text:
The Flick -- A term used by air traffic controllers to describe a mental model representing the current and future positions of air traffic in a section of airspace. Controllers visualize the paths of multiple aircraft in terms of position, altitude, trajectory and speed. Controllers also refer to this as "having the picture." But the picture moves -- like a movie -- hence the term "the flick."
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Title Says It All
If you haven't looked over at the blogroll on the right side of the page, you probably haven't seen Robert Reich's new blog yet.
The Truth About the Economy that Nobody In Washington Or On Wall Street Will Admit: We're Heading Back Toward a Double Dip
"But isn't the economy growing again – by an estimated 2.5 to 2.9 percent this year? Yes, but that's even less than peanuts. The deeper the economic hole, the faster the growth needed to get back on track. By this point in the so-called recovery we'd expect growth of 4 to 6 percent.
Consider that back in 1934, when it was emerging from the deepest hole of the Great Depression, the economy grew 7.7 percent. The next year it grew over 8 percent. In 1936 it grew a whopping 14.1 percent.
Add two other ominous signs: Real hourly wages continue to fall, and housing prices continue to drop."
In case it's not hitting you, he and Krugman have been right all along. The stimulus was too small, we didn't focus on creating jobs like we should have (too much stimulus went to tax breaks instead of something like a new WPA) and we're headed for a "lost decade" just like Japan suffered through.
Speaking of which, another idea that I've been too chicken to go out on a limb and write about...Japan's triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami, radiation leaks) may be what winds up turning Japan around. Japan will be forced to spend huge sums on infrastructure -- even if it has to borrow the money. The status quo will change.
I didn't suddenly get brave about writing of things outside my area of expertise. I was just reading Time. If a Japanese economist can think it, then I guess I'm not too far off base.
""Often it takes a huge crisis to make a society change," says Toshihiko Hayashi, an economics professor at Doshisha University in Tokyo, who has studied the legacies of natural disasters. "For Japan, even two lost decades after the bubble burst were not enough to fundamentally change the country's economic and political systems. But this crisis is different. It could be the catalyst that finally changes Japan.""
The question is, what will it take for America to change? Hopefully, it won't take another World War. And, no, I'm not the only one to have that thought either.
Don Brown
March 11, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
What I Learned About ERAM
On the last day at Communicating for Safety, there was a panel discussion on ERAM. For those that don't know about ERAM, it's the big enchilada in air traffic control for NextGen. Without ERAM, there is no NextGen. Read the FAA's Fact Sheet on it if you need to.
"The computer system used at the FAA's high altitude en route centers is considered the backbone of the nation's airspace system. It processes flight radar data, provides communications and generates display data to air traffic controllers.
The current system, called the Host, is being replaced by ERAM."
Now, let me get my usual overexplanations out of the way. I'm retired. I've been retired for 5 years. (Yes, time does fly when you're having fun.) All the abbreviations at the panel discussion went right over my head. I can't tell you the details of ERAM. I can only tell you what I see and what I feel based on 25 years in ATC.
Another piece of the puzzle that you need to plug into this post is the recent past history of NATCA and the FAA. The Bush Administration -- in the form of Marion Blakey -- cut NATCA out of the process. A lot of work was done on ERAM without the input of the people that were going to use it. It was a shameful and despicable period. Even worse, it was just plain stupid.
Now, let's get to the heart of it. Here's what I learned from listening. When the FAA first turned ERAM on at Salt Lake Center (ZLC), it couldn't even track an airplane going the wrong way. If the computer said the flight was supposed to head north and it was headed south, ERAM wouldn't track it.
(For the non-controllers, the data tag that is attached to the actual radar target should follow the target. Here's a picture from a simulator program.)
The program should track the target no matter what it's doing. Circles, loops or random turns. The data should stay with the target. Period. That's where ERAM started with live traffic. The thought of it is appalling to anyone that considers themselves to be in the safety business -- which should be everyone in the FAA (not to mention the entire industry.) You can read about the beginning in this press release from October 2009. (The timeline is important.)
The next big step was ERAM's deployment to Seattle Center (ZSE). Seattle Center (ZSE) adjoins Salt Lake Center (ZLC) which means that the ability of ERAM to pass data back and forth between two facilities gets tested. That started in March 2010. (I'm not certain of that date and it's harder to verify than I thought it would be.) There are still numerous problems. Basic problems. I believe they were referred to as "core functionality". In other words, there are problems that should have been fixed before ERAM ever left the lab. They should have been fixed before the program left Salt Lake Center. And now, they are about to leave Seattle Center.
The language the FAA is using is intentionally confusing but they are splitting hairs and proceeding with ERAM's deployment. ERAM is not ready to be deployed. But yesterday, the FAA's Chief Operating Officer, Hank Krakowski, signed off on turning ERAM on at Albuquerque (ZAQ), Minneapolis (ZMP) and Houston Centers (ZHU).
Here is what hit me when I learned at Communicating for Safety that the FAA was considering ERAM's continued deployment. If the FAA and Lockheed (the ERAM contractor) have all available resources concentrated at ZLC and ZSE, trying to fix the known problems with ERAM -- what happens when they add even one more facility to the mix? Instead of juggling 2 balls, they now have to juggle 3. Or 5. Every controller I talked to (and they were all involved with the program in one way or another) agreed with my assessment. By deploying ERAM to other facilities the problems will grow exponentially. They will have the same problems they now have, a whole host of new problems (each facility is somewhat unique) and they won't have any more people to handle the problems.
Before I close, I want to reiterate; ERAM has to work. If the FAA decided to scrap the whole thing tomorrow, they'd have to start over the very next day. It's that important. It is a monumental undertaking. The pressure to keep this ball rolling is enormous. But so are the consequences if ERAM's shortcomings cause an accident.
Every instinct I have tells me that ERAM's continued deployment is a mistake. A really big mistake. The FAA needs to get it right at ZSE and ZLC before it goes any further. I have nothing more concrete to offer. I'm now an outsider looking in. But my instincts have always been pretty good when it comes to safety.
Expect the press releases about ERAM to start sometime very soon.
Don Brown
March 30, 2011
Beat Me To It
There isn't enough time in the day to blog about everything I'd like to get to. Fortunately, there are other bloggers out there -- many more capable than I.
Those a decade or so younger than I am probably can't understand my dismay that my country is again involved in a decade-long war. After the pain of Vietnam, I didn't think we would ever do it again. That's why this line hit me so hard when I read it yesterday.
"A sixteen-year-old probably remembers when the United States was at peace. In a few more years, that cohort will be nineteen years old."
I distinctly remember being a teenager, awaiting my turn to be drafted for Vietnam. That was the norm. Anybody could get drafted. Everybody knew someone that was. Fortunately for me, the war ended before I turned 18 and the draft was ended.
I believe ending the draft was a mistake. I don't need to explain it -- WWVB beat me to it.
"I thought Charles Rangel was grandstanding when he called for compulsory conscription, but I see now that the Korean War infantryman * was exactly right. You ask a kid about the draft these days, and they're going to reply, "NBA or NFL?""
You might be interested to know that my son is 20 years old. If we had a draft, I would have found time to get to this subject a lot sooner. Which, of course, is the point.
Don Brown
March 30, 2011
NATS Sell-Off
The United Kingdom continues to sell off the Crown Jewels. Figuratively, that is. (So far.)
Budget 2011: Government to reduce stake in Nats air traffic control business
"The national air traffic controller has joined the Channel tunnel rail link on the state auction table as the government pushed on with its asset disposal plans."
And then there's this interesting tidbit;
"However, government sources said no decision had been made on the scale of the stake sale, amid warnings from airlines of "highly damaging" consequences if the state exits the business entirely. The Airline Group, whose members include British Airways and easyJet and which owns 42% of Nats, has warned that it might dispose of its stake if the government reduces its shareholding to zero."
I guess I should have seen that coming, but I didn't.
Just in case you don't think you're interested in all this, former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher started the whole trend of privatization. If you'll read just that section (at the link) from Wikipedia you might glimpse something even more important -- and dangerous -- at the end.
"The privatisation of public assets was combined with financial deregulation in an attempt to fuel economic growth. Geoffrey Howe abolished Britain's exchange controls in 1979, allowing more capital to be invested in foreign markets, and the Big Bang of 1986 removed many restrictions on the London Stock Exchange. The Thatcher government encouraged growth in the finance and service sectors to compensate for Britain's ailing manufacturing industry. Political economist Susan Strange called this new financial growth model "casino capitalism", reflecting her view that speculation and financial trading were becoming more important to the economy than industry."
In other words, Thatcher and her conservative-soul mate, Ronald Reagan, turned our countries away from manufacturing and towards finance. Away from building cars towards selling sub-prime mortgages. Privatization. Deregulation. Gettin' the Flick?
David Cameron -- the new Conservative Prime Minister -- is trying to get the United Kingdom out of the same mess that America is in; a "casino capitalism" economy gone bust. Anybody remember Northern Rock? I bet my English readers do.
"Cameron describes himself as a "modern compassionate conservative."
If that doesn't send the British over the edge then they haven't been paying attention.
By the way, it case you didn't catch my recent post, Krugman says Cameron's policies aren't working.
"But the government of Prime Minister David Cameron chose instead to move to immediate, unforced austerity, in the belief that private spending would more than make up for the government's pullback. As I like to put it, the Cameron plan was based on belief that the confidence fairy would make everything all right.
But she hasn't: British growth has stalled, and the government has marked up its deficit projections as a result."
Come on now. It's all connected. Try to keep up.
Don Brown
March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Good Question
I must be making up for lost time. Sorry for so many posts, so fast, but hey, it's a blog. You can always read it later. I found this following links from another interesting story a reader sent me.
Unilateral Disarmament in the Class War
"What's worse? That the Right has declared class war on working Americans? Or that progressives haven't even been aware of it?"
Good question. What caught my attention was the date in all this.
"Some outrage in Blue Blogistan about a proposed law from House Republicans that would deny union members and their families of Food Stamp benefits if they are on strike."
"This provision, according to my colleague Noah Zatz (who specializes in employment law and public benefits law) was put in by the Reagan Administration in 1981."
I'm going to assume the date rings a bell with most of my readers too.
Don Brown
March 27, 2011
One Simple Reason
There is a new Bill on Capitol Hill -- Public-Private Employee Retirement Parity Act -- that would do away the the remaining portion of a defined-benefit retirement for Federal employees. It is, of course, a Republican Bill.
