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Post by pegasus on Aug 10, 2011 8:32:11 GMT -7
Good morning my friends from Tuxy and me Today is the 222nd day of 2011 with 143 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 10:31 a.m. it's fair , temp 76ºF (feels like 78ºF), winds W @ 8 mph, humidity 58%, pressure 29.61 in and steady, dew point 59ºF. Today - partly sunny with isolated thunderstorms, high 79ºF. winds WSW @ 10-20 mph, chance of rain 30%. It's a perfect summer day so far. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. US: Strike kills militants who downed US chopper. 'We dealt with them n a kinetic strike,' Gen. John Allen, commander of US and NATO forces explains; military tracked fighters for days. An air strike by NATO-led forces in Afghanistan killed Taliban fighters, including a local leader, who were responsible for a weekend helicopter crash, the worst single incident in the 10 years war. "The strike killed Taliban leader Mullah Mohibullah and the insurgent who fired the shot associated with the Aug. 6 downing of the CH-47 helicopter, which resulted in the deaths of 38 Afghan and coalition service members," the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said in a statement. I'm glad that the culprits were killed but it would have been better if our side had done a better job of scouting out the territory so that the helicopter would be safe. 2. Champion of working class named new poet laureate. Pulitzer Prize winner Philip Levine known for writing about Detroit auto factory. The Library of Congress announced today that the 83-year-old Levine will succeed fellow Pulitzer winner W.S. Merwin this fall. The laureate, who receives $35,000 and is known officially as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, serves from October through May. Richard Wilbur, Joseph Brodsky and Robert Pinsky are among the previous appointees. Levine has received virtually every literary honor, but he is the least rarefied of poets. A Detroit native who as a young man worked in automobile plants, he has for decades chronicled, celebrated and worried about blue collar life. Levine's awards include the Pulitzer in 1995 for The Simple Truth and the National Book Award in 1991 for What Work Is. He sounds like a great choice to be America's Poet Laureate for the next couple of years. 3. Baucus added to debt super committee. The choice represents possibility of compromise on entitlement and tax reform. Max Baucus, the Senate's top tax legislator, is known for his ability to work across party lines and was tapped, along with fellow Democrats John Kerry and Patty Murray, to serve on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction that markets are hoping will do more than kick tough tax and entitlement reform issues down the road. Nine more appointees are still to be chosen by the Republican Senate leader and House leaders of both parties. Well, the process is on its way. Will it actually do some good? Only time will tell. 4. UPDATE: Police calm London, but riots flare across UK. 1000s of extra police on the streets kept a nervous London quiet last night but looting flared by brazen youths in Manchester and Birmingham, where a murder probe was opened when three men were killed after being hit by a car. Scenes of ransacked stores, torched cars and blackened buildings have frightened and outraged Britons just a year before their country is to host next summer's Olympic Games, bringing demands for a tougher response from law enforcement. For the British people's sake, I hope the looting is stopped. But then look into what was the root cause. Was it just lawlessness or was it despair of no better life in the foreseeable future? 5. Perseid meteor shower: best times to spot "shooting stars' this week. For Northern Hemisphere observers, August is usually regarded as "meteor month" with one of the best displays of the year reaching its peak near midmonth. That display is, of course, the annual Perseid Meteor Shower beloved by everyone from meteor enthusiasts to summer campers. But this year there will be a major obstacle to observations - the moon. It will be full on August 13th in time to seriously hamper, if not prevent, observation of the peak of the annual meteor shower. Perhaps the best times to look this year will be during the predawn hours several mornings before the night of full moon. That's when the constellation Perseus (from where the meteors get their name) will stand high in the northeast sky. So all you meteor watchers, set your alarm clocks for 3:30 a.m. until 5:10 a.m. to see the shower. Today's flower: Lagerstroemia indica 'Baton Rouge' Have a grand Wednesday everyone.
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Post by pegasus on Aug 11, 2011 10:31:22 GMT -7
Good afternoon my friends from Tuxy and me Today is the 223rd day of 2011 with 142 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 12;06 p.m. it's fair , temp 68ºF (feels like 69ºF), winds W @ 7 mph, humidity 60%, pressure 30.10 in and rising, dew point 53ºF. Today - Sunny, high 77ºF. winds W @ 10-20 mph, chance of rain 10%. Another lovely summer day. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. Financial turmoil evokes comparison to 2008 crisis. Stocks are plummeting. The economy is slowing. Politicians seek solutions but can't agree (or won't). A repeat of the financial crisis of 2008? The answer is a matter of fierce debate - the risks are lower because the financial system is healthier with fewer hidden problems. BUT a quick downward spiral is possible if the politicians in the US and Europe can't or won't address basic financial threats. The core problem in 2008 and now is too much debt that borrowers are having a hard time repaying, but this time it's government not consumer debt. And with the mockery of democratic government we recently witnessed in Washington -- well, I don't have much trust in our government coming together to solve the problem. 2. Support for Assad government shows signs of weakening. As Syria, led by Pres. Bashar al-Assad continues its relentless assault on the uprising, its isolation is inceasing as cracks form in a tight-knit leadership. that has until now managed to rally its base of sppport and keep a unified front. Now flagging support of the Damascus business elite, divisions among senior officials and even moves by former government stalwarts to distance themselves from Assad comes when the country faces its greatest isolation in more than four decades of Assad family rule. 3. Under an economic glare, the Italians re perplexed. Concerns about the stagnant Italian economy and its heavy public debt have buffeted global financial markets, but for ordinary Italians the prevailing emotion is bafflement. They seem to have been caught off guard. Their country's finances have long teetered on shaky ground and they are bewildeed how quickly (and aggressively) Italy has been singled out as the latest weak link in the euro zone. However, they are no strangers to economic downturns and complain that the country's political class have not had the strength or vision to carry out the structural changes needed for coping with a changing global economy. Now does that sound as familiar to you as it does me? 4. Panel seeks stiffer rules for drilling of gas wells. A Department of Energy panel has issued recommendations for improving the safety and environmental impact of drilling in shale formations for natural gas (fracking or hydraulic fracturing). The 7-member Natural Gas Subcommittee called for better tracking and more careful disposal of the waste that comes up from wells, stricter standards on air pollution and greenhouse gases associated with drilling and the creation of a federal database so the public can better monitor drilling operations. It also called for companies to elminate diesel fuel from their frackng fluid because it contains carcinogenic chemicals and to disclose the full list of ingredients used in fracking. Well, it's about time. Earlier in the year I wrote about some of the horror stories out of Pennsylvania connected to fracking, with the waste product leaking into the drinking water and the air pollution from drilling. On This Day: On Aug 11, 1921, Alex Haley, who chronicled generations of struggles and accomplishments of American blacks, was born. On Aug. 11, 1965, deadly rioting and looting broke out in the predominantly black Watts section of Los Angeles. Today's flower: Hemerocallis 'Border Class' Have a great Thursday everyone.
