ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL: 2013 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for Captain Rick’s ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,900 times in 2013. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Captain Rick: After you click the above link, the fireworks explode into the sky for each day I posted a blog entry in 2013. The more people read and commented on the post…the bigger the fireworks display for that day. I had a few really big days with lots of fireworks. It gives me blogging inspiration for 2014.

After you click the above link, scroll down to see the stats. Here are a few highlights:

Top Viewing Sources: Facebook, Yahoo, GilbertWatch, EastValleyNewsNet, CWordJourney

Top Viewing Countries: Views from 68 Countries, led by the U.S., Canada and the UK

Top Commenters: Sandi Bartlett, Anita Christy, Gordon Ray, Ken Bosch, Bill Whitney. (This is the most important stat to me. I sincerely appreciate the comments and encouragement they provided during 2013).

Captain Rick celebrates 200,000 Flickr views as hot air balloon sails over his Arizona oasis

Captain Rick: As a Flickr pioneer, member since 2007, I am honored and humbled by the 200,000 views that people around the world have bestowed upon my photos.

I have chosen this photo of a hot air balloon that I captured sailing over my Arizona oasis to celebrate my sincere appreciation by saying ‘thank you’.

I was fortunate to capture the flame as the giant balloon drifted closely over my Arizona Oasis with a perfect sun angle. I have been photographing the balloons overhead for over a decade. This photo, ‘shot with my Canon’, is perhaps my finest balloon capture to date.

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Captain Rick’s Photostream on Flickr

Interesting ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories:

Photography by Captain Rick

Photography

Captain Rick’s Christmas Lights Spectacular … the Holdman ‘House on Christmas Street’

Captain Rick: The Holdman Amazing Grace Christmas House on Christmas Street in Pleasant Grove, Utah presents the world’s most spectacular Christmas light display featuring 176 light channels and 45,000 multicolored lights synchronized to ‘Amazing Grace,’ ‘Music Box Dancer’ and other great musical numbers.

Captain Rick’s Christmas Lights Spectacular on YouTube: I have compiled the best of past Holdman Christmas light performances in a half hour playlist I present for your enjoyment below, via my YouTube site.

VIEWING INSTRUCTIONS: Click the image above … after you read this: This is a continuous performance that lasts about a half hour. When you click you will be transferred to Captain Rick’s YouTube site and my playlist will begin. Select your viewing quality. Most are available in 720p HD. Select the full screen icon at lower right. Turn your sound up. Then, do not touch anything, except to press ‘skip’ if you encounter an occasional ad. There is a few second blank spot at the end of ‘Music Box Dancer’. Be patient. The performance continues with a 14 minute complete show of the record 2010 Holdman Christmas Lights show and ends with a song by Judy Pancoast about the Holdman ‘House on Christmas Street’. ENJOY!

The Amazing Grace Christmas House was located in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Designed and programmed by Richard Holdman, the display started in 2006, but traffic became too much of an issue and is no longer running.  Richard has gone on to create Holdman Lighting which installs animated lighting displays around the world.

Richard Holdman: 2010 was the last year for our large display on our home. The traffic became to much along with some neighbor complaints but for the record there were many awesome neighbors that loved it and I really appreciate their support over the years.

Your appreciation is welcome: It took a bit of work to put this show together for your enjoyment. However, it was a tiny effort in comparison to the work that went into the Holdman light displays. If you enjoy it, I would be grateful to read your comment below. More so, I know the Holdmans would enjoy your comment.

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Obama Cartoons … ObamaCare & More

Thanks Ken of California for contributing these cartoons.

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Interesting ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories:

Humor

Obamacare

HD Video of B17 and the B25 WWII Bombers flying over Arizona’s Superstition Mountains and Saguaro & Canyon Lakes

Captain Rick: This high Definition Video of B17 and the B25 WWII Bombers flying over Arizona’s Superstition Mountains, Saguaro Lake and Canyon Lake, presents some of Arizona’s most beautiful landscape. The majestic views from the air with the WWII bombers in sight are magnificent.

Click to View HD Video of WWII Bombers over Arizona Landscape

The photography is in HD, the planes are gorgeous and most notably, it is shot as the B-17 takes off from Falcon Field in Mesa, AZ and then flies over the Superstition Mountains to the east of Apache Junction and then on to Saguaro and Canyon Lakes on the east edge of the Phoenix Valley of the Sun.

