Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Fuel Economy vs. speed
Just for the record - on our recent trip -
Eastbound - speed limit and a max of 65 mph --- 18.4 mpg
Westbound - speed limit plus 5 for the most part - max 80 mph --- 17.1 mpg
Eastbound - speed limit and a max of 65 mph --- 18.4 mpg
Westbound - speed limit plus 5 for the most part - max 80 mph --- 17.1 mpg
Call me "General"
Not a military rank but rather an amateur radio license class - passed written element 3 so now I have new HF radio privileges but no radio to use them - and no place I'm allowed to put the relevant antenna (CC&R restrictions).
I'm studying the information for element 4 and hope to take that exam before too long - that would make me "amateur extra".
de
KD6CWF
I'm studying the information for element 4 and hope to take that exam before too long - that would make me "amateur extra".
de
KD6CWF
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Wii 3
We have the third Wii in the family that I know about. While I like the game system and have enjoyed getting tips about game play from my grandson, I have to say that the Nintendo marketing is even better than the game.
The purchase experience is a sustained "almost out-of-reach" condition. They seem to be perpetually "out of stock" but "will arrive soon". Call back on Wednesday morning to see if any of the pre-ordered systems are unclaimed - get here an hour before the store opens on Sunday morning and wait in line for a coupon to buy a unit.
It is pure marketing genius - generate exactly the right degree of scarcity to maximize sales and completely eliminate any sales resistance or expectation that a "sale price" might happen. Encourage the purchase of any related parts, should they happen to be in stock, because you may not see them again. If they were readily available in the stores, they would not be so successful. The scarcity adds to the mystique.
And this, all for a video game system that has a novel user interface but is otherwise rather mundane (XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 have much more capable processors and graphics hardware etc.). Perhaps the other thing setting Wii apart from the others is that Wii seems to focus on "E" rated games rather than the shoot-em-up and bad behavior games.
Wii Fit may be available Wednesday (or perhaps on June 8Th).
The only other thing that was this hard to obtain was an EV1.
But I'm up to 3/160 on the Lego Star Wars game :-)
The purchase experience is a sustained "almost out-of-reach" condition. They seem to be perpetually "out of stock" but "will arrive soon". Call back on Wednesday morning to see if any of the pre-ordered systems are unclaimed - get here an hour before the store opens on Sunday morning and wait in line for a coupon to buy a unit.
It is pure marketing genius - generate exactly the right degree of scarcity to maximize sales and completely eliminate any sales resistance or expectation that a "sale price" might happen. Encourage the purchase of any related parts, should they happen to be in stock, because you may not see them again. If they were readily available in the stores, they would not be so successful. The scarcity adds to the mystique.
And this, all for a video game system that has a novel user interface but is otherwise rather mundane (XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 have much more capable processors and graphics hardware etc.). Perhaps the other thing setting Wii apart from the others is that Wii seems to focus on "E" rated games rather than the shoot-em-up and bad behavior games.
Wii Fit may be available Wednesday (or perhaps on June 8Th).
The only other thing that was this hard to obtain was an EV1.
But I'm up to 3/160 on the Lego Star Wars game :-)
Monday, April 28, 2008
$4.759 diesel - special low sulphur
$4.759/gallon - up from $4.309/gallon 8 weeks ago. Unleaded regular is $4.009/gallon. Another price increase and I won't be able to buy 15 gallons on one $74.00 maximum fuel purchase :-(
We pay a lot extra here for our "low sulphur" diesel, now if we could just fix the volcano...
- Halema'uma'u is currently emitting 1,400 tonnes/day or 511,000 tonnes/year of SO2. Total US for all sources in 2000 was 11,202,110 and is expected to go down to 8,700,000 by 2010. When the winds are bad, the sky and the burning in my lungs reminds me of Beijing (and that isn't good).
We pay a lot extra here for our "low sulphur" diesel, now if we could just fix the volcano...
- Halema'uma'u is currently emitting 1,400 tonnes/day or 511,000 tonnes/year of SO2. Total US for all sources in 2000 was 11,202,110 and is expected to go down to 8,700,000 by 2010. When the winds are bad, the sky and the burning in my lungs reminds me of Beijing (and that isn't good).