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Post by pegasus on Aug 14, 2011 9:37:11 GMT -7
i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff155/JiminiChristmas/smileys/kaffeetrinker_2.gif [/img]Good afternoon my friends from Tuxy messenger.msn.com/MMM2006-04-19_17.00/Resource/emoticons/cat.gif [/img]and me Today is the 226th day of 2011 with 139 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 9:066 a.m. it's fair , temp 66ºF (feels like 66ºF), winds SSE @ 5 mph, humidity 86%, pressure 29.86 in and steady, dew point 63ºF. Today - A few showers early with thunderstorms in the afternoon, high 78ºF. winds SE @ 5-10 mph, chance of rain 60%. So far no rain but it IS overcast. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. Myanmar democracy icon tests regime, meets supporters. Last time San Suu Kyi traveled into countryside assailants ambushed her entourage in an attack that eventually saw her placed under a long house arrest. Once again she has made a political trip outside the repressive nation's main city since her release, a crucial journey that will test the limits of her freedom. Will it work? Well, if Suu Kyi's group reaches an accommodation with the government, it could serve as a reason for Western nations to lift political and economic sanction that have hindered development and pushed it into dependence on neighboring giant China. Will it work? Only time will tell. In the mean time, good luck to San Suu Kyi. I hope she escapes any further house arrest. 2. Ex-Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty ends White House bid. Hopeful had been eclipsed in polls in recent months by Rep. Michele Bachmann who won Iowa straw poll Saturday. The poll was a test of organizational strength and popularity in the state whose caucuses lead off the GOP nomination fight. And Pawlenty came in a distant third. One down. Who's next? 3. 19 dead in attack on Afghan governor's compound. A team of six suicide bombers launched a coordinated assault on a provincial governor's compound in eastern Afghanistan, killing 19 in the latest high-profile attack to target prominent Afghan government officials. Of course, the Taliban have claimed responsibility for the Parwan provincial capital attack, with NATO's headquarters for Regional Command East only 7 miles away. I still stay it's time for us to leave this misbegotten country it its misbegotten people. 4. 14 sent to hospital after Greyhound bus overturns in Pa. Rescue crews free woman who was trapped in wreckage after bus flips on its side. The bus driver lost control of the Greyhound bus bout for St Louis, Mo. on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, sending it careening across the highway and up an embankment before landing on its size on the highway. What is going on with these bus accidents? This is the latest in a series of bus accidents in the Northeast, although this is the first by a commercial carrier, the rest being tour buses from smaller operations. And luckily, there were no fatalities connected to this accident. 5. ENTERTAINMENT: Queen Latifah may go on 'Dancing'. It looks like the folks behind the ballroom bash may actually be trying to get a higher caliber of celebrities for the program. Sources connected to Dancing with the Stars say that rapper/actress Queen Latifah will be on the upcoming season. Mike Tyson, Christina Milian and Ron Artest have also been rumored to be in talks. The official cast will be revealed during ABC's Bachelor Pad on Aug 29th with the new season kicking off on Sept 19th. Every DWTS fan will be glued to the TV to find out who's on the list for this season. Today's flower: daylily Hemerocaallis 'Becky Stone' www.myemoticons.com/images/objects/home/window.gif [/img]Have a super Sunday everyone.
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Post by pegasus on Aug 15, 2011 10:19:17 GMT -7
Good afternoon my friends from Tuxy us.social.s-msn.com/s/images/emoticons/cat.gif [/img]and me This is the 227th day of 2011 with 138 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 12:03 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 70ºF [feels like 71ºF], winds N @ 3 mph, humidity 81%, pressure 29.81 in and steady, dew point 64ºF. Definitely not the nicest day of summer!! Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. At least 23 bomb blasts shatter tenuous peace in Iraq. Iraqi and US officials have expressed concern about the ability of Iraqi forces to protect the country. Bomb blasts ripped through more than a dozen Iraqi cities in probably coordinated attacks that killed at least 60 security forces and civilians. It highlights al-Qaida's resolve and ability to wreak havoc. There have been at least 23 separate bomb blasts since late Sunday. Monday's blasts included parked car bombs, roadside bombs, a suicide bomber driving a car that rammed a police station and bombs attached to lightpoles. Whatever the situation, we should still leave and let the Iraqis fend for themselves. All we should do is make sure that no other country invades Iraq. I think a lot of the problem is the religious conflicts between the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. Until that is settled, terrorist attacks are inevitable. 2. Warren Buffett to D.C.: Stop coddling the super-rich. Billionaire urges lawmakers to raise taxes on rich to help cut budget deficit. The move would not hurt investments. "My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress. It's time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice," the 80-year-old "Oracle of Omaha" wrote in an opinion article in the NY Times. Last year his federal tax was $6,938,744 but that was only 17.4% of his taxable income. A lower percentage than was paid by any of the other 20 people in his office at Berkshire Hathaway. "Their tax burdens ranged from 33% to 41% and averaged 36%," he said. "I have worked with investors for 60 years and I have yet to see anyone - not even when capital gains rates were 39.9% in 1976-77 - shy away from a sensible investment because of the tax rate on the potential gain," he said. Now there's a refreshing opinion from one who would pay the price. Thank you, Mr. Buffett. 3. 'She came into the room like she was Madonna': Bachmann irks some. Minn. congresswoman portrays herself as mainstream Midwesterner; Texas governor Perry describes himself as a common-sense executive focused on jobs. Perry, in his first appearance as a candidate, made not reference to Bachmann in his remarks. "We are in economic turmoil," he said, "and if we don't have a president of the United States who gets the country working again we are in trouble." Bachmann waited on her campaign bus in the parking lot while Perry spoke. She finally entered the hall to her trademark introduction theme - Elvis's version of "promised Land". "Yesterday, we sent that message to Washington, didn't we, " she said. "We sent a message to Washington that Barack Obama's time is extremely limited and that 2012 can't come soon enough." Neither candidate made reference to one another in their respective speeches, nor did they engage with one another on the floor of the venue. "She didn't sit down to visit with us and eat with us," attendee Mel Shaw, 57, told the U.K.'s Telegraph newspaper. And she irked a number of the locals. "She came into the room like she was Madonna or something, a big star appearing before all us little people. She didn't want to answer questions. That's not the way we do politics here," attendee Mel Shaw, age 57, said. Well, the dog and pony show is well launched. And I can see that by November 2012 I'm going to be sick and tired of all of them. 4. Chinese shocked by US ambassador's 'normal behavior'. The "ABCs" of being ambassador to China. The new ambassador to China, Gary Locke, made waves even before arriving in China. The former US Commerce Secretary and Governor of Washington was photographed by a Chinese techie at a Starbucks in the Seattle airport. Locke, sporting a backpack and with one of his three children, was buying coffee - with a coupon!! Within hours it was posted on the web and repeated 28,000 times. Why? Because he was unencumbered by an entourage and paying for his own coffee. "In China, even a low-level official uses police to open up the road for them when they go out. Learn from America!" one netizen said. "We are so used to Chinese officials' privileges that we're now not used to Gary Locke's normal behavior," wrote another. But Locke has what no previous US envoy to China has had to cope with - their loyalty. Locke is a Chinese-American and has had to assert often that his Chinese audience should not confusing his ethnicity with his nationality. China is a country where ethnic Chinese are often considered Chinese first and foremost, not matter where they were born or raised. Let's hope that his ethnicity doesn't detract from the real work that needs to be done as the US ambassador. Today's flower: Hemerocallis 'Phoenician Ruffles' Have a great Monday everyone.
