Archive for August, 2011

Flex Seal — A Marketing Review

Don’t you just hate it when shingles start pulling off your roof, allowing the rain water to hit the exposed wood?

How about it when shoddy construction leaves holes in your house?

Is a leaking gutter allowing for water to drip outside of authorized areas, eroding away the soil, destroying your home’s foundation and ultimately bringing down the entire structure, leaving yourself to question why you didn’t take the five minutes to fix that damn gutter instead of just putting it off day after day after day?

Okay, maybe the gutter example was slightly exaggerated.  But there’s probably something around your home that could a quick fix with a rubber-like sealant, right?

Flex Seal website — www.GetFlexSeal.com

Here we have Flex Seal, a spray-on substance that behaves like rubber when hardened.  The company’s website claims that Flex Seal “stops leaks fast,” and it’s “The easy way to coat, seal & protect.”

Let’s take a look at the TV commercial and see just what all the fuss is about.

Flex Seal — TV commercial Read more…

TROPICAL STORM KATIA – A First Look

Last night we had the transformation of tropical depression #12 in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean into TROPICAL STORM KATIA.

And just where exactly is this tropical storm right now?

It’s so far off to the east that the outer bands of this storm are over the Cape Verde islands just off the coast of western Africa.

It’s so far off to the east that it’s barely visible on the widest of views on the NOAA weather satellites.

So why is this storm getting attention?  Don’t most storms that form that early in the Atlantic usually miss the U.S. completely?

Well, yes.  Historically, the majority of tropical storms and hurricanes that develop in that general area do miss the Caribbean islands, continental U.S., and even Bermuda.  Most make that right turn about halfway across the ocean and just stay out at sea, only effecting ships and aircraft.

But as we can also see in that cool image of the past hurricanes, those few hurricanes that do come close enough to strike the U.S. coast do so as MAJOR hurricanes. Read more…

HURRICANE IRENE – update #8 – U.S. Landfall

Around 9 am EST, HURRICANE IRENE made landfall near Cape Lookout, North Carolina.

Fortunately for residents and business owners, HURRICANE IRENE has been losing organization and weakening since early this morning, decreasing the maximum sustained winds to only 80-85 mph, making the storm a Category 1 hurricane.  Despite this weakening, the hurricane still has a minimum central pressure of 952 mb.

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The latest public advisory by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, FL, has HURRICANE IRENE tracking to the north-northeast at 14 mph.  This path is expected for the next 36-48 hours before the hurricane makes a right turn to the northeast when passing over eastern Canada, and then heading out to sea over the northern Atlantic Ocean. Read more…

HURRICANE IRENE – update #7

Here we go.

HURRICANE IRENE is currently about 300 miles south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and moving north at 14 mph.  Outer rain bands are already reaching the coastlines of both North and South Carolina.  The brunt of the hurricane is on track for striking the coastline of North Carolina sometime tomorrow morning.

HURRICANE IRENE has been slowly diminishing in strength.  The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds have decreased to 90 knots (105 mph) with gusts of 110 knots, downgrading the storm to a Category 2 hurricane.  However, the minimum central pressure has also decreased and is now 946 mb. Read more…

“Deadliest Warrior” – S03E06 – Theodore Roosevelt vs. Lawrence of Arabia

Deadliest Warrior — Season 03, Episode 06 — Theodore Roosevelt versus T. E. Lawrence (a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia)

In this episode of Deadliest Warrior we have a great match-up between two of the best military leaders  in the early 1900s:  Theodore Roosevelt and T.E. Lawrence.

When it comes to modern American history, it’s harder to think of a tougher man and leader than Theodore Roosevelt.  From a cowboy in North Dakota, to a Colonel in the U.S. Army and commander of the incredibly brave and tough Rough Riders, to President of the United States, to safaris in both Africa and South America, it’s safe to say that Theodore Roosevelt was not just an adventurer but a modern day warrior.  His battles alone against Spanish forces in Cuba during the Spanish-American War would catapult him into stardom and help him seal his attempt at the U.S. presidency.

