05 February 2009 @ 09:37 am

Some who know me think I sleep away the morning. The truth is that I'm up every Thursday morning starting at 6am getting my kids up and ready for school. I knew it was cold out....the low reading on the outside air temp as I made the loop from my house to john's school, to melissa's school and back home...

Low for the trip -10F

Yep...pretty cold. I guess it was cold the week while I was snowmobiling in the UP, but we had daytime highs in the 20s the whole time I was there.

I love the sound of the crunch of snow under the tires on really cold days like this. Usually I'm dressed for a blizzard and cranking up a snowmobile.

I've ridden at -30F and it's not bad if it's a sunny day. You really don't want to be out riding around at night when it's -30F.

And it's not so much that -10F is that cold...it's just pretty cold for us here in Cleveland.

I hope everyone stayed warm last night and this morning. That global warming thing will kick in someday.....*lol*
In the meantime, I just tossed a couple more logs into the fireplace insert...*S*

T.

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04 February 2009 @ 03:41 pm

The Globalization Monster in the Closet

From the Motely Fool.

This is a summary of a book on Globalization that takes a much different view than the tradition view of Globalization. The article alone is well worth the read, especially in these times.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2009/02/04/the-globalization-monster-in-the-closet.aspx

T.

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03 February 2009 @ 12:13 pm

(no subject)

And just like Ground Hog Day....the movie....that keeps repeating itself endlessly over and over....I'll make another weather related post. Feel free to skip this one if you're bored by now....

<lj-cut>

Ground Hog Day!

Ya! The Ground Hog - Punxsatawnye Phil and Buckeye Chuck both saw their shadows yesterday...which means 6 more weeks of winter!!!

I love winter I love the snow.

Cleveland officially had 40.5 inches of snow during the month of January....Making it the second snowiest January on record, topped only by Jan 1978, 42.8 inches, when the "White Hurricane" came through the entire midwest. I was not in Cleveland but at Purdue that year. It was the first year in the history of the school that they closed for a winter snow, and they closed the school for two days. We had drifts that were a story and a half high off the ends of the one story temporary barracks from the 50s...that they were still using for dorms when I was there. The snow was 25 feet deep in places out on I-65 that runs from Indy through West Lay Flat on up to Chicago.

Jan 2009 was also the second snowiest month on record ever for any month of winter in Cleveland. That tells you how much snow we've had this year. We had a good shot at making this winter even snowier than the Cleveland record which is 117.9 inches of snow in 2004-2005. So far we have had a total of 59.5 inches and a good two months or more of snow headed our way. We've had snow cover on the ground pretty much the entire month of November and then again non-stop since Xmas.

My house is out east in the Lake Effect snow zone, so typically I get more snow than other parts of Cleveland, but there has been a weather bubble over me this year. I've only gotten average amounts, and parts of the west side got lake effect off Lake Michigan a couple weeks ago, when the east side got none. Oh...ya Lake Erie is frozen over for over a week already. So that reduces (but not eliminates totally) the lake effect snow that we get for a month or two.

Here's a link to a big story that was on the front page of The Plain Dealer

http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/123356710557560.xml&coll=2

</lj-cut>

Global Warming???? Bah......The next Ice Age is Coming!

T.

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31 January 2009 @ 01:45 am

End of the US ???

Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.

And he's being taken serously.

DECEMBER 29, 2008
MOSCOW -- For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart in 2010. For most of that time, he admits, few took his argument -- that an economic and moral collapse will trigger a civil war and the eventual breakup of the U.S. -- very seriously. Now he's found an eager audience: Russian state media.

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"There's a 55-45% chance right now that disintegration will occur," he says. "One could rejoice in that process," he adds, poker-faced. "But if we're talking reasonably, it's not the best scenario -- for Russia." Though Russia would become more powerful on the global stage, he says, its economy would suffer because it currently depends heavily on the dollar and on trade with the U.S.

Mr. Panarin posits, in brief, that mass immigration, economic decline, and moral degradation will trigger a civil war next fall and the collapse of the dollar. Around the end of June 2010, or early July, he says, the U.S. will break into six pieces -- with Alaska reverting to Russian control.

