juxtaposition because on CR's team I was the only white player and the least talented starter. On the CRC team I was the coach of a group of former hippies and one of the more talented players. This amount of play was soon curtailed though, as the older HLS was born that year (this month) and MamaJama needed me at home more. The CRC team transformed the following year into the CheeRs! team and many more happy times followed at play and at the bar itself.
My predecessor as Technical Director at Standard Laboratories was Dick Kelly. Dick was somewhat cocky and arrogant, but a likable man nonetheless. As we were starting our growth phase Charles Richard had some business cards made with his name shown as C. R. (Dick) Kelly. Our friends in Whitesburg, KY quickly translated that in their vernacular to "See Our Dick!" Although C.R. Kelly remained a dick, the cards were soon gone.
After meeting and living with Rees in Fiji we returned to CRW. I soon went to work there for Standard Laboratories and played softball in the summers. One of my close friends and employees was Carl Reilly; known by all as CR. CR and I played softball together on a tournament team; I played during the week for the CRC (Citzen's Recycling Council). An interesting juxtaposition because on CR's team I was the only white player and the least talented starter. On the CRC team I was the coach of a group of former hippies and one of the more talented players. This amount of play was soon curtailed though, as the older HLS was born that year (this month) and MamaJama needed me at home more. The CRC team transformed the following year into the CheeRs! team and many more happy times followed at play and at the bar itself.
My predecessor as Technical Director at Standard Laboratories was Dick Kelly. Dick was somewhat cocky and arrogant, but a likable man nonetheless. As we were starting our growth phase Charles Richard had some business cards made with his name shown as C. R. (Dick) Kelly. Our friends in Whitesburg, KY quickly translated that in their vernacular to "See Our Dick!" Although C.R. Kelly remained a dick, the cards were soon gone.
Saturday, February 19, 2005
"Coast of Carolina"
Just back from the 1st show of JB's "Salty Piece of Land" tour where we heard him sing these lines from the chorus of "Coast of Carolina:"
"From the bottom of my heart
Off the coast of Carolina
After one or two false starts
I believe we found our stride"
I think it might be true. While riding bikes with Cleo this morning we went down through the Ricefields to the Intercoastal Waterway. We may have found our stride.
It sure is pretty here...
"From the bottom of my heart
Off the coast of Carolina
After one or two false starts
I believe we found our stride"
I think it might be true. While riding bikes with Cleo this morning we went down through the Ricefields to the Intercoastal Waterway. We may have found our stride.
It sure is pretty here...
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Balloon
Last Friday Andy saw and photographed some balloons.
On our 32nd anniversary the HLS sent us for a balloon ride.
I liked the inflating feeling!
On our 32nd anniversary the HLS sent us for a balloon ride.
I liked the inflating feeling!
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Solar Migration
As I've aged I have become more aware of the amount of daylight in my life. While I don't think I suffer from SAD, I have an understanding of the need of the Druids and others to celebrate the Winter Solstice. About this time last week we passed the mid-point of winter and I have become aware of the lengthening of the days. On the way to work Wednesday the sun was high above the fog bank over the Waccamaw River.
When I came home that evening there was still plenty of light in the sky for me and Cleo to enjoy a little walk around the pond.
O SUN O LUV--Indeed!
When I came home that evening there was still plenty of light in the sky for me and Cleo to enjoy a little walk around the pond.
O SUN O LUV--Indeed!
Thursday, February 10, 2005
A Matter of Degree
It is not surprising that common parlance is incorrect at times. I fell for it in the earlier post "Hot Bottoms."
As pointed out by anonymous (aka Rees; aka Chris) the proper nomenclature on the Kelvin Scale is somewhat different than other scales with which we most often work. I actually made two errors when referring to the Absolute temperature on Saturn. Firstly, one does not use the term or symbol for degrees. The actual temperature on Saturn's bottom is about 100K.
The reference to 6 or 7 degrees warmer would be correct if we refer to kelvin with a small "k." While I knew the former before, the latter is news to me. See the US Metric Association's page for more information.
As pointed out by anonymous (aka Rees; aka Chris) the proper nomenclature on the Kelvin Scale is somewhat different than other scales with which we most often work. I actually made two errors when referring to the Absolute temperature on Saturn. Firstly, one does not use the term or symbol for degrees. The actual temperature on Saturn's bottom is about 100K.
The reference to 6 or 7 degrees warmer would be correct if we refer to kelvin with a small "k." While I knew the former before, the latter is news to me. See the US Metric Association's page for more information.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
O SUN O LUV...Got her!
Our dear friends Rees (aka Chris) and Rosemary are coming to visit in May. We are so excited to see them and O SUN O LUV will be ready!
She's pretty much as described in the previous post. She is a simple center console (CC); not a "Bay Boat" as previously anticipated. She is on the low end of those discussed, but I am in LUV already.
She is a 2001 Sea Hunt Triton 172 with a bimini top and 90 HP Johnson. I've added a Minn Kota RipTide Bow Mount trolling motor and a Lowrance 332C color sonar/GPS unit.
Here are two views on trailer with top down and up:
She's pretty much as described in the previous post. She is a simple center console (CC); not a "Bay Boat" as previously anticipated. She is on the low end of those discussed, but I am in LUV already.
She is a 2001 Sea Hunt Triton 172 with a bimini top and 90 HP Johnson. I've added a Minn Kota RipTide Bow Mount trolling motor and a Lowrance 332C color sonar/GPS unit.
Here are two views on trailer with top down and up:
Monday, February 07, 2005
Deja Vu all over again...
