8.28.2007

BP loves you, Yes they do, because they said so

In case you missed it, back in mid-July, BP was given a pass by Indiana regulators to allow the oil giant to dump more ammonia and various other sludge into Lake Michigan. The exemption paved the wave for a $3.8 billion expansion of BP's Whiting, IN refinery that would allow the company to refine heavier Canadian crude oil. BP would be releasing 54% more ammonia and 35% more solids into the lake.

The trade-off being that BP would create 80 permanent jobs (guestimated at $3.584 million/year using the three-year-average median income for Indiana in 2004-06, as provided by the US Census Bureau) and 2,000 construction jobs. Also, BP correctly noted that the refinery would still meet Federal water polution standards. However, the request to dump more chemicals runs afoul of the spirit of the Clean Water Act, which prohibits a downgrade in water quality despite the company meeting the discharge limits. However, under certain circumstances (as with BP in this case), a company will be allowed to use mixing zones, which amounts to diluting wastewater with clean water at a distance offshore. Federal regulators discourage the practice, but it is still in use.

Naturally, the Chicago Tribune article prompted a public outcry and a push from politicians, including Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, US Rep Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), US Rep Mark Kirk (R-IL), US Sen Dick Durbin (D-IL), US Sen Barack Obama (D-IL), as well as 100,000 petition signatures, an Eddie Vedder (singer of the band Pearl Jam) led chant at Lollapalooza in Chicago, and a U S House of Reps vote of 387-26 to approve a non-binding resolution urging Indiana regulators to reconsider.

BP did, in fact, respond to the people. On August 23rd, BP pledged not to increase dumping. However, the BP pledge is non-binding. The permit allowing the increase in ammonia and suspended solids dumped into the lake remains intact. In securing the permit originally, Federal and State of Indiana regulators relied heavily on BP comments that there is not enough room at the facility for equipment that could reduce the pollution being generated. Despite these claims, Chicago officials gave BP a report in the weeks prior to the Trib article that listed alternate technologies currently in use by other refineries. The report by Tetra Tech Inc concluded that BP could upgrade the Whiting plant's water treatment plant for less that $40 million (1% of the planned $3.8 billion expansion). BP is now paying Argonne National Lab and Purdue University to evaluate new tech.

Nevertheless, the public must stomach the idea that, while BP claims to be environmentally friendly, they were fully ready to increase pollution were plans not slowed by an energized (for the moment) public. The permit remains, despite BP's pledge. Note that both BP and Indiana government reps seemed to be uninterested in changing the legally binding permit, thinking that the public would accept the earnest statements by BP. BP spokesman Scott Dean was quoted in the Trib aricle as saying that it was up to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to alter the permit. State reps, however, claim that the company would first have to request a change.

Apparently feeling that the water dumping situation wasn't good enough, BP has recently been given a break on soot limits. A new decision by the IDEM would allow BP to continue releasing the same amount of air polution, in opposition to new federal rules that would require the Whiting refinery to reduce emissions by nearly half. Interested parties are asking an Indiana judge to overturn the ruling. Federal regulators must also sign off on the Indiana ruling and are taking a close look at the decision.

As in the water dumping scenario, BP claims that meeting existing soot limits is not technically or economically feasible. And yet again, Indiana regulators agreed. The mutual decisions by BP and the IDEM seem contradictory to the continued concerns regarding air polution in the industrial corridor surrounding Lake Michigan (try driving through northwest Indiana with your windows down on a hot, summer day). Additionally, the EPA has recently concluded that refineries burning natural gas and other fuels emit close to two times more pollution than previously thought (though they seem to simultaneously claim that current limits are acceptable).

BP claims that soot emissions have dropped 40% since 2000 and should drop lower when the Whiting expansion is completed in 2011. According to 2005 stats, the refinery produced 574,000 pounds of toxic chemicals. Indiana regulators stated in public documents that the exemptions for BP would not cause harm to air quality.

This time, the opponents on the eco-battlefront appear to be lawyers for Chicago Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan, the Environmental Law and Policy Center and the Natural Resource Defense Council. They are pushing both BP and Indiana officials to explain why there isn't documentation of why alternative engineering fixes wouldn't work and making sure all alternatives have been reviewed.

This is a classic battle. A very large corporation leveraging its position in the economy of a community and going to the very limit of acceptable behavior. On the other side, a very concerned populace is tired of letting them bully their way into profits at the expense of potential long term damage to the local ecology. Simultaneously, all sides seem unwilling to shoulder the economic burden of a change in behavior.

