On the Trail

A fresh 6" yesterday, capping one of the snowiest months on record.

First time on skis for me this winter, can you guess which trail I took?

Lapham Peak Unit, Kettle Moraine State Forest, near Delafield, Wisconsin.

Return to Aspen

Good news, for me anyway. I've been assigned another trip to Aspen, Colorado coming up in March. I just now finished with the photos from my last trip there back last summer. So when I go back, there's virtually no chance I'll be seeing flowers.

Balboa Island Ferry Sign

Hard to tell from the folks having fun on the 1940's style cruiser, but this is the sign at the loading point for the small ferry that takes 3 cars at a time the 200 yards to Balboa Island.

Newport Beach, California.

Technorati tags: california, travel, newport beach

Nothing Says Christmas

Like a humongous, weathered Santa looking over your shoulder.

With a bird in his butt.

Technorati tags: christmas, santa, roadside, kitsch

Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of 2007

From Dr. Phil, here are his list of the top pictures provided by the amazing technology produced by our human race. It's really stunning stuff, from comets to nebulae to galaxies. See for yourself by clicking on the link below.

Bad Astronomy Blog » Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of 2007

Technorati Tags: bablog, astronomy, science, cool stuff

Winter Mushroom

With more than a foot of snow on the ground, odds for a white Christmas are good.

Technorati tags: winter, snow

Yes, Bush Really Does Hate Science

Not much I can add to this. I'm long past being nauseous over it.

Bad Astronomy Blog » Yes, Bush really does hate science

Technorati Tags: antiscience, politics, bablog

40 Years

Of course you accept it and move on.

But there are still the what-ifs.

Technorati tags: redding, loss

Why Mitt Romney is Wholly Unqualified to be President

Forget for a moment that he has gone back on all of the positions that got him elected governor of Massachusetts.

Now, in explaining how his religion doesn't matter as long as we are all religious, has completely eliminated himself from my ever possibly considering him to lead this country.

PZ Myers writes much better than I do, his comments are linked below:

Pharyngula: Romney's paean to piety

Technorati Tags: politics, religion, romney, myers

Nebular

Points of light, in a galaxy of crystals.

Big Manitou Falls

For all of your enduring tonight's winter storm in the upper midwest, I bring you a nice summer view of the Big Manitou Falls in Pattison State Park, near Superior, Wisconsin.

Caught

We on the staff of "This Blog Title For Sale", have come into possession of a photograph depicting our boss, blog creater and editor-in-chief at a very young age.

We thought nothing of it until one day last week, when he became particularly demanding during a staff meeting, calling us all dirty names and generally calling our heritage into question.

That's when Maddy, associate editor for circulation, suggested some retribution-in-kind to remind the boss of his place in the grand plan. So we, the staff of "This Blog Title For Sale", at great risk to our livelihoods and future job prospects, bring you this photograph and ask all of you loyal readers to wish him a Happy Birthday.

How old? We don't know for sure, but far as we can tell, he's well north of 40. But you didn't hear that from us.

Technorati tags: birthday, rich, humor

Brick and Mortar

Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Hall

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.

You're a Gull

You live on Newport Beach.

Life is good.

Thankful

For air,
For sustenance,
For a wonderful family,

FOR LIFE!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Technorati tags: thanksgiving, family

Airport Xmas

All it takes is a cheesy plastic decoration to make it all Christmassy. Don't you just have that warm all over feeling?

George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston.

Technorati tags: houston, iah, airport, travel, xmas

The View From Here - Houston

Can't make lemonade from lemons? Can't make a purse from a sow's ear?

Well, here's a beautiful rainbow for you. Just don't mind the foreground.

Technorati tags: houston, hotel, rainbow, travel, texas

Marker

I had a little extra time before a return flight from Cincinnati (which was cancelled, but that's another post), so I remembered there was an observation area where you could park and watch the planes come and go, which I like to do.

And there was this sign. The synapses started firing.

Somebody in 1978 decided to erect a marker noting the "Center of Population" on what is now a major airport.

Why?

Are there signs just like this throughout the country noting the "Center of Population" for each 10 year milestone? What would these look like on a map?

What if the CoP doesn't move in 10 years? Do they put up two signs?

How much taxpayer money went into casting this sign?

What sign lost its funding in favor of this sign?

How many school buses full of third graders have stopped at this sign?

How do you figure out a CoP anyway? Do you stick a pin in map for each citizen and....ouch, my head just started hurting.

What poor bastard drew the short straw for that assignment?

Do you have questions of your own? Leave a comment.

Technorati tags: kentucky, airport, cvg, travel, odd

Angles and Arcs

A sculpture outside of the Denver Art Museum, Denver.

