Impeachment of the IRS Commissioner is a political stunt by the Republicans.

Rep. Darrell Issa is not an attorney. He is prosecuting the case.

Rep. John Conyers is an attorney and he is stating there has to be an investigation of Rep. Jason Chavetz's numerable subpoenas. 

Chavetz does not have a case. Automatically the Congressional oversight process has been used to overwhelm the IRS with subpoenas. There are over 500 subpoenas that Chavetz is citing as the reason for the impeachment. That is ridiculous. 

The IRS Commissioner has work to do today, which might be completing the audit of Donald Trump and could not be at the hearing today. It is impossible to answer over 500 subpoenas and continue to FUNCTION as a leader in the department. This charge for impeachment is nonsense. Chavetz has demanded a large number of subpoenas be answered while the US House has cut the budget to the IRS. The charges are baseless because it is impossible to carry out all responsibilities of the office of Commissioner while trying to balance answers to over 500 subpoenas. 

Rep. Jason Chavetz needs to be investigated for at the very least unethical practices of gaming the system to achieve a political act.

There has been 160 thousand man hours and  $20 million US spent on the investigation of the IRS by the FBI on behalf of US House. At the conclusion of the House investigation it was decided the IRS did not destroy documents or misdirect their activities. There were no crimes committed.

It is abuse of power by Chavetz and quite frankly the waste of the FBI's time and House monies might be his downfall in any reelection. By successfully impeaching the IRS Commissioner; it would act to save his standing for re-election. Chavetz is corrupt.

Is there any aspect of the government that operates with some sufficiency? 

Government Oversight and Reform (click here)

Fathers and daughters. This was written on Facebook by James Beasley of Carolina Beach.

"7 years ago was one of the most conflicting days of my life. I walked my daughter down the isle. With each step she seemed to get younger and younger. By the time we were at the end of the walk, all I could see is that little 3 yr old who would crawl up in my lap to watch tv with me. I could hear her little voice saying I LOVE YOU DADDY. I didnt want to let go. I wanted to take her and hide her away. Then as I looked at the man who was to be her husband, I saw in his eyes that he loved her almost as much as I do. For the first time ever, I saw a woman where my babygirl had been. 7years later. I still havent really let go, I just loosened the grip."

Vietnam is doing just fine without the TPP. There is nothing new or exciting about a relationship between Vietnam and the USA, it happened with Japan post WWII.

May 23, 2016
By John Kerry, John McCain and Bob Kerry

...This wider agenda (click here) reflects changes to the relationship that are well underway. Twenty years ago, there were fewer than 60,000 American visitors annually to Vietnam. Today, there are nearly half a million. Twenty years ago, our bilateral trade in goods with Vietnam was only $450 million. Today, it is 100 times that. Twenty years ago, there were fewer than 1,000 Vietnamese students in the United States. Today, there are nearly 19,000.

Nearly half a century ago, when we were serving in Vietnam, we would never have imagined that our country would one day work with the government in Hanoi to help save the Mekong River Delta by helping create an initiative to manage its ecosystem and cope with the effects of climate change. We could never have imagined that our two countries would be partners in a landmark trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is intended to raise labor and environmental standards while expanding prosperity in our country and all along the Pacific Rim.

Those jobs belong to Americans. It is just that time during a political year in the USA those in the administration and Congress have to bow to Wall Street for those big money donors.

It would have been even harder to imagine that the United States and Vietnam would be cooperating on security issues. And yet the United States has helped establish a new training center for People’s Army of Vietnam on the outskirts of Hanoi, where young Vietnamese soldiers will prepare for service in United Nations-sponsored peacekeeping missions....

I can imagine plenty, like holding those that put the USA in southeast Asia because of the Domino theory should be held accountable! The same goes for Iraq.

The 58,220 dead Americans from the Vietnam War could even reach higher today because of those still missing.

From China Daily:

May 24, 2016

US President Barack Obama (R) and his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Dai Quang review the guard of honour during welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam May 23, 2016.

Still yet another agreement to cloud the path of any American entity from assaulting the TPP. It has to be stopped before it gets started.

Hanoi - Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang (click here) and visiting US President Barack Obama on Monday adopted a joint statement on advancing bilateral comprehensive partnership.

