The Maxson Homepage on the WWW
While watching news coverage of Hurricane Katrina, I always wanted one of those cool maps of New Orleans. You know the one….the one showing the Mississippi River on one side, Lake Pontchartrain on the other, and the town in the middle. Well, I found one today:
I don't know why, but Hurricane Katrina and its impact on New Orleans is very fascinating to me. I went to bed last night and Katrina was a Category 3 hurricane (for more information on hurricane categories, click here). I woke up this morning and it was a Category 5 hurricane. Here is an image of the storm:
They were talking about how New Orleans is below sea level. It is also surrounded on multiple sides by significant water. Here is a Google Map. Here is a NASA picture on Wikipedia. Here is a topo map from terraserver. This means that every drop of water in New Orleans has to be pumped out. I started to do some research and thinking about this. If I were in New Orleans, my big worry would be the pumps failing. If they loose power. If they get flooded and cannot keep up. If I were a journalist in New Orleans, I would find one of these pumping stations and report from there.
But this got me wondering what kind of pumps they used and how many they had. It took me a bit of research, so here is what I found out. Currently, the pumps they use are Wood Screw Pumps (don't bother googling for screw pumps…you won't get any information on these). These pumps are more like power assisted syphons. The best site I found was this one. If you want a good description of the pumps, scroll all the way to the bottom for a good diagram.
These pumps appear to have a very good record and can pump a TON of water. If they hold up, I think they will do ok. But, if I were a reporter, I would still broadcast from one. Imagine the picture you could get.
This afternoon after church, I watched Fox News and the Weather Channel while surfing on the internet. I came across this site talking about the "worst case scenario" for New Orleans. Basically, this storm fits the bill.
New Orleans has already issued an evacuation order. Here is a link of the evacuation plan from the city. They have also opened up the SuperDome as a shelter. I have mixed feelings about all this. If I lived in New Orleans and my house were above sea level, I would stay. I would have my house strengthened and reinforced so I could stay. I would board up the windows, hunker down, and ride it out. Here is why:
1. Have you seen the roads? They are parking lots. I would stay at home because, as scary as it would be, it would be so much worse to be trapped in a car
2. Have you thought what would happen if that many people got scared and started a riot in the SuperDome? How about if the structure starts to have problems, but they–the goverment–won't let you out. I would rather not have to worry about other people.
Something else….if I lived in an area where this could happen, I would have supplies on hand at my house to board up everything. There is no way I would go to the storm to have to go to the store. Imagine how much they would charge.
Well, I guess we can only watch and pray for the people down there. Remember, God is God and is in control.
Oh, before I quit writing, here is a collection of other links I found that may be of interest:
http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/history/NO_Drainage/NO_Drain_chap4a.pdf
http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=36
http://www.asme.org/history/brochures/h003.pdf
http://www.answers.com/topic/a-baldwin-wood
http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2002-07-02/blake.html
http://gatewayno.com/history/PUMPS.html
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/specialreports/hurricanes/vulnerablecities/neworleans.html
http://gis.esri.com/uc2003/sag/info/screenshots/LADOTD_LACoastalElevation.jpg
BTW, where do I sign up for Jim Cantore (the Weather Channel guy) or a news reporter who gets to go to all these places? That would be an awesome job!
In my post about how many MPGs I get on my bike I said I worked the numbers for Pepsi and came up with two different numbers. I now know why. I had a two liter of Pepsi. That TWO liter had 800 Cal in it. I then did the math like I had a one liter of Pepsi. If I rerun the math using the 400 Cal/Liter number, everything works out the same.
It seems that Kirk Cameron is troubled by a poll that shows 68% of evangelical Christians think that Jesus is not the exclusive way to God.
Kirk Cameron is troubled? What about me? I'm troubled by this too! Are you?
Along the same lines, Dr. Mohler has an article on his blog today about inclusive positions on the way to heaven. I think these two things speak towards our belief (or lack of belief). If people really believe the Bible, would they believe this way?
Jesus claimed repeatedly to be the exclusive way to Heaven and a right relationship with God. The Bible says it…. Are we willing to stand by the Bible? Why do "Christians" play church and believe the Bible in such a wishy washy way? It would be much easier for them to just admit they aren't Christians and quit playing church. They could then go golfing, boating, or insert your favorite activity here on SUnday morning and not have to worry about anything.
