Monday, June 27, 2016
The power brokers are out in full force trying to survive the day. I don't believe trending water will get them anywhere.
The truth is the people of Great Britain have been suffering for some time under oppressive austerity. It is time they take their country in a new direction.
April 16, 2016
By Carmen Fishwick
...Tens of thousands of anti-austerity protesters (click here) descended on central Lomdon on Saturday, to demonstrate against government cuts to health, social housing, jobs and education.
Last week, the organisers – People’s Assembly Against Austerity – modified the event to also call for the resignation of prime minister David Cameron over links to his father’s offshore company.
“The Tories are facing their biggest crisis yet. David Cameron’s stake in his father’s off shore tax haven, prove that this is a government for the privileged few, not for the majority. This shows beyond all doubt that Cameron is divorced from the life of any working person,” the organisers wrote on their Facebook page....
The Tory's Cameron was a zealot after entering the Prime Minister's power. He played politics with the people and then began to hack away at the very essence of the people of Great Britain. He cut spending in places where the people had needs. The Torys stated they could rebuild the economy and did nothing but fulfill their political ideologies.
Cameron recently re-entered Afghanistan after the Brits had fully pulled out. The people saw their future and their children's future and didn't find purpose in any of it.
Even reports out of the United Nations disgraced the Great Briton that valued wealth over books for children.
June 26, 2016
By Steven Erlanger
...The hostilities in the Labour Party (click here) broke out as the battle lines became clearer among the governing Conservatives, left in turmoil by the vote on the European Union and the subsequent announcement by Prime Minister David Cameron that he would resign once his party chose a successor.Michael Gove, the justice minister and one of the leaders of the Leave campaign, threw his support to the former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent figure in the anti-Europe movement. Aides to Theresa May, the home secretary, who backed the Remain side in the referendum on Thursday, were calling legislators to seek their support to take on Mr. Johnson.
The British news media reported that close allies of Mr. Cameron were also working to stop Mr. Johnson, reflecting the sense of betrayal on Downing Street over Mr. Johnson’s decision to tie his political ambitions to the movement to leave Europe. Other cabinet ministers were considering whether to run, including Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, and Liam Fox, a former defense secretary....
The facts are in, 2008 was a well managed coup against the world's governments. It placed immeasurable power into the hands of the few. It is known. It is over for Great Britain.
Below (click here)
The organisation founded in 1957 (click here) which is now known as the European Union, originally had six members: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
I think the EU was a great idea, but, it's benevolence waned in the years beginning 2000. The Euro has not been effected that much, the stocks and bonds are a different issue. Oddly enough, the Russian bonds have registered a gain today. The reason Russian bonds were registering a gain is because they have already been excoriated by the global economy. There is no place to go but up.
In 2008, the USA rushed in to rescue Wall Street. That isn't suppose to be the way global markets reset. 2008 was suppose to be a complete economic disaster. The wealthy became untrustworthy after the financial markets were deregulated by USA Republicans. The greed was more than they could handle.
The financial markets rewarded their CEO's for bad decisions that ripped the value from the markets of it's wages and esteem of their employees. It was out of control and practiced some of the worst management ever in the history of the world.
If consumers don't have an income to spend, the markets devolve into places of Third World values excluding disposable income and/or the ability to save. The Financial industry has proven it cannot be trusted with deregulation.
As to Brexit; there was the added issue of national security. It wasn't enough citizens had their standard of living removed, they were now facing attacks of terrorists entering countries under the disguise of immigration. It has nothing to do with Mexico. It has a great deal to do with the implosion of Iraq and Syria following the USA invasion of Iraq.
Life has never been this bad for the generations of Baby Boomers and their children. The promise of success and economic upward movement has been disgustingly removed from the economy of The West. There is every reason to remove the government that lead the people in that direction.
Local economies sustain past Wall Street emergencies. It is a lesson well RE-learned. Make it stick.
April 16, 2016
By Carmen Fishwick
...Tens of thousands of anti-austerity protesters (click here) descended on central Lomdon on Saturday, to demonstrate against government cuts to health, social housing, jobs and education.
Last week, the organisers – People’s Assembly Against Austerity – modified the event to also call for the resignation of prime minister David Cameron over links to his father’s offshore company.
“The Tories are facing their biggest crisis yet. David Cameron’s stake in his father’s off shore tax haven, prove that this is a government for the privileged few, not for the majority. This shows beyond all doubt that Cameron is divorced from the life of any working person,” the organisers wrote on their Facebook page....