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Full article is here....
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123051100709638419.html?mod=loomia&loomia_si=t0:a16:g2:r1:c0.0464038:b0

Enjoy your weekend !

T.

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30 January 2009 @ 11:54 am

Only My Second Time Ever

Only my second time ever trying to edit a video clip.

Which kinda goes along with the ever popular introduction at a DRT/sRT mtg...

Hi, my name is T. and this is my first meeting......(cough cough...today....cough cough).

Yes I've been doing what's in the video for a long time, but honestly second time ever
at editting a video. It's pretty easy with Window Movie Maker

http://www.nextec-3d.com/pri/FirePlay.by.XS_Tom.wmv

Best viewed at 50% video size.

T.

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28 January 2009 @ 10:07 pm

Winter Pictures

Most people post winter pictures of trees or pretty scenes in the snow....

Some document the mounds of snow that they shoveled....

Well, here's what I shoveled tonight.....*S*

Got to have priorities!!!!

sorry I can't get the lj cut thing to work for me.... :(

T.

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28 January 2009 @ 03:52 pm

Do Nothing!!!!

The case for doing nothing

Bottom Line.....the proposed 825 Billion Dollar stimulus might not work....likely will not work, just like other failed Govt. efforts.

Borrowing and excessive consumer spending got us to where we are today. So the current stimulus package is just an attempt to get us to continue borrowing and spending.....when what we really need to do is to quit spending, save money and pay off debt !!!

you can read the entire story here http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18068.html

I can't seem to get lj cuts to work for me these days.... :(

T.

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28 January 2009 @ 10:07 am

New User Pic

New User pic uploaded.....

I took this last week in the UP.

I should be able to take a similar pic here at the house tonight or tomorrow!!!!

T.

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27 January 2009 @ 07:30 pm

Global Warming Update

According to the local evening weather - Cleveland, Ohio

We currently have 30" of snow for the month of January (all measured at the airport).
#4 in the all time snowiest Jan on record for the city.
#3 & #2 are 2" more.
#1 is 1978 - when the big blizzard hit and that's 48" for the month.
Calling for 6-10" total by tomorrow night. It's just starting to snow downtown. Should easily put this Jan. at #2 for all time snowiest Jan. on record.

T - with the local global warming report.

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24 January 2009 @ 11:14 am

More Weather

I was north of Houghton Michigan this past week. Tons of really deep snow. Cabin owner said that the snow banks were already higher than they were at the end of last year. Local dealer said they will be riding well into April this year with all the snow they have. The whole UP often doesn't have snow on the southern side by Lake Michigan, but this year there were several feet down there.

On the way home from the UP on thursday I heard on the radio that the ice bridges were open from Cheboygan to the Islands and from the islands to St.Ignace. Open a full month earlier than last year. The residents were happy as they can just drive across the ice to get supplies rather than rely on the ferry and Machinaw Bridge. A full month ealier than normal

Also, on the weather channel last night, Lake Erie is just about frozen over completely. This often happens, though usually it's later in Feb. when it happens, and it doesn't happen every year. They didn't cite a stat on that though.

I guess while I was gone and we were having weather in the 20s in Michigan, Cleveburg was getting blasted by yet another cold snap of single digit highs...Our second one of the season. Seems to me we usually only get one cold blast like that, and it's still early.

A quck check of the recent sunspot numbers shows no increase in activity. over 300 days of ZERO sunspots in the last 12 months. Last time there were over 40 sunspots at one time was March 31st, 2008. Only 3 days since May 15th, 2008 has the sunspot number been over 20.

Global Warming????

T.

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20 January 2009 @ 10:28 pm

I'm alive!

Tons of Snow. Lots of flat fast trails. No other sleds anywhere! All digits are intact!

( Big Pics Behind Cut )

T.

ps - dialup access sucks. No way to read comments or others LJ until the weekend.

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16 January 2009 @ 01:26 am

Snowmobile Update

I've been working on the snowmobile this week. I've owned a different suspension and track for it for a while and finally got around to putting it in. Couldn't have done it without the help of one of my best friends.