Well, I haven't been keeping my blog up like I should. Anyway, here are some ride stats:
Ride Stats:
Distance: 20.1 mi
Time: 1 hr 15 min
Avg. Speed: 15.9 mph
Cal. Expended: 1655 (apx)
Ride Stats:
Distance: 32.6 mi
Time: 2 hr 9 min
Avg. Speed: 15.0 mph
Cal. Expended: 2500 (apx)
Here is an interesting story….I have been locking my bike up in a generic bike rack by the YMCA. ALWAYS when I lock my bike, I run the chain through the front tire, through the frame, and through the rear tire. That way, all the parts of my bike are locked up. Oh, I also take my seat with me too. Anyway, the other day, I went outside and the quickreleases were all undone on my bike. It was off the tires and everything. It looks like someone tried to steal my bike and they were thwarted by my method of locking. So, learn…always lock all parts of your bike so everythin is secure.
With gas prices on the rise–why does headline news have to report on the price every 1/2 hour–I thought I would do some interesting calculations to see what kind of mileage I get on my bike. I used the stats from my most recent ride as the starting point:
Ride Stats:
Distance: 32.6 mi
Time: 2 hr 9 min
Avg. Speed: 15.0 mph
Cal. Expended: 2500 (apx)
So, let's assume I go 15 mph (wind resistance is the most significant friction to overcome on a bike. As with all parasitic drag, it goes up as the square of the speed.). Given my last ride, I get 0.01304 miles per Cal (or, if you prefer a kcal…1 Cal = 1000 cal = 1Kcal)
Pepsi
Pepsi has 100 Cal. per 8oz serving. There are 16 8oz servings in a gallon. A gallon of Pepsi has 1600 Cal. That works out to 20.8 mpg of Pepsi.
Someone out there, figure out why I get different numbers if I work them differently. If I say Pepsi has 800 Cal. per liter and there are are 3.78 liters per gallon. That works out to 3024 Cal per gallon. This works out to 39.4 miles per gallon of Pepsi. Why the difference??? I cannot see where either set of numbers is wrong, but one of them has to be. Go get your 2liter out of the fridge and work it out for yourself.
Milk
Milk is sold by the gallon and has 1760 Cal per gallon. That works out to 22.9 mpg of milk
Gatorade
Gatorade (according to the bottle I have in the fridge) has 50 Cal per serving. A serving is 8oz. There are 16 servings of Gatorade in a gallon. This means that a gallon of Gatorade has 800 cal. That works out to 10.4 mpg of Gatorade.
Sweet Tea
This is how I make my sweet tea….about 1 cup of sugar in 1/2 gallon. So, that means 2 cups per gallon. According to dietitian.com, table sugar has 16 Cal. per teaspoon. There are 48 tsp in a cup. That works out to 96 tsp in 2 cups. That equals 1536 Cal. So, I would get 20 mpg of sweet tea.
Pizza
I know, pizza doesn't come in gallons, but I'm having one for dinner. a Large Pizza Hut Meat Lovers. According to Pizza Hut.com my pizza has 320 Cal/slice. It looks like there were 16 slices total. That means the whole pie has 5120 Cal. That means I would get 66.7 miles per pizza.
I want to officially announce that I’m working on some Prayer Timer software (think an OpenSource version of PrayTimer). If you have ideas for features you would like to have the application include, just send me an e-mail. My contact information can be found here.
I expect development of the beta to take a couple of months. Check back regularly…I’ll try and keep my blog up to date with what I have done so far.
One of the things I would like help with is a name. What do you guys think it should be named?
[Update 2012-12-25 22:18:36] First off, I’m not working on this any more. I didn’t get very far with it last time and no one expressed interest in it. Also, I had a bad link to the Prayer Timer software. The link has been corrected.
Yes, I have still been riding my bike. I went Friday, Monday, and this morning. Stats are missing from Friday and Monday. Yesterday, I had some issues with my bike so my ride was cut short. When I went to the boke shop, my axle was bent, so I had to get a new wheel. I had been having issues with my freewheel, so I had the guy put a new one of those on too. Here are the stats from today's ride:
Ride Stats:
Distance: 20.7 mi
Time: 1 hr 20 min
Avg. Speed: 15.5 mph
Cal. Expended: 1667 (apx)
Reading blogs this evening, I came across some posts about pharmacists who have refused to follow the orders of the IL state Governor.
Illinois pharmacists defy Blagojevich
Another pharmacist opposing Blagojevich
Here are some quotes:
Metro East pharmacists Peggy Pace, John Menges and Gaylord Richard Quayle say they will not compromise their religious beliefs by filling emergency contraception prescriptions – something Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich says they must do.
Rep. Ron Stephens, a Republican from Greenville and a pharmacist, said he, too, will defy the governor's emergency rule that a legislative committee made permanent last week, forcing morning-after pill prescriptions to be filled.
Their positions set up a legal showdown between the state and pro-life pharmacists who see filling the prescriptions, in essence, as participating in an abortion.
…
A new rule in Illinois — the first of its kind in the United States — tells pharmacists that if they're in the business of selling contraceptives, they must fill all contraceptive prescriptions, including those for so-called "morning-after" birth-control pills.