During talks held after welcoming ceremony, Quang affirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance and desires for stable, extensive and effective development of Vietnam-US relations, reported Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA.

Obama, for his part, said he will urge the US congress to adopt the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as well as pledge to support Vietnam through robust technical assistance and capacity-building programs to effectively implement and meet the high standards of the TPP....

The current GDP per capita for Vietnam is $1910.51 and is comparable to other countries in the region, including the Philippines with a per capita GDP of $2,765.08 annually. The Philippines has had a long standing relationship with the USA, the people never improved their quality of life. Wall Street goes into countries to make lots and lots of money. Wall Street is not interested in sharing and the people of these countries never see improvement of quality of life.

The people of Vietnam will never benefit from the TPP!

Hanoi and other cities, towns and villages can become sister cities with a city, town or village in the USA. In that way the American people can be sure the quality of life is improved for the Vietnamese people in the trading parameters of local economies. Local economies can work no matter the country.

Pick a country, find a city and come to a real agreement to establish trade relationship that benefit and are benevolent to both people.

An explosion of an aircraft does not define terrorism alone. (click here). American Airlines 587, which was an Airbus A 300-600 is proof of that. The very problem that brought the jet down had nothing to do with the explosion. The explosion happened because the jet was disabled and disintegrated in air. The rudder was the reason for the loss of the jet.

May 24, 2016
By Charlene Gubash

Cairo - Human remains recovered following the crash of EgyptAir Flight 604 suggest there was an explosion on board, a senior Egyptian official reportedly said Tuesday....

The reason the jet crashed won't be known for years. Quite possibly eleven years.

While Donald Trump and the DNC spin their wheels there is a quiet revolution taking place.

The Libertarian Party can't believe it themselves. It is time they take themselves seriously and organize.

There are several pictures of him pointing his finger at someone. It is probably simply a bad habit and he should stop doing that. It is not voter friendly.

As a sincere Libertarian he has many positions, sort of like Merrick Garland, that attracts both Democrats and Republicans.

May 23, 2016
By Brian Doherty

The website Hammer of Truth, (click here) in collaboration with the Libertarian National Committee, conducted a survey last week  of 1,563 "known registered voters" who are "current dues paying members or lapsed for less than one year" of the Libertarian Party.
The respondents were invited by the Libertarian National Committee via email. The survey claims a 3.5 percent margin of error, and found, among other things, that Gary Johnson, the 2012 candidate, has a huge current lead in presidential support, with 60.9 percent support. The only other candidate to break 10 percent was Austin Petersen at 16.7.
Before Gary Johnson gets too excited by those results, only 10 percent of the surveyed say they will be delegates at the convention in Orlando this weekend that will actually nominate the president....

Gary Johnson was a business man that ran for Governor in New Mexico and won. He held the office of Governor from January 1, 1995 to January 1, 2003. He has been successful as a Republican on a Libertarian platform.

Personally, he is a cross between Joe Biden and Jimmy Carter without the charity. Mr. Johnson built his own home. He lost a spouse to death and unfortunately they were divorcing after he finished office in New Mexico.

From Wiki"

Johnson was married to Dee Johnson (née Simms; 1952–2006) from 1977 to 2005. As First Lady of New Mexico, she engaged in campaigns against smoking and breast cancer and oversaw the enlargement of the Governor's Mansion. He initiated a separation in May 2005 and four months later he announced that they would divorce. Dee Johnson died unexpectedly on December 22, 2006, at the age of 54 It was established in February 2007 that her death was caused by hypertensive heart disease. Syndicated columnist John Dendahl expressed shock upon her death, as she had been "very vivacious" only two weeks previously. After her death, Johnson said, "People couldn't have gotten a better number one volunteer, because that's what she was. Whatever [the issue] was, she had a caring approach." Johnson and his late wife have two grown children a daughter, Seah (born 1979), and a son, Erik (born 1982). As of November 9, 2012, Johnson is engaged to Santa Fe real estate agent Kate Prusack, whom he began dating in 2008 after meeting on a bike ride. Johnson proposed in 2009 on the chair lift at Taos Ski Valley Resort in New Mexico. He lives in Taos, New Mexico in a home that he built himself.

