Online Garage Sale

I got in my car the other day and realized that I have a LOT of stuff lying around that I no longer need. For instance, there were 3 books on CD that I listened to during our move from Albuquerque to Fayetteville over 2 years ago. I don't really want to have an actual garage sale or learn the internals of selling on eBay or Craig's list, so I thought that I would have a small (3 items) sale to see if I can start downsizing the amount of stuff in my life. Basically, if you want one of these books on CD send me $6.00 (cash) or $7.00 (check). If you want all 3, I will take $15.00 (cash) or $18.00 (check).

• "The Copper Scroll" by Joel C. Rosenberg. Currently listed as $9.50 + $3.99 shipping (NEW) and $5.00 + $3.99 (USED) on Amazon. The 4 CDs have each had 1 use and the packaging is in excellent condition.
• "The Prometheus Deception" by Robert Ludlum. Currently listed as $7.66 + $3.99 shipping (NEW) and $4.98 + $3.99 (USED) on Amazon. The 6 CDs have each had 1 use and the packaging is in excellent condition.
• "The Templar Legacy" by Steve Berry. Currently listed as $9.00 + $3.99 shipping (NEW) and $3.98 + $3.99 (USED) on Amazon. The 6 CDs have each had 1 use and the packaging is in excellent condition.

Leave a comment that let's me know how to contact you if you are interested in helping me reduce the amount of stuff in my life. BTW, if you want to pick up the items, I will discount the price because I don't have to ship them.

Distracted Driving? You Make the Call!

Here is a random episode from today. Kristy is driving back from lunch on I-540 while I sit almost asleep in the passenger seat. Sophie had just asked for "Calle Ocho (???)" on the radio as Kristy blurted out, "I don't know what this idiot thinks he is doing!" Naturally, I looked up.

We had slowed down to ~60 MPH because 2 semi-trucks had decided to block the interstate by going about the same speed in both lanes. There was a guy zooming by us to get right behind these 18-wheelers. It's bad enough because he had to slam on his brakes to keep from hitting them. That's when I realized that this dude was reading his mail. No, I am not talking about his email. He was actually taking papers out of envelopes and holding the papers in front of his face to read.

So, I thought, "That's a pretty bad idea to be reading while driving" when he switched the cell phone from the left shoulder slump hold to the right hand/left ear across the face talking formation. Of course, he had to do that in order to reach across the steering wheel (after letting go of it) with his left hand and take a drink of what I HOPE was a soda. This was one big accident waiting to happen cruising along at ~75 MPH.

The real question for me is now "where did he cross the line?" Was it the reading or the reading plus phone? Just the phone? I am pretty positive that this is a distracted driving case. Actually, the most blatant that I have seen after 50 miles/day on the interstate for 6 years. SOOOO, anyone that has a story like this please share.

Reversals

Guys, I don't feel like I am all alone out there any more. Several groups are either backing down from previous greenhouse gas positions (National Wheat Growers Association) or rethinking their position on anthropogenic global warming (American Physical Society). Another group is trying to have the editor of their society journal removed because of his views on AGW and climate change (American Chemical Society). The response of some ACS members really warms my heart (FYI, in the quotes below, Baum is the editor under fire) :

• “I think it’s time to find a new editor.” -- ACS member Thomas E. D’Ambra
• “Your editorial was a disgrace. It was filled with misinformation, half-truths, and ad hominem attacks on those who dare disagree with you. Shameful!” -- ACS member Dennis Malpass
• “Baum’s remarks are particularly disquieting because of his hostility toward skepticism, which is part of every scientist’s soul. Let’s cut to the chase with some questions for Baum: Which of the 20-odd major climate models has settled the science, such that all of the rest are now discarded? [...] Do you refer to ‘climate change’ instead of ‘global warming’ because the claim of anthropogenic global warming has become increasingly contrary to fact?” -- ACS member Dr. Howard Hayden

There were other comments just as scathing. It is great to see that scientists (most of whom have had doubts all along) are speaking out when the issue comes home to their particular professional society. It seems that they might be worried that their credibility will be sullied by association with the claims of the AGW believers.

BTW, Greenpeace is now admitting that the Arctic will NOT be ice-free by 2030. However, they justify the LIE by saying that they were "emotionalizing" the issue.