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Post by pegasus on Aug 16, 2011 10:10:33 GMT -7
Good afternoon my friends from Tuxy and me This is the 228th day of 2011 with 137 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 12:23 p.m., it's mostly cloudy , temp 71ºF [feels like 72ºF], winds NW @ 5 mph, humidity 75%, pressure 29.94 in and rising, dew point 63ºF. OK, another overcast day. Is fall around the corner? Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. 'Almost treasonous': Perry accuses Fed of playing politics. GOP presidential candidate says 'almost...treasonous' for central banking system to print more money now. Rick Perry broadly attacked the Federal Reserve, accusing the central banking system of manipulating currency for political gain. He went on to say that promoters of such an idea — hinting but not naming Fed chief Ben Bernanke specifically — would get an "ugly" treatment in his home state of Texas. Perry told members of the media that his comment about the "treasonous" printing of money was directed specifically at the Fed, not at Pres. Obama. But he had declined earlier to say whether or not he believed that the president loved America. "You need to ask him," he had said. So the new tactic is to claim what your potential opponent has done is treasonous? If this is the rhetoric before the real presidential race starts next year, what is this man liable to say next year? 2. Fitch Ratings backs US 'AAA' credit rating. --World's largest economy gets reprieve after turmoil of S&P downgrade. Fitch Ratings said it will keep its rating on US debt at the highest grad, AAA. It also said its outlook on the US is stable. This gives the US a reprieve after S&P's tempest last week. The Fitch news was not unexpected according to Bret Barker, portfolio manager at TCW in Los Angeles. "They were nowhere close to being as aggressive as Standard & Poor's," he said. "The market expected Moody's and Fitch to maintain the AAA status." Moody's still rates the US debt as AAA but says its outlook on the nation is negative. Nothing unexpected here. And nothing is changed. So let's get on with things. Not that I think that will happen with this Congress. 3. UPDATE: Buffett touches a nerve with plea for more taxes. Warren Buffett's opinion piece in the NY Times was an instant hit on the Internet (#3 on Google's list of top trends). Buffett urged Congress, including the 'supercommittee' charged wit coming up with more than $1 billion in measures to trim the budget deficits, to raise rates on the taxable income in excess of $1 million annually and to raise tax rates on course, dividends and capital gains. Do you think that any of the Tea Baggers are listening or are arrogantly thinking that they know better than the world's 3rd richest person who made his fortune himself. 4. Reality TV turns real: Husband of 'Real Housewives" commits suicide. Russell Armstrong, husband of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast member Taylor Armstrong, has committed suicide. He and Taylor were separated but she was reported to be hysterical and barely able to speak over the news. She has no idea why he did this. She had filed for divorce last month claiming her husband had abused her, pulling her hair and shoving her. He denied it and claimed that the reality show had pushed them to their limits. He was also facing deep financial difficulties. It's a wonder that they didn't catch his suicide on TV. Boy, I bet Bravo's teed off that they didn't. Reality TV meets Real Life, in the raw. Today's flower: Hemerocallis aurantiaca 'Major' Have a terrific Tuesday everyone.
