Bert’s 3 critical criteria (in order of importance):
#1 - Responsible. That means rational, resourceful, dependable, logical, intelligent, wise, clever, etc.
#2 - ... Then the following in no particular order.
Honest, ethical, sensitive, sensual, compassionate, good morals, ambitious, confident, clean, sense of humor, loyal, kind, etc,
#3 - AND Highly desirable would be... Sexy, shapely, attractive, lusty, provocative, horny, willing, etc.
Therefore, FIRST, I always looked for #3 - Sexy, shapely, attractive, lusty, provocative, horny, willing, etc, and THEN hoped the other attributes #1 & #2 were there too.
Works for me.
"But officer, that boat pushed me right off the cliff"
It's about 100 feet+ down to the water. (Note person still in truck cab).
It's on the N Shore of Lake Superior. Rumor has it "she" forgot to set the parking brake. Some of these "mountains" are 600 feet above the lake.
Spot, the 100% pure white Dove is getting to be like a hyperactive child. (as told by Ace)
She is getting more and more mischievous. Right now she's doing one of her most favorite things, she is mutilating a dead chicken.. one of those fake rubber ones. She has decided it's fun to pick at it's Feet and watch it squirm. She has learned to torture it and roll it around while standing on it like a lumberjack in a log-rolling contest.
She stands on it as if in triumph over it, pretending she's a "Chicken-slayer" and picking at the poor dead thing then watching it wiggle it in it's death throes. She's getting into trouble more and more frequently. She just knocked over a bunch, a stack of AA rechargeable batteries, sounded like a shelf collapsed. She went down with it but landed on top (flew).
It's like she went from a sweet cuddly irresistible little cooing baby directly into her "terrible two's" and now is a reckless carefree crazy teenager, and she coos so sweetly while being mischievous. She is SOOOoooo bold and confident of herself. She's quite a risk-taker. She even harasses Tuna the cat. She seems to thrive on a challenge and has no fear of anything and she gets quite stubborn too.
I have had to rescue her quite a few times when she gets in trouble, then she gets embarrassed, then she hates it when I laugh at her. She flies away and sulks for a while. Apologizing to her does no good.
Spot and I have totally bonded, Inseparable. Never more than an arms length away or sitting on the back of the 1974 Mustang chair
She talks (coos) a lot. She has learned how to tell me what she wants or needs (like food/water, treats, etc). She sits on the edge of my desk STAREing at the little container of her favorite treat, until I give in and give some to her. She flies to my hand before I can even open the container.
It's bad enough having Bert the Chicken pushing me around and telling me what to do, now I have a smart-ass little 4oz Dove doing the same thing. She often sits up high in the open door of her castle cooing and smugly surveying her personal private kingdom (including her serfs = Ace) as if she is the ultimate "King of the world". SO proud of herself.
But mostly she is still a very sweet gentle peaceful Dove who loves to sit on the keyboard or my hands, arms or shoulder and nibbles at me, and then settles down fluffs herself up and takes a nap. She is very loving, sweet, gentle and affectionate, a treasure and a pleasure to have around. Always comical and entertaining.
SHE:
Loves to sit on Ace's chair and pull his hair.
Loves to sit on the keyboard, stomp on the backspace key and erase all that Ace has written.
Loves to sit in front of the monitor, block the view, and read your blogs.
Slides down a slippery magazine cover just for fun.
Landed on a model of the International Space Station hanging from the ceiling and broke it.
Peeked into a web cam and got her eye broadcast on the internet.
Chases away the cursor on the monitor and tries to catch it.
Sits on the mouse to keep it from moving.
Throws SD memory chips on the floor.
Tries to yank cables from the computer.
Landed in my mashed potatos. Mashed potato on her beak
Actually likes to be hugged, then she coos like a Dove.
Below are examples of her typing skills (compiled from various sessions)
44444444444444444444444444
0000000okkkkkkkkkkkkmn
-==----------=========pppppppp
wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwsssdddddd
and pppprrrrrrrrrdddddyy-bbbiiiiirrrdyyyyy (Just kidding).
