wanderings of a curious mind

Save the Oysters

Michael Heukels — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:45:16 +0000

I saw a statistic that MD spends $100 per bushel of oysters harvested in conservation funds. Each bushel harvested brings $30 dockside. Meanwhile, the oyster population remains stuck at 1% of the historic levels. 72,218 bushels of oysters were harvested in 2005. The average was 2.5M bushels per year between 1920 and 1969.

The Maryland House is considering a new bill to change oyster preservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay. The proposal is to create new oyster sanctuaries and to encourage the creation of oyster aquaculture in the Bay. I think the bill is worth support. HB1525 for those of you interested. Send a note in support.

Spacey Monday

Michael Heukels — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:39:39 +0000

Happy spacey Monday. Didn't sleep well last night and have been suffering from zombie syndrome today.

----

I read an article the other day talking about falling crop yields in India and how that country is having to import grain again after being self-sufficient for a long time. With the exploding world population I am wondering about the long term food needs of the world. There should be an economic opportunity in that topic. There also is likely a series of economic and political crises in that topic.

----

2004 Women of the Vines Tempranillo - Excellent wine. Looking for more now for the cellar.

Yet another travel story

Michael Heukels — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:39:31 +0000

Well, that's a first. I was selected for a secondary screening by TSA early this morning. I accepted the complimentary dignity destruction while my laptop bag was riffled through. I then proceeded to march down the concourse and straight onto my plane; only to discover upon landing that I'd left my laptop happily ensconed in a Rubbermaid bin sitting back at the checkpoint in my originating location.

Airport lost & found reported a successful retrieval and FedEx is working to reunite me with my little companion.

Terrorist Alert Levels, British Edition

Michael Heukels — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:40:21 +0000

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross."

The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

The Scots raised their threat level from “Pissed Off” to “Let’s get the Bastards”. They don’t have any other levels and this is the reason they have been used on the front line in the British Army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from “Disdainful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Stiff Leg Marching Songs.” They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbor” and “Lose”.

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish Navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish Navy.

Americans meanwhile are carrying out pre-emptive strikes, on all of their allies, just in case.

New Zealand has also raised its security levels – from “baaa” to “BAAAA!” Due to continuing defense cutbacks (the Air Force being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper planes and the Navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister’s bath). New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is “fuck”, I hope Australia will come and rescue us”.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from “No worries” to “She’ll be right, mate”. Two more escalation levels remain, “Crikey!’, “I think we’ll need to cancel the barbie this weekend” and “The barbie is cancelled”. So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

No such luck

Michael Heukels — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:03:59 +0000

Never made it to Buffalo. Hopefully going home in a few hours.

Snowy Tuesday

Michael Heukels — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:55:47 +0000

More snow. Have to try to fly from CT to Buffalo today. This ought to be fun.

I hope this comes to be

Michael Heukels — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:11:49 +0000

I would like this product and I signed up for two. Hopefully this monitor stand will come to be. This site seems pretty interesting as well. They ask people to vote for and commit to buy various product ideas and only after people sign up for enough to make a production run do they execute. Quirky

Let us hope

Michael Heukels — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:24:30 +0000

More snow in the Northeast. I'm in CT. Hopefully I can get home tomorrow. DCA is currently closed but all signs point towards being open tomorrow evening.

----

Security theatre gets uglier soon as thos accursed full-body scanners are going to be installed all over the place. Read a bit more here.

Trapped

Michael Heukels — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:53:18 +0000

Spent the weekend in MI. Could not get home due to the storm in DC. Got to spend time with my Grandmother and Aunt and Uncle. Could have been a lot worse. At least I did not have to sleep on the floor in the Chicago airport.

I do want to go home though.

Versus what?

Michael Heukels — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:47:43 +0000

What would I charge that isn't an 'electronics device'?

Electronics, devices that work by controlling the flow of electrons