Johnson is an avid triathlete who bikes extensively....

Johnson was born on January 1, 1953, in Minot, North Dakota, the son of Lorraine B. (née Bostow), who worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Earl W. Johnson, a public school teacher.

He attended the University of New Mexico from 1971 to 1975 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in political science. He start his own business called Big J Enterprises, in 1976. Eventually Big J would grown into a multimillion-dollar corporation with 1000 employees. By the time he sold the company in 1999, it was one of New Mexico's leading construction companies.

He is qualified to run for President. I am sure he has his weaknesses in foreign policy, but, no more than Donald Trump. Gary Johnson is a successful business man in construction do different than Donald Trump.

Who cares what happens to the Taliban? They were driven out of Pakistan because of the will of the people. The Taliban was lead by a dead guy for two years and the USA never knew it. The USA has no intelligence about the Taliban and is releaved when a month goes by without a Green on Blue attack. 

THE USA HAS NO INTELLIGENCE ABOUT THE TALIBAN BECAUSE THERE IS NO REASON TO HAVE INTELLIGENCE ABOUT THE TALIBAN. They are a group of migrating madmen that don't have a home. If the USA left Afghanistan the Taliban would eventually end their country club and go home.

There is no reason to be in Afghanistan. What does it take to convince the American people they are being stupid regarding the military deployments to the middle east? 

THE USA HAD NO INTELLIGENCE ABOUT MULLAH OMAR. THE TALIBAN WERE BEING LEAD BY A DEAD GUY FOR TWO YEARS AND THE USA BELIEVED IT WAS TRUE.

Excuse me?

OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD AND MULLAH OMAR WASN'T WITH 
HIM !!!!

The Taliban did not attack the USA and the USA Congress knows that!

The USA Congress just passed legislation to allow the 911 families the right to file suit of Saudi Arabia. 

WHAT THE HELL IS THE USA DOING IN AFGHANISTAN?

Senator Bernie Sanders' campaign has been very valuable to the dialogue of this election.

My understanding of Super-Delegates is that they are autonomous. These Super-delegates are long standing party members and some are in Congress. This is the way the DNC handles their choice for the nomination for President.

It is not illegal. They can be debated as to any level of corruption. Is there an exchange of money or favor? I will assume all the Super-delegates are ethical people. 

They have been involved in far more intense and lengthy party dynamics than any other delegate to the convention. I would estimate they are well tuned to their party's platform and where momentum is for their electorate. That is important. Bringing people to the polls is vital to the heart of any party.

Given is the fact they have experience with candidates, past candidates and anticipated up and coming candidates. They are allowed to use their own judgement. My estimation is there are Super-delegates dedicated to the election of Hillary Clinton. They didn't know Senator Sanders was going to be involved with the Democratic Party process. 

It is a good guess, as per the picture in the upper left corner, there are now Super-delegates standing with Bernie Sanders.

The DNC and Super-delegates should be grateful for Senator Sander's interest in this election. He has been a very valuable part of the country's dialogue. I think the Democratic Party would be in the doldrums of he was not involved.

There is a solution to the issue of Super-delegates and it lies with them to have a conversation with both the Clinton campaign and the Sanders' campaign. The Super-delegates themselves can mitigate any tensions and potential negative impact on November's election. These conversations probably should have been an on going process from the first primary or caucus. Senator Bernie Sanders is just as interested in maintaining positive momentum in November as the Clinton campaign has been.

I think it is important the Sanders' campaign invite conversations with the Super-delegates. They will no doubt find interest by these delegates. All these negative dynamics can be confronted and worked out before the convention. There should be good will at the national convention and I think the responsibility for good will and harmony belongs to Super-delegates that sincerely care about the party and it's success in November.

I do believe Hillary Clinton is correct in stating Bernie Sanders has not received negative ads or profound criticism or real vetting. If Bernie Sanders has a chance to be the nominee he needs to have a good idea of where the negative impacts will come to his campaign that would remove his luster today.

I appreciate the fact Bernie Sanders is going to be campaigning through to November to bring about the best interest for the country. I think he and his spouse are great people.

