Saturday, December 31, 2011

News: Champagne. Middle East. Touchscreen. Cell Laws. Car Lies. HSUS Victories. ASPCA. ABC. Lightbulb. Vietnam. Panama. Boarders.

News, Some New, Some Old:

How to Open Champagne (And Why It Shouldn't Pop)

"Champagne is supposed to open with a bang, right? Not necessarily, in fact a huge celebratory "pop!" is actually a sign that it was opened by an amateur. Experts contend that a bottle of champagne opened with skill will make only a very small popping sound, or perhaps none at all.
The WSJ gives us a thorough explanation of exactly how to open a champagne bottle like a pro:

  • Chill thoroughly Properly chilled champagne will fizz and/or froth over less
  • Towel dry the bottle if there's condensation to ensure a good grip and prevent slippage
  • Cut the foil using a knife, only tearing with fingers after you've scored the foil.
  • Tilt and aim Tilt the bottle to 45 degrees and aim it away from yourself, others, and anything breakable (like windows)
  • Hold the cork down with one hand while twisting open the wire cage with the other
  • Twist the bottle with one hand while continuing to hold the cork down with the other
  • Listen for the sound of air escaping to signal that the bottle is open. There may also be a small cloud of gas.

The pop can be fun when among friends in a party atmosphere but if opened gently and quietly the champagne will have more bubbles and taste better. As the old saying goes "The ear's gain is the palate's loss."
Once you've successfully opened the champagne the next step is pouring it. For the best results make sure the bubbly has been chilled to the proper temperature, 46º F - 57º F depending on age, and then further preserve the bubbles by using a 'beer-like' technique and pouring the liquid down the side of a tilted champagne flute. "

From: http://www.luxist.com/2010/10/27/how-to-open-champagne-and-why-it-shouldnt-pop/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl5%7Csec3_lnk3%7C180609

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The Middle East in 2011

"Riots and upheaval across the Middle East dominated world headlines in 2011. Why do we need to watch this region so closely?"

Watch this BT Daily at http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/news-and-prophecy/middle-east-2011
Free Bible Study aid - The Middle East in Bible Prophecy - http://www.ucg.org/booklet/middle-east-bible-prophecy

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Time-Saving Touchscreen Secrets

"Touchscreens can be quick and convenient, but frustrating if you're entering large amounts of text.

If you're one of the 22 million lucky people who got a new iPad for the holidays — or one of the 200 million people who already own an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad — here are my top tips for how to get the most out of your Apple touchscreen device in the least amount of time."  See video at: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-your-life/time-saving-touchscreen-secrets-141803620.html   

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Cell Phone Driving Bans, State by State: Where You Break the Law

"When you're traveling, make sure to know the local laws about mobile phone use and text messaging while driving. Some infractions carry weighty fines and even potential jail time.

Many of us want the right to talk and text in our cars, but study after study shows that talking or texting while driving causes accidents. Distracted-driving laws result from battles between legislators, law enforcement, insurance companies, and individuals. Opponents of the laws claim that they're a way for law enforcement to beef up revenue from traffic fines at the expense of individual liberties. Whatever your viewpoint is, this guide should help on your next trip."

United States: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been calling for a complete ban on talking and texting while driving, even with hands-free devices.

"While no states have a complete ban on cell phones while driving, there are bans in some states for drivers who operate certain kinds of vehicles, as well as for beginning drivers. If you are between 16 to 20 years old and planning a road trip, in some places you can be charged even for talking on a hands-free phone behind the wheel."

This list is derived from available regulations as of December 2011

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Busting Ten Big Fat Lies About Cars And The Auto Industry

""Engine oil should be changed every 3,000 miles."
Only if you want to set fire to your hard earned cash. Despite what oil companies and quick-lube shops often claim, and even write on those little stickers they put on our windshields, consult the vehicle's manual for proper oil change intervals. Most are a minimum of 5,000 miles, and many are tuned to go 7,500 miles between oil changes. Do yourself a favor, and check the oil at 1,500 miles, 3,000 miles and again at 5,000 miles to see if you need to add a little oil. Make sure to check the oil after the vehicle has been sitting for a while, not right after you come to a stop."

Complete article at: http://autos.aol.com/photos/top-10-car-lies/?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl8%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D123523

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Now, The End Of The Year Appeals:

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"See 2011's biggest accomplishments for animals, then help us ensure more victories like these by donating today."

"Make a difference for animals. You could be a hero for the dogs, cats, horses, farm animals, wildlife, and so many more who desperately needed help." http://humanesociety.org/hero8

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Make a Resolution to Help Save Abandoned Animals

ASPCA "Give abandoned animals hope of a better 2012.
For the millions of abandoned cats and dogs who live on the streets of America, 2012 is full of uncertainty. Will they go hungry? Will they finally find a forever home? You can help by making a resolution that will save lives.
Become an ASPCA Guardian for just 60¢ a day.
We’re inviting animal-lovers like you to join the ranks of our most loyal supporters and become an ASPCA Guardian. With your monthly, tax-deductible donation, you can help us continue our life-saving programs to rescue, feed and shelter abandoned and neglected animals every day of the year. Together, we can help give more animals a fresh start in 2012."   Make a Monthly Gift

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Marvelous Spatultail by Dubi Shapiro

"It’s the last day of 2011 and many birders are scurrying around trying to add those last few birds to their year list. At ABC this year we’ve built a pretty impressive bird list in the Americas - more than 2,725 bird species have benefited from ABC’s conservation work this year - but we urgently need your help to finish the year strong. You can help complete this year’s list by donating today to protect birds."