The Tory's Cameron was a zealot after entering the Prime Minister's power. He played politics with the people and then began to hack away at the very essence of the people of Great Britain. He cut spending in places where the people had needs. The Torys stated they could rebuild the economy and did nothing but fulfill their political ideologies.
Cameron recently re-entered Afghanistan after the Brits had fully pulled out. The people saw their future and their children's future and didn't find purpose in any of it.
Even reports out of the United Nations disgraced the Great Briton that valued wealth over books for children.
June 26, 2016
By Steven Erlanger
...The hostilities in the Labour Party (click here) broke out as the battle lines became clearer among the governing Conservatives, left in turmoil by the vote on the European Union and the subsequent announcement by Prime Minister David Cameron that he would resign once his party chose a successor.Michael Gove, the justice minister and one of the leaders of the Leave campaign, threw his support to the former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent figure in the anti-Europe movement. Aides to Theresa May, the home secretary, who backed the Remain side in the referendum on Thursday, were calling legislators to seek their support to take on Mr. Johnson.
The British news media reported that close allies of Mr. Cameron were also working to stop Mr. Johnson, reflecting the sense of betrayal on Downing Street over Mr. Johnson’s decision to tie his political ambitions to the movement to leave Europe. Other cabinet ministers were considering whether to run, including Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, and Liam Fox, a former defense secretary....
The facts are in, 2008 was a well managed coup against the world's governments. It placed immeasurable power into the hands of the few. It is known. It is over for Great Britain.
Below (click here)
I think the EU was a great idea, but, it's benevolence waned in the years beginning 2000. The Euro has not been effected that much, the stocks and bonds are a different issue. Oddly enough, the Russian bonds have registered a gain today. The reason Russian bonds were registering a gain is because they have already been excoriated by the global economy. There is no place to go but up.
In 2008, the USA rushed in to rescue Wall Street. That isn't suppose to be the way global markets reset. 2008 was suppose to be a complete economic disaster. The wealthy became untrustworthy after the financial markets were deregulated by USA Republicans. The greed was more than they could handle.
The financial markets rewarded their CEO's for bad decisions that ripped the value from the markets of it's wages and esteem of their employees. It was out of control and practiced some of the worst management ever in the history of the world.
If consumers don't have an income to spend, the markets devolve into places of Third World values excluding disposable income and/or the ability to save. The Financial industry has proven it cannot be trusted with deregulation.
As to Brexit; there was the added issue of national security. It wasn't enough citizens had their standard of living removed, they were now facing attacks of terrorists entering countries under the disguise of immigration. It has nothing to do with Mexico. It has a great deal to do with the implosion of Iraq and Syria following the USA invasion of Iraq.
Life has never been this bad for the generations of Baby Boomers and their children. The promise of success and economic upward movement has been disgustingly removed from the economy of The West. There is every reason to remove the government that lead the people in that direction.
Local economies sustain past Wall Street emergencies. It is a lesson well RE-learned. Make it stick.
I can understand how important clear definitions are to law, but, this is still ridiculous.
It will never hold up under ethics scrutiny. There is also a good chance he would be convicted again under a tighter standard. The result of Ms. McDonald's actions may be impacted by this decision.
June 27, 2016
The U.S. Supreme Court (click here) on Monday unanimously reversed former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's 11 corruption convictions.
The high court vacated the unanimous finding of the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which had rejected McDonnell's arguments and upheld the guilty verdicts.
"It is instead with the broader legal implications of the governments' boundless interpretation of the federal bribery statute. A more limited interpretation of the term 'official act' leaves ample room for prosecuting corruption, while comporting with the text of the statute and the precedent of this court."...
Women have to have options. It is not the role of the government to deny women those options.
The Texas Democratic Committee has a lot of work to do. The options open to women have been effected by the dialogue in Texas. Women need to know they have support of their legislators. They need to know where to and how to obtain an abortion.
There are no movements to promote abortion. That is not the issue at all. Abortions are personal choices women have to make. It is not a frivolous choice. Anyone I am familiar with take the pregnancy seriously, but, they also take their choices seriously. A baby comes with responsibility a woman may not be able to provide. Adoption is not necessarily an option that is valued for many reasons.
Abortion is an option some women value and there is no substitution for it. Women cannot lead lives of desperation, they must lead a life with options. This Supreme Court seems to understand the human condition and respect it. The USA laws don't provide for ONLY abortion or ONLY adoption. The Constitution provides choice of which liberty is found. A woman's body is her own under the US Constitution.
There needs to be an outreach to the women of Texas to provide insight to their options and to realize their lives are not desperate, but, empowered.
I might also point out the interim decisions were meaningless in the final decision by the court.