The aircraft with two engines is a B-25 bomber, the type that Jimmy Doolittle and gang flew over Japan. Both aircraft are stationed at the Confederate Air Force hanger located at Falcon Field in Mesa where both aircraft were rebuilt. Falcon Field is an old WWII Training Airport.

The backdrops are stunning. Music is from the mini-series, ‘John Adams.’

SaberCat1 filming in HD the B17 and the B25 WWII Bombers over and around Arizona’s Superstition Mountains and Saguaro Lake. H5 Productions, in conjunction with The Commemorative Air Force filmed these aircraft during the Veterans Day Celebration on Saturday, November 13th, 2010. The B17 Bomber was flown by pilot Russ Gilmore and the B25 Bomber was flown by pilot Spike McLane. The base for these bombers is Falcon Field located in Mesa, Arizona. SaberCat1 pilot, Mitch Kelldorf. SaberCat1 aerial cinematographer, Mike Murray. Editor, Mike Murray.

Sincere thanks to PJ of Arizona for bringing this excellent video to my attention.

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Ret. Colonel George Arthur Bosch, West Point Grad & WWII U.S. Air Force Pilot … lived to 100

Captain Rick: Ken Bosch, a friend who often comments on Atridim News Journal, recently emailed me “I buried my Father today. He had a full Honor Guard with a 21 gun Salute and a bugler that played Taps. The flag folding is something you have to see to believe. Oh, I almost forgot the overhead flyby with the missing man maneuver. Quite impressive.” When I learned he lived to be 100, a centenarian, I knew this was a story that needed to be told. I asked Ken if he would share this remarkable story with our readers. He enthusiastically agreed. Ken’s guest report follows. It concludes with Ken’s answers to questions I asked in an interview, including how his father viewed America and the serious challenges it faces.

ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL

Guest Report

by

Ken Bosch

Design Engineer

Riverside, California

My father, a WWII U.S. Air Force pilot lived to 100

RET. COLONEL GEORGE A. BOSCH Passed away September 30, 2013 in Riverside, CA at the age of 100. Born in Seattle, WA on 7/13/1913, he graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1938. He retired from the Air Force in 1961 at March AFB. He was a teacher for Riverside Unified School District for a few years. He worked 15 years for the Calif. Dept. of Transportation as a technical engineer, retired in 1975. George was preceded in death by his wife Dee. He is survived by his two children, Wendy Wiley and Ken Bosch; two grandsons, Aaron of San Francisco and Steven of Riverside, and two great grandchildren. Memorial Services were held Monday, December 9, 2013 at 11:30 am at Riverside National Cemetery.

Happy 100th Birthday Cake — George Arthur Bosch

My Sister — My Father — Me

My father flew the P-38 in the pacific and flew observers over Nagasaki hours after the bomb went off. He taught Math in Riverside Unified School District for 8 years and was a Highway Engineer for the State of California for 15 years and retired in 1975.

My dad was a great pilot, great father and led a wonderful long life. I will never be able to live up to his accomplishments, but I keep trying.

I got my pilots license in 1980 and bought a Cessna 150. The first thing I wanted to do was take my Dad for a ride. He instinctively knew how to do a preflight inspection on an airplane he’d never flown before. He was very apprehensive getting into a “Toy” airplane with “only” 100HP. I assured him that it will get us up and back down safely. He was used to 1400Hp on each wing……

In 85 I traded the Cessna for Mooney M-20 with 200HP retractable gear and constant speed prop. This time my Dad was more than happy to go with me. He said, “this is a real airplane”.

The photos above and below are of my father at age 91 at the Chino Planes of Fame Museum: http://planesoffame.org/

I had promised to take him there for months. I had time off between jobs so I used that time to take him to the museum. He had thousands of hours in both the B-17 and the P-38 and many others. The museum administrator had heard that my dad had flown a lot of the planes in the museum and came out to give us a private guided tour. He and my Dad talked for hours about experiences they had in each plan. Two old pilots trading stories, was great fun.

He was still able to get around on his own and even mowed the lawn at his house. In 2009 he fell on the stairs at his home and that was pretty much the end of his mobility. From then on he declined to a walker. He will be missed. Even at 100 he still had his mind, his body was failing. I no longer have parents. They are gone but not forgotten.

Captain Rick’s interview:

What is the most important thing your father taught you?

He was always an “Air Force Colonel” so he taught me discipline and responsibility.

What did you most enjoy doing with your father?

Camping, hunting and fishing.

