Wednesday, November 30, 2011

TX Birds: Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. Chimney Swifts. Chuck Leveall. Wild Turkey.

For "Winged Wednesday", Let's visit some of the bird population at the forest mentioned in yesterday's "Tuesday Travel":

W. G. Jones State Forest Bird Watching Sites

"This 1,725-acre state forest was named for W. Goodrich Jones, the “Father of Forestry” in Texas. Primarily a native loblolly pine forest, it is managed as a “demonstration forest” to test various forest management techniques, forest genetics, and forest product utilization. Prescribed fires are set annually, and the mature pine areas are burned once every three to five years. The self-guided Sweetleaf Nature Trail is located in the northwest corner of the forest; it serves as an ideal classroom for learning about typical flora and fauna of southeast Texas.

Key birds: Wood Duck; Red-headed, Red-bellied, Downy, Hairy, Redcockaded, and Pileated Woodpeckers; and Brown-headed Nuthatch are present year-round.

Chuck-will’s-widow; Wood Thrush; Wormeating, Swainson’s, Kentucky, and Hooded Warblers; Louisiana Waterthrush; and Indigo and Painted Buntings occur in summer.

American Woodcock; Sedge Wren; and Henslow’s,

Henslow's Sparrow by Laura Erickson

 

 

Henslow Sparrow

 

 

 

 

 

Le Conte's Thrasher

 

Le Conte's Thrasher

 

 

 

 

LeConte’s, Fox, and Harris’s Sparrows can usually be found in winter.

This eTrail provides detailed information on birding strategies for this specific location, the specialty birds and other key birds you might see, directions to each birding spot, a detailed map, and helpful general information."

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Red-headed Cockaded Interpretative Site

Banding the babies:

"The Red-cockaded Woodpecker lives in mature southern pine forests. Often the woodpecker selects pine trees that have an inside core of dead wood. This allows the woodpecker to easily dig out a cavity. As the woodpecker pecks, the pine tree bleeds pitch around the nest hole. The heavy flow of gum helps keep tree-climbing snakes away from the nest.  It also makes the nest easier to spot.

We were standing there looking for the woodpeckers and their nests.  All of a sudden, we heard them.  Tok, tok, tok.  We remained still and then realized the woods were full of woodpeckers."

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Chimney Swifts

"This video shows the construction of a Chimney Swift Tower at W. G. Jones State Forest in Conroe, Texas. The tower was an Eagle Scout project, supported by W.G. Jones State Forest and the Heartwood Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist Program."

 

"Chimney Swifts are birds specialized for high-speed aerial life. They eat almost one-third of their body weight in flying insects such as mosquitoes, flies, and termites every day.


Like many bird species, Chimney Swifts are declining in numbers and need our help. Historically, swifts roosted and nested in hollow trees. Because of losses to their natural nest sites, today, Chimney Swifts rely almost completely on humans for their nesting and roosting structures. Chimneys and towers, such as the one built at W. G. Jones State Forest, are particularly useful.


For more information about Chimney Swifts, visit the Houston Audubon Society website at www.houstonaudubon.org. Click on "Resources" then "Nature Fact Sheets."

Also visit www.chimneyswifts.org, a project of the Driftwood Wildlife Association."

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Celebrity Endorsement for Southern Pine Habitat Conservation

image "Rolling Stones keyboardist and tree farmer Chuck Leveall hosted a Southern Pine Habitat Field Day on June 5 at his Georgia Ranch."

Photo: chuckleavell.com

"Hosting a forest conservation field day is perhaps the last thing one might expect from a rock star, but that is exactly what the Rolling Stones’ keyboardist, Chuck Leavell was doing this June on his Georgia Ranch. The program, made possible by a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant, was held to highlight management methods for southern pine habitat on private lands on Georgia’s Coastal Plain. Leavell, as well as being an accomplished musician who has played with countless stars from Chuck Berry to the Indigo Girls, is a respected tree farmer and conservation author, and so makes an ideal forest conservation spokesperson (see: www.chuckleavell.com).

The American Forest Foundation (AFF) is taking the lead in promoting the conservation of wildlife in privately-owned pine habitat throughout the Southeast with its Family Forester and Tree Farmer programs. ABC is a partner in these efforts, providing input on the needs of the priority birds in this habitat, including Bachman’s Sparrow, wintering Henslow’s and LeConte’s Sparrows, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Prairie Warbler, and, in some cases, Red-cockaded Woodpecker.

The program began in southern Mississippi, where the Endangered gopher tortoise is also a major concern.
A number of large landowners have already enrolled in the program, adopting many of the conservation recommendations outlined by AFF, ABC, Environmental Defense, the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and other partners in a user-friendly handbook for management of these forests. The
recommendations include use of relatively frequent prescribed burns, thinning of forests, and elimination of invasive, exotic plants. This work is funded by a grant from FWS.

AFF and ABC plan to expand this program into South Carolina and eventually throughout the Southeast Coastal Plain from North Carolina to Texas. Given that the vast majority of land in this area is owned by private non-industrial landowners, this
approach may be the most effective means of improving the status of these high-priority birds. Contact: David
Pashley, dpashley@abcbirds.org."

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Most of these escaped the fate of their domesticated cousins:

Wild Turkey:

Northern Bobwhite. By: Bill Hubick

Banner stats and range map

"Unlike its domesticated cousin, the Wild Turkey is a long-lived, shy bird that is also an agile flyer. Birds can sometimes be seen foraging in groups, often separated into males and females during winter. Populations have recovered from historic lows of perhaps 30,000 birds around the early 1900s to around 7 million today thanks to conservation efforts led by the hunting community and state agencies. The turkey was favored by Benjamin Franklin to be the U.S. national bird but lost out to the Bald Eagle."

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Yesterday:

Finally, I found one of my late dog's sweaters, and as it was a bit chilly, I put it on Misty.   But it is a little short for her, as it doesn't cover her bum.  She seemed quite happy to have it on.  I hope I find some more of them, as I know they are longer.

We went to pick up Jay, and he took Maddie walking with Misty.  Back here, we started unloading the van.  As we took the flea market residue out, it was put in a different area, for the sake of OHIO, 'Only Handle It Once'.  If I go back to the flea market next Sunday, those items were all put in one place, but in my display baskets this time. 

The rest was put in the RVport, in case I want to have one more yard sale here.

Then we attacked the guest house attic.  Several months ago we had to run a new electrical line to Ray's laundry room, and to do that we had to move some rolls of new carpet that I have stored up there.  It didn't get put back until Jay and I did it yesterday, as it was too hot to be up there before now.

Once the carpet was back in place, we could get to my yard sale stuff so I could go through it.  We brought most of the items down to the RVport.   There wasn't as much up there as I thought, we must have donated a bunch of stuff last time.  I hope Levi's doggie coats weren't among the donations.

I took Misty's measurements so that I can buy her some coats or sweaters.  I can't let my old dog get cold.  I hope we don't have another really cold winter, but I had better be prepared. 