There are no movements to promote abortion. That is not the issue at all. Abortions are personal choices women have to make. It is not a frivolous choice. Anyone I am familiar with take the pregnancy seriously, but, they also take their choices seriously. A baby comes with responsibility a woman may not be able to provide. Adoption is not necessarily an option that is valued for many reasons.
Abortion is an option some women value and there is no substitution for it. Women cannot lead lives of desperation, they must lead a life with options. This Supreme Court seems to understand the human condition and respect it. The USA laws don't provide for ONLY abortion or ONLY adoption. The Constitution provides choice of which liberty is found. A woman's body is her own under the US Constitution.
There needs to be an outreach to the women of Texas to provide insight to their options and to realize their lives are not desperate, but, empowered.
I might also point out the interim decisions were meaningless in the final decision by the court.
June 27, 2016
By Camila Domonoske
The Supreme Court (click here) has overturned a Texas law requiring clinics that provide abortions to have surgical facilities and doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The law was predicted to close many clinics and further reduce availability of abortion in Texas; the court has ruled the law violated the Constitution.By Camila Domonoske
With a 5-3 decision in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, the court reversed a decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which had upheld the law. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Chief Justice John Roberts dissented, while Anthony Kennedy joined the liberal justices in the majority....
Organizers didn't do well.
Thirty participants given the counter demonstrators invited violence. The Traditionalists Worker Party needed to reach out to other groups to hold a unified demonstration. If the TWP's members were more numerous they could carry out a better message with verbal chants to overcome those of their opposition.
There are people critically wounded. That is not a good outcome to the rally. Unfortunately, this will be held against the TWP by those that issue rally permits. There is also legal charges people have to face after the violence. At least there were no guns in the crowd. It would have made the rally more lethal.
The organizers may be held responsible, too. It was not a good rally and there will be consequences. There are rallies held in other states for White Supremacist groups without the violence. They even dress in their their white gowns or robes or whatever they are. Their presence 'hurts' but not physically. It hurts the feelings minorities and others who support the minority populations in the country. Those feelings are real and have an impact. There does not have to be violence to be heard and even understood.
My thoughts are with the victims and not with the cause.
June 27, 2016
By Wesley Yin
There are people critically wounded. That is not a good outcome to the rally. Unfortunately, this will be held against the TWP by those that issue rally permits. There is also legal charges people have to face after the violence. At least there were no guns in the crowd. It would have made the rally more lethal.
The organizers may be held responsible, too. It was not a good rally and there will be consequences. There are rallies held in other states for White Supremacist groups without the violence. They even dress in their their white gowns or robes or whatever they are. Their presence 'hurts' but not physically. It hurts the feelings minorities and others who support the minority populations in the country. Those feelings are real and have an impact. There does not have to be violence to be heard and even understood.
My thoughts are with the victims and not with the cause.
June 27, 2016
By Wesley Yin
Bloody skirmishes broke out (click here) near California’s capitol building in Sacramento on Sunday as self-described “anti-fascists” attempted to break up a white nationalist rally. Ten people were injured, including two who were stabbed and critically injured, according to CNN.
At noon, the Traditionalist Worker Party – described as a white nationalist hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center — and the Golden State Skinheads, a local affiliate, were scheduled to hold a rally at noon outside the capitol building.
As they assembled, however, the roughly 30-strong group was met and outnumbered by a wave of several different organizations, including Antifa Sacramento and the Black Hawks, who were present with the stated purpose of preventing the white nationalists from demonstrating....
"Brexit" was debated and decided.
June 27, 2016
By Boris Johnson
...This EU referendum (click here) has been the most extraordinary political event of our lifetime. Never in our history have so many people been asked to decide a big question about the nation's future. Never have so many thought so deeply, or wrestled so hard with their consciences, in an effort to come up with the right answer.
It has been a gruelling campaign in which we have seen divisions between family and friends and colleagues – sometimes entirely amicable, sometimes, alas, less so. In the end, there was a clear result. More than 17 million people voted to leave the EU – more than have ever assented to any proposition in our democratic history. Some now cast doubt on their motives, or even on their understanding of what was at stake.
It is said that those who voted Leave were mainly driven by anxieties about immigration. I do not believe that is so. After meeting thousands of people in the course of the campaign, I can tell you that the number one issue was control – a sense that British democracy was being undermined by the EU system, and that we should restore to the people that vital power: to kick out their rulers at elections, and to choose new ones....
No one should be implying the people of the UK didn't understand their futures. They did and it had nothing to do with trading commodities. Wall Street doesn't own people and if it did they would be trading in diversity to avoid a discrimination lawsuit.
