"BBC News - Skydiver Felix Baumgartner Breaks Sound Barrier"

BBC News - Skydiver Felix Baumgartner breaks sound barrier

Austrian Felix Baumgartner has become the first skydiver to go faster than the speed of sound, reaching a maximum velocity of 833.9mph (1,342km/h).

In jumping out of a balloon 128,100ft (24 miles; 39km) above New Mexico, the 43-year-old also smashed the record for the highest ever free fall.
He said he almost aborted the dive because his helmet visor fogged up. It took just under 10 minutes for him to descend. Only the last few thousand feet were negotiated by parachute. There are videos on this link....


Comment.....Being an Airport runway electrician in my younger days. Hey, somebody had to install and repair the runway lights and all those little blue lights... I have met my share of, lets say risk takers. Mostly in the form of Air force Fighter pilots. Who as I used to say had a screw loose, all along secretly wishing that I could do what they did. Air Guard Col. Bonetti would taxi his F-100 fighter onto the approach of the runway then would wave at me giving me the thumbs up sign, close the canopy then line up on the center line of the two mile long runway and take off into the sky with the roaring of the afterburner at astounding speeds...I swear to you the earth shook when he went by. Sometimes alone or in twos, threes or fours. A long flame with a loud boom coming out of the tail pipe...Wow, what a sight, especially close up or at night...Sometimes only 10 or 20 feet away...Having had this wonderful experience day after day I believe I know what it feels like to do what they did. Doing my job as I did years ago lets me appreciate how far we have come in 2012. Sometimes I just don't believe it...

"Low Profile and Wisdom"

Nothing new going on with me...I like to say I'm keeping a low profile and minding my own business. Being invisible seems to working well if I do those things. Fall is well on its way and in my part of the world its getting cooler every day although I did wear shorts while walking on the beach the other day. Three years ago I made the decision to move back, I lived here in the past, its a long story, to the shoreline of Connecticut and I do not regret it.. Aside from buying my Mustang in 2005, its one of the best decisions I have made in my whole life and that is saying something. I have absolutely no regrets or buyers remorse. These days that is rare. With age comes wisdom and letting things go that in the past you tried to control. To sit back and watch without gloating,"I told you so" is quite an experience. What happens when you do this is that people, not all but some family and friends will accuse you of "Not caring". Well, that just isn't true. I have the knowledge and experience and will always warn you of the pitfalls. All you have to do now is ask and listen carefully. Learning to read between the lines also helps. Making mistakes is part of learning and growing up. For some of us these things take a little longer. In the past I have done many things, some good, some not so good. I've learned by these errors. A tribute goes to my Dad who shined the light for me to follow. I don't know what I would do if he didn't share his wisdom with me. I don't think I would be writing this today.

"Calif. Gov. Takes Action as Gas Prices Keep Rising"

Calif. gov takes action as gas prices keep rising - WFSB Channel 3
 

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Gov. Jerry Brown is taking action in an effort to drive down the cost of gasoline as California drivers cope with record-breaking prices at the pump. For the third straight day Monday, the statewide average price for a gallon of regular rose to an all-time high, hitting $4.668, according to AAA.
That topped Sunday's price of $4.655 and Saturday's price of $4.6140, which broke the previous record high of $4.6096 per gallon set on June 19, 2008.
Due to a temporary reduction in supply, California gas prices in recent days have surpassed those in Hawaii to become the highest in the nation.

Comment....Ahh...A name from the past... Jerry Brown, Linda Ronstadt's ex-boyfriend. Do you remember that and what happened? Bear in mind I don't watch the news so I'm bound to make some mistakes but so far I think he is the first Politician that is saying something about the gas price issue in this country. The others obviously don't think its an issue. I say its the number one reason that the economy and the United States is going down the drain. But that's just me. The millions of immigrants (illegals) in Jerry's State must really have him backed against the wall. Not to mention the taxpayers who have to foot the bill for all the medical care, welfare and gas for all those immigrants (illegals). There is something really wrong with what is going on with the way Washington doesn't care. Hmmm I wonder what that is??? The millionaires who are running for political office in this country obviously don't care how much it hurts to put gas in your car or truck a few times a week to be able to afford just to go to work. At home here I noticed that since all the tourists went home... I live on the shoreline of Connecticut, is that people have slowed down to 60 and 65 on route 95 and of coarse there aren't so many cars. Someone is feeling the pain. Can you imagine the credit cards that are maxed out and the bills that are not being paid just from last summer?. How about this winter and the people who heat those big beautiful homes with oil? I believe its too late now and the price of gas will never go down. What is happening in California will happen here soon in the Northeast and all around the country. I'm afraid that after the election the price of gas will go to 6 or 7 or maybe 8 dollars a gallon. I can feel it in the cold, cold wind......

