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Georgia Mess has Galactic Consequences

Friday, August 15, 2008

Russia’s invasion of Georgia is threatening to put a stop to NASA’s trips to the International Space Station. With the space shuttle due to retire in 2010, NASA had hoped to catch regular rides on the Russian Soyez space craft in order to ferry crews and supplies to the ISS.  The US is not expected to have a replacement for the shuttle until 2015 at the earliest, so is heavily dependant on the Russians in order to keep the ISS running.

The ISS has cost the US over $100 Billion, and would essentially be useless without regular visits from Earth.  The Georgia Incident is currently straining relations between the US and Russia, which will further hamper stalled negotiations that have been underway to forge an agreement between the countries that would have had NASA pay Russia billions of dollars in order to catch a ride on future Soyez missions. 

Russia has said that they need an agreement in place by Sept 30 in order to build the required number of Soyez spacecrafts by the 2010 deadline.  This shuttle fleet is scheduled to be grounded in 2010, and NASA has almost no ability to extend that timeframe.  Critical shuttle supplies are no longer being ordered, and thousands of workers who support the shuttle have already been terminated.  To make matter worse, the long awaited shuttle replacement, Orion, continues to face delay after delay.  NASA recently announced that due to inadequate funding and technical issues, the Constellation space program would not be ready for testing until September 2014 at the earliest.

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What would you do if you were Invisible?

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, led by Xiang Zhang, have demonstrated for the first time they were able to cloak three-dimensional objects using artificially engineered materials that redirect light around the objects.   Underlying the work is the idea that bending visible light around an object will hide it.

XiangZhang said: “In the case of invisibility cloaks or shields, the material would need to curve light waves completely around the object like a river flowing around a rock.”  The research, which was heavily funded by the military, will be published in two journals, Nature and Science, later this week.

People can see objects because they scatter the light that strikes them, reflecting some of it back to the eye. Cloaking uses materials, known as metamaterials, to deflect radar, light or other waves around an object, like water flowing around a smooth rock in a stream.

So, to me, the real question is what would YOU use an invisible cloak for?  Rob a bank?  Peek in on your neighbors?  Leave me a comment and tell me what your first act would be if you had an invisible cloak.

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Solar Pool Heater Keeps Kids Toasty

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Solar Water Heater for Pool

Solar Water Heater for Pool

 
Right now I am sitting next to my pool while my kids are playing in the warm water.  Last year I installed a solar hot water heater for my pool.  In the pictures, you can see it in the back on the other side of the fence. 
 
The water in the pool is a balmy 86 degrees, which is great considering that the outside temperature fell into the 50’s the past few days, and has only gotten up into the low 80’s during the day.  Our neighbor was complaining that his pool was freezing, his kids would not jump into their 72 degree water!  The computer controller allows us to set the thermostat for whatever our desired preference is.  The kids like mid 80’s, I prefer high 80’s or even low 90’s.
 
 Last year, one of my other neighbors said he kept his propane pool heater set at 86 degrees, and spent over $3,000 heating it just during the months of June-August.  With the increase in fuel price, my guess is he spent even more this year. 
 
I purchased my heater from a company called Hot Sun Industries Inc, run by a very knowledgeable fellow named Ken Wright.  For just a little over a $1,000, I was able to buy everything I needed to setup our system.  In two weekends, I was able to build the frame, install the collectors, and plumb the whole system together. 
 
