RV Use? Tough Bridge! Pets Safe? What is LP Gas? First Stock Ticker. Shah of Iran.

 

For “tRaVersing Thursday”, or RV Day:

Do you use your RV the way it was designed to be used?

“Many new RV owners drive off the dealer’s lot, head for a campground where they hook-up to water, waste, and electrical appendages not realizing that the original intent of RV manufacturers (camper vans, house cars, and other names were used before the industry settled on recreation vehicle or RV) was to build a vehicle that you could “camp” in comfortably and completely independent of outside assistance.

That is why they built in large fresh water tanks, waste tanks, and batteries to supply 12-volt power.

The goal of camping in those days was to get out into and enjoy the wonders of nature, it was an escape from the cities and crowds and choking smoke of the industrial age, and to visit America’s parks and landmarks without incurring the expense of pricey hotels (motels hadn’t caught on yet).

But it seems that the tables have turned with the majority of RV users staying most of their nights in full or partial-service campgrounds or RV resorts, often within hearing distance of your neighbor’s coughing, TV, and conversations. Fewer than 20% of RVers “boondock” away from any neighbors or dry-camp (camping without hook-ups) in no hook-up campgrounds with widely spaced sites like the forest service or BLM provide at least some of the time.”      More at: http://blog.rv.net/2012/11/do-you-use-your-rv-the-way-it-was-designed-to-be-used/ November 10, 2012 by Bob Difley

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The Good, The Bad and Some Ugly Crashes

Watch what low bridges do to the top of tall rigs.
Many of us have almost been there and done that.

“The 11-foot-8 bridge stood its ground for another year. In 2010, nine trucks and one RV crashed into this low-clearance bridge in Durham, North Carolina. The clearance of the bridge is clearly marked, yet drivers frequently don't realize that their vehicles are too tall. Since April 2008, I have recorded most of the crashes that occurred at this train trestle and you can see the footage on my YT channel and on my website 11foot8.com
I hope you enjoy this compilation and please drive safely!”

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Drivers engage in risky behavior when dogs are along

Drivers distracted by dogs, many don’t realize it.

“A survey conducted by AAA and pet products manufacturer Kurgo asked dog owners how often they drive with their dog and about their habits behind the wheel. The survey found that drivers not only love to bring Fido along, but they also often engage in risky behaviors when man’s best friend is along for the ride. 

 

One out of three respondents admit to being distracted by their dog while driving and 59 percent have participated in at least one distracting behavior while driving with their dog. More than half (55 percent) have pet their dog while driving, and 21 percent allowed their dog to sit in their lap. Other distracting behaviors drivers admitted include giving food and water to their dog (7 percent) and playing with their dog (5 percent). These behaviors can distract the driver and increase the risk of a crash. Research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that looking away from the road for only two seconds doubles your risk of being in a crash.

Unrestrained dogs dangerous to driver, passenger and man’s best friend
About 80 percent of respondents stated that they have driven with their pets on a variety of car trips including day trips, local errands and leisure trips. However, only 17 percent use any form of pet restraint system when driving with their dog. Use of a pet restraint system can aid in limiting distractions and help protect you and your pet during a crash or sudden stop.

“Restraining your pet when driving can not only help protect your pet, but you and other passengers in your vehicle,” cautioned Jennifer Huebner-Davidson, AAA National, Traffic Safety Programs manager. “An unrestrained 10-pound dog in a crash at 50 m.p.h. will exert roughly 500 pounds of pressure, while an unrestrained 80-pound dog in a crash at only 30 m.p.h. will exert 2,400 pounds of pressure. Imagine the devastation that can cause to your pet and other occupants of the vehicle.”  From: http://rving-with-dogs.blogspot.com/2010/08/drivers-engage-in-risky-behavior-when.html

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RV Education 101

“ What is LP gas? Should we be afraid of it, or just continue to take it for granted? LP gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless. To assist you in detecting a leak an odorant is added to it when it is manufactured. If you are not familiar with the odor of LP gas, the next time you go to a qualified fill station ask the attendant to let you smell it. Most people describe the smell as being similar to rotten eggs, or as having a garlic odor.