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Post by pegasus on Aug 17, 2011 9:38:31 GMT -7
i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff155/JiminiChristmas/smileys/kaffeetrinker_2.gif [/img]Good morning my friends from Tuxy and me This is the 229th day of 2011 with 136 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 10:24 a.m., it's fair , temp 71ºF [feels like 72ºF], winds SSW @ 5 mph, humidity 70%, pressure 30.16 in and rising, dew point 59ºF. Ah, back to summer. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. Facebook users jailed for 4 years over 'riot that never was'. 'The rush to send a message out is leading to some very bad sentences' in wake of English unrest. Two British men have been sentenced to four years in prison for trying to organize riots on Facebook. Jordan Balckshaw, age 20, created an event called "Smash Down Northwich Town" but nobody showed up except for the police who arrested him at the appointed meeting place outside a McDonald's. Perry Kenan, age 22, reportedly created a wave of panic after posting a link to a page called "The Warrington Riots" on Facebook. No disorder occurred as a result of his actions. He apologized after removing the page from Facebook claiming the event had been a joke. A judge in Chester, northwest England, said that he had committed an "evil act." British judges and magistrates have been advise to ignore regular sentencing guidelines and mete out harsher punishment when dealing with those found guilty of rioting. But despite widespread anger over damage caused by looters and rioters, the tough sentences have provoked controversy. Witness the case of these two men - 4 years in prison for something that never happened. I'm not saying they shouldn't have been punished, just that the punishment was too harsh. Fines and probation would have been more appropriate. 2. Cops: Student plotted gas attack on anti-pope crowd in Spain. Mexican organic chemistry student planned to use 'suffocating gases' on protesters, police say. Spanish police have arrested a chemistry student suspected of planning a gas attack against protesters opposed to a visit by Pope Benedict XVI. arriving Thursday to celebrate World Youth Day in Madrid. They said he tried to recruit people via the Internet to help him. Protesters over the visit complain that the government is spending taxpayer's money on a visit by granting tax breaks to corporate sponsors and perks such as discount subway and bus tickets for pilgrims in this economically troubled country. The pope's attendance shows how much a priority he places on this country which has departed sharply from it Catholic traditions. In the economic bust, he may be hoping to lure back some of his straying flock. So maybe he should pay for the cost of his visit? 3. Price-gougers hike costs of vital drugs during shortage. 'Gray market' suppliers off medications at an average 650% mark-up, survey shows. Amid shortages of life-saving drugs for cancer, high blood pressure, sedation during surgery, emergency care treatment and other serious problems, some back-door suppliers are capitalizing on the problem by jacking up prices by as much as 4,500%. 'Gray market' operate through unofficial channels and inflated prices that were either back-ordered or completely unavailable. The FDA say the shortages are caused by manufacturing problems, firms that simply stop making drugs and production delays. It has no power to compel manufacturers to make drugs or even to inform health care providers about coming shortages. So shortages often occur without warning and no clear indication of when they'll end. And just why is anyone surprised at any of this. Big Pharma does what it wants. This drug isn't making as much as we projected? Cut it. Doesn't matter if 1000s depend on it to survive. We don't care. We're not making our 1000s of dollars on it any more. 4. 'Brain-eating amoeba' kills second child. 9-year-old Virginia boy dies after attending swimming camp: 16-yer-old was diving off a dock with her family when it is thought she caught the disease. The boy died from meningitis suspected to be caused by the Naegleria fowleri ('brain-eating amoeba'). Health department officials confirmed the case. "Sadly, we have had a Naegleria infection in Virginia this summer," said Dr. Keri Hall, state epidemiologist at the health department. It's important that people be aware of...safe swimming messages." The amoeba moves into the body through the nose and destroys brain tissue and almost always causes meningitis. It is usually found in warm, stagnant water in freshwater lakes, ponds and rivers. It can also be found in wells. And it isn't found only in Virginia. A 16-year-old girl died as a result of a Naegleria fowleri infection in Florida after swimming in the St John's River. Shortly before her death she decided to become an organ donor and now both of her lungs, her liver and pancreas are 'performing another miracle for someone else,' her mother said. "I didn't get my miracle, but she has performed other miracles." What a dreadful happening from what is supposed one of the main forms of summer fun. Today's flower: Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva' Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone.
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Post by pegasus on Aug 19, 2011 12:10:52 GMT -7
This is the 231st day of 2011 with 134 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 10:28 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 69ºF [feels like 71ºF], winds SW @ 5 mph, humidity 81%, pressure 29.95 in and rising, dew point 63ºF. Ah well, we need days like this to appreciate the sunny ones. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. As economy hits the skids, world leaders go fishing. Criticisms of presidential vacations are a tradition but let's remember skipping time off will not stop recessions, end wars, or cure political problems. If there are any in the world who deserve a vacation, it is those handful of world leaders who have to deal with the world's headaches. When John Adams spent seven months at his Quincy, Mass., farm in 1798, he was accused of abdicating his office and Congress tried to take advantage of his lengthy absence to push for a war with France. James Madison celebrated the end of the War of 1812 by staying away from Washington for four months — from June until October 1816. Thomas Jefferson went home from July until October in 1805. But no president claimed he was on a “working” vacation until summer 1902 when a special presidential train took Theodore Roosevelt to his home in Oyster Bay, N.Y. Later there was to be Harry Truman’s “Little White House” in Key West, Fla., Richard Nixon’s “Florida White House” in Key Biscayne, and George W. Bush’s “Western White House” in Texas. But Roosevelt’s “Summer White House” in Oyster Bay was the first vacation home to carry the White House moniker. And he was the first president to bring staff with him. Twenty-nine years later, Herbert Hoover sought the Navy’s help to give him some respite during the depths of the Depression. Almost on the spur of the moment, the White House announced in March 1931 that “to secure a short rest” Hoover was going to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Somewhat defensively, the announcement noted “this will be the first vacation of the president since assuming office with the exception of a seven-day fishing trip to Florida something more than a year ago.” His mode of transportation was to be the newly modernized battleship Arizona. It's trial run became a luxury cruise for the president. For Franklin D. Roosevelt, his vacation ship of choice was the cruiser USS Houston. Four times — in 1934, 1935, 1938 and 1939 — the warship was specially adapted by the shipfitters and metalsmiths to handle the president’s wheelchair. At least Obama isn't using the US Navy as his own personal cruise line. Frankly, with such a high-powered, tension-laden job as President of the US, I think he needs a vacation every once in a while. And let's not forget that Congress left Washington as soon as the debt ceiling vote was taken. 2. Christine O'Donnell walked off TV interview with Piers Morgan. Claims he asked 'creepy' questions that borderlined on sexaul harrassment. If this isn't a bunch of nonsense. I watched this interview, which she accepted in order to advertise her book. When Piers Morgan began asking some hard questions, ike asking her to expalin her stance on same-sex marriage, she insited that all she wanted to talk about was her book and he shouldn't ask about anything else. He calimed that she talked about the issue in her book and it was a legitimate question. Her response. She got up and left. From somewhere she had gotten the idea that she was in charge of the interview and he was not. Just one more incident in a long series that shows how unfit she is to run for public office in this country. 3. 'Backdoor amnesty'? Fewer youths to be deported under new Obama policy. 'Young people should not be punished for their parents' mistakes," Sen. Durbin says. The Obama administration announced that it would suspend deportation proceedings against many illegal immigrants who pose no threat to the national secuirity or public saftety. This policy is expected to help 1000s of illegal immigrants who came here as young children, graduated from high school and want to go on to college or serve in the armed forces. The administration will focus on cases involving criminals and people who have flagrantly violated immigration laws. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano can exempt young poeple who pose no threat on a case-by-case basis. Naturally, the Republicans are protesting. “The administration should enforce immigration laws, not look for ways to ignore them. Officials should remember the oath of office they took to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the land,” said Lamar Smith, chairman of the HOuse Judiciary Committee. I can see no reason why children who were brought here illegally but have grown up knowing no other country should not be allowed to stay here and given legal status to do so. We should be using our rescources to get gid of criminal elements not chilcren. 4. At least 30 killed as suicide attacker hits Pakistan mosque. Fear that death toll could rise; scores wounded in a bombing of a mosque in northwest Pakistan. A teenage attacker blew himself up inside the main hall of the mosque moments after worshippers had finished their prayers. Some 300 were at the mosque for prayers during the holy month of Ramadan in Ghundi village of Khyber tribal region. Pakistan's tribal belt is a hotbed of Islamist militant activity, as well as sectarian rivalry. It is a key region for the US because a large portion of non-lethal supplies for Afghanistan have to cross the region. So far no group has claimed responsibility. Mulims killing Muslims. During their holiest period of the year. Does any of this make sense to you? 5. The 'Great Brawl of China'. In preparation for their tour of China, Georgetown's basketball team had an orientation program presented by the US State Department before leaving. Now the video of the bench-clearing brawl during a "goodwill game" between the Hoyas and the Bayi Rockets has generated widespread outrage. So why did it happen. Perhaps the key was the decision to play Bayi. It represents the Army, recruited specifically for their basketball skills but the military background has influenced their playing style -- aggressive, attacking defensive game overpowering opponents. The scene was further set by officiating biased against Georgetown (Bayi shot 57 free thows, Hoyas 15). Though Georgetown coaches had probably prepared its players for a one-sided officiated game, the obvious home court advantage paired with an aggressive game plan from Bayi probably caught the Hoyas off-guard. After all, the players were here for a goodwill exhibition, not a physical defensive battle. Today's flower: Daylily Hemerocallis 'Scarlet Marie' TGIF!! Have a fab Friday everyone.
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Post by pegasus on Aug 20, 2011 7:38:11 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 232nd day of 2011 with 133 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 11:01 p.m., it's fair , temp 74ºF [feels like 74ºF], winds SSW @ 6 mph, humidity 71%, pressure 30.02 in and rising, dew point 63ºF. Nice summer here. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. Iran jails US hikers for eight years for spying. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal insist they were hikers who strayed over border by accident. They received five years for spying and three more for illegally entering the country. So what's next? Does Iran have some plan for using them as hostages for American "good behavior"? Only time will tell. One thing this does say, don't expect a fair trial in Iran. It will only be a sham with the punishment already decided. 2. Report: Tunnel linking US to Russia gains support. 'The greatest railway project of all time' would enable trains to travel from NYC to London, England. Some Pres. Dmitry Medvedev's senior Russian officials reportedly backed a plan to build a $60 billion, 65-mile tunnel under the Bering Strait between North America and Asia. The tunnel would mean Russian territory would meet US jurisdiction underneath the islands of Big Diomede (Russian) and Little Diomede (US). The idea for a tunnel goes back more than a century to when Czar Nicholas II approved similar plans prior to World War I. Supporters say it would be a cheaper, faster and safer way to move goods around the world than container ships, estimating it could carry about 3% of global freight and make about $7 billion a year. Now, just one question - who's going to pay for building the tunnel? And has any US government official endorsed the idea? In this time of economic doldrums? 3. Egypt withdraws ambassador to Israel. Hamas armed wing calls off de facto 2-year Gaza truce. Egypt is recalling its ambassador to protest the deaths of five Egyptian security forces in a breach of their peace treaty with Israel, sharply escalating tensions between the two countries after a cross-border ambush killed eight Israelis. There are conflicting stories on how the Egyptians died but the Egyptian Cabinet statement said it held Israel "politically and legally responsible for this incident." Retaliatory violence between Israel and Hamas with Israeli air strikes killing at least 12 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Six Israelis were wounded when Palestinians fired rockets into southern Israel. Lord won't these people ever realize that violence only begets more violence? The two sides have been fighting each other since 1948 and still it goes on. To what purpose? Israel exists. Period. That's not going to change now. So negotiate a settlement giving Palestinians their own homeland. They deserve one just as much as the Jews did. So far the West Bank Palestinian land seems to be working. If Hamas would police itself and establish relations with Israel, it could become a productive part of the Palestinian nation. And for once, Israel should just try to negotiate with them instead of shooting back. God, I'm so sick and tired of all this. 60! years have taught them nothing!! 4. EU panel calls for embargo on Syrian oil as reports of deaths mount. A day after the US imposed stiff economic sanctions on Syria, a European Union body proposed an embargo on Syrian crude oil. But in Syria, Pres. Bashar al-Assad's security forces continued their tough offensive against protesters. At least 29 deaths were reported from a defiant outpouring of mass demonstrations. The embargo on oil proposal will be examined by a committee of experts and is expected to be adopted into law, Michael Mann, spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said. "Technically," he said, it''s not a done deal, but the fact that 27 countries are asking for this step indicates that it will be adopted." Other proposals include stopping technical assistance to Syria from the European Investment Bank and imposing an asset freeze and travel ban on those benefiting from or supporting the regime's policies. Those will be examined early next week, Ashton said. Oil and gas make up about a quarter of Syria's economy, according to the International Monetary Fund. Much of Syria's oil sales go to European Union countries, analysts say. We can only hope that all these sanctions will eventually work. 5. Bravo to re-edit 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'. The 2nd season premiere date of RHBH is still up in the air, but producers are definitely re-editing the show in light of the recent tragedy, reports Variety. It was originally slated to be Sept 5th but will be pushed back at least a week. The trade paper cited sources who claimed that the marital issues between Russell Armstrong and wife Taylor were to be a focus this season. Now this will be changed but to what? As information seeps out about the mental state of the 47-year-old venture capitalist, who hung himself at a residence on Mulholland Drive, fingers are being pointed at the show and the network. "The TV shows aren't causing this problem, (but) they might be amplifying the situation," said Dr. Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center. "They can make anybody look like a schmuck if they want to, and you see that a lot — people get set up." The accusation of ratings avarice in the face of human tragedy cuts to the quick, if only because the tactics used on reality shows are well-established, more than a decade into the popular genre. Former participants confirm that "Real Housewives" uses well-worn methods to wring drama from their real-life players: plying them with alcohol to dampen inhibitions, manipulating situations to create conflict and editing scenes to heighten the drama. The impact can often be devastating. Armstrong didn't come off well on the show; he seemed dull at best compared to the gaudy, cosmetically enhanced women with whom he shared the camera, and obnoxious at worst. Psychologists have often remarked that reality shows tend to attract people who thirst for fame or are otherwise damaged in some way. That being the case, the question may be what responsibility networks and show producers have in exacerbating the vulnerabilities of people who volunteer to appear on these shows. Dr. Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center suggested that some formal guidelines for producers might be in order. "Does there need to be a code of ethics on what the producers can put people through?" she asked. I think that would be a very good idea. They evidently need some kind of guidelines as what is acceptable and what is not. Today's flower: daylily Hemerocallis 'Bess Ross' :DHave a great weekend everyone.
