February 12, 2017

Everybody out onto the ice...

P1120061

... yesterday, on Lake Mendota. This looks hockey-related — though lots of kids were dancing. Later that day, our team lost a big game....
But UW had just one victory in its past 10 games against Penn State, an up-and-coming program that has found ways to push the Badgers’ buttons in recent seasons. The end result was anything but positive for the 17th-ranked Badgers....
But that was later. I took this picture in happier times. It was nice to see the ice-related revelry, and I even enjoyed the music, when I recognized it, until it distorted itself into what the internet reveals to me is this (which is, I guess, what is liked today because, as we used to say in the old days, it's easy to dance to).

27 comments:

MayBee said...

That ice looks to melty to be on.

Michael K said...

Do you remember the time, about 40 years ago, when a big group of ice fishermen parked cars on the ice and the whole ice flow broke off and drifted out into the lake ?

As I recall, most of those cars wound up at the bottom of the lake.

Michael K said...

The ice fishing event was Lake Michigan.

Original Mike said...

"Later that day, our team lost a big game...."

Wisconsin was swept (i.e. lost both Friday and Saturday night games). We went to both games. Penn State outplayed us.

Nonetheless, the new coaching staff has the team going in the right direction. There's energy in the building again.

On another note, long-time former Badger hockey coach Jeff Sauer died this week. Sad.

buwaya said...

Looks like an excellent opening for a horror-exploitation movie merging "Jaws" and "Game of Thrones".
In Wisconsin, Winter isn't coming, its here.

Rusty said...

What's this about privatising the FAA?

buwaya said...

You winter people have no idea of the sort of alien, frightening world you live in.
We tropical creatures can't relate.

My family, mother and sisters, cant even deal with summer in San Francisco. They huddle under blankets with hot chocolate, which is a thrill in its own way I guess, surviving such hardship. Go walk outside? Madness.

I am considered a sort of tough guy because we used to take our kids to the Sierra skiing, and I've got pictures of standing in Buffalo NY in giant snowdrifts. Its not actually that cold in Buffalo.

JackWayne said...

Rusty, I hope Trump does that. I know a bit about their efforts to create a new air traffic control system. They have failed 3, maybe 4, times at the cost of billions. Every time it comes down to the same problem: poor software development management. I don't believe they will ever get it done.

Original Mike said...

"What's this about privatising the FAA?"

From what I read, it's working well for the rest of the world.

Original Mike said...

"You winter people have no idea of the sort of alien, frightening world you live in.
We tropical creatures can't relate."


I'll tell you the secret to survivng, nay, thriving, up here. Clothes.

Etienne said...

Senator Fienstein (83 fucking years old and walks with a cane) says that the two-state solution is critical for mideast peace. Thankyou for that. My God, what a "new" concept. Too bad Obama and Kerry told her to piss up a tree.

The problem is, Israel doesn't want the Palestinians to have a state. Why should they?

We send them billions each month, and you know what? If you send someone a billion every month, those people think they are doing the right thing. Hmm, we got another billion!! Anyone want to change what we're doing? No?

So, maybe Senator Fienstein could get a little traction by sending the fucking warlords only $1 a month, until they get the right answer. Oh you want a state? No problem. Give us our billion back now.

Just thinking out loud...

Bad Lieutenant said...

harryo said...

The problem is, Israel doesn't want the Palestinians to have a state. Why should they?


Why do you?

Etienne said...

Rusty said...What's this about privatising the FAA?

Trump likes the idea of getting the FAA out of Washington DC. It is fat, and it can't do anything in less than 15 years. They have more lawyers than they need, but it's a welfare system that is gold plated. Trump could make America great again by doing something different.

What I would do, is have the US join Eurocontrol (European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation).

The Air Traffic Controllers of the Eurocontrol system have software that is light years ahead of the US. For example, when ATC assigns you a new altitude, the pilot sets that altitude into his autopilot. The plane then relays the new setting to the ATC system. If the pilot puts in the wrong altitude the controller will be notified.

If you listen to ATC in London, you will hear the ATC correcting the pilots, as the traffic is dense, and the planes are stacked-up at every 1000 feet.

If you've seen the Eurocontrol ATC displays, and then look at the FAA displays, you can see how far behind the US is.

Another thing, in the US we still have a lot of transponders built in the 60's being allowed to be used. These are noisy and almost a jammer compared to modern transponders.

American bombers for example, still have no Mode-S. Europe wants them out of their airspace, as they require special handling.

In Europe most planes are not given a squawk code. In the US the squawk code is still used. 4096 codes or 12-bits. In Europe, they use the 24-bit aircraft address as the primary ID. Most will set in 1000 on the squawk, and then when they fly outside of Europe they will use the squawk as needed.