By Boris Johnson
...This EU referendum (click here) has been the most extraordinary political event of our lifetime. Never in our history have so many people been asked to decide a big question about the nation's future. Never have so many thought so deeply, or wrestled so hard with their consciences, in an effort to come up with the right answer.
It has been a gruelling campaign in which we have seen divisions between family and friends and colleagues – sometimes entirely amicable, sometimes, alas, less so. In the end, there was a clear result. More than 17 million people voted to leave the EU – more than have ever assented to any proposition in our democratic history. Some now cast doubt on their motives, or even on their understanding of what was at stake.
It is said that those who voted Leave were mainly driven by anxieties about immigration. I do not believe that is so. After meeting thousands of people in the course of the campaign, I can tell you that the number one issue was control – a sense that British democracy was being undermined by the EU system, and that we should restore to the people that vital power: to kick out their rulers at elections, and to choose new ones....
No one should be implying the people of the UK didn't understand their futures. They did and it had nothing to do with trading commodities. Wall Street doesn't own people and if it did they would be trading in diversity to avoid a discrimination lawsuit.
"Brexit" has critiques. Their primary complaint is that "Brexit" didn't come with a prospectus.
Really?
That is beautiful. Governments now need a political prospectus in order to achieve ACCEPTANCE by those that could not care about any prospectus. And imagine, those same folks voting for "Brexit" are very effected by the European economy. They want out. They have their local economies intact. They don't need a prospectus. They need reliable milk delivery.
If they can't get reliable milk delivery, they will bring a local referendum to re-establish dairy farming in the local zoning ordinances. Now, THAT, will be a very interesting meeting.
I thought democracies are about self-reliance, not corporate occupation with absolutely no guarantee to reliable milk delivery as one corporation after another is merged, issue garage sales and plunder retirement funds. I think the United Kingdom is doing exceptionally well in regard to it's democracy and it's interpretation to local economic stability.
Do the people of the UK have friends in government? There are more today than two days ago.
That is beautiful. Governments now need a political prospectus in order to achieve ACCEPTANCE by those that could not care about any prospectus. And imagine, those same folks voting for "Brexit" are very effected by the European economy. They want out. They have their local economies intact. They don't need a prospectus. They need reliable milk delivery.
If they can't get reliable milk delivery, they will bring a local referendum to re-establish dairy farming in the local zoning ordinances. Now, THAT, will be a very interesting meeting.
I thought democracies are about self-reliance, not corporate occupation with absolutely no guarantee to reliable milk delivery as one corporation after another is merged, issue garage sales and plunder retirement funds. I think the United Kingdom is doing exceptionally well in regard to it's democracy and it's interpretation to local economic stability.
Do the people of the UK have friends in government? There are more today than two days ago.
There is absolutely no ambiguity of the Roman Catholic Church regarding homosexuality.
27 June 2016
Pope Francis has said (click here) that the Roman Catholic Church should apologise to gay people for the way it has treated them.
He told reporters that the Church had no right to judge the gay community, and should show them respect. The pontiff also said the Church should seek forgiveness from other people it had marginalised - women, the poor, and children forced into labour.
The Pope has been hailed by many in the gay community for his positive attitude towards homosexuals.
But some conservative Catholics have criticised him for making comments they say are ambiguous about sexual morality....
"UNJUST DISCRIMINATION" (click here)
One of the most frequently quoted paragraphs today from the Catechism of the Catholic Church is the paragraph that specifies that homosexuals:
. . . do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided (CCC #2358).What seems to be meant by "unjust discrimination" here is surely what is most commonly meant by the term, namely, that homosexuals should not, because of their condition alone, be subjected to disadvantages or penalties in such things as their persons, residence, employment, and the like; or, especially in the present social climate, that they should not be subjected to ridicule, harassment, or abuse.
Most Catholics today, including the present leadership of the Catholic Church in America, seem to be not only very comfortable with this teaching but strongly approving of it....
The airlines should never receive a government bailout again!
Business Class Consumer flying on a triple 7, states to his wife, "I'll call you when I get there."
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Wife, "Hope your flight goes well today."
Business Class Consumer flying a triple 7, "Yes, perhaps the air flight god is smiling today and I might even survive the flight to arrive to my meeting on time. Pray for me, sweetheart."
I suppose it is called Flight Insurance.
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Any flight insurance provider may or may not have conflict of interest.
A triple 7 burst into flames.
This is not terrorism. This is a 777 that sprung a leak for whatever reason it did; ie: poor maintenance, etc.