Going against the brawn of Theodore Roosevelt is the brainpower of T. E. Lawrence, the British Lieutenant Colonel who used Arab irregular troops in guerrilla-style, hit-and-run attacks against the Ottoman Empire during World War 1.  Part of Lawrence’s success was from his extensive knowledge of the Arabia region, from field work in Middle Eastern archaeology to extensive travel throughout the Ottoman Empire and vast knowledge about the German trains in the Middle East.

Can the leader of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War defeat the man who led irregular Arab troops and defeated the Ottoman Empire during World War 1?

VERSUS

Read more…

HURRICANE IRENE – update #6

Brand new hurricane watches and warnings have been issued concerning HURRICANE IRENE and the storm’s expected impact along the coast of North Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey.

A HURRICANE WARNING has just been issued for almost the entire coast of North Carolina from Little River Inlet north to the Virginia border.  A hurricane warning still exists for the northern islands in the Bahamas.

A HURRICANE WATCH has just been issued from the Viginia-North Carolina border north to upper New Jersey.  This includes the southern part of Chesapeake Bay.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING has just been issued for the coast of South Carolina from Edisto Beach northward to the North Carolina border.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH has just been issued for the northern part of Chesapeake Bay including the Potomac River area.

HURRICANE IRENE – update #5

HURRICANE IRENE is currently passing over the northern islands of the Bahamas and tracking to the north-northwest at around 14 mph.

Right now HURRICANE IRENE is about 600 miles south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.  The hurricane is still a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 knots and gusts up to 120 knots.  The minimum central pressure has slightly lowered since this time yesterday, decreasing to 951 mb.

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The official 3-day forecast from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, has shifted the hurricane’s projected path slightly to the east, anticipating that HURRICANE IRENE will strike the coast of North Carolina sometime on Saturday afternoon, and then the Delmarva Peninsula by Sunday morning. Read more…

HURRICANE IRENE – update #4

HURRICANE IRENE is continuing in its track through the Bahamas.

Right now the hurricane is a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 knots (120 mph), guests to 120 knots, and a minimum central pressure of 954 mb.  HURRICANE IRENE is currently tracking to the northwest at about 12 mph.

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Once again the forecast has shifted the projected path of the hurricane slightly further to the east, making it doubtful that the storm will strike North Carolina’s Outer Banks or even the New England area.  Right now the only immediate threat to HURRICANE IRENE are the central and northwestern islands in the Bahamas. Read more…

HURRICANE IRENE – update #3

Another day, another shift east in the long-range forecast of HURRICANE IRENE.

For those people living on or near the coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, this news keeps getting better as it looks more and more likely that the hurricane will miss the U.S. entirely.

As of right now HURRICANE IRENE is about 50 miles north-northwest of the Dominican Republic and still tracking west-northwest at around 10 knots.  The storm has continued to strengthen and now has a minimum pressure of 980 mb with maximum sustained winds of 85 knots (100 mph) with gusts up to 105 knots.  Right now the hurricane is a Category 2 storm.

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HURRICANE IRENE is still on track to march through the entire chain of islands in the Bahamas before making its turn to the northwest and then north to open water.  The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, warns of the hurricane continuing to strength, but a split in the weather models questions just how much the hurricane will strengthen within the next 24-48 hours. Read more…

HURRICANE IRENE – update #2

Over the past 24 hours TROPICAL STORM IRENE has passed over the eastern tip of Puerto Rico, crossed back into the Atlantic Ocean, and strengthened into HURRICANE IRENE.

The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, has positioned the HURRICANE about 95 miles west-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and tracking to the west-northwest at about 11 knots.  The storm’s pressure has decreased to 988 mb and maximum sustained winds are around 70 knots with guests to 85 knots.

Take note that HURRICANE IRENE’s forecast path has been shifted eastward, and now an estimated U.S. landfall is near Charleston, South Carolina.  The storm is forecast to move along the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, track northward through the Bahamas, and then stay in open water until possibly striking the southeastern U.S. coastline.  A U.S. landfall is going to be dependent on whether an upper-level trough develops along the eastern coast and essentially forces the hurricane more to the north and east. Read more…