Rather than go on our usual Wednesday shopping, it is time to get the rest of the winter preparations done.  Last night's low was 32°, but we need get ready for colder temperatures, while it's warmer for the next few days.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Travel: Jones State Forest in Conroe, TX. Stubblefield Lake, Sam Houston Nat. Forest, New Waverly, TX.

With so many places to visit in TX, it would take a lifetime to show them all.

For "Travel Tuesday", here are two places close to where I live:

W.G. Jones State Forest 

"If you want to experience an urban wilderness, visit William Goodrich Jones State Forest. It is located on F.M. 1488, 1.5 miles west of Interstate 45 in Conroe, Texas. "

(From Me:  I used to drive past this State Park every weekday to go to work, and I never visited it.  Best things are usually right on our own doorstep.)


"The forest was purchased in 1926 and named after W. Goodrich Jones, the founder of the Texas Forestry Association and considered the "Father of Texas Forestry". The healthy and productive forest that exists today is a result of public forest stewardship after heavy logging, devastating wildfires and insect epidemics that were common at the turn of the century. Jones State Forest is managed to encourage Red-cockaded Woodpeckers.

The primary purpose of this forest is resource education for all Texas citizens and visitors. Sound scientific forest management that protects and perpetuates native flora and fauna is practiced. It is a working forest owned and administered by the Texas Forest Service.


The forest is an outdoor classroom, with resource education, demonstrations, and nature study. Group educational tours are available by appointment.
Recreational opportunities include: birdwatching, hiking, horseback riding, picnics, wildlife viewing, and biking."

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"Prescribed fires are set annually, and the mature pine areas are burned once every three to five years. The self-guided Sweetleaf Nature Trail is located in the northwest corner of the forest; it serves as an ideal classroom for learning about typical flora and fauna of southeast Texas."

 

 

Read more at Trails.com: W. G. Jones State Forest | Conroe Texas Bird Watching Sites | Trails.com http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailId=XFA044-072#ixzz1f1hoaABM

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W. G. Jones State Forest in Conroe, Texas.

About the Prescribed Burns

This video is one in a series about the forest.

"Today's video highlights the use of fire for habitat restoration. Most firefighters are responsible for putting fires out, but Texas Forest Service firefighters also start fires to help the forest and its occupants.

 
Fire is a natural component in many ecosystems. It is integral to the function and biodiversity of numerous habitats. Organisms in these habitats have adapted to withstand and exploit natural wildfires.

 
Unfortunately, campaigns in the United States have historically molded public opinion to believe that wildfires are always harmful. This view is outdated and incorrect. Fire suppression, in combination with other human-caused environmental changes have resulted in unforeseen consequences.

In an effort to restore the balance in the pine forest ecosystem, fire is commonly used as a management tool to restore the habitat and increase wildlife. On the Jones State Forest, fire is used primarily to control understory plant species that could impact the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Fire eliminates mid-story vegetation which predators might otherwise use to access woodpecker nesting cavities. Controlled "prescribed burns" also reduce the likelihood of uncontrolled and disastrous wildfires."

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The bird video mentioned about the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers will be in my "Winged Wednesday" journal.

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The Swinging Bridge

W. G. Jones State Forest in The Woodlands, Texas

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There are many trails:

Sweet Leaf Nature Trail  |  Jones Tr.  |  Jones Lake Tr.  |  Park Tr.  Gravel Pit Tr.  |  Cochran Tr. Deep Gully Tr. N & S  |  Cutoff Tr.  Nature Tr.  |  Well Tr.  |  Buckhorn Tr.  |  Surcey Tr.  | RCW Tr.  Upper Horsepen Tr.  |  Middle Horsepen Tr.  |  Lower Horsepen Tr.  N & S Boundary Tr.  |  Lookout Tr.  |  W.G. Jones State Forest Tr.

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Here is the Sweetleaf Nature Trail:

Sweetleaf Nature Trail, W.G. Jones State Forest, Conroe TX

 

"This video is one of a series that describe things to see and do in the Forest. It highlights the Sweetleaf Nature Trail. It is one mile long and meanders along Rice Branch, crossing the creek in two places. Interpretive information and exhibits encourage "teachable moments."
To use the trail, go to the Forest Service Office on FM 1488, 1.5 miles west of Interstate 45. Pick-up a trail guide and obtain the access code to the gate. The forest is open around during daylight hours only. Office hours are 8 - 5 pm, Monday through Friday.
For more information, call the office at 936-273-2261.

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More about this forest:

http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/main/popup.aspx?id=1790

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This one is even closer to where I live:

Stubblefield Lake, Sam Houston National Forest, Texas

Fishing on the banks of Stubblefield Lake

"Stubblefield Lake Recreation Area was built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. Just an hour north of Houston, in the Sam Houston National Forest, Stubblefield offers great outdoor experiences, including camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking and picnicking."

Stubblefield Lake is home to a variety of fish including largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish. The calm waters of the oxbow lake invite canoeists, and just five miles downstream lies Lake Conroe. Boating is great way to pass the time and get some good catches as well. If the fun goes into another day or you want to see what more the lake has to offer you can spend the night in the campground located around the lake."

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What We Saw

"A lovely trip to the San Jacinto River and Lake Conroe. We put in at Sam Houston National Forest just beyond the Lake Stubblefield campground.

I was a little confused - I came thinking I was at Lake Stubblefield to paddle but then the put-in was in the San Jacinto River and we were planning to paddle down to the 1375 bridge over Lake Conroe. But I found out that after Lake Conroe got built, Lake Stubblefield became a part of Lake Conroe.

Today it exists as a little side lake off the main trail but is apparently open so one can paddle from the San Jacinto river into the north end of the lake and then take a path through the heavy vegetation - lots of hydrilla - back to the river and on into Lake Conroe from the south end. And the lake is just pond sized.

After we came out of the narrow river channel, the lake was very wide with Forester terns fishing ahead of us a few ring billed gulls flying about, and lots of cormorants sitting in trees drying their wings or swimming and diving.

Several great egrets were fishing in the hydrilla along the edge of the lake. We also had a small flock of 4 white pelicans and 1 cormorant flying over us. I think the cormorants - these are the double crested variety - have learned to stay close to the white pelicans to make getting a meal easier. When I came over the bridge on 1375, there were about 30 pelicans with at least as many cormorants swimming among them. White pelicans typically fish by getting in a circle and herding fish towards the middle and catching them as they try to swim back out. I expect the cormorants dive into the center of all this for fish of their own."

More at: http://www.kayakguide.com/USA-Stubblefield.htm

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More about Stubblefield Lake.

 

Stubblefield Lake 4

 

"Explore Stubblefield Lake, Sam Houston National Forest, Texas.  Sit back, listen to the birds, watch the scenery, and view the wildlife. NO, the alligators did not bite the boat! Nature sounds were recorded from the boat."

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On This Day: Nov 29, 1947:

U.N. votes for partition of Palestine

"Despite strong Arab opposition, the United Nations votes for the partition of Palestine and the creation of an independent Jewish state.