I have stated before the high approval rating that belonged to Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State was chronically impacted by FOX News negative programming. Bernie Sanders hasn't experienced the chronic and insidious attacks by FOX. "Where is his Benghazi and email soft spots?"

FOX is a propagandist network along with talk radio. There is no playing fair by FOX. I am sure for all the years Bernie Sanders has been in politics he has been attacked for his views, but, succeeded in receiving the majority vote anyway. He and his campaign needs to be ready. Even campaigning for Hillary into November may invite some very nasty dialogue about the Sanders campaign and their candidate.

Being a mature campaign means being prepared for attacks and the impact they will bring. I am sure there are many veterans in the Bernie Sanders camp, especially after these primaries. It is amazing what they are achieving. But, they have not been the focus of wrath by FOX, yet.

More corruption from the GOP.

May 21, 2016
By Mary Troyan

Washington – The special House committee (click here) investigating the 2012 terror attacks in Benghazi will issue its report before the Republican and Democratic presidential nominating conventions in July, the panel’s chairman told MSNBC on Friday.
Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said he originally wanted to finish in 2015 but that the committee did not receive all of the documents and witnesses in time.
“I can’t stop an investigation because an executive branch agency won’t give me documents,” Gowdy said in an interview with Meet the Press Daily from the National Rifle Association convention in Louisville.
Gowdy said the panel still has not received all of the information it requested but that the report will be released “in the next month” before both nominating conventions....

Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle state this costly process is about tainting the reputation of Hillary Clinton. Democrats have been excluded from some of the reports and are completely excluded from writing the report.

Ethics need to come to bear and bring Congressional members of the committee involved with corruption to the forefront.

This has been the most egregious use of taxpayer funds.

These hearings are so corrupt there is a research center exists to point to it.

The Benghazi Research Center (click here)

...Trey Gowdy and his Select Committee on Benghazi (click here) have received increased scrutiny after the not-so-shocking admissions by Republican Reps. McCarthy and Hanna of its blatantly political motivations.

It’s often forgotten that Gowdy’s committee is the 8^th congressional investigation into the tragedy that took the lives of 4 brave Americans....

...$22 Million: Minimum total cost to the taxpayers of congressional investigations into Benghazi....

Enough.

There is something very wrong. This needs to be appealed. The police did not value life.

May 23, 2016
By Justin Fenton and Kevin Rector

Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams (click here)re Circuit Judge Barry Williams (click here) on Monday acquitted Officer Edward Nero of all counts for his role in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray.
The judgment, following a five-day bench trial, is the first in the closely-watched case. Nero, 30, faced four misdemeanor charges of second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of misconduct in office.

Prosecutors had argued that Nero committed an assault by detaining Gray without justification, while the reckless endangerment charge related to Nero's role in putting Gray into an arrest wagon without buckling a seat belt. In closing arguments Thursday, Williams had skeptically questioned prosecutors about their theory of assault, which legal experts said was unprecedented....

Freddie Gray was arrested and hand cuffed with his hands behind his back. There was no way he could have put a seat belt on himself. His safety was in the hands of the officers. They are guilty of murder. They allowed it to happen.

...Gray, 25, suffered severe spinal cord injuries while in the back of a Baltimore police van, prosecutors say....

The police culture is not on trail. Gross negligence in the handling of Freddie Gray after he was arrested is what is on trail. The Judge is not able to see the truth. They are playing with parsing words in the law to decide if the law applies. The law obviously applies.

No police training is needed to understand a person is compromised by handcuffs applied by the police. What is the IQ of the police officer? At least one of the six officer should have intervened in safeguarding Freddie Gray.

The judge has exhibited a very poor ability to discern important facts from judicial misdirection of PROCEDURE. There is a lot wrong.

The officers didn't do their jobs. Obviously.

1:58.3

1 3/16 miles (1.91 km) - 1:53 - Secretariat (1973)

Exaggerator robbed Nyquist of his Triple Crown at the Preakness Stakes. (click here)

It was a rough day at Pimlico beyond the rain and muddy track.

