Preserving History

From the NYT:

The Holmdel Horn, a Cosmic Shrine in New Jersey, Stays Put

A radio telescope that discovered evidence of the Big Bang in 1964, revolutionizing the study of the universe, will remain in its original place on Crawford Hill in Holmdel, N.J, town officials announced last week.

Rakesh Antala, a real estate developer, had proposed building a senior housing center on the site, a plan that drew opposition from residents and far-flung astronomy buffs. But an agreement between town officials and Mr. Antala seemed to augur the end of the cosmic controversy.

The Holmdel Horn Antenna, as it is known, was built in 1959 by AT&T Bell Laboratories, the renowned research arm of the phone company, for an experiment called Project Echo that relayed messages by bouncing microwaves off giant aluminized balloons.

In 1964, two young astronomers, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, found themselves plagued by an omnidirectional hiss as they surveyed the night sky for their own research. The static was eventually identified as leftover heat from the Big Bang. Its existence provided compelling evidence that the universe had started with a tremendous explosion; ever since, astrophysicists have been studying this radiation for clues to how and why the Big Bang happened.

But the location of the horn has been in dispute recently. An odyssey of ownership began in 1984, after AT&T was broken into the so-called Baby Bells. Bell Labs eventually became Lucent and then Alcatel-Lucent, which was bought by Nokia.

In 2020, Nokia sold its last remaining piece of the former Bell Labs complex in Holmdel — 43 acres comprising Crawford Hill, including the antenna — to Crawford Hill Holdings L.L.C., headed by Mr. Antala, a former Bell Labs administrator and serial entrepreneur.

A coalition of conservation and community groups opposed the development over concerns that it could result in the antenna being moved to another part of the hill or elsewhere altogether. It cited the need to preserve open space and protect the antenna.

In August, the Holmdel Township Committee took the first steps toward acquiring at least part of the hill, including the antenna, citing “a ground swelling of public support for preservation of the Crawford Hill property.”

According to a memorandum of understanding signed on Oct. 12, the town will pay $5.5 million for 35 acres, including the ground the telescope sits on, leaving the rest for Mr. Antala to develop. The town wants to make its portion of the hill into a park, perhaps to include a visitor center.

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46 Responses to Preserving History

  1. Phoenix says:

    First

  2. 3b says:

    The Fed finally did what needed to be done in raising rates. Higher for longer.

  3. Juice Box says:

    re: Holmdel Horn

    That old office building there was used by Lucent for a while. Another office building to be torn down for housing.

    Whatever homes they build there should have extra soundproofing, as the land is facing the PNC and the parkway. When I was looking at homes here, we could hear the whoosh of the highway. I purposely bought a home a few miles away and over a hill so I don’t have to hear the highway noise or the PNC concerts.

    https://www.google.com/maps/place/40%C2%B023'27.0%22N+74%C2%B011'05.0%22W/@40.3918261,-74.1831129,16z/data=!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d40.3908333!4d-74.1847222?entry=ttu

  4. Juice Box says:

    Does anyone here have an 8K TV? I am thinking of replacing my 4K 75in Sony with a newer model and moving that TV to the family room for the kids. There is no broadcast and cable content at all at 8K, just some streaming content on Youtube.

    There are some good deals on larger 85in 4K TVs to be had. I prefer Sony and Best Buy has a few clearance models around $1200. I see most 8K TVs at $3000 or more. Not sure if it is worth the difference, for minor bells and whistles.

  5. Boomer Remover says:

    If you don’t already own one, an OLED is a more worthwhile upgrade than 8K.

  6. Fast Eddie says:

    Holmdel Horn… awesome.

  7. Phoenix says:

    Holmdel Horn- well actually 2 were in Camden, but long gone now.

    https://youtu.be/04SMJlwosZ0?t=6

  8. Phoenix says:

    True. Boomer unable to process higher resolution. But brightness helps with the cataracts. 😂😂😂.

    Boomer Remover says:
    October 21, 2023 at 11:23 am
    If you don’t already own one, an OLED is a more worthwhile upgrade than 8K.

  9. Very Stable Genius says:

    Source is as important.
    All my TVs Ethernet/Apple TV 4k

  10. Juice Box says:

    My understand is OLED is not good for bright rooms and glare etc. QLED is much brighter and better for watching sports.

