Posts Made By: Lee Spain

I saw a headline reading that Paul Wolfowitz rejected the findings of his employers ethics panel. The World Bank should definitely get rid of him. That's ridiculous . . . :S

Cities are typically 2 to 5 degrees hotter than suburban and rural areas due to an urban heat island affect. Pavement, roof shingles, and other structures absorb heat and then radiate it back into the atmosphere at night.

Could this effect be tangibly changed if a city mandated the use of light colored or white shingles, or reflective metal on all roofs and using lighter asphalt (containing more shells, sand, etc.)?

If all cities did this, would it have an effect on global warming?

This is a rather scary good morning article. Instead of looking at the stars, maybe we need to start building lifeboats to get to them...

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/southern-ocean-loaded-with-carbon/20070518204409990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

Here are a couple of shots I took a few weeks ago while walking the dog in a small part of Atlanta's Memorial Park.

I took this picture of a butterfly in the Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

I guess this means keeping NASA in the news by sending Paris & Nicole into space with this guy is right out . . .

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/man-in-love-triangle-to-leave-nasa/20070525190909990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

Today's Alligator Safety Rule: If the general public can see an alligator, you must assume that the alligator is being fed by the public.

This weekend, we went on several outings to see some alligators in a lake. We found a nice spot where they could be viewed from the car. We wondered, why do these alligators hang out here and even cruise closer when we show up? Why are these guys so pudgy? Unfortunately, the answer was -- because redneck families show up about every half hour to feed them.

We observed people feed alligators:
- Breadsticks from Pizza Hut
- Bread
- Beef Jerky

In one instance, we saw people allow their young children to sit on a concrete retaining wall and dangle their feet towards water when two 5-foot alligator were about eight feet away. (The kids feet were about four feet from the water on a concrete embankment with a 45-degree angle to water.) While the alligators were impeded by a small (3-inch) diameter fall tree trunk, they would have had a pretty good shot at snatching a kid. In another instance, a guy was trying to feed a 10 to 12-foot alligator and coax him to climb over the log so that he would be within about five feet of him.

So, now that I realize these alligators associate people with food:
1) I have to observe them from the car or right by the car door.
2) I have to consider calling the game wardens to let them know what is going on.
3) I have to know that these alligators will eventually have to be removed from a prime location.
4) I have to give all alligators an even wider berth because people are much dumber than I thought. :S

First, the good news: Airtran is dropping Michael Vick as a spokesman. They say he's still welcome to fly . . . There next campaign will be built around running back Warrick Dunn. He's a far better choice and based on his background and charity work he is a far better character all around.

Next, the bad news: Florida coach Billy Donovan is leaving to coach the Orlando Magic in the NBA. I miss the era when coaches were synonymous with their institutions: Bear Bryant, Bobby Bowden, etc.

I watched Casino Royale last night and thought Daniel Craig was very good as the new James Bond. The movie reminded me a lot of the original series of Ian Fleming books and earliest Sean Connery movies. Bond is much more of a blunt instrument, more physically menacing, and more likely to get hurt. The plot is a tad more realistic than the overworked "diabolical villain wants to destroy the world with a laser beam from space" story. The story has a few interesting twists along the way and, while familiar elements like M and Aston Martins are still present, the Bond cliches have been toned way down.

The action sequences include some really good physical stunt work, fast and realistic fights using actual martial arts maneuvers, and exciting foot pursuits. While some stunts are a bit over the top, for the most part, they don't seem to be of the type that could only be done with a blue screen and computer graphics.

Gadgets are realistic and de-emphasized. I don't recall any scenes where a villain is killed just to set up a pun. The female characters are more than eye candy, have more complex relationships with Bond, and can actually act. So, if you've been turned off by the comic book qualities of Roger Moore or the political correctness of Timothy Dalton or the formulaic flatness of the last few movies, Casino Royale provides a good opportunity to revisit the Bond franchise.

Does anyone have some ideas for targets that would be a good test of 10x50 binoculars equipped with light pollution filters?