Last night I reviewed the forecast for the area. Snow is predicted for later this week. Please weather guru's give it up already! Enough with the snow.
Granted it has been a lot worse but I really hate snow and the sight of it. One of the reasons I want off Long Island. Although I am having second thoughts about Key West due to the floods, small houses, small yards, no jobs and in the way of major storms the thought of no snow is very appealing.
'till next time.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
3/26/11 - Another wonderful day comes to an end
The day at the office has drawn to a close! Thank goodness!
We have this bookkeeper that ordered me to do a function that is something she should handle herself. I've had more than my share of problems with her to the point that she made 'one of those complaints' against me a few years back. She even threatened to pour water into a monitor just so she can get a new one. Always in my face. I am not the only one that has had problems with her. But management is afraid of her and let's her get away with the crap.
She even opened the door for a major slander suit to be filed against her and the company. Have to wait to see how that goes.
'till next time
We have this bookkeeper that ordered me to do a function that is something she should handle herself. I've had more than my share of problems with her to the point that she made 'one of those complaints' against me a few years back. She even threatened to pour water into a monitor just so she can get a new one. Always in my face. I am not the only one that has had problems with her. But management is afraid of her and let's her get away with the crap.
She even opened the door for a major slander suit to be filed against her and the company. Have to wait to see how that goes.
'till next time
3/25/11 - Another street view of Key West
Went back to Google Earth and Street View last night and snooped around Key West some more. This time I went to the Eastern side of the island, Duck Road to be specific and was disappointed with what I saw.
More houses on top of each other with little to no yards. I love a yard. There was evidence of possible flooding there as well. Puddles of water along the sides of the street with no sign that it rained. It was very reminiscent of Woodcleft Avenue in Freeeport at a high moon tide. If this was just from a high tide is this the place to move to?
Of course it was a photo and I have no real idea if the water was fresh of salt. If it was fresh, no big problem. But if it was saltwater, that can be an issue.
Going over to one of the side streets I saw several new home built on stilts and also with no yards. Now I am getting a little concerned. Looking at. FEMA flood map, that area is prone to going underwater with only a 3' storm surge. Might not be the section of Key West to look into.
I checked out a real estate site and found a 8 bedroom house near Duval Street for just over $300K. Not bad by Long Island standards. Again to Street View. More disappointment. No yard at all, not even a blade of grass. The side street is right against the building with no sidewalk. The property is broken into two, one is the main building and the second is a small attached cottage. The website stated that the main building is rated x-flood what ever that means. But I can take an educated guess that they get flooded easily.
I will need to do some more digging.
'till next time.
More houses on top of each other with little to no yards. I love a yard. There was evidence of possible flooding there as well. Puddles of water along the sides of the street with no sign that it rained. It was very reminiscent of Woodcleft Avenue in Freeeport at a high moon tide. If this was just from a high tide is this the place to move to?
Of course it was a photo and I have no real idea if the water was fresh of salt. If it was fresh, no big problem. But if it was saltwater, that can be an issue.
Going over to one of the side streets I saw several new home built on stilts and also with no yards. Now I am getting a little concerned. Looking at. FEMA flood map, that area is prone to going underwater with only a 3' storm surge. Might not be the section of Key West to look into.
I checked out a real estate site and found a 8 bedroom house near Duval Street for just over $300K. Not bad by Long Island standards. Again to Street View. More disappointment. No yard at all, not even a blade of grass. The side street is right against the building with no sidewalk. The property is broken into two, one is the main building and the second is a small attached cottage. The website stated that the main building is rated x-flood what ever that means. But I can take an educated guess that they get flooded easily.
I will need to do some more digging.
'till next time.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
3/24/11 - Thursday morning
I woke this morning and was ready to scream my lungs out. Looking out the window everything was covered in snow! Will someone tell the powers that be that this is spring? Enough all ready.
I took the day off to take my wife to the doctor and afterwards face that one chore that everyone hates doing, taxes. What a waste of time. They take money out of paychecks and we have to tell the how much they have taken and try to get some of it back. And if we make one error on the forms we get smacked, kicked, beaten up, and punished. They should just take th money and leave us alone.
