Author: gregjsmith

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Lasers + Desert = Kaboom

Wonder what all this vast New Mexico desert is good for? Well some scorpions and tarantulas might call it home but humans use it to test out weapons. The latest is something from science fiction, lasers to blow up missiles. I’ve been out to the Army’s White Sands Missile Range in the middle of the New Mexico and can tell you that they’ve got some weird looking buildings and equipment out there. IT’s been a while but they use to launch missiles from the base quite a bit. It’s kind of a strange feeling when your leaving for work at 5am and can see a while streak with a bright ball at the top of it streaking through the sothern sky.

If you don’t bother to read the press release here is the link to the pictures and video. 

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Modern Ruins

I have traveled between Albuquerque and the Phoenix area about 100 times. I have tried every route possible settling on the Albuquerque to Flagstaff via I-40 then Flag to Phx via I-10. This is the fast way taking less then 8 hours (a lot less if your not worried about Cops). I’ve written about the trip before and some of the sites to see. Some of the interesting parts are the modern ruins of Route 66 along I-40. I never knew Route 66 as a road only what I have seen driving along at high speed and can only imagine what it was like when Route 66 was a real road.

Just west of Albuquerque is the Rio Puerco Bridge. This bridge is an remnant of the orignal Route 66 and the New Mexico highway department has chosen to keep it in tact for history along with a little bit of the original route 66. What facinates me most about this bridge is it appears to be a 1 lane bridge. With people zipping by on nearby I-40 it’s hard to imagine a time when people had to slow down for this. You can read more here. The sign on the bridge reads the following” “This parker through truss located on the historic route 66 was built in 1933. It was fabricated by the Kansas City Structural Steel Company and erected by F.D. Shufflebarger of Albuquerque. It’s 250 good lenght is on eo fhte longest in New Mexico. Repairs and remodeling were completed in 1957. This structure was replaced in 1999 and is being preserved by the New Mexico State Hightway and Transportation Department.”

On down the road in Arizona you will find the Meteor Crater, “50,000 years ago, a huge iron-nickel meteorite, hurtling at about 40,000 miles per hour, struck the rocky plain of Northern Arizona with an explosive force greater than 20 million tons of TNT. The meteorite estimated to have been about 150 feet across and weighing several hundred thousand tons, in less than a few seconds, left a crater 700 feet deep and over 4000 feet across”. You will find a modern vistors center at the crater site itself. What is most interesting is the original visitors outpost located along the old route 66. It amazes me how quickly and easily a building can be come run down so quickly.

I can only imagine what a place Two Guns was back in it’s day. The run down buildings once held wild animals one of them still partially stands to say “Mountian Lions”. There’s a standing bridge crossing the Diablo Canyon which was part of the original route 66 road. The whole place is for sale you as of this writing you can drive up on the property. I assume that is so prospective buyers can take a look at the place. Looks like there was once an attempt at a modern gas station but apparently didn’t get enough business.

Twin Arrows is another abandon outpost along the old Route 66. Looks a little more modern and from the gas price still partly up on the sign it appears to be opened sometime during the last decade at least. I guess people don’t need to stop as often as they use to for gas thought this station looks a lot more interesting than the run of the mill “modern” stations do. There’s more to Twin Arrows then what you can see from the interstate as the old Route 66 loops back and around this gas station to the Padre Canyon Bridge. There’s nothing to stop you from driving along these areas of old Route 66.

You can read more about these sites and others along Route 66 here 

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Ignition Interlocks In New Mexico

The State of New Mexico has take one more step to proving that were a bunch of slacked jawed yokels. The House of Representative passed a bill that will require every vehicle sold in the state to have a breathalyzer installed as a ignition interlock. Whether you have been convicted of DWI or for that matter whether you drink or not you will have to breath before you can start your car.

There are so many problems with this. Breathalyzer tests are not always accurate. There are probably ways that can one can remove them from the car. Not to mention a whole bunch of civil liberties that are being violated. It will also effect our local economy as people will go out of state to buy vehicles (unless they pass another bill requiring any vehicle with a NM license plate to be retrofitted with one of these things).

I Previously complained about the hight amount of DWI related accidents in New Mexico. The Governor has has proposed some useful changes (PDF) to the existing laws that will go farther then the poorly conceived breathalyzer plan.

  1. My package dramatically increases penalties for killing or injuring someone while driving drunk
  2. It toughens the penalties for multiple DWI offenders who kill or injure
  3. Multiple DWI offenders, and those who drive drunk on a suspended or revoked license, will also forfeit their vehicles. We?ll take the weapon out of their hands
  4. This package includes a new DWI child endangerment law, creating tougher penalties for those who drive drunk and injure our children, and
  5. I?m proposing a new law that makes it a separate crime to refuse a blood alcohol or breath alcohol test, closing an important loophole in our DWI laws.

Yet these changes haven’t even made it before the state legislator. These are the real changes that are needed.