Not only do we have a warm pool, we are saving a huge amount of money each year, generating our own renewable source of heat, and allowing us to use the pool from the end of April all the way into October.  Leave me a comment if you have any questions, if you have a pool, I highly recommend looking into a solar heater. 
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Taiwan to Honor US and ROC Veterans - 50th Anniversary of the Chinese’s bombardment

Monday, August 11, 2008

August will be a busy month for the American population, with gas and food prices going up, the Olympics in China, and the Democratic Convention in Denver. Except for some military veterans, very few will remember that 50 years ago the United States and China were very close to military conflict in the Taiwan Straits over two relatively minor islands (Quemoy, now called Kinmen), and Matsu just a short distance from the mainland of China. In August 1958 these islands were still controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), who had been driven from the mainland in 1949 when the Communist Chinese declared the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Beginning on August 23rd 1958 the PRC attempted to invade and capture the islands after an intense artillery bombardment. The United States strongly supported the ROC on Taiwan, and President Eisenhower reacted to the attacks by sending our Seventh Fleet into the Taiwan Straits to try and control the situation. U. S. troops from Okinawa were alerted in case they were needed to help the ROC.  Military supplies were provided to the ROC, including early versions of the Sidewinder air-to-air missile, which the ROC air force effectively used to destroy many Communist aircraft.After the military situation eased and the shelling diminished and then ceased the US provided military support to the ROC, both personnel and equipment, until the mid 1970s. At that time an agreement was made between the US and the PRC that stipulated the United States would not station military personnel in Taiwan. Thus ended our direct military involvement with the ROC.

Now, many years later, the government of the ROC is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the shelling by inviting military veterans of both the United States and the ROC to Kinmento share their experiences during the battles and the period until the 1970s. Over 30 Americans who were stationed in Taiwan at some point between 1958 and the mid 1970s will be honored by meeting with high level ROC military commanders on the island and then attending a luncheon on August 23rd.  Eleven American veterans who were present during 1958 will be seated with President Ma Ying-jeou, the newly elected President of the ROC.  Oral histories of their experiences while in the area in August 1958 will be taken from the 11 US veterans.  The rest of the US veteran group represents the time period from 1959 through the mid 1970s.

Since the end of World War II many military personnel from the United States have spent a portion of their lives providing assistance to friendly countries around the world.  In many cases they have grown to appreciate other cultures, possibly learn some new languages, and realize what it is to be able to return to the United States and enjoy the many blessings we have here, even when there are bad times.

So, while you are enjoying your summer, keep in mind those men and women veterans from your community who are willing to volunteer to go to other areas of the world, some dangerous, some not.  We should remember them because the citizens of those countries who we assisted have not forgotten and celebrate our having been there.

This article was written by my father, retired Lt. Colonel Howard O. Smith, who served in Taiwan during the mid-60’s, and will be traveling back to Taiwan this August to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Chinese’s bombardment.  The People’s Liberation Army of Mao Zedong fired more than 450,000 shells on Kinmen Island and several other smaller islets in a 44-day artillery bombardment beginning on August 23, 1958.

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Myrna Loy - A Timeless Classic Beauty

Friday, August 8, 2008

I watched the Thin Man the other night and really enjoyed it.  The movie came out in 1934 and starred Myrna Loy and William Powell.  The quality of the movie was outstanding, the wit and humor that was displayed, and the simple and crisp production is a stark contrast to the cookie cutter movies made nowadays. 

Myrna Loy is a gorgeous actress, her beauty just oozes off the screen.  She has a certain sexiness while still keeping all of her clothes on, quite unlike most of the Lindsey Lohan’s of today.  I can clearly see why she was the pin-up queen of her day.

Her role as Nora Charles in the The Thin Man clearly was the forerunner to characters such as Maddy Hayes in the TV series Moonlighting.  She is smart, sophisticated, and the banter between her and William Powell is classic. 

While watching the movie, it was a bit eerie to think that everyone in it was now dead.  Very hard to believe that it was made over 70 years ago.  Brought to mind the song Pictures of Lily by the Who (go Google it).

If you need to see a movie this weekend, go out and rent The Thin Man, you will not be disappointed, I promise!

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Community Activist Uncovers Past Personal Demons

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

I have recently started reading a fascinating book written by Angelo Solera, a local Baltimore community activist.  The Journey “El Camino”, tells a gripping account of his life, from his earliest days to the present.   His tale of his life begins with Angelo as an immigrant teenager and ends with a man who has completed his journey from addiction to the life of a community activist.   It is clearly written from his heart, an honest tale that keeps you turning pages to see what happens next.  His relationship with his son is touching and moving, often expressing feelings that will stir empathy with parents everywhere.  He is pained by his struggle to overcome his own deepest troubles so that he can be the Father to his son that he knows he deserves.  Even today, that pain is able to stir strong emotions. 