Japan is in the world of hurts for the reactors. Now the radiation has been picked up in Tokyo. Water and some foods have been restricted due to the radiation. Plus the U.S. has stopped importing certain items from there. The economy of Japan will take a beating.
We will most likely ship over more food to them which is a good thing, but with the lower amounts available for us to have you will see the prices soar through the roof. Of course when Japan gets back on it's feet you better believe that the prices here will not drop one penny.
I used to pick up a bag of groceries with odds and ends for the house for maybe $20. Now that same bag with the same items now runs over $100. The disaster in Japan will only add to that. Is there an end in sight to price gouging?
A friend of mine left for Florida today. God bless her. I wish I was going but...
'till next time.
I took the day off to take my wife to the doctor and afterwards face that one chore that everyone hates doing, taxes. What a waste of time. They take money out of paychecks and we have to tell the how much they have taken and try to get some of it back. And if we make one error on the forms we get smacked, kicked, beaten up, and punished. They should just take th money and leave us alone.
Japan is in the world of hurts for the reactors. Now the radiation has been picked up in Tokyo. Water and some foods have been restricted due to the radiation. Plus the U.S. has stopped importing certain items from there. The economy of Japan will take a beating.
We will most likely ship over more food to them which is a good thing, but with the lower amounts available for us to have you will see the prices soar through the roof. Of course when Japan gets back on it's feet you better believe that the prices here will not drop one penny.
I used to pick up a bag of groceries with odds and ends for the house for maybe $20. Now that same bag with the same items now runs over $100. The disaster in Japan will only add to that. Is there an end in sight to price gouging?
A friend of mine left for Florida today. God bless her. I wish I was going but...
'till next time.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
3/23/11 - More snow...yuk
Busy at the office, then home to crash, back to the office and so on.
It is finally spring, yippie. But on Monday we had snow! Didn't stick, but it snowed all the same. Tuesday nothing, just cold. Today I woke up to more snow coming down. My wife didn't believe me until I opened he blinds. It was sticking as well. Thankfully it didn't stay and was washed away by the rain.
Right now it is still raining and we are having our first thunder storm of the year. Not a big one, just some lightening and low thunder.
The say more rain tomorrow. Yuk. But better that than snow.
'till next time.
It is finally spring, yippie. But on Monday we had snow! Didn't stick, but it snowed all the same. Tuesday nothing, just cold. Today I woke up to more snow coming down. My wife didn't believe me until I opened he blinds. It was sticking as well. Thankfully it didn't stay and was washed away by the rain.
Right now it is still raining and we are having our first thunder storm of the year. Not a big one, just some lightening and low thunder.
The say more rain tomorrow. Yuk. But better that than snow.
'till next time.
Monday, March 21, 2011
3/21/11 - Another one bites the dust
We had another one leave us today. No great loss. The guy was a slacker and then some. He would go outside and sleep in his car instead of work or hang with his friends here. He also demanded that we give him all of our old computers. He also had sticky fingers. All I can say is good buy to bad news.
Weekend was interesting. Not too much going on, just moving back into my office from having it painted and re-carpeted. Took forever to have the job done. The staff welcomed me back. I think one of the women here has the eye out for me. She's cute too.
The mideast is exploding again. Obama if bombing kadaffy duck or whatever that kook's name is. I think we are in for a long haul over there. A long and bloody haul.
Japan is diving fast. Now they cannot drink the milk or eat the spinach. Plus I heard that the U.S. is issuing potassium iodide pills to the military and their families. Not a good sign.
The false theory is that the iodide pills will protect you from radiation. But the reality is that it will protect the thyroid gland only for 24 hours not the rest of the body. So you can still get radiation poisoning or cancer later on.
At least they are getting the reactors cool with seawater. It will destroy them but at least they will be cooled down.
