I've been driving the same route to and from work for more than 6 years. And, even after all this time, new things pop into view that make for wonderful moments.
To those folks who have been following me these three years, from Memphis to Melbourne (Australia), and Salem to Slovakia, I give gracious thanks. I've been in a bit of blogging decline in recent months, as other things have been drawing my focus away. I hope to get that focus back going into next year, so stayed tuned for more great content from "This Blog Title For Sale".
Happy Holidays everyone!
I consider an airport's architecture to be timeless if it evokes the era when it was built. The main passenger terminal at Lambert - St. Louis International Airport was designed by Minoru Yamasaki and completed in 1956. That was at the dawn of the jet age, and this airport, with its soaring arched ceiling reminds you of the days when DC-3s and DC-4s, Lockheed Constellations and the early jets all mingled together on the tarmac, and travel by plane was a special event.
This is, sadly, the only redeeming feature of the airport. The expansion of the airport in the '80s were utilitarian in design, making it perhaps the most unappealing airport I've ever been to.
Woods Hole in November probably doesn't look much different than in April, when this picture was taken.
It just works. Granted, it only works part of the day, and the sun can't be obstructed. But the sundial is the ultimate in set it and forget it.
Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
And they’ve been studying it a long, long time. It’s a very difficult field of research, fraught with hidden variables, difficult measurements, and political landmines. But chances are they know more about this than you and I do. There’s a reason they’re called experts, folks.
So the next time you want to send me some snarky email to embarrass me about some piece of info you just found on the intertoobs, please do yourself a favor: stop, think for just a moment, and ask yourself: "Is this really likely to have been missed by thousands of really smart highly educated people who have been studying this field for a combined length of time equaling many man-millennia?" The embarrassment you save just might be your own.
Halloween on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, New Orleans. One of the most sensory laden, visceral experiences I've ever had. Bourbon Street is dirty, smelly, dilapidated. That is, until thousands show up for a huge outdoor party. I saw costumes of every possible description, worn by freaks, geeks, straights and queers. And the women? Unbelievable! It was all there in one decadent, pulsating moving street party. They say Mardi Gras is ten times this. I can't imagine it. Oh, and this picture was taken early. It only got better.
The scene of a single car accident on US Hwy 90 between Paradis and Des Allemands, Louisiana. It's hard to tell, but the main compartment seems to be intact, and as long as the occupants were wearing seat belts, we can hope they were not injured badly.
This is the house at 1026 N. 4th St., Watertown, Wisconsin. A simple, single story house with overgrown bushes and weathered exterior. A 90s vintage Pontiac with a broken plastic fender sits in the gravel driveway.
You really have to wonder. What exactly was that this unfortunate person read or heard that lead to this conclusion? And what was it about this person's education and upbringing and values that processed that information to arrive at this statement?
It's boggles the mind of a rational thinking individual. But clearly not the irrational. Just what exactly does this person think will happen if in fact, Senator Obama is the anti-christ?
What kind of world do these deluded people think they're living in?
A cruise ship from the Norwegian Cruise Lines at port in downtown Hamilton, Bermuda. I wish this picture could convey just how large this ship was, and I hear this isn't even in the largest class of modern cruise ship, because it wouldn't fit in the harbor otherwise.
I've resisted political oriented posts for the last couple of weeks, but I think this video stands out as a beacon of how to conduct a rational discourse. I have admired General Powell for many years; he was III Corps Commanding General during the time I was with the 1st Infantry Division in Kansas, and followed his career as he went to theater command in Germany and then to the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the first Gulf War. His bona fides are without question.
What makes this video outstanding is that General Powell, in seven minutes and without notes, provides a clear and succinct critique of both campaigns and the strengths and weaknesses of both candidates. He then summarizes it all as he announces he will vote for Senator Obama.
It was all very good, but the best part comes at about 4:45 in. For all the bluster and the right's attempts to impose its own definition of "patriotism", General Powell reminds us all of what a true patriot really is. Thank you, General Powell.
Those who have been following "This Blog Title For Sale" for the last 3-plus years know that I have been to some really neat place and some not-so-neat places. Last week I had the special opportunity to visit our first international client. In Bermuda. It was a great trip, but with an inauspicious start. This rain shower had just moved off the island as we made our final approach into the airport.
In short, this was a mainstream foundation funded by a mainstream, Republican business leader and led by an overwhelmingly mainstream, civic-minded group of individuals. Ayers' involvement in its inception and on an advisory committee do not make it radical – nor does the funding of programs involving the United Nations and African-American studies.