Angelo was inspired to write this book after walking the 400-mile pilgrimage to Santiago of Compostela, Spain, in 2005.  A tradition that dates back to the Roman Empire, the trek winds through the wilderness, mountains, small villages, towns and mayor metropolitan centers of Spain.  Along this trip, Angelo begins to discover himself, uncovering many of his personal demons and fears - love, hate, passion, obsession and dependence to name just a few. 

“It’s a tough journey for all of us,” says Solera. “We’re all human, and we all want to be somebody and feel like we belong.” He comes from Spain, but now he belongs to America. He’s written the whole story in the English language he has embraced.  I have recently come to know Angelo, and I am deeply impressed with his ability to open his life up to all.  His book can help all of us look deeper into our own lives. 

After nearly three years, his book is complete, and using his own money, he has self-published his memoir.   You can find out more about Angelo’s Journey on his website, and can buy his book for only $15 here.  I urge you to read the free preview on his website and if you like it, purchase a copy for yourself or as a gift.  You will be helping Angelo complete his journey, and supporting an author/publisher with a dream.

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Lion Love - Just Big Ole Pussycats

Thursday, July 31, 2008

This video has recently been making the rounds on the Net, but if you have not seen it yet, here is the clip of Christian the Lion. You can read the whole story at The Born Free Foundation.

In 1969, John Rendall and his friend Ace Bourke legally bought a small lion cub from Harrods pet department store in Australia.  ‘Christian’ was kept in the basement of a furniture shop on the Kings Road in Chelsea.  The lion was loved by all, the affectionate cub ate in a local restaurant, played in a nearby graveyard, and was growing very fast.  The young men realized that they could no longer keep Christian.

A chance encounter with Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna led to a new life for Christian.  He came to live in a caravan at their Surrey home.  Then in 1972 he was flown to Kenya, his ancestral home, and returned to the wild in the Kora Reserve by lion-man George Adamson. 

Christian left the Kora Reserve in 1973 and settled in his new territory along the Tana river.  However, when the Wakamba herdsmen kept bringing their livestock to his hunting ground, he moved on. George Adamson said in his autobiography, “I used to count the days on which we hadn’t seen Christian, but when they reached 97, I gave up recording them in my diary.”  Although a lion can live from 12 to 15 years in the wild, Adamson believed that Christian had died in the Meru National Reserve only a few miles up river.

Nine months later in 1974, John and Ace visited Kenya.  Christian had not been seen for nine months but appeared the day before them, seemingly to know of their arrival.

It was an emotional reunion: “He ran towards us, threw himself onto us, knocked us over and hugged us, with his paws on our shoulders.”

Below is another example of how loyal and affectionate the King of the Jungle can be.  This African Lion looks as if it is about to attack a zoo visitor, however it is actually hugging and kissing his former rescuer. 

Jupiter, an African lion, was saved from a travelling circus over six years ago by Ana Julia Torres.  Ana had formed a special bond with Jupiter while nursing him back to health at her animal shelter.

“This hug is the most sincere one I have received in my life,” she said.


Lion amoureux
by NY182

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So Sad… First Tesla Wreck in the Wild

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Ouch, that does not look good.  Apparantly customer #6 drove his car into the back of a Mercedes while fighting traffic in San Francisco.  As expected, folks are already blaming the lack of “noise” generated by the car as being a factor.  Huh?  This was not a pedestrian getting hit, this was just your classic rear-end collision, almost always caused by aggressive tailgating.