Technorati tags: denver, art, sculpture, travel

Go Vote For Pete

Followers of "This Blog Title For Sale" know that......oh wait, I just did that.

I had the great pleasure tonight of being able to dine once again at DiFabio's Casapela in Madisonville, Kentucky. I first wrote about DiFabio's in March of last year, and I am delighted to report that nothing at all has changed just off Main Street. The choice tonight was a grouper filet, delicately breaded and served in a white wine sauce with capers. I got my alfredo fix with a side of bow tie pasta. The highlight of the meal was a slice of Laura's Pecan Cheesecake which, apologies for the hyperbole, was the best slice of cheese cake I have ever had in my entire life.

As I was finishing up, Pete DiFabio stopped by and recognized me (even though it was at least a year since I was last there), and then told me how his restaurant was a finalist in a competition of Kentucky restaurants. Naturally I pledged to mobilize my readership (you are legion) and hereby urge you all to click on the link and vote for DiFabio's in the category of Exploring Kentucky Award.

Don't feel guilty about voting even if you've never eaten there, or even like Italian for that matter. Trust me, this place is great. Go vote.


Technorati Tags: food, cuisine, difabio's, kentucky

Go Vote For Dr. Phil

Followers of "This Blog Title For Sale" know that the author of this blog is a big fan of Dr. Phil Plait and his "Bad Astronomy Blog" for its coverage of science and space news as well as timely commentary on the state of science education in our land. Many others share this view, and the blog is a finalist in the category of "Best Science Blog" in the 2007 Weblog Awards with excellent support. If you are a fan of science as well, please register your vote for "Bad Astronomy" by clicking this link here.

The publisher of "This Blog Title For Sale" guarantees that none of the proceeds (real or imagined) will be used by Dr. Phil for hair care/restoration.

Bad Astronomy Blog » Vote! Best Science Blog 2007

Technorati Tags: cool stuff, science, dr phil, bablog

A Science Debate?

Can you imagine the presidential candidates actually having to answer questions on how they would determine science policy? PZ Myers muses on just that subject. I would even settle for just a couple of questions posed to the candidates during any of the debates. It's just that science is so important to a technologically advanced country that we purport ourselves to be to ignore how the executive sets policy. Just look at what the current administration has done, and I think you'd be interested in where we're going, too.

Pharyngula: A presidential debate on science…it'll never happen

Technorati Tags: science, politics

Woodie

A 1946 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon (aka Woodie) in excellent condition spotted in Newport Beach, California.

Newport Beach Fall

Somewhere in the world, spring is full and about to yield to summer.

Somewhere in the world, a set of swings very much like these will be full of frolicking children.

And, half a year from now, these swings will be busy once again.

Technorati tags: newport beach, california, beach

Bigger Than Life

There he stands, immortalized in bronze. Giant American flag as a backdrop. All that's missing is mom and apple pie.

John Wayne/Orange County Airport, Santa Ana, California.

Technorati tags: airport, california, john wayne

Steps

The building is long gone, the memories faded. Just the foundation remains. For how long?

The View From Orange

Sorry, that I haven't posted recently, as my computer has been in for a rebuild.

This is a shot from the 16th floor of the Doubletree Hotel in Orange, California, taken last year. I was browsing through my collection on flickr, and this one resonated with me for two reasons. First, I'm heading back out to Orange on Tuesday and staying at this same hotel, and second has been the recent attention paid to this area in light of the wildfires that have been burning for several days.

Technorati tags: orange, california, night

The Lady

Cincinnati businessman Henry Probasco dedicated the famous fountain “To the People of Cincinnati” in memory of his business partner and brother-in-law Tyler Davidson on October 6, 1871. Designed to rival the great fountains of Europe, the bronze and granite fountain glorifies the blessings of water. Streams of water flow from the outstretched hands of the nine-foot-tall Genius of Water, affectionately known as “The Lady.”

Technorati tags: cincinnati, fountain square, ohio

Mr. Deity Season Two Is Now

And now, the long awaited season premiere of the hot new internet comedy, Mr. Deity, is now online. One thing has changed, the producers got a deal with Crackle, and that's where their shows are. Not to worry, I got the link right here.

To set the scene: It's 2002, somewhere in an important building, a world leader gets his inspiration.

Technorati tags: crackle, mr diety, humor, satire

Small Town Survival

From July 4 of this year.

Fischer's Department Store was the last family owned department store in Wisconsin. The Fischer family worked for years to keep the store going in the face of competition from all of the big retailers and the exodus of retail businesses from Main Street to the strip malls, including sizing the company down near the end to an internet operation. But it was too little, too late, and Fischer's closed after 112 years in business.