"Who Me, Where?"

Did you ever wish you were invisible? I mean so no one could see you. To be able to walk down the street and not be looked at all the time. To walk into a room and not be noticed or talked to? To be able to stand anonymously by, not saying a word and being bothered by anyone or anything. Well, I have and I have been wishing this would happen to me more and more lately. As you know or don't know I'm having a problem with our constantly changing world and I want to be left alone but not all the time, just some of the time. Let the world change at lightning speed while I stay where I am mentally and without the problems that go along with all the confusion and instability. The way things are going these days, its just moving too fast for me to understand so I am practicing being invisible because being the center of attention or visible also comes with the responsibly of setting a good example and as we all know these days that is impossible and almost non-existent. I mean who sets a good example these days? I don't want to be part of all that stuff. So being here and there or somewhere and being invisible works for me...Does it work and can you really do this, you may ask? I say, it works it really does but only if you practice. I mean I'm still here and there but barely noticeable. I have gotten so transparent lately that people don't say hello anymore and that's a good thing. Oh, some do but only if I want them too. You may not believe this but later on in the future you or I won't be here and no one will really care anyway. So from now on I'm going to practice not being here or in other words, being invisible. I will only become visible when I drive my car because it wouldn't look so good for a car to be going down the road without a driver.

"Windsor Locks Connecticut Officials Hoping Foreclosure Auction Happens"

Windsor Locks Officials Hoping Foreclosure Auction Happens This Time On Saturday - Windsor Locks-East Windsor, CT Patch

   

The complex has been neglected for years and its owners owe the Town of Windsor Locks more than $400,000 in back taxes and liens.

A tax foreclosure auction on the Montgomery Complex, 25 Canal Bank Road, is scheduled for noon Saturday, in order to secure the back taxes on the property by the Connecticut River and Windsor Locks Canal.

The current tax liability owed by Canal Bank Realty is $403,342.20, with interest accruing monthly, officials said. The town also has liens against the property for the expenses related to a fire that destroyed a part of the mill complex on July 16, 2006.

 Comment.....Why has it taken so long to go no where? Suffield and Enfield Connecticut have resolved the old factory issues years ago. At this point its too late to build condos, the building has deteriorated too much and who would actually buy a condo where the blaring horns of the Train Diesel engines echo between the walls of Senior housing, CVS and that place. Now they have another extension to pay Taxes? Not only does that old factory smell, this does too. So the old flood prone, fire trap factory and railroad station still sit there rotting as I write this. No progress just extensions and excuses. Its classic lets bleed the taxpayers by not making any decisions. I mean how long is it going to take to find someone to say tear them down and plant grass. What is going on here is absolutely ridiculous....Can you imagine if you or I owed $400,000 dollars. Say $400,000 out loud....Four Hundred Thousand Dollars....

Note......Windsor Locks is my old home town. My Mom worked in that factory and years ago I did electrical work in the building.. 

"Neeson Surprised He Is Seen as a 'Badass"

Neeson surprised he's seen as a 'badass' - UPI.com

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Liam Neeson says he is flattered to be offered a flurry of action-hero roles at this stage of his career.

"Hollywood likes to pigeon-hole you," the 60-year-old actor told reporters at a recent roundtable interview in New York to promote his new thriller, "Taken 2."
"After 'Schindler's List,' I was pigeon-holed in a certain way and then with the success of 'Taken,' I was re-pigeon-holed again," he said. "I started receiving quite a number of action scripts where the hero is obviously 30 years of age, but they changed it to late 40s, early 50s. It's quite flattering."

Comment...  I know that this is the last guy I would want after me so I would avoid him like the plague. You would think that the bad guys would do the same thing but we all know they weren't in the right line when they handed out the brains.... Mr. Neeson plays such a convincing protector of his family that you believe him when says, " I'll do what I do best"..  There is a clip on the link... In the movie "Rob Roy", Neeson has a sword fight with a very young actor named Tim Roth. I have seen all of Mr. Neeson's movies since then and I won't miss this one.....

"Issues and Google Plus"

When I post my Blog on Google Plus I send it to other members that are in my circles. I also Tweet it and Facebook it... I really do not understanding exactly how all this works. The question here is...If you don't want me to do this, please tell me and I will try to stop the EMs sent to your mail...In the almost 30 thousand page views I've had three people ask me to stop...There was that one Troll who I deleted and banned and 2 regular people who asked me to stop. If you want me to stop and don't want to tell me just dump the post in your spam box and the problem will be solved although I can't imagine why you'd want to do that. Thank you...