This attack is false, but it's more than that – it's malicious. It unfairly tars not just Obama, but all the other prominent, well-respected Chicagoans who also volunteered their time to the foundation. They came from all walks of life and all political backgrounds, and there's ample evidence their mission was nothing more than improving ailing public schools in Chicago. Yet in the heat of a political campaign they have been accused of financing radicalism. That's Pants on Fire wrong.
Over the past couple of weeks, I published some posts that disclosed my position in the presidential contest. Naturally I wouldn't think that anything I say would have an effect on how someone else would think. But I've also been in contact with people who would believe what they see in a political ad, or even what they get in a chain email. So as a service to those who wish to cut through the clutter of misinformation, I offer some resources.
From the Annenberg Public Policy Center, we have FactCheck.org, and from the St. Petersburg Times comes PolitiFact.com. Both of these sites take the campaign commercials and stump speeches and analyze them to separate the truth from the spin. Anytime you see a new campaign commercial, go to one of these sites BEFORE you send that email to your friends on the latest candidate gotcha.
Finally, to put to rest those urban legends surrounding the candidates, there's the politics section of the Urban Legends Reference Pages at snopes.com. I hope you find all that useful.
This was the question posted by an anonymous commenter. And it signals to me that this person has been a regular visitor. If so, it would be nice to know who you are so that I can thank you for being a loyal reader, and perhaps we can generate some dialog.
That question is actually a pretty complicated one, so much so that I'm dedicating a whole post to it. First, the short answer is that, as the sole contributor and owner of this blog, I feel free to include whatever content as I see fit. And if you go back into my archives, you'll find any number of opinions, from soccer, to aviation and yes, on politics.
I once considered myself a moderate Republican. I think I even registered that way when I became eligible to vote at 18 in the state of New Jersey. Back then the Republican party was closer to the center while the Democrats were much farther to the left. At least that's the way it seemed to me. After the ineffectual Carter presidency, it seemed sensible to vote for Ronald Reagan, and the first vote I cast for President was for him in his reelection year of 1984. I also voted for George H.W. Bush in 1988. But by then the neo-conservative and evangelical christian forces had sunk their hooks deep into the Republican party. Then the party took majority of control of Congress led by Newt Gingrich. Any remnant of bipartisan cooperation was obliterated. When the party took a position on an issue, they claimed sovereignty of the issue. If you didn't agree with their position, then you were cast as a leftist liberal; no middle ground was given. Republicans even declared that they no longer worked for all of their consituents, they only worked for the constituents who voted for them. For myself, it was time to get off the bus.
But that isn't even the reason why I have decided to vote for Senator Obama. For me, this election boils down to an issue that is larger than any other issue being debated in this campaign, by far. It's an issue that affects our way of life and how we are allowed to pursue our freedom as envisioned by our Founding Fathers. I am referring to nothing less than our system of government and the document that created it. It's the document that I gave nine years of my life in service of its armed forces to protect. I am talking about the United States Constitution.
For those unfamiliar with the Constitution (and sadly, far too many Americans are), it lays out a system of government designed such that no one branch of the government can usurp the other branch thereby keeping a system of checks and balances. Now in case you haven't been paying attention for the last seven years, there have been numerous threats to the rule of law in this country. As excerpted from Power Play: The Bush Presidency and the Constitution by James P. Pfiffner, the Bush administration "abrogated the rule of law by taking actions not authorized by law and sometimes directly against the law." To wit:
--He created military commissions entirely within the executive branch and in doing so ignored U.S. laws that provided authority and procedures for establishing military commissions;The branch of our government chartered to uphold the rule of law in this country is, of course, the judiciary. Right now, the Supreme Court has four justices that are considered conservative, four that are liberal, and one who is considered a swing vote. (It is almost ironic that John Paul Stevens, an appointee of President Ford in 1975, is seen as a liberal mainstay.) From my readings and observances, it is generally agreed that a court split down the middle with a swing vote is a desirable situation. This is where things begin to get complicated. One of the neo-con right's tactics in their desire to create a theocracy in this country has been to attack the judicial system as inherently liberal (that's their cover, where else have we seen that before?) and then strive to place judges in the system that will rule to support their narrow views of basic human values. Senator McCain plans to do exactly that.