This newest bout was certainly poorly timed for BP. One can only hope that the populace stays concerned, though given the amount of nonsense that goes on all over the globe, it's difficult. Perhaps this was just a bad month for BP officials and they aren't as hell bent on keeping the status quo as it seems. But let's not forget when BP shut down the Alaska oil pipeline, which is some 45%+ or so owned by BP, who was charged with its maintenance.

They aren't alone, the average citizen is not really sacrificing anything personally to improve our lot. Just something to think about. I'm going to ponder this while driving my SUV in heavy traffic, talking on my cellie and throwing McDonald's wrappers out my window. Does anyone else have trouble getting CSPAN on their mobile satellite TV?

8.22.2007

Mutant Redux

No, this isn't a repeat entry. I was beset by demons yet again. The horror...the horror!

The anarchy last night came courtesy of one-day-old avatar, Jew Canning. Yes, you read that right, the one and only, Jew Canning.

ARs away, matey! I hope the recipient Linden reads them, I really work hard at it.







A short while later, peace reigns. Smells like.......victory.....


Junkyard Dog

Mike Vick agreed to plead guilty to federal dog fighting charges. Potentially, another sports star on the road to ruin. The list is pretty long. Brings to mind the likes of Lawrence Phillips, Rae Carruth, Rick Tocchet, Keon Clark, Bam Morris and Bill Maas, just to name a few.

Without getting into any particular value judgements, what should not be at issue is the fact that Vick has broken the law. Standing before the court, Vick must now face the penalties for doing so.

This seems clear to me. Nevertheless, his cohorts have a need to see things in shades of grey where there is only a stark line...legal or illegal.

Deion Sanders, back on July 22nd, had quite a bit to say. Granted, this came well before Vick's recent guilty plea. However, Sanders was one of the few to not dismiss the idea that Vick had actually done what he was being accused of and still felt a need to justify Vick's actions.

This is all the result of perspective.What a dog means to Vick might be a lot different than what he means to you or I. Hold on, don’t start shaking your head just yet. Listen to me.

Some people kiss their dogs on the mouth. Some people let their dogs eat from their plate. Some people dress their dogs in suits more expensive than mine, if you can believe that.

And some people enjoy proving they have the biggest, toughest dog on the street. You’re probably not going to believe this, but I bet Vick loves the dogs that were the biggest and the baddest. Maybe, he identified with them in some way.

You can still choose to condemn him, but I’m trying to take you inside his mind so you can understand where he might be coming from.

I’m sure all of the animal activists and Humane Society folks have a dart board with Vick’s picture in the center of it. And if he plays this season, PETA is going to picket every stadium where he plays.

Still, I must ask the question: Where is all of this going?

By now you’ve read all of the accusations about the cruelty involving the dogs — and I’m not just talking about their duels to the death. All of that is enough to make me cringe because I have three highly-trained protection German shepherds, just in case someone wants to rob my family.

Believe me, you don’t want to deal with them. With one German command, our dog Yascho turns into Cujo. And for the record, I live around the corner from the police station, so it won’t take them
long to show up and save you from the dogs.

Now back to Vick.

Why are we indicting him? Was he the ringleader? Is he the big fish? Or is there someone else? The
fights allegedly occurred at a property that he purchased for a family member. They apparently found carcasses on the property, but I must ask you again, is he the ringleader?

This situation reminds me of a scene in the movie “New Jack City,” when drug dealer Nino Brown is on the witness stand and eloquently says, “This thing is bigger than me.”

Are we using Vick to get to the ringleader? Are we using him to bring an end to dogfighting in the United States?

The only thing I can gather from this situation is that we’re using Vick.

Was he wrong? Absolutely. Was he stupid? Can’t argue with that. Was he immature? No doubt. But is he the ringleader? I just can’t see it.

I believe Vick had a passion for dogfighting. I know many athletes who share his passion. The allure is the intensity and the challenge of a dog fighting to the death. It’s like ultimate fighting, but the dog doesn’t tap out when he knows he can’t win.

It reminds me of when I wore a lot of jewelry back in the day because I always wanted to have
the biggest chain or the biggest, baddest car. It gives you status.



NFL RB, Clinton Portis, had his time in front of a microphone on July 18th, before the NFL forced him to retract his statement.

"It's his property. It's his dog. If that's what he wants to do, do it."

"It can't be too bad of a crime. There's lots of stuff that's (a crime). There's killers on the loose...You want to hunt down Michael Vick over fighting some dogs, you know, I think people
should mind their business."

"It's prevalent in life...I know a lot of back roads that got some dog fighting, if you want to go see
it. But they're not bothering (anybody)...I'm sure some police got dogs and fight them, some judges got dogs and everything else."