She's taking another nap now. Ace is sad because he and Karen are going to the Bayfield Apple Festival Fri-Sun and Spot may be a lonesome dove. Ace and the Dove have never been separated that long. Ace will be lonesome too.
(By Bert the Chicken, an expert on high altitude flying - An explanation your kids will understand).
I wrote computer programs for a Jet Engine Test Stand company, for testing Jet Engines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .
Jets operate more efficiently way high up where the air gets colder and colder (cold air is more dense) but they also operate more efficiently close to the earth where there is greater air pressure (more dense). Jet engines depend on "heavy" (dense) air for their efficiency. So for maximum fuel efficiency, they have to pick an altitude where the inverse gradient curves of temperature and pressure meet, for maximum density. Moisture content and Jet stream are also a factors.
Jet engines use up 80% of their power to produce the pressure needed inside the engine to produce continuous combustion and thrust. They gain momentum and speed by "throwing" the (dense) air backwards. Similar to standing on a skate board and throwing a bowling ball backward, you'd move forward.
Air temperature decreases at a rate of 3.57 F degrees for every 1000 feet from the Earths surface. So planes climb to an altitude where the air is coldest for better efficiency, but as it climbs the pressure is decreasing at a rate of .934 (inches of Mercury) per 1000 feet thereby reducing efficiency. Therefore, at some point as it climbs, it ceases to become more efficient.
A strange thing happens at 36,089 feet. The temperature STOPS decreasing for the next 28,911 feet and remains at a constant minus 69.7 f degrees, but then beyond that, at 65,000 feet, the temperature continues to decrease again. Therefore 36,089 feet is in theory the altitude of maximum fuel efficiency because it ceases to get colder at that altitude.
The noise a jet engine makes comes from the difference in speed of the very fast air in the exhaust making contact with the relatively slow air moving past the outside of the engine.
Trick question: If a jet is flying at Mach 3 (2000mph+) how fast must be the air passing thru the inside of the engine??? Answer: Actually the air is SLOWED down to below the speed of sound (769 mph~) by increasing the pressure, until it exits the engine. The reason is, that air exceeding the speed of sound causes turbulence, cavitation, and vibration within the engine, therefore the air is compressed to slow it down (giving it more density).
A Hi-bypass engine (Large diameter) gives more thrust but is less efficient at high speeds, and therefore is used for shorter distances. Lo-bypass or no-bypass (Smaller diameter) engines produces less thrust but are more efficient at high speeds and at high altitudes and therefore are used for longer distances.
The actual altitude at which a plane flies is determined by many other factors also. Other factors are: other air traffic, weather, distance to travel, and the Jet Stream.
Most commercial jets fly around 30,000 to 33,000 feet and about 480-520 mph. Recently I noticed my flight was at 38,680 feet and traveling at 628 mph (My GPS told me), very close to the speed of sound at that altitude. We flew that high in order to get into the Jet stream. We were 40 minutes early on a 3 hour flight.
The above information is from Berts most favorite book in the whole world "the Aircraft GAS TURBINE ENGINE and its operation", by Pratt & whitney Aircraft Group. It not JUST about jet engines, its about physics too. Knowing information from this book also teaches one about thousands of other everyday physical phenomenon.
(Bert used to write computer operating systems and test programs for a Jet Engine Test Stand manufacturing company, analyzing data for peak efficiency)
One single person can totally change an outcome. The saying "You can't beat city hall" is not always true.
(Plz excuse picture quality, it's taken from Cable TV) - (ACE is BERT).
I have been a City Planning Commissioner for 5 years now and have seen it happen many times at public hearings. Sometimes, after an hour or so and much discussion, all Commissioners and/or Council members seem to agree on a certain plan of action (Plan A) and are ready to vote on it to become law. Then ONE citizen stands at the podium and makes their point, totally opposite of plan A. There is usually a silence as they listen to the citizen (plan B), then slowly the questions begin, and one by one the voting members swing about and surprise, next thing you know, Plan B is the one voted to become law.
