Hot Air

Timothy Wheeler's Sun exclusive in Tuesday's edition ("Study boosts offshore windmills," Feb. 9) was certainly informative and frightening. What is wrong with this state and this country? We look with the joy of the fanatic on those alleged solutions to our energy problems that will produce minimal results and will despoil this great nation from the oceans to the prairies to the mountains with windmills. Why? The clueless legislators in Maryland would do better to harness the hot air they expend when the General Assembly is in session than to plant thousands of windmills over an 800 square mile stretch of ocean.

Reading your recent collection of letters on climate change ("Room for debate," Oct. 29), I wonder how useful such debates are. A businessman writes about the science behind climate change, and readers with no background in science respond. Is there anything to be learned from these amateurish exchanges? My favorite contribution is the one that explains that the most significant source of carbon dioxide comes from decaying kelp. I have no idea whether that is true (one would have to believe some scientific study, wouldn't one?

Reading your recent collection of letters on climate change ("Room for debate," Oct. 29), I wonder how useful such debates are. A businessman writes about the science behind climate change, and readers with no background in science respond. Is there anything to be learned from these amateurish exchanges? My favorite contribution is the one that explains that the most significant source of carbon dioxide comes from decaying kelp. I have no idea whether that is true (one would have to believe some scientific study, wouldn't one?

Give the CBS broadcast team credit for this: Even though the Baltimore Ravens game was a blowout, they never totally lost their focus. Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots tried to generate some enthusiasm at the microphone right up until the end of the broadcast, and that's not easy in a game that was never in doubt after the first Ravens offensive series. Overall, Harlan is a steady play-by-play announcer, and Wilcots generally knows his stuff, particularly when it comes to the passing game and defensive backfield play.

For the second year in a row, Turf Valley Resort is hosting a hot air balloon festival and other activities in the days leading up to the Preakness, the second leg of thoroughbred horse racing's Triple Crown. The two-day event starts at 2 p.m. Thursday and will include the Hot Air Balloon Festival, and a Pee-Wee Preakness with competitions for children such as three-legged races, face-painting and appearances from characters such as Bob the VidTech. There also will be more than 50 vendors at the event.

It's 98 degrees and you don't have air conditioning. Summer has begun. Are you doomed to swelter?Not necessarily.There are a lot of reasons why owners of older houses haven't succumbed to the lure of central air conditioning. Central air systems require one set of ductwork to deliver cold air and another set to capture hot air for recooling. Even if you already have forced-air heat, you may still need an air return system. For the most efficient cooling, you need air returns at the highest possible point on every floor.

Anybody else tired of being lectured to by the backside of a Ford Windstar? Every morning, while I'm out there with the carpool warriors, there they are, those ubiquitous ribbons taking me to task: "Support the troops." As if it would slip my mind without their hectoring. Saying "Support the troops" is like saying "Support the firefighters." Of course, we appreciate their service, admire their courage and hope they all make it home safely. We do not, however, support the fire, nor do we support the man who started it. Do you want to really support the troops - those on the ground now and today's middle-school-age kids who will represent the next wave in the next war for oil?

The adventure began early on Saturday morning, about 8 o'clock, with a noise. A loud, sucking noise. One neighbor at first thought it was somebody in the house vacuuming. But nobody -- well, nobody sane -- vacuums at 8 a.m. on a Saturday.My wife -- who knew I wasn't vacuuming -- thought somebody was letting the air out of our tires. That's how you think when you're stunned from sleep. That if we're attacked, the people would go for the tires first.I thought nothing of the noise because I remained deep in sleep -- dreaming, as usual, about bungee jumping with Hillary Clinton.

Chesapeake Bay anglers may argue the point after last weekend's opening of a limited rockfish season produced few fish, but the nurturing and return of the bay's native game fish makes a nice, timely lead item in a diverting Maryland Public Television special tomorrow night."

Isn't it funny that people with clean shoes are the ones determining the future of horse racing in Maryland, and yet people with dirty shoes are the ones who really care about it?Isn't it funny that politicians, lobbyists and lawyers are the ones with the power in the high-profile debate about slots that is all over the news these days, and yet grooms, railbirds and the other members of the racing nation are the people who feel the game stirring in their souls?Isn't that funny?OK, maybe not.Maybe it isn't so funny that the people on the inside of this critical debate about racing's future in Maryland seem to care about the sport mostly as it relates to their own self-interests, as another item on their political, moral and social agendas.