Friday, February 04, 2005
Hot Bottoms
A Bonobo has a hot bottom. So does Saturn?
Images credit: W. M. Keck Observatory/NASA/JPL-G. Orton
Like all else... "hot" is a relative term. Although the Keck/JPL/NASA scientists didn't say how hot the vortex is, they did indicate that it is 5 or 6 degrees warmer than the more northern regions.
By my estimation that would make it about 100 degrees K. (in case you have forgotten Kelvin, that's about -285 degs. F.).
Images credit: W. M. Keck Observatory/NASA/JPL-G. Orton
Like all else... "hot" is a relative term. Although the Keck/JPL/NASA scientists didn't say how hot the vortex is, they did indicate that it is 5 or 6 degrees warmer than the more northern regions.
By my estimation that would make it about 100 degrees K. (in case you have forgotten Kelvin, that's about -285 degs. F.).
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Do You Know Bonobo?
For some unknown reason this wonderful primate jumped into my mind this afternoon. If you ask someone to name some members of the ape family you will rarely ever hear "Bonobo." People may say gorilla or chimpanzee; some may even know that gibbons are apes, but few are aware of the "pygmy chimp" known as the bonobo.
Who cares? These are wonderfully intelligent, peace loving, love making, social animals that could teach their cousins the egocentric Homo sapiens much of life and love.
Some say they are our closest relative. We eat them! They are in trouble...
Read more of them at some of these sites:
Bonobo.org
The Horniest Apes on Earth
Bonobo Sex and Society
Who cares? These are wonderfully intelligent, peace loving, love making, social animals that could teach their cousins the egocentric Homo sapiens much of life and love.
Some say they are our closest relative. We eat them! They are in trouble...
Read more of them at some of these sites:
Bonobo.org
The Horniest Apes on Earth
Bonobo Sex and Society
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
The Will Rogers Effect
This ironic effect pleases me because it is not intuitive and is humorously named. While it may be tedious from a technical perspective, I believe the reader can understand it if I am lucid. I shall try...
It is found in many settings where one is trying to detect the presence of a condition in order to predict the outcome of the condition with higher likelihood. If one could remember all the cards already dealt in a black jack game he could predict the likelihood that the next card to be drawn would make him a winner more accurately. This would be a more skilled player than one who simply treats each hand as an entity unto itself.
For tedium sake, I will use an example from clinical science. In this example let's imagine that we have a condition of interest (such as cancer, Alzeheimer's, TB, etc.), an outcome (such as death, profound dementia, consumption, etc.), an old test and a new ("better") test to detect the presence of the disease.
For simplicity sake let's assume that the amount of the disease present is proportional to the likelihood of a "bad" outcome. This is generally true to a point and makes sense i.e. if you only have a "little" cancer, Alzeheimer's, TB you will likely live longer before you die, become demented or are consumed; if you have "a lot" of disease you have a higher expectation that the disease will "get you" soon.
Now let's talk about the diagnostic tests for a moment. The "old" test might be Digital Rectal Exam for prostate cancer, or psychological testing for Alzeheimer's or presence of blood in sputum compared to PSA or the new test on the horizon for a specific protein related to Alzeheimer's or a test for the presence of the TB bacterium. I've tried to illustrate this below:
The new test has moved people who were "not sick" yet had "substantial" disease into an area where they are "now sick," but with less disease than those who have always been "very sick."
The effect that using the new test has on predicting the outcome is the ironical part. The sick group now has a better outcome predicted than before because they have some new less sick folks included in their group. In a like manner the not sick group also has a better outcome than before because they have fewer "nearly sick" folks in their group.
Now to Will Rogers...who is remembered as having said something like..."When the Oakies left the state for the California Gold Rush they raised the average IQ in both states."
Did any of us do that when we left WV?
It is found in many settings where one is trying to detect the presence of a condition in order to predict the outcome of the condition with higher likelihood. If one could remember all the cards already dealt in a black jack game he could predict the likelihood that the next card to be drawn would make him a winner more accurately. This would be a more skilled player than one who simply treats each hand as an entity unto itself.
For tedium sake, I will use an example from clinical science. In this example let's imagine that we have a condition of interest (such as cancer, Alzeheimer's, TB, etc.), an outcome (such as death, profound dementia, consumption, etc.), an old test and a new ("better") test to detect the presence of the disease.
For simplicity sake let's assume that the amount of the disease present is proportional to the likelihood of a "bad" outcome. This is generally true to a point and makes sense i.e. if you only have a "little" cancer, Alzeheimer's, TB you will likely live longer before you die, become demented or are consumed; if you have "a lot" of disease you have a higher expectation that the disease will "get you" soon.
Now let's talk about the diagnostic tests for a moment. The "old" test might be Digital Rectal Exam for prostate cancer, or psychological testing for Alzeheimer's or presence of blood in sputum compared to PSA or the new test on the horizon for a specific protein related to Alzeheimer's or a test for the presence of the TB bacterium. I've tried to illustrate this below:
The new test has moved people who were "not sick" yet had "substantial" disease into an area where they are "now sick," but with less disease than those who have always been "very sick."
The effect that using the new test has on predicting the outcome is the ironical part. The sick group now has a better outcome predicted than before because they have some new less sick folks included in their group. In a like manner the not sick group also has a better outcome than before because they have fewer "nearly sick" folks in their group.
Now to Will Rogers...who is remembered as having said something like..."When the Oakies left the state for the California Gold Rush they raised the average IQ in both states."
Did any of us do that when we left WV?