--He used the term "enemy combatant" to exempt the government from granting persons so labeled legal and constitutional rights;
--He denied the writ of habeas corpus to U.S. citizens as well as other detainees suspected of terrorism;
--He suspended the Geneva Conventions, which, because they were agreed to in a treaty, are the "supreme Law of the Land," according to Article VI of the Constitution;
--He authorized the interrogation of detainees using techniques that most of the world considers torture, and which violate the Geneva Conventions and U.S. law;
--He ordered the National Security Agency to monitor the communications of Americans without a warrant as required by FISA; and
--He asserted the sweeping right to ignore more than 1,000 provisions of public law because he deemed them to be in conflict with his authority as president.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin left open the option Thursday of waging war with Russia if it were to invade neighboring Georgia and the former Soviet republic were a NATO ally. "We will not repeat a Cold War," Palin said in her first television interview since becoming Republican John McCain's vice presidential running mate two weeks ago.
There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she.
Over more than 15 decades, the building had witnessed many seasons. For a large amount of that time, it had company. And now it continues the journey alone once again.
Annapolis, Maryland.
"You cannot separate the overall impression of a candidate from their spouse any more than you could separate a candidate from his regional accent or his age or the color of his skin, the membership of his political party," says Carl Sferrazza Anthony, who has written several books about first ladies.
A headlamp from an antique Ford Model T as seen on display in Hartford, Wisconsin.
On a recent trip to San Diego, I had the opportunity to visit the wonderful San Diego Zoo. This is one of the zoos that the Chinese government has allowed to keep pandas, so this is not a common sight.
After my father's death, my mom, brother and I moved to northern New Jersey, right under the final approach path to Teterboro Airport. Day after day, countless airplanes flew down the street, and I just had to stop and look up at every one of them. One day, the Goodyear Blimp passed overhead, and it was so low I could swear I could reach up and touch it!
Here, two youngsters observe the departure of 55 Piper Comanches leaving Watertown Municipal Aiport for Oshkosh and the EAA AirVenture. Could these be future aviators?
At about 3:45 pm this afternoon, a Cirrus airplane, reported to have 2 aboard, attempted a landing on runway 29 at Watertown Municipal Airport. The airplane appeared to abort the landing and lost control as it tried to climb out, veering to the left and crashing into a row of hangers. It is not known the extent of injuries at this time to those on board or any on the ground. It is very fortunate that the plane crashed there as it just missed crashing into 15 to 20 parked aircraft on the ramp that were assembled in preparation to travel to Oshkosh tomorrow. More information as I get it.
UPDATE: So far it has been reported that 2 people were aboard and both suffered non-fatal injuries although their exact condition is not known. This was a terrifying incident; Watertown was hosting a Piper Comanche gathering, and 3 dozen planes were parked on the ramp just behind my vantage point. Additionally there were several dozen people gathered in the main hanger for a barbeque. It could have been a disaster.
UPDATE 2: The occupants of the plane were a man and his wife. The injuries have been reported as non-life threatening. The plane was a Cirrus SR-22, which is equipped with seatbelt airbags. Those airbags may very well have saved two lives today. Very good news indeed.
FINAL UPDATE: A hero emerged from the incident yesterday. Curtis Loontjer, an employee of Wisconsin Aviation (the Fixed Based Operator), acted quickly and without regard for his own safety when he went into the crash and rescued the airplane's occupants. If not for his efforts, there would be no happy ending. A picture as published in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel can be found here. As you can see, nothing remains but the engine and firewall. My favorite rental plane, a Cessna 152, is in the background. Also of note, the Cirrus is equipped with a ballistic recovery parachute powered by a rocket booster. During the incident, the booster cooked off and fired, causing some very scary moments. Something will need to be done to reduce the risk of cookoff in these boosters in the future.
I had been looking forward for a long time for the opportunity to visit this fine ballpark. Oriole Park was groundbreaking as the first of the "retro-modern" line of baseball stadia built in the last 15 years. It's success launched a series of similar stadia with distinctive features and built in downtown areas that highlighted that city's classic buildings.
I found Oriole Park to be everything it's advertised to be. Other than some slight weathering of the seats, the park still shines like new.
By the way, can you name the players who wore those numbers for the Orioles?
We were no longer bound to one planet, one place, troglodytes adhering to the surface of Earth. We became a space-dwelling species.
The central concourse of Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Smaller airports always more pleasurable than the large ones. Must have something to do with far fewer passengers per square foot.