How are people going to have confidence once they board the jet they will be disembarking at their destination versus the family being notified of their demise.
This is ridiculous. Boeing and Airbus need to face the fact, their jets are falling out of the sky and killing people. That means their methods of business need to change. They need to provide programs that insures the good faith of their jets to the promise of a consumer they are safe.
The "FOLLOWING" program has to be part of the sale of the jet. This is consumer confidence at a time when jets are continually a source of deaths rather than success.
The program has to be progressive being sure all the modern tracking and maintenance programs are intact and followed. The program has to publish a monthly or bi-monthly success to governments to institute laws to provide consumer confidence. That same publication should be a part of the information a consumer receives with their booking for travel. Their safety comes first and not "Oops." Different languages of the publication needs to be a consideration.
Jets are considered sophisticated travel. It is time they actually are.
June 27, 2016
By Jane Onyanga-Omara
A plane burst (click here) into flames on a runway at Singapore’s main airport Monday after making an emergency landing.
None of the 222 passengers and 19 crew members were injured, the aircraft's ownerSingapore Airlines said.
The plane, aBoeing 777 , was flying to Milan in Italy when it was forced to return to Singapore due to an engine oil warning message. The aircraft’s right engine caught fire after it landed at Changi Airport at about 6.50 a.m. local time, the airline said.
Lee Bee Yee, 43, a passenger, told the Straits Times that she detected something that smelled like gasoline two or three hours into the flight.
"We were informed by the pilot that there was a leak, and that the plane would have to return to Changi Airport as it did not have enough fuel for the journey," she said. She said the aircraft landed to cheers from passengers, before the right wing caught fire....
How are people going to have confidence once they board the jet they will be disembarking at their destination versus the family being notified of their demise.
This is ridiculous. Boeing and Airbus need to face the fact, their jets are falling out of the sky and killing people. That means their methods of business need to change. They need to provide programs that insures the good faith of their jets to the promise of a consumer they are safe.
The "FOLLOWING" program has to be part of the sale of the jet. This is consumer confidence at a time when jets are continually a source of deaths rather than success.
The program has to be progressive being sure all the modern tracking and maintenance programs are intact and followed. The program has to publish a monthly or bi-monthly success to governments to institute laws to provide consumer confidence. That same publication should be a part of the information a consumer receives with their booking for travel. Their safety comes first and not "Oops." Different languages of the publication needs to be a consideration.
Jets are considered sophisticated travel. It is time they actually are.
June 27, 2016
By Jane Onyanga-Omara
A plane burst (click here) into flames on a runway at Singapore’s main airport Monday after making an emergency landing.
None of the 222 passengers and 19 crew members were injured, the aircraft's owner
The plane, a
Lee Bee Yee, 43, a passenger, told the Straits Times that she detected something that smelled like gasoline two or three hours into the flight.
"We were informed by the pilot that there was a leak, and that the plane would have to return to Changi Airport as it did not have enough fuel for the journey," she said. She said the aircraft landed to cheers from passengers, before the right wing caught fire....
Vice President Biden should be interested in a new approach to domestic violence.
June 27, 2016
By Vickie Aldous
After Andrew David Moffatt (click here) threw his wife to the ground and kicked her in the face and chest, breaking her nose and a rib, Medford police used a new tool to assess whether Moffatt might severely harm or even murder her in the future.
The research-based Domestic Violence Lethality Screen for First Responders questionnaire helps police identify victims of domestic violence who are at the greatest risk of being seriously injured or killed by their partners.
Police interviewed Moffatt's wife and checked seven of the 11 boxes for warning signs — including that he had used a weapon against her or threatened her with a weapon, had a gun or had easy access to a gun, was jealous and controlled her daily activities, was unemployed and followed her, spied on her or left threatening messages....
February 13, 2015
By Alanna Vagianos
The number of American troops killed (click here) in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2012 was 6,488. The number of American women who were murdered by current or ex male partners during that time was 11,766. That’s nearly double the amount of casualties lost during war.
Women are much more likely to be victims of intimate partner violence with 85 percent of domestic abuse victims being women and 15 percent men. Too many women have been held captive by domestic violence — whether through physical abuse, financial abuse, emotional abuse or a combination of all three.
We are inundated with news stories about domestic violence , from athletes beating their significant others in public elevators or in their own homes to celebrities publicly abusing their girlfriends. This problem is not one that will go away quickly or quietly....
By Vickie Aldous
After Andrew David Moffatt (click here) threw his wife to the ground and kicked her in the face and chest, breaking her nose and a rib, Medford police used a new tool to assess whether Moffatt might severely harm or even murder her in the future.