What will you miss most by his passing?

I’ll miss stopping by on my way home from work to check on him and talk.

How did your father make the world a better place?

Fighting for America’s freedom and trying to make America’s highways safer.

What can the world learn from his footsteps?

Try to stay off the interstate 10 and 215 interchange. It’s right on top of the San Andreas Fault. He doesn’t think it was built well and feels that it’s not safe. Also the left lane off ramps through the San Bernardino corridor is a failed mistake. He fought to stop it but was overruled.

How would your father speak about America today and the situation in DC?

He was not happy at all with the direction the government is taking the country.

He said he was glad his life was ending, and that he would not be here to see the outcome.

He prayed for my sister and I to have a life as wonderful as his had been, but feared that we would not.

What advice would he give to the world?

Be true to the “greatest country on earth”. Never stop fighting for liberty.

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Interesting ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories:

Guest Commentary

U.S. Budget Act of 2013 … Congress kicks the ‘U.S. Debt Can’ down the road … again

Captain Rick: The Budget Act of 2013 kicks the ‘U.S. Debt Can’ down the road yet again. Passed by the U.S. House and expected to be passed by the U.S. Senate next week, I sense renewed concern for the fiscal demise of America. This act does not stop Americas insatiable thirst for debt spending. Debt will continue to rise at a reckless pace. The U.S. debt ceiling will again be reached in February 2014. I would wager it will again be raised. I would also wager that America’s train will plunge over the real fiscal cliff in the coming years. At the bottom lies America as a third world nation. The frustration I feel is well summed up by Matt Salmon, my Arizona representative in the U.S. Congress. Matt is a person that uses intelligence and wisdom to speak and vote … a very rare find in Washington DC these days.

ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Guest Report

Salmon Statement on the Budget Act of 2013

Washington—Today, Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) released the following statement on the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 (Amendment to H.J. Res. 59):

“I applaud Chairman Ryan and our Republican Budget Conferees for working under difficult circumstances to negotiate a compromise with Senate Democrats, and I appreciate that this deal offers some positive items, such as helping to bring back regular order for the appropriations process, approving the Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreement, restoring badly needed resources for our military, and making small changes to some mandatory spending programs.

“However, for me and most of the constituents I have heard from in my district, this deal falls short of something I could support.

“Unfortunately, this deal fails to even make modest reforms to our nearly bankrupted entitlement programs and it, once again, increases government spending  in the short-term with only a promise to make spending cuts in the long-term.

“If we are not willing to make tough choices now, then how can we expect future Congresses to stop kicking the can down the road?

“This was a grand opportunity for our nation’s leaders to reform and preserve the fiscal longevity of our entitlement programs, and this deal does not rise to that challenge.

“Furthermore, I have never believed that Congress should raise taxes or increase fees to justify more government spending. Sadly, this deal does exactly this by raising fees on air travelers.

“As we move forward under these new spending caps, my hope is that Congress and President Obama will finally recognize that our fiscal problems are not solved by raising more revenue and increasing spending, but by cutting spending and addressing our biggest crisis – unsustainable entitlement spending.

“We must make do with less government or our children and grandchildren will pay the heavy price as we continue to see a skyrocketing debt and runaway government spending.

“We must make big strides in the direction of a smaller and more efficient government in order to get our country back on the right path.”

Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

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Interesting ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories:

U.S. Debt Crisis

U.S. Government Shutdown

Captain Rick’s Fiscal Cliff Course 101

Economy

Guest Commentary

International Space Station looses 50% of its cooling … Crew of 6 might have to evacuate

Captain Rick: The International Space Station has experienced a failure in one of two cooling systems. NASA describes the situation as “urgent” but not “life threatening”. Its crew of 6 might have to evacuate if cooling capacity is not restored soon.

The ISS is the size of a football field, orbiting earth at 265 miles up, traveling at a speed of 17,000 mph. As an avid follower of the ISS since its first components were launched into orbit by a NASA Space Shuttle in 1998, I enjoy watching it pass over my home in Gilbert, Arizona every chance I get. The ISS is only visible during a short time frame before sunrise or after sunset when the sky is dark and the ISS is illuminated by the sun’s rays. A good sighting only happens once or twice a month for most locations on earth that lie within 55 degrees north and south of the equator. Last evening, the ISS’s rare pass overhead carried special significance. As I watched it zoom across the sky and vanish into earths shadow four minutes later, I realized that on board were six crew members that were facing a serious situation.