Doug Steenland is the CEO of Northwest Airlines. I received an email recently from NWA, asking for my help. I laughed so hard that I peed my pants. Here is my response:
Dear Mr. Steenland,
I am writing in response to an email you sent to me on behalf of your fellow airlines, asking me, one of your customers, to assist in your quest to have Congress act on your behalf to combat what you claim to be rampant speculation in the oil markets and help keep your costs down. You played to my feelings by suggesting that if nothing is done to curb energy prices, dire consequences are in store and that we must all band together in this time of need.
Are you fracking kidding me? YOU want ME to weigh in on YOUR behalf?
Ok, Mr. Steenland, let's make a deal. Before I do anything for you, you must agree to do some things for me. After all, I AM one of your customers.
You will remove hidden fees from your business model. If oil is high, just price your airfares to reflect that. Don't try to use services as a profit center. Fifteen dollars for the first bag, $250 dollars for rebooking. Some service. How do I know that you're not going to start charging me for the ability to change my seat assignment? You already charge extra for certain select seats. You know what this practice reminds me of? Yes, your attempt to have Congress make money for you by rigging the budget for the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Airspace System, even if it threatened to drive the General Aviation industry to extinction. You wanted to set up a controlling board, away from congressional oversight, that would impose fees at will on the general aviation industry for the use of airspace. Good thing we caught you on that, because it's clear this is where you would have headed with it.
Next, you will fly your schedule on schedule. Quit trying to put more than one plane on the same spot on the runway at the same time and hoping the weather cooperates. Maybe then you'll get your planes to their destination more than the current on-time rate of around 75%. You might save some fuel and make your CUSTOMERS a little happier.
Oh, I almost forgot. How about getting my luggage to my destination when I arrive? In the last year, I've taken roughly 100 trips, and my bag did not make the plane 3 times. That is completely unacceptable. So get my bag there, and you'll save some money on couriers and even save some gas in the process. Fancy that.
Mr. Steenland, you and your cohort have miles and miles to go before you convince me that this latest ploy was little more than a cynical attempt to play upon our emotions for your gain. You have shown no inclination over the last decade to do anything for your customer except demonstrate that you could not care less about us. I have my own interests to look after with the high cost of oil, but I'll be DAMNED if I'm going to go to Congress to help you out.
I hope this letter finds you in good health.
Sincerely,
Richard Fraser
Technorati tags: airlines, northwest, oil, speculation
Huge amounts of energy are tied up in a thunderstorm. If there were only a way to harness it, a kind of energy harvester that moved with these storms to catch the lightning, the ice from hail, even a generator driven by the downpour. It can happen.
Willmar, Minnesota.
From the staff of "This Blog Title For Sale", we hope you enjoy the celebration of this, the 232d anniversary of the birth of our nation.
George Carlin died today. I wasn't going to blog about it, seeing as just about everybody else probably has by now. But PZ Myers posted this video from him on his blog, and I just couldn't let his passing go without giving my thoughts. George Carlin was that rare individual, just like Mark Twain, whom despite what you thought about his politics, could say things that were very controversial yet get you to laugh about it. Then, after you're done laughing, you realize that you can't argue with the logic. He was an equal to the greatest philosophers in history, yet his medium was comedy. And that's what we'll miss about George Carlin. He made you THINK.
Here's a clip of George on a topic near and dear to many. Of course you can make a case for hypocrisy, seeing as he played Rufus, a god-ish character, in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Whoa. Oh yeah, NSFW. But you knew that.
Thunderstorms were menacing the area for a couple of hours, but it wasn't until after dinner and I was driving around town when the sun hit the right spot. All of a sudden I'm scurrying to find a place to park with an unobstructed view. And there it is. More about mammatus clouds here.
Dothan, Alabama.
The vast majority of air-traffic delays in 2007 occurred before airplanes took off for flight. Almost 60 percent of delays occurred at the gate, while 20 percent of flight delays occurred while taxiing out to the runway. Only about 15 percent of the JEC estimated total delay occurred during airborne minutes.
I've been way behind, as you can see, on getting my photos posted. This photo really wasn't taken that long ago, just March. But alas, the rest of the set will probably have to wait until the time is right again. I guess I just said that I'd be keeping the blog going for at least that much longer.
Aspen, Colorado.
He added that there are beaches that collect mostly rights and others that collect mostly lefts because the winds or currents sort out left and right foot wear.
