Monthly Archives: November 2011

Business and Politics / Science & Technology — No Comments
06
Nov 11

North Dakota’s Black Gold, Texas Tea… Oil, that is

Oil Drilling Rig on Badlands


By James Milstid

You know… a part of me wants to say “Drill baby drill”. Break our dependence on OPEC oil and drill our own! Show them A-rabs that we don’t need their stinkin’ oil. We’ve got North Dakota! YEAH!

But then I come back to earth and think about it. For years, I’ve been preaching about breaking our dependence on irreplaceable natural resources. There’s a huge difference between that and breaking our dependence on OPEC oil that would do nothing to reduce our use of natural resources.

Rather, I’m talking about our complete dependence on oil. Period. OPEC oil, American oil, Russian oil, Chinese oil, Mexico, Brazil… all of it. Sure, we’ll probably always need petroleum products, but not to the extent we use today. There are alternatives.

But the oil and natural gas are there. Right there in North Dakota. It’s so tempting. We’ve known it was there since the 1950’s. But up until recently, when oil prices topped $100 a barrel, it wasn’t economically feasible to drill for it. It’s several thousand feet underground and trapped in a horizontal bed of shale. The shale is fairly shallow, which apparently makes it even more difficult to extract the oil.

Two methods can be used to extract it. Horizontal drilling and fracking. I won’t go into the science behind the methods, but fracking involves pumping tons of water and chemicals into the shale to force the oil and natural gas out. The downside is that it can cause earthquakes, get into the aquafers and pollute drinking water, cause methane leaks on the surface which can cause explosions, and a host of other nasty things.

We have free access to alternate sources of energy that blow the socks off any energy produced by oil products. The sun, wind, the sea, and geo-thermal energy are all plentiful energy sources and “on” all the time. They are clean and eco-friendly.

Why are we not pouring a ton of research into these free and unlimited resources? We have the technology. We have the need. What we don’t have is the desire to free ourselves from the bondage of irreplaceable energy sources.

Interesting articles:

 

Art / My Photos — No Comments
06
Nov 11

Abandoned: Tree & Shed – BW

A photo from today’s photo shoot. See more in my “Abandoned and Forgotten” set on Flickr.

Music / People — No Comments
06
Nov 11

Glenn Frey: Born On This Day

The Eagles - Original members: (L-R) Bernie Leadon, Don Henley, Randy Meisner, Glenn Frey

Glenn Frey
November 6, 1948 – Still Rockin’

Glenn Lewis Frey (pronounced Fry; born November 6, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt’s backup band for her summer tour.

The Eagles formed in 1971 and released their debut album in 1972. Glenn Frey would play guitar with the Eagles as well as piano and keyboards, and shared lead vocals with Don Henley. The Eagles broke up in 1980 after becoming one of the most successful bands of all time. Frey sang lead vocals on many Eagles hits such as “Take It Easy”, “Peaceful Easy Feeling”, “Tequila Sunrise”, “Already Gone”, “Lyin’ Eyes”, “New Kid in Town”, and “Heartache Tonight”.

Glenn Frey today

After the breakup of the Eagles in 1980, Frey embarked on a successful solo career. He released his debut album in 1982 and would go on to record such Top 40 hits like “The One You Love”, “Smuggler’s Blues”, “Sexy Girl”, “The Heat Is On”, and “You Belong to the City”.

As a member of the Eagles, Frey has won six Grammys, and five American Music Awards. The Eagles have sold over 120 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. As a solo artist and with the Eagles combined, Frey has released 24 Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.


Source:  Wikipedia

Business and Politics / People — No Comments
05
Nov 11

Quote…

“Tell them (the republicans) to stop worrying about their jobs and start worrying about yours because we’re all in this together, and together is the way we’re going to bring America back even stronger than it was before.”

– Vice President Joe Biden in this week’s Internet address.

Source:  Huffington Post

People — No Comments
05
Nov 11

Roy Rogers: Born on This Day

Roy Rogers
November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998

Roy would have been 100 years old today.

Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye, was an American singer and cowboy actor, as well as the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants chain. He and his wife Dale Evans, his golden palomino, Trigger, and his German Shepherd dog, Bullet, were featured in more than 100 movies and The Roy Rogers Show. The show ran on radio for nine years before moving to television from 1951 through 1957. His productions usually featured a sidekick, often either Pat Brady, (who drove a Jeep called “Nellybelle”), Andy Devine, or the crotchety George “Gabby” Hayes. Rogers’s nickname was “King of the Cowboys”. Evans’s nickname was “Queen of the West.”