The modern conflict between Jews and Arabs in Palestine dates back to the 1910s, when both groups laid claim to the British-controlled territory. The Jews were Zionists, recent emigrants from Europe and Russia who came to the ancient homeland of the Jews to establish a Jewish national state. The native Palestinian Arabs sought to stem Jewish immigration and set up a secular Palestinian state.

Beginning in 1929, Arabs and Jews openly fought in Palestine, and Britain attempted to limit Jewish immigration as a means of appeasing the Arabs. As a result of the Holocaust in Europe, many Jews illegally entered Palestine during World War II. Radical Jewish groups employed terrorism against British forces in Palestine, which they thought had betrayed the Zionist cause. At the end of World War II, in 1945, the United States took up the Zionist cause. Britain, unable to find a practical solution, referred the problem to the United Nations, which on November 29, 1947, voted to partition Palestine.

The Jews were to possess more than half of Palestine, though they made up less than half of Palestine's population. The Palestinian Arabs, aided by volunteers from other countries, fought the Zionist forces, but the Jews secured full control of their U.N.-allocated share of Palestine and also some Arab territory. On May 14, 1948, Britain withdrew with the expiration of its mandate, and the State of Israel was proclaimed by Jewish Agency Chairman David Ben-Gurion. The next day, forces from Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded.

The Israelis, though less well equipped, managed to fight off the Arabs and then seize key territories, such as Galilee, the Palestinian coast, and a strip of territory connecting the coastal region to the western section of Jerusalem. In 1949, U.N.-brokered cease-fires left the State of Israel in permanent control of those conquered areas. The departure of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs from Israel during the war left the country with a substantial Jewish majority."

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Nov 29, 1991:

Dust storm causes massive pileup in California

"A massive car and truck collision in Coalinga, California, kills 17 people on this day in 1991. More than 100 vehicles were involved in the accident on Interstate 5, which was caused by a dust storm.

Interstate 5 runs north and south between Southern California and Northern California. On Saturday, November 29, there was considerable traffic on the highway as people were returning home after Thanksgiving. The area of the highway near Coalinga in the San Joaquin Valley is usually prime farmland. However, in 1991 many farmers had decided not to plant their fields because of severe drought conditions, leaving long stretches of dusty soil near the highway.

As the winds strengthened to nearly 40 miles per hour on November 29, dust swept over the highway, severely hampering visibility. Suddenly, a chain reaction of collisions developed over a mile-long stretch of the highway. One hundred and four vehicles, including 11 large trucks, were involved in the massive collision. It took hours for the rescuers to find all the victims in the continuing dust storm. Seventeen people lost their lives and 150 more suffered serious injuries. Meanwhile, thousands of people were trapped in their cars for the nearly an entire day until the highway could be cleared enough for traffic to pass.

The same stretch of highway was the scene of a similar, but smaller, incident in December 1978 when seven people died and 47 were injured in a large chain collision. Another storm in December 1977 caused residents to develop a flu-like respiratory infection, known as Valley Fever, from breathing in large quantities of dust."

(Shows that you have to be extra vigilant when driving at all times.)

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Yesterday:

As neither Jay nor Ray would be here, I thought I had better stick to our usual work schedule of 9 to noon doing something more constructive than surfing the net.  Put me in front of a computer and I will research information for hours. Some of it winds up on this journal.

As the low was 29 deg, it was still chilly when Misty and I went down to Jay's as I had to take something there.  Misty and Maddie wanted to stay in their house while we had coffee on their porch.  When we came home, I got cracking on various jobs around the house.  I have been looking for my late dog's little coats as I know they will fit Misty.  I remembered that one of them needed a couple of stitches, so I looked through the mending bin.  One thing lead to another, and I mended quite a few things, so then they had to be washed and put away.

Levi's little doggie coats still haven't been found.  During the  years of fostering dogs, and never finding a dog that could hold a candle to my little Levi, I may have got rid of them.  I never dreamed that dear old Misty would become mine five years after losing Levi.  I had groomed her for years before her "Dad" died.   Misty and Levi were good friends.

Surprisingly, I wasn't sore from being on my feet most of the day at the flea market, but when we go shopping I get a lot of steps in anyway.  I made sure I was wearing comfy shoes with arch supports.  Lugging boxes around is not new to me, so my old bod is used to it.   Even being out in the cold wind doesn't seem to have affected me either, but I had dressed for it, even wearing a head scarf and long johns!  

We left unloading the van for a more temperate day.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Poms. Found Animal. Military K9s. Traveling Dog. Dog and Deer. Right Breed? Magellan. God's Roadmap. Flea Market.

 

This video reminded me of two important safety rules:

"First, the little pups should be on something less slick, as you can see they are leery of walking on that slippery floor, and it is bad for their bone development, as they can't walk properly.

Secondly, very small balls are fine for little pups to play with, but they have to be removed when a larger dog shows up.  Many a dog has got one caught in it's throat, and some have even asphyxiated."

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Dog Tips

For a cheap and easy puppy chew toy, freeze a clean, wet washcloth. Once frozen, the texture often appeals to gnaw-inclined pups.

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 LIVING WITH WILDLIFE.

"If you find an animal you think needs help, do not Loggerhead shrikeautomatically pick it up. Please check the list below to find out what you should do. If the animal needs to be brought to the wildlife hospital, keep it in a cardboard box with a lid or a closed paper bag in a warm, dark and quiet place until you can bring it to the museum. DO NOT FEED OR HANDLE WILD ANIMALS whether or not you bring them to the wildlife hospital."

Humane Wildlife Services

Wildlife solutions

Wildlife solutions"Nuisance animals are only a "nuisance" to the person who needs a solution.

Many animals live very close to their human neighbors and this can cause real, or perceived, problems. Humans can learn to share their world with wildlife. Following are some humane solutions to problems that are commonly encountered in our area. If you have found an injured or orphaned animal click here.

Mammals

Birds and reptiles

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Cpl. Kory Wiens And His Military Dog Cooper, Both Killed In Iraq, To Be Honored By Fort Carson Dog Park Naming

DENVER — "Cpl. Kory Wiens was so fond of Cooper, the military dog he worked with, that he planned to stay in the Army long enough to adopt him when the Labrador retriever's bomb-sniffing career was over.

Even though their time was cut short when Wiens and Cooper were killed by an improvised bomb while patrolling in Iraq in 2007, they remain together in death and in memory: their ashes were buried together in Wiens' hometown of Dallas, Ore. And on Friday, an infantry post in Colorado dedicated a dog park in their honor."

More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/28/colo-army-post-honors-sol_n_1063387.html

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"Military working dogs first gained widespread attention after people learned that a dog named Cairo participated in the SEAL Team 6 mission that led to Osama bin Laden's death. Before that, few civilians realized that dogs served in combat, let alone that they could parachute out of helicopters and sniff out everything from bombs to bad guys."

 

U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Chris LaLonde, his military working dog Sgt. Maj. Fosco and jumpmaster Kirby Rodriguez perform the military's first tandem airborne jump with a canine from an altitude of 12,500 feet.

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Microchipping Works!

Montreal Dog Turns Up In B.C. Interior

Suki The Dog

Suki 'aka Pollux' will be flying home to Montreal after wandering across the country to B.C. 