On August 3rd, Eagles QB, Donovan McNabb, made public statements supporting Vick. There is nothing wrong with McNabb's statements, but he echoes the fraternal instinct to protect. McNabb publicly dismisses the idea that Vick could be guilty, though overwhelming evidence and, if Sanders is to be believed, a prevelant culture among male athletes would indicate the opposite.

"I'm a supporter of Vick," McNabb said. "That's because I'm a good friend of his and also we're guys that obviously compete to win the Super Bowl. We push each other. Now, I don't know exactly what happened in that situation, and I think for all of us that have read over the stuff that was over the Internet, the report, you look at it as kind of like, 'Wow, you've got your so-called friends and family members turning their back on you now to make their situation better.' They're throwing you under the bus so that they can clean their name. That's unfortunate. That goes to show, I always have a saying that I've always lived by: If you can't trust family, who can you trust? It's an unfortunate situation, and I just hope everything works out well for him where he can get back out on the field."

"As a football fraternity member, you just want those guys to have that opportunity to get back out there and maybe put that stuff behind them and change their life," McNabb said. "I think for some of the guys that have made the mistake and now that their season is taken away from them, the question goes out of what happens next? Because when some people get things like that taken away from them, they just continue to go down. You hope nothing but the best, that they've learned from their mistakes to move on where they can get back out on the field and play. Being suspended for a year? That's tough. That's tough.... You just want everything to kind of work out well for everybody, work out well for us as well as work out well for those guys."


Most recently (August 21st), NBA star, Stephon Marbury, made public comments regarding the Vick situation.

"I think it's tough. I think, you know, we don't say anything about people who shoot deer, or shoot other animals. You know, from what I hear, dogfighting is a sport. It's just behind closed doors. I think it's tough that we build Michael Vick up, and then we break him down. I think he's one of the superb athletes, and he's a good human being. I just think that he fell into a bad situation."


There are common threads throughout, whether looking at the most egregious (Portis and Sanders) to the more subtle commentary from Marbury and McNabb.

  • Relativity
  • Ignorance
  • Responsibility

There seems to be a group of people that have determined that if something worse has happened, then the rest of us should lighten up about the particular barbarity in question. Indeed, why carry on with the niceties of life when there are BABY KILLERS ROAMING FREE! This is mob mentality. The sort of lawless thinking that, gone to the extreme, results in riots and looting. Intellectually, I can actually grasp the ideas espoused regarding cultural differences here. Anyone can look about and know that people just don't think the same across the globe...no matter how elemental an issue seems to each of us. Regardless of this intellectual exercise, there is a law in place regarding dog fighting. All justification falls short in the face of that point. Besides, which enclave of cultural mores should be allowed in opposition to US law?

Secondly, there is quite clearly a significant amount of ignorance among US residents, particularly in regards to what is legal and what rights people actually have. In many peoples' minds, the law is akin to a code from the wild west where property ownership overrides. Watch an episode of Animal Cops. You would be surprised what peoples' views are on their legal responsibilities in regards to animal care. However, I find it hard to believe that anyone even casually connected to organized dog fighting is unaware of the illicit nature of the activity.

And what of responsibility? How is it that supporters can make Vick a victim here? Was I really supposed to believe that the property owner and registered dog breeder was unaware of what was occurring at his house and is now a victim of circumstance? Marbury, an often negatively-portrayed NBA player, seems to think people are "breaking" Vick down. I think Marbury fully believes this. There is an overwhelming trend toward ignoring one's own behavior as the source of woe. I love Mike Vick, the NFL player, but that is entirely separate from this behavior. Vick orchestrated this downfall without my help and without the help of the general media.

Having said all that, I don't think Vick need be punished beyond the limit of the law. Analysts seem to think Vick will be out of football until at least 2010 after serving his time and a one year NFL suspension, though many quietly wonder if he will (or should) ever play again. If he does his time, he can make or break himself as far as I'm concerned. Leonard Little and Jamal Lewis made it back into the fold for good or ill. It seems a little disingenuous (though, I'm sure some of Vick's dogs would find it appropriate that the once great gladiator be tossed aside like an old newspaper) for the NFL to cast Vick loose after making billions riding his back and the backs of other players like him (Nike "The Battle" commercial with "dog fight" clip sound good to anyone?).

Unfortunately for Vick, I think recidivism is more the norm than not in these situations. There is something deeper gnawing at the innards of the sporting society. It is reflective of the greater world and it stinks. I'm quite sure the NFL is leery of looking much deeper.