But here is a question that no one has asked. The reason the reactors are hot is because of the nuclear fission that is going on inside them. To stop the fission all they would have to do is lower the control rods that will absorb the neutrons and stop the whole process. But I have to wonder why don't they? The reactors are toast and are useless anyway. I think that they can't lower the rods for they or the operating hardware were destroyed in the explosions or are severely damaged by the meltdown. As such they cannot be used. So how it the hell are they going to stop the fission in the first place? Let it run for the next 1,000 years and just pump millions of gallons of seawater into it?
Here is another question, what happens with the overflow of seawater? It is radioactive and they cannot let it drain into the harbor. Eventually the building will be so flooded with the radioactive water it will leak out unless that is happening now or just spill out of the building. As anyone thought of this?
'Till next time.
Weekend was interesting. Not too much going on, just moving back into my office from having it painted and re-carpeted. Took forever to have the job done. The staff welcomed me back. I think one of the women here has the eye out for me. She's cute too.
The mideast is exploding again. Obama if bombing kadaffy duck or whatever that kook's name is. I think we are in for a long haul over there. A long and bloody haul.
Japan is diving fast. Now they cannot drink the milk or eat the spinach. Plus I heard that the U.S. is issuing potassium iodide pills to the military and their families. Not a good sign.
The false theory is that the iodide pills will protect you from radiation. But the reality is that it will protect the thyroid gland only for 24 hours not the rest of the body. So you can still get radiation poisoning or cancer later on.
At least they are getting the reactors cool with seawater. It will destroy them but at least they will be cooled down.
But here is a question that no one has asked. The reason the reactors are hot is because of the nuclear fission that is going on inside them. To stop the fission all they would have to do is lower the control rods that will absorb the neutrons and stop the whole process. But I have to wonder why don't they? The reactors are toast and are useless anyway. I think that they can't lower the rods for they or the operating hardware were destroyed in the explosions or are severely damaged by the meltdown. As such they cannot be used. So how it the hell are they going to stop the fission in the first place? Let it run for the next 1,000 years and just pump millions of gallons of seawater into it?
Here is another question, what happens with the overflow of seawater? It is radioactive and they cannot let it drain into the harbor. Eventually the building will be so flooded with the radioactive water it will leak out unless that is happening now or just spill out of the building. As anyone thought of this?
'Till next time.
Friday, March 18, 2011
3/18/11 - Interesting few days
Japan now has it's own version of Three Mile Island with the disaster of the nuke plant. I am certain it will be another Chernoybl. Radiation is just hitting the west coast now. It is not much to be worried about. Same thing happened with Chernoybl. But I see some glint of panic in a few peoples eyes and we are 3,000 miles away. Nothing you can do about it except stay in doors if you are worried. Bet you cannot find a dosimeter any place by now.
'till next time.
'till next time.
Monday, March 14, 2011
3/14/11 - Second explosion in Japan nuke plant
The devastation from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused damage to a nuclear plant which caused the cooling pumps to fail. On Saturday one of the containment building exploded from the high levels of hydrogen gas that built up on the inside.
Sunday (our time) a second building exploded housing another reactor.
The reports state that there in no danger that the reactor vessels were damaged in either building. But they are evacuating people in a 20km radius just to play it safe.
Next thing the reports did say that a small amount of radiation has been released into the atmosphere. A little while later a report said that in one of the containment building, and is is second blast, they were venting radioactive steam and gases out of a building to lower the internal pressure to prevent an explosion.
You watch on TV officials setting up a decontamination center someplace and then you see the checking people for radiation. And you hear about iodine pills being handed out to protect the thyroid gland from radiation just to play it safe.
To try and protect the reactors form having a meltdown they are pumping seawater into them to cool them down. Some say that is a last ditch effort but since they are near a plentiful supply it makes perfect sense since they most likely used up the fresh water.
My questions on all of this a this:
Where did the hydrogen gas in the buildings come from in the first place? Is it a byproduct of nuclear fission from the reactor? If so how did it get outside the reactor vessel?