Bill would end FERS defined-benefit annuity
"Two Republican senators introduced a bill that would end the defined-benefit portion of the Federal Employees Retirement System for new federal hires, starting in 2013. The bill would not affect benefits for current feds.
Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) introduced the Public-Private Employee Retirement Parity Act March 17. The bill would apply to future federal employees, including members of Congress. FERS employees now receive a defined-benefit pension and also may participate in the Thrift Savings Plan, which is equivalent to a private-sector 401(k) retirement plan."
This Bill is just plain wrong for one simple reason -- and the quote will help me explain it. As with the public sector's dive in the Wall Street shark infested 401k waters showed, it makes all Americans become investors. But all Americans aren't cut out to be investors.
Let's think about a comparison. Let's make my daughter the artist an investor and my local Congressman an investor. Give them both a $174,000 salary and let them invest for 20 years. Who do you think will walk away with the most money? Who do you think will get the best investment "advice"?
Pensions were supposed to protect workers in their old age. Even workers that don't know anything about investing. That is the reason their pensions were supposed to be protected by people that did understand investing and had a fiduciary duty to protect a worker's money.
Remember this?
The people on the left side of that curve deserve a pension too. And the good people on the right side of that curve should protect them from the thieves that reside on the same side (the right side) of the curve. Having the Federal Government acquiesce to the same greedy "logic" that gave us the Great Recession is wrong. And -- quite frankly -- morally reprehensible.
Don Brown
March 27, 2011
Waiting On Krugman
First, it is time to go back and check the history of this blog. In June of 2010 I said;
"We only have our opinions. I think it's wrong. But if you think it's the right thing to do for America -- cutting government spending and raising taxes to pay off the deficit -- you now have a test case to watch."
That test case was the United Kingdom. Their new Conservative Prime Minister took the route advocated by America's Republican Party and started paying down their deficit. Last Friday (while I was in Vegas) Paul Krugman gave me the update I was waiting on.
The Austerity Delusion
"And the British government has just marked its economic forecast down and its deficit forecast up.
They're all evidence that slashing spending in the face of high unemployment is a mistake. Austerity advocates predicted that spending cuts would bring quick dividends in the form of rising confidence, and that there would be few, if any, adverse effects on growth and jobs; but they were wrong."
I think it's a little early for Professor Krugman to declare the policy as failed but it's a silly thought on my part. I really have little knowledge or opinion of economics outside of the ones Paul Krugman has written. I do read others from time to time (Stiglitz , Roubini, etc.) but no one has the influence on my opinion that Krugman does. As a matter of fact (for those that didn't click the previous link) he provided guidance on the subject of timing from the man himself -- Keynes.
"But this long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead. Economists set themselves too easy, too useless a task if in tempestuous seasons they can only tell us that when the storm is long past the ocean is flat again."
Following the advice of his economics guru, Krugman told us three years ago to "go big" -- to prepare a massive stimulus for the country. Here we are -- three years later -- and virtually everything Krugman warned us about on the economy has come true. So if he says that the United Kingdom's policy of austerity is failing...I'm inclined to believe him.
"But the government of Prime Minister David Cameron chose instead to move to immediate, unforced austerity, in the belief that private spending would more than make up for the government's pullback. As I like to put it, the Cameron plan was based on belief that the confidence fairy would make everything all right.
But she hasn't: British growth has stalled, and the government has marked up its deficit projections as a result."
And the real problem is (of course) that, if Krugman is right, this is our future -- sluggish growth and continued high unemployment. In other words, a "lost decade". Just like you-know-who warned us.
Don Brown
March 27, 2011
Fatigue and Staffing
If I remember my Bible stories correctly, sleeping while on guard duty was punishable by death for Roman soldiers. Sometimes, it happened anyway. I assume the supervisor that was supposedly sleeping at Washington National Tower will suffer a somewhat less-harsh discipline.
The point is, you can order people not to fall asleep but they will anyway. The real question is, "What are you willing to do about it?".
Ironically, I was at a safety conference in Las Vegas, attending a lecture about fatigue, when all this happened. I probably don't have to spell it all out for you. You can already guess what was said. Shift work causes fatigue. And as we have since learned, this supervisor was on his fourth night shift in a row.
For those that don't know, the vast majority of controllers work rotating shifts. The most popular rotation (now and during my career) is called the 2-2-1 (two-two-one.) That's two evening shifts (typically 3PM-11PM) followed by two day shifts (typically 7AM-3PM), followed by a midnight shift (typically 11PM-7AM). Quite literally, it can kill you if you do it long enough. But that's another story. For now, let's focus on the short-term damage.
Shift work makes you sleepy. The 2-2-1 rotation makes you sleepy all the time. In the briefing at Communicating for Safety, the worst periods for controllers are right where you would expect them to be -- towards the end of an evening shift and during most of a midnight shift. As a matter of fact, the briefer at the conference went to great pains to show that -- at the end of a midnight shift -- test subjects were dysfunctional. That's dysfunctional on a level equivalent to being half drunk. The average subject tested in the same range of functionality as people with a blood alcohol content of .04.
I hope you'll think about that for a moment. If a controller showed up for work with a blood alcohol content of .04 the FAA would try to fire them. Yet, on a daily basis, controllers have to work shifts just as impaired. There's no way around it. Somebody has to work during those time periods. As I said earlier, the question becomes, "What are you willing to do about it?". So far, the answer has been, "Not much.". The briefing did offer mitigation strategies (mostly napping.) But at the very beginning, it was noted that all recommendations were based on a 40-hour workweek.
Who says controllers should work a 40-hour week? Oddly, when I brought it up, most people were thinking in the opposite direction -- the briefing didn't say anything (that I remember) about overtime. If you think a 2-2-1 is tough, try a 3-2-1; three evenings, two days and a midnight. I have seen controllers work overtime midnights; a 2-2-2.
I'd be remiss in pointing out the truth if I didn't take this opportunity to point out how controllers were demonized (much like other public employees are right now) back in the days of the Bush Administration. Many of the "outrageous" salaries controllers were earning at the time were inflated by overtime. Because the FAA chronically understaffs the air traffic control system, controllers work a lot of overtime. All of a sudden, the frame of reference changes how you view overtime doesn't it? Instead of being at work "half drunk" once a week, overtime can make it happen twice a week. Let it go on long enough and it happens all the time -- chronic fatigue.
(Yes, I know "half drunk" is a poor choice of words. I don't write for idiots or to avoid political "gotcha"s taken out of context.)
As criminal as this will seem to some, I haven't even touched on the real crime yet. That would be staffing an important facility like Washington National with only one person. Actually, it doesn't have to be a big, important place to prove how stupid it is for a controller to work alone. It can be stupid at a small, sleepy airport. It can even be stupid to have two controllers on duty but let one of them take a long break.
Where do you draw the line? Having three controllers on duty to work two airplanes on a midnight shift is expensive. What are you willing to do about it?
After the Lexington crash, the FAA started enforcing its rule to have two controllers on duty. But they didn't have the staffing to do it. So that forced them to schedule overtime. And that -- as we have already discussed -- leads to sleepy controllers.
For those not in the aviation industry, I hope the links show you that none of this is new or unknown in this industry. We all work crazy shifts. Pilots, mechanics, controllers and everyone else works when our bodies say sleep. We work 40 hour weeks just like people that get to work normal shifts -- and sleep at normal times. Controllers have it bad enough but pilots and flight attendants are crossing time zones too.
A simple idea like working half shifts on the midnights would help combat the problem. But it would just be another issue our employers would use to beat us up with during contract negotiations. I mean, after all, look what happened to those lazy teachers that only work 9 months out of the year -- for the outrageous sum of $50,000.
|The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
|Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
|Crisis in Dairyland - For Richer and Poorer - Teachers and Wall Street
Don Brown
March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
38 Inches at FL340
Here I sit, cruising along at 34,000 feet (or so) on my way to Communicating for Safety in Las Vegas. I don't know how often I'll get a chance to blog but I have one now. I've got a grand total of 38 inches (or so) to write in (all 6'3" and 250+ lbs. of me. Okay ++lbs. of me.) I'm surrounded by things I don't understand. And I'm not sure I care to understand them.
The first thing is this screen in front of me. Not my laptop, but the "entertainment system". It's entertaining alright. It entertains all sorts of ways to separate me from my money. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First (safety first), isn't this thing going to hurt when I brace my nose against it during an emergency landing? Sorry. Professional hazard. I always wonder how safety considerations stand up against making money. (In my experience, not very well.)
My wife (the TV junkie) is sitting next to me watching The Office . She says she hates The Office. She's waiting on the next "free" show. The movies you can rent are 6 bucks. Imagine, watching a movie on you own screen as you cruise along at 500 mph. It's just incredible. It would be really incredible to have a movie seat to go along with the movie. (Standby. She's on trivia now.) (Standby on the standby. They're having to reboot the entertainment system. Always a comforting process when you're on a computer-controlled airplane.)
Where was I? Oh yeah, I was talking about this flying gift shop I'm on. I don't mind spending money. Really, I don't. I'm headed to Vegas and I'm sure we'll throw plenty of money away. I just find flying incredible when you step back and look at the experience with fresh eyes. The flight attendant handed me a menu. $8 sandwiches and $5 snacks. Add that to the $23 suitcase handling charge. $7 for a (real) drink. I didn't pay any attention to what headsets cost. (I've got my iPod with me.)
(Standby...I'm being distracted by the Linux penguin and code scrolling across the entertainment screen. "Please Wait...")
Here they come with the food carts. Time to tuck those elbows in. I've got to lose some weight. Not sure how I'll lose any height.
Oh well. It turns out trivia is a good way to pass the time on an airliner. The guy in 25A is tough to beat.
Sorry for all the thoughts rummaging around in my brain. It isn't an atmosphere conducive to thinking. But here are my thoughts anyway.
Flying has become an experience to be endured. We've gone from china and silverware to boxed snacks that cost extra. The cabin is stuffed with luggage because the airlines don't want to pay anyone to handle it. But all this is merely an inconvenience.
I think it worthwhile to ask the question, "What are we trying to accomplish?". Seriously, what is the purpose of the national air transportation system? Is it to move bulk goods? No, it's too expensive for that. Is it supposed to be mass transit? It seems as if that is its mission but it's an expensive way of doing it. Face it, we are paying for time. Going fast costs a lot of energy. Is that really what we want to do? So I can get to Vegas in a hurry? That's a national priority?