8.21.2007

Mutant Revenge

What does one do after a soothing, murderous romp in Eversong Woods? Why, you pop over to Second Life to regain your edge.

Alas, all was quiet on the virtual front. I ended up sitting in on some live music (Mythica Writer at Patio at The Mill in Brithys). The crowd was more enthusiastic than I typically see at this hour (note the expression of rapture on my fellow attendee). I soaked in the last few minutes of the show before popping back to my home location to finish a few tasks prior to shutdown.


It turned out that my home sim was being assailed by angry Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle heads.


They were out of control. However, it was a chance to send in legitimate Abuse Reports complete with insane ramblings. I fired off three ARs showing various angles of the carnage and with a bounty of colorful descriptions.



Then I went and hid in the bunker while those evil SOBs stalked around outside...looking for a breach in the bunker defenses.


It's a miracle! The serenity and beauty of the Jessie sim is returned courtesy of some hidden Lab grunt. I doff my cap to you, sir and/or madam. And I take back all the things I said in IM during the chaos of the turtle invasion. Your swift work and use of deadly force here is appreciated.


However, I must demand that you cease and desist from responding quickly and efficiently to resident Abuse Reports and FIX STUFF THAT'S BROKED! AND NECK ATTACHMENTS....THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THERE WERE FREAKING NECK ATTACHMENTS!!!!!!

The Return


Spent a few minutes in WoW for the first time in ages. It was the same, except my new toon is a much bigger wuss. Don't tell my poor LOTRO elf, it'll make his bow go limp.

8.17.2007

She's in Canada

If people aren't grasping what you are trying to tell them, it doesn't necessarily follow that those people aren't very bright.

Aurigid Shower

The Aurigid meteor shower, a typically ignored celestial event, may provide a worthy viewing experience this year (especially for people on the west coast of the US).

The Aurigids have had three noted, though unexpected, outbursts (1935, 1986, 1994).

Peter Jenniskens announced at the 26th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union that the Aurigids were likely to produce another such outburst on September 1, 2007.

The date is based on calulations made by Jenniskens and Jeremie Vaubaillon (and based on earlier work with Finnish astronomer Esko Lyytinen) and predicts the time when a trail of dust from the Comet Kiess would next intersect with the Earth's path.

The expected time (4.27 am, PDT) is perfect for west coast viewers, though the Moon is waning gibbous and will hinder viewing. Four days past Full Moon and high in the sky, with 76% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated. Prime viewing is at high altitude locations, where scattered moonlight does not brighten the night sky and with a view towards the East and NorthEast.




8.16.2007

Collision Course


One small stumble for my dietary regimen......one giant leap for snack food adventurers.

I once again fell victim to a well placed in-store display and a fancy new Doritos bag. I'm not even much of a consumer of chips, though I do enjoy an occasional Dorito, but only very occasionally. It takes momentous leaps in snack food innovation such as the new Doritos Collisions to sucker me into it.

The Collisions are, according to the bag, "2 flavors - 1 bag". Nicely highlighted by the clashing red and blue color scheme. There were two options. I chose the Hot Wings - Blue Cheese package. It seemed a natural. Some deep emotional issues steered me away from the Zesty Taco - Chipolte Ranch flavor (that's how the damn package spelled it, stop bitchin' at me). I do have a fondness for chipotle, it's flavorful and it sends people into linguistic fits trying to force the correct pronunciation out of their drooling mouths. I have no such warm and fuzzy feelings about ranch flavorings.

Anyhow, on with the business at hand.....the taste test.

Upon opening the package, I thought all the chips were the same, or at least looked the same. The flavors seemed hard to pinpoint and I began to wonder if perhaps I misunderstood and the flavors were on each chip, one flavor per side. I summarily dumped the bag out and took stock of the situation. The lighter blue cheese chips were all toward the bottom of the bag. Interestingly, the count was about 3 to 2 in favor of the Hot Wings flavor chip. I choose to think this trends along the lines of the ratio of wing to sauce in general and was mildly pleased, whether that was the intention or not (of course not, but let a dreamer dream, assface).

The Blue Cheese flavor fooled me a bit. Seemingly bland, the distinctive blue cheesiness snuck on to the palate late. The familiar tang became increasingly easier to connect with on each subsequent tasting. The Hot Wing flavor is fairly usual fare in snack foods, and this was certainly a capable rendition, in its fashion. The "hot" came with a decent bite, but subtle. Not the searing heat of a wasabi miscalculation, but something that kept building. Eventually, without the aid of soothing liquid, resulting in a weak sniffle. Overall, not as exciting as the X13-D Experiment back in June, but still solid. Nevertheless, I probably won't repeat.

And now for a bit of nitty-gritty. The numbers....

Serving size of 1 oz is alleged to be 11 chips (2.5 servings in the bag). Now, 11 chips does sound minimal, but it isn't that bad. I'm sure they have their weights all tallied nicely, but I couldn't tell you from chip count. There very well may have been 28 chips in that bag, but I would need a master puzzler to sort it out from all the tiny shards. I do find it curious that the bag has two columns of info, one for the 1oz serving and one with the info for the entire package. Confusing message, if you ask me.

The 1 oz serving nets 150 calories (70 from fat), 8g of fat (1.5g of saturated fat), 270mg of sodium, 17g carbs, 2g protein.

8.15.2007

Zombified


zombified
Originally uploaded by Gabe Lippmann

Look, zombies! Run!

What would SL be without a cube on an abandoned neighboring parcel that is spewing particle zombies and moaning sounds?

If you can't beat 'em.....

Ignition


ignition
Originally uploaded by Gabe Lippmann

I'm finding an uncomfortable peace with the dealership loaner car I'm currently using. However, this push-button ignition is something I don't really appreciate, much less want.

There already exists a riot of sensors, knobs, buttons and levers that do all manner of strange things. Each one removes the driver just a little farther from actually controlling the vehicle. This ignition button just feels wrong. You press it and wait while the car does its thing. Personally, I like turning the key. It's like checking the pulse.

What goes on in today's vehicles seems lifeless. They unlock themselves as you approach (and some even start up). They sense rain and wipe away without driver consent (forced windshield wiping! call the authorities). They turn the headlamps on and off and check their own tires. They park themselves. Maximum Overdrive, anyone?

I'm not even going to get into the unexpected, odd sensation of cold air blowing on your ass from a temperature regulated driver's seat (particularly when you were not expected it).

Twist my ARM

On August 14, 2007 the Fed released a statement announcing proposed illustrations of consumer information for certain adjustable-rate mortgage products (ARM) described in the Statement on Subprime Mortgage Lending.

There is nothing Earth-shattering about any of these documents. The Fed is primarily pointing out the obvious, reaffirming existing legislation and providing a flavor-of-the-day take on issues that have been ready to boil over for quite some time.

All the players in the economy are being given a time out and a bit of a talking to. The cyclical nature of life is evident in much more than the peaks and valleys of the economic cycle, but in the peaks and valleys of behavior and intelligence. These government actions always seem reactionary, but it is the nature of the human beast to get complacent and sluggish. Without a jolt to the system as a reminder of what the downside will be, the trend toward the "easy way" will continue.

So what did the Fed have to say about subprime mortgage lending and the use of certain adjustable-rate mortgage products (ARMs)? First, I would like to point out that after the initial comment period, the Fed received 137 unique comments on the proposed Statement on Subprime Mortgage Lending. While these comments did serve to help refine the Statement, they served mainly to shine a light on the huge thought gap that exists between consumers and lenders.

In short, the complexities of lending products have outpaced consumers' (and many lenders') learning curves. As a result, the Fed is highlighting the need for consumer's to be educated on these products, for lenders to do proper underwriting and risk mitigation, and for organizations to maintain proper compliance initiatives. The latest offering lists proposed examples of what should be communicated to consumers.

How did we get here?

Reactions. Reactions to the S&L collapse in the 1980s, the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s and the bursting of the tech stock bubble in 2000.

  1. The Fed managed interest rates (keeping them at minimum levels) to avoid economic downturn. Anecdotal evidence suggests that even economic guru Alan Greenspan was aware of the potential for unanticipated damage resulting from these choices. However, choices must be made and it is yet to be determined if those choices were wrong.
  2. Low rates resulted in increased home prices, an increase in leveraged buyouts and overseas savings.

The result was typical shortsighted behavior and avarice fueled decision making from all parties. Consumers took full advantage of rates and leveraged themselves to the hilt. Consumers assumed debt well beyond their ability to shoulder in the event of a rate shock. Institutions took the opportunity to lower standards and bleed the subprime consumer while they could, while creating layer upon layer of financing that obscured the final investor from knowing what real values were. Attempts to push the long-term rates higher (and increase mortgage rates as a result) were foiled as investors' risk-return tolerance became suspect and foreign investment in U.S. Treasuries remained high. At the same time, non-regulated lenders became major players (banks were no longer the dominant lenders), loan-to-value ratios increased to untenable levels and borrowing requirements eased. In 2006, almost half (45%) of subprime loans were made to borrowers without fully documented incomes (and often, overstated credit worth). Bad loans were not in evidence, but mainly due to the ease of refinancing, and not due to any inherent strength in credit quality across the land.

