The Muppets – Bohemian Rhapsody
There are some youtube videos that just need to be shared. I love The Muppets! They are still one of the best creations I have ever seen for entertaining kids. Even as Nintendo and Atari were taking over the way kids played, The Muppets were still cool. In the digital age, they remained awesome in analog.
Drilling the Marcellus Shale – How to do it Right?
Lately there has been a lot of talk in the Southern Tier about drilling the Marcellus Shale and the economic and environmental impacts on the region. Those with land on the Shale have been quick to cash in and sell their mineral rights but that becomes particularly problematic for folks that still have to live on their property next to what has become a natural gas field. How can the area sustain the economic growth that the Shale promises while maintaining way of life that many have come to expect living in the area.
There is no doubt that the drilling of the shale is needed in the region to stabilize the economic downturn that has been happening in the Southern Tier ever since IBM decided to pull out the majority of their operations in the early 1990's. This find could inject millions or even billions into an area that had not seen this kind of investment in decades for any reason. But what is the cost of the drilling? Neighbors will be fighting over whether or not to allow drilling on their property, the environmental impact could be enormous and the workers the drilling brings in are going to be a different type of people than the community has seen before. All of these things have the potential to aggravate an already volatile situation that is forming since the discovery of this extremely large natural gas pocket.
Land owners now also must carefully consider their mineral rights when purchasing land too. The last thing a new home owner wants to find out is that they were not sold the mineral rights to the land their house now sits on. This is an unfortuante new reality that all new potential homeowners must consider when commercial entities have a vested interest in the mineral rights to much of the land in the area.
I don't have the answers to these questions, but I think it merits further discussion within the community and I hope these new realities are fully explored less we head down a path that is bad for the community as a whole.
Links about the Shale:
New York State Departmental of Environmental Conservation
Sesame Street Turns 40!
Ok, everyone from Gen X and Gen Y knows that Sesame generally had a huge impact on our lives and now our favorite muppets are turning 40! I don't know about you all but it makes me pretty proud that this program is still on the air since it is a piece of truly positive programming for kids everywhere. The message is good, there is not any violence or crude humor and yet kids still flock to Elmo, Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, Oscar, Cookie Monster, Grover and others for entertainment and learning.
If you haven't yet, jump over to Sesame Street and remember why you loved this show all over again.
What Computer People Do To Figure Things Out
There is nothing magic about what "computer people" do to figure out how to do something on a PC. I'll let you in on out secret, the process is:
How computer people figure things out
Used Nissan Frontier 2005 Model Year Review
As I sit and write this, I am actually at the dealer getting the new tires they owe me on the used 2005 Nissan Frontier SE I just recently purchased from Fitzgerald Auto Mall in Frederick, Maryland. So far it has turned out to be one nice little truck with only a few minor annoyances. Let's start with the good stuff first.
The Good
The Engine
The SE has the 4.0L V6 which for the model I have with an automatic transmission and four-wheel drive is important. What that translates into is 265 horses under the hood and a great response time off the line. Whether on a city street or off-road, you can count on this engine to get you through whatever you are in.
The SE Crew Cab
With the crew cab there is plenty of room for internal carrying capacity whether that is tn the form of human or material cargo. Four people can sit comfortably in the cab which is great if you have a family or coworkers that will be riding in the truck regularly. The ride is a little more bumpy than some are used to but then again many people aren't used to riding in a truck which means they haven't felt that stiff of suspension before.
The Bed Liner
With the SE's integrated bed liner, your truck bed actually has a chance to survive if you are using the truck for any light work duties. I just got done hauling bark mulch in mine and when shoveling out the back, the bed liner means no damage to the paint job. In many full size trucks you would pay a few hundred dollars for this accessory so this is a definite plus to buying a truck with it standard.
The Not as Good
Squeaky Hood
The Nissan branding on the front of the truck and the hood seem to squeak bit when on uneven terrain. This could be anything from uneven pavement to off-road riding. On a standard well paved road, there is no noticeable noise but it is audible when on anything rougher. This is not a deal breaker and some well placed padding can solve the issue. Nissan seems to have attempted to do this in the factory but over time the padding becomes damaged and needs to be fixed.
Rail Tie-Down System
Nissan has incorporated a nifty (in concept anyway) adjustable tie-down system in the bed of the truck which allows the owner to slide four cable stays to any position they would like in the truck. While this is great in theory, the cable stays are not equipped with eye hooks so traditional bungee cords and ratchet straps don't work with them very well at all. A person with some time could probably modify the cable stays so that they use eye bolts rather than just the clamps that come standard. This is my next project.
Overall Impression
At the end of the day, the Nissan frontier is a great mid-sized truck and very usable for all of the things I need it for. One thing it is not is a replacement for a full sized truck. If you are looking for the full 6 or 8 foot bed then this truck is probably not for you. You also not get a massive towing capability with the truck that you might with a full-size truck at the 1/2 ton and above level. If you are looking for a great four-wheel drive vehicle that can do some light duty work though, then this is really for you. It is on par with the Tacoma for reliability as well which means it can function as a primary vehicle for you like it does for me. If you have a chance, go out and test drive a 2005 Nissan Frontier or newer and see how it checks out, I bet you will like it.