Who benefits from all this? Airline deregulation's number one rationale was lower airfares for the general public. Ask yourself if that goal has been accomplished. (It certainly has in some respects but I haven't found any numbers on the subject that I trust.) Ask yourself about the costs.
Pilots have been losing ground for decades; Prestige, salary and pension. The rest of the airline employees have only fared worse. How about investors?
"Warren Buffett observed that the world airline industry has not made a dime for investors in a century of manned flight."
If employees, investors and consumers are all being ill-served by this industry, then why are we putting up with it? I was reading an article not too long ago explaining that the average speed of air travel is actually slowing down. Despite all the talk and all the pressure in regards to efficiency -- it's getting worse, not better.
As a matter of fact, that pretty much sums up the whole industry; It's getting worse -- not better. Well, unless you're an airline CEO. I couldn't make that kind of money if I hit the jackpot in Vegas. I guess casinos aren't the only places where we'll pay people to take our money.
Don Brown
March 26, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Still Here (or there)
Just in cased you missed me, I'm still here. I just refuse to pay $22 a day so I can research a blog entry anywhere in this hotel.
Sleeping on duty has been a problem since the Roman Empire (and probably long before.)
One person on duty is bad business for ATC.
But it just proves my point that airplanes don't need controllers to fly (or land.)
ERAM is in more trouble than I thought. I'll explain (more fully) when I get home. Tomorrow. Assuming I can still trust the NAS to get me home.
Don Brown
March 24, 2011
Live from Las Vegas
Sleeping on duty has been a problem since the Roman Empire (and probably long before.)
One person on duty is bad business for ATC.
But it just proves my point that airplanes don't need controllers to fly (or land.)
ERAM is in more trouble than I thought. I'll explain (more fully) when I get home. Tomorrow. Assuming I can still trust the NAS to get me home.
Don Brown
March 24, 2011
Live from Las Vegas
Saturday, March 19, 2011
How's the Big Picture?
There is so much going on in the world right now that it's hard to know where to start. The fight with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has all but disappeared from the media. The fight isn't over. You're just not hearing about it. The battle for Libya has almost disappeared. Not quite, but almost -- as all eyes turn to Japan.
It hasn't been a major theme of mine, here at Get the Flick, but some of you might remember that I'm not a fan of nuclear power. However, if we're honest about viable options, we realize that Japan doesn't have any good ones. I suspect there will be a reevaluation of actual costs when this immediate incident is over.
At the moment, I'm focusing on how the Japanese government is functioning -- with the concern (of course) of how our government functions. Would anybody like to contest the importance of the Japanese government at the moment? How vital it is that they have a good government? Private industry is neat and all but it isn't a substitute for good government. Private industry isn't going to house and feed the Japanese population in the immediate future. Take a look at these pictures and think about how important government is in comparison to private industry.
And that (believe it or not) brings me to Krugman. He's been on a roll lately (and I haven't) and there are some thoughts of his you should be following.
Mind-Changing Events
"And the reality of Japan's liquidity trap showed that monetary policy can lose traction even without those kinds of currency and debt-denomination issues.
You could say that the Asian crisis made me more Keynesian — because it showed that 1930s-type problems could happen in the modern world, and that you could not, in fact, count on Uncle Alan or Uncle Ben to solve everything."
The Great Recession is our government's test. And right now it is failing.
Heroes As Villains: The Case of Elizabeth Warren
"As Nocera points out, this attack needs to be seen in the context of the GOP attempt to undermine any and all financial reform. And the GOP has it in especially for anyone who got it right: since they're trying to sell a narrative in which the financial crisis was somehow generated by too much government intervention, not too little, and the bankers were just helpless victims, they especially need to demonize the people who called the actual route to ruin as it was happening.
And it's not just the Republicans: Warren has clearly faced a lot of hostility from within the administration, too. And as I see it, this also comes precisely because she was right: that gives her the kind of credibility that, in turn, makes her something of an independent force — which some people don't like at all."
Take it from me; being right doesn't necessarily make you popular in government. Especially if being right proves a lot of important people wrong.
Millions of our citizens aren't in shelters and in need of emergency food supplies. (Well, at least not on the scale and in the context of Japan's disasters.) Our millions are unemployed. That is the challenge of our government. If private industry was going to fix it, it would already have done so. (Which is an absurd idea. It's not their job to fix it. Which is why they aren't even trying.) It's our government's job to fix it.
The Forgotten Millions
"More than three years after we entered the worst economic slump since the 1930s, a strange and disturbing thing has happened to our political discourse: Washington has lost interest in the unemployed.
Jobs do get mentioned now and then — and a few political figures, notably Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House, are still trying to get some kind of action. But no jobs bills have been introduced in Congress, no job-creation plans have been advanced by the White House and all the policy focus seems to be on spending cuts.
So one-sixth of America's workers — all those who can't find any job or are stuck with part-time work when they want a full-time job — have, in effect, been abandoned."
I don't believe the government of Japan will abandon its people. I don't believe its response will be perfect. I feel certain it will make mistakes. But I feel just as certain that it will more forward. It will help its people. The question is, why won't yours?
Don Brown
March 19, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Today's Photo 3-16-11
Sometimes, it's really hard to choose between two photos. But, you know what? I don't have to. The maple's red seeds give the appearance of Fall color.
© Don Brown 2011 (Click on the picture to enlarge)
© Don Brown 2011 (Click on the picture to enlarge)
Don Brown
March 16, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Today's Photo 3-14-11 (II)
From a morning in my yard.
© Don Brown 2011 (Click on the picture to enlarge)
© Don Brown 2011 (Click on the picture to enlarge)
© Don Brown 2011 (Click on the picture to enlarge)
Don Brown
March 14, 2011
Today's Photo 3-14-11
I don't have the time to look it up but I remember there are a couple of train nuts out there. Enjoy. Because that is what I am doing -- enjoying myself. Spring is sprung. It's the prettiest time of year in this part of Georgia and I'm out in it.
© Don Brown 2011 (Click on the picture to enlarge)
Don Brown
March 14, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Would You Like to Guess?
Thanks again to The Earth-Bound Misfit for paying attention. Federal agents arrested a guy accused of planting a bomb on the MLK Day parade route through Spokane, Washington.
But, But, White People Simply Cannot Be Terrorists!
"Of course, this guy is a white dude, given that he has ties to neo-Nazis. Which means that Congressman Peter "I was For Terrorism Before I Was Against It" King won't be at all interested."
Apparently, Congressman King isn't the only one that isn't interested. Did you remember the story?
Imagine if this guy was a Muslim. White, Asian or Arab wouldn't matter. It would be on the front page. "Muslim Extremist Tries to Bomb Heartland!" Fox News would go nuts with it. Instead, you get a couple of paragraphs that actually came from The Associated Press. But at least they covered it. Can you imagine if it had happened in Atlanta? CNN would be all over it. Nonstop. They only did slightly better than Fox. (Don't be fooled by the video. It's old.")
Two days after the event and a Google search brings up Salon as the top search result.
I can't tell you why. Would you like to guess?
Don Brown
March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Some Interesting Facts...
...surrounded by the same old junk you know is wrong. When are these guys going to learn that the
CNN International has a three-part story on NextGen. Part 1:
Help on the way for air traffic jams
"Millions of consumers are so frustrated with the airline experience that they're avoiding it, and delays are part of the problem. Some 41 million potential fliers chose not to travel by air from May 2007 to May 2008, according to Geoff Freeman of the U.S. Travel Association. That translates into $26.5 billion in lost spending that could have boosted a recession-dogged economy."
That got my attention. Can I believe it?
"The NextGen overhaul is so complicated and massive that it's often compared to the space race of the 1960s. It will take until at least 2025 to complete and will have an estimated total price of $22 billion. However, long delays and additional costs are threatening to add hundreds of millions of dollars to the project, according to the Department of Transportation."
I don't believe that one. I've already seen estimates of $50 billion. So it won't be "hundreds of millions" over budget. It will be billions.
"Currently, planes must fly zig-zag routes to stay close to ground-based radar tracking stations. With GPS technology called ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast), planes can be tracked while flying in straight-line routes. These routes are shorter. They save thousands of hours of travel time, millions of gallons of fuel and millions of dollars."
Just flat wrong. Everything. No zig-zags for radar. If shorter routes were going to save the airlines they would have already been saved. And just because there might be a few non-aviation folks from the Atlantic that have never thought about the fact that everybody can't always fly in a straight line...
Now that we all have the Flick on that...let's move on to Part 2:
Air traffic overhaul hinges on 'human factor'
"ADS-B represents a giant leap from the current pilot reliance on eyesight and air traffic control radio communication to achieve "situation awareness," a mental picture of all surrounding aircraft. With a screen in the cockpit, pilots now will be able to see the whole picture."
Well, not quite. Perhaps the best way to think about this is to point out that the language of controllers is creeping into the cockpit. (That's by design -- that is the design -- for some people.) It's actually "situational awareness" (a minor error) and situational awareness for controllers is very different than situational awareness for pilots. Same concept -- different details. Pilots won't have "the whole picture". The controllers that hadn't previously caught on are now wincing because they now remember what happened when pilots got TCAS. TCAS shows a limited number of airplanes on a "scope" in cockpits. It was a revelation to pilots -- how many airplanes showed up on TCAS. They thought TCAS showed them "the picture" and they started questioning controllers about what they were seeing. It didn't go over well.
ZTL: Delta twenty four turn twenty degrees left vectors for traffic
DAL24: Where's the traffic Center we don't see him on TCAS
ZTL: Delta twenty four (stop looking at your TCAS and) turn 30 degrees left
Again, for those that don't think about these things, a controller's "scope" is now a big computer monitor. (I think they're 20 by 24 inches.)
A pilot's "scope" for TCAS is tiny. Even a "glass cockpit" with ADS-B won't come close to the scale that controllers use. I thought pilots were busy enough without having to stare at another little, tiny screen. Which leads us into the next quote.
"If texting while driving is unsafe, what about texting while flying?"
I wish I had thought of that line. The only line I had come up with is that if you think the washout rate for pilots is high, you ought to see what it is for controllers. And now you want a guy that can do both -- at the same time -- while "texting" clearances instead of talking on the radio?
I guess Part 3 will be out tomorrow. It will probably tell us how all this new NextGen technology will transform us all into Superman and defy the laws of physics.
Don Brown
March 10, 2011
Spelling It Out
I was hoping that the curious -- when they saw the list of donors for the Republican Governors Association in the previous post -- could follow it on their own. And then I tried to follow the top donor -- Perry Homes -- and ran into a slight obstacle.