The research-based Domestic Violence Lethality Screen for First Responders questionnaire helps police identify victims of domestic violence who are at the greatest risk of being seriously injured or killed by their partners.
Police interviewed Moffatt's wife and checked seven of the 11 boxes for warning signs — including that he had used a weapon against her or threatened her with a weapon, had a gun or had easy access to a gun, was jealous and controlled her daily activities, was unemployed and followed her, spied on her or left threatening messages....
February 13, 2015
By Alanna Vagianos
The number of American troops killed (click here) in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2012 was 6,488. The number of American women who were murdered by current or ex male partners during that time was 11,766. That’s nearly double the amount of casualties lost during war.
Women are much more likely to be victims of intimate partner violence with 85 percent of domestic abuse victims being women and 15 percent men. Too many women have been held captive by domestic violence — whether through physical abuse, financial abuse, emotional abuse or a combination of all three.
We are inundated with news stories about domestic violence , from athletes beating their significant others in public elevators or in their own homes to celebrities publicly abusing their girlfriends. This problem is not one that will go away quickly or quietly....
The Rooster
"Okeydoke"
June 24, 2016
In early 1953, (click here) the Rogue River Booster Club launched the first National Rooster Crowing Contest as a way to promote the town's local businesses — not just the river. The local merchants thought it a great idea to see which rooster could crow the most within 30 minutes. The champion was Hollerin' Henry with 71 crows, taking the win over 75 other roosters.
The event was such a success that the merchants held a second Rooster Crow contest in September the same year. Beetle Baum was the winner with 109 crows, and he held his title until 1978 when White Lightening out-crowed him with 112 crows. Last year’s winner was Crow Darr, owned by Raini Christian Darr, who won with 52 crows.
This year, the 63rd Rogue River National Rooster Crowing Contest awaits a new star to earn the 2016 title. The event also includes a Human Crow Contest for all ages.
The festivities begin Friday and run through Sunday, June 24-26, at locations around Rogue River. At 5 p.m. Friday, the Rooster Crow kickoff dinner will be held at the Rogue River Community Center, 132 Broadway St. The cost is $7; $3.50 for ages 10 and younger. This year's Rooster Crow grand marshal, Alice Hatch, will be introduced, and Rogue River Mayor Pam VanArsdale will read a proclamation....
"Good Night, Moon"
21 day old moon
57.2 percent lit
A fun article from "Slate."
June 20, 2016
By Phil Plait
On Monday at 22:34 UTC (6:34 pm Eastern U.S. time), (click here) the Sun will reach its highest declination in the sky, its farthest point north for the year. That is the moment of the June solstice.
This means that, in the Northern hemisphere, we have the longest day of the year, and the shortest night. If you live your life standing on your head in the Southern hemisphere, it means you have the shortest day, and the longest night.
I enjoy writing about the solstices and equinoctes* when they happen, so you can read all about how and why they occur in past articles. I’ll note that Monday is not the date of the earliest sunrise and latest sunset though; that has to do with the Earth’s orbit being slightly elliptical, so I’ll make a special point of linking to this article last year where I explain why that happens. I’ll also note that some people call this the first day of summer (or winter for those in the south), but I disagree; I tend to think of it as actually the midpoint. You can read about that to your brain’s delight as well....
A spectacular article from Michigan:
June 24, 2016
By Mark Torragrossa
We had a full moon on the summer solstice. It was called the strawberry moon....
Sunday, June 26, 2016
We can't afford coal anymore.
We may wake up one morning (click here) in the not-too-distant future and realize that the world has reached a tipping point on coal. Use of this fuel will be declining worldwide, as it already is in many countries. Coal accounts for some 40 percent of global electricity generation. Natural gas accounts for 22 percent, hydroelectric power provides 16 percent, nuclear power some 11 percent, and oil just 5 percent. Wind, biomass, and solar make up the remainder. (The remainder in this article is 6 percent.) No one knows exactly when coal will lose its top ranking as a source of electricity, but with world solar generating capacity growing in recent years at a phenomenal 60 percent annually and wind by more than 20 percent, use of the black rock that led the world into the industrial age may decline even faster than many in the energy field expect....
The cost of coal is more than cheap energy, it is a lot of trouble in the natural world. I think Earth might have been teaching human beings a lesson when acid rain became an issue. Get rid of that lousy stuff burning and killing nature.
Get rid of the smokestacks that blow the emissions high into the troposphere to hide the effects of acid rain.
Get rid of the caustic mess that will ultimately destroy the troposphere due to higher and higher amounts of greenhouse gases.