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Post by pegasus on Aug 21, 2011 7:47:14 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 233rd day of 2011 with 132 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 10:18 a.m., it's cloudy , temp 66ºF [feels like 66ºF], winds SE @ 5 mph, humidity 71%, pressure29.93 in and rising, dew point 64ºF. Well, it IS supposed to rain today.. Today's Headlines of Interest: (Sunday headlines) 1. Perry mines Texas system to raise cash. His administration has doled out grants, tax breaks and contracts to 100s of the most generous supporters and their businesses. 2. As Greenland ice thins, shoot the dogs, drill for oil. Thinning ice has big impact on life in Greenland. 3. All aboard the armored train, Kim Jong II visits Russia. Trip comes amid signs that Pyongyang is increasing efforts to secure aid and restart stalled talks aimed at ending the nuclear weapons program in return for aid. 4. Irene nears hurricane status, could hit Florida. 'This weekend would be a good time to go over your hurricane preparedness if you live anywhere in the Caribbean, Bahamas, or Florida," expert says. 5. GOP may OK tax hike that Obama hopes to block. Some Republicans are now saying the payroll tax break should expire. What payroll tax - the one that reduced the amount we pay to Social Security. Today's flower: daylily Hemerocallis 'Elsie's Melody' I hope everyone has a super Sunday. www.myspacegraphics24.com/graphics/sunday/sunday24.gif [/img]
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Post by pegasus on Aug 22, 2011 5:40:04 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 234th day of 2011 with 131 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 7:08 a.m., it's partly cloudy , temp 59ºF [feels like 59ºF], winds W @ 9 mph, humidity 81%, pressure 29.87 in and steady, dew point 53ºF. More scattered rain that never seems to appear. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. Gadhafi's last stand? Rebels, troops battle near dictator's compound. Opposition claims to control 96% of Tripoli, two of Libyan leaders sons arrested. The 69-year-old Gadhafi, urging citizens to take up arms against rebel "rats," said in a broadcast that he would be "with you until the end," but thee was little sign of popular opposition to the rebels. "Gadhafi is finished. Now we are free," one rebel said. The startling rebel breakthrough was the end of a closely coordinated plan by rebels, NATO and anti-Gadhafi residents inside Tripoli. When rebels reached the gates of Tripoli, the special battalion entrusted by Gadhafi with guarding the capital promptly surrendered. The reason: its commander, whose brother had been executed by Gadhafi years ago, was secretly loyal to the rebellion, a senior rebel official, Fathi al-Baja, told the AP. Sweden's prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt cited the example of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and warned: "There is a risk for actions of revenge, and uncontrollable violence. These are tribal groups who are fighting against their oppressors. One knows what one is against, but it is not always equally clear what one is for and people can be for different things." So what will happen to Libya now. Will the many tribes be able to come together to produce a stable government or will everything descend into anarchy? 2. Irene becomes year's 1st hurricane, crosses Puerto Rico. Storm expected to strengthen and reach US East Coast, forecasters say. The strengthening storm is next headed for Hispaniola, the island shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Nearly 600,000 in Haiti still live without shelter after last year's earthquake. Irene is expected to affect Florida and possibly Georgia and the Carolinas. In advance of Irene, Puerto Rican authorities urged islanders to secure their homes and pick up debris that high winds could turn into dangerous projectiles. Maritime officials advised people to stay away from the ocean because Irene could bring a dangerous storm surge to the coast. All schools and most government offices in Puerto Rico will be closed on Monday. Earlier in the month I made a comment on how the bad weather (heat and drought) had by-passed the Northeast and wondered if we were being saved for a later catastrophe - the hurricane season. Well here it comes. 3. Social Security disability on verge of insolvency. Partially due to tough economy, applications are up nearly 50% over a decade ago. Laid-off workers and aging baby boomers are flooding Social Security's disability program with benefit claims, pushing the financially strapped system toward the brink of insolvency. New congressional estimates say the trust fund that supports Social Security disability will run out of money by 2017, leaving the program unable to pay full benefits, unless Congress acts. About two decades later, SS's much larger retirement fund is projected to run dry. Much of the focus in Washington has been on fixing the retirement system - raise the retirement age, means-testing benefits for wealthy retirees, etc. But the disability system is in much worse shape and its problems defy easy solutions. The trustees are urging Congress to shore up the disability system by reallocating money from the retirement system (as was done in 1994) but this would be only a short-term relief at the expense of weakening the retirement program. Claims for disability benefits typically increase in a bad economy because many disabled people get laid off and can't find a new job. This year, about 3.3 million people are expected to apply for federal disability benefits. That's 700,000 more than in 2008 and 1 million more than 2000. The disability program is also being hit by an aging population — disability rates rise as people get older — as well as a system that encourages people to apply for more generous disability benefits rather than waiting until they qualify for retirement. Retirees can get full Social Security benefits at age 66, a threshold gradually rising to 67. Early retirees can get reduced benefits at 62. However, if you qualify for disability, you can get full benefits, based on your work history, even before 62. Today, about 13.6 million people receive disability benefits through Social Security or Supplemental Security Income. Social Security is for people with substantial work histories, and monthly disability payments average $927. Supplemental Security Income does not require a work history but it has strict limits on income and assets. Monthly SSI payments average $500. OK, so now we know we have an urgent problem but do we have any solutions? 4. Outdoors notebook: Cougars may be trekking back to the East. Last month a young male cougar was hit by a car in Connecticut and through DNA testing it was documented that it originated in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It wasn't a released pet, but a wild cougar who had traveled halfway across the country. Cougars disappeared from New York state in the late 1800s. "There is still no evidence of a breeding population of cougars in New York," said Mike Wasilco, Region 8 wildlife manager for the Department of Conservation. "We haven't even confirmed a wild, free-ranging cougar in this state." There have been 100s of reported sightings but none has ever been confirmed. Cougars once populated all of the continent and this case shows their potential range if they migrate east. Now how would you like to meet a cougar in your backyard sometime? 