And small town America just got a little smaller.

Destined to Disappoint? Does a Bear Crap in the Woods?

A timely article in today's USA Today strikes a chord. In fact, it does well to strike many chords. And the airlines will continue to tap dance and blame everybody and everything but themselves for their problems.


Are U.S. airlines destined to disappoint? - USATODAY.com

Technorati Tags: business, airlines, usatoday, travel

Watch That First Step!

With credit to Bugs Bunny.

Binghamton, New York is a city with a brighter past than its future. It enjoyed a heyday during the Cold War as a cluster of defense contractors called the area home. But the end of the period also brought the collapse of the area economy, and the population has been shrinking ever since.

But what struck me about this photo is how, once upon a time, you could move from one building to the other, and what was once interior walls are now exterior walls.

Can You Smell It?

The last camping trip of the season. Cool, crisp weather (though it rained today and we had to pack up wet).

The bacon cooking on the grill. The coffee brewing on the stove. Smoke from campfires drifting by. Can you smell it?

Ottawa Lake Recreation Area, Wisconsin.

Report from the Road

As I was drifting off to sleep last night, it struck me that I don't write much about life on the road. I suppose something that is rather mundane and work related ought not be very interesting to the general public. But I also spend time reflecting and introspecting (read: talking to myself), and sometimes I find myself uttering things that are marginally profound. So here's some thoughts about this week.

In order to save the client some airfare, I flew to Panama City, Florida, instead of straight into Dothan, Alabama. That's what happens when only one airline serves a city, it really serves nobody but itself. A 90 minute drive through the heart of redneck country. Red soil and roadsides littered with decaying shotgun shacks. Some kick ass classic rock to keep me sane. Could be a lot worse. Like next month when I fly into Evansville, Indiana to drive 2 hours to Madisonville, Kentucky. No good radio there.

The only thing they talk about on the sports radio station is college football. Period. I now know more about the playing tendencies of 'Bama's left tackle than anybody north of the Mason-Dixon line.

Food. I normally eschew chains. But there are some higher end chains with excellent food. Bonefish Grill is one of them. If their food comes off a Sysco truck, you couldn't tell. The quality is great and the atmosphere and service are top notch. Another high quality chain is Legal Sea Foods, but you'll only find them along the east coast.

More random thoughts down the road.

Your Guess

Is as good as mine. I couldn't find anything about it.

Downtown Milwaukee.

Science and the Campaign

Being a tail-end Baby Boomer, I remember how technology and science research received high priority at the national level. And it seemed that both major political parties were firmly aware how our lead in science and technology made us a stronger nation against our avowed adversary, the Soviet Union.

But since then, special interests have conspired to erode our lead, and allow other nations (some unfriendly) to catch up with the United States and threaten our economic standing and way of life. Not to mention the health and well being of millions of my fellow citizens, including children.

I place technological education and advancement very high on my list of desired attributes for our next president. Any candidate who discounts the 150 years of scientific research supporting evolution is disqualified from receiving my vote.

In the article below, Dr. Phil tells us about a great example of what we should be hearing from a candidate to address my concerns and those of the scientific community. And not just because we learn more about the world around us, but because it makes our economy stronger. And like Dr. Phil, I have not made any decision yet about who I am going to vote for. But wouldn't it be nice if more candidates pledged to support science like Hillary Clinton?

Bad Astronomy Blog » Hillary Clinton on science

Technorati Tags: skepticism, politics, science, antiscience

Point Counterpoint

Another view of the Denver Art Museum, Denver.

Moss Landing Sunset

Moss Landing, California.

To see a short video of this scene, click here.

Fat Albert

I arrived in Salinas, California earlier today for a routine business trip, and I decided to take a trip out to the local airport to have a look around. And look at what I spotted on the ramp. It was "Fat Albert", the support plane for the Navy Blue Angels.

"Fat Albert" is a C-130T Hercules cargo plane, capable of cruise at a speed of more than 320 knots (approximately 360 miles per hour) at 27,000 feet. Four Allison turboprop engines, which produce more than 16,000 shaft-horsepower, provide Fat Albert Airlines with the power to land and depart on runways as short as 2,500 feet.

Seems I got here a day late as the airport was host to the California International Airshow this past weekend, featuring performances by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds in addition to the Blue Angels. Both groups were staying an extra day or two in Salinas, giving me the opportunity to have a look.