Henry Ford warned human beings about the CO2 pollution of car emissions, but, no one heeded the call.
How was it that Earth and Henry Ford had the same message? I think that is plenty of 'brain food' to entertain thought until next week.
Thank you for all your attention and patience.
Ending the coal emissions ended acid rain, however, until recently, the soils were never investigated for acidic content. This study seeks to gain knowledge of the level of acidic forces at work with our forests.
Trees, once they recover from any damage, have deep roots as the tree grows older. The question as to the extent nutrients are depleted and effect tree growth is important. Our forests may be more vibrant in their growth if there is a proper balance. Such tree growth is vitally important on a planet absorbing massive amounts of CO2.
June 23, 2016
By Kathy Welsh
Millbrook – A legacy of acid rain (click here) has acidified forest soils throughout the northeastern US, lowering the growth rate of trees.
In an attempt to mitigate this trend, in 1999, scientists added calcium to an experimental forest in New Hampshire. Tree growth recovered, but a decade later there was a major increase in the nitrogen content of stream water draining the site.
So reports a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by a team of scientists from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Duke University, and Syracuse University....
Trees, once they recover from any damage, have deep roots as the tree grows older. The question as to the extent nutrients are depleted and effect tree growth is important. Our forests may be more vibrant in their growth if there is a proper balance. Such tree growth is vitally important on a planet absorbing massive amounts of CO2.
June 23, 2016By Kathy Welsh
Millbrook – A legacy of acid rain (click here) has acidified forest soils throughout the northeastern US, lowering the growth rate of trees.
In an attempt to mitigate this trend, in 1999, scientists added calcium to an experimental forest in New Hampshire. Tree growth recovered, but a decade later there was a major increase in the nitrogen content of stream water draining the site.
So reports a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by a team of scientists from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Duke University, and Syracuse University....
Antracite Coal - C240H90O4NS
Bituminous Coal - C137H97O9NS - stage 4
N - Nitrogen
S - Sulfur
There was far more carbon dioxide produced when Anthracite coal was burned because of it's high carbon content. It burns more completely.
Acid Rain is just as a concern today as in the past. It effects more than building facades and paint on cars, it effects crop production.
Acid rain (acid rain) describes any form of precipitation with high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids. It can also occur in the form of snow, fog, and tiny bits of dry material that settle to Earth.
...Most acid deposition ranges from pH 4.3 to 5.0 (click here) -- somewhere between the acidity of orange juice and black coffee. But comparing acid rain to safe, natural acids can be misleading. Even at its weakest, acid rain wrecks ecosystems by stunting sensitive plants and killing delicate aquatic eggs....
Bituminous Coal - C137H97O9NS - stage 4
N - Nitrogen
S - Sulfur
There was far more carbon dioxide produced when Anthracite coal was burned because of it's high carbon content. It burns more completely.
Acid Rain is just as a concern today as in the past. It effects more than building facades and paint on cars, it effects crop production.
Rotting vegetation and erupting volcanoes release some chemicals that can cause acid rain, but most acid rain falls because of human activities. The biggest culprit is the burning of fossil fuels by coal-burning power plants, factories, and automobiles.
When humans burn fossil fuels, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are released into the atmosphere. These chemical gases react with water, oxygen, and other substances to form mild solutions of sulfuric and nitric acid. Winds may spread these acidic solutions across the atmosphere and over hundreds of miles. When acid rain reaches Earth, it flows across the surface in runoff water, enters water systems, and sinks into the soil.
Acid rain has many ecological effects, but none is greater than its impact on lakes, streams, wetlands, and other aquatic environments. Acid rain makes waters acidic and causes them to absorb the aluminum that makes its way from soil into lakes and streams. This combination makes waters toxic to crayfish, clams, fish, and other aquatic animals....
...Most acid deposition ranges from pH 4.3 to 5.0 (click here) -- somewhere between the acidity of orange juice and black coffee. But comparing acid rain to safe, natural acids can be misleading. Even at its weakest, acid rain wrecks ecosystems by stunting sensitive plants and killing delicate aquatic eggs....
Coal is not the only rock where fossils are found. The reason coal, oil and methane are considered fossil fuels is because they resulted from dead dinosaurs.
That is the cast in a piece of coal of an ancient fern.
Below is a measure of the diffserent types of coal as well as other fossil fuels. Anthracite is considered clean burning because it was mostly energy with far, far less emissions of sulfur (SO2) and NOx. Yes, Nox. Pronounced "Knocks." Like "Knock, knock" jokes, only they aren't funny. NOx produces "Acid Rain."