OR - Sometimes a proposal is made and all agree, but then a single citizen may point out a problem and that's sometimes enough to kill the proposal.
Of course it doesn't always work that way, but it DOES happen. You CAN make a difference. Don't give up too easily. It's important that you be prepared.
Do not complain but have solutions. Be logical, rational, and concise and don't ever get angry. Your emotions make NO difference compared to facts.
One of the biggest frustrations is that citizens don't care to be involved. If it doesn't affect them directly they don't show up for hearings. We send out hundreds of letters to those neighborhoods affected and if we're lucky, one or two will show up. OR, if they do show up it's far too late in the process and they have little chance of swaying the decision. Then those who didn't show up complain after a decision is made. Showing up is half of winning.
A National Historic Event (Almost) that only happens once a year.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Last week we camped at my friend Bruce's place on the N Shore of Lake Superior on our way up to the the N Shore hiking trails (200+ very rugged miles thru the Sawtooth Mountains). He has a 6,000 pound 9'long x 7' high Kahlenberg - A National Historic Diesel Engine.
It is from the well known 66' Lake Superior fishing vessel the 1938 Hiawatha, owned by pioneer fisherman Howard Sivertson (Google = 3500 articles) who is now famous as a painter, author, and storyteller.
Can you guess the horsepower?
Bruce bought the engine in pieces and crates full of parts and rebuilt it in his machine shop. We were there for the annual running of the Diesel which draws a small crowd from afar.
Starting it requires about 45 minutes of extensive preparation and is somewhat dramatic and noisy. It takes a fair amount of time and effort before it runs smoothly on all 3 cylinders. The ground trembles like a earthquake while it's running and it's quite noisy.
(Video below) Starting is quite a procedure. Keep in mind that this engine was located down in the cramped quarters of the wooden boat. It has no reverse... you stop the engine, then start it running the opposite direction.
^ Video ^
While you are reading this, the engine is being moved to it's new permanent home in Albany Minnesota just in time for a huge event, the 32nd Annual Albany Pioneer Days Threshing show , September 14,15,& 16, 2007 with over a thousand huge steam tractors, antique gas tractors, engines, farm equipment , and a flea market, etc (I bought some marvelous junk at the flea market)
http://www.albanymnchamber.com/pioneer.htm
After we left Bruce's we went to Grand Marais MN on the North Shore near Canada for another event (snowmobiling on the lake- Next blog). http://bertthemensachicken.multiply.com/journal/item/19/Trolling_for_fish_with_your_Snowmobile.
= = = = = = From the book of Very Bad Poetry, James McIntyre.
We have seen thee, queen of cheese,
Lying quietly at your ease,
Gently fanned by evening breeze,
Thy fair form no flies dare seize.
You can choose to live in either of these houses (Picture above missing). This still applies if you're renting an apartment instead.
Think of it this way. A landlord buys a property. He calculates his monthly expense (Mortgage amt with minimum down, taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy%, etc) of owning the property and adds in a little bit of profit to guarantee a positive monthly cash flow and THAT's the number which he will charge for RENT in order to make it worthwhile. That means that the renter is paying ALL of the mortgage Principal plus ALL of the expenses (PITI) (Interest, Taxes, Insurance, maintenance, etc) so that it costs the landlord NOTHING (except a minimum down payment) to own the building.
Eventually the building is paid for and guess who paid for every penny of it but doesn't own it. The Renter paid off the landlords mortgage, but gets NO cash when it's sold. The landlord gets it all including annual depreciation and tax deductions, PLUS the landlord gets ALL of the appreciation which may be 2 or 3 times what he paid for the property (maybe hundreds of thousands in cash). Such a deal for the landlord. The landlord doesn't even need a positive monthly cash flow. With deductions and appreciation, he will still profit when the property sells.
So WHY buy and pay for a house/apartment that you don't own? As a Renter, you ARE already paying for a house/apartment, but you get NONE of the benefits of ownership, the landlord gets ALL the benefits and becomes wealthy, you walk away with nothing.