Easy-money greed bled into the Leveraged Buyout business and down to the investors, including your next-door neighbor and your high school teachers' pension fund. With everything moving along at breakneck speed and high-risk investors raking cash, the disciplined, diversified investor was left wondering how they could justify staying out of the deep end. The con man needs a willing mark.

Lessons are always learned, but not often remembered.

8.11.2007

Great Interviewing Techniques

If you haven't heard, professional skateboarder Jake Brown had a serious crash at the X-Games on August 3rd. If you aren't squeamish, there are videos on Youtube (until ESPN has them all pulled).

The real story for me isn't the inevitable discussions of extreme sports and the incredible risks these guys and gals take (have you seen Travis Pastrana?). Rather, it is the extreme interviewing done by the living legend, Larry King. The interview is one of those rare treats that only the giants in the industry can produce. I have to warn again that the crash is ugly and being a good entertainer, Larry and gang provide us no less than 11 views of Brown's splat during the course of the interview. Fortunately, CNN is kind enough to provide transcripts of their shows so those with weaker stomachs can still play along at home (though for some reason, the brief exchange with CNN personality John Roberts is left out of the transcript).

A quick recap of the most spectacular moments (with handy time markers for the linked video):
  • Brown's crash shown 11 times, from various angles, including close up of Brown's shoes flying off. The crash is shown in a nearly continuous loop during much of the interview
  • 3 solid King Interruptions (the ellipses at the end of Brown's part of the transcript are an indicator of such occurrences)
  • King's professional level of interview preparation is revealed with such gems as "Can you make money" [2:12], "How important is the board" [3:57], "Can you teach [skateboarding]" [4:10], and "Do you keep in shape" [5:38]
  • King flexes his ad lib prowess by filling an uncomfortable void with "Boy that's pretty great stuff" - and trust me, you just can't feel the beauty of it from the written word [3:54]
  • King segues into a break by introducing John Roberts (who is sitting in for Anderson Cooper), then immediately asks Roberts, "What's up, Anderson?" and follows that by guffawing at his own gaffe [4:31]
  • Fortunately, Roberts deflects attention to King's error by asking Larry if he recalls Evel Knievel's failed landing at Caesar's Palace and mentioning that Evel "flopped around like a fish inside that suit" [4:41]
Overall, I give it an 84. It had a nice beat. You can dance to it.

A side note regarding Knievel: Evel decided to retire after a 1976 accident while attempting a jump over a tank of live sharks in Chicago. It was the first time a bystander was injured during a performance, as a cameraman was struck and lost an eye.

  1. Evel jumped the shark a year earlier than Fonzie did (Happy Days episode aired 9.20.77)
  2. Evel is proof positive of the old adage, "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye"



Transcript, via CNN, of the August 8th interview:
KING: We welcome Jake Brown. And Dario Franchitti remains with us. Dario, of course, won the Indy 500 and had that accident going 250 miles an hour in Michigan on Sunday. Jake had this last Thursday at the X Games here in Los Angeles.

You brought the shoes with you, right?

JAKE BROWN, PROFESSIONAL SKATEBOARDER: Yes. These are the shoes that flew off my feet.

KING: Now what happened? Well, all right, what happened, Jake?

BROWN: I landed a 720 over the gap. There's two different obstacles on this contest piece and a 720 is two rotations. It shows the footage right there. And then I'm coming up the quarter pipe and I'm off balance. I was trying to cut over to the right and then cut back to the left to give myself more room to move on the quarter pipe part where the accident happened. And I was off balance and the G- forces; everything else combined to make me squat to the board and then shoot me out to the flat, as you can see.

KING: Did you know you were trouble?

BROWN: Yes. By the time I got to the top of the ramp, I knew I was in big trouble.

KING: How badly were you hurt?

BROWN: I think there was a lot of adrenaline at first because I wasn't really that hurt right away. I felt like...

KING: What's your injuries now?

BROWN: I've got a fractured wrist, a fractured vertebrae and a bruised kidney -- I mean bruised liver and lung and just...

KING: How long have you been skateboarding?

BROWN: ...some crazy whiplash. About 20 years.

KING: Why?

BROWN: It's great fun. I mean once I picked up a skateboard, it's all I ever wanted to do.

KING: Where are you from?

BROWN: Australia.

KING: Can you make money skateboarding?

BROWN: Yes, yes. That's what I do it to make money. So...