If you're looking for a unique spot for a first date, a romantic setting for a proposal, a special place to celebrate your 50th wedding anniversary or even your 100th birthday, then why not try a hot air balloon? For 30 years, Mike Gerred, chief pilot and president of Light Flight Hot Air Balloons in Bel Air, has been taking people on the “ride of a lifetime.” Gerred describes the aerial adventure as a “quiet, calm respite from the everyday hectic lives we lead.” While floating 1,000 feet in the air may seem a little nerve-wracking at first, Gerred assures riders there is no reason to worry.

Yes, a thoroughbred racehorse is a magnificent animal, something to behold. But the most impressive sight this weekend may not be occurring at Pimlico at all. A fleet of spectacular hot-air balloons will rise majestically into the air early Saturday morning at Ellicott City's Turf Valley Country Club, as the climactic event of this year's Preakness Celebration Hot Air Balloon Festival . Even though you'll have to get up early to see...

Ever wonder why sailing ships no longer ply the oceans with goods and passengers? It's a question wind energy advocates might ask themselves. They ignore the fact that the wind doesn't blow consistently and that its intermittent nature makes wind an undependable source of power and restricts wind generators from consistently reaching their potential. The relative effectiveness of a generation facility to produce electricity is called its capacity factor (CF). It is the ratio of what a generating plant produces compared to what it could produce at full capacity.

For three decades, Ridgely Middle School's PTA has held an annual craft fair to raise money for the school. The $13,000 in proceeds from last fall's event will be used for such things as school supplies, student assemblies and phone directories distributed in September. Every penny raised by the PTA, organizers say proudly, goes back into the school. But this may be the last school year Baltimore County allows the event. The reason? The PTA leases space in the Timonium school to third-party, for-profit vendors (generally part-time purveyors of jewelry, silk floral arrangements, hand-knit sweaters and the like)

Timothy Wheeler's Sun exclusive in Tuesday's edition ("Study boosts offshore windmills," Feb. 9) was certainly informative and frightening. What is wrong with this state and this country? We look with the joy of the fanatic on those alleged solutions to our energy problems that will produce minimal results and will despoil this great nation from the oceans to the prairies to the mountains with windmills. Why? The clueless legislators in Maryland would do better to harness the hot air they expend when the General Assembly is in session than to plant thousands of windmills over an 800 square mile stretch of ocean.

People who argue that the hot air rising out of Washington makes things worse for the rest of us might have stumbled onto something. Scientists at the University of Maryland, College Park have discovered that heat from the capital's buildings and pavement during the summer can stoke higher temperatures, humidity and dangerous air pollution downwind in Baltimore. "It isn't a simple matter of, 'It's hotter in Washington, and that hot air blows into Maryland,' " said Russell R. Dickerson, a professor in UM's Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science and a co-author of the study.

An early April warm spell produced a lot of enthusiasm for being outon the water over the weekend, but the glorious weather meant that hot air over still-cold water combined with a weak prevailing westerlyto make racing conditions challenging on the bay.Sunday, a fleetof 20 boats turned out for a new single-handed race from Triton Light at the Naval Academy out to Thomas Point and back.Ranging in size from three J/22s to a CSY 50, the fleet was predominantly made up of boats 30 feet and under, and was divided into a 13-boat spinnaker division and a seven-boat non-spinnaker class.

THERE ARE few things more annoying than visiting a public restroom these days, and for one reason in particular. No, it's not because of those sexually ambiguous stick figures on the doors that make it hard to tell whether it's the men's room or the ladies' room. And it's not because of the soap dispensers, which clog up about 10 seconds after they're installed and then, when you become impatient and pump them hard, shoot a violent stream of pink liquid all over your sleeve.

Turf Valley Resort will host a hot-air balloon festival and other activities leading up to the Preakness, the second leg of thoroughbred horse racing's Triple Crown. The two-day event, which will start at 2 p.m. tomorrow, will include the Hot Air Balloon Festival and a Pee-Wee Preakness with competitions for children such as three-legged races, face painting and appearances from characters such as Bob the VidTech. There also will be more than 50 vendors at the event. Balloon-related activities will include tethered and untethered rides, and walk-throughs.