--No pictures this time, but we got to hear the baby's heartbeat today! Talk about exciting stuff, it made it feel so much more real.
--In less than a month on January 4th we get to find out what were having, I can't wait!
--After trying to think of a million ways to get out of it I dragged Wendy along with me to my company's Christmas Party on Sunday, and was surprised to actually have a really good time!
--I love Christmas, so I tried to ape shit with the Christmas lights this year, but holy cow that stuff is expensive when you have to buy a tree and everything! I am for sure gonna stock up on stuff right after Christmas this year. I'll be the Clark Griswold of the block, you just watch. Or not. Maybe.
--Commercials that really irritate me: the Old Navy "Modelquins", the Levi's "Pioneers" commercials, the hamburger commercial where the guy is eating the tiny little meal, any commercial that uses the term "anal seepage" or "have a happy period". Nice.
--I had a whole list of these in my head when I was watching TV twenty minutes ago.
--Oh yeah! Those commercials for that damn Flip video camera, I bought one when they came out two years ago and it was a royal piece of crap. It wouldn't work with the then cutting edge Windows Vista.
--I get irritated when someone goes out of their way to spread their bad mood around. I get irritated when people get about things that cannot be controlled. I'm in a really "irritated" mood this evening.
--The s*#% was definitely about to hit the fan on Twitter Saturday night, that was tense. Why do Mommy and Daddy always have to yell?!?!?
--FYI, never drive all the way to Wal Mart to pick up Dramamine four your nauseous, pregnant wife. IGA is about the only place that has it.
--Something I'm not afraid to admit: My wife got me completely hooked on Brpthers and Sisters.
--This blog always feels like a burden when you don't update it, but it's pretty satisfying once you get to typing.
--I went against my better judgement and watched Bruno the other night. My review: DONT.
--Start Trek really ended up being a really cool "crash, boom, bang" kind of flick, and that was the first time I have ever watched Star Trek.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Top Fuel Dragster Facts
I stole this off my company's forum, crazy stuff!
I can't stand any type of professional racing but these numbers are insane!
One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more
horsepower than the first 4 rows of stock cars at the
Daytona 500.
Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1-1/2
gallons of nitromethane per second; a fully loaded 747
consumes jet fuel at the same rate with 25% less energy
being produced.
A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to
drive the dragster's supercharger.
With 3,000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger
on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into a
near-solid form before ignition.
Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock at full
throttle.
At the stoichiometric (stoichiometry: methodology and
technology by which quantities of reactants and products in chemical
reactions are determined) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitro methane, the
flame front temperature measures 7,050 deg F.
Nitromethane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen
above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from
atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gases.
Dual magnetos supply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is
the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.
Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass.
After halfway, the engine is dieseling from compression,
plus the glow of exhaust valves at 1,400 degrees F. The
engine can only be shut down by cutting the fuel flow.
If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro
builds up in the affected cylinders and then explodes with
sufficient force to blow cylinder heads off the block in
pieces or split the block in half.
In order to exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds, dragsters must
accelerate an average of over 4G's. In order to reach
200 mph (well before half-track),the launch acceleration
approaches 8G's.
Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have
completed reading this sentence.
Top Fuel engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from
light to light! Including the burnout, the engine must only
survive 900 revolutions under load.
The redline is actually quite high at 9,500 rpm.
Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for
free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs an estimated
$1,000.00 per second.
The current Top Fuel dragster elapsed time record is 4.441
seconds for the quarter mile (10/05/03, Tony Schumacher).
The top speed record is 333.00 mph. (533 km/h) as measured
over the last 66' of the run (09/28/03 Doug Kalitta).
Putting all of this into perspective:
You are driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter
"twin-turbo" powered Corvette Z06. Over a mile up
the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged and ready to launch
down a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have the
advantage of a flying start. You run the 'Vette hard up
through the gears and blast across the starting line and past the dragster at an honest
200 mph. The 'tree' goes green for both of you at
that moment.
The dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your
foot down hard, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears
your eardrums and within 3 seconds, the dragster catches and
passes you. He beats you to the finish line, a quarter mile
away from where you just passed him.
Think about it; from a standing start, the dragster had
spotted you 200 mph and not only caught, but nearly blasted
you off the road when he passed you, all within a mere 1,320
foot long race course.
Edited to add:
I learned also that as of the last few years, Top Fuel dragsters are now limited by the rules to not exceed about 330 mph for safety reasons.
I can't stand any type of professional racing but these numbers are insane!
One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more
horsepower than the first 4 rows of stock cars at the
Daytona 500.
Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1-1/2
gallons of nitromethane per second; a fully loaded 747
consumes jet fuel at the same rate with 25% less energy
being produced.
A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to
drive the dragster's supercharger.
With 3,000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger
on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into a
near-solid form before ignition.
Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock at full
throttle.
At the stoichiometric (stoichiometry: methodology and
technology by which quantities of reactants and products in chemical
reactions are determined) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitro methane, the
flame front temperature measures 7,050 deg F.
Nitromethane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen
above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from
atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gases.
Dual magnetos supply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is
the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.
Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass.
After halfway, the engine is dieseling from compression,
plus the glow of exhaust valves at 1,400 degrees F. The
engine can only be shut down by cutting the fuel flow.
If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro
builds up in the affected cylinders and then explodes with
sufficient force to blow cylinder heads off the block in
pieces or split the block in half.
In order to exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds, dragsters must
accelerate an average of over 4G's. In order to reach
200 mph (well before half-track),the launch acceleration
approaches 8G's.
Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have
completed reading this sentence.
Top Fuel engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from
light to light! Including the burnout, the engine must only
survive 900 revolutions under load.
The redline is actually quite high at 9,500 rpm.
Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for
free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs an estimated
$1,000.00 per second.
The current Top Fuel dragster elapsed time record is 4.441
seconds for the quarter mile (10/05/03, Tony Schumacher).
The top speed record is 333.00 mph. (533 km/h) as measured
over the last 66' of the run (09/28/03 Doug Kalitta).
Putting all of this into perspective:
You are driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter
"twin-turbo" powered Corvette Z06. Over a mile up
the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged and ready to launch
down a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have the
advantage of a flying start. You run the 'Vette hard up
through the gears and blast across the starting line and past the dragster at an honest
200 mph. The 'tree' goes green for both of you at
that moment.
The dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your
foot down hard, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears
your eardrums and within 3 seconds, the dragster catches and
passes you. He beats you to the finish line, a quarter mile
away from where you just passed him.
Think about it; from a standing start, the dragster had
spotted you 200 mph and not only caught, but nearly blasted
you off the road when he passed you, all within a mere 1,320
foot long race course.
Edited to add:
I learned also that as of the last few years, Top Fuel dragsters are now limited by the rules to not exceed about 330 mph for safety reasons.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Wow.
That's about all I can say about today's tragedy at Fort Hood. I guess because my brother was stationed at Fort Hood up until last September and I am somewhat familiar with the base and the area, this really seemed to hit home for me. I send my prayers and condolences to victims and their families, while at the same time am extremely thankful for my brother's transfer to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. While at Fort Hood he served as a military police officer and all I could think of is had he still been there, would he have been right there? I feel awful thinking selfish things like that, but this has truly effected and saddened me. I am thankful that this shooter is still alive so that he can see what pain he has caused, and so that he can pay for actions. I am not in the military but I would presume that when one enlists, you agree to fight any war your country sends you to, regardless of your support for the war. Hearing these psychiatrists on the mass media outlets try to justify what this bastard has done makes me absolutely sick. This isn't a case of post traumatic stress syndrome, the coward had not yet been deployed overseas, therefore this should be considered an act of TERRORISM. These 'politically correct" liberals who care less about a life than they do someone's feelings have ripped the backbone right out of this country. May God have mercy on his soul, because all Hell is about to break loose on him.
But, like Denney Crane, I could be wrong.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Halloween '09
--No kiddo for me this year, so here are the nieces and nephews.
--It was pretty fun on my street for Halloween, they shut the street down and make a really big deal out of it.
--The Bridgeport Police "Central Command Combat Headquarters" was practically in my front yard, which was cool in an annoying kind of way.
--Most original costume: A guy in a huge Wheaties box with a hole cut out where his face goes.
--Transformers seemed to be the popular costume for the kids this year.
--Whatever happened to saying "Thank You" after someone gives you candy?? Seriously, I probably had only about thirty kids say thank you, and most of those were mumbles while they were high tailing it across the street.
--The Father's House church out on 380 had a really cool "Light The Night" set-up at the Preacher's house, that guy is super nice, and seems to really be in touch with the youth.
--I think there should be a cut-off age for trick-or-treating. If you can drive yourself from house to house, it's time to give it up. Seriously, aren't kids that age supposed to be egging teacher's houses or something?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
From Denney Crane's blog
And so true.
Liberal vs Conservative
If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn`t buy one. If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.
If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn`t eat meat. If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.
If a conservative sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how to defeat his enemy. A liberal wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.
If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life. If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.
If a black man or Hispanic is conservative, they see themselves as independently successful. Their liberal counterparts see themselves as victims in need of government protection.
If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation. A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.
If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels. Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.
If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church. A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced. (unless it's a foreign religion, of course!)
If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it. A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.
If a conservative slips and falls in a store, he gets up, laughs and is embarrassed. If a liberal slips and falls, he grabs his neck, moans like he's in labor; then sues.
If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh. A liberal will delete it because he's "offended".
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