May 21, 2016
By ESPN staff

In a tragic start to Preakness day, (click here) two horses died after racing at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

Homeboykris had rallied to win the day's first race by a half-length on a rainy Saturday. After having his picture taken in the winner's circle, he collapsed and died on his walk back to the barn. Track officials believe the 9-year-old gelding suffered cardiovascular collapse....

Exercised induced pulmonary hemorrhage in racing thoroghbreds: a preliminary study (click here)

Pascoe JR , Ferraro GL , Cannon JH , Arthur RM , Wheat JD

American Journal of Veterinary Research  [1981, 42(5):703-707]

Of 235 Thoroughbred racehorses examined with a flexible fiberoptic endoscope within 2 hours of racing to determine the frequency of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), 103 (43.8%) had various degrees of hemorrhage in the tracheal lumen. Two of these horses (0.8%) subsequently had blood flow from the nostrils. Blood seemed to originate from the lung. Statistical analysis of frequency data for 191 horses which finished in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places did not show any relationship between EIPH and horse's age, sex, or finishing position. However, a trend toward an increased frequency of EIPH with age was shown, by a greater proportion of horses 5 years and older having EIPH. This trend is thought to reflect the chronicity of the pulmonary lesions and an inability of the lung to repair damaged regions while training and racing continued. The efficacy of furosemidefor the treatment of EIPH was questioned, since 30 of 56 furosemide-treated horses which were examined had evidence of pulmonary hemorrhage. Nineteen (8%) horses had visible functional abnormalities of the upper respiratory tract.

October 4, 2012
By Eric Larson

...In 2005, Tobin said, Kenneth W. Hinchcliff, BVSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, (click here) a professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Melbourne, Australia, described an EIPH scoring system that is currently used:

• Grade 0: No blood detected in the pharynx, larynx, trachea, or mainstem bronchi.
• Grade 1: One or more flecks of blood, or two or fewer short (less than one quarter the length of the trachea) and narrow (less than 10% of the tracheal surface area) streams of blood in the trachea or mainstem bronchi present.
• Grade 2: One long stream of blood (more than one-half the length of the trachea) or more than two short streams of blood occupying less than one-third of the tracheal circumference.
• Grade 3: Multiple, distinct streams of blood, covering more than one-third of the tracheal circumference, with no blood pooling at the thoracic inlet.
• Grade 4: Multiple, coalescing streams of blood covering more than 90% of the tracheal surface with blood pooling at the thoracic inlet.

"If you want to quantify the amount (or severity) of bleeding, you can do it visually," Tobin confirmed....

"Good Night, Moon"

Full Moon

15.9 days old

98.5 percent lit

Mars Opposition

May 22, 2016
By Illinois Patch

Stay up late (click here) Sunday night to gaze at Mars as the planet gets closer to Earth than it has in the last decade....

AND

Orbital ATK Outpost May Orbit the Moon by 2020 (click here)

Greenhouse gas is not a bad word.

Greenhouse gases are benevolent. Where greenhouse gases become a concern is when there is too much of them to trap infrared energy resulting in heat.

Water mitigates the climate that greenhouse gases create. The more greenhouse gases in the troposphere of Earth, the greater the need for mitigation of the heat by water vapor.

Of the phases of water, it is vapor that is the last phase to accept heat from the troposphere. That has been a good thing. Water vapor not only exists because of the Earth's infrared heat, it also acts to move water around to provide rain and seasons. Under a normal troposphere seasonal changes are also mitigate to allow a wide spread distribution of that heat rather than a concentrated amount of heat from solar rays. It is a matter of surface area. Water vapor accepts Earth's heat and then builds into clouds that travel around the Earth to bring rain and shade.

Today, everyone age of 15 years old remembers less turbulence and a more benevolent climate. Today, water vapor continues to receive heat and turns it into physical wind and rain, etc., with far more ferocity.

I believe the best concept to understand this from a scientific view is "The Mechanical Equivalent of Heat." (click here) It is the relationship of heat and work. It has a formula of J (joule) = W (work) / Q (heat). The equation works in both directions, hence the equal sign. It is an equation within theromodynamics.

The heat is the ever growing greenhouse gas infrared heat. The work is that of the water vapor cloud system that mitigates the heat. And the joule is the understood energy used in the mitigation in the climate.