Why does the ISS need cooling when the temp in space runs –454F (-270C)?

The International Space Station, with an acre of solar panels, generates between 75 and 90 kilowatts of power. This power is used by the ISS’s systems, from life support, to storage freezers, to various lab experiments that are dotted throughout the interior. This generates a lot of waste heat — heat that has to be vented into space. To do this, the ISS has a cooling system — essentially a pump, a radiator, and some pipes filled with ammonia — that ferries heat from inside to outside, where the chills of outer space (-270 Celsius or -454 Fahrenheit) quickly dispose of the heat.

There are two cooling loops — Loop-A and Loop-B — and for some reason Loop-A failed late on Wednesday. Usually both systems work in concert to keep the ISS and its various systems cooled, but now Loop-B must bear all of the load. To compensate, some non-critical systems and science experiments (the Japanese Kibo lab, the European Columbus lab) have been disabled. Life support, storage freezers, and other systems that are of vital importance are still up and running.

What is being done to fix this urgent problem?

NASA is currently working around the clock to determine what’s wrong with Loop-A, and how to fix it. So far, it sounds like a flow control valve malfunctioned, causing an anomalous temperature imbalance, which triggered an automatic shutdown when the system reached a preset threshold temperature. The fix might be as simple as uploading some new management software for the valve, or it may require a risky spacewalk to replace a component. Spacewalks have been banned for a while due to 2 cups of water leaking into the helmet of a previous spacewalker.

What if the problem can not be fixed with available parts onboard or via a software patch?

The worst-case scenario is that Loop-B fails before they can fix Loop-A: this would require evacuation of the 6 crew members on board.  There are always enough Soyuz capsules attached to the ISS to ensure that everyone on board has a ride back to Earth. I have hope that the many great minds working on this problem will find a fix and save the great works of the International Space Station. I see the ISS as one of the few expenditures of big money that has been constructive in bringing nations together for a great common research cause (about $150 billion so far, including…NASA: $70 billon, Russia: $12 billon, Europe: $5 billion, Japan: $5 billion, Canada: $2 billion).

Updates on this urgent problem:

I shall do my best to post breaking news updates via the comment section.

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Associated ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories and hot links:

Have you seen the ISS race across the sky?

Space

Track the ISS in your area

NASA email alerts of when the ISS will pass over your area

Captain Rick’s Christmas Oasis: Red White & Blue Palm

Captain Rick’s Christmas Oasis: Red White & Blue Palm, originally uploaded by atridim.

Captain Rick’s Oasis lights up at Christmas time.
Up to 12,000 holiday lights adorn his desert oasis every holiday season. Rumors have it that Santa uses his Oasis sea of lights as a homing beacon to guide his sleigh to Gilbert Arizona.

Merry Christmas to all of my wonderful friends around the world, Captain Rick

Judge rules Detroit Bankruptcy can proceed … the largest in municipal history … $billions owed to city employees, retirees at stake

Captain Rick: A federal judge gave approval for Detroit to proceed with its bankruptcy … the largest municipal bankruptcy in history. Billions of dollars of payments owed to city employees, retirees, investors an creditors are on the ‘chopping block’. Most U.S. municipal pension plans are on a road to eventual failure. This is a ‘wake-up-call’ for all public employees who have been looking forward to the ‘pension dream’ promised by their municipal employers.

The ruling opens the door for the city to cut billions of dollars in payments that are owed to city employees, retirees, investors and other creditors.

Unions and pension funds had argued that the city should not be eligible to use bankruptcy court protections. They said that regardless of the Detroit’s financial troubles, city and state officials did not negotiate with creditors in good faith in an effort to reach a deal on its liabilities.

In his ruling, Judge Steven Rhodes found the city did not meet that threshold, yet he ruled that such negotiations were impractical because of the huge number of creditors, which total more than 100,000. So, ultimately, he concluded that the city filed its petition properly.

Opponents have argued that pension cuts are barred by the state’s constitution. But Judge Rhodes ruled that pensions are fair game under federal bankruptcy law, trumping state law, though he noted that didn’t mean he would definitely approve cuts.

As the bankruptcy moves forward, tens of thousands of workers and retirees are bracing for benefit cuts.

Read Captain Rick’s breaking and in-depth reports:

Detroit files for largest bankruptcy in U.S. history … Prime example of the destruction caused by labor unions … on a track to destroy cities in America and beyond

Detroit: Its Rise and Fall … What went wrong?

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