Letter to the Editor

In the small town where I live, we have a good old-fashioned daily local rag, the Watertown Daily Times. And naturally it has a Letters to the Editor section where anybody who can put words to paper can submit their opinion on anything they want. Left-wingnuts, right-wingnuts, True Believers, young earth creationists, global warming deniers all take their shots at free speech glory. And most of the time it's some of the funniest stuff in the paper. But there are times when a writer (or writers) are so off base, that I can't resist jumping in to point out the nonsense of their thesis.

Recently, a few people have written to the paper pointing out how high gas prices are in my town compared to neighboring communities. The reality is that it's just not true. But what prompted me to jump in is that they are missing the point entirely. So here, just for my fair readers, is my Letter to the Editor. (For my foreign friends, we price our gas in dollars per gallon. Yes, our prices are still ridiculously low compared to yours, which only heightens the irony of it all.)

Dear Editor,

To all of the letter writers decrying the perceived differences in gasoline prices from town to town, please stop. Your concerns over the price of energy are wholly misplaced. You need to do some analysis to figure out where your money is really going.

Just because you see prices are higher in Watertown than they might be in Juneau at a particular point in time does not mean that they are always higher. Personally, I find gas prices in Hustisford to be consistently (but not always) higher than Watertown. On the whole, I very rarely see a difference of more than five cents per gallon per week, either positive or negative. (Also, at $3 per gallon, 5 cents is less than 2 percent of the price, itself insignificant.) Let's begin our analysis then with the worst case, assuming that gas prices are always five cents more in Watertown than anywhere else. Next, let's assume you currently use 10 gallons of gasoline per week (520 gallons per year). Paying 5 cents more per gallon over the course of a year nets a grand total of: twenty-six dollars. Using 20 gallons per week? Fifty-two dollars.

Want to talk real money? Look at what you're driving. There's a good chance the automobile you drive is getting just 20 miles per gallon. And let's say, because of your gas guzzler, you consume 20 gallons per week (1400 gallons per year). Now drive a car getting 30 miles per gallon, which means you use 33% less gas. At $3 per gallon? A savings of $1386 per year. Now THAT'S real money. Scale it from there; no matter how you cut it, driving a fuel efficient car is the best way to save real money. And that's the bottom line.

And the punchline? The automakers make the greatest profit margin on the vehicles that use the most gasoline; your pickup trucks, SUVs and luxury cars. And insurance rates are typically higher for those vehicles than for economy cars. I don't hear any outcry over any of that.

Can't afford to buy a new car, even with all of the cost upside? Spend a few dollars to make sure your car is in fine tune, the tires are properly inflated, and slow down a little, and that perceived price disparity between Watertown and Sullivan will disappear. So stop being a victim and do something about it. Please.
Technorati tags: gas, local rag, opinion

Wilson's

Wilson's Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor in beautiful Ephraim, Wisconsin. Open since 1906.

I can think of no better way to enjoy a summer treat, in one of the most beautiful places in Wisconsin. And since this is the cherry capital of the state, why not do as the Romans do and have a big cherry sundae?

Technorati tags: summer, wisconsin, door county

Civic Center Park

A woman strides confidently across the floor of the Greek Theater in Civic Center Park on a warm summer day. Denver, Colorado.

Technorati tags: travel, denver, colorado, park

The Flying Jeep

Another plane seen at my local airport this summer is this beautifully restored Stinson L-5 Sentinel, owned by Sam Tabor of East Troy, Wisconsin.

From Warbird Alley:

With short field takeoff and landing capabilities, and the ability to operate from unimproved forward airstrips, the two-crew L-5s were used during World War II for reconnaissance; delivering supplies to, and evacuating litter patients from, isolated units; rescuing Allied personnel from remote areas; laying of communications wire; transporting of personnel; and -- on occasion -- as a light bomber. Nicknamed "the Flying Jeep," the L-5 demonstrated amazing versatility, even landing and taking off from tree-top platforms constructed above a thick Burmese jungle which could not be cleared for more conventional airstrips.

Technorati tags: flying, aviation, stinson, warbird

Mr. Deity Season Two Promo 1.0

At long last, another season of Mr. Diety is on the way. Me? I wanna know how the Lucy character develops.

Praise The Lord and Pass the Syrup

First, Jesus appeared on french toast. Then he appeared in a fence. Now, he's on a crepe. Holy crepe?

A tip o' the hat to the Bad Astronomer.

Friendly Atheist » Jesus Crepe

Technorati Tags: humor

Cattlemen's Revisit

Remember the great steakhouse I told you about a while back? Well, I had a chance to return there this evening for another fine piece of meat. This time I managed to capture a few images of the place. Doesn't look like much? Then you forget that it's not the look of the place that brought you there.

Technorati tags: food, restaurant, oklahoma city, cattlemen's, sign

Colorado Capitol Interior

Denver, Colorado.