In a climate model which reflects the increasing heat and water vapor the joule would be an indication of how different the climate is compared to 150 years ago. Water vapor due to it's properties effects change (mitigation of heat) in motion.

Example: How many joules are produced by a tornado? Tornadoes result from heat mitigated by water vapor or lack there of. Hurricanes are the same way. Due to the dynamics of Earth, hurricanes have a vector.

But, that is the relationship of water to global warming. It mitigates the heat as it has within a far more 'normal' troposphere, but, with greater indications of energy due to higher infrared heat trapped by ever increasing greenhouse gases the result in no longer benevolent.

God and Global Warming

On a journey through Alaska, can Evangelicals and scientists find common ground? (click here)

The fears verbalized in this film are profound. The people involved have found information and experience a far better answer than fear.

Lack of knowledge regarding such a dangerous time with Earth it creates fear and denial. I strongly believe when people don't understand their world, they tend to reject the truth and cling to fear of the truth.

I thought a diagram of water may help to understand it's greenhouse gas properties.

The other greenhouse gases are very stable molecules. While water is a stable molecule, it is also highly reactive as a partially charged structure.

Water has a bent structure as noted below. It has to hydrogens that are bonded to a single oxygen through shared electrons as noted above. The bend in the molecule allows for water to have a PARTIAL positive charge on the oxygen side and a PARTIAL negative charge on the hydrogen side. This partial positive or negative provides enough reason for other molecules to interact with it.

The point is water is a greenhouse gas because it can mitigate the heat. As the other greenhouse gases turn photon light from the sun to infrared warming heat from Earth's surface, water is available to receive that heat and become weather.

Remember, weather is always changing, but, the climate is suppose to remain stable. This episode of warming is dangerous because it is abrupt climate change. It may not seem abrupt because it is taking place over 150 years, but, on Earth's timeline that is a very short time. Abrupt climate change destroys life as it cannot adapt in such short periods of time. This is also different in that the source of greenhouse gases seem infinite. Infinite sources of greenhouse gases makes the final outcome of Earth unknown. The BURNING and manufacture of these gases is a far different method of Earth's experience with greenhouse gases before the Industrial Revolution.

But, as to water, for all it's incredible properties that keeps life happening in Earth, it's property of 'temperature-phase' change is where it fits into this classification as a greenhouse gas.

"Unprecedented 21st century drought risk in the American Southwest and Central Plains

Science Advances is a new journal by the familiar Science magazine. The Southwest and Central Plains of the USA are very important places where American agriculture is a vital part of global food distribution. Those areas of the country also receive their water from "snowpack."

Science Advances, 12 February 2015 (click here)
Vol. 1, No. 1

By Benjamin J. Cook, Toby R. Ault, and Jason E. Smerdon

Abstract:

In the Southwest and Central Plains of Western North America, climate change is expected to increase drought severity in the coming decades. These regions nevertheless experienced extended Medieval-era droughts that were more persistent than any historical event, providing crucial targets in the paleoclimate record for benchmarking the severity of future drought risks. We use an empirical drought reconstruction and three soil moisture metrics from 17 state-of-the-art general circulation models to show that these models project significantly drier conditions in the later half of the 21st century compared to the 20th century and earlier paleoclimatic intervals. This desiccation is consistent across most of the models and moisture balance variables, indicating a coherent and robust drying response to warming despite the diversity of models and metrics analyzed. Notably, future drought risk will likely exceed even the driest centuries of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (1100–1300 CE) in both moderate (RCP 4.5) and high (RCP 8.5) future emissions scenarios, leading to unprecedented drought conditions during the last millennium.

Water, under normal conditions, has a cycle. It is a clsoed cycle, under normal conditions. One has to understand and respect what is normal to know how far astray we are from it.

The water cycle has no starting point, but we'll begin in the oceans, since that is where most of Earth's water exists. The sun, which drives the water cycle, heats water in the oceans. Some of it evaporates as vapor into the air; a relatively smaller amount of moisture is added as ice and snow sublimate directly from the solid state into vapor. Rising air currents take the vapor up into the atmosphere, along with water from evapotranspiration, which is water transpired from plants and evaporated from the soil. The vapor rises into the air where cooler temperatures cause it to condense into clouds.

