tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80962946225300294662011-12-24T05:18:12.003-05:00Things we at Woodhugger Engineering do in our spare time, including star gazing.WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.comBlogger241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-56072562398740918082011-12-24T04:42:00.006-05:002011-12-24T05:18:12.017-05:00

I heard recently that Green Bay has the most loyal football fans, since it's the smallest city with an NFL team, yet manages to have great turnout all year, every year. Let's not take someone else's word for it. Today, You Do The Math.Let's see how the biggest NFL city compares to the smallest. Using statistics from the Census Bureau for 2007, the greater NY City area, known as a Metropolitan

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-16209803277151269592011-11-10T02:36:00.047-05:002011-12-11T05:11:18.832-05:00

Bombarded with TV ads hyping Kashi brands cereal as high protein, and as an intrepid seeker of affordable protein for my adult life, I decided to formally look into this. As far as I can remember, insects are the highest in protein, followed by fish, dairy, eggs, fowl, pork, beef, vegetables, grains and fruit, in that order (give or take a few here and there). But since we don't need to grow

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-21055386840372885672011-11-03T01:29:00.003-04:002011-11-03T01:42:57.889-04:00

2011 minus 1994 equals 17. So there have been 17 years since Denso Wave created their Quick Response codes for Toyota. Now there are hundreds of apps for the iPhone that read or create them. And there are almost a dozen formats, such as your location on a Google map, your contact information, or just plain text. Here's the URL for this blog:My prediction is that in another 17 years smart

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-71556302416915612492011-10-23T18:15:00.005-04:002011-10-23T18:59:58.768-04:00

When a high school football player is paralyzed for life during the game, and he'll be in a wheelchair, be in pain, have dozens of bad side effects, possibly never have children or a wife, none of the masochistic, psychopathic defensive football players (or their coaches) are sent to prison. In fact, local players, students, and citizens raise thousands of dollars for the victim and his current

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-92128888088983634432011-10-13T14:21:00.006-04:002011-10-13T17:47:57.889-04:00

Did you know that almost every dollar you spend in the US ends up paying for fossil fuels? How can this be? Firstly, imagine the retail outlet where you buy your products. Their costs are labor, energy, rent, supplies and finally the products they buy at wholesale prices to put on their shelves. Obviously their utility bill goes to energy, even the water bill, because we use energy to move

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-34331766905923003922011-10-05T02:50:00.008-04:002011-10-13T14:09:43.101-04:00

(originally posted Oct 5th, was edited Oct. 13th to remove some ignorance)So I'm reading an article on LiveScience.com, where it tells how the Nobel prize winning scientists determined that the Universe is expanding at an accelerated rate. They used Type 1a supernova, which all have the same light signiature, a rising and falling set of frequencies, or colors. Similar to identifying a short

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-40997415744302458302011-07-07T14:55:00.011-04:002011-07-07T17:30:43.292-04:00

Recently someone from Mississippi had an item for sale on the internet. He said he was from northern ms, and could deliver in the area (to eliminate shipping costs). Everyone replied, "Where are you located?"Of course they did!! What the heck does ms mean? Is that Missouri? It has two S's. Is that Massachusetts? It has four S's. The think tank at the Post Office sat down in the 1980

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-2269176655304106112011-05-16T01:28:00.002-04:002011-05-16T01:42:18.853-04:00

What time is it? Here's a NIST widget:

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-37546041075360064232010-09-27T12:04:00.017-04:002010-09-27T16:39:43.935-04:00

In our not-so-distant past, grocery shoppers used whatever they could, from wooden boxes to canvas bags to cotton sacks. All of these were:1) bio-degradable2) non-toxic3) compost friendly4) made from renewable resources5) carbon neutral (in the long run)6) made locally or regionallyFor some reason, that wasn't good enough. Who the heck wants to carry empty bags to the store?We switched to

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-88511781024932284142010-05-09T15:48:00.019-04:002010-05-09T16:23:39.005-04:00

Ever want to be able to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit quickly and easily? There are two easy methods, one made by my late Uncle Gene, which results in a close approximation of the Fahrenheit. In his honor I call this unit of measure a Geno, his nickname.It's really easy! Multiply the Celsius by 2 then add 30. So simple! This is accurate enough to easily answer the question, "Should I

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-78201064154247407992010-04-16T17:19:00.008-04:002010-06-18T23:31:20.132-04:00

Some say it costs too much to colonize the Moon. Let's see...Iraq and Afghanistan cost 1 trillion dollars combined over 8 years, about $125 billion / yr:http://spectator.org/blog/2010/03/02/did-mitch-daniels-fudge-the-irNASA's annual budget has increased twice under Obama, and is proposed to be $19 billion in 2011.http://www.space.com/news/obama-space-plan-speech-100415.htmlAnyone with a kid in

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-83719090735724027242010-02-13T05:19:00.004-05:002010-02-13T05:36:34.783-05:00

Supposedly Gabriel's Horn is a paradox, where it's surface area is infinite, but it's interior volume is finite, specifically, Pi.The horn is created when we take the graph of the equation Y=1/X, where X >= 1, and spin it about the X axis. This horn is infinitely long and skinny, and has a circular open end that is 2 units in diameter.The paradox states that it takes Pi units of paint to fill

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-39002045759460078462009-10-12T16:09:00.004-04:002009-10-13T04:36:32.781-04:00