The hemoglobin in your blood, the bones in your body, and the
wedding ring on your finger — all of these can trace their lineage back
to a star that exploded like SN2008D. Every heavy element in the
Universe was created in such an event, in the heart and fury of a
supernova.We owe our very existence to stars that explode.
This is the view from the top of Blue Mound, in the state park of the same name west of Madison, Wisconsin. Elevation 1,716 feet, seventh highest in the state.
What a great weekend. Even with the rain showers Friday night, and some heavy showers Saturday night, I would call the weather perfect.
This weekend, the new action movie "Speed Racer" opens across several thousand screens. In state of the art movie (and IMAX) theaters across the country, viewers will enjoy the film in living room comfort, with the latest thundering surround sound THX technology beating them into their stadium seats.
Not in Litchfield, Minnesota. Here, around dusk, cars will be heading up the grass lined drive at the Starlight Drive-In to pay $6 for adults and $3 for children for the privilege of parking on a grass lawn (bring your own bug spray). The sound will only be as good as your car stereo, and don't forget to load up on the redhots and popcorn from the refreshment stand (outside food and drink is NOT allowed).
Reminds me of my youth, taking Henny to the drive in and maybe catching half of the first feature before the windows fogged up. Good times.
Some things cause me to involuntarily reach for the camera, no matter how mundane. I hope you see what I saw in the bathroom of my hotel room that night.
Driving south out of Boston after arriving at Logan International Airport on Interstate 93, the traffic began to slow. Rounding a corner, smoke was rising from near the highway. There was a fire! The camera was in the passenger seat, so I quickly turned it on and captured this image of a fully involved Ford Taurus station wagon. And you were there!
This week, I had the pleasure of taking the family to see Blue Man Group perform their "How To Be A Megastar 2.1 Tour" show at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. We've been fans of Blue Man Group for some time, and having missed their show in Milwaukee last year, jumped at the chance to see them in Madison this time around. We even decided to splurge the extra money to get floor seats, and we weren't disappointed.
We were familiar with their work from seeing their prior concert shows on television, and we own their CD "The Complex". We were lucky enough to score floor seats in row 7 even though I ordered the tickets the day after they went on sale.
The show was a rework of "The Complex" tour, with an instructional video providing a loose structure to the show. A monotone, unseen announcer directs the Blue Men on their way as well as engaging the audience. The Blue Men themselves use intense eye contact to draw the audience into the show. During one sketch, one Blue Man chucks marshmallows out into the crowd. He turned toward our section and I actually stood up and pointed to my mouth! He tossed a marshmallow at me and I tried to catch it in my mouth only to have it glance off my cheek!
Most of the music in the show was from their CD "The Complex" with some additional music (notably a cover of The Who's "Baba O'Riley") and it was expertly played by a backup band consisting of 3 percussionists, 2 guitarists, a bassist, keyboardist and vocalist. The show lasted just over 90 minutes and there were no noticeable breaks. It was nonstop from beginning to end. There were only about 6,000 in attendance, which was a little bit of a downer, and the vibe was different than your big time arena act. But this was a different experience than just a pure rock show. This was performance art, comedy, music, and a bit of theater. We had a blast. It was well worth the money. I do hope that BMG will put together another album of original work ("The Complex" was released in 2003) and create another concert show.
… it seems “rather elitist” that people with academic degrees in health think they know better than parents what type of sex education is appropriate. “I don’t think it’s something we should abandon,” he said of abstinence-only funding.
NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker commented that pilots cannot afford to become complacent. “We must continue to take the lessons learned from our investigations and use them to create even safer skies for all aircraft operators and their passengers,” he said.We strive to do exactly that. No operator of a public conveyance is required to complete as much training and assessment as are pilots. When traveling on commercial airliners, the folks in front will have passed at least 5 and likely several more flight examinations to get where they are. Compare that with your bus driver, truck driver or, for that matter, every other driver on the road. And you have our word that we are trying to make 2008 even safer. Read more by clicking on the link below.
Broussard's Cajun Cuisine, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Best cajun north of Louisiana. Shrimp etouffee and fried alligator. Outstanding!
I guess I forgot that I do three quarters of my flying on Northwest, with Delta and Midwest picking up the rest. So, with the long awaited merger announced, I need to prepare for the inevitable.
On the other hand, I suppose I can get used to seeing more of this lady VERY quickly.