Allegheny Included In Loren Pope’s new Colleges That Change Lives
My alma mater has done it once again and received the distinction of being included in Loren Pope's book "Colleges That Change Lives." Allegheny certainly changed my life and it proved to me that I could study what I wanted and still achieve what I wanted to professionally. Even though it is hidden in Meadville, the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania many new students take the plunge each year to make their mark on the school's historic legacy. From president Wilson to Trent Reznor, Allegheny has proven time and time again that it is no ordinary school but one where hard working students come to discover skills and abilities that they never knew they had.
I'm sure that I will never stop stating the one fact that I do know: Allegheny College is the reason why I am successful today.
Redsox get swept and I’m moving to Yankee Territory!
So the Redsox got swept in their series and the Yankees swept the Twins in their series, this is not a good sign for a Redsox fan that is moving into what is most definitely Yankee country. While it is not the city, Binghamton is still New York and that means I won't have too many friends up there when it comes to sports teams. The good news is that it seems like people there like the Mets more than the Yankees and I at least respect the Mets as a hard working team.
But the question is now what should I do for the rest of the season. i think I will root for the Dodgers and the Angels for the rest of the playoffs. As much as I am not a fan of Manny Ramirez right now, I do like Joe Torre and I can now actually respect the man because George S. of the Yankees was dumb enough to let him go as a manager. As for the Angels, I obviously can't root for the Yankees in the ALCS so they are my choice by default. Overall though, I think I would like to see the Dodgers win it all, just so Joe Torre can rub it in the Yankees' faces when he does it. It would only be fitting that the manager they let go comes back and beats them to win it all in the World Series.
Leaving Hagertucky
I didn't really think I would be saying this, not for a long time anyways, but I will be leaving Hagertucky for New York at the end of this month. I never really planned on leaving to tell you the truth, I love it here and I like having farms all around me but in the industry I work in you have to follow the jobs to some extent. Someday I hope to return but for now I need to move on and continue to develop my career. I guess that means I will be changing my blog as well, not that I will ever give up Hagertucky since I do think I will come back some day.
Oh yeah, and if you are in the market for a house, let me know. I need to sell mine...
From the Herald Mail Letters – Don’t Brainwash Our Kids! Signed the TEA Party
Thanks to school system for not showing speech
To the editor:
The Hagerstown TEA Party thanks Washington County Public Schools Superintendent Elizabeth Morgan and the school system for listening to parents and for providing a common-sense solution regarding Tuesday's speech to students by President Obama.
With this decision, the school system empowered parents to make decisions regarding whether or not their children would view the president's speech. This decision allowed parents to watch the program with their children and have a healthy discussion afterward.
Red flags regarding the speech appeared when the press found out the U.S. Board of Education was asking students to "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the President." Workbooks and activities have since been modified to remove objectionable content. We are thankful this partisan politicization has been exposed and removed from the U.S. Board of Education's curriculum guidelines.
Locally, the superintendent of schools has made the right decision to not politicize the school system by airing President Obama's speech live. It appears the school system just learned about the speech on Thursday. Morgan has used caution and wisdom rather than bowing to political pressure to air the broadcast.
The school system has appropriately listened to the parents that they serve and said "no" to unfettered access to Washington County's most precious resource, our students. This type of unfettered access to school students would set the nation's school system on a very slippery slope. The temptation for a president to politicize the school system to achieve political goals may prove too great to overcome. We are thankful and proud to know that our school system will not be participating in this activity.
Neil Parrott
Hagerstown TEA Party
Are you kidding me? How can I respect someones opinion on a matter that clearly is already so biased towards one side of the political spectrum that there is no point in even trying to reason with them? Do I need to remind them that George H. W. Bush did exactly the same thing and no one was running around claiming that it was going to corrupt our children. Nope, when the true red Republicans do this stuff they can do no wrong...
Clearly this opinion is not based on the content of the address, but on the politics of the writer. Our children deserve to hear from our national leaders, the deserve to know that the entire country is working for their future and that it is important for them to work hard. The only reason the school board didn't air the speech is because they have a weak stomach for people like Neil who writes into the Herald-Mail to rail against something that he really doesn't have much interest in other than that he is a Republican and the President is a Democrat.
If this country is to the point where people censor the president's speeches at the local level then we truly have entered a era of political upheaval. Personally, you respect the office that the President holds, I trust him to not do something stupid when talking to my kids and I think it is important that they understand he wants them to do well. I am ashamed of the weak willed folks at the school board that shut the access to a speech by our president, the leader of our country, the man or woman who we are all supposed to look up to and respect for who they are and what they represent.
Our Military at Sea and Abroad (Having Some Much Deserved Fun)
When I see videos like the following of our service men and women, it makes me remember that many of them are no younger than me, and like me at that age, I wanted to have fun too. But unfortunately, they are much less able to do so because they rose to the call of their nation to serve in a time of our need. So here are some of them having fun, being the 20 somethings that they are. Don't get mad because "those are your tax dollars" or because "they are supposed to be protecting us" since you are sitting on your butt watching this from home. They deserve all the downtime they can get and if they choose to entertain the rest of us with it and make us proud, why not?
Video to the song "Pump It" by the Black Eyed Peas:
Video to the song "Move Along" by the All American Rejects:
Video to the song of "Hey Ya" by Outkast:
Now for the grunts to get in on the action, the backbone of the ground forces, dancing to "What is Love":
And my personal favorite, a remake of the viral video "I'm On a Boat", the Navy doing their best impression. This video contains crude language and adult themes and is extremely NSFW, but if your OK with that and want to laugh then go ahead and watch it:
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