This new bill still needs to make it through the senate and the Governor. This hasn’t yet made the national news but if it make is any further I’m sure everyone will be laughing at us.

[Update:] Here is some slashdot coverage. 

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2004 SuperNationals

digg_url = ‘http://greginthedesert.net/files/DF16985B-C85D-4C05-B289-E79151FB8C31-866.html’; digg_bgcolor = ‘#ffffff’; digg_skin = ‘compact’;

95 Photos taken from the 2004 SuperNationals (12th Annual Custom Car Show) in Albuquerque, NM. I wasn’t sure what the last 14 pictures were of so if you can fill in the blanks please leave a comments. For that matter if I screwed up any of the other cars let me know. All the photos are available on this flickr set, or watch the slideshow below.

http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?group_id=&user_id=74806935@N00&set_id=72057594057982060&text=

These are the titles of the photos. 1939 Chevy Pickup, 1939 Ford Coupe, 1957 Chevy Belair, 1957 Chevy Belair, 1955 Chevy Belair, 1956 Chevy Belair, 1956 Chevy Belair, 1955 Chevy Belair, 1955 Chevy Belair, 1955 Chevy Belair, 1973 Dodge Challenger, Corvettes, I1940 Ford 2 door sedan, 1956 Ford Thunderbird, 1932 Ford Roadster, IMG_3965.JPG, 1958 Ford Pickup, 1958 Corvette, 19xx Charger R/T, 1969 Chevelle SS, 1951 Ford Coupe, 1951 Ford Coupe, 1932 Chevy Sport Coupe, 1932 Chevy Sport Coupe, 19xx GMC Pickup, 19xx GMC Pickup, IMG_3952.JPG, 1955 Chevy Sedan Delivery Truck, 1948 Chevy, 1948 Chevy, 1972 Lincoln Batmobile, 1972 Lincoln Batmobile, 1972 Lincoln Batmobile, 1972 Lincoln Batmobile, 1968 Ford Shelby, 1968 Ford Shelby, IMG_3943.JPG, IMG_3942.JPG, Low Rider Schwinn, IMG_3940.JPG, 1961 Rambler American Deluxe Station Wagon, 1965 Malibu SS, 1965 Malibu SS, IMG_3934.JPG, 1967 Plymouth Barracuda, 1966 Ford Mustang GT Converable, 1966 Ford Mustang GT, 1968 Chevy Camaro RS/SS, 1959 Chevy Suburban, 1959 Chevy Suburban, 1959 Chevy Suburban, 1955 Chevy Belair, 1954 Chevy Pickup, 1955 Chevy Milktruck, 1955 Chevy Milktruck, 1955 Chevy Milktruck, 1967 Camaro RS, 1953 Chevy Belair, 1953 Chevy Belair, 1957 Chevy Belair, 1965 Ford Mustang GT, 1965 Ford Mustang GT, 1955 Cadillac, 1953 Ford Victoria, 1972 Chevy Malibu, 1936 Chevy Town Sedan, 1968 Ford Galaxie, 1957 Chevy Belair, 1957 Chevy Belair, 1957 Chevy Belair, 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, 1968 Chevy Malibu SS, 1968 Chevy Malibu SS, 1967 Chevy Chevelle SS, 1967 Chevy Chevelle SS, 19xx Camaro Z28, 2002 Ford Pickup, 1975 Chevy Camaro, 1957 Chevy Belair, Cindy Williams (American Graffiti)</pP

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It Hurts

I’m tired and I’m in pain. My butt and my arms hurt. Despite my pain I had a good time because today I made a feeble attempt at snow boarding. I already know how to ski, more of a advanced beginner – no where near a professional, I thought I could use that experience to snowboard. It turns out that the experience of each foot having a board strapped to it is far different then having a bigger board strapped to both feet at the same time.

When I first learned to ski I fell down a lot. Having to pick yourself up a couple of hundred dozen times in less then 8 hours with muscles that don’t get used a couple of hundred dozen times in less then 8 hours is where the pain comes from. I suppose if I exercised more (or fell less) that wouldn’t be a problem.

Speed equals control, more or less. The faster you go the more you can control your skis. But if you do loose control your going really fast into a tree or something. When your first learning to ski it’s scary to go fast because you (or at least me) are afraid of loosing control, so you want to try to take is slow. Then there’s that whole balance thing, however I believe that you only get good at that with practice. So your slow and you have no balance. You fall a lot. It’s the same deal with snow-boarding. But balancing on a snowboard is different from balancing on skis (as I learned the hard way). I had no balance and was afraid to go fast. And I fell a lot.

I went out with a good friend from work who is also learning to snowboard. He’s a bit farther along then me as in he doesn’t fall nearly as much. He has been going out with his 7 year old son who also went with us today. Since we spent our time on the bunny hill we didn’t need to buy a lift ticket because you can hike up the hill in snow board boots with relative ease (relative being the key word). His son did get a lift ticket and as he passed me up while I was lying on my back he said if I need help just holler. Uh that’s ok, I’m nice and comfortable here.