While the damage does not look too bad, as most Lotus owners can tell you, this is not an inexpensive vehicle to repair.  Both front and rear “clams” will need to be replaced at a cost of approximately $10,000.  In addition, the suspension is very fragile, and often even low speed accidents will require replacement of some suspension pieces.  Heaven-forbid if a suspension mount is damaged, because the aluminum chassis is “non-repairable”, and has to be swapped out if bent or damaged in any way.

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Wireless Power Part II - Was Nikola Tesla Right?

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A couple weeks ago, I posted that a small company named PowerMat had created a mat that delivered power wirelessly to small appliances like cell phone, shavers, etc.  Because the device and the mat still needed to be in contact, I claimed that this was not true wireless power delivery, and declared myself the winner in a bet between myself and friend who we know as Tim.   He had claimed that we would soon have wireless power delivery, while I felt that sending power will-nilly through the air was a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Well today, I came across a few new articles.  Ok, I did not come across them, Tim sent them to me after realizing that I had claimed victory.  Apparently some researchers at MIT lit a 60-watt light bulb by transferring energy through the air from the power delivery base to a device attached to the bulb.  The researchers have dubbed their invention, “WiTricity”.

Essentially they have extended induction’s reach by projecting a magnetic field from a length of coiled wire that has two ends almost touching, which forms a gap.   This gap forces electrons to travel back and forth through the coil, creating a magnetic field that oscillates at a specific frequency. The device attached to the light bulb has a similar gap with the exact same frequency, thereby allowing it to “pickup” the energy.

Backing my claim, theoretical physicist Douglas Stone of Yale University commented, “The big showstopper for this, would be if people, entities or devices that are not supposed to absorb the radiation do absorb it.”  In layman’s terms, that means if you got in the way of a couple hundred watts, you would feel like you stepped into a microwave oven.

Tim also cited several articles, including Pinpoint microwave resolution could lead to wireless power transfer and a Biography of Nikola Tesla which you can read at your leisure.  So what do you think, is Tim right and we will soon have wireless power delivery, or am I right and we should just stick to wires?

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Texans Tilt at Windmills - Take Care Cries Sancho!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Don Quixote beware, West Texans are erecting giant wind farms as quickly as they can.  In order to move the electricity that is being generated, more than $4.9 billion is being spent on an ambitious plan to set up transmission lines to carry the wind power generated  to surrounding urban areas.

The newly installed lines will be able to handle 18,000 MW, currently more than three time the amount of power currently being generated through existing wind farms.  The new capacity will provide the infrastructure to greatly increase the number of windmills, and get that energy to customers who are located far from the actual power production.  The Public Utility Commission will pay for the expansion with a $3-$4 surcharge on customer’s existing electric bill.

Texas estimates that they could produce over 500,000 MW solely on wind power.   That type of capacity would equal almost 5 times Texas’s current electrical usage.  If all goes as planned, the excess capacity could be sold off to other neighboring states, or even into Mexico.   New windmills are being installed at a rapid rate, and has more than tripled in the last three years.

Boone Pickens is driving the charge in Texas, as the former oil man is investing over $10 Billion in the Mother of all Wind Farms.  He recently claimed, “”I have the same feelings about wind, as I had about the best oil field I ever found.”   This new wind farm would consist of over 2,00 turbines spread across 200,000 acres, and would have a capacity of between 2-4,000 MegaWatts.

The quaint windmills of Don Quixote’s time are now being replaced by giant turbines that stand as high as 20-story buildings.   Although Sancho’s cry of warning would now be best heeded by the local birds and bats.   However, the National Research Council, the research arm of the Academy of Sciences, recently has reported that wind turbines barely have any effect on bird populations.  They claim very small numbers of deaths, but have warned that bats may be more at risk.  Apparently these animals seem to be attracted to the windmills, although the reason why is unknown.

Once this project is completed, Texas will become the largest generator of clean, renewable, wind power.   Not only will this project create thousands of new jobs here in the US, it will also be used as an example of what can be accomplished in a short time frame.  It may take Texans a little time to get used to wind mills out in the field instead of oil wells, but this is great for Texas and for the US.

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