  11. Juice Box says:

    I also was told the new anti glare coatings they now apply can scrub off during cleaning.,

    https://www.tomsguide.com/news/oled-tvs-from-lg-and-samsung-are-adding-this-feature-thanks-to-popular-demand

  12. Boomer Remover says:

    If sports are all you’re watching and don’t care about cinema level quality at home, then sure micro LED is better. But, you haven’t lived until you flick the lights off and you don’t know where the letterbox and screen end and the wall begins. How bright is bright? As you can imagine, I don’t have a dedicated home theater room in my rental. I just happen to do all my watching in the evenings.

    You can get a 77″ OLED set for ~ $1.8-2K if you watch Slickdeals dot co…

  13. Hold my beer says:

    This is another reason I own stock in 2 home builders that focus in Texas and the south.
    The politicians policies in blue states will keep driving people to relocate to the south and Texas.

    https://nypost.com/2023/10/21/youve-heard-of-new-yorks-gas-stove-ban-new-legislation-wants-to-take-things-even-further/

  14. Phoenix says:

    Menendez likes gold. Maybe ask him.

    “How $17.2 Million in Gold and Cash Disappeared From Toronto’s Airport”

  15. Phoenix says:

    Surprise, surprise, surprise. Not.

    Jaw-dropping text messages have revealed a 44 year-old actress’s alleged gold-digging plot to make a wealthy Vegas NHL tycoon her boyfriend so she could drain his bank account. Jennifer Courtemanche, 44, is accused of stealing nearly $445,000 from her ex-boyfriend, businessman Gavin Maloof.

  16. Hold my beer says:

    Phoenix

    Eyeliner and hair dye ain’t cheap.

  17. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I don’t f’k around when it comes to a tv. I have an LG g2 77. Like very stable said, apple 4k box. I have the latest apple tv model and picture is sick. Two homepods to create stereo sound…and happy guy here.

  18. Fabius Maximus says:

    Eyeliner and hair dye ain’t cheap. Just ask any Depeche Mode Fan!.

    Sorry Chi, he tee’d up the perfect curve ball. :*)

  19. Fabius Maximus says:

    Juice, Congrats on the new gig.

    Trick, sorry for the loss. My father planned all the music for his funeral. He wanted a classical singer so we had a mezzo-soprano singer. It makes for a beautiful service.

  20. Libturd says:

    I’m gonna be cremated and dumped in the garbage. I hope Fall Out Boy isn’t on the radio when I’m cooked.

    Apple TV – 4K connected to a Sony Sony 77″ Class A9G

  21. Juice Box says:

    NJ dreams..

    ‘Check out this N.J. house that sold for $110K over asking price

    https://www.nj.com/realestate-news/2023/10/check-out-this-nj-house-that-sold-for-110k-over-asking-price.html

  22. Libturd says:

    You do get to live near Coach Schiano. That’s gotta be worth 100K alone.

  23. The Great Pumpkin says:

    The revelation of one driver earning more than $2,400 — before taxes — for about a week of work sparked similar reactions from some Redditors.

    In the comments, fellow delivery drivers and college-educated white-collar professionals compared their own salaries. They said the UPS driver made more. Other commenters took the time to congratulate the driver and emphasize what they said was the need for pay transparency.

    https://www.businessinsider.com/ups-driver-reddit-debate-pay-historic-teamsters-deal-2023-9?utm_campaign=business-sf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR2N5wgFmv72OAKMCQZ-Gxh_lcp98R7rSu_vT2vGLoflKV9tVBgAXsTQOR8_aem_ASv4uMCdmosnU55MsVif6Dlg38IEY76r9EYYLylvXci4kZzkAOJ9foU0xSNU4SL1TlE&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

  24. LAX says:

    Lugging boxes all day every day really isn’t for everyone.

  25. The Great Pumpkin says:

    It’s a very tough job.

    LAX says:
    October 22, 2023 at 8:00 am
    Lugging boxes all day every day really isn’t for everyone.

  26. 3b says:

    Juice: She ain’t seeing people complain about high interest rates anymore. It’s different here!