5. World's weirdest food festivals. From tossing tomatoes to eating insects, there's a gustatory event for everyone. La Tomatina food festival in Bunol, Spain. From launching tomatoes to heaving tunas, people love to throw food and some of the most spirited annual events offer an excuse to do so. Rumored to have originated as a local brawl, La Tomatina is the world's largest food fight. In late August some 45,000 people throw more than 250,000 pounds of overripe tomatoes at one another. The free-for-all continues for an hour and ends when another horn is sounded. There are few guidelines, but participants do squash tomatoes before throwing them (it hurts less), and many wear masks (tomatoes can make eyes itch). Another bizarre food activity takes place at the Tunarama Festival in Port Lincoln, Australia. Going on its 50th year, the festival's main attraction is the World Champion Tuna Toss Competition, where contestants sling 20-pound tunas. The record of about 40 yeards was set in 1998 by a pro - former Olympic hammer thrower Sean Carlin. Then there's the Cheese Curd Festival in Ellsworth, Wis. The self-proclaimed "Cheese Curd Capital" hosts an annual cheese-curd-eating contest and cheese-carving competition. One recent sculpture depicted a lion eating ice cream. The food is definitely unusual at BugFest, held by the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. You not only cheer on bugs at the Roach Race 5000 but you can also dare each other to eat insect dishes prepared by local chefs. Snacks include cricket cornbread with cricket jalajeno butter, a 'critter fritter' served with toasted cricket and chile mole saud, or a Thai herb salad with roasted giant mealworms. For dessert - frozen chocolate-covered crickets. Boy those poor crickets really have a problem. Today's flower: daylily Hemerocallis 'Canton Copper' Have a good Monday everyone.
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Post by pegasus on Aug 23, 2011 6:00:29 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 235th day of 2011 with 130 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 8:34 a.m., it's partly cloudy , temp 58ºF [feels like 58ºF], winds SSW @ 7 mph, humidity 78%, pressure 30.04 in and rising, dew point 51ºF. It's cooling off here. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. Hurricane Irene marks first big US threat in years. 'We want to make sure Floridians are paying attention,' emergency management official says. The rapidly intensifying Irene has cut its destructive path through the Caribbean and has its sights set on the southeast coast of the US as it becomes a major Category 3 hurricane. And by Thursday, as it passes over warm open waters, it may become Category 4, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) specialist John Cangialosi said. Winds from such a storm can blow from 131 to 155 mph. Florida hasn't been hit by a major hurricane since 2005's Wilma, two months after Katrina. "For residents in states that may be affected (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina) later this week, it's critical that you take this storm seriously," said Craig Fugate, administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Irene is forecast to pass over or near the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahama by Tuesday night and near central Bahamas early Wednesday. As for when it will turn north, that is still uncertain depending on when it will meet a higher-level trough along the US East Coast that will turn it north. It's been more than a century since Georgia has taken a direct hit from a Category 3 or higher storm, but only seven years for South Carolina. 2. Fighting erupts after Gadhafi son's surprise reappearance. Heavy clashes reported around Libyan leader's main compound and military barracks. just hours after Moammar Gadhafi's son turned up free at a hotel housing foreign journalist, dashing Libyan rebels claims he had been captured. Fierce battles were fought in several parts of the city as thick clouds of gray and white filled the sky from heavy gunfire and explosions that shook several districts of the city. Some of the heaviest fighting took place around Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya main compound and military barracks. So Tripoli is not yet under control of the rebels. It surely is inevitable that it will be, but let's not be too premature in our celebrations as the dictator's fall. 3. Post 9/11, surveillance cameras everywhere. Security industry boomed for ears, but terror is rarely a focus. When riots broke out n London, it didn't take long before police began using security cameras to identify the alleged thugs. And when a little boy went missing in New York City, security cameras quickly tracked his last movements (didn't end in saving his life). The market for video surveillance cameras has boomed around the world with everyone from small-business owners to executives of giant multinationals rushing to get advanced security measures. In the US alone, there are an estimated 30 million more security cameras used for nabbing criminals or catching bad behavior at the office. 9/11 caused more businesses to realize, perhaps for the first time, how vulnerable they could be. The attacks coincided with technological advancements that made it much cheaper to install and monitor surveillance cameras, allowing even small businesses and private residences to afford such protections. For once something good and useful has come out of tragedy. And how do we know how many potential terrorist threats have been blocked because of security cameras. Remember how they were used in the Times Square car bomb attempt. I don't mind being surveyed if it will help prevent or solve crimes or sexual harassment of employees. 4. Republicans backtrack on Libya. Republicans, especially Romney and Huntsman, are backtracking on their Libya criticism of the president, highlighting the GOP field's lack of foreign-policy experience (except for Huntsman). Running against a sitting president can be easy with chaos in the world. You can windup and hurl any criticism you want and chances are you'll land some blows. BUT you have to be sure your criticism doesn't backfire, as was the case with the death of Osama bin Laden and now Libya. The GOP candidates have had a field day with Libya, with Romney ridiculing Obama for "leading from behind". But yesterday he told FOX's Neil Cavuto that "the world celebrates the idea of getting rid of Gadhafi." Huntsman criticize the entire intervention, saying it wasn't core to US national security. Yesterday: He said that Gadhafi's defeat "is a step toward openness, democracy and human rights for a people who greatly deserve it." As for Michelle Bachmann, she took a shot at Obama in June, "The president was wrong. All we have to know is the president deferred leadership in Libya to France. That's all we need to know." While the race will most likely hinge on the state of the US economy, the GOP criticism of Obama's Libyan policy highlights the field's lack of foreign policy and national security credentials. Outside of Huntsman, none have any substantial foreign-policy experience. Obama didn't have much himself, but he did serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a credential all of the GOP group lack. In a time of conflict and change in the world, the eventual Republican presidential nominee is going to need to prove he/she can manage those conflicts and change better than Obama. I shudder to think how Bachmann, Perry, or Palin would handles foreign policy. Would they even recognize that it exists? Today's flower: daylily Hemerocallis 'Pat Mercer' I hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday
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Post by pegasus on Aug 23, 2011 11:51:29 GMT -7
] D.C., N.Y. areas evacuate as earthquake rattles East Coast. Air, train traffic disrupted over wide area due to very shallow tremblor. 100s of thousands of people evacuated buildings as a moderate earthquake in Virginia was felt as far south as Chapel Hill, N.C. and north to Boston, Mass. Air and train traffic was disrupted with parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol among the buildings evacuated. Centered around 90 miles south of Washington, DC, near Louisa, Va., the quake was a shallow magnitude 5.9. which explains why it was so widely felt.[/
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Post by pegasus on Aug 24, 2011 9:25:26 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 236th day of 2011 with 129 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 10:29 a.m., it's fair , temp 65ºF [feels like 65ºF], winds S @ 9 mph, humidity 61%, pressure 29.97 in and falling, dew point 51ºF. Yep, fall's coming.. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. Pluto holds big surprises for speedy NASA probe. Excitement builds as the New Horizons craft heads toward the dwaarf planet. Pluto may be small but it is is full of suprises and with NASA's New Horizons spacecraft's arrival our understanding should be transfromed more. "We've never had a reconnaissance of a dwarf planet such as Pluto before, and every time we've bee to a new type ofplanet, we find nature ismuch richer than we expected," said New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern, o the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo. The spacecraft was sent off in 2006 and having reached about 36,000 mph and should reach Pluto and its moons in July 2015. When it does, it will give scientists the first chance to study a new type of planet this close since the 1970s when NASA explored Jupiter. (NASA's Dawn robe is slated to visit the rocky dwarf plancet Ceres, the largest asteroid in the solar sysem, in Feb 2015). Scientists have already discovered that Pluto changes colors seasonaly and has geysers erupting from its surface. And while it is small, it has no lack of moons. In addition to the three known since the mid-200s (Nix, Hydra and the largest Charon--half the size of Pluto), a 4th has been discovered. It also forms a binary planet with Charon. Binary planets are thought to be common in the galaxy and no spacecraft has yet explore one. New Horizons will be the first mission able to study a binary object of any type. "Before space exploration, the thought was that smaller worlds would be less complex than larger ones," Stern said. "But one of the surprises that came with the exploration of planets is that smaller worlds are often extremely complex, sometimes more than bigger worlds." We may have gotten out of the shuttle business but not the exploration by remote control. I find all of this fascinating. I don't find much of anything new in the news today so far **"Until victory or death": Gadhafi vows to fight on./ Gadhafi calls on supporters to fight back./ Libyands celebrate, and loot./ Dozens of journalist imprisoned in $400-a-night Tripoli hotel. **Irene grows to Cat. 3, aims for East Coast./ Carolinas brace for storm. **Californians mock East's quake panic. Same ole, same ole.so I'm going to stop with the upbeat Pluto story. Today's flower: daylily Hemerocallis 'Siloam Grady Lamb' Enjoy your day everyone.
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Post by pegasus on Aug 25, 2011 8:29:02 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 237th day of 2011 with 128 days left in the year. 8-)Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 10:02 a.m., it's cloudy www.msnbc.msn.com/images/msnbc/wea/36/26.gif[/img], temp 69ºF [feels like 71ºF], winds SSW @ 14 mph, humidity 81%, pressure 29.76 in and rising, dew point 53ºF. Yep, fall's coming.. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. Germany's Merkel tops the list of most-powerful women. Those who made top 100 ranking have more than money, they had influence. As leader of the EU's largest economy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's rise on the world stage has coincided with the union's debt crisis. The women on the Top 100 list were chosen not just for being on top but for bing smack in the middle of Richter-registering events--and more. Their power derives from money and might, but also (thanks to old, new and social media) reach and influence. This year's No. 1. Chancellor Merkel, is the leader of the EU and key to curing what ails the euro zone. No. 2 is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who provides encouragement to dissidents, while Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg (No.5) and Twitters Katie Jacobs Stanton (No. 56) empower the rebels storming the barricades with an uninterrupted newsfeed--or a way to report in 140 characters or less. The members come from politics, business, technology, media, entertainment and nonprofit and were ranked by three metrics: dollars, a traditional and social media component and power base points. We looked at if they hold sway over multiple spheres of influence rather than have a single source of authority. 2. Gunmen break Syrian political cartoonist's hands as warning. Masked men drag the country'[s best-known political cartoonist from his car and beat him severely and broke both hands as a warning to stop drawing. Just days before Ali Ferzat had compared Syria's president to Moammar Gadhafi, a cartoon showing Assad wit a packed suitcase, hitching a ride with a fleeing Gadhafi. The attack on him was a stark reminder that no Syria is immune to the government crackdown. In recent years Ferzat has become a vehement critic of the Syria regime, particularly as the military launched a brutal crackdown on the protest movement. I wonder if in time Syria will become the next dictatorship to fall? That's all for today. I'm not feeling well and I can't concentrate. Today's flower: day lily Humerals 'Canton Copper'
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Post by pegasus on Aug 25, 2011 13:10:39 GMT -7
UPDATE: More flee ahead of Irene as track forecast shiftsTop Developments: •Forecast shifts Irene track farther west, putting large cities closer to center of forecast "cone." •Bahamas sees some damage; downed trees, power outages in capital. •Tens of thousands evacuate North Carolina's Outer Banks. •NYC to decide tomorrow on whether to order evacuations.More areas of North Carolina ordered evacuated after the forecast for Irene took a turn for the worst, with the Category 3 storm expected to track further inland. New York City, Long Island, ATlantic City and Virginia Beach are now among the areas near the center of Irene's forecasta path. "Since Irene is such a large tropical cyclone, significant impacts are likely along the United States East Coast regardless of the exact track it takes," the hurricane center said. Irene's wind weakened to 115 mph from 125 mph overnight, but it remains a powerful hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend 70 miles out from its center, while tropical-storm force winds extend 290 miles. If this is true then we in my area should escape the effects of the hurricane. We are approximately 300 miles from New York City.
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