There isn't an entry on Wikipedia (my favorite starting point for searches) for "Perry Homes". You first have to figure out who Perry Homes is. It's Bob J. Perry.
"Bobby Jack Perry (a.k.a. Bob J. Perry) (born October 30, 1932), is a Houston, Texas homebuilder, owner of Perry Homes, and major contributor to a number of 527 groups, such as the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth and the Economic Freedom Fund."
That's right, he's the Swift Boat guy.
"In 2006, Perry was the largest political donor in Texas. His donations included nearly $400,000 to the campaign of GOP Governor Rick Perry (no relation)."
They aren't related -- at least not by blood. Gov. Rick Perry just happens to be the Chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
Republicans. A Texas Governor. Swiftboating, Union busting. This tune might remind you of another guy.
You might remember we've been down this road before.
I think you can take it from here. I hope I didn't insult anybody's intelligence by spelling it out.
Don Brown
March 10, 2011
P.S. Didn't the house-building market crash? Where's this homebuilder getting all the money?
They Were Lying
Last night, the Wisconsin Republican Senate voted to strip public-sector union workers of their bargaining rights. As you are hopefully aware, the premise of the Bill in question was that the government needed these new powers to rein in the out-of-control costs of labor contracts. Because the union-busting portions of the Bill were wrapped up in the budget bill, the State Senate needed a quorum to vote. It's a requirement of the State constitution -- there must be a quorum present to vote on a fiscal Bill.
After a three week (or so) standoff -- where Democratic Senators left the State to prevent a quorum (and thus blocking the Bill) -- the Republican put all the union-busting portions in a separate Bill and voted it through last night. You can read a better version of this explanation at Time.
If you've been able to follow me (hopefully this has just been a refresher) then you already recognize that Wisconsin's Governor Walker lied. Taking away union rights was supposedly about balancing the budget. That kind of law requires a quorum. Now that the Republicans have tried everything they can think of in the nearly month-long standoff -- without success -- the truth comes out. Crushing unions has nothing to do with balancing the budget. Either the Wisconsin Senate just violated the Wisconsin Constitution or they -- and Governor Walker -- were lying. Or both. (Actually, I think it's both. The lawyers are going to get rich on this one.)
Of greater concern is how this will play out in public opinion. With 14 million Americans unemployed, I'm thinking that workers are already weak enough. We'll have to wait to see what workers think.
Two things to keep in mind. Federal workers? You're next. Everybody else? Keep in mind that labor fights haven't always been non-violent.
(Teamsters and police clash in a 1934 Minneapolis strike)
So far, these demonstrations in Wisconsin (and elsewhere) have been remarkably peaceful. If desperate people get the idea that laws don't matter -- State constitutions and sunshine laws -- don't expect them to remain lawful. I hope that they remember the lessons of Martin Luther King, Jr. But history says they won't. This situation could get out of hand. It's important to remember who started this.
Don Brown
March 10, 2011
P.S. In case, like me, you wonder who is on the other side.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
"60 Minutes" Still Has It
If you read this blog, you know the misery is out there. You know the unemployment figures. You know the outlook. You know the times are tough.
Knowing it and seeing it are two different things. Watch. It's important. (Sorry about the commercials.)
(Here is the print version of the story in case you have cause to use it.)
A friend and I used to poke fun at our parents. They were suffering from DES -- Depression Era Syndrome. You've probably seen it too if you know anyone that survived the Depression. They would never throw anything away that might be remotely useful one day. They didn't waste anything. They watched their money like a hawk.
It doesn't seem so funny anymore does it?
The kids you see in this video will be just like that. They are learning lessons that my generation thought were so remote -- so unimaginable -- that they were laughable.
When you look and see the damage that has been done -- and realize it will last for decades (if not a lifetime) -- perhaps you will believe that I was serious when I said the banksters belong in jail. The kids in this video shouldn't be the only ones that have to learn a hard lesson. The banksters should learn one too.
Don Brown
March 8, 2011
Today's Photo 3-7-11 (too, two)
Some of you may remember Meadowlark Gardens. The gardens are blooming again.
© Don Brown 2011 (Click on the picture to enlarge)
© Don Brown 2011 (Click on the picture to enlarge)
Don Brown
March 7, 2011
Monday, March 07, 2011
It Says Retired
I haven't had this much email since I stopped writing for AVweb. Don't get me wrong, I like getting email. And just ask my friends, I like talking about air traffic control (still.) But I'm not "up to speed" as they say, and I have no motivation to kick myself into high gear. I'm retired. I like taking it slow.
This is just my way of saying that -- if you've emailed me -- I'll get back to you. Probably later than sooner. Especially the folks that ask the "deep" questions. (Who would have thunk it? Atlantic readers are deep thinkers. Duh.)
I'm flattered. Sincerely. I'll get back to you. You can trust me. I was a controller. But right now I have a few flower beds that need weeding before it gets hot.
© Don Brown 2011 (Click on the picture to enlarge)
Don Brown
March 7, 2011
Today's Photo 3-7-11
I'll never figure it out. Looking at this morning's weather report, I thought it would be perfect conditions for a sunrise shot. One of those "the sky's on fire" type sunrises. It wasn't to be. You just never know what you'll get. You just have to show up and hope for the best.
Besides, even second best ain't bad.
© Don Brown 2011 (Click on the picture to enlarge)
Don Brown
March 7, 2011
Back to Normal
My last post for James Fallows is up on his blog now. Starting today, I hope to return to a more sedate pace, suitable for a retired guy. I'd forgotten what it was like to go through life with too many thoughts running around in my head and a deadline. With AVweb, it was just once a month. My wife has been looking at me and just shaking her head. Well, she says things but when I'm lost in thought I do not hear.
I thought it might prove useful to list the entries I put up in case I (or anyone else) wants to find them at a later date. They are, in order:
Inside the Busy, Stressful World of Air Traffic Control
Seeing Through an Air Traffic Controller's Eyes
The Case for Regulating Airport Runways
Why We Need Constant Air Traffic Vigilance
Can the FAA Get Rid of Air Traffic Controllers?
It is my fervent hope that in some way, somehow, they shall do some good.
I have to, again, thank James Fallows for the grand opportunity of borrowing his audience. His audience is not only vast, it is influential. I'll never understand why he was willing to take such a risk on me. I hope that he is breathing a little easier today.
I'll leave you with one thought I never worked into his site. The week before, IBM's "Watson" was the big story. I'm sure the guys at the FAA and MITRE that dream of replacing air traffic controllers with computers were watching. I'd heard Ken Jennings being interviewed about it all. The show had already been taped but he was sworn to secrecy about the outcome. He mentioned that Watson has several advantages over humans. Near the top of the list was the fact that Watson didn't get nervous. Watson didn't get emotional. It didn't get rattled.
I could see where some people might think that was an advantage. Controllers and pilots do get scared. When -- suddenly -- there's an emergency and someone's life hangs in the balance, it can be hard to control the fear. It can be hard to keep that fear out of your voice and provide a pilot with reassurance. A controller knows that they might say something wrong. They might make the wrong decision. And they know the enormity of it.
The fact that Watson is missing those human frailties is a double-edged sword. It's a computer. "Caring" is just another word in it's electronic vocabulary -- just like "dying". It can make the decision to turn an airplane into a mountain with all the emotionless efficiency with which it "landed" in Toronto instead of Chicago .
I'm going to take the fact that it bombed on an aviation question as a sign.
Don Brown
March 7, 2011
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Hey! You! New Guy!
I suspect I'll have more than a few "new" controllers show up at this site in the coming days. James Fallows has caused me to put my safety hat back on this past week so I've been running around with my brain on fire, like the old days. I plan on dousing that fire this weekend. There's a reason I retired...
But before I do. If you're a controller that hired on after 2005 and you never had the "pleasure" of working with (or around) me... I've got something to say.
If you don't understand non-radar, you don't understand air traffic control.
Remember -- I was a young controller once. I know what you're thinking.
At first, you don't even care how it all happens. Just let me talk to some airplanes so I can show you what I've got.
That will pass. Trust me. Probably about the first time you really scare yourself when you're alone.
I don't know how this generation will ever learn about the building blocks of air traffic control. I really don't. But I did -- somehow. And it wasn't the FAA that taught them to me. It was the profession -- other controllers.
""What did they call non-radar before radar?" Answer: Air Traffic Control. Non-radar is the foundation of all air traffic control."
Maybe you'll have to play the home version of air traffic control. I don't know. I just know you need to know it. Air traffic control isn't a video game -- no matter how much the FAA makes it look like one.
Don Brown
March 5, 2011
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Today's Photo 3-3-11
A subtle sunrise this morning.
© Don Brown 2011 (Click on the picture to enlarge)
Don Brown
March 3, 2011
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Okay, So I Lied
I know I said I'd put all the ATC stuff on James Fallows' blog at the Atlantic but I just couldn't pass this one up and it would take too much time to explain it to a more general-type audience.
Any controller that was working between 1981 and, say, 1987 will share in my sense of deja vu, reading this article.
Air-traffic concerns on the rise in Colorado
"I-News, a nonprofit news collaborative for Colorado media, examined nearly 11 years of National Aeronautics and Space Administration data and found that the total number of reports through the first 11 months of 2010 exceeded the number of similar reports filed over the previous five years combined."
"The problem, the report said, is "many very junior, and often not even fully certified controllers cutting a lot of corners, and doing some very sloppy coordination." And the trainers, the veteran added, were being asked to teach others after having only "a year or two at the most on the job themselves."
"Mike Naiman, one of the Colorado controllers set to retire then, says officials in Congress and the FAA need to pay special attention to the coming wave of retirements. "We kept telling them, 'You're going to see a lot of people go,' " he said."
Mike is right (of course.) We tried to warn them. Over and over and over again.
I hope you won't read these words anywhere else; It's a good thing we had a recession. At least that slowed the traffic down and gave the FAA a little breathing room. Not to mention, it kept a lot of controllers from retiring -- when their retirement funds tanked. I just hope it's enough.
Don Brown
March 2, 2011
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Welcome "Atlantic" Readers
It dawned on me last night that the air traffic control parts of my blog aren't that easy to find anymore. You are, of course, welcome to read the political stuff and look at the pictures. But if you came for the ATC, this list will make it a little easier. I picked them mostly by popularity.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll come back.
