Another midwest tradition, cropdusting planes are busy lately. These images are on the way to Mendota.

When I’m not playing Wall to Wall Country middays, I’m usually at one of the many Radio Group transmitter sites or facilities. As Engineer, I see alot of the great outdoors we call “The Country”.  <<<<<markbaker

Heres some of what I’ve seen recently…

One of our shelter cats at Bakersacres, Midnight, adheres to a Tuxedo cat trait. That is, find a spotlight,  pose and show off. The most recent example is above, on the plate waiting for bacon last weekend.

Are you enjoying the great spring weather too? Thanks Mother Nature!                     Hey, do they still make Chiffon margarine?

Spring forward…fall back…

Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins this weekend, Sunday, March 14, at 2 a.m. meaning we ‘lose’ an hour during the night. Remember to set your clocks ahead.

For eight months it will be lighter later in the evenings, until 2 a.m. November 7, 2010 when we will return to Standard Time.

Daylight saving was first implemented during World War I in order to take advantage of more daylight hours while saving energy. For years, states assumed the practice saved energy, but recently this has come into question.

Does it really save energy? This idea is surrounded by controversy.

Recent state and national studies seem to contradict each other. In 2006, when Indiana first instituted DST statewide, studies showed a rise in residential energy use costing the state an extra $9 million. In 2008, the US Department of Energy found a savings of 1.3 billion total kilowatt-hours nationwide reflecting both residential and commercial energy usage.

In 2007, the time change was extended another month — three weeks earlier in the spring and a week later in the fall. The California Energy Commission found no significant change in the amount of energy use because of the additional time.

Hawaii, most of Arizona, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and The U.S. Virgin Islands opt out of participating in the traditional “changing of the clocks.”

About 70 other countries observe DST, including Russia, New Zealand and Antarctica, though not all at the same time.
Countries closer to the equator don’t implement DST because their hours of daylight throughout the year tend to be more consistent.

I love these cute little “math days” that we get once in a while.  For instance, last year we had a Square Root Day on 3/3/09 (get it?)  Well it turns out that Monday the 11th was the first Binary Day and the last one until October 1st of this year.

It’s Binary Day because the the date (in mm/dd/yy format) consists of only 0’s and 1’s, the only two digits available in binary code.  January 11, 2010 = 011110.

I’ve been thinking about this for a few years now. Parking Lot Ushers. Especially at Christmas time, how often have you driven round and round a parking lot waiting for a space to open? Stalking slowly behind customers coming out of the store and waiting for the tell tale backup lights indicating their car is in reverse? I propose Parking Lot Ushers, on horseback, at the entrances to the lot to find a spot for you. It works for Theatre and Weddings. Heck, I’d even “tip” them after finding me a good location.  They could even dress as elves to brighten the theme.

I challenge a forward-thinking shopping center or mall to try it!

I lost my Mother recently. Here’s a quote a friend sent me;

“The death of a mother is the first sorrow wept without her”

-very good, huh?

One of the very first TV transmissions in 1928 featureed Felix the cat on a slowly rotation platform.Ladd Webcam; CLICK for a live shot out the back door and maybe a cat or too.

Have you seen these new really-really small cars? I saw one the other day;

 

but the driver sneezed, and this is what happened