The standard caveat these days is, "don't believe any image you see on the internet." But this mountain goat pic is for real. It's available as a poster from Fine Art Prints and I read a description of the camera and lens the professional photographer used to get this photo, which he took from the other side of the gorge. He writes that he waited over 30 minutes to see how this goat would leave, since it's a straight drop below him. But the goat just continued to lick at the minerals in the rock. Awesome.
I'm sorry if I seem cynical, but I cannot believe that a man could have an aunt, someone he wrote about at some length in his memoirs, the only sister of his father living in this country, and not know her immigration status. Simply not credible.
If I started a car company and named it, say, "Omega," I would choose the rather obvious graphic for my logo. So why didn't Infinity do that? Granted, a sideways 8 isn't sexy, but then choose a different name.
Just me.
I read an article the other day that said the high gas prices of the last few months were not caused by a huge imbalance in the supply/demand ratio, but rather by speculators - the same thing that drove real estate prices to artificial highs. And just like the housing bubble, the gas bubble burst. So the current price drop is the natural correction that always happens after speculators have driven prices up beyond a sustainable level. The article went on to say that we are now at or near a more realistic price for gas, one more in line with current economic realities.
That suggests significant things for car buying trends in the U.S.
We were talking at lunch today about the ridiculous discounts you can get on new SUV's and trucks, and that used low-mpg vehicles are a steal. That's because we just came out of $4 a gallon gas. But if we're now at more realistic gas prices those big vehicles aren't the budget busters we thought they were. So is the trick to go buy one - new or used - before the car market figures that out and returns those vehicles to more realistic pricing? Because right now you can get a truck or an SUV for less money than a little Toyota, but only because the $4 per gallon perception still plays.
I got gas for Stealth Reliabity on the way home from town this afternoon. Paid $2.57 a gallon. Which means I got about the same amount of gas for $40 that I used to get for $50 - a half tank. Still depressing.
Before lunch at Chick-Fil-A I went with Steve & Michelle to the Y to swim. They have a membership there so I got in as their guest. And this is where the triathlon will be held; the Y is hosting it.
Our pool here is 25m, but the pool at the Y is Olympic size, 50m. We thought it might be a good idea for me to experience that pool in advance of the race so I could be prepared for the differences.
I am NOT prepared for the differences! I now know what they are, but I'm not prepared! I am in big trouble.
Swimming 50m is nothing like swimming 25 meters twice. First of all, without my glasses I can't see 50m, which is more than a little disconcerting. All I see is this expanse of blue that fades into the distance. And even though when I swim here I only stop long enough to turn around and push off, that's apparently enough of a break to keep me from exhaustion. By the time I get to the end of 50m I'm totally winded. Also, I get only half as many push-off-the-wall advantages, and that advantage is especially important because I'm doing a very inefficient wuss stroke instead of the freestyle stroke.
I had timed my 400m time here in our pool and while it was slow it was a time I could live with. After this morning's experience I've completely revised my plans. The goal for the pool has changed from an acceptable time to survival. Don't drown!
And in the three weeks we have left I'm going to PUSH my training in our pool! No pushing off the wall with my feet, no pauses at either end for any reason, and no less than 500m in a session. Hey, my life may be at stake here.
Tomorrow is, Deo Volente, the last Sunday for our stable group of families at Pathway. A week from tomorrow we'll welcome as many of the 10,700 households who will have received our mailing as God in his sovereignty sees fit to send us. We'll be going over some things tomorrow morning that will help us deal with the response we're praying he'll send. But because we've never done anything like this it's impossible to know what to expect. Could be one lone person will walk through the door. But a response of one half of 1% would bring 50 families, which would completely overwhelm us.
This is going to be FUN!!!
2 comments:
Please link to that article on gas prices. It seems like whoever wrote it does not understand the real meaning of price, or have a clue as to how the commodity futures market actually works.
The futures market works based on the fact that someone is willing to commit to purchase the product for the contracted price on a specific date. On the other side of the contract someone has to commit to selling the product at the specified price on the same date. This market pairs sellers with buyers at a future date and allows market participants to make decisions today regarding their operations based on a future material they need to sell or buy. How is that artificial?
The commodities market is the purest market economy there is. Therefore, it is extremely sensitive to the underlying facts that affect whatever product is being considered. This must be true because someone has to actually purchase the product at the end of the contract regardless of what a consumer will pay for the end product.
I was a pretty good swimmerin high school and even i noticed the difference between a 25m and 50m pool when I swam in a meet in Midland. My body knew where that break should have been and was anticipating it!! Imagine swimming the 500m for the first time in that pool!! love ya-Shellie
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