Air Traffic Safety vs. Capacity
Air Traffic for Dummies
So Reasonable
URET - A Dissenting View
The Truth
Don Brown
March 1, 2011
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text:
Identity is not an obvious aspect for the multicultural and relatively young community of Winterslag (Genk, BE). The allochtonous youth is confronted with problems in its search for identity. The bond that once existed between miners fades away over time. Therefore, the present project aims at visualising the complex and multilayered idea of identity through a number of social-graphic projects. Visualising and idealising Winterslag Cité is a possibility to call attention to the unique history and identity of the local community. In the end, this might stimulate the diminished social cohesion.
The result of this study is a manifesto that is published by a fictional citizens movement that is trying to revive the strong sense of solidarity among the residents. Next to a rousing text (set in a new 'hybrid' alphabet), the manifesto contains the results of the social-graphic projects that each researched themes like geography, language, environment and history through a co-created personal map, a new flag and multiple photo-ethnographies among others. The manifesto takes form as a newspaper with take-out pages that also serve as posters calling on everyone to come together and carry out their pride for their community and joint identity.
— Exhibited at Conflict & Design, 7th Triennial for Design in Flanders, at C-mine, Genk. From December 15th, 2013 until March 9th, 2014.
— Part of the exhibition 'WTS' shown at the COALFACE Gallery in Winterslag from December 17th, 2010 till February 13th, 2011.
'WTS' exhibition at COALFACE-gallery
Niek Kosten is a design researcher, teacher and independent graphic designer from Belgium.
He is part of the research group Social Spaces (LUCA School of Arts) where he is currently working on his PhD. At LUCA School of Arts – Campus C-mine in Genk, Kosten teaches in the fields of critical design, public space and graphic design at the Interaction Design & Game Design program. He is also co-founder of KOPIJ, a graphic workspace in Hasselt and creates self-initiated and commissioned works that critically explore societal issues as an independent designer.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"The Adventures of Tessa" chronicles the experiences of live aboard sailing while traveling the Great Loop Route. Follow the adventures here with Tessa (a 50' Gulfstar) along with her crew, Captain Gary (Frugal Captain) and Lori Milson.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
After 8 months, 23 days and nearly 4000 nautical miles, our beloved Put-in-Bay appeared on the horizon accompanied by calm, glittering Lake Erie. Perry's Monument stood proudly in the distance, and we were feeling just as proud of Tessa and her Crew. It was an inspiring homecoming. We received a warm PIB welcome from our friends at the Boardwalk, then on to a champagne celebration with Dave and Lynnette on Fantasea. Sunday we were through the 12:00 Port Clinton Drawbridge and greeted at our dock by Nick and Lynne, Bob and Mary Jane, Brad and Chris, Kirk and Anita, Bryan Diveto, Dick Widdis, and other Brands' neighbors. Hugs and kisses and questions were flying everywhere. "Yes, we had a great trip" we replied. But it felt OH SO GOOD TO BE HOME!! The overwhelming interest, concern, love and support of our family and friends has been wonderful, yet very humbling. What did we do to deserve it...and how do we pay it all back to everyone? A good start might be to pass along the most important lesson that we experienced over and over again during our travels. To quote our sailing friend Allison "Cruising will restore your faith in humanity." That it did! We found that no matter where you go, if you extend a hand in friendship, someone will be there to take it.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 6:55 AM No comments:
Friday, May 22, 2009
We spent our last evening in the Erie Canal at a dock just east of Lockport New York. Nothing much there except the important things. Restrooms, showers, and a highly recommended, by local fishermen, Dairy Bar within walking distance. We cleaned up and hiked over to Reid's for the suggested "double cheeseburger smoothered" and concluded the carbo-calorie fest with ice cream sundaes. Except for Gary, who ordered an XXL double chocolate shake. The cup was so large he could barely get his hands around it, kind of like those supersize sodas that won't even fit in a cup holder. As he's making dry, bottom of the cup sucking sounds, he eyeballs my sundae and says "You eatin that?" I ran ahead out of his reach shouting "YES, I'm eatin this!" It's been a long time since we gave in to ice cream and he was totally out of control. As soon as we came down from our sugar buzzes, we called it a night in anticipation of a 6:30 a.m. wake up call to exit the canal and head for Lake Erie.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 2:39 PM No comments:
Wednesday we explored the little town of Clyde, found a Geocache, and hit the canal. Tom happily took the helm and Gary got a nice break. We were going to stop in Fairport like we did last September, but decided to try a town we hadn't seen, so continued west to Pittsford. It's a bustling, trendy canal town a stone's throw from Rochester, so it's much more commercialized. We explored the town, then went in pursuit of a 99 cent draft. No luck, the beer special at the Pittsford Pub was Blue Moons for $3.50. One beer each, then back to the boat for Memphis smoked ribs, cole slaw, and baked beans. Tom got on line and located the nearest Geocache 30 feet away. "Gary, couldn't you get Tessa a little closer?" Tom complained. I found it under a bench that Tom was sitting on! Once that mission was accomplished, we hit the bunks for an early wake up call Thursday morning.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 6:12 AM No comments:
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday we departed Baldwinsville and continued west into Lock 24. Here we saw a bunch of fish feeding along the lock wall. "GIMME THE NET! I'm gonna catch us a fish!" Sheri screamed as she laid on the deck and assumed a netting position. Between laughing hysterically and struggling with the lock line and my boat pole, I managed to grab the net and hand it to her. Tom rolled his eyes as I, the fishing expert, informed her that fish were too fast to simply net right out of the water. But I humored her by scooting them her way with my boat pole. "I GOT ONE!!!!!!!!" she screamed as she lifted the net up with her fresh catch of a stinky slimy sucker type fish. Even though she proved me wrong, I must say that watching this was worth every ounce of damage it did to my fishing knowledge ego. After all the excitement, we proceeded through the locks and wound our way along a very scenic part of the Canal. As we approached the spot where we saw the eagle last September, Gary spotted one flying right over our heads with a fish in it's talons. Shortly after that, we saw another one. Fantastic! Tuesday was Tom and Sheri's 30th anniversary, and we began the celebration with Champagne and escargot, followed by filet mignon and parsley buttered potatoes. Then it was time to head into town to find a laundromat and the Red Wings game on in a sports bar. We were successful on both counts. I found the laundry and the gang found "Keggers" bar. The locals were into darts and tattoos, draft beers were cheap, and the Red Wings won. Life was good in Clyde New York, and Tom and Sheri enjoyed another adventure on the Erie Canal with family, good food, and cold beer.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 5:59 PM No comments:
Monday dawned breezy and cold for our Oneida Lake crossing. Tom and I rigged up every pole on board and expectantly shivered on deck. All the way across prime fishing waters, all we caught was one stinkin bass. Good thing Sheri had Jambalaya on the menu as a back up plan. Baldwinsville was recommended as a good stopping point for the night in our guide book, so we tied up to the park wall and went to check out the town and find a few Geocaches. We poked into a nice looking brewery and inquired about beer specials. No specials, beers are $4.00. Let's keep looking. LOOK! There's a sign for 99 cent drafts! Now we're talking happy hour! The Edgewater Grill had everything going for it. Good people, nice bartender, delicious appetizers, and most importantly GREAT beer for 99 cents. Nowhere in our travels have we encountered a bar that sells specialty pints for 99 cents. We thought Fat Tuesdays in Fort Lauderdale was a good deal with 80 cent six ounce Bud Light drafts, but Edgewater set a whole new standard for an economical happy hour. "We can have a pint of Guinness for 99 cents?" Gary asked incredulously. "Sure" Michelle replied. "WOW!" Gary exclaimed. We hated to leave beer mecca, but Jambalaya was calling back at Tessa. While Tom and Sheri cooked, Gary and I decided to search for one more Geocache. Which happened to be right around the corner from the Edgewater Grill. "Come on, ONE more 99 cent draft!" he pleaded. OK, twist my arm. Tuesday morning, we walked into town to at least see something other than the Edgewater Grill. Baldwinsville is a wonderful town that we we definitely return to visit again.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 1:17 PM No comments:
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sunday morning, we departed Rome at dawn in order to make the seven hour Oneida Lake crossing during good light and good fishing. The band of merry sailors sang and danced our way through the locks, now with an extra added attraction. Sheri pole dances with her boat pole, as though she were entertaining the Lockmasters on stage instead of on deck. They all grin from ear to ear as we enter and depart the lock with The Erie Canal Song blaring and Sheri performing. In the canal we were protected from what was in store for us as we entered Oneida Lake. We were assaulted by cold brutal 20-30 knot winds and breaking waves, right on our nose. "HEY!" I yelled from down below as things began crashing around the cabin. "THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG SEVEN HOURS!" Captain Gary turned Tessa around and headed back to the Sylvan Beach wall to tie up and wait out the winds. We were greeted by a nice couple who watched us venture out and turn around. Even they were glad we did! This was a perfect opportunity to get secure, relax, and enjoy what turned out to be a great stop. We stopped in at the local breakfast cafe for something warm to drink, then we wandered through town scoping out a Geocache location and a potential pub crawl. At the first welcoming pub, Splash, we made friends with Chuck, who filled us in on some interesting local knowledge. He also invited us to attend an American Legion benefit for his friend and fellow veteran who is very ill with cancer. We took a walk over to Verona Beach where the second Geocache of the day was hidden by a lighthouse, which I found right away under a bench. I'm starting to get the hang of Geocaching. Next we stopped at Brothers Bar for some wings and Red Wings. While Tom and Sheri finished watching the game, Gary and I braved the winds back to Sylvan Beach town and the American Legion benefit. Chuck and his wife Donna welcomed us like old friends, and we had a great time watching Chuck play in his classic rock band "Pegasaurus". While all this activity was going on, Sheri's roast pork loin with cherry wine glaze was simmering away on Tessa, creating wonderful comfort food smells to greet us down below. We went to sleep with full tummies and dreamed of fair skies and light winds for our second attempt to cross Oneida Lake on Monday.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 12:01 PM No comments:
Monday, May 18, 2009
Leave it to Nick James to dramatically enhance our locking experiences. Friday night he emailed us Bruce Springstein's version of the Erie Canal Song. As we approached Lock 17 Saturday morning, Gary cranked up the music full blast and we danced our way through the lock. Even the Captain danced at the helm! The Lockmaster said we were his liveliest group yet. Tom and Sheri will celebrate their 30th anniversary on Tuesday of our trip. Sheri has been thrilled with the cities she has visited so far on her anniversary trip, beginning in Amsterdam and Saturday night here in Rome. We ran into some big thunderstorms on the way and it was quite damp and dreary when we arrived, but not enough to dampen our spirits. Sheri prepared Chicken Marsala with Pasta Primavera, then we went off to find the Gouache that was supposed to be located within walking distance of the park we were docked near. Back at Lock 11 in Amsterdam, Gary and I had participated in finding our first ever Geocache with Tom. Now we are hooked on these GPS treasure hunts. The four of us trooped through overgrown weeds and wet grass to the wooded area that the GPS coordinates indicated was the location of the cache, but after about an hour of searching we gave up. Plus it had gotten awfully thirsty out there, and we wanted to head over to the Roadhouse Bar. Ryan, who was fishing from the dock by Tessa, recommended we stop by there and see his bartender girlfriend Georgeann. Except this crew doesn't just stop by somewhere. We make it an experience! First we met Georgeann, then all the locals, and then it was time for KARAOKE!!! More locals filled the bar and Gary once again brought the house down with Chantilly Lace. Sheri wanted the four of us to perform The Erie Canal Song, but to my utter relief, the DJ didn't have it. Our favorite new Kareoke friend was a cross between Lou Rawls and Luther Vandross, and he really got the crowd going with "Strokin!" What an unplanned yet absolutely enjoyable evening.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 12:11 PM 1 comment:
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Friday morning we departed Lock 11 and I immediately got both rods rigged up and began trolling. Tom brought a huge tackle box full of ammunition, so I was locked and loaded and ready to catch dinner. All of my fishing efforts have been failures up to this point, but with the proper equipment we were destined to catch something. Finally, ZZZZZZZZZZING went the drag and I reeled with enthusiasm until up popped my prize catch. A big gnarly stick! Thankfully, Sheri baked a beautiful piece of salmon covered in steamed veggies in lieu of my fresh catch. It was awesome, and we enjoyed it with salad and wine. Three bottles of wine. Hey, we were celebrating our first night on the canal. And after all, they brought two cases for the ten day trip. Now we are a bit concerned as to whether the supply will last until Tuesday when we hit the Niagra wine trail. Wonder if we should also be concerned that our provisioning list has four things on it, three of which are adult beverages. We're havin fun now!!!!!