MONTREAL - "A Montreal pooch who disappeared last year has miraculously turned up some 4,500 kilometers away in Kamloops, B.C.

The black Labrador named Pollux is afraid of the water and detests the rain, yet she took an adventurous turn upon fleeing through a gate mistakenly left open at her east-end Montreal home last June 20.

Her owner, Isabelle Robitaille, said the family had searched high and low and given up hope they'd ever find the dog they had saved from the SPCA in 2005.

Then on Canada Day 2011, they received a shocking phone call from the SPCA in Kamloops: a dog with a tracking chip containing her information was found in B.C.  Photos sent by the shelter confirmed it. Pollux was alive and well although a bit leaner than before.  "They told me she was in excellent condition," Robitaille said.

From: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/07/06/montreal-dog-turns-up-in-bc_n_891279.html?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk1%7C218115

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"Can a baby deer and a frisky dog be friends? Maybe … if the dog learns how to share his toys!"


EMBED-Dog and Baby Deer Fight Over Ball -

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"Some of you won’t like hearing this, but making sure your dog doesn’t stick his head out the car window during travel is also important for reducing the risk of eye injury or infection."

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Find out the best dog breed for your lifestyle.

Quiz - Find The Best Dog for Your Personality and Lifestyle

blank[1]

"With over 160 recognized dog breeds, finding the perfect dog breed for you can be a challenge. Luckily, the American Kennel Club divides breeds into seven variety groups to make your choice easier.


The seven groups of dog breeds are: Sporting -- which includes pointers, retrievers, setters and spaniels; Hound -- which features beagles, bassets, dachshunds and greyhounds; Working -- such as akitas, boxers, doberman pinschers and Saint Bernards; Terrier -- which includes the Airedale, cairn terrier and Scottish terrier; Toy -- which features Chihuahuas, Pomeranians and pugs; Non-Sporting -- such as chow chows, bulldogs, dalmatians and poodles; and Herding -- which includes collies, German shepherds and Old English sheepdogs.
Think you already know which is the best fit for you? Take this quiz! You just might be surprised."

Find the Right Dog Breed for You!    http://www.pawnation.com/2010/09/08/quiz-find-the-best-dog-breed-for-your-personality-and-lifestyle/

blank[1] ________________

On This Day:    Nov 28, 1520:

Magellan reaches the Pacific

"After sailing through the dangerous straits below South America that now bear his name, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan enters the Pacific Ocean with three ships, becoming the first European explorer to reach the Pacific from the Atlantic.

On September 20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain in an effort to find a western sea route to the rich Spice Islands of Indonesia. In command of five ships and 270 men, Magellan sailed to West Africa and then to Brazil, where he searched the South American coast for a strait that would take him to the Pacific. He searched the Rio de la Plata, a large estuary south of Brazil, for a way through; failing, he continued south along the coast of Patagonia. At the end of March 1520, the expedition set up winter quarters at Port St. Julian. On Easter day at midnight, the Spanish captains mutinied against their Portuguese captain, but Magellan crushed the revolt, executing one of the captains and leaving another ashore when his ship left St. Julian in August.

On October 21, he finally discovered the strait he had been seeking. The Strait of Magellan, as it became known, is located near the tip of South America, separating Tierra del Fuego and the continental mainland. Only three ships entered the passage; one had been wrecked and another deserted. It took 38 days to navigate the treacherous strait, and when ocean was sighted at the other end Magellan wept with joy. His fleet accomplished the westward crossing of the ocean in 99 days, crossing waters so strangely calm that the ocean was named "Pacific," from the Latin word pacificus, meaning "tranquil." By the end, the men were out of food and chewed the leather parts of their gear to keep themselves alive. On March 6, 1521, the expedition landed at the island of Guam.

Ten days later, they dropped anchor at the Philippine island of Cebu—they were only about 400 miles from the Spice Islands. Magellan met with the chief of Cebu, who after converting to Christianity persuaded the Europeans to assist him in conquering a rival tribe on the neighboring island of Mactan. In fighting on April 27, Magellan was hit by a poisoned arrow and left to die by his retreating comrades.

After Magellan's death, the survivors, in two ships, sailed on to the Moluccas and loaded the hulls with spice. One ship attempted, unsuccessfully, to return across the Pacific. The other ship, the Vittoria, continued west under the command of Basque navigator Juan Sebastian de Elcano. The vessel sailed across the Indian Ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and arrived at the Spanish port of Sanlucar de Barrameda on September 6, 1522, becoming the first ship to circumnavigate the globe."

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Yesterday:

We left before yesterday's program on WGN was broadcast, so here it is now:   http://youtu.be/f9Y5u4EuhWA.  "God's Roadmap".    "What is your purpose in life? Where are you headed on life's road? How do you know which way to go? Your Creator offers a roadmap!."  I watched it when I got home as it is also online at Beyondtoday.tv.  It can also be seen on your Nook, Kindle and iPad.

Misty and I went to get Jay early, so Misty had her walk-about down there, while we were waiting for him.

After packing a lunch, and loading a few more things in the van, Jay and I were off to the flea market in the loaded down van.  We found our assigned table which was in a high traffic area, and set things up.

We definitely had too much stuff for one table, but there wasn't enough room to put up the other two we had brought with us as we were right were the people cut through from the main building.  

There were some things that we forgot to pack in the van; the rest of the display baskets for separating the hardware items, my signs to show how much the items were in each basket, and my four-pocket money apron.  I had to resort to wearing a new two-pocket kitchen apron that was really for sale.   

Flea-market-27-Dec.2011

Dizzy-Dick and his wife stopped by my table, and he took my picture in that mismatched get-up!!  

Then the man next to us had to leave around noon, so he said we could use his table.  Once the tool and hardware type things were separated from the other junk items on the next table, they sold a lot better. 

I had arrived there in a jacket, but by about 1.00PM I was glad that I had brought my lined long coat, as the 35 mph wind gusts were getting chilly, but I wasn't cold at any time.

With the cold wind, some venders started leaving about 2.00PM, but at 3.00 PM they have a $50 drawing, and if that vender is still there, they win it.  The clothes and purses weren't doing well, so I started packing them, and the racks first.   The winning number was broadcast over the loud speakers but it wasn't our table number.  People were still buying the hardware items, like cabinet handles and sandpaper disks, so those were last to be packed.   We had several empty boxes when we packed up the residue.  Jay was ready to leave, so we arrived home about 4.00PM. 

The temps went down to 29 overnight, so I was glad that I had brought the flowering aloe in last night.  After being on my feet most of the day, I think that the electric mattress pad on my bed helped so I am not stiff and sore this morning.

It would take many Sundays to get all my yard sale items sold, so I don't know if it was easier to take some of the stuff there for a few hours rather than having a yard sale here for several days.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Sabbath. When Is the Sabbath Day to Be Kept? Custer. God's Roadmap. Flea Market.

 

"Do you have your priorities in the right order? Or have you forgotten something?"

"The Forgotten Commandment "

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Names for Saturday in Many Languages Prove Which Day Is the True Sabbath

"Which day of the week is the biblical Sabbath? It is clear from the names for the seventh day of the week, Saturday, in many languages.