Coal releases nitrogen which combines with oxygen in the air and produces NO or Nitrogen monoxide. Coal burning also produces carbon dioxide.
Lobbying USA Congress against coal and petroleum may provide the insight into the impossible odds of maintaining snow on Earth.
June 26, 2016
By Kai Schultz
They came in search of what is known as caterpillar fungus, or yarsagumba in Nepali. A parasitic fungus, it forms out of the head of ghost moth larvae living in the soil at altitudes above 10,000 feet, and has been used as an aphrodisiac for at least a thousand years, earning it the nickname Himalayan Viagra.
In the 1980s, the pickers used to trade the fungus for cigarettes and noodles. But as yarsagumba grew in popularity, it exploded into a multibillion-dollar industry spanning China, Singapore and the United States....
In the 1980s, the pickers used to trade the fungus for cigarettes and noodles. But as yarsagumba grew in popularity, it exploded into a multibillion-dollar industry spanning China, Singapore and the United States....
By authors, Eriksson, M.; Xu JianChu; Shrestha, A. B.; Vaidya, R.A.; Santosh, Nepal; Sandstrom, K.
The greater Himalayan region "the roof of the world" - contains the most extensive and rugged high altitude areas on Earth, and the largest areas covered by glaciers and permafrost outside the polar regions. The water resources from this area drain through ten of the largest rivers in Asia, in the basins of which more than 1.3 billion people find their livelihoods. The region and its water resources play an important role in global atmospheric circulation, biodiversity, rainfed and irrigated agriculture, and hydropower, as well as in the production of commodities exported to markets worldwide. The water resources of this region are currently facing threats from a multitude of driving forces. Global warming is having a severe impact on the amount of snow and ice, which has serious implications for downstream water availability in both short and long term as up to 50% of the average annual flows in the rivers are contributed by snow and glacial melting....
I've often mentioned "Anthracite Coal" of Pennsylvania and the disease "Black Lung" that afflicted my Grandfather.
I cannot believe someone is still selling this. Cost? $399.00 per pallet or 2400 pounds.
Other than filling the coal car on toy trains, I can't imagine why anyone would want this ancient form of energy.
It is by far the most deadliest form of energy in the world.
May 14, 2014
By Nick Cunningham
Coal is the largest source of electricity across the world, (click here) mainly because it is abundant and cheap. But a string of coal mining accidents this week has served as a stark reminder that coal also remains the world’s most deadly source of energy.
In West Virginia, two miners were killed on May 12 while performing a particularly dangerous form of coal mining known as “retreat mining.” The miners were removing pillars of coal that hold up the roof of a mine, which causes a burst of coal to shoot down from the roof or wall, which is then extracted. This time, the operation didn’t work as planned and the two men were trapped and killed.
The following day, at least 238 miners in Turkey were trapped underground and killed following an explosion and fire at a power distribution unit. The death toll is expected to climb....
Drought and fireworks don't mix. PLEASE don't play around with ANY potential for a fire.
By WHNT News 19
Huntsville, Ala. (WHNT) - It's almost fireworks season (click here) and while there are always some risk if you're shooting off pyrotechnics, this year there is an added danger.
There is a severe drought for most of North Alabama this year with most of the counties needing 6-7 inches of rain to cover the deficit.
And with the Fourth of July right around the corner, safety is more important than ever.
"If you were to have a firework that malfunctions, put water on it," Captain Frank Mckenzie of the Huntsville Fire Department advised. "Don't try to go relight it, put water on it, put it to the side, don't mess with it anymore. Another good thing to have around is either a water hose or a fire extinguisher because you never know what's gonna happen."
Statistics show that two out of every five fires reported on the fourth are related to fireworks. With the drought and a heat advisory in effect, taking precautions could save you, your family and even your property....
June 25, 2016
Asheville, NC - Drought (click here) is creeping into western North Carolina, with parts of four mountain counties now considered in a severe drought.
The dry weather has farmers starting to worry and utility directors warning they may start asking for voluntary water conservation soon.
The dry stretch began in the spring after record-breaking rainfall in Asheville in November and December. Since the beginning of March, Asheville has received just half of its average rainfall, according to the National Weather Service.
The U.S. Drought Monitor has placed parts of Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Transylvania counties in severe drought. Ten other North Carolina mountain counties are in a moderate drought from McDowell County westward.
Three months ago, the monitor's maps didn't have any of North Carolina even listed as abnormally dry.
The long, dry stretch has happened as winds high up in the atmosphere have tended to come out of the northwest over land instead of from the large bodies of water to the south and east, said Patrick Moore, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Greer, South Carolina....
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