Posted by Frugal Captain at 1:10 PM No comments:
Friday, May 15, 2009
This morning at 6:00 a.m. George handed over his lock gloves and bid farewell to Tessa and Crew. True to George's nature, he thanked US for the trip. It most certainly is the other way around. How many friends would sit alone in a dark cockpit from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a..m., out in the middle of the ocean, struggling with big waves and huge swells, dodging freighters and who-knows-what else is out there, for eight nights???? And the first three nights I didn't even make him coffee, as I was down below wrapped up in my fears. What a trouper he was, putting up with "the weakest link", dealing with the elements and conditions, sleeping on the settee under the bar which was the only bunk he couldn't roll out of, and doing all of this with a smile on his face until this very last morning. All that in exchange for three squares and a sip of twelve year old scotch every so often. We definitely made out on this deal!!
Posted by Frugal Captain at 10:51 AM No comments:
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Yesterday, Wednesday, we departed Castleton with a crisp spring breeze and bright blue sunny skies. A beautiful day on the Erie Canal. We went through the "flight of five" locks which are within a quarter mile of each other, and it's a busy trip. It's about two hours between Lock 6 and 7 and the same between Lock 7 and 8, where we stopped for the night. I trolled all day and casted in the evening but no luck. So we had grilled pork chops instead of fresh fish. Heading north, then west through the locks has proven to be a bit more difficult than last September. We're not sure if it's the direction the water enters the lock to fill it up, but it forces Tessa right up against the wall, bumpers groaning under the pressure. Quite a workout fending off with the boat poles. Today it's dreary and rainy but not unpleasant. We should arrive in Amsterdam NY at Lock 11 early afternoon, hopefully with enough time to get this disaster down below in order for Tom and Sheri's arrival this evening. It appears that Gary and I will be in our bunk snuggled up to the Garmin Radar tonight. It's either that or the teak dinner table. Or maybe we lay on the table and hold the Garmin..... Speaking of the dinner table...During the mast unstepping, my job was to do the cranking up and down of the masts. Up up up first, until the mast clears the deck. Then down down down to the dock to wrap everything together. Before beginning the up process, George checked with Gary to be sure everything was unattached down below. "OK, Babe, start cranking!" Gary shouts and away I go until it became really strained to crank any more. "Wait a minute! There's a table attached to the mast down there!" Gary remembers. George decided Gary was getting tired at that point!! All in all, we are quite a team and pat ourselves on the back for what we've accomplished so efficiently. George was such a tremendous help and made it all possible. We just can't thank him enough. It will not be the same without him on board, but I suspect we will miss him more a lot more than he will miss us once he gets back home safe and sound.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 9:13 AM 1 comment:
Posted by Frugal Captain at 6:15 AM 2 comments:
"Cousin in Miami"
Jimmy Buffett had the right idea with his well known lyrics, but according to our experiences, he left out quite a few. Everybody's got a cousin, a second cousin, a third cousin, a father, a step mom, a sister, a brother, a sister-in-law, a brother-in-law, a niece, a new neighbor, an old neighbor, a boat friend, a dock friend, a new friend, an old friend, and a friend of a friend….in Miami. Thank you to every single one of you that visited us on Tessa during these wonderful months in Key Biscayne paradise. We enjoyed every minute of every visit!!! Chas wasn't the first to arrive, but we will start the story with him, as he is very needy about special recognition. He drove down from Fayetteville on leave, and stayed with us for a way-too-short visit. His stay was supposed to coincide with his 27th birthday on March 31st, but we had to celebrate early due to his preparations for departure to Afghanistan the first of April. Good timing, a Great White charter was scheduled during his visit. We were anticipating an experience for Chas similar to Jon's. Chas happily surrounded by intoxicated dancing bikini clad babes as he secretly texted pictures to his envious buddies back at Fort Bragg. At Miami Beach, we watched the guests depart from the bus with a serious sense of disappointment. One by one, each middle-aged man stepped aboard Great White, receiving a warm but not-so-sincere welcome from the crew. WHERE ARE THE BABES? They don't even have to have bikinis, just give us females…PLEASE!!! Although the event supervisor, Adele, is absolutely gorgeous, Chas couldn't have gotten even a nod from her while she tended to her customers. She definitely had her hands full with this rowdy crowd of Doctors from Argentina. I always seek out the party leader in each crowd to get things warmed up quickly. My target was easily identified on this trip. He was sporting a huge smile, accompanied by a busy Hawaiian shirt and stylish plaid knee high shorts. Come on, Doc, let's get this party started with the perfect song. "It's Five O'clock Somewhere!" He eagerly listened as I explained the meaning of the lyrics. They assembled for a group photo, and I couldn't stop laughing when I spotted my Doc singing the chorus along with Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson. But I sure felt bad for Chas as the Doctors partied to a feverish level, drinking heavily, all vying for Adele's attention. We took a nice long beach walk the next day, where Chas began his quest of finding and conquering a coconut. Sunday afternoon we had a party for Chas on Tessa, which included the younger generation new friends we made, Mitch and Kristen. Since they were all about the same age, the three of them had a great time together, even with us old folks around. Our favorite dock friend Angela and Captain Ed did a drive-by on their cruising yacht Sanctuary. Mr. Fish, my nickname for our friend Leo, came back from spear fishing triumphant, proudly holding up a 30 pound grouper which made our mouths start watering. The next day four pounds of beautiful filets were delivered to Tessa. Now that is service! Gary wanted nothing to do with another trip to South Beach, but Chas and I took the opportunity to spend a few hours there while Gary and Pete readied Great White for an annual Coast Guard inspection. By the end of the afternoon, I had bruises on my arms from Chas excitedly poking me every time he spotted an ultra-expensive sports car. He spent most of the time taking photos on his cell phone and texting them to his buddy Wac, while I people-watched. We spotted Pete's favorite nightclub, Mango's, and decided to duck in for a cold one. Chas ordered a Corona. "That'll be $5.55 plus tax and gratuity please" says the scantily clad barmaid. If a beer is that much, might as well have a mango mambo. Do I want the $12.00 plastic cup or the $15.00 souvenir plastic cup? What? The menu says $9.00. This is about when she began losing interest, and replied "tax and gratuity!" OK, just give me a rum and diet coke. One shot or two ma'am? What? This is way too complicated. How much is a shot? $7.00 plus tax and gratuity. I'll take ONE SHOT and THEN we'll go find an ATM. Um, by the way, we're not from around here.. we're from Ohio, oh…it shows? Just when we were feeling lonely and depressed by Chas' departure, Tom and Sheri arrived to cheer us up. They spent a long weekend with us, enjoying the sun, Grouper Fingers on Tessa, Key Biscayne, Ayesteran, and Hooters in Coconut Grove, where the waitresses posed for a birthday greeting for Chas. On the way back to the Fort Lauderdale airport, we slurped oysters together at Southport Raw Bar and then, just when as they were getting warmed up, off they flew back to chilly Detroit. My cousin Leonard and his new wife Jan shared a day of their Florida vacation with us. It's tradition to have pizza at the Flicker Light Lounge in Hollywood, where Leonard spent many a summer afternoon hanging out with Uncle Joe during their family vacations. We met there for an early lunch, then they followed us to Rickenbacker Marina to see Tessa's digs. We thought they would get a kick out of world famous JIMBO'S, and I really got a kick out of Jan's reaction. "OH MY GOSH??!!" she kept exclaiming over and over again, as we wandered through Miami's most legendary squatters camp. A visit to Ayesteran capped off a perfectly wonderful visit. Speaking of legendary…Crazy Doug paid us a visit, traveling all the way from Houston. Or was he just in San Diego? Or did he fly in from New Orleans? Keeping up with Doug's travels are just as impossible as keeping up with his partying pace. But oh is it ever fun trying!! Luckily, Doug's trip coincided with a visit from Archie and s/v Janey. The two boys kept each other company while we did a Great White day long charter. Doug originally planned to join the charter, his cooler all packed with cold Miller Lites, ready to experience a party on Great White. Until the first group of little children began boarding, squealing in delight, jumping on the tramps and running around the decks. Doug leaned over to me and uttered his now famous quote. "Hey, I'm starting to re-think this plan." "Run while you can" I whispered back, but he was already out of earshot and halfway to Joe's Tiki Bar. Archie, s/v Janey, Archie's friend Leslie, and Jage and Carmen on s/v Simplicity settled into our nearby anchorage for a great visit. We did what sailors do best. Ate, drank, and laughed a lot, in between telling sailing stories and reminiscing about our Annapolis boat show experiences. What truly great friends our little gang has become in such a short time. Archie and Janey headed to the Keys after the girls headed home, so we went down to Marathon to spend St. Patrick's Day with him. This was our second trip to Marathon. The first one was to spend with Tom and Marlene at their vacation condo earlier in March. We had just gotten settled in, snacks out, drinks poured, dominos ready to clack, and a call came from Pete. We had a charter on Great White at 9:30 a.m. the following morning. OK, so we just had to get up at 5:00 a.m. and head for home. Didn't mean we couldn't make the best of a great evening with great friends. Tom and Marlene still planned to visit us on Tessa later that week, so it all worked out fine. The biggest event in the Keys was earlier in February. Jim and Missy flew down to spend "Put-in-Bay Day" at Sloppy Joe's in Key West with us. With Jim doing the party planning, there was no way it was going to be just a one day