More Fun with Duct Tape - Make a Duct Tape wallet
If you have more time on your hands than I do, feel free to try this at home.
3M Canada 3M Scotch? Duct Tape Duct Tape Workshop
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Vodkapundit - Category Five
What George Knew & When He Knew it
Here's a blog post from 8/28. This is the day after the evacuation order and the day before Katrina hit New Orleans in force. It describes winds of 175 mph, and earlier published predictions of what would happen if a strong hurricane hit New Orleans. The predictions are pretty much dead on. You mean that there wasn't a thought of getting the Navy alerted for possible deployment at that point?
Vodkapundit - Category Five
Here's a blog post from 8/28. This is the day after the evacuation order and the day before Katrina hit New Orleans in force. It describes winds of 175 mph, and earlier published predictions of what would happen if a strong hurricane hit New Orleans. The predictions are pretty much dead on. You mean that there wasn't a thought of getting the Navy alerted for possible deployment at that point?
Vodkapundit - Category Five
Friday, September 02, 2005
Fisher P-75A Eagle
GM's Attempt at Aircraft Design: the Fisher P-75 Eagle
Honda's not the only automaker that can design aircraft. Here's a link to a picture and brief information on General Motor's design for a fighter aircraft in World War II, the Fisher P-75 Eagle. This plane has been called one of the 10 Worst Aircraft in Aviation History. It was designed using the parts of several existing aircraft, and it even looks like something Frankenstein would fly.
Some have said that GM made the aircraft bad on purpose. It didn't want to have key plants tied down to military production to the point that they'd miss the expected post-war auto boom.
As it turned out, General Motors actually turned out some pretty decent aircraft in World War II and in large quantities. GM built under license the Grumman TBF Avenger and F4F Wildcat types for the navy. Built in GM's Eastern Aircraft facility (recently closed) they were designated the TBM and the FM respectively.
Fisher P-75A Eagle
Honda's not the only automaker that can design aircraft. Here's a link to a picture and brief information on General Motor's design for a fighter aircraft in World War II, the Fisher P-75 Eagle. This plane has been called one of the 10 Worst Aircraft in Aviation History. It was designed using the parts of several existing aircraft, and it even looks like something Frankenstein would fly.
Some have said that GM made the aircraft bad on purpose. It didn't want to have key plants tied down to military production to the point that they'd miss the expected post-war auto boom.
As it turned out, General Motors actually turned out some pretty decent aircraft in World War II and in large quantities. GM built under license the Grumman TBF Avenger and F4F Wildcat types for the navy. Built in GM's Eastern Aircraft facility (recently closed) they were designated the TBM and the FM respectively.
Fisher P-75A Eagle
Wichita Eagle | 07/31/2005 | Honda's experimental jet impresses Oshkosh crowd
Honda Business Jet Goes Public
Two years ago, I gave some sketchy information about the Honda Business Jet. The HBJ was officially made public at the EAA show in Oshkosh Wisconsin last week. The article below gives some info.
Wichita Eagle | 07/31/2005 | Honda's experimental jet impresses Oshkosh crowd
Two years ago, I gave some sketchy information about the Honda Business Jet. The HBJ was officially made public at the EAA show in Oshkosh Wisconsin last week. The article below gives some info.
Wichita Eagle | 07/31/2005 | Honda's experimental jet impresses Oshkosh crowd
Conservation? It's Such a 70's Idea - New York Times
Reduce Demand in the Wake of Fuel Shortages? What a Concept?
Conservation? It's Such a 70's Idea - New York Times
Conservation? It's Such a 70's Idea - New York Times
Astrodome too full to accept more evacuees - Hurricane Katrina - MSNBC.com
No Room at the Inn - The Astrodome is full at 11,000
Yesterday, FEMA was planning on putting 25,000 refugees from New Orleans into the Houston Astrodome. Today the Fire Marshall declared the building full at just over 11,000.
You might recall that I said yesterday that this plan is idiotic. You can't stick even 11,000 in a sports arena for any given time without having chaos. They need to set up a parallel processing system and give the people money and vouchers. Most of them will find their own shelter using a fraction of the resources that have already been allocated to relief. Those that can't find shelter can be provided for in a more in managable numbers in red cross shelters spread out across the region and country.