First pic is of the Red sled with the longer track installed. Behind it is another sled with a regular length track.

Second pic is after I installed the tunnel extension. It needs a bumper but they don't have any here in town, so I've got one waiting for me in Michigan. If I did everything right, six bolts and I'll have the new rear bumper installed.

So what's the difference? Longer track gives the sled more floatation. Easier to ride in deep snow and not get stuck. Also it has deeper paddles for more go in deep snow. The place I'm riding soon had already had 10 feet of snow this winter. There is another spot that is 6.5 hours from here that typically gets 200-300 inches of snow every year. I've been there when there has been 3 or 4 feet of fresh snow to go play in. Now I can do that without getting stuck quite so much....

It's been a long time coming, and the project has been frustrating, taken longer than I thought it would, caused lots of sore muscles, and like any good project I had to buy one new tool. I also used a tool that I've owned for some time and never used before.

I'm very pleased with the results and can't wait to go ride!

T.

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14 January 2009 @ 12:22 pm

More Web Security

Everyone should opt out of grouply, and delete any grouply requests that come in. That's fairly common knowledge as well as web beacons. Here's another one to share and pass along.

More info...

Here is a little something to be aware of, if you have Flashplayer installed on your system.

Built into the flashplayer is a method of obtaining a lot of info about your web experience and the data is obtained and stored as flashplayer storage snippets. These may be deposited by visiting almost any web site that is flash aware.

Go to
http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager07.html
and delete those that you do not want.

If you wish to stop these snippets from being deposited on your system, click on the second tab from the left and set the amount of memory down to zero. This way, no web site can deposit a flash snippet without your permission.

T.

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13 January 2009 @ 11:45 pm

Snow Pic

Snow Pic from Sunday.

Today, one of my best friends came up and spent the day helping me swap out the suspension and track. We installed a longer track and suspension with deeper cleats or paddles on the track. It'll be able to handle deeper snow and do more off trail riding.

I'm headed to the UP of Michigan next week to do some riding. I'll be North of Houghton and they already have 10 feet of snow!!!!

T.

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09 January 2009 @ 08:16 pm

Recession? Depression?

I remember back to one of the previous recessions...and this saying came around....

"A recession is when someone you know loses their job...."
"A depression is when you lose your job"

One of my good friends got laid off today. It's only supposed to be for 2 weeks. He's seen it coming for at least a month as they are really slow. I feel sad for him.

The reality is that there are lots of people losing their jobs.....Net 2.6 million jobs lost in 2008. The most since 1945. Of those 2.6 million, 1.9 million were lost in the last 4 months. In 1945 the country lost 2.75 million jobs. Today there are 3 times as many people working as in 1945.

As a nation we have pushed all the manufacturing jobs overseas and in doing so mortgaged our future on a generation of low paying services jobs. The outlook isn't good.

I hope that everyone I know is able to keep their jobs in 2009.

Good luck to my friend that just got laid off.

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINN0928266420090109?rpc=44

T.

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02 January 2009 @ 12:12 pm

LIFE

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Beers

    When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.
    A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
    The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
    The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'
    The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
    'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
    The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
    The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
    'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first ---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'
The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.'

T.

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01 January 2009 @ 06:05 pm

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all my friends!!!

I don't do recaps of last year or lists of things to look forward to this year.

I don't do Resolutions either.

Just wishing joy and happiness to all my friends!

*hugs and kisses all around*

T.

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14 December 2008 @ 09:34 pm

New Orleans Snow

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12 December 2008 @ 10:06 pm

Xmas Lights !!!

Xmas Lights....

from 2005.....amazing what a lighting engineer with too much time and money can do!!!

TSO

Xmas Lights Take 2

Same music as above...but a different house....

Xmas Lights Take 3

Another TSO

Xmas Lights Take 4

TSO Nutcracker

Another Xmas Lights...(new to me this year..)

This one starts out slow, but finishes big....*S*

Techno Jingle Bells

SandStorm Techno

A better Sandstorm

Holdman Christmas Display

Angels we have heard

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12 December 2008 @ 03:24 pm

Picture of the day....