event. He insisted we begin the weekend with a glass bottom boat snorkeling excursion on Friday. The weather refused to cooperate with Jim's agenda, first throwing fog into the equation, followed by a chilly breeze, which made jumping in the water unappealing to Gary, Missy, and I. But Jim's little boy enthusiasm was not about to be diminished, so Captain Ashley put him to work diving for lobsters, which was all the entertainment the rest of us needed. Dive after dive, coming up empty netted until…SUCCESS..four times! The other highlight of the boat trip was the spectacular show our dolphin escorts provided. It was exciting enough to see a line of them cresting a wave together, but they also threw in jumping and spinning in the air for their cheering crowd. Absolutely fantastic! Put-in-Bay Day lived up to our expectations. The PIB Island entertainers really draw a crowd, and it's especially fun to see so many familiar faces from home down at Sloppy Joe's in Key West. We reunited with Donnie Dunn and Lauren, ran into CRC friends Steve and Susan Fraley and Lakefront Marina friends Craig and David. All the while, Jim is applying Myassis Dragon tatoos on willing women in suggestive places. Gary and I escaped the mayhem long enough to watch the Key West sunset together from the top of the Crowne Plaza. Jim and Missy completed their vacation with us on board Tessa, and then Jim dragged Missy kicking and screaming to the airport for the flight back to frigid Dayton. David and Sandy spent their Spring Break vacation with us just a few weeks ago. During one of our walks, Gary and I discovered the Silver Sands Resort right on Key Biscayne. It is a hidden "Old Florida" motel tucked away along the beach, and it was perfect for their week of R&R. But before they got comfortable around the pool, they had to experience a Great White charter. This was a unique set-up, with four party cats filled with families cruising together out to the sand bar where the major partying occurs. All four cats rafted together to create one big mass of chaos. David, a certified Safety Director at Snow Shoe, said every safety warning bell and red flag went off as he was attempting to help control the crowd. Kids running, jumping, screaming, fighting, crying, playing, swimming, kayaking, and snorkeling, parents doing pretty much the same with some adult beverages thrown in for good measure. After that experience, David and Sandy were so worn out that all they could do was flop onto a chaise lounge by the pool with a refreshing beverage and recover for the rest of the week! It was a welcome change to our routine and we played like we were on vacation too. David was the pool entertainment one afternoon. The empty lot next door is an iguana playground, and one of the iguanas decided to come on over and take a dip in the pool. We all watched David's expression as Mr. Iguana jumped in and made a beeline directly across the pool toward the ladder that David was at the time casually climbing up. "Is he coming at me? Is he coming at me?" David asked as the Pool keeper, Gary, Sandy, and I gestured wildly and laughed hysterically. In between the pool antics, beach walks, swimming, and reading, we managed to squeeze in wonderful meals at Flanigans with Angela, Joe's Tiki Bar, Ayesteran, Bayside, and Tarpon Bend. It was a wonderful whirlwind week of fun. In April, we finally connected with Roy and Sue, friends of our friends Dave and Lynnette Werning. They all boated together at Lakefront Marina before Roy and Sue decided to relocate in south Florida. When Dave and Lynnette visited us in Fort Lauderdale last winter, they introduced us to Roy and Sue, and we became fast friends with this great couple. We invited them to Key Biscayne for a Tessa Happy Hour, and ended up spending quite a few enjoyable hours catching up. Our last visitor, Greg Roberto, just made it south before we headed north toward home. His timing was slightly off for resting up, since Gary was in full blown preparation mode and enlisted his help on Tessa. Greg is a true friend and hard worker, and he gladly agreed to help. We still managed to have great fun in between boat chores. We had our last Flanigans platter of free nachos with Angela, a plate of bait at the Boaters Grill, and a relaxing pool afternoon. The grand finale of our Miami experience was the going away party we threw as a thank you to all of our friends at Rickenbacker Marina and dock neighbors. It was a great chance to say goodbye in celebration and not sadness. There were plentiful snacks and drinks and laughter and hugs and handshakes. Pete arrived with his contagious smile and dance moves, and soon the Rickenbacker gas dock became a dance floor as the party took off at full speed. Now the dancing is over and we are on our way home. But if you're already on your way down, just keep on coming and dance your own dance. We now know a lot of absolutely wonderful people who know everything about everything in Miami, who could most certainly end up being a distant cousin, or a new friend, or a dock friend, or a boat friend, or a friend of a friend. Everybody needs to have a dream come true. We did!
Posted by Frugal Captain at 6:14 AM No comments:
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
We put the finishing touches on everything yesterday and Tessa is much more secure than last September. My new 82 year old boyfriend Don from the Castleton Boat Club took me into town to provision and get a NY fishing license at the Town Hall. Last night we went across the river to the mooring balls ($5.00 vs. $75.00 for a dock) and had a big steak dinner celebration. Our plan is to get through the first 11 locks by tomorrow afternoon, where Tom and Sheri will connect to vacation with us for the rest of the trip through the Canal. George will drive their car back to Port Clinton, so everything has coordinated very well. We're considering pulling into PIB on the way to Port Clinton so everyone can see Tessa all disassembled and strapped together. I told Gary she will be embarrassed, but he insists that she has enough self confidence to handle it. She should be proud of herself after this journey! At this point it looks like we will be able to attend our first SHORT ATTENTION THEATER at Mr. Ed's in Port Clinton on May 30!!!!!
Posted by Frugal Captain at 5:39 AM No comments:
Monday, May 11, 2009
The masts are down....and so is the crew! Off to bed at 8:45, early to rise tomorrow to finish things up, as another boat is waiting for the gin pole. We are pretty darn proud of ourselves, but too tired to celebrate!
Posted by Frugal Captain at 6:11 PM 1 comment:
Captain Gary & George were determined to "put it in the kitchen" yesterday and they succeeded! They pulled up the anchor at dawn and we arrived at Castleton Boat Club last night right after dark. At first the GPS read "not possible" but later in the day we made up time with the current and lighter winds. It was a long cold day and as soon as we grabbed a mooring ball, I dished up some steaming angel hair pasta with clam sauce. We need the carbohydrates for the unstepping of the masts today. By the way, I sent out invitations to the mast unstepping party and it is the first party I've ever thrown that no one showed up for. Hmmmm.... Even though we are no comparison to the crew last fall, we are slowly making progress. You can't expect a great deal of muscle from a team comprised of one able bodied Captain, one Watch Commander nursing a cracked rib, and me, The Weakest Link, as George nicknamed me out on the Atlantic. It didn't help our morale much when some French guys pulled up to the gin pole to unstep a short while ago and just glided by shouting happily "34 MINUTES!" Great guys, have yourselves a nice day now. Gotta get back to work, just wanted to send you a quick update. Love, Lori
Posted by Frugal Captain at 1:04 PM No comments:
Sunday, May 10, 2009
If ever there was a perfect weather window, we were in it. We escaped the Atlantic just in the nick of time. Woke today at the Tappanzee Bridge to 50 degress and NORTH winds blowing 25-30 knots. Had we still been in the ocean, it would have been a repeat of the horrible conditions of last September. We hoped to make it to Castleton by dark tonight, but with the winds on our nose, we will instead have to anchor somewhere south of there. Tomorrow we'll arrive at Castleton Marina and begin the mast-unstepping.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 6:38 AM No comments:
Saturday, May 9, 2009
We can breath a sigh of relief.....on our way up the Hudson FINALLY She was just as beautiful the second time around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Frugal Captain at 8:59 AM No comments:
Creeping along in dense fog, 500 ft visability, 7 miles from Statue of Liberty. Captain is staying in the Ambrose Channel but crawling along the side in shallow water, at least too shallow for ships and freighters to be in! The sailing gods just couldn't let us slide by without one big whopping final challenge. Will keep you posted.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 6:14 AM 2 comments:
Friday, May 8, 2009
Tessa Continues Non-Stop
16:11 ET 5/8/09 Tessa is 66 miles south of N.Y. Harbor. Lori finally got calm conditions but Captain Gary and George had to navigate in fog all day. Not enough wind to sail so they are motoring. Tessa bypassed Portsmouth, VA and Cape May to take advantage of the calm seas. Plan on arriving at Tappan Zee Bridge tomorrow to rest and stock up on much needed provisions unless fog greets them at the harbor tomorrow morning. Tessa and crew are anxious to get home and are doing what it necessary to expedite their arrival.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 4:10 PM 1 comment:
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Cape Hatteras
13:15 E.T. 5/6/09 12 miles from Cape Hatteras. Southerly winds with waves on the beam. Trying to sail as comfortably as possible with Boom Preventer on main and keeping genoa full with Tessa rolling. Plan to sail on outside of Outer Banks with possible stop in Portsmouth VA depending on conditions. May decide to sail straight to Cape May for provisions on Friday. Hudson Bay arrival by this weekend.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 12:36 PM No comments:
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
13:35 ET 5/5/09 Tessa and crew (Gary, Lori and George) heading out of Masonboro Inlet out to Atlantic. South winds 10-15 knots. Sailing straight through toward the Outer Banks. Intend to sail outside of Outer Banks then on to New York City. Estimated time of arrival in N.Y. ~3-4 days. Lori not thrilled with the open ocean sailing. Busy keeping everything secure down below. Gary, loving it!!! George, keeping neutral.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 10:34 AM No comments:
Monday, May 4, 2009
Tessa is on her way home.