  27. leftwing says:

    HMB, which builders you have?

    Others, worth repeating, if you are better than financially stable it is cheaper to rent than own….especially for blue eyed blondes

  28. BRT says:

    lol, as a former Piscataway resident…wtf. Tell me about those schools. Tell me about Stelton ave.

  29. Chicago says:

    FabMax day at Mich St.
    On the same day a prominent Detroit synagogue leader is stabbed to death.
    https://nypost.com/2023/10/22/michigan-state-shows-hitlers-image-on-videoboards-in-pregame-quiz-before-loss-to-no-2-michigan/

  30. Juice Box says:

    It’s the trunk long hall drivers that make that much, not the everyday delivery drivers.

    Long haul drivers earn $172,000 on average ($122,000 plus $50,000 in benefits)

  31. 3b says:

    BRT: What’s the issue with Shelton Ave?

  32. Phoenix says:

    Pay up, children.

    Boomer is out begging for more money. The same boomer who thinks you should pay for your college loans has his hand out asking for a tax break.

    Q. Why doesn’t boomer feel like he should have to pay taxes?

    A. Because boomer is a narcissistic entitled beech, who currently is spending billions of dollars and leaving you in debt. That’s why.

    Remember the golden rule. Look around you, and care as much about the people in the street as they care about you. Put yourself in the shoes of a homeless guy and imagine how they will all look at you, even the churchy, temply, mosquey ones. Or the PoPo. Or the courts. Think about how they will treat you. If you do this correctly, it will become clearer.

    Mansion Global, what a fitting name for this paper:

    Explaining New Jersey’s ‘StayNJ’ Property Tax Rebate
    The plan gives those 65 and older who earn less than $500,000 a year a tax credit

    https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/explaining-new-jerseys-staynj-property-tax-rebate-5b8dbdd0

  33. Hold my beer says:

    leftwing

    GRBK Green Brick Partners. 90% of their revenue is in DFW and Atlanta. They expanded into Austin a few years ago. They also build on Florida’s treasure coast and own 49% of a colorado based builder. Hedge fund guy David Einhorn is chairman and owns about 35% of it through his hedge fund. They have one of the highest margins, return on equity and lowest debt ratios among public builders. They will have roughly 6k finished lots by end of year and own or control about 25k lots. They also have one of the lowest cancellation rates among public builders. They will close around 3k homes this year. I know in DFW the lots they own are primarily in desirable and very desirable areas. There’s also a lot if infill building going on in this area and they are the #1 Townhouse builder in DFW and #3 House builder in the area.

    DFH Dream Finder Homes is the other. It has one of the higher debt ratios and cancellation rates in the industry. A lot of the debt comes from them buying a Texas builder for over 500 million a few years ago. They also have 150 million in convertible preffered shares paying 9% a year that are convertible to common stock in 2026. The CEO wants to buy those back in 2025. They are based in Jacksonville. The CEO writes a great letter to the shareholders. It only went public in 2021. I think it is riskier than GRBK but they do a lot of starter size homes in the south and the CEO is great at allocating money. His 2 letters to the shareholders are interesting reads. They copy NVRs model and use options to buy finished lots when they have a contract to build.

    I learned about DFH through another stock I own, Boston Omaha, BOC.

    And these arent buy recommendations, just stocks I own. Boston Omaha also has interesting letters to shareholders.

    Markle Group MKL is another stock I own that has great letters to shareholders. The stock has compounded at a little over 15% a year since they went public in the 80s. Tom Gaynor is the CEO. He’s 61 and plans to pull a Buffet and still be the CEO in his 80s. I’ve watched a lot of his interviews on youtube. They are a specialty insurer that also invests in stocks and buys non financial companies outright. Very shareholder friendly. The execs bonuses are based on how the company’s done over the previous 5 years. When they have a bad year tin 2010 or n2011 I think it was the execs got no raises or bonuses.
    They attend Berkshires annual meeting and hold a brunch for Markel shareholders since they wanted to get a core of owners like berkshire has and there is now a lot of overlap in shareholders.

  34. Phoenix says:

    Not as hard as teaching. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

    The Great Pumpkin says:
    October 22, 2023 at 8:52 am
    It’s a very tough job.