Aspen Ruggerfest 2007

As I bid farewell again to Aspen, I caught a game at Wagner Park. Imagine coming from, say, Kansas City, and you need to play at least 3 games at 7900' of altitude. I got there Monday and finally got over the mountain sickness by the time I got on the plane to go home. But to play rugby the day after getting there? Yikes.

But there was beer, too.

Technorati tags: travel, colorado, aspen, rugby

Floor

View From Durant

Believe me, I didn't select this room, or this hotel, for that matter.

Hotel Durant, Aspen, Colorado.

Technorati tags: travel, colorado, aspen, hotel

Spirit of Carnauba

I've been trying hard lately to make sure I get up in the air at least once a month to keep the rust off, so this morning I headed to Racine, Wisconsin for a pancake breakfast sponsored by the local Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter. What I did not expect was this gorgeous airplane.

In 1935, Herbert F. Johnson Jr. and a crew embarked on an expedition to northeast Brazil. The purpose of this trip was to discover new stands of carnauba palms and whether existing growths could sustain the demand for raw material for Johnson Wax. The model S-38 aircraft was remarkable in its day, flying a number of history-making flights in the 1920s and early 1930s. One of which was Lindberg's 1929 inaugural airmail flight for Pan American Airways from Miami to the Panama Canal. Of the original 100 Sikorsky S-38 planes built, none still exist. This prompted Sam Johnson to have a replica built using the plane's original blueprints. The construction of the replica was done at Born Again Restorations in Owatonna, Minnesota. It took over three and a half years to complete, requiring more than 35,000 man-hours. Upon its its completion, it was christened the Spirit of Carnauba. The S-38 replica has a range of 550 nautical miles. Cruising speed averages 100 miles an hour. The aircraft is powered by two 450 horsepower Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr. engines. The upper wing spans 72 feet. In fall 1998, Sam Johnson and his sons, Curt and Fisk, embarked on a journey to replicate the original 7,500 mile trip flown in 1935. Their trip took 27 days and concluded successfully in Forteleza, Brazil.

Technorati tags: flying, aviation, johnson, racine, historic

Catching The Last Light

Summer is winding down here in Wisconsin, and I still have a ton of material to share. It's been a busy summer here at This Blog Title For Sale, so a retrospective over the next several posts is in order.

This is an early July sunset over Sturgeon Bay as seen from Fish Creek, Wisconsin (with a tip of the hat a fellow blogger from Mona Vale, a master of this type of photo).

Technorati tags: camping, wisconsin, door county, sunset

Pioneer Monument

Located in Civic Center in downtown Denver, the Pioneer Monument Fountain was a part of Mayor Robert W. Speer's City Beautiful movement. Originally sculpted by Frederick MacMonnies in 1911, sculptures of a prospector, a hunter and a gun-toting mother with her child surround the central figure of Kit Carson on horseback.

Technorati tags: travel, colorado, denver, monument, historic

Phone Pole

Lines, wires, wood. Power, commerce, information. All that and more, right here.

Don't Give Me Flak Because I'm A Flack

Tip o' the derby to the Bad Astronomer for some practical advice on practicable vocabulary.

Fun With Words: Commonly Confused Words

Technorati Tags: cool stuff, leisure

Colorado State Capitol

You've seen capitol buildings before, this time we're visiting Denver, capital city of Colorado. Not too big, nor too small, the architecture is familiar, yet it has a western flavor. Stay tuned for more.

Cooling Opportunity

The University of Cincinnati is located in a section of the city known as "Uptown" which, after a bit of walking around, must have merely described the elevation of the area as opposed to a particular social status.

I had taken a long walk around the campus and its neighborhoods on the way to dinner and back, and I arrived back at this water display in front of the hotel to see two girls frolicking in the water display. I knew that there were no other adequate facilities in the area, so I certainly wasn't going to be the one to discourage them.

Besides, I had a half a mind to join them.

Technorati tags: travel, ohio, cincinnati, water, urban

Will Somebody Please Turn Off The Faucet?

Got this off the camera and I said, "Crap, fuzzy." But then, this has been the mood all week around these parts.

Every year around this time, my company holds an event attended by about 375 of our client representatives. And it rained. Every day. Good thing they don't do the golf outing anymore.

Old World 3rd Street and Kilbourn Avenue, Milwaukee.

A Very Common Airplane

A 1961 Cessna 150A, owned by Ronald Wildenberg of Beloit, Wisconsin, as it appeared at a recent fly-in at Watertown Municipal Airport.

Cessna built over 23,000 airframes of this model, making it the third most produced light aircraft.

Technorati tags: cessna, flying, aviation