Should you be afraid of it? You should respect LP gas, because all gases have dangerous characteristics. If you check for gas leaks using an open flame you are certain to be in danger. I guess what I am trying to say is that LP gas is one of the safest of petroleum products if it is handled properly. More times than not, when there is an accident involving LP gas it is due to negligence or improper handling.

LP gas is portable, safe when handled properly and it’s very efficient, so it only makes sense that it is used in RVs. When LP gas is manufactured it is compressed and stored under pressure, which causes it to liquefy. When the pressure is released, the liquid turns back into a vapor. ( LP gas is compressed in a liquid state and stored in containers.) Because of the amount of pressure involved, the containers are manufactured under very stringent codes.”

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On This Day:

First stock ticker debuts, Nov 15, 1867:

“On this day in 1867, the first stock ticker is unveiled in New York City. The advent of the ticker ultimately revolutionized the stock market by making up-to-the-minute prices available to investors around the country. Prior to this development, information from the New York Stock Exchange, which has been around since 1792, traveled by mail or messenger.

The ticker was the brainchild of Edward Calahan, who configured a telegraph machine to print stock quotes on streams of paper tape (the same paper tape later used in ticker-tape parades). The ticker, which caught on quickly with investors, got its name from the sound its type wheel made.

Calahan worked for the Gold & Stock Telegraph Company, which rented its tickers to brokerage houses and regional exchanges for a fee and then transmitted the latest gold and stock prices to all its machines at the same time. In 1869, Thomas Edison, a former telegraph operator, patented an improved, easier-to-use version of Calahan's ticker. Edison's ticker was his first lucrative invention and, through the manufacture and sale of stock tickers and other telegraphic devices, he made enough money to open his own lab in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where he developed the light bulb and phonograph, among other transformative inventions.

The last mechanical stock ticker debuted in 1960 and was eventually replaced by computerized tickers with electronic displays. A ticker shows a stock's symbol, how many shares have traded that day and the price per share. It also tells how much the price has changed from the previous day's closing price and whether it's an up or down change. A common misconception is that there is one ticker used by everyone. In fact, private data companies run a variety of tickers; each provides information about a select mix of stocks.”

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President Carter hosts shah of Iran, Nov 15, 1977:

“On this day in 1977, President Jimmy Carter welcomes Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah of Iran, and his wife, Empress (or "Shahbanou") Farrah, to Washington. Over the next two days, Carter and Pahlavi discussed improving relations between the two countries. Two years later, the two leaders' political fates would be further entwined when Islamic fundamentalists overthrew the shah and took Americans hostage in Tehran.

In 1977, however, the U.S. and Iran enjoyed a friendly diplomatic relationship. Carter and Pahlavi's official discussions centered on peace prospects for the Middle East as well as ways to combat the energy crisis that had hit the U.S. and other Western nations in the early 1970s. At the time, Carter hoped to enlist Iran's help in reconvening peace talks between Israel and Egypt and to secure Iran's help in supporting nuclear non-proliferation talks with the Soviet Union. At a press conference that day, Carter and Pahlavi affirmed their desire to collaborate on alternative energy production and oil conservation. That evening, the Carters hosted a state dinner for the shah and his wife. The visit also included casual moments spent with the Carter family, during which the empress was photographed holding and cooing over the Carters' grandson, Jimmy.

The visit ended on a positive note and, the next month, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter traveled to Tehran, where Carter toasted the shah as "an island of stability" in the Middle East. That stability was rocked when Pahlavi was deposed by Islamic fundamentalists in January 1979 and replaced by a regime led by Ayatollah Khomeini. In October, the exiled shah came to the United States for cancer treatment. Carter's hospitality toward the shah enraged a group of radical Iranian students, who stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, and took 66 Americans hostage. The hostage crisis lasted 444 days and Carter's inability to secure their release contributed to his defeat by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election.”

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Yesterday:

After it warmed up a bit, I cleaned the other two cellular blinds and hung them up to dry, while Ray painted walls in my bedroom.  As soon as the shades were dry, we hung them back up.  They look so much better.  We started to rearrange and change out some furniture from one room to another trying to apply feng shui, and make the rooms look less cluttered, so the whole place is in a mess.

Then came the phone call, days before it was expected….the house appraiser is coming today!