"The rest of the world" is still fucked up. Only Eurocontrol has a modern ATC system, and a EU organization for regulation and procedures. The US could save billions by joining. The ATC procedures and displays would then be common.

In the US the plane certification is left to a high school graduate with an A&P license. In Europe, the A&P doesn't certify shit. They just work on the planes.

The best thing the FAA can do, is to die. Trump would be bright to join Eurocontrol.
It would simplify ATC, and controllers wouldn't be doing suicide or drinking themselves to death with machines built in the 80's. Where's my floppy disk!

Etienne said...

Bad Lieutenant said...Why do you?

Well, actually, I wish Jordan would be that state.

The only reason I support a state, is that they can then form a Constitution, and decide on a Monarchy, or Democracy/Republic. Then they would have a basis of law.

Once you have a basis of law, the warlords become obsolete, and things start smelling better.

If they form a state of their own, it will be 50 years before they get their shit together.

If Jordan annexes them, it will be a done deal in less than 10 years.

Fienstein is just part of the problem. Her wig is on way too tight.

buwaya said...

If Jordan takes over Palestine, the state will shortly be Palestine, not Jordan. Jordan has enough trouble with the Palestinians already on its soil.

Christopher said...

That ice looks *very* melty.

FAA privatization has been discussed in aviation circles for years. Its main driver in the U.S. has been the problem of erratic congressional funding, making long-term infrastructure projects very difficult to efficiently fund and manage. The 2013 budget sequestration and other shenanigans that led to FAA furloughs lit a fire under all of this. Privatization would replace current funding with a new user-fee scheme and long-term bonds.

The modernization project for U.S. air traffic control is called NextGen, an extremely complex program that has received lots of criticism for being over budget and behind schedule. Much of it is in place and there's a lot more to come. Add to this the conventional wisdom that governments in general and certainly the U.S. government isn't well suited to running operational systems.

The U.S. has the only remaining major air traffic control system that is run inside a government entity, I guess with the exception of China's CAAC. "Privatization" is a bit off target--I believe only the U.K.'s NATS is a private for-profit corporation and even there, if Wiki's information is current, the government owns 49% of the stock and a golden share that helps prevent crazytime. Most of them are varieties of private non-profit corporations. NavCanada is kind of the gold standard there.

Last year Bud Shuster pushed a bill that would spin off the FAA's air traffic operations into a non-profit corporation. It didn't get very far, but he's going to try again.

The bill is supported by the major airline lobbying association, Airlines for America, though Delta withdrew from that group because they oppose it. Some former top FAA leaders support it. Groups that represent smaller aircraft interests like the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assn. oppose it because they're afraid their fees will go up. Others are afraid of unions being weakened.

Happy Sunday all.

HT said...

Wow, Dianne Feinstein is 83? I'm impressed! You go girl!

πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸΏπŸ‘πŸΎ

Her aside, listening to Democratic leaders in the Senate is not the most encouraging thing. It’s of course possible that the really dynamic leaders are not getting interviewed at all in the press and on the talk shows. They may be percolating at the state or even municipal level, they may be governors, they may not even be in government at all. But listening to Cardin and Schumer respond in their olden days kind of way to the new dynamic at work is discouraging and momentum-killing. The search continues for some leaders.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

How much does a polar bear weigh?

Original Mike said...

"How much does a polar bear weigh?"

At birth, about one pound.

Etienne said...

HT said...Wow, Dianne Feinstein is 83? I'm impressed! You go girl!

Her daughter will be 60 this year. She's worth $100 million. Public Service has been good to her.

She just had a pacemaker inserted, so she should be able to waddle around and make it till the end of her term.

HT said...

Here's a list of the top 50 wealthiest members of congress. She's 8th. There's not much I agree with Megan Mcardle about, she did say senators were the best stock pickers!

HT said...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_wealth

Hagar said...

Caution: This list is compiled by Congress' own marvelous rules for reporting assets.

Roy Lofquist said...

No hockey but there's a "snap the whip" on the right.

rhhardin said...

This just broke me up, The Couch Trip

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exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

buwaya said...
You winter people have no idea of the sort of alien, frightening world you live in.
We tropical creatures can't relate."

My doctor is a native of Manila. She has managed to survive Wisconsin winters for 25 years now and has grown quite hardy. She is hardy in other ways too: she is a tiny, still very pretty woman who weighs about 100 pounds and yet she has given birth to 6 babies and is in her early 50's. I have met other Filipino women who seem to keep their trim figures and age very well despite having more than the usual 1 or 2 kids.

SukieTawdry said...

One thing I do miss about winter is frozen water. My dad and I used to skate for miles on frozen creeks and streams.