Water Ice by Curt TricaricoFinally! Water ice has been discovered on Mars. And last week NASA just bombed the Moon looking for water ice. But…. what the ?!?!?! is "water ice"? Is there such a thing? Years ago astronomical literature began referring to this new substance I never heard of before. They talked about the race to discover it on other worlds so

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-32603849720757259532009-08-03T00:54:00.023-04:002009-10-12T18:08:51.393-04:00

Finally! LED lamps made it to the Midwest after a year or more on the left and right coast. And what a low price! Not only do they put out as much light as those high powered LED flashlights that have been on the market recently, but they cost half as much.A pair of LED light "bulbs" sell for under $15 at Sam's Club, use only 3.5 watts of electricity, yet put out as much light as a 45 watt

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-10153786534245090942009-07-30T22:03:00.011-04:002009-08-22T13:07:59.316-04:00

So I heard recently that kids' cell phone chargers are using up the world's energy supplies, and creating a big carbon footprint that will cause global warming. The helpful hints are for you to "stomp out" those carbon footprints, and tell your kids to unplug the chargers when not in use. Or ground your kid for a week.Tell your kids not to worry, we'll put their fears to rest. And you can

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-57738077965124354922009-07-05T13:15:00.019-04:002009-12-24T04:44:21.270-05:00

So I'm watching a fully awesome TV show about Hawaii's big volcano, Kilauea, on the big island. Jeff Sutton at the U.S. Geological Survey has been studying it for years, if not decades, because Kilauea has been erupting constantly since January 3rd 1983.One of many lava deltas from Kilauea:Taking gas readings as a full time job shows that Kilauea spews between 3000 and 8000 metric tons of CO2

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-11836820093750250572009-04-30T04:14:00.022-04:002009-05-26T13:20:36.021-04:00

Some people warn you not to fly because of all the carbon dioxide planes emit and the global warming it causes. But, what they don't know is how fuel efficient airliners really are. Let's pretend for a minute that releasing all that CO2 into the stratosphere is not a bad thing, and simply go with your best way to travel while using the least fuel.The Air Transport Association of America (ATAA)

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-51816882018625534232009-04-30T02:54:00.005-04:002009-04-30T03:08:55.726-04:00

Something I put together around 2002, and edited a little bit here and there.Causes of Death Worldwide Annual Number of Deaths (mostly 1999 stats)ischematic heart disease 6,200,000drinking water born diseases 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 estimatedcerebrovascular disease (stroke) 4,300,000acute lower respiratory

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-61385912208869117572009-04-28T03:00:00.018-04:002009-04-29T04:01:20.105-04:00

Ever hear the phrase, "It's safer to fly"? Do you think that's true? Let's find out for ourselves. Using the World Almanac deaths from motor vehicle accidents ranged from 55,000 to 40,000 a year from 1970 to 2003. Deaths from airline accidents ranged from 0 to 342 from 1985 to 2004, not including 2001 when 531 people died. Seems safer to fly, right? What happens when we calculate deaths

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-11932853383042077572009-03-19T00:49:00.069-04:002010-09-27T12:02:10.825-04:00

Ever wonder what's the beast deal when going for the most mass for the money? I always just assumed that Subway had the most healthy sandwiches, but cost the most per pound, while my favorite, the Taco Bell fiesta burrito, was just the opposite.Turns out, neither is true. My opinions were completely smashed by the darn facts.(Note: I haven't weighed items from all fast food joints yet, it's a

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-45729990805998866622009-02-06T19:55:00.012-05:002009-02-20T03:20:20.867-05:00

They say warm water freezes faster than cold water. Sounds plausible, doesn't it? Whenever someone says something totally opposite the way it should be, it sounds totally believable. So, I decided to test it.Experiment #1Using aluminum vessels to maximize heat transfer (speed up the cooling), and identical vessels at that, I added identical tap water. I let both acclimate to room temperature.

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-86257762125803562632009-01-24T00:44:00.004-05:002009-01-24T01:47:32.465-05:00

You Do The Math – Mercury, Coal And Compact Fluorescent Lightsby Curt TricaricoHave you heard a lot of warnings lately about the mercury in compact fluorescent lights? The spiral or hoop shaped CFL’s save you money and energy, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and slow global warming. But, do they put more or less mercury into the environment? Don’t let others deceive you, grab your calculator,

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-24674788005897173532008-10-08T00:20:00.008-04:002009-01-24T02:23:01.308-05:00

I used to be in favor of global warming, but not now... Volcanoes actually cause global cooling. Same as sulfur-laden coal did up to and inlcuding the 1970's. When sulfur is spewed by coal plants or volcanoes, it ends up in the upper atmosphere as a sunlight reflector, as is the ash from volcanoes. Every time there's a massive volcanic eruption, the following summer is much cooler than normal.

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096294622530029466.post-34439938899037361782008-08-23T21:53:00.000-04:002008-08-24T02:07:21.812-04:00

The three biggest problems facing humanity today are: greenhouse gass emissions, the price of fossil fuels and all the USB 1.1 cables that we need to toss out now that we've moved on to USB 2.0 devices. As it just so happens, problem number 2 will take care of problem number 1, so the only thing left for humanity to fix is problem number 3. And here's how!According to the specs, USB 2.0 cables

WoodHuggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248151473556594240noreply@blogger.com2