General, Preparing for the worst

What’s the worst that can happen? Wind?

Yes, we don’t get hurricanes, just High Wind Advisories. This one only has gusts up to 80 MPH. It’s one way to keep the yard cleared. This morning the tumbleweed I saw wasn’t tumbling; it was screaming like a bat out hell, straight across the fields.

Nothing to do for this except don’t go out in it or be prepared to be sand-blasted. This is probably why 75% of all windshields in Colorado are replaced every two years. Hard to drive into the sun with a sand-blasted windshield. The other 25% is for the rocks kicked up after snow-melt.

This is a weather adivisory. I emboldened the parts of interest to me.

National Weather Service Zone – COZ084

PUBNPWPUB
WWUS75 KPUB 031548
NPWPUB

URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
848 AM MST THU NOV 3 2005

DAMAGING WINDS OCCURRING ACROSS THE EAST FACING SLOPES OF THE
SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS IN SOUTHEAST COLORADO.

.A STRONG JET STREAM MOVING OVER THE REGION IS CAUSING STRONG TO
LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS THE EAST FACING SLOPES OF SOUTHEAST
COLORADO.

COZ072>075-078>088-040000-
/O.NEW.KPUB.HW.W.0002.051103T1548Z-051104T0000Z/
NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 11000 FT-
NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET-
SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT-
SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT-
WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET-
WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000 FT-
WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT-
TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500 FT/PIKES PEAK BETWEEN
7500 AND 11000 FT-PIKES PEAK ABOVE 11000 FT-
CANON CITY VICINITY/EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY-
NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/MONUMENT RIDGE/RAMPART RANGE BELOW
7500 FT-
COLORADO SPRINGS VICINITY/SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE
BELOW 7400 FT-PUEBLO AND VICINITY/PUEBLO COUNTY BELOW 6300 FT-
WALSENBURG VICINITY/UPPER HUERFANO RIVER BASIN BELOW 7500 FT-
TRINIDAD VICINITY/WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY BELOW 7500 FT-
INCLUDING…LA VETA PASS…PONCHA PASS…BLANCA PEAK…CUCHARA…
STONEWALL…WESTON…SPANISH PEAKS…SILVER CLIFF…WESTCLIFFE…
RYE…GREENHORN MTN…WOODLAND PARK…PIKES PEAK…CANON CITY…
PENROSE…BLACK FOREST…AIR FORCE ACADEMY…COLORADO SPRINGS…
PUEBLO…WALSENBURG…TRINIDAD
848 AM MST THU NOV 3 2005

HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON.

FOR THE PIKES PEAK REGION…

STRONG WINDS OF 30 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 80 MPH WILL CONTINUE
ACROSS PARTS OF EASTERN TELLER COUNTY AND FAR WEST EL PASO COUNTY
THROUGH LATE MORNING. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR MAINLY WEST
OF INTERSTATE 25.

FOR AREAS FROM PUEBLO COUNTY SOUTH TO THE NEW MEXICO BORDER…

STRONG TO LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ON THE
EAST FACING SLOPES OF THE WET MOUNTAINS…AND THE SANGRE DE CRISTO
MOUNTAINS THIS MORNING AND LAST INTO THE AFTERNOON. WEST WINDS OF
20 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 85 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE.

WIND PRONE AREAS…ESPECIALLY ALONG INTERSTATE 25 FROM COLORADO
CITY TO TRINIDAD WILL BE ESPECIALLY PRONE TO STRONG TO LOCALLY
DAMAGING WINDS.

HIGH WIND CAN CAUSE POWER OUTAGES AND CAN DAMAGE OR DESTROY
MOBILE HOMES. LIGHTWEIGHT OBJECTS CAN BECOME FLYING MISSILES…
WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS OR LIFE THREATENING TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS.
HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES AND VEHICLES PULLING TRAILERS CAN BE
FLIPPED. BLOWING DUST CAN QUICKLY REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO
NEAR OPEN AND PLOWED LAND…WHICH CAN CAUSE VEHICLES TO SLOW DOWN
AND CAUSE CHAIN-REACTION ACCIDENTS. BLOWING DUST OR SAND CAN ALSO
BE A HEALTH HAZARD FOR THOSE WITH RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS. STAY
INDOORS IF THERE IS BLOWING DUST OR SAND IN YOUR AREA. SECURE
LIGHTWEIGHT OBJECTS. CONSIDER NOT TRAVELING ON ROADS WITH
CROSSWINDS.

General

Surviving

I can survive on $50 a week, but I can not grow. I can grow on $250 a week but I can not thrive. I can thrive on $500 a week but I can not contribute to society. What does it take to survive, grow, thrive and contribute, in today’s America? $1000 a week, or more?

