Author: lenbilen

Retired engineer, graduated from Chalmers Technical University a long time ago with a degree in Technical Physics. Career in Aerospace, Analytical Chemistry, computer chip manufacturing and finally adjunct faculty at Pennsylvania State University, taught just one course in Computer Engineering, the Capstone Course.

Early winter in the Arctic, NW passage blocked. Yachts caught. A Limerick.

The winter came fast to the Arctic.

Some yachters’ reaction? Lethargic.

They believed global warming

and ignored every warning.

Their faith beat their judgment – it’s tragic.

News item from Sail – world.com:

http://www.sail-world.com/USA/North-West-Passage-blocked-with-ice%E2%80%94yachts-caught/113788

The Northwest Passage after decades of so-called global warming has a dramatic 60% more Arctic ice this year than at the same time last year. The future dreams of dozens of adventurous sailors are now threatened. A scattering of yachts attempting the legendary Passage are caught by the ice, which has now become blocked at both ends and the transit season may be ending early.

Check the map:

 Alt_North%20West%20Passageshowing%20ice%20blockages1

And the chart:

 N_stddev_timeseries

In fact, the Arctic has been colder than normal every day this year since May 6:

 meanT_20132

The situation is no better in the Antarctic:

 S_stddev_timeseries

It is clear that this year is a year with increasing ice cover. This is yet another sign of the upcoming little ice age, predicted by the behavior of the Sun.

article-2093264-1180A549000005DC-715_468x290

Peregruzka? Russia triples the fee to ferry astronauts.

A trip down memory lane from Geneva March 2009.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton opened her first extended talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by giving himperegruzka a present meant to symbolize the Obama administration’s vow to “press the reset button” on U.S.-Russia relations.

She handed a palm-sized box wrapped with a bow. Lavrov opened it and pulled out the gift: a red button on a black base with a Russian word peregruzka printed on top.

“We worked hard to get the right Russian word. Do you think we got it?” Clinton asked.

“You got it wrong,” Lavrov said.

Instead of “reset,” Lavrov said the word on the box meant “overcharge.”peregruzkareset

Clinton and Lavrov laughed.

“We won’t let you do that to us,” she said.

It doesn’t say ПЕРЕГРУЗКА on the button, it says PEREGRUZKA. The mistranslation is bad enough, but using Roman letters instead of Cyrillic? What was going on? Didn’t anyone realize they use a different alphabet over there? There are two possible explanations: Ignorance, or arrogance on the part of the Hillary Clinton State Department. I know  Hillary Clinton has demonstrated plenty of both in statements such as: “What difference does it make?”

How has this reset worked out for us? Besides Iran, Syria, Turkey, Hezbollah, Libya, Pakistan, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and many other countries where U.S. and Russia have opposing interests, and Poland where we plainly sold out the missile defense, we are in a pickle on another front:

Space exploration.

Since Obama made it NASA’s highest priority to promote the contributions of Islam to science and the scrapping of the space shuttle program with no replacements in sight we are totally dependent on Russia to ferry our astronaut scientists to and from the space station.

Russia is doing the rational thing: Tripling the fees from $22 million to  $71 million to transport just one American astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard its Soyuz spacecraft in 2016. –

Maybe Hillary really meant “Overcharge” instead of reset? Obama seems to love to give money to our adversaries instead of caring about our economy at home.

Filling out the wellness profile at Penn State.

In an effort to reduce health care costs, Penn State University, being self-insured have come up with a program where faculty and staff must complete and pass a wellness profile or face a $100/month increase in the employee portion of the health care costs.

Being somewhat frugal, and very loyal to PSU, a person I hold very dear went to do her duty and complete the profile. A woman at the desk takes the necessary information and then proceeds with  her weight, height and the all-important waist measurement.

“Hmm, I see your Body mass index is 28 and with your waist you are borderline obese. I will have to enroll you in an exercise regimen.”

“I do not want to start exercising in my condition”

“Well then here is a list of dieting instructions”

“I am not going on a diet in my condition”

“well, there is no way I can qualify you for passing the wellness profile. I will have to refer you to the counselor”

Later at the counselor.

“Hmm, I see your Body mass index is 28 and with your waist you are borderline obese. I will have to enroll you in an exercise regimen.”

“I do not want to start exercising in my condition”

“Well then here is a list of diets you can choose from”

“I am not going on a diet in my condition. I am seven months pregnant!!”

“So you say, but at your age and BMI and waist measurement you are at significant higher risk for heart disease and other complications.”