This just in to my email inbox:
As a valued Northwest Airlines customer and WorldPerks(R)
member, I wanted you to be among the first to hear that we have
announced a merger with Delta Air Lines. Subject to regulatory
review, our two airlines are joining forces to create America's
premier global airline which, upon closing of the merger, will
be called Delta Air Lines.
By combining Northwest and Delta, we are building a stronger,
more resilient airline that will be a leader in providing
customer service and value. Our combined airline will offer
unprecedented access to the world, enabling you to fly to more
destinations, have more flight choices and more ways than ever
to earn and redeem your WorldPerks miles.
You can be assured that your WorldPerks miles and Elite program
status will be unaffected by this merger. In addition, you can
continue to earn miles through use of partners like WorldPerks
Visa(R). And once the new Delta Air Lines emerges you can look
forward to being a part of the world's largest frequent flyer
program with expanded benefits.
The combined Delta Air Lines will serve more U.S. communities
and connect to more worldwide destinations than any global
airline. Our hubs - both Delta's and Northwest's - will be
retained and enhanced. We will be the only U.S. airline to offer
direct service from the United States to all of the world's
major business centers in Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa
and around North America.
Both airlines bring tremendous strengths to this new
partnership. Our complementary service networks form an
end-to-end system that is truly greater than the sum of its
parts. This is a merger by addition, not subtraction, which
means all of our hubs - both Northwest's and Delta's - will be
retained. In addition, building on both airlines' proud,
decades-long history of serving small communities, we plan to
enhance global connections to small towns and cities across the
U.S.
All of these positive benefits of our combination mean that we
can:
1. Offer a true global network where our customers will be able
to fly to more destinations, have more schedule options and more
opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles in what
will become the world's best and most comprehensive frequent
flyer program.
2. Continue to serve our current roster of destinations and to
maintain our hubs in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, Salt Lake City, Amsterdam and
Tokyo.
3. Improve our customers' travel experience, through new
products and services including enhanced self-service tools,
better bag-tracking technology, more onboard services, including
more meal options, new seats and refurbished cabins.
While we work to secure approval of our merger, which may take
up to 6 to 8 months, it will be business-as-usual at both
airlines. We will continue to operate as independent airlines
and the people of Northwest will remain focused on providing you
with the very best in safe, reliable and convenient air travel.
At the same time, both airlines will be planning for a seamless
integration of our two airlines, one that delivers to you the
enhanced benefits that will earn - and retain - your preference.
As we work through this process, we will keep you informed at
every step along the way. Thank you for your business and we
look forward to serving you on your next Northwest flight.
Sincerely,
Bob Soukup
Managing Director, WorldPerks
If, that is, one of the myriad television networks out there greenlights this pilot. But wouldn't it be nice that, in a world of ghost shows and UFO hunters, we finally get REAL investigation? I sure hope so.
I reckon I should consider myself lucky that these line ropes aren't brimming with humanity this day. But it does get one to wondering, why should it ever get this bad? (That's a rhetorical question, folks.)
John Wayne-Santa Ana Airport, California.
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907 and operated by the family-owned Santa Cruz Seaside Company, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of two seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States (the other being the Santa Monica Pier).
If it's Amish built, you know it's quality.
Pikeville, Kentucky.
Back in June of last year, I blogged about a weathered (one reader called it "rustic") sign that greets all travelers to the Tri State Region. Now I'm not sure if that picture embarrassed the local leaders, but in any case, they took action to make the sign better. That's right, there's nothing that a coat of paint can't fix. Now THAT'S state of the art.
Stepptown, West Virginia.
I received a comment (thank you!) on the previous post about how grim this region is. The thing was, there were no shortage of scenes like that. It was hard to take pictures because there was a new scene around every corner. It's hard to select a scene to shoot when they all are stark. It's tough here. Really, really tough.
The drive from Huntington, West Virginia to Pikeville, Kentucky run through some of the most poverty ridden areas I've ever traveled through. Sorry if the blog seems down for the next few posts.
Even in a busy airport, sometimes you are the only one on the tram. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Say hello to my weekend yacht.
Not buying it, huh?
This exotic looking piece of aluminum is the AMH Seacoaster, a technology testbed built by a company hoping to win big time Navy contracts. From what I could tell, the contractor wanted to show that this technology would be used to move large amounts of personnel and materiel rapidly over great distances into ports not large or deep enough for standard transport ships. I could not find anything to indicate whether the Navy actually bought it.
Panama City, Florida.
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