Many are confused over the issue, but such confusion is unnecessary. Not only is the answer plain from history and the Bible, it is also clear from the names for the seventh day of the week, Saturday, in many languages.

For example, the Spanish word for the seventh day of the week, SATURDAY, is Sabadothe same word for "Sabbath." In fact, in more than 100 ancient and modern languages the seventh day of the week was named "Sabbath" or its equivalent. Following is a list of names for the seventh day of the week, Saturday, in 24 languages in which the root word Sabbath is still easily recognizable.

Such widespread use of forms of the word Sabbath for the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is clear evidence that speakers of these languages understood which day is the Sabbath.

Likewise, the fact that in no language do we see "Sabbath" similarly linked with Sunday, the first day of the week, is an obvious confirmation that this day never was considered the biblical Sabbath until later religious leaders tried to substitute Sunday for the true Sabbath day.

Arabic: Sabet

Armenian: Shabat

Bosnian: Subota

Bulgarian: Sabota

Corsican: Sàbatu

Croatian: Subota

Czech: Sobota

Georgian: Sabati

Greek: Savvato

Indonesian: Sabtu

Italian: Sabato

Latin: Sabbatum

Maltese: is-Sibt

Polish: Sobota

Portuguese: Sábado

Romanian: Sambata

Russian: Subbota

Serbian: Subota

Slovak: Sobota

Slovene: Sobota

Somali: Sabti

Spanish: Sabado

Sudanese: Saptu

Ukranian: Subota

From: http://www.ucg.org/booklet/sunset-sunset-gods-sabbath-rest/sabbath-beginning/names-saturday-many-languages-prove-which-/

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Surprising Admissions About the Sabbath and Sunday

"Leaders and authorities from many religious denominations candidly acknowledge that Saturday is the biblical Sabbath day and that there is no biblical basis for Sunday observance. Notice below some of their admissions that the change was made by the Roman Catholic Church and not on the basis of biblical instruction.

Roman Catholic admissions

"Nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the [Roman Catholic] church outside the Bible" ("To Tell You the Truth," The Catholic Virginian, Oct. 3, 1947, p. 9).

"But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn't it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible, and not the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes of course, it is inconsistent; but this change was made about 15 centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom, even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text in the Bible" (Dr. John O'Brien, Faith of Millions, pp. 543-544).

"You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify" (James Cardinal Gibbons, Faith of our Fathers, 88th ed., p. 89).

"Q: Which is the Sabbath day?

"A: Saturday is the Sabbath day.

"Q: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?

"A: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea, transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday" (Peter Geiermann, The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, 1957, p. 50).

Protestants follow Rome's lead

"The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever since. This fourth commandment begins with the word 'remember,' showing that the Sabbath already existed when God wrote the law on the tables of stone at Sinai. How can men claim that this one commandment has been done away with when they will admit that the other nine are still binding?" (Dwight L. Moody, Weighed and Wanting, pp. 47-48).

Anglican/Episcopal: "Where are we told in the Scriptures that we are to keep the first day at all? We are commanded to keep the seventh; but we are nowhere commanded to keep the first day . . . The reason why we keep the first day of the week holy instead of the seventh is for the same reason that we observe many other things, not because the Bible, but because the church has enjoined it" (Isaac Williams, Plain Sermons on the Catechism, 1882, Vol. 1, pp. 334, 336).

Baptist: "There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will however be readily said, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the Seventh to the First day of the week . . . Where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament—absolutely not. There is no scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution from the Seventh to the First day of the week . . .

"To me it seems unaccountable that Jesus, during three years' discussion with His disciples, often conversing with them upon the Sabbath question . . . never alluded to any transference of the day; also, that during forty days of His resurrection life, no such thing was intimated . . .

"Of course I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history . . . But what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of Paganism, and christened with the name of the sun-god, adopted and sanctioned by the Papal apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism" (Dr. Edward Hiscox, before a New York ministers' conference, Nov. 13, 1893, as reported in the New York Examiner, Nov. 16, 1893).

"There was never any formal or authoritative change from the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath to the Christian first-day observance" (William Owen Carver, The Lord's Day in Our Day, 1940, p. 49).

Congregationalist: "It is quite clear that however rigidly or devotedly we may spend Sunday, we are not keeping the Sabbath . . . The Sabbath was founded on a specific Divine command. We can plead no such command for the obligation to observe Sunday" (Dr. R.W. Dale, The Ten Commandments, 1884, p. 100).

Disciples of Christ: "The first day of the week is commonly called the Sabbath. This is a mistake. The Sabbath of the Bible was the day just preceding the first day of the week. The first day of the week is never called the Sabbath anywhere in the entire Scriptures. It is also an error to talk about the change of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. There is not in any place in the Bible any intimation of such a change" (Alexander Campbell, First Day Observance, pp. 17, 19).

Lutheran: "But they err in teaching that Sunday has taken the place of the Old Testament Sabbath and therefore must be kept as the seventh day had to be kept by the children of Israel . . . These churches err in their teaching, for Scripture has in no way ordained the first day of the week in place of the Sabbath. There is simply no law in the New Testament to that effect" (John Theodore Mueller, Sabbath or Sunday, pp. 15-16).

Methodist: "Take the matter of Sunday. There are indications in the New Testament as to how the church came to keep the first day of the week as its day of worship, but there is no passage telling Christians to keep that day or to transfer the Jewish Sabbath to that day" (Harris Franklin Rall, Christian Advocate, July 2, 1942, p. 26).

Presbyterian: "The Sabbath is a part of the Decalogue—the Ten Commandments. This alone forever settles the question as to the perpetuity of the institution . . . Until, therefore, it can be shown that the whole moral law has been repealed, the Sabbath will stand . . . The teaching of Christ confirms the perpetuity of the Sabbath" (T.C. Blake, D.D., Theology Condensed, pp. 474-475).

Does it matter to God?

Jesus Christ condemned the practices of the religious leaders of His day, saying: "'In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men . . . All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition"

(Mark:7:7-9[7]Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.[8]For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.[9]And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.).

According to Christ's own statements, it is possible to worship Him in a way that does no good—that is, it is in vain. God does not give us the choice of how to worship Him—only whether we will worship Him according to His instructions or not. What, then, must He think of those who ignore His commands regarding the Sabbath, substituting instead a different day?"

From:   http://www.ucg.org/booklet/sunset-sunset-gods-sabbath-rest/was-sabbath-changed-new-testament/surprising-admissions-abou/

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When Is the Sabbath Day to Be Kept?

The Sabbath begins Friday evening at sunset and ends Saturday evening at sunset.

"Our convention of starting a new day at midnight is an arbitrary, humanly devised practice. God, who created the heavenly bodies and set them in motion to mark the passage of time (Genesis:1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:), counts time differently—from evening to evening.

We see this indicated in the creation account in Genesis 1. After dividing day from night, God tells us that "the evening and the morning were the first day" (verse 5). "Evening" is mentioned first, followed by "morning." God describes each day's creation in similar terms (verses 8, 13, 19, 23, 31).