KING: I mean do you make it at events like at X Games, you make money?

BROWN: You make money from sponsors and then events and demonstrations and...

KING: You brought this hat. It says "Blind." Is that a company that makes skateboards?

KING: Yes. That's a skateboard company. I ride for them.

KING: Dario, what do you think of what Jake does?

FRANCHITTI: I couldn't actually watch the accident, Larry. I started to see it happening and I had to turn away. It's scary looking. I mean I have all that protection around about me and with the car and with the formal structures and there's Jake with his skateboard and, you know, not much else. So I think he's incredibly brave.

KING: Jake, what do you think of what Dario does?

BROWN: Well, he's going quite a bit faster than me. It's just we're in two different worlds, you know. And then I've got much respect for what he does as well.

KING: All right, when you're going up, what's the key to skateboarding? Do you do things that other guys don't do? I mean are there certain jumps that other guys don't do?

BROWN: A lot of people have different tricks, like signature tricks and stuff.

KING: What's yours?

BROWN: Basically for videos you film -- when you film a video about it, it usually takes about a year or so to film...

KING: To film a video?

BROWN: Yes.

KING: A year?

BROWN: And then it'll be like a two-minute segment for each rider or whatever. So you'll just be there, you know, five days a week filming, filming, filming until you get that two minutes at end of the year. And it's usually a bunch of tricks that haven't been done or just, you know, some unusual or enjoyable stuff like -- this is from a video, our last one, video, "What if?"

KING: Boy, that's pretty great stuff.

BROWN: Yes.

KING: How important is the board?

BROWN: The board is one of the main things. The board, the shoes, the wheels, it all comes into play. You want to feel comfortable with your entire setup.

KING: I asked Dario if you can teach his sport. Can you teach yours?

BROWN: Yes, definitely. I mean if kids are into it, you can definitely point them in the right direction on what they are doing wrong, you know what I mean.

KING: The front of it is the exhilaration of going up?

BROWN: Yes. It's fun being weightless until you catch up to gravity.

(LAUGHTER)

KING: Just ahead, his car went airborne at more than 300 miles an hour but he's here to tell the story of why he survived and why he keeps on racing. That's next.

8.09.2007

Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby

This Friday there will be thousands of rubber ducks racing the Chicago River.


Net proceeds benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois.


They are going to dump the intrepid racers off the Columbus Drive Bridge at Noon Chicago time. I hope to wrangle a close up view of the race start.
Look at those little suckers go.


8.06.2007

Can You Hear Me Now

The long awaited voice capabilities have finally been integrated into the Second Life client. It came with a whimper. The first day resulted in nothing short of agravation as I did not get voice to function properly on either of my systems. Shortly thereafter, voice was brought down for maintenance.

I have since managed to test it with a two sentence exchange akin to "Can you hear me?" "Yup".

At some point I'm going to go somewhere and listen to some Welcome Area chicanery, but I haven't gotten around to it. Almost nobody I deal with on a personal level is overly interested in SL voice chat. Neither am I, but I'm also not violently opposed to voice (for you, not for me, I'm mute). Nothing I do in SL really requires, though I could see some non-recreational benefits to it (assuming it functions well).

I'm waiting for the death of text chat that I was promised. It seems to be hanging on for a bit. I'll let you know if I see any roving Voice Zombies shoving around the Texters.

Water World Water World Water World

If you live under a rock, you may have comfortably missed all the hubbub about bottled water.

Most people are aware that the purchase and consumption of bottled water has grown beyond the domain of the jet set sipping at an imported bottle of Evian. The major liquid dealers, including the likes of Coca-cola Company and Pepsico, are mass producing their own labeled water and
everyone and their pet is now happily slopping it up.


In typical fashion, most people assumed that they were getting a valued added product. A healthy and safe product.

These days, the bottled water industry is under attack from certain environmental groups that cite numerous issues, including the leaching of toxins from the plastic bottles into the water, the increase in waste created by the increased production of plastic bottles and implying that the industry leaders are privatizing the very water that already comes from the taps we all have access to. Pepsico has recently announced that they will indicate on the Aquafina label that the water comes from a "Public Water Source".

Corporate Accountability International points out a number of valid concerns regarding the future of the world's water on their website. In addition to noting the public water sources that are providing the water for the bottled water producers, the CAI website notes that only one percent of Earth's water is available for human use and claims that by 2025, two-thirds of the world's population will lack access to water. The site also notes that the World Bank requires poor nations to privatize their water systems as a condition for receiving loans. The common resource is being used to drive a $100 billion beverage market. CAI claims that Coca-cola drained much of the water from community wells in India (a claim repeated across the Internet).