As I said before 1,000 volunteer travel agents can get the people dispersed within 24 hours of their arrival at transfer sites. The more people that are stuck at a single site, the more difficult it will be for the assimillation process to take care of them.
Local and National Homeland Security officials have erred repeatedly in trying to establish a top-down structure on a disaster that they can't even keep up with. They need to empower the victims and the people on the scene. Until they do so, the misery will continue.
Astrodome too full to accept more evacuees - Hurricane Katrina - MSNBC.com
Yesterday, FEMA was planning on putting 25,000 refugees from New Orleans into the Houston Astrodome. Today the Fire Marshall declared the building full at just over 11,000.
You might recall that I said yesterday that this plan is idiotic. You can't stick even 11,000 in a sports arena for any given time without having chaos. They need to set up a parallel processing system and give the people money and vouchers. Most of them will find their own shelter using a fraction of the resources that have already been allocated to relief. Those that can't find shelter can be provided for in a more in managable numbers in red cross shelters spread out across the region and country.
As I said before 1,000 volunteer travel agents can get the people dispersed within 24 hours of their arrival at transfer sites. The more people that are stuck at a single site, the more difficult it will be for the assimillation process to take care of them.
Local and National Homeland Security officials have erred repeatedly in trying to establish a top-down structure on a disaster that they can't even keep up with. They need to empower the victims and the people on the scene. Until they do so, the misery will continue.
Astrodome too full to accept more evacuees - Hurricane Katrina - MSNBC.com
Helicopters mothballed in Arizona dusted off to help with shortage
Where is the V-22 Osprey?
There's no question that more large helicopters would be useful in combating the chaos caused by Hurricane Katrina. The article linked below explains that the United States Marine Corps is down to 150 heavy-lift MH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters (like the Marine One presidential copter), and the Corps has resorted to reconditioning copters that have been in "mothballs" for a decade or more. The Marines have not procured any new heavy helicopters in years, in large part due to funds allocated to the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor program. It's hard to know how much money the Pentagon has put into the Osprey over the past 20 years. I've seen estimates from $13 Billion to $60 Billion, with a projected program cost of $100 Billion.
Think of the moral boost if a groop of Ospreys, or even MH-53s swooped down at the New Orleans Convention Center and dropped off a whopping load of food water and porto-lets.
Even though the V-22 Osprey made its first flight in 1989, the plane is not fully operational. An assessment made in 2001 stated that only 1 in 5 deployed V-22 aircraft were fully servicable. The plane has been grounded repeatedly due to crashes, and there is currently an ongoing fraud trial regarding a component supplier.
The V-22 has a lot of potential, but eventually potential isn't good enough.
There's no question that more large helicopters would be useful in combating the chaos caused by Hurricane Katrina. The article linked below explains that the United States Marine Corps is down to 150 heavy-lift MH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters (like the Marine One presidential copter), and the Corps has resorted to reconditioning copters that have been in "mothballs" for a decade or more. The Marines have not procured any new heavy helicopters in years, in large part due to funds allocated to the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor program. It's hard to know how much money the Pentagon has put into the Osprey over the past 20 years. I've seen estimates from $13 Billion to $60 Billion, with a projected program cost of $100 Billion.
Think of the moral boost if a groop of Ospreys, or even MH-53s swooped down at the New Orleans Convention Center and dropped off a whopping load of food water and porto-lets.
Even though the V-22 Osprey made its first flight in 1989, the plane is not fully operational. An assessment made in 2001 stated that only 1 in 5 deployed V-22 aircraft were fully servicable. The plane has been grounded repeatedly due to crashes, and there is currently an ongoing fraud trial regarding a component supplier.
The V-22 has a lot of potential, but eventually potential isn't good enough.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Delphi's troubles may cost GM - 08/31/05
A Delphi Bankruptcy Could Cost GM $9 Billion
According to the Detroit News:
The United Auto Workers recently sent a letter to GM that detailed what the union believes are the automaker's obligations to Delphi workers if the parts supplier files for bankruptcy. One analyst said the obligations could total $9 billion.