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Lammie
Her real name was Cerise Weinberger, but I knew here as "Lammie". I have no idea where that name came from.
Lammie was our next door neighbor in San Francisco. During WWII my mom taught remedial reading at West Portal grammar school, the local public school. So Lammie was part of my child care system. Lammie was perhaps 15-20 years older than my mom and her son Casper was off in the Pacific theater. I guess a surrogate grand-baby was welcome. Casper's wife, Jane, came to live with Lammie during the war also and I know my mom and Jane became good friends.
Lammie (well I suppose they were Casper's really) had Lionel Trains in her basement, the larger "Standard Guage" ones. Neat stuff to a little kid.
Later in life when I needed a security clearance it was always a bit fun to answer questions about "who can independently verify that you were born in San Francisco and lived at ..." with - well you can ask Casper Weinberger (who was secretary of health, education, and welfare at the time - his posting as Secretary of Defense came a bit later).
The Weinbergers were our next door neighbors, but they owned three house lots, their house was on the middle of the three lots. The lot between us had a tall hedge all the way around with grass in the middle. I was allowed to play there sometimes, but this was a privilege not generally granted to the neighborhood children.
Lammie was our next door neighbor in San Francisco. During WWII my mom taught remedial reading at West Portal grammar school, the local public school. So Lammie was part of my child care system. Lammie was perhaps 15-20 years older than my mom and her son Casper was off in the Pacific theater. I guess a surrogate grand-baby was welcome. Casper's wife, Jane, came to live with Lammie during the war also and I know my mom and Jane became good friends.
Lammie (well I suppose they were Casper's really) had Lionel Trains in her basement, the larger "Standard Guage" ones. Neat stuff to a little kid.
Later in life when I needed a security clearance it was always a bit fun to answer questions about "who can independently verify that you were born in San Francisco and lived at ..." with - well you can ask Casper Weinberger (who was secretary of health, education, and welfare at the time - his posting as Secretary of Defense came a bit later).
The Weinbergers were our next door neighbors, but they owned three house lots, their house was on the middle of the three lots. The lot between us had a tall hedge all the way around with grass in the middle. I was allowed to play there sometimes, but this was a privilege not generally granted to the neighborhood children.
Mrs. Kitchens
I'm not sure where my family fit into "society". On the edge I'd guess. After all Edmund G. Brown, governor of the State of California lived a few blocks away and his son, Jerry Brown attended my grammar school. Casper Weinberger's mom lived next door.
So I went to Mrs. Kitchens after school during 7Th and 8Th grades (I think). Mrs. Kitchens was a co-ed "finishing school". We learned a bit about dancing, Waltz and Fox Trot. We learned about opening doors. We learned where to walk on a sidewalk - guy on the curb side. We learned which fork to use. All the necessary social graces. I got the impression that the girls were serious about this stuff and the boys were there because they had to be.
This was all "before women's lib' " so this stuff was considered appropriate and even necessary. It was also a way for the people in society to meet each other. Mike was good at this stuff and the contacts stayed with him. I wasn't good at this and I can't remember any of the names of the people who were there. After grammar school (8Th grade) schools were segregated - not by race, but by gender. I guess this was the last organized chance to meet people.
So I went to Mrs. Kitchens after school during 7Th and 8Th grades (I think). Mrs. Kitchens was a co-ed "finishing school". We learned a bit about dancing, Waltz and Fox Trot. We learned about opening doors. We learned where to walk on a sidewalk - guy on the curb side. We learned which fork to use. All the necessary social graces. I got the impression that the girls were serious about this stuff and the boys were there because they had to be.
This was all "before women's lib' " so this stuff was considered appropriate and even necessary. It was also a way for the people in society to meet each other. Mike was good at this stuff and the contacts stayed with him. I wasn't good at this and I can't remember any of the names of the people who were there. After grammar school (8Th grade) schools were segregated - not by race, but by gender. I guess this was the last organized chance to meet people.
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