In response to a bit in the New York Times entitled "In Praise of Tap Water", the International Bottled Water Association came up with this response:

IBWA Response to Editorial inThe New York Times
Bottled water is a safe, healthy, convenient beverage that consumers choose to stay refreshed and hydrated. The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) believes it is important for consumers to have the facts about the bottled water industry's outstanding record of environmental stewardship, safety and quality, and role as a bottled beverage of choice.

  • Any actions that discourage the use of this healthy beverage choice are not in the public interest.
  • The bottled water industry has an outstanding record and solid commitment to environmental stewardship and is a leader in the food and beverage industry in reducing its environmental footprint, while at the same time delivering the healthful value of bottled water to thirsty consumers.
  • If the debate is about the impact of plastic packaging on the environment, a narrow focus on bottled water spotlights only a small portion of the packaged beverage category and an even smaller sliver of the universe of packaged products
  • Despite their popularity, PET water bottles accounted for less than one-third of one percent of all waste produced in the United States in 2005.
  • Any efforts to reduce the resources necessary to produce and distribute packaged goods-and increase recycling rates--must focus on ALL packaging. Any other approach misses a real opportunity to arrive at a comprehensive solution to protecting and sustaining the environment.
  • Pitting bottled water against public drinking water confuses consumers who make bottled water their beverage-of-choice.
  • People recognize the importance of water consumption for hydration and refreshment and that should be encouraged-whether it is from bottled water or
    tap water. When faced with an array of bottled drink choices, consumers often choose bottled water because it does not contain calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial colors, or other ingredients they wish to avoid or moderate.
  • When it comes to bottled water or tap water, most people drink both, depending on the circumstances.
  • Bottled water is a healthy beverage produced by an industry that supports and relies on safe, quality ground water resources as well as municipal water systems and is are interested in strengthening, not undermining, municipal water sources.
  • Bottled water consumption has nothing to do with tap water infrastructure funding or drinking water system improvements. It is about beverage choice, available to consumers in all walks of life who choose, or rely upon, bottled water for refreshment and hydration.

As a consumer and an Earthling, I find this response to be a genuine failure. It seems an obvious attempt to obscure the issues raised by the eco-warriors and I'm insulted that they would think anyone would be mollified by this statement. They could have at least proof read the damn thing.

When are they going to start oxygen mining and selling it back to us in spiffy branded tanks? I suppose before that fantastical outcome, the current breathable air supply would have to be spoiled to the point of creating air quality concerns.....

8.03.2007

Say What? Shopping = Hell

I don't like the grocery store. I've mentioned this numerous times while hiking the internet back trails. For one thing, there are people swarming the place. Despite my best efforts, I can't seem to find a time when this isn't the case. People ruin everything. They are slow and clueless. They smell. They are rude.

Nobody follows the grocery store etiquette that all civilized people should know:

  1. Be aware of your surroundings (this is obvious and should be in use for most waking hours)
  2. Keep an eye on your kids, because the rest of us don't want to
  3. Keep your farking kart out of the middle of the aisle and do not wander out of sight of the damn thing
  4. 15 items = 15 items. If you can't count that high, please ask for help at the customer service desk, the photo counter or the embedded Savings & Loan
  5. Don't use the self check-out if you are technologically challenged, need help bagging or you're just slow as all get out
  6. If the line runs back far enough from the register, you must leave space for the other shoppers to continue to use the aisles. Nobody is going to line jump you for leaving a gap
  7. It's OK if you spill something. Mistakes happen, we're all human. It's not OK to walk away without making sure you hear the words "clean up on aisle five!"
  8. Use the damn kart returns. I know you don't give a shit about your rusted out 1985 IROC, but respect the other vehicles, please
  9. The first spot in the row is not worth holding up all the other drivers while you wait for that woman with a walker to load her week's worth of groceries (you could get out and help her, you know). Also note that Handicapped spots aren't really there for priviledged people with placards, they're there for people with real issues. If you don't even have a placard, prepare to earn one free and clear when the rest of us catch you using that spot
  10. Don't leave your fucking pets and children in the god damned car! This puts the rest of us in a bad spot. Stop being selfish and stupid.
What the hell is my point anyway? Well, this is a loving note to my checker yesterday. Firstly, sir, there is such a thing as Belgian Endive. The fact that you don't know that is not evidence that something strange is going on. Secondly, and I can't emphasise this enough, if you make any more comments about my items as you scan them, I am going to sucker punch you.

Powered by Blogger

Creative  Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.