They say that the reactor vessels were not damaged by the explosions. Can they prove this? I have to remain skeptical on that. I am sure the stainless steel cases where damaged if not the supporting equipment like controls pumps and what have you where damaged or destroyed.
If the they have to vent off radioactive steam from the buildings how did it get in there in the first place?
If the government is setting up decontamination centers and is handing out iodine pills,the problem is a lot worse than what we are led to believe.
They are pumping seawater into the reactors to cool them, great. But what is happening with the heated water? Is it bilingual away to steam and where is the steam going? If not being boiled into steam what are they doing with the discharge? Both would be radioactive and dangerous. Or are they pumping the water through the heat exchanges where the discharge would not be radioactive?
If the cooling pumps where damage by the quake and following explosions how are they pumping water in the first place?
I am certain we are looking at another Chernobyl or TMI in the making. If it is let's all hope that it is no where a bad as either plant. But time will tell.
'till next time.
Sunday (our time) a second building exploded housing another reactor.
The reports state that there in no danger that the reactor vessels were damaged in either building. But they are evacuating people in a 20km radius just to play it safe.
Next thing the reports did say that a small amount of radiation has been released into the atmosphere. A little while later a report said that in one of the containment building, and is is second blast, they were venting radioactive steam and gases out of a building to lower the internal pressure to prevent an explosion.
You watch on TV officials setting up a decontamination center someplace and then you see the checking people for radiation. And you hear about iodine pills being handed out to protect the thyroid gland from radiation just to play it safe.
To try and protect the reactors form having a meltdown they are pumping seawater into them to cool them down. Some say that is a last ditch effort but since they are near a plentiful supply it makes perfect sense since they most likely used up the fresh water.
My questions on all of this a this:
Where did the hydrogen gas in the buildings come from in the first place? Is it a byproduct of nuclear fission from the reactor? If so how did it get outside the reactor vessel?
They say that the reactor vessels were not damaged by the explosions. Can they prove this? I have to remain skeptical on that. I am sure the stainless steel cases where damaged if not the supporting equipment like controls pumps and what have you where damaged or destroyed.
If the they have to vent off radioactive steam from the buildings how did it get in there in the first place?
If the government is setting up decontamination centers and is handing out iodine pills,the problem is a lot worse than what we are led to believe.
They are pumping seawater into the reactors to cool them, great. But what is happening with the heated water? Is it bilingual away to steam and where is the steam going? If not being boiled into steam what are they doing with the discharge? Both would be radioactive and dangerous. Or are they pumping the water through the heat exchanges where the discharge would not be radioactive?
If the cooling pumps where damage by the quake and following explosions how are they pumping water in the first place?
I am certain we are looking at another Chernobyl or TMI in the making. If it is let's all hope that it is no where a bad as either plant. But time will tell.
'till next time.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
3/13/11 - Looking at Key West
I have been doing some serious thinking about moving to Key West for the past month or so. I am tired of snow and cold. Plus life on Long Island stinks. High taxes, poorly maintained roads, over priced homes and more.
I started looking at Key West and found that there are some very affordable homes there with very low taxes. Of course when you go on the real estate sights you see places at over a million. A lot of them. Guess it is like New York, the higher the house price the larger to commission so why push the house under 300,000 in the first place?
Looking at some of the photos these affordable house look small and with no yards. Going to Google Earth and finding these places I saw that they are small and no yards at all. A lot of the houses are on top of each other. So to get a better look I used Street View and was shocked at what I saw. No yards, houses practically touching each other and in some areas the place is very run down.
Have to wonder if it is that way all over the island. I did look around the cemetery area where they are in a low flood area all the way to where the topo map has the ground elevation at 10' above sea level. Even a few small business sections looked pretty beat up. Nothing like what you see on Duval Street. Then again Duval Street is a tourist area.
Looking for work there is frustrating. No jobs except in the hospitality sector and there are not many of those. I am certain that they do not pay very well either. Probably no more that $15 per hour. Chump change considering that level of employment that I am at. It does not appear to be any jobs there for a CTO. But I am still going to try.