General, Politics

Representative Democracy

I was just browsing around the CIA Factbook and came up with some interesting numbers. lets see how this comes out:

Representative Democracy
Country Population Xcameral #of Rep in commons K Pop/Rep
Ireland 4,015,676 Bi 166 24
Isreal 6,276,883 Uni 120 52
Italy 58,103,033 Bi 630 92
UK 60,441,457 Bi 646 94
France 60,656,178 Bi 577 105
Canada 32,805,041 Bi 308 107
South Africa 44,344,136 Bi 400 111
Australia 20,090,437 Bi 150 134
Germany 82,431,390 Bi 613 134
Mexico 106,202,903 Bi 500 212
Japan 127,417,244 Bi 480 265
Russia 143,420,309 Bi 450 319
Brazil 186,112,794 Bi 513 363
Euro Union 456,953,258 Bi 732 624
United States 295,734,134 Bi 435 680
India 1,080,264,388 Bi 545 1982

The Population Numbers are July 2005 estimates. X Cameral refers to how many legislative bodies there are. And I used the number of seats in the lower house for the overall representative number. and the final column notes how many citizens each representative represents, in thousands.

Interesting to note that Russia, that hotbed of democracy, has fewer citizens per representive than the US. Indeed, all but India have a more representative democracy than the US. And with India pushing 2 million citizens per representative, I don’t know if they will last much longer, as a democracy.

I threw the European Union in just to see what their numbers look like. The CIA reports that the Euro Parliament doesn’t make the major decisions; that’s for the Council and it is something different.

Once again, I call to make the US a more representative democracy, and bring us the the point where we have at least 1 representative for every 100,000 citizens.

Geek Stuff, General, Politics

Blog Attack on Steele Decried

Blog Attack on Steele Decried

A part of this article grabbed my attention:

Other liberal bloggers defended Gilliard and took after Kaine for pulling his ad. Markos Moulitsas, editor of the blog Daily Kos, said that advertisers should expect edgy content and that Kaine’s actions could threaten their editorial independence.

“I don’t want bloggers to be afraid to say things because they don’t want to offend an advertisers,” Moulitsas said.

If bloggers accept advertisers then their content should always be suspect. Not only for what they don’t say to avoid offending their financial base but, also, for what they do say to impress their financial base.

Will the fierce, independent blogger moderate their comments to keep their audience sending them money? who knows? Who cares? It is just appearances.

General, Reviews

Wait before looking

DO NOT start watching a series until all the episodes are on DVD. It will drive you crazy.

I have gotten to the 2nd and 3rd disks of the Madlax series and I am getting more into it as it goes along. There are two or three background mysteries going on as well as the foreground story. The series is still weaving its web and the viewer is getting entangled.

All in all it is a 7 disk series (26 Episodes) and Volume 3 is the last one out. Volume 4 should be available Real Soon Now, but the rest of the series is going to grind out very slowly and that will be very frustrating.

I am upping my rating from 7 out of 10 to 8 out of 10, for the entire series that I have seen so far.

In the extras, there is a bit called “Conversations with SSS” where the American voice actors are doing a completely different dialog over scenes from the show. Some of them are very funny.

General, Preparing for the worst, travel

The Colorado Trail

A co-worker gave a slide show yesterday of her 50-day hike along the Colorado Trail. It was part of our “Wellness” benefit. It was an inspiring slide show.

Lucy basically walked 10 miles a day and arranged for her support team to meet her on weekends to replenish supplies. Sometimes, some of the support folks would join her on the trail for a week and then head back with the following support team.

The trail covers a lot of territory between Denver and Durango. From the pictures, and from what I’ve seen of the land, it is beautiful scenery. It passes through a number of National Forests and Wilderness Areas as well.

I am so inspired that I may try hiking the Santa Fe trail. But I think I’d rather bike it.

But, it does remind me that Elaine and I need to get out next summer and spend some time camping in the mountains, to get rid of the rust and dust on our camping gear so we will be ready to use it when needed.

General, Politics

An open letter to my Senator. (one of them)

Dear Senator Allard,

I understand that you were one of nine senators that voted against an amendment to a Defense Appropriation bill (HR2863). This amendment (1977) was submitted by Senator McCain and called for the humane treatment of prisoners by our Defense Forces.

Frankly, Senator, I am ashamed that you would vote against the humane treatment of prisoners.

It is the duty of Congress to provide guidelines on the “Rules of War” to our military. It is not only the duty of Congress to declare war, but it is the duty of Congress to provide oversight on how the executive branch is managing our defense forces, especially in times of hostility. Since Congress has not declared war recently, I am hesitant to call the activities in Iraq and Afghanistan ‘war’, although it sure looks like it from here.

I understand that some of the President’s staff have opposed this amendment because it might restrict the President’s pursuit of war. The President’s pursuit of war should be restricted, especially if that pursuit leads to the inhumane treatment of prisoners. Congress should take the Executive Branch to task for their continuing mistreatment of prisoners during our current overseas military adventures.

You represent the State of Colorado in the US Senate, and, by extension, me, as a citizen of the State of Colorado. I believe you have failed in your duties. I have not run into a fellow Colorado citizen that supports the inhumane treatment of prisoners by our military. Most have been thoroughly disgusted by the pictures and reports that have come out of Abu Ghraib and other detention facilities.

This is not a Republican issue nor a Democrat issue. This is an American Issue and you have not only failed your state but your country.

Sincerely,

The Thoughts and Luminations of Jack Heneghan