In the letter, obtained by The Detroit News, the UAW says GM has the responsibility to protect Delphi workers' pensions, retiree health care benefits and post-retirement life insurance under a 1999 agreement that created the Troy-based auto supplier from a collection of GM parts plants.
Such benefits are all guaranteed by GM in the event of "financial distress" at Delphi on or before Oct. 18, 2007, according to the letter.
The agreement was established to ensure that Delphi's hourly workers had ironclad backing from the world's largest automaker if Delphi had financial troubles. And it is taking on special significance now that Delphi is threatening a bankruptcy filing by this fall if it does not receive significant givebacks from the UAW.
According to the Detroit News:
The United Auto Workers recently sent a letter to GM that detailed what the union believes are the automaker's obligations to Delphi workers if the parts supplier files for bankruptcy. One analyst said the obligations could total $9 billion.
In the letter, obtained by The Detroit News, the UAW says GM has the responsibility to protect Delphi workers' pensions, retiree health care benefits and post-retirement life insurance under a 1999 agreement that created the Troy-based auto supplier from a collection of GM parts plants.
Such benefits are all guaranteed by GM in the event of "financial distress" at Delphi on or before Oct. 18, 2007, according to the letter.
The agreement was established to ensure that Delphi's hourly workers had ironclad backing from the world's largest automaker if Delphi had financial troubles. And it is taking on special significance now that Delphi is threatening a bankruptcy filing by this fall if it does not receive significant givebacks from the UAW.
New bankruptcy law a problem for Katrina victims - Sep. 1, 2005
New Bankruptcy Law Will Kick Katrina Survivors When They're Down.
Katrina's coming. You run out of your house with your bills barely paid, $100 and a credit card in your pocket, pack the family up and head north to any place dry. In a Motel 6 in Tennessee, you realize that your home and everything in it have been destroyed - your other car too. You don't have a job anymore because the place where you worked was destroyed and there's no job to go to. What do you do? You can't even file bankruptcy in your home district because the bankruptcy court is underwater, you can't get to a lawyer, and you aren't there. Moreover, things are bound to get worse before they get better. So you wait. Suddenly it's October 18. You can't file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Your (documented) income is higher than national average - before you file bankruptcy they want you to go through credit counseling - without a permanent address or job - and they want you to make payments to your creditors for 7 years on a house and car that you no longer have. That's what they call bankruptcy "reform" in 2005.
New bankruptcy law a problem for Katrina victims - Sep. 1, 2005
Katrina's coming. You run out of your house with your bills barely paid, $100 and a credit card in your pocket, pack the family up and head north to any place dry. In a Motel 6 in Tennessee, you realize that your home and everything in it have been destroyed - your other car too. You don't have a job anymore because the place where you worked was destroyed and there's no job to go to. What do you do? You can't even file bankruptcy in your home district because the bankruptcy court is underwater, you can't get to a lawyer, and you aren't there. Moreover, things are bound to get worse before they get better. So you wait. Suddenly it's October 18. You can't file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Your (documented) income is higher than national average - before you file bankruptcy they want you to go through credit counseling - without a permanent address or job - and they want you to make payments to your creditors for 7 years on a house and car that you no longer have. That's what they call bankruptcy "reform" in 2005.
New bankruptcy law a problem for Katrina victims - Sep. 1, 2005
Ruined vehicles, fuel costs add volatility to auto industry
Katrina Ruined Vehicles & Dealerships - Affect National Markets?
With perhaps a million vehicles ruined by floods, and 80 dealerships K-0ed in New Orleans alone, we can expect flooddamaged vehicles to find their way across the country, often with laundered titles.
Ruined vehicles, fuel costs add volatility to auto industry
With perhaps a million vehicles ruined by floods, and 80 dealerships K-0ed in New Orleans alone, we can expect flooddamaged vehicles to find their way across the country, often with laundered titles.
Ruined vehicles, fuel costs add volatility to auto industry
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