In the Bible, evening began when the sun went down (Joshua:8:29 And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.;

 2 Chronicles:18:34 And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died.;

Nehemiah:13:19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.;

Mark:1:32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.), and at that time a new day began.    Regarding His Sabbaths, God commands that they be observed "from evening to evening" (Leviticus:23:32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.).

This was the usual way at that time of calculating the beginning and ending of days (Exodus:12:18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.).

In New Testament times, days were calculated the same way. Mark:1:32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils:    records that, after the sun had set, marking the end of one Sabbath, crowds brought many ailing people to Jesus to be healed, having waited until after the Sabbath to come to Him. The Gospel accounts also record that Joseph of Arimathea entombed Jesus' body before evening to keep from working on an approaching annual high-day Sabbath:

(Matthew:27:57-60[57] When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:[58]He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.[59]And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,[60]And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.;    

Mark:15:42-46[42] And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath,[43]Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.[44]And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.[45]And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.[46]And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.;

Luke:23:50-54[50]And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counseller; and he was a good man, and a just:[51](The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.[52]This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.[53]And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.[54]And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.;    

compare John:19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.).

God, Creator of the Sabbath, determines when the day begins and ends, and it was observed from sunset to sunset throughout the Bible. His Sabbath begins Friday evening at sunset and ends Saturday evening at sunset."

http://www.ucg.org/booklet/sunset-sunset-gods-sabbath-rest/sabbath-beginning/when-sabbath-day-be-kept/

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On This Day:  Nov 27, 1868:

Custer massacres Cheyenne on Washita River

"Without bothering to identify the village or do any reconnaissance, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer leads an early morning attack on a band of peaceful Cheyenne living with Chief Black Kettle.

Convicted of desertion and mistreatment of soldiers earlier that year in a military court, the government had suspended Custer from rank and command for one year. Ten months into his punishment, in September 1868, General Philip Sheridan reinstated Custer to lead a campaign against Cheyenne Indians who had been making raids in Kansas and Oklahoma that summer. Sheridan was frustrated by the inability of his other officers to find and engage the enemy, and despite his poor record and unpopularity with the men of the 7th Cavalry, Custer was a good fighter.

Sheridan determined that a campaign in winter might prove more effective, since the Indians could be caught off guard while in their permanent camps. On November 26, Custer located a large village of Cheyenne encamped near the Washita River, just outside of present-day Cheyenne, Oklahoma. Custer did not attempt to identify which group of Cheyenne was in the village, or to make even a cursory reconnaissance of the situation. Had he done so, Custer would have discovered that they were peaceful people and the village was on reservation soil, where the commander of Fort Cobb had guaranteed them safety. There was even a white flag flying from one of the main dwellings, indicating that the tribe was actively avoiding conflict.

Having surrounded the village the night before, at dawn Custer called for the regimental band to play "Garry Owen," which signaled for four columns of soldiers to charge into the sleeping village. Outnumbered and caught unaware, scores of Cheyenne were killed in the first 15 minutes of the "battle," though a small number of the warriors managed to escape to the trees and return fire. Within a few hours, the village was destroyed--the soldiers had killed 103 Cheyenne, including the peaceful Black Kettle and many women and children.

Hailed as the first substantial American victory in the Indian wars, the Battle of the Washita helped to restore Custer's reputation and succeeded in persuading many Cheyenne to move to the reservation. However, Custer's habit of boldly charging Indian encampments of unknown strength would eventually lead him to his death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn."

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We left before today's program on WGN was broadcast, so here it is now:   "God's Roadmap".    "What is your purpose in life? Where are you headed on life's road? How do you know which way to go? Your Creator offers a roadmap!" 

I watched it when I got home as it is also online at Beyondtoday.tv 

It can also be seen on your Nook, Kindle and iPad.

Your Creator offers a roadmap! Watch Beyond Today on WGN America on Sundays at 8:30 AM EST. (Find a station in your area - http://www.beyondtoday.tv/stations )

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Yesterday:

It was drizzling when I picked up Jay, and he loaded some more stuff for the flea market today.  I didn't want to take too much, as they only supply one table, but he wanted to fill every nook and cranny in the van.   It is going to be cold, so I don't know how good business will be.

We wanted to go over there yesterday to see the lay of the land, and see which tables were the best.  But first we had to wait for the foster mom to pick up my foster kittens for Adoption Day.  When I called her about 11.00 AM, I found out that the day had been designated for a rescue which is shutting down, due to health reasons, and none of our SPCA animals would be going.

I don't normally go anywhere when it's raining, as some silly sods don't know how to drive in the rain, and cause accidents.  But off we went, armed with raincoats, in the pouring rain.

Carefully cutting across country, avoiding the freeway, it didn't take too long, and there wasn't much traffic.  A lot of people had more sense to be out in weather like that.

Due to the consistent rain many of the outside sellers had not set up, or packed up early, but most of the inside booths were open.  Jay was hunting a leather belt, leather wallet, and some work shoes.  The leather goods were more than he wanted to pay, but he did buy some work shoes while I was at the office paying for a table.  The office has to see which of the Saturday people pay for the same spot for Sunday before they can assign me a table.  But I can call after 6.30 AM. to find out.

So I am heading out early, to go to the flea market today.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

News: Turkey Drugs. Occupy Black Friday. King Tut. FDR Thanks. 1898 Storm. Aloe. Yard Sale.

 

Some news, old and new:

Drugged-Up Turkey: Antibiotic Use On Farms Linked To Rising Rates Of Drug-Resistant Infections

Turkey Antibiotics

 

"As families across America adorned their dinner tables with plump, juicy turkeys this Thursday, they've likely given little thought to what their food previously consumed.

By the end of this year, an estimated 248 million turkeys will have been raised in the U.S., approximately 83 percent on farms that produce more than 60,000 turkeys each and most eating a diet that includes low doses of antibiotics. This common agricultural practice results not only in more meaty birds, according to experts, but also in greater risks to public health.

"Antibiotic use in animals comes back to haunt people," said Stuart Levy, a Tufts University microbiology professor who focuses on antibiotic resistance. He recently co-authored a review of the evidence showing how animal antibiotics affect human health -- via direct contact and indirectly via food, water, air and anywhere manure goes.

Levy and other experts warn that the widespread use of antibiotics to treat sick livestock, prevent the spread of disease in cramped conditions or simply promote animal growth has fueled the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is making many infections in humans harder to treat. As The Huffington Post reported in August, some human infections now resist multiple antibiotics.      

More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/23/turkey-antibiotics-drug-resistant-infections-thanksgiving_n_1110745.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl6%7Csec3_lnk2%7C115461

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Black Friday Crowds!

Black Friday 2011 Twitter Slideshow

Not where I would want to be.

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Occupy Wall Street Takes On Black Friday Amid Skepticism

Occupy Black Friday

"Occupy Wall Street demonstrators gathered in New York City on Nov. 17. Various Occupy groups around the country are planning to stage anti-corporate events on Black Friday.