Luke Vander Bleek owns four pharmacies in suburban Chicago and is one of several pharmacists suing Gov. Rod Blagojevich (search) over the administrative rule, which was approved by a rule-making panel of the Illinois Legislature last week.
Vander Bleek said he sells regular oral contraceptives, but is not willing to sell the "morning-after" pill known as Plan B.
He considers it tantamount to abortion, since it is taken after sexual intercourse and can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus.
I'm sure these professionals will come under fire for standing up for their beliefs. I wonder who we could write to to express support for these pharmacists? Oh well, I guess this blog will have to do….I'm glad these guys are standing for what they believe in. I'm praying they will stand strong in the face of opposition. Don't back down.
I blogged yesterday about our trip to DC. Today we went back. Today, we went to church at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, the Air and Space Museum, the Museum of Natural History, and The National Archives. Again, I'll post the pictures later on (I forgot the stuff to take the pictures off the camera with me).
Capitol Hill Baptist Church
Pastor Zbiden recommended this church when he found I was going to be in DC. I looked it up online, and got interested. Capitol Hill Baptist is a Southern Baptist church that, from what I can tell, is a good conservative Bible believing church (the website has more information on their history). There was a guest speaker today–a missionary from the International Mission Board. How interesting…I just got hired by the IMB and I have to come all the way to DC to see one :^)
He spoke today on Suffering for Christ. His text was II Timothy 1:1-12. The message was excellent. The rest of the worship service was good too. The church seems to have a heart for God and His will.
Oh, Cyndi and I left in plent of time to get there for the service (we left the hotel at 9am); however, we were getting off the metro the time we wanted to be at the service. The goofy metro was running very very late today. On our way from the metro stop, we walked by the Library of COngress and the Supreme Court building. Anyway, back to the point…on our way in, a nice lady suggested we would find more seats upstairs. We went up and found a seat. In a few minutes, she came up and set in front of us. After the service, we chit-chatted for a bit. She was very nice. She lived in the area and regularly attended CHBC. When we found this out, we asked about where to eat lunch. She pointed us in the right direction. Alessandra (SP??), thanks for the help this morning.
Air and Space Museum
Alessandra suggested heading to Pennsylvania Ave. where we would find lots of restaraunts. Well, it was hot again today in DC, so we decided to just quit walking at the Air and Space Museum. We were going here anyway, so we just stopped in and ate at the food court. We paid the airport prices for McDonalds (be prepared!), but we didn't have to walk all over tarnation.
In my opinion, the Air and Space Museum is the best of the Smithsonians. The displays are excellent, they have a wide variety of displays and aircraft, and the museum flows well. They have a good balance of static and interactive displays, and none of the goofy video/multimedia issues I wrote about yesterday with the Museum of American History.
I had heard they were supposed to be getting Spaceship One (the Burt Ratan space vehicle that won the X prize earlier this year). Well, they didn't have it, but everything else was top notch.
Museum of Natual History
Well, Cyndi and I both wanted to go see the Museum of Natural History. Cyndi wanted to see the Hope Diamond. I just wanted to make fun of the left-leaning slant of the museum.
The visit was ok. The MNH had most of the problems the MAH had. Primarily, it was hard to navigate through. It wasn't as hard, but it wasn't easy either. Most of the time, I found myself having to backtrack to see everything. Hey, here is a thought…I should make walking tour guides for the museums. That would be neat…I'll have to think about that.
The displays were mostly good and of good quality. The "millions of years" was prevalent everywhere. If I had the money, I'd give it to Answers in Genesis so they could build a museum to rival this one. Now, don't get me wrong…just as I don't think this goverment institution should push millions of years and evolution, I don't think they should push a literal six-day Genesis creation either. The goverment should be nutural. They should present the facts and possible explanations. Period. Then, people would get an unbiased view of the facts and be able to make up their own mind.
One thing that drove me nuts was the amount of pictures of the "natual" habitat from "millions of years" ago. Instead of being presented as an artists rendition of what people think everything may have looked like, they are presented as fact. The museum also had several "documentary" programs–at least that was what I called them–presenting the millions of years as fact.
All I thought of in the museum was the words to the AIG song:
Billions of dead things
Buried in rock layers
Laid down by water
All over the earth.
Well, there really was
A world wide flood
Just look at
The stoney curse
With billions of dead things
Buried in rock layers
Laid down by water
All over the earth.
National Archives
After tiring of the millions of years indoctrination for the skulls full of mush, we went to the National Archives. This was pretty neat. They have the originals for the Declaration of Independance, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other founding documents. This was cool. Not much to say beyond that.
If you go, they are quick to point out that you don't have to wait in line to see the documents. It is interesting to watch everyone queue up to go through the display clickwise. If you go, you can usually walk right up to the displays and see the documents.