Art / People — No Comments
04
Nov 11

Gerard van Honthorst: Born On This Day

Gerard van Honthorst
November 4, 1592 – April 27, 1656

Also known as Gerrit van Honthorst and in Italy as Gherardo delle Notti for his nighttime candlelit subjects, he was a Dutch Golden Age painter from Utrecht.

He was initially trained at the school of Abraham Bloemaert, who exchanged the style of the Franckens for Italianate models at the beginning of the 16th century. Honthorst travelled to Italy in 1616, where he was influenced heavily by the style of Michelangelo da Caravaggio. Returning home in about 1620, after acquiring a considerable practice in Rome, he set up a flourishing school in Utrecht. Together with his colleague Hendrick ter Brugghen, he represented the so-called Dutch Caravaggisti.

Honthorst’s works are numerous, and amply represented in English and Continental galleries. His most attractive pieces are those in which he cultivates the style of Caravaggio, often tavern scenes with musicians, gamblers and people eating. He had great skill at chiaroscuro, often painting scenes illuminated by a single candle.

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Science & Technology — No Comments
03
Nov 11

China Docks To Their Own Space Station

A still image from a Chinese broadcast on Thursday of the docking of the Shenzhou 8 capsule with the Tiangong 1 module.

China has achieved an unmanned space docking with their Tiengang 1 module.

The Shenzhou-8 capsule was launched early Tuesday and docked with the already orbiting Tiengang-1 module early Thursday morning. The docked pair will orbit the Earth for 12 days, before the Shenshou 8 capsule will return to Earth on November 17.

China launched its own space station program after being turned away in its repeated attempts to join the 16-nation International Space Station. That was largely on objections from the United States, which is wary of the Chinese space program’s military links.

All the parts of the docking mechanism and the more than 600 onboard instruments were designed and made by Chinese state-owned and private companies.

Two more docking missions with the Tiangong 1 model are planned next year, one of them manned. China will set up a space lab by 2016, Wu said, and its actual station will be launched in three sections between 2020 and 2022.

Thousands of Chinese citizens expressed their pride through Internet postings in what many referred to as the country’s first “space kiss,” remarking how far China had come since its more impoverished days.

For more information see:

Language — No Comments
03
Nov 11

I shall… or I will?

In concert with my post about book translators, I spotted this article about the differences between British English (BE) and American English (AE).

The differences between BE and AE are certainly apparent when hearing the two; the British accent sounds much more refined and proper, while, in comparison, Americans sound wild and wooley.

The differences are also seen in spelling and grammar: Center vs centre, neighbor vs neighbour, practice vs practise… “They don’t need to come to school today.” vs “They needn’t come to school today.”

Interestingly enough, my spell-checker put a red underline under each of the British spellings.

Trans-Atlantic Negotiations in the English Language Classroom
November 3, 2011
By Fitch O’Connell

A great number of British people think that the way that the language is spoken on the British Isles is “proper” English and is the source language, the Holy Grail of English. In actual fact that is not true, and the way that the language has evolved in America leaves American English (AE) with correlates to the earlier form of English that existed when the Pilgrims hopped onto the Mayflower, many of which are not heard these days on Albion’s crowded shores.

Most Britons will be shocked to find, for example, that fall is what they commonly said in 17th century England, not autumn, and the modern American use of mad for angry has a similar history. More shockingly, that ultimate Americanism “I guess” can be traced back to Middle English!
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Music / People — No Comments
03
Nov 11

SRV: Born On This Day

Stevie Ray Vaughn
October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990

Stevie Ray Vaughan would have been 57 years old today, October 3rd. His music, his amazing guitar playing, his style, are a milestone in music history. Not many people can listen to his music and not tap a foot or become lost in his Texas-fusion of blues and rock.

Truly one of the greats, he is ranked right up there with the best of the contemporary rock and blues musicians… Hendrix, Clapton, Richards, Page, Cooder, King, Allman, Santana, Beck, and a few others. I’d easily rank him in the top five rock and blues guitarists.

Although he died a tragic death in a helicopter crash, he lives on through his amazing music.

Listen to “Pride and Joy”
Stevie Ray Vaughn – Pride And Joy
Listen to “Little Wing”
Stevie Ray Vaughn – Little Wing

Humor — No Comments
03
Nov 11

Google Does A Barrel Roll

It’s becoming viral on the Internet

Type “Do a barrel roll” in any Google search box and your screen will do a barrel roll!

Really! It will!

If you’re using Chrome, type it in the URL field…

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