From what I have seen so far, Key West might not be a true paradise. But it sure looks better than here. I just have to keep looking and doing my research to see how feasible it would be to pack up and leave.
'till next time.
I started looking at Key West and found that there are some very affordable homes there with very low taxes. Of course when you go on the real estate sights you see places at over a million. A lot of them. Guess it is like New York, the higher the house price the larger to commission so why push the house under 300,000 in the first place?
Looking at some of the photos these affordable house look small and with no yards. Going to Google Earth and finding these places I saw that they are small and no yards at all. A lot of the houses are on top of each other. So to get a better look I used Street View and was shocked at what I saw. No yards, houses practically touching each other and in some areas the place is very run down.
Have to wonder if it is that way all over the island. I did look around the cemetery area where they are in a low flood area all the way to where the topo map has the ground elevation at 10' above sea level. Even a few small business sections looked pretty beat up. Nothing like what you see on Duval Street. Then again Duval Street is a tourist area.
Looking for work there is frustrating. No jobs except in the hospitality sector and there are not many of those. I am certain that they do not pay very well either. Probably no more that $15 per hour. Chump change considering that level of employment that I am at. It does not appear to be any jobs there for a CTO. But I am still going to try.
From what I have seen so far, Key West might not be a true paradise. But it sure looks better than here. I just have to keep looking and doing my research to see how feasible it would be to pack up and leave.
'till next time.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Friday, March 11th
Woke up this morning the devastating wave that hit Japan. Reminiscent of the one that hit Indonesia a few years back. Horrible. Nature at it's worst.
What ticked me off is that the U.S. Fleet was tied up in Pearl and was told not to leave port for the wave was on it's way there. Being a sailor I can tell you that the safest place to be would be out to sea where you can ride it out. Tied up at shore give you no room to escape.
We should all pray that everyone is alright and that the families are reunited.
'till next time.
What ticked me off is that the U.S. Fleet was tied up in Pearl and was told not to leave port for the wave was on it's way there. Being a sailor I can tell you that the safest place to be would be out to sea where you can ride it out. Tied up at shore give you no room to escape.
We should all pray that everyone is alright and that the families are reunited.
'till next time.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
3/10/11
Nassau County has 50 red light cameras. Recently they obtained funding for an additional 100 of these machines. The purpose is that if you run a red light the camera takes your photo and you get a summons in the mail.
Great idea except it violates your civil rights on a wholesale level. In normal circumstances if you run a red light a police car pulls you over and an officer writes you up. You can pay the fine or appear in court to fight it by facing your accuser. This is a fundamental right we as Americans have. To face your accuser in open court.
With said how can you face your accuser if it is a 50' steel pole with cameras? Do you really think that Nassau County is going to dig one up and bring it in? And how can it even face cross examination?
These machines strip away that right all together. A friend in California told me that they are getting rid of the red light cameras just for that reason.
But the county is not without a heart. Normally the fine would be stiff and you would get points on your license. But here since they cannot prove who is driving, just a fine.
What it boils down to is another way that Nassau County lines its pockets with your hard earned money. A cash cow. Not crime and punishment just profitering.
No wonder I hate living on Long Island.
'till next time.
Great idea except it violates your civil rights on a wholesale level. In normal circumstances if you run a red light a police car pulls you over and an officer writes you up. You can pay the fine or appear in court to fight it by facing your accuser. This is a fundamental right we as Americans have. To face your accuser in open court.
With said how can you face your accuser if it is a 50' steel pole with cameras? Do you really think that Nassau County is going to dig one up and bring it in? And how can it even face cross examination?
These machines strip away that right all together. A friend in California told me that they are getting rid of the red light cameras just for that reason.
But the county is not without a heart. Normally the fine would be stiff and you would get points on your license. But here since they cannot prove who is driving, just a fine.
What it boils down to is another way that Nassau County lines its pockets with your hard earned money. A cash cow. Not crime and punishment just profitering.
No wonder I hate living on Long Island.
'till next time.
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