Ski Santa Fe was the location of this trip and it costs $32 to rent the snow board and boots. 

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36 DUI Arrests New Years Eve In Albuquerque

36 People were arrested at a DWI checkpoint on New Years Eve. This checkpoint was located near downtown Albuquerque and was well advertised where it was going to be. I am amazed at how many stupid people continue to drink and drive in this town, “New Mexico has hovered between fourth and fifth worst in the nation for alcohol-related deaths from 1998 to 2002.” The govenor has said that enforcement has stepped up, but I would expect more checkpoints if this is the case.

I recall several years ago driving home from work. It was beginning to get dark. In the lane lane opposite to me I observed a man in a Chevy Dually pickup drive his truck off to the side of the road. He was going pretty fast and it bounced as it came to a stop. He got out and walked into the middle of the road, the “no mans land” in the middle in between the orange stripes, and proceeded to take a wiz. I’m pretty sure he was drunk. Scarry stuff. Anytime I see someone driving irratic I have to wonder if they are drunk.

New Mexico’s DWI fatality national ranking through the years.

1990: First worst (19 deaths per 100,000)
1991: First (15.9 per 100,000)
1992: First (16.5 per 100,000)
1993: First (13.7 per 100,000)
1994: Second (12.6 per 100,000)
1995: Second (12.5 per 100,000)
1996: First (12.6 per 100,000)
1997: Third (11 per 100,000)
1998: Fourth (9.5 per 100,000)
1999: Fourth (9.8 per 100,000)
2000: Fifth (9.7 per 100,000)
2001: Fourth (10 per 100,000)
2002: Fifth (10.2 per 100,000)
Source: DWI Resource Center, 2003

STATES WITH LEAST DWI FATALITIES

1. New York
2. Utah
3. New Jersey
4. Massachusetts
5. Hawaii
Source: DWI Resource Center, 2003; statistics are for 2002

STATES WITH MOST DWI FATALITIES

1. Wyoming
2. South Carolina
3. Montana
4. South Dakota
5. New Mexico

Source:DWI Resource Center, 2003; statistics are for 2002 

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Trinity Site Oct 2003

Little Boy

Location of the the first atom bomb explosion. Near Socorro New Meixcio on the north end of the White Sands Missle Range. The site is only open twice a year (for staffing reason, not radiation exposure). As this is a active miltary test base they limit what pictures can be taken. Still there are several pictures missing, but I got them on Video. Look for updates.

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A ECM for Barking Dogs

Lucky me. I have two neighbors with dogs. All of those dogs are kept primarly in their back yard with nothing else better to do than to bark at me when I’m in my back yard. Short of reporting them to the city I have tried this device call “Bark Free”.

One one side of out house is two dogs. They are still young and appear to be golden retrivers. Behind us is are 3 dogs. I can only see one of them and it appears to be the leader. In other words when it barks the other follows. It also is the one that can climb up on the fence and stick its head over. I have talked to both of these neighbors both of which took action after the complaint and slowly slacked off. I have investigated making a formal complaint to the city, but it may require going to court. I’m not prepared to do that just yet. So I have been investigating alternatives.

In steps the Bark Free by Lentek. It claims that it “has a specially designed audible sound selector that lets you choose high ultrasonic frequencies, which can only be heard by dogs, or lower sound tones audible to human ears. Both sounds have been proven to assist in controlling dogs from incessant barking.” So the idea is that when ever a dog begins to bark a sensor will recognize it and emit the irritating noise that only dogs can hear. Thus the dogs will stop barking so they wont hear the noise any more.

This is what you get in the package. (sorry for the fuzzy picture)

One thing I always look for in the packaging is if they put enough time an effort into the design of the product so it will work. Or did they just through it together to sell it. In this case they seemed to including everything. A 50 foot extension cord for the power brick and a water resistant cover are two examples.

I installed this thing on the back of my house under a eve of the roof. I first set the sensitivity to max for a while. Just about any noise will set this thing off at max sensitive. And I can tell when it goes on and off because the speakers will make a clicking noise. I did this so that the dogs would be aware that the noise is there. I left it at this level for a week and then set it an normal sensitivity.

Unfortunately this thing only has a 25 foot range in front of it for about 180 degrees. Which means the dogs on the side of our house don’t always get the benefits of it. And it doest quite reach all the way into the neighbors yard behind us. But it does react to the dogs that get near the fence.

Having had it up for about a month now I can say I have noticed reduced barking from the dogs. They still bark at me when I’m out there, but they seem to bark for only a short time then leave. I have also noticed that 2 of the 3 dogs behind us don’t come right up to the fence, they stay some distance when they start barking. The dogs on the side of our house I have not heard barking at me when I’m in the back yard for some time. The bottom line is I think it does modify behavior but depending on the dog it does not eliminate barking all together.