With Black Friday heralding the start of the shopping season, a bevy of groups identified with the Occupy Wall Street movement are asking consumers to reconsider their spending habits.

But unlike other high-profile Occupy efforts of late -- such as last week's march across the Brooklyn Bridge, in which thousands of activists participated, it's unclear whether the pushback against Black Friday shopping will serve as a show of strength for the movement.

"I don't think that they're going to gain any traction out of this one," said Stephen Hoch, a marketing professor at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. "If I was them, I wouldn't be investing a whole lot of energy in using this as a poster child for what's wrong with our country."

Black Friday, otherwise known as the day after Thanksgiving, serves as the unofficial start of the November-December holiday shopping corridor, one of the busiest times of year for retailers. About 152 million people are expected to shop this Friday, in what has become an annual tradition of shoppers mobbing stores in the hopes of getting limited-time deals.

This November, a number of Occupy Wall Street groups have publicized plans to oppose Black Friday in one form or another."

More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/24/occupy-wall-street-black-friday_n_1111064.html

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Black Friday: Occupy Protests Discourage Shopping On One Of Retail's Biggest Days

Occupy Wall Street

11/25/11 SAN FRANCISCO -- "Anti-Wall Street protesters took their message about corporate greed to Black Friday shoppers, staging demonstrations in commercial areas around California on one of the busiest days of the year for retailers and bargain-hunters.

In San Francisco, a few dozen people in tony and touristy Union Square used signs to spread an anti-consumerism message. One, 9-year-old Jacob Hamilton, held a sign that read, "What is in your bag that's more important than my education?"

Some of the protesters from the Occupy movements in San Francisco and Oakland clashed with police when they briefly blocked the city's iconic cable cars until officers pushed them out of the street.

Later in the afternoon, some of the participants in what protesters called "Don't Buy Anything Day" sat down in the middle of Market Street, San Francisco's main thoroughfare, and blocked traffic while chanting, "Stop shopping and join us!""

More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/25/black-friday-occupy-_n_1113638.html?ref=occupy-wall-street

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On This Day:

Archaeologists enter tomb of King Tut, Nov 26, 1922:

"In Egypt's Valley of the Kings, British archaeologists Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon become the first souls to enter King Tutankhamen's tomb in more than 3,000 years. Tutankhamen's sealed burial chambers were miraculously intact, and inside was a collection of several thousand priceless objects, including a gold coffin containing the mummy of the teenage king.

When Carter first arrived in Egypt, in 1891, most of the ancient Egyptian tombs had been discovered, and the majority of these had been hopelessly plundered by tomb raiders over the millennia. However, Carter was a brilliant excavator, and in the first years of the 20th century he discovered the tombs of Queen Hatshepsut and King Thutmose IV. Around 1907, he became associated with the Earl of Carnarvon, a collector of antiquities who commissioned Carter to supervise excavations in the Valley of the Kings. By 1913, most experts felt there was nothing in the Valley left to be uncovered. Carter, however, persisted in his efforts, convinced that the tomb of the little-known King Tutankhamen might still be found.

King Tutankhamen was enthroned in 1333 B.C. when he was still a child. He died a decade later at the age of 18 and thus made only a faint impression on the history of ancient Egypt. In the 13th century B.C., Tutankhamen and the other "Amarna" kings were publicly condemned, and most records of them were destroyed--including the location of Tutankhamen's tomb. A century later, in the 12th century B.C., workers building a tomb for Ramses VI inadvertently covered Tutankhamen's tomb with a deep layer of chips, further protecting it from future discovery."

After World War I, Carter began an intensive search for Tutankhamen's tomb and on November 4, 1922, discovered a step leading to its entrance. Lord Carnarvon rushed to Egypt, and on November 23 they broke through a mud-brick door, revealing the passageway that led to Tutankhamen's tomb. There was evidence that robbers had entered the structure at some point, and the archaeologists feared they had discovered yet another pillaged tomb. However, on November 26 they broke through another door, and Carter leaned in with a candle to take a look. Behind him, Lord Carnarvon asked, "Can you see anything?" Carter replied, "Yes, wonderful things."

It was the antechamber of Tutankhamen's tomb, and it was gloriously untouched. The dusty floor still showed the footprints of the tomb builders who left the room more than 3,000 years before. Apparently, the robbers who had broken into Tutankhamen's tomb had done so soon after it was completed and were caught before moving into the interior chambers and causing serious damage.

Thus began a monumental excavation process in which Carter carefully explored the four-room tomb over several years, uncovering an incredible collection of several thousand objects. In addition to numerous pieces of jewelry and gold, there was statuary, furniture, clothes, a chariot, weapons, and numerous other objects that shed a brilliant light on the culture and history of ancient Egypt. The most splendid find was a stone sarcophagus containing three coffins nested within each other. Inside the final coffin, made out of solid gold, was the mummified body of the boy-king Tutankhamen, preserved for 3,200 years. Most of these treasures are now housed in the Cairo Museum."

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FDR establishes modern Thanksgiving holiday, Nov 26, 1941:

"President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a bill officially establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.

The tradition of celebrating the holiday on Thursday dates back to the early history of the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies, when post-harvest holidays were celebrated on the weekday regularly set aside as "Lecture Day," a midweek church meeting where topical sermons were presented. A famous Thanksgiving observance occurred in the autumn of 1621, when Plymouth governor William Bradford invited local Indians to join the Pilgrims in a three-day festival held in gratitude for the bounty of the season.

Thanksgiving became an annual custom throughout New England in the 17th century, and in 1777 the Continental Congress declared the first national American Thanksgiving following the Patriot victory at Saratoga. In 1789, President George Washington became the first president to proclaim a Thanksgiving holiday, when, at the request of Congress, he proclaimed November 26, a Tuesday, as a day of national thanksgiving for the U.S. Constitution. However, it was not until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving to fall on the last Thursday of November, that the modern holiday was celebrated nationally.

With a few deviations, Lincoln's precedent was followed annually by every subsequent president--until 1939. In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt departed from tradition by declaring November 23, the next to last Thursday that year, as Thanksgiving Day. Considerable controversy surrounded this deviation, and some Americans refused to honor Roosevelt's declaration. For the next two years, Roosevelt repeated the unpopular proclamation, but on November 26, 1941, he admitted his mistake and signed a bill into law officially making the fourth Thursday in November the national holiday of Thanksgiving Day."

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Winter storm paralyzes southern New England, Nov 26, 1898:

"A powerful early winter storm batters the New England coast on this day in 1898, killing at least 450 people in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

It was Thanksgiving Day when strong winds, in excess of 40 miles per hour, began blowing from the Atlantic Ocean across the New England coast. This was followed, in short order, by gales from the other direction. Equally strong winds roared across upstate New York from the west.

Blizzard conditions disrupted the entire area. Transportation became impossible; some trains were halted by 20-foot snow drifts. Communication was interrupted as the wind and snow brought down telephone and telegraph lines. In some towns and villages, residents were forced to dig tunnels through the snow from their front doors to the streets. In New York City, 2,000 workers attempted to clear the key streets and avenues.

Boston was perhaps worst hit by the storm. Approximately 100 ships were blown ashore from the city's harbor and another 40 were sunk. About 100 people died when a Portland-based steamer sank near Cape Cod. Bodies and debris filled the harbors and nearby beaches.

The storm is thought to have killed at least 450 people, though due to the wide extent of the storm and the poor record-keeping of the time, it is impossible to determine exactly how many people died."

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Yesterday:

Aloe succotrina

Jay and I started out by repotting a great big flowering Aloe succotrina that was given to me many years ago. 

It is crooked as it has grown too tall for the shelves on the screen porch, and it needed to be outside where it can straighten up.  It is not an Aloe barbadensis, the medicine plant, http://www.globalherbalsupplies.com/herb_information/aloe_vera.htm  like the other aloes that I sell.

As it is in a pot, I can bring it inside for any freezing nights.

Finally, I got off the fence and made a decision to do something.   It was to take a few of the best small items to display on a table at Olde Security Flea Market on Sunday only.  Just one van-ful to see how it goes.  If it does well, we can do it for the other two Sundays before the holiday.

Saturdays, I don't work, and the kittens will be going to Adoption Day with another foster mom today.   As soon as she picks them up, around midday, Jay and I are going to drive over to Security, see what's available, and book a table for Sunday.

So, yesterday, we got all the boxes with the remainder of 390 items that I bought in the bargain baskets at Lowe's, down from the storeroom attic.  I have two small folding clothes racks and two medium size tables, which we loaded in the van.  My 8' yard sale tables won't fit in my van, and all the folding card tables already have stuff on them in the RVport.  This is our 'staging area' for right now.

We washed the plastic display bins, put the boxes in them, and loaded them in the van, too.   We picked out a few winter clothes, as it will be chilly on Sunday, so they might sell.  Another big bin we loaded has a bunch of comforters and blankets in it.  I can barely see out of the back window!

 

So the van is all ready to go on Sunday.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Do You Want Advertising With That? Poop Power! 72 Inches. Quiet Day.

 

"Don't eat any foods you've seen advertised on television"

For "Foodie Friday".   You may be so full of food this day after Thanksgiving, but do you know what you actually ate?

Michael Pollan on Food Rules: An Eater's Manual

 

"Best-selling author Michael Pollan explains how food marketers have turned his critiques (like don't eat anything with more than five ingredients) into another way to sell consumers more food.

His new rule of thumb? "Don't eat any foods you've ever seen advertised on television.""

Another rule: Eat off a smaller plate.

Another: Don't eat unless you hungry enough to eat an apple."

------------------

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2010/01/23/Michael_Pollan_on_Food_Rules_An_Eaters_Manual

This is an hour long video, so either watch some of the 17 segments separately, or turn up the volume and listen to the whole talk and discussions while you are doing quiet chores.

01. Introduction    02 min 47 sec

02. People Are Confused About Food   07 min 10 sec

03. Don't Buy 'Nonfat' or 'Lite'    05 min 35 sec

04. Cultural Wisdom About Food  05 min 05 sec

05. Rules for Finding Real Food   04 min 33 sec

06. Food Marketers Respond to Pollan    04 min 53 sec

07. Making Better Choices    04 min 45 sec

08. Don't Eat Too Much    04 min 01 sec

09. Q1: Access in Poor Communities    02 min 40 sec

10. Q2: Difficulty Subsidizing Fruits and Vegetables  04m 03 sec

11. Q3: A-Ha Moment    03 min 17 sec

12. Q4: Research on Food Cultures    03 min 00 sec

13. Q5: Fat and Cardiovascular Health   05 min 03 sec

14. Q6: Citizens United Supreme Court Decision  01 min 30 sec

15. Q7: The Body Craves Food it Needs    02 min 38 sec

16. Q8: Scaling Up Healthy Lifestyles    04 min 38 sec

17. Q9: Eating Well on a Low Budget   02 min 45 sec

Watch Full Program    01 hr 08 min 36 sec

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Whatever next…Poop Power!

Making Turkey Less Foul

"It is estimated that more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the US during Thanksgiving meals."

"As Americans stock up on Turkey meat for Thanksgiving dinners, farmers scramble to feed those families. When its all over, they will be left with not only some profit but also with mounds of a less heartwarming byproduct: turkey litter.

In Michigan, year-round turkey farm Sietsema Farms was the recipient of a $500,000 energy grant and $700,750 energy loan from USDA Rural Development to build a $3 million waste to energy system.    When its completed this December, the gasifier system will take approximately 70,000 pounds of turkey waste every day from the 1.5 million turkeys on the farm to a unit where it will be superheated and turned into gas. The gas will heat water in a boiler which will spin an electrical turbine.

The system will produce about 12,000 kW of power a day from about 206,400 pounds of steam. Electricity produced will be cycled directly back onto the farm to power the feed mills which carry feed to the turkeys and also carries waste back out to the gasifier."

More at: http://energy.aol.com/2011/11/20/making-turkey-less-foul/?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl7%7Csec1_lnk3%7C115263

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72 Inches

"Anthony, a college student, was writing a paper on quality of life. He wanted to know what made people happy and if they were content with their lives. He did not want to question common people on the street, but sought the advice of someone who had lived an entire lifetime. At a local nursing home he asked who was the wisest person there and everyone pointed to Joe.

Joe was an elderly man in his eighties with a body to match his age, sitting in a wheel chair, back slumped and head down, drooling from the mouth. But he had a sharp mind and tongue. Old Joe had fought in a World War before founding a manufacturing company and retiring a millionaire. He once bought a yacht and sailed around the world. Anthony knew he had found the man who could explain happiness and quality of life.

Joe reached in his pocket and pulled out a tape measure and handed it to Anthony and said "this will explain life." Anthony was confused. How could a tape measure explain life? Was Joe senile?

Then Joe said to pull the tape measure until 72 inches were showing. He explained each inch represents one year of life and the average person has 72 years of productive life. Many people are active after 72 years but many also die or are disabled before that time. He told Anthony to run his finger from the end of the measure to inch number 6. That is the first years of a person's life when they learn to walk, talk and tie their shoes.

Next, inches 7 to 22 is the years a person is getting an education and preparing for life. Then from inches 23 all the way to 62 is when a person marries, raises a family, works a job and hopefully saves money for retirement.

The remaining inches, 62 to 72, is the time when a person can do all the things he wants to do in life but never seemed to have time to do them. Anthony looked at those 10 inches and they looked small compared to the 62 inches already consumed. The more he looked, the more he understood what Joe was trying to say.

What will you do with those 10 inches or years? Did you always want to see the Grand Canyon, tour Europe, ride a motorcycle to Key West or write a book? Ten years is a short period in a person's life and those are the years you can full fill your life long dreams. So get going. What are you waiting for?"

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Yesterday,

Was spent quietly being thankful for what I have, and thankful that I have been productive for several years more than my 72".

No-senior-discounts

 

Alphasoup

 

Copy of choppers

 

 

 

"De turkee is gon!"

 

 

 

 

I hope y'all had a very happy Thanksgiving Day.