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11 December 2008 @ 06:12 pm

Ice Age - part 2

Another....about how it's too quiet.

Much quieter than the experts had predicted....

Sunspots Are Fewest Since 1954
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/03/science/space/03sun.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&ref=science

I posted this seperately as you can't format your response, only new posts....

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11 December 2008 @ 02:03 pm

The Ice Age Cometh

Surprise flurries warm Houston hearts

Fluffy flakes bring delight to some, consternation to others — and tie a 64-year-old record

By ERIC BERGER,, JENNIFER LATSON and JENNIFER LEAHY
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Dec. 10, 2008, 11:09PM

Falling snowflakes glimmered in streetlights, so wide that they billowed to the ground like parachutes, and so tantalizing that even awestruck adults reached out their hands or stuck out their tongues to catch one.

By Wednesday evening, the flakes were big enough to hold their shape for a moment on the street before melting into the pavement, and a dusting had collected on parked cars in some parts of town.

The flurries tied a record for Houston's earliest snowfall ever and warmed the hearts of winter weather lovers who have pined for snow since it last made an appearance on Christmas Eve 2004.

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Since 1895, records indicate, snow has fallen this early just once — on Dec. 10, 1944.

Full Article is here.....

There was also snow in New Orleans.....

The Ice Age is coming!!!!

If you remember my Sun Spot posts......I did some digging around today.
The last Sunspot peak was in 2001. The next expected peak should be in 2011.
It's a 5.5 year cycle peak to minimums...and back again.
We are still seeing a lack of sunspot activity....
The bottom should have been in 2006....and by the chart below....we dipped down in 2006...
But the dip has continued down to zero every since then....all of 2007 and now all of 2008....

The lows don't get this low and they don't stay this low this long.......

Even all the global warming theorists temperature models are showing that the earth is currently cooling....
They just won't admit that !!!!

Sunspot Tracker Numbers

T.

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09 December 2008 @ 02:48 pm

Can I jinx winter?

There has been snow on the ground for like 4 weeks here at the house. Even with the warm ups and rain, some snow has remained in the yard. It was cold enough the past couple days that I took a chance on getting the snowmobile trailer out of the back yard. It sits on concrete pads, so no worries about it being there. It's just that the snowmobiles are inside it and if the ground is soft, the Durango will chew what the yard pretty good getting the trailer and sleds from the back of the yard to the safety of the driveway.

Ground was wet in some spots but firm enough not to leave any ruts. Got the sleds both started and out of the trailer. took each for a short loop around the yard, before parking them.

Pic here.

Now of course today it's in the 40s and raining pretty hard. Most of the snow is on it's way out. Have I jinxed the rest of the winter? I doubt it !!!!

Now for 18" of fresh powder!!!

T.

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28 November 2008 @ 03:52 pm

The other side of Tom

Most of my friends never get to see this side of me.

Click if you dare.....

T.

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20 November 2008 @ 12:47 pm

ESB Status Confirmed !!!

As if there was any question.....*S*.

From j:

Thank You
For helping us celebrate our anniversary. I must say that whatever you were using on me was the most terrible thing I felt all night.

And it left the best marks.

-j

====

Thank you

The marks are still there, though in fading bruise form. I can sit with no problem now, but for 2 days if I sat the wrong way I knew it. I have never been marked this much before, and yes we did take pictures. We'll upload your handiwork soon.

Thanks again. You are an ESB through and through.

-j

======

I helped a couple celebrate their 1 year anniversary together. I told V that I would wait and go last....*S*.
She was wincing with every lash of my two nastiest toys....then giggling.

ESB Status Confirmed....

It will be re-confirmed at Kinko de Mayo 2009......

T.

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Surprise flurries warm Houston hearts

Fluffy flakes bring delight to some, consternation to others — and tie a 64-year-old record

By ERIC BERGER,, JENNIFER LATSON and JENNIFER LEAHYCopyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Dec. 10, 2008, 11:09PM

By ERIC BERGER,, JENNIFER LATSON and JENNIFER LEAHY
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle