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Post by pegasus on Apr 12, 2014 6:36:18 GMT -7
Drop Everything and Read Day (D.E.A.R. Day) Good afternoon my friends Another nice day - fair with temp in the 60s! I hope we've seen the last of winter 'cause I'm being spoiled by this weather.
The rare and nearly intact 38-foot-long skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex that roamed the earth 65 million years ago set off from the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Mont, on a cross-country road trip to the Smithsonian in Washington, where it will be on loan for 50 years.. The so-called Wankel T. rex — named after Kathy Wankel who discovered it — was about 18 years old when it died and is considered second for extensiveness and preservation only to "Sue," the famed T. rex at The Field Museum in Chicago. Technology will speed the four-day road trip of the largest carnivorous dinosaur in the United States. Its hundreds of bones are packed in 16 crates installed in a 53-foot-long semi that hauler FedEx emblazoned with T. rex images. Amazing. I wish that I could see it fully put back together.
And then there's going to be total lunar eclipse Monday night, the fist in two years. When it happens, the moon takes on a reddish glow because of the sunlight refracted by Earth's atmosphere. Actually, this will be the first of a tetrad of four such events, dictated by a recurrence of the right orbital parameters. After Monday night's eclipse, the other three are due on Oct. 8, and then next year on April 4 and Sept. 28/ What is more - "The most unique thing about the 2014-2015 tetrad is that all of them are visible for all or parts of the USA," eclipse expert Fred Espenak said in a NASA preview. However, the blood-red moon is bringing out the crazies. Some doomsayers are selling the "Blood Moon" tetrad as an evil omen, but that's bogus. The only thing that's scary about this eclipse is what it might do to your sleep schedule: The moon won't start crossing into Earth's shadow until 12:53 a.m. ET Tuesday, and the total phase of the eclipse lasts from 3:06 to 4:24 a.m. ET. <<sigh>> I hope I'm awake at the time of totality. I often wake up around this time, but it will be just my luck not to do so on Monday night.
Thought for Today: "I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones." --John Cage (1912-1992) American composer Dawn waltz luminata bearded iris Have a wonderful weekend
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Post by pegasus on Apr 15, 2014 9:45:35 GMT -7
Titanic Remembrance Day Good afternoon my friends It seems that winter has not totally given up yet. The temps have dropped into the 30s and overcast with the threat of snow. Fortunately, I know that it won't last and so I'm still upbeat on the weather.
I've been searching the news today and can't find anything that I care enough about to comment on.
Thought for Today: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." --Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) Italian draftsman, painter, sculptor, architect and engineer
Dazzle me dwarf bearded iris A happy Tuesday to one and all
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Post by pegasus on Apr 17, 2014 8:32:10 GMT -7
Maundy Thursday Good afternoon my friends The snow of yesterday has all disappeared and spring is back, complete with sun and blue skies leading to a temp in the 60s. Hallelujah!!.
At the Buenos Aires Zoo in Argentina, Cleo, a captive Bengal white tiger, gave birth to two females and one male white tiger cubs on Jan. 16, 2014. Now the zoo is showing the cubs for the first time - 3 white tiger cubs with blue eyes and playful attitudes. The zoo has begun a naming contest for all children who visit the zoo. Every once in a while there is a nice news story among all the ills of the world.
UPDATE: Authorities believe 287 people -- many of them high school students on a field trip -- remain trapped inside the five-story ferry. At least some, authorities say, could still be alive more than a day after the ship rolled over. Nine people were known dead and, as of Thursday night, at least 179 had been rescued. Authorities are investigating the possibility the ship was off course when it ran into trouble, as well as reports that few of its lifeboats made it into the water. I suppose, as long as the ferry hasn't completely disappeared under water, there's a chance that some have survived inside it. I hope so.
And still another shooting - accidental this time. An assault rifle fired by a 5-year-old boy killed a 7-year-old girl. "All this violence in the world it just needs to stop," said the girl's grieving mother, Major John Allard from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said the bullet, fired from inside the trunk of a Chevrolet Malibu, pierced the trunk compartment and exited the passenger side panel. “Right now, it appears that the boy was grabbing a gun that he thought was a toy handgun from the trunk,” Allard said. “He was in the course of grabbing the toy gun when the rifle fired. He didn’t intend to fire it, he was just in the course of getting the toy gun.” It seems that the boy's mother didn't know the assault rifle was in the trunk, only her boyfriend (it was his car) did. The bullet, fired from inside the trunk of a Chevrolet Malibu, pierced the trunk compartment and exited the passenger side panel with enough force to kill. Why did this man have a Hungarian FEG assault rifle in his car? Why should any civilian have such a rifle? And how can the purchase of such a weapon be justified by an ordinary citizen? How many more have to die?
Thought for Today: "God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road.” --Isak Dinesen [a.k.a. Baroness Karen Blixen] (1885-1962) Danish author
Dazzling intermediate amoena bearded iris Happy Thursday everybody
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Post by pegasus on Apr 19, 2014 9:23:46 GMT -7
Oklahoma City Bombing Commemoration Day Good afternoon my friends It's a fair day with some blue skies and sunshine and the temp is supposed to hit 60F. Now if it would just stay like this with no more freezing temps in sight.
A slow-motion disaster is unfolding in the Wyoming resort town of Jackson as a creeping landslide that split a hillside home in half inches toward more houses and businesses below. "As it starts to get moving, it will start to get faster," George Machan, a landslide specialist consulting for the town, said. Still, he said the ground was unlikely to liquefy and collapse suddenly like the March 22 landslide in Oso, Wash., that killed 39 people. The ground beneath the 100-foot hillside has been giving way an inch at a time since the movement was discovered on April 4 and the rate of movement was doubling every day. Authorities have speculated that the grading for roads and businesses in recent years may have weakened the hillside leading to the landslide. Geeesh, we have enough trouble with natural disasters without creating more for ourselves. I wonder if there are certain characteristics of possible building sites that could forewarn us of such things as landslides. It seems that over the years there's been enough, especially in California, to give us some feeling for the possibility?
Small underground nuclear power plants that could be cheaper to build than their behemoth counterparts may herald the future for an energy industry under intense scrutiny since the Fukushima disaster, William Magwood, the incoming head of the Nuclear Energy Agency, said. The modular plants could be about as big as a couple of semi-trailers - easily fitting on the dimensions of coal plants they're ultimately intended to replace in the U.S. They would have factory-built parts that are slotted together like Lego blocks and hauled by train or truck - making assembly possible anywhere. The US expects the first licensing applications to build one of the small, modular nuclear reactors in the second half of 2014, a key test to learn whether they can exist beyond the theoretical. However, in the US, the untested technology is competing with a shale gas boom that has upended the market. Robert Rosner, a physicist at the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute, cautioned against seeing the new technology as the solution for the world's energy needs. Rosner said the units are safer because they're protected underground against both internal accidents and external attacks, but the effects of nuclear meltdown are both far-ranging and long-lasting, as has been shown by Japan's Fukushima disaster. Nevertheless, I feel that the expansion of nuclear energy power plants, large and/or small, is the ultimate answer to the world's need.
Looking for something free to do this weekend? Check out a national park or monument or battlefield or historical sight. Entrance fees will be waived at all US national park sites this Saturday and Sunday, April 19-20, to kick off National Park Week, which runs through April 27. Visitors still have to pay the usual fees at campgrounds and concession stands. With more than 400 National Park Service sites covering 84 million acres in the United States, there are plenty of spots to explore. For instance, in my area is the National Women's Hall of Fame and historic sites.
Thought for Today: "The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision." --Maimonides (1135-1204) medieval Arab, Spanish, Sephardic Jewish philosopher, astronomer and writer
Dazzling gold tall bearded iris Happy Easter weekend everybody
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Post by pegasus on Apr 21, 2014 7:24:59 GMT -7
World Press Freedom Day I have returned (after a medical hiatus). Where is the lovely May weather gone? The gloomy overcast skies look no different from all of those I've seen this year. Although I have to admit that the trees are leafy but the temp is only in the low 50S11 I want my lilacs!!
Well, I've just finished 10 1/2 days in the hospital. I woke up a week ago last Wednesday and found I had trouble with my breathing. As instructed in the past, I call the ambulance and went to the local ER. My breathing worsened and the wound up having to cut my clothes off me (and it wa one of my favorite outfits!!). I spent 2 days in ICU and the rest of the time until today on the medical floor. At least for now, my breathing is back to normal but I'm just a little bit slower than I was. So did anyone miss me?
Thought for Today: "I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” --Pablo Casals (1876-1973) Spanish cellist and conductor, known for his virtuosic technique, skilled interpretation and consummate musicianship.
Deep dark secret tall bearded iris I hope you are having a "wicked" weekend.
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Post by pegasus on May 5, 2014 10:23:20 GMT -7
National Wildflower Week Good afternoon my friends It maybe somewhat chilly, but I don't care - the sun is shining in a nice blue sky and so it's a lovely day in May. And everything is so fresh and new. I love this time of the year.
EARLY SPRING IN THE FINGER LAKES ] May's First Sunset Light The sun sets on the hilly east side of Cayuga Lake to close out the first day of May. Photo by Judy Scott.
Blue Watching Friday morning in Mertensia Park in Farmington, this Bluebird was keeping an eye on me as I went by the area where the nesting box is. Photo by Mike Sargent.
Signs of Spring Return of the rose breasted grosbeak in Clifton Springs is a sure sign that Spring has arrived. Photo by Shelly Lannon.
Baltimore Oriole I was thrilled Sunday morning when a flock of these beauties blew into my back yard in Clifton Springs. Photo by Shelly Lannon.
Just a Sparrow Sunday morning we had many birds visiting our Farmington backyard, but my favorite image was this simple sparrow resting on a branch of our apple tree. Photo by Mike Sargent.
The US Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the content of the prayers is not significant as long as they do not denigrate non-Christians or proselytize. Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, said the prayers are ceremonial and in keeping with the nation's traditions. The ruling by the court's conservative majority was a victory for the town of Greece, NY, just outside of Rochester. In 1983, the court upheld an opening prayer in the Nebraska legislature and said that prayer is part of the nation's fabric, not a violation of the First Amendment. Monday's ruling was consistent with the earlier one. For once I agree with the conservative majority. Any principle can be taken too far and this is one of those.
Watch out everyone, El Nino is coming. A spike in Pacific Ocean sea temperatures and the rapid movement of warm water eastwards have increased concerns that an El Nino weather pattern this year could be one of the strongest in several decades. El Nino affects wind patterns and can trigger both floods and drought in different parts of the globe, curbing food supply. Just what we need on top of everything else that's going on with our weather. NOT!!
Thought for Today: "Far from idleness being the root of all evil, it is rather the only true good.” --Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) Danish philosopher and theologian, generally recognized as the first existentialist philosopher.
Deliciously different tall bearded iris I hope your Monday is mellow.
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Post by pegasus on May 7, 2014 8:03:33 GMT -7
Be Kind To Animals Week Good afternoon my friends It was so nice to see all the trees getting their new foliage and the real green look to all the lawns. No daffodils or forsythia yet but they're on their way. Yaaaaay!!
Today is a do-nothing day. I had my blood work done this a.m. then spent the rest of the morning tying to find a way to get to the doctor's next week. The Office of the Aging has volunteer drivers to get people to essential appointments (and non-essential too) but I couldn't make any of their times work with the doctor's available hours. So now I have to find out if my son can take off work to do it. I am getting exceedingly frustrated with the whole situation. And some time I have to make an appointment for my semi-annual appointment with my general physician. I haven't seen her since last fall. And on top of everything else, the computer ate my daily message and I am NOT going to try and recreate it. So take you "webpage has expired" and choke on it!!
Thought for Today: "In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate." --Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) Russian born American science-fiction writer and biochemist. Delirioum intermediate bearded iris Have a warm Wednesday everyone
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Post by pegasus on May 10, 2014 9:25:21 GMT -7
National Family Week Good afternoon my friends Today is mostly cloudy but warm, but not as bad as yesterday when the emp reached the mid-80s!! I was really so NOT ready for that. So far today is cooler but more comfortable.
OMG Spanish tax inspectors checking the contents of a safety deposit box discovered a painting believed to be by Dutch master Vincent Van Gogh that went missing almost 40 years ago. The painting was entitled "Cypress, Sky and Country" in English translation from Spanish and dated 1889. It had last been on view in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in the Austrian capital Vienna. The painting was found during an operation to seize the contents of some 542 safety boxes from tax offenders who owed around 319 million euros ($438.83 million), Wow, a lost Van Gogh, if authentic, will be worth millions. I wonder whose safety deposit box it was in and why? Spain's Cultural Ministry is trying to confirm its authenticity.
Just Friends, Really! As the pair of Mallard ducks casually paddled by on a pond in South Bristol, this young deer found them intriguing. Photo by Nancy Jacobs.
The Sentry A great blue heron sits at the end of a dock on Sodus Bay in search of some fish for his first meal of the day. Photo by Chris Trine.
Thought for Today: "To live is to think." --Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC-43 BC) ancient Roman lawyer, writer, scholar, orator and statesman,
Delta blues tall bearded iris Have a scintillating Saturday everyone
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Post by pegasus on May 12, 2014 10:16:17 GMT -7
Children's Book Week Good afternoon my friends Another warm day, slightly overcast and humid but not uncomfortable. I'm really enjoy May 2014 except there are no more lilac bushes here. The trailer park management in their infinite wisdom destroyed them all (6 mature bushes).
Health officials have confirmed a second case of a mysterious virus, MERS, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, that has sickened hundreds in the Middle East. It is a respiratory illness that begins with flu-like fever and cough but can lead to shortness of breath, pneumonia and death. A third of those who develop symptoms die from it. Most cases have been in Saudi Arabia or the Middle East, but earlier this month a first U.S. case was diagnosed in a man who traveled from Saudi Arabia to Indiana. This is the only details about the newest case. Let's hope that we don't have any more cases here in the states. We have enough problems of our own.
So they want to remake the map of France. France's administrative regions — Normandy, Alsace, Burgundy, Brittany, etc. — have long been part of the identity of citizens of this diverse country. Now, merging some of them is seen as a logical way to save money on bureaucracy, and the French support it — as long as it's someone else's turf. The recent proposal of France's new prime minister to cut the number of regions in half by 2017 is somewhat like erasing the state lines between Texas and Oklahoma. I can hear the howls of anguish now - NIMBY!!
. Thought for Today: "Life is like an onion: you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep/" --Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) American historian, poet and novelist,
Denali dwarf bearded iris I hope you're having a mesmerizing Monday
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Post by pegasus on May 14, 2014 12:23:41 GMT -7
Donate a Day's Wages to Charity Day Good afternoon my friends Today is fair with the sun shining brightly, somewhat humid and temps nearing 80, but with the fan going, I'm enjoying it. It's difficult to feel too down when the day is so fine.
OMG have you read about the coal mine disaster in Turkey where a blast has killed 247 and hundreds of miners are missing? Nearly 450 other miners had been rescued, the mining company said, but the fate of an unknown number of others was still unclear Wednesday. In recent years, inspections at the mine have uncovered multiple safety infractions, but no fines were ever issued. An opposition lawmaker’s proposal to investigate previous deaths at the site was defeated in Turkey's parliament just last month. In contrast, we haven't had a major mine disaster in some time because of safer tunnels and safety precautions. Our last one was in West Virginia in 2010 and three executives of the company are now serving time after admitting to conspiring to violate federal mining laws. Mining will never be a safe field, but it doesn't have to be as dangerous as it is in Turkey and elsewhere in the world. All it takes is a willingness of the government to enact safety laws and then enforce them!!
Today s the 150th anniversary of Arlington National Cemetery, formed from Gen. Robert E. Loo's plantation home that was confiscated during the Civil War. Army Pvt. William Christman, a civil war soldier, was the first to be buried at Arlington and today's graveside remembrance was held to mark the start of the cemetery's 150th anniversary commemoration, which will continue through June 16. Over that century-and-a-half, more than 400,000 active duty service members, veterans and their families have been buried there, along with presidents, astronauts, Supreme Court justices and other notable Americans. The initial property belonged to George Washington's extended family and then to Robert E. Lee, who left it at the start of the Civil War. Federal troops used it as an encampment, and the federal government purchased 200 acres in 1864 and established a cemetery. More than 600 acres now, Arlington is mostly known for dignified rows of white marble headstones that sweep down an expansive, rolling tree-lined slope where the hallowed ground almost touches the Potomac River.
Thought for Today: "Yesterday is but today's memory, tomorrow is today's dream." --Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) Lebanese born American philosophical essayist, novelist and poet.
Devil's lake tall bearded iris I hope you're having a welcoming Wednesday
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Post by pegasus on May 16, 2014 8:10:26 GMT -7
Endangered Species Day Good afternoon my friends It is a miserable day - damp and cold with no sun anywhere in sight. I am not a happy camper!!