    LAX says:
    October 22, 2023 at 8:00 am
    Lugging boxes all day every day really isn’t for everyone.

  35. Phoenix says:

    What nationality are their workers? Any union guys? Are they the home depot types, the kind you pay in cash, throw a bottle of water at, and deliver a pizza at the end of the day?

    Hold my beer says:
    October 22, 2023 at 10:49 am
    They have one of the highest margins.

  36. LAX says:

    10:49 different kind of work numb nuts.
    I’d say bring a doctor is a tough job, but then I remember
    just how many horrible doctors inhabit that field.
    They call it “practicing” medicine for a reason….

  37. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Nice! Looks good.

    Hold my beer says:
    October 22, 2023 at 10:49 am

  38. Phoenix says:

    Can’t and won’t argue facts. Just like every other profession, you have bad apples. Some doctors suck. You might find out personally one day.

    Common sense numb nuts.

    LAX says:
    October 22, 2023 at 11:19 am

    I’d say bring a doctor is a tough job, but then I remember
    just how many horrible doctors inhabit that field.
    They call it “practicing” medicine for a reason….

  39. Phoenix says:

    Ronnie Reagan, the hero. Got rid of the good paying Air Traffic Controller jobs. No wonder they are short staffed. Might as well let the pilots do their thing like someone checking themselves out at Walmart.

    Now it’s like an oopsie once a week.

    “Terrifying mid-air near miss saw Alaska jet come within 250 feet of colliding with Skywest plane above Portland Airport, with air traffic controller heard urging plane to move
    The planes almost collided above an Oregon airport around 4.15pm Monday
    They came within 250 feet of each other amid ‘tornadic activity’ across the state
    Hurtling along at 214mph, the Alaska plane aborted its landing to avoid a crash”

  40. Phoenix says:

    And probably make less now than UPS drivers thanks to R. Reagan. 🤣🤣🤣

    “Industry workers have blamed a shortage of air traffic controllers which has forced many in the profession to work mandatory overtime. The demands of the job have left some burned out and even using alcohol and sleeping pills to relieve stress.

    A shocking 99 percent of air traffic control facilities in the US are understaffed, according to the New York Times, which found 310 out of 313 do not have enough workers.

    Some, including New York’s regional facility and a Philadelphia tower, are operating at around 60 percent of staff or less.”

  41. Phoenix says:

    Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. 🤣🤣🤣

    Sidney Powell was Trump’s biggest ‘fighter.’ Now she’s a big threat.

  42. Juice Box says:

    Bruce wants you to pay for his Museum.

    WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (WABC) — The Boss is getting his own museum and no surprise it’s in his home state of New Jersey.

    Monmouth University announced Wednesday it’s creating a 30,000-square-foot facility on its campus which will house Bruce Springsteen’s archives. The school is launching a campaign to raise $45 million for the project.

    “Having a building with your name on it is a tricky thing because I’m still alive,” Springsteen said.

    The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music will be housed on the Boss’ old stomping grounds.

    Before he was The Boss and when his band was Steel Mill, he played free concerts on the lawn in the late ’60s for students at what was then Monmouth college.

    Springsteen says he’s honored by the dedication.

    “Now (my personal effects) will have someplace to go other than my house,” Springsteen joked. “I’m planning on getting all of the junk out of my house because it was really getting cluttered in there and so now I’ve got some place to put that stuff.”

  43. Phoenix says:

    Juice Box says:
    October 22, 2023 at 1:30 pm
    Bruce wants you to pay for his Museum.

    https://youtu.be/2TnkJ8_BmSI

  44. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Hilarious….put in a mobile order at taco bell one hour early. Arrived at pickup time only to wait 20 min. “Fast food” they said. Entitlement has a cost. I have have never seen a more entitled workforce in my entire life. WFH, anyone?!!! Handing out trophies for showing up has a cost. Like EX pts out, even the doctors are a f’ing joke now. I trust my own research than i do a doctor these days…. Just an entitled loser given A’s his/her entire life because everyone gets a trophy.

    Wfh!! I am more productive sitting on my ass at home. Right…loser.

  45. BRT says:

    Eating gourmet tonight?

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