Milson's departed Virginia Key on May 1st. Sailed straight out in the Atlantic for 3 1/2 days straight. Winds were out of the south. Lost 3 fishing lures trying to catch dinner. Arrived in Southport, N.C. May 4th for much needed rest.
Posted by Frugal Captain at 7:34 AM 2 comments:
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How to Care for a Leopard Gecko Egg
Explore this Article Providing an Incubator Handling New Eggs Caring for Newborns Article Summary Questions & Answers Related Articles References
There are 17 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
If your gecko lays eggs, it's important that you care for them properly to assure they will hatch. You need to incubate gecko eggs to allow them to hatch safely, using either a homemade or store-bought incubator. Be careful when you remove eggs from your gecko's tank to transfer them to the incubator. When your geckos hatch, care for the newborns so they will grow into healthy adults.
Part 1
Providing an Incubator
1Find a container to use as an incubator. Gecko eggs need to be incubated to be healthy and safe. You will need to have an incubator ready before your gecko lays eggs so you can transfer the eggs quickly once they're laid.[1][2]
- You can purchase an incubator at the store. This may be your easiest option as it will save you some time. However, if you're on a budget you can make an incubator.
- You can use a small plastic container for the incubator. You can use a deli cup or a small tupperware container. Make sure any container you use is big enough to hold at least 24 ounces.
2Line the bottom of your container with substrate. Substrate is the lining of the bottom of a cage. You can purchase substrate online or at a local pet store. The best materials for an incubator are the soils vermiculite or perlite. You can use one or the other, or a mixture of the two.[3]
- You should put enough substrate in the container that the bottom is fully covered. There should not be any parts of the bottom of the incubator exposed.
- The exact amount you need will depend on the shape and size of your incubator.
3Make sure the moisture levels are correct. Gecko eggs need moisture to thrive, so you'll want to make sure the container is adequately moist. You want an equal ratio of water to the substrate, based on weight.[4]
- Weigh your substrate and add an equal amount of water. For example, say your substrate is 3 ounces. You will want to match that with 3 ounces of water. You can buy a small scale at a hardware store to take measurements.
- Make sure the ratio is based on weight and not volume. It's very important that you keep the moisture levels appropriate as you want your geckos to be comfortable.
- Mix the water in with your substrate to create a moist, even mixture in the incubator. Tap water is probably safe here, but you can use filtered water or bottled water if you want to err on the side of caution.
4Regulate air in your incubator. Geckos need a temperature of at least 73 degrees. However, the ideal temperature is between 86 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. You can buy a small thermometer, like an oven thermometer, to measure the temperature in your incubator.[5]
- If you need your incubator to warm up slightly, you can use heat tape or an under tank heating pad. Avoid heat rocks. These could burn a gecko.
- Avoid air holes. You need to keep the environment for your gecko eggs warm. All you need to do is open the lid about once a week. You can let some air in, providing adequate oxygen, and check to make sure the eggs look healthy.[6]
Part 2
Handling New Eggs
1Remove the eggs as soon as the female finishes laying them. Your female gecko will lay eggs somewhere in her tank, and may bury them slightly in the substrate. This will usually occur 3 to 4 weeks after mating, so be vigilant to check your female gecko around this time. She will lay eggs in batches, so not all the eggs will be laid in one sitting. Keep an eye on your gecko and notice when she is laying eggs. You will want to remove the eggs shortly after she finishes laying them. An adult gecko tank is not appropriate for eggs.[7][8]
- Provide a moist hatching box, filled with substrate and an equal amount of water. Your gecko will naturally be drawn to a moist environment to lay her eggs. This will assure the eggs will be temporarily safe in the cage in the event your gecko lays her eggs while you're at work or school.[9]
- If possible, wait until the mother has left the eggs. This way, you will not have to deal with working around the mother when you remove the eggs.
- Remove the eggs gently, preferably using a spoon. If you pick the eggs up with your fingers, touch them very lightly. You do not want to damage the eggs when moving them.
2Keep the eggs in their original position. Gecko embryos attach themselves to one side of the egg shortly after birth. If you flip the eggs upside down, the embryo will die.[10]
- If can help to mark the top side of the egg with a sharpie. If you choose to do so, however, mark it very lightly to avoid hurting the egg.
3Make sure all the eggs are healthy. Not all eggs will be fertile, so check your eggs for signs of good health. It's fairly easy to tell the difference between a healthy egg and an infertile egg.[11]
- A healthy gecko egg is usually hard upon hatching, and gets harder as time passes. They are oval shaped. If you hold a candle near the egg, you should be able to see the embryo inside.
- Infertile eggs are very soft. They have a texture similar to a water balloon. Infertile eggs may also be misshapen or shriveled in appearance.
- You can discard of infertile eggs if there's limited room in your incubator. However, if you have the room, it's a good idea to keep all the eggs. Sometimes, a gecko egg that initially looks unhealthy may become healthier as time passes. What appears to be infertile eggs sometimes go on to hatch.
4Set up a safe environment for when your eggs hatch. Geckos should be transferred to a different tank within a few hours of hatching, so have a tank for them ready to go. As you're waiting for the eggs to hatch, take steps to have a tank ready for the hatchlings.[12]
- You can buy an aquarium online or at a pet store. It should be at least 10 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 6 inches high.
- Make sure you have a heat mat under the container to keep it warm.
- Use a few layers of paper towel for substrate. Also, buy small tubes and structures at a local pet store. Newborns like to have space in their cage to hide.
- Make sure you provide a small water bowl. You can buy a water bowl for newborns online or at a pet store. You can also use a plastic bottle cap.
5Allow the eggs to hatch on their own. You do not need to intervene as the eggs start hatching. If you notice the hatching process, allow it to happen naturally. Gecko eggs do not take long to hatch, so it's possible you will check on your tank one day to find the geckos have hatched. Gecko eggs usually hatch within 35 to 89 days.[13][14]
- Usually, you will not see the eggs hatch as it happens so quickly. You will only look in the incubator to see a gathering of gecko babies.
- If you see the eggs start to hatch, marked by the eggs cracking and geckos emerging, it can be fun to watch. However, you do not have to intervene.
Part 3
Caring for Newborns
1Leave newborns alone for 12 hours. Newborns will be very frightened of people after birth. Everything is new to young geckos, so leave them alone for about 12 hours. After this point, they will be used to the world and slightly more used to humans. Aim for a 12 hour range before removing the babies from the tank.[15]
2Transfer the newborns to their new environment. Carefully pick up the newborns when transferring them. You may want to wear gloves when handling newborns, as they may bite. They will be afraid of humans at first.[16]
- Remain calm when transferring the geckos. They may hiss or screech as you attempt to pick them up.
- This sound can be startling, but reacting to it may frighten your newborns more.
3Wait a few days before feeding the newborns. Newborns absorb a lot of nutrients from the yolk of their eggs. Therefore, they will not require food until a few days after hatching. When you do feed them, make sure you provide them with appropriately sized food.[17]
- Crickets are a good food for newborns, but make sure the crickets you choose are small. They should be no wider than the width of a baby's head.
- Do not be surprised if the geckos do not eat a lot at first. They may initially only eat one cricket per meal. Their appetite will increase as they grow.
Community Q&A
QuestionDo leopard geckos have to mate to lay eggs?Community AnswerNo, but they have to mate in order for the eggs to be fertilized and hatch babies. Eggs from unfertilized females will not hatch.
QuestionMy leopard gecko laid two eggs, and I transferred the eggs to a small incubator. The next day, the eggs were shriveled. Does this mean the embryos have died?Community AnswerNo, but you need to put a moist paper towel in there ASAP, as they need some humidity.
QuestionCan you leave newborns with their mother after they hatch?Community AnswerNo. After hatching, leopard geckos are on their own. If you put the babies with their mother, the mother may eat them.
QuestionIf I got the wrong incubator, should I touch the eggs again to transfer them?Community AnswerYes, or use a spoon. Either way, be very careful.
QuestionDo I have to incubate a leopard gecko egg?Community AnswerYes, because otherwise it will rot or die.
QuestionDoes a female have to be introduced to a male to have a fertile egg?Community AnswerYes, because they have to mate in order to fertilize the eggs.
QuestionThe pets stores around me are saying mealworms are unavailable. I could only get locusts and waxworms. How do I go about feeding my two leopard geckos?Community AnswerCrickets are a good feeder option, and if they are not available, you can order mealworms online, or even breed them yourself.
QuestionCan I put the babies with the adults?CourtneyLaurenCommunity AnswerNo, never put two geckos together if they are not equal in size.
QuestionIf I gt two males, do I have to separate them?Community AnswerYes. Males placed together will fight over territory. If you are looking to house leopard geckos together, look into getting females or a group containing only one male.
QuestionHow much water should I put in the egg incubator?FreckleGecko208Community AnswerJust some mist. You don't want to drown your eggs, but if your geckos hatch then use a small water bottle cap with clean tap water.
- ↑ http://www.vitalimpact.com/uh/leopard_gecko_care.htm
- ↑ http://www.thegeckospot.net/leobreeding.php
- ↑ http://www.thegeckospot.net/leobreeding.php
- ↑ http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Breeding-Lizards/Leopard-Geckos-Tremper/
- ↑ http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Breeding-Lizards/Leopard-Geckos-Tremper/
- ↑ http://www.vmsherp.com/LCBreedingLeopards.htm
- ↑ http://www.vitalimpact.com/uh/leopard_gecko_care.htm
- ↑ http://www.thegeckospot.net/leobreeding.php
- ↑ http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Breeding-Lizards/Leopard-Geckos-Tremper/
- ↑ http://www.vmsherp.com/LCBreedingLeopards.htm
- ↑ http://www.geckotime.com/gecko-eggs-help/
- ↑ http://www.thegeckospot.net/leohatchlingcare.php
- ↑ http://www.vmsherp.com/LCBreedingLeopards.htm
- ↑ http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Breeding-Lizards/Leopard-Geckos-Tremper/
- ↑ http://www.thegeckospot.net/leohatchlingcare.php
- ↑ http://www.thegeckospot.net/leohatchlingcare.php
- ↑ http://www.thegeckospot.net/leohatchlingcare.php
Article SummaryX
To care for a leopard gecko egg, make sure the temperature in your incubator is between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, remove the eggs immediately from the tank after the female lays them so they don't get cold. Make sure to pick up each egg with a spoon to avoid damaging it with your hands. Then, place each egg carefully in the incubator in the same position it was laid in, since the embryo will die if you flip the egg over. For tips on how to make your own incubator, read on!
Article Info
Categories: Geckos