Air currents move clouds around the globe, and cloud particles collide, grow, and fall out of the sky as precipitation. Some precipitation falls as snow and can accumulate as ice caps and glaciers, which can store frozen water for thousands of years. Snowpacks in warmer climates often thaw and melt when spring arrives, and the melted water flows overland as snowmelt. Most precipitation falls back into the oceans or onto land, where, due to gravity, the precipitation flows over the ground as surface runoff. A portion of runoff enters rivers in valleys in the landscape, with streamflow moving water towards the oceans. Runoff, and groundwater seepage, accumulate and are stored as freshwater in lakes.

Not all runoff flows into rivers, though. Much of it soaks into the ground as infiltration. Some of the water infiltrates into the ground and replenishes aquifers (saturated subsurface rock), which store huge amounts of freshwater for long periods of time. Some infiltration stays close to the land surface and can seep back into surface-water bodies (and the ocean) as groundwater discharge, and some groundwater finds openings in the land surface and emerges as freshwater springs. Yet more groundwater is absorbed by plant roots to end up as evapotranspiration from the leaves. Over time, though, all of this water keeps moving, some to reenter the ocean, where the water cycle "ends" ... oops - I mean, where it "begins."...

May 22, 2016
By NPR Staff

Villagers throw containers into a well to collect their daily supply of potable water after a tanker made its daily delivery in Shahapur, India on May 13, 2016. India is in the midst of a drought.

We often associate climate change with too much water (click here) — the melting ice caps triggering a rise in sea levels. But a new World Bank report says that it's too little water — the potable sort — that we also need to think about.
High and Dry: Climate Change, Water, and the Economy examines the future effects of diminishing water supplies on the world. "Water-related climate risks cascade through food, energy, urban, and environmental systems," researchers write. "Growing populations, rising incomes, and expanding cities will converge upon a world where the demand for water rises exponentially, while supply becomes more erratic and uncertain."
The World Bank says that in areas where water is readily available, like Central Africa and East Asia, it could become harder to find. And in areas like the Middle East, already facing water problems, "scarcity will greatly worsen."
The authors also note the spikes in food prices a water shortage would cause, which in turn would likely lead to conflict.
These are all fairly evident consequences of global warming. The report treads new ground, however, in evaluating the economic impacts of this water scarcity. Researchers say water shortages could cause certain areas to lose as much as 6 percent of their gross domestic product "as a result of water-related losses in agriculture, health, income, and property."...

Water is considered the "universal solvent."

Water dissolves more substances than any other liquid. Water effects every living thing on earth.

Did you get that?

Water effects every living thing on Earth.

Are you sure you got that?

Water effects every living thing on Earth.

Now that you 'got it,' realize the one true body system in the human body that does most of the work regarding water.

...Our own kidneys and water's solvent properties (click here) make a great pair in keeping us alive and healthy. The kidneys are responsible for filtering out substances that enter our bodies from the foods and drinks we consume. But, the kidneys have got to get rid of these substances after they accumulate them. That is where water helps out; being such a great solvent, water washing through the kidneys dissolves these substances and sends them on the way out of our bodies....

Ocean acidification seems like such a remote problem from everyday life. Ocean acidification is happening now. Where? Oregon, USA.

Realize the range of water and it's phase changes.

This is a fairly simple chart of the "Phases of Water."

The most common phase of water is liquid. It is what most people think of when water is discussed. We cook with it. We bath in it. We drink it.

The temperature of liquid water is between and not including 0 degrees Celsius (C) and 100 degrees Celsius. Or. 32 degrees Fahrenheit (F) to 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

The next phase most people think of is solid. Ice. Ice forms when temperatures reach below 32 F or 0 C.

The least appreciated phase of water is greater than 212 F or greater than 100 C. This is water vapor.

Water also has weight which for a gallon of room temperature water (liquid phase) weighs 8.33 pounds.

Two of the phases mentioned in the diagram not yet discussed is sublimation and deposition.

Sublimation is when water is solid and immediately turns to water vapor without going through a liquid phase

Deposition is when water goes through a phase change of gas to solid without going through a liquid phase.

All these phases of water occur on Earth.