“Can’t you see I am pregnant?”

“I only have my computer glasses on so I cannot verify your condition. Besides, it is not for me to determine. Come back in three months. Then we can see if the situation has changed. Have a good day!”

And this isn’t even Obamacare!

Sarah Palin on Obama’s vacation and the crisis in Egypt. A Limerick.

“It’s sad for America,” Governor Sarah Palin told Todd Starnes of Fox News, calling the president’s handling of the crisis dithering. “Literally all hell seems to be breaking loose and President Obama is in Martha’s Vineyard having a gay old time, riding his bike, partying it up.”

She also said that Egyptian Christians are being slaughtered and we need to put pressure on our government to at least speak up for the faith-filled people on that country.

The Limerick:

Obama is off to relax

His prowess is gone, he is lax.

As he shrinks from the fight

Sarah Palin sheds light

She has the cojones he lacks.

Prayer at the cross at Mt Nittany. A Limerick.

021

Some friends from of old came to pray

how this land, full of sin lost its way.

So we went to the cross

to bemoan the great loss.

GOD answered: “I’m with you alway.”

024

Sunset over Mt Nittany, State College Pa. Aug 14 2013

030

Sunset over State College.

CO2, is it “Carbon Pollution?” A Limerick.

global_warming_name_changesSo, it happened again. Global warming was the word, then it became climate change, then it was briefly global climate disruption. Since we have not had any global warming at all for the last 17 years and the latest sign is that we will enter a new little ice age, Obama and the EPA are desperately trying to change the alarmists catchphrase again. This time they came up with “carbon pollution.” It is true, chimney sweeps know all about carbon pollution. Chimneys must be swept, or else we may have a chimney fire.  Is that what they mean? It must be, for CO2 is a totally clean gas. It has an effect on humans in large concentrations. Nuclear submarines  try to keep the CO2 levels below 8000 ppm for breathing air , or about 20 times current levels. Recent research indicate levels should be kept lower, maybe being capped at around 1500 ppm (see fig)

CO2-Figure2

The results are interesting. CO2 levels seem to affect initiative and strategic decision making the most. So it is because of all the people full of hot air in congress nothing gets done! However, it is to be noted that this test was performed without allowing for the test subject to accommodate to their new environment. When you climb mountains you have to adjust for weeks before you react normally again. This test is therefore very suspect. While it is true that the people is the subs do not like the air they are forced to breathe, it is not because of CO2, but regular body odor and other pollutants. They get used to it, and their decision making process is not negatively affected except for an occasional cabin fever.

On a serious note, the 17% increase in CO2 the last 30 years has made the earth about 10 % greener, and we can support another one billion people on earth without starvation, increase wildlife and plant life by about the same amount. Why could that be called “carbon pollution?”

Obama, why carbon pollution?

Ban coal is no real solution.

CO2, it is clean,

Makes our earth much more green.

Now that is the green revolution.

Bo joins Obama in an Osprey to Martha’s Vineyard. A Limerick.

From Frontpage magazine: Obama Uses Advanced MV-22 Osprey Marine Tilt Rotor Vehicle to Ferry Dog on Vacation in Martha’s Vinetard.

Obama was sending for Bo

An Osprey was rearing to go

The sequester, who cares?

Call him out no one dares.

He squanders what’s left of our dough.

Here is Obama on vacation:

No worries about sequester, debt limit, budget, IRS, Benghazi, snooping, joblessness, the economy, international relations, only golf and leisure. Believe it or not, this is an official photo.

Obamagolfing

This is the dog Bo doing his thing on the White House lawn.

dogBo

Here is an early crash of the Osprey Tilt Rotor vehicle.

The Osprey started development in 19 with a development budget of 2.5 Billion dollars. 55 Billion dollars and 35 fatalities later, during which time it earned the nickname “The Widowmaker” it was ready for deployment. Each MV-22 Osprey costs 65 Million dollars and 11,000 dollars an hour to operate.

Osprey

It is now a safe vehicle for its intended purpose, but is far too expensive to use flying from airport to airport. It is ideal for use by special forces to defend or  evacuate people from embassies and consulates like Benghazi, so in true style Obama in 2009 cancelled an additional 11 Billion dollar order for more Ospreys, but allocated two of them for his own entourage.

As an engineer I love the Osprey challenge, having an extremely challenging flight envelope. It is now solved, and we will need a strong military. The need for Ospreys is great since now embassies by the dozen are at risk, Ospreys are needed by the special forces. Let Obama’s advance teams and Bo go by car.