I'm sorry but I'm not doing so well today. I had a hard time sleeping last night, then had a visit from the physical therapist this a.m. and later the visiting nurse. Then I went back to bed. I finally slept, so I'll probably have trouble again tonight. <<sigh>>
Thought for Today: "If I had my hand full of truth, I would take good care how I opened it." --Fontenelle (1657-1757) French scientist and man of letter,
Devil's night dwarf bearded iris TGIF my friends
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Post by pegasus on May 18, 2014 10:00:03 GMT -7
Visit Your Relatives Day Good afternoon my friends The cool down is still in effect but at least the sun is out. Today has become the annual spring clean up the yard day. It's amazing how much trash the winter has left!!
OMG my coffee is in danger from a devastating disease in Central America!! At issue is a fungus called coffee rust that has caused more than $1 billion in damage across Latin America. The fungus is especially deadly to Arabica coffee, the bean that makes up most high-end, specialty coffees and is already affecting the price of some of those coffees in the states. The US Agency for International Development is expected to announce a $5 million partnership with Texas A&M University's World Coffee Research center to try to eliminate the fungus. The rust, called roya in Spanish, is a fungus that is highly contagious due to airborne fungal spores. It affects different varieties, but the Arabica beans are especially susceptible. Rainy weather worsens the problem. "We don't see an end in sight anytime soon," said Leonardo Lombardini of Texas A&M's World Coffee Research.
Is anyone surprised that Godzilla debuted as the second-largest opener of the year with $93.2 million, according to studio estimates, with Captain America: The Winter Solider in first place with $95 million in April. After 60 years the big dragon with the radioactive breath scores once again. It trumped last weekend's No. 1 hit, Universal Pictures raunchy comedy Neighbors, which was pushed down to No. 2. Rounding out the top three is The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with $16.8 million. So far it's earned a total of $172 million domestically. Rounding out the weekend is Disney's feel-good sports drama Million Dollar Arm, starring Jon Hamm, at $11 million. Has anyone seen any of these or planning to do so I know that I won't be. I do wish that the movie industry still produced a majority of movies for adult pleasure and not the violence-saturated trash for the teenage boy.
Thought for Today: "To give up the task of reforming society is to give up one's responsibility as a free man." --Alan Paton (1903-1988) South African writer and educator,
Devil's playground intermediate bearded iris Hace a serene Sunday everyone
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Post by whocanibe on May 19, 2014 23:21:28 GMT -7
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Post by pegasus on May 21, 2014 8:49:18 GMT -7
National Memo Day Good afternoon my friends It's still cool with a mild breeze and only an occasional glimpse of the sun. I hope it gets somewhat warmer soon.
Yesterday's GOP primary victories in Kentucky and Georgia represent something much more than wins for the "Republican establishment" over Tea Party insurgents. - they signal a significant shift in thinking among Republican voters that winning in November matters more than ideological purity. Brad Dayspring of the National Republican Senatorial Committee argues that the primaries should test which Republican candidates have the stronger organizations and the better campaigns -- and thus make the better general-election candidates. And thus the Tea Party fades into the background and the Democrats may have a real fight on their hands in November.
Archaeologists have found a treasure trove of ancient artifacts at a dig in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, including a 4-foot-high statue of a Phoenician priest dating back more than 2,500 years. The statue was found at Sidon's Freres College site, which has been under excavation for the past 16 years in cooperation with the British Museum. The statue had been repurposed during the Roman era and was found lying on its front beneath a marble pavement.
Archaeologists also unearthed a bronze representation of the Phoenician goddess Tanit and Roman-era figurines of the goddess Osiris. They found three previously unknown rooms of a public building from the third millennium B.C., plus 20 graves associated with adults as well as infants from the second millennium B.C. "Nothing comparable has been found in Lebanon since the early 1960s," Lebanon's Daily Star quoted the excavation's leader, Claude Doumit Serhal, as saying. The priest portrayed in the statue is wearing a pleated kilt, and in his left fist he holds an object that experts suggest could be a scroll or a handkerchief. Fascinating.
Thought for Today: "Individuality is freedom lived." John Dos Passos (1896-1970) American novelist and war correspondent,
Devil's riot tall bearded iris Happy Wednesday everyone
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Post by whocanibe on May 21, 2014 23:19:16 GMT -7
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