"From the Wood Thrush and Golden-winged Warbler in the Eastern U.S., to Lewis’s Woodpecker and Greater Sage-Grouse in the West; from Millerbird in Hawaii and Laysan Albatross on Midway, to Lear’s Macaw in Brazil and Marvelous Spatuletail in Peru, your donation will help build the most important list of all - birds that are protected!

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ngExfo78vopKqitLKZzTuOa5qspBWNtpThank you for your support and happy New Year!"

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NPCA header

Match My Gift!

"Time is running out!   Only one more day to double your support for your national parks.

I hope you know the good news - longtime supporters Bill and Judy Walter are matching all online donations to NPCA, dollar for dollar, until the end of the year.

The response to this generous offer has been nothing short of extraordinary, and we are close to meeting our $100,000 matching gift goal. But we need the help of friends like you to go the full distance.  The match offer ends at midnight EST! So I hope you will make a generous year-end gift to NPCA’s park protection efforts while there’s still time. And take comfort in knowing that your gift will go twice as far towards safeguarding our national parks for future generations."

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Beginning of end for old-fashioned light bulbs

Light bulbs hadn't changed much in the hundred years since Edison's original -- but a new generation of lighting is likely to be switched on.

"Light bulbs hadn't changed much in the hundred years since Edison's original -- but a new generation of lighting is likely to be switched on.

In the beginning, there was darkness.   Then came fire.

It wasn't until the 19th century that artificial light was first generated.  The big leap came in the 1880s, when Thomas Edison lit homes across America with the incandescent bulb.

For the next 130 years, incandescents ruled the nights, the roads, and especially the Christmas tree.   But today, the last glowing filaments of that living room powerhouse are burning out." More at: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500202_162-57350124/not-so-fast-on-end-of-old-fashioned-light-bulbs/

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On This Day:

Edison demonstrates incandescent light, Dec 31, 1879:

In the first public demonstration of his incandescent lightbulb, American inventor Thomas Alva Edison lights up a street in Menlo Park, New Jersey. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company ran special trains to Menlo Park on the day of the demonstration in response to public enthusiasm over the event.

Although the first incandescent lamp had been produced 40 years earlier, no inventor had been able to come up with a practical design until Edison embraced the challenge in the late 1870s. After countless tests, he developed a high-resistance carbon-thread filament that burned steadily for hours and an electric generator sophisticated enough to power a large lighting system.

Born in Milan, Ohio, in 1847, Edison received little formal schooling, which was customary for most Americans at the time. He developed serious hearing problems at an early age, and this disability provided the motivation for many of his inventions. At age 16, he found work as a telegraph operator and soon was devoting much of his energy and natural ingenuity toward improving the telegraph system itself. By 1869, he was pursuing invention full-time and in 1876 moved into a laboratory and machine shop in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

Edison's experiments were guided by his remarkable intuition, but he also took care to employ assistants who provided the mathematical and technical expertise he lacked. At Menlo Park, Edison continued his work on the telegraph, and in 1877 he stumbled on one of his great inventions--the phonograph--while working on a way to record telephone communication. Public demonstrations of the phonograph made the Yankee inventor world famous, and he was dubbed the "Wizard of Menlo Park."

Although the discovery of a way to record and play back sound ensured him a place in the annals of history, the phonograph was only the first of several Edison creations that would transform late 19th-century life. Among other notable inventions, Edison and his assistants developed the first practical incandescent lightbulb in 1879 and a forerunner of the movie camera and projector in the late 1880s. In 1887, he opened the world's first industrial research laboratory at West Orange, New Jersey where he employed dozens of workers to investigate systematically a given subject.

Perhaps his greatest contribution to the modern industrial world came from his work in electricity. He developed a complete electrical distribution system for light and power, set up the world's first power plant in New York City, and invented the alkaline battery, the first electric railroad, and a host of other inventions that laid the basis for the modern electrical world. One of the most prolific inventors in history, he continued to work into his 80s and acquired 1,093 patents in his lifetime. He died in 1931 at the age of 84."

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U.S. annual casualty figures down, Dec 31, 1971:,

"The gradual U.S. withdrawal from the conflict in Southeast Asia is reflected in reduced annual casualty figures. The number of Americans killed in action dropped to 1,386 from the previous year total of 4,204. South Vietnam losses for the year totalled 21,500 men, while the combined Viet Cong and North Vietnamese total was estimated at 97,000 killed in action.

After 10 years of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, a total of 45,627 American soldiers had been killed. The U.S. troop levels, which started the year at 280,000, were down to 159,000. This troop reduction was a direct result of the shifting American goal for the Vietnam War—no longer attempting a military victory, the U.S. was trying to gracefully extricate itself from the situation by transferring responsibility for the war to the South Vietnamese."

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Panama Canal turned over to Panama, Dec 31, 1999:

"On this day in 1999, the United States, in accordance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, officially hands over control of the Panama Canal, putting the strategic waterway into Panamanian hands for the first time. Crowds of Panamanians celebrated the transfer of the 50-mile canal, which links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and officially opened when the SS Arcon sailed through on August 15, 1914. Since then, over 922,000 ships have used the canal.

Interest in finding a shortcut from the Atlantic to the Pacific originated with explorers in Central America in the early 1500s. In 1523, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V commissioned a survey of the Isthmus of Panama and several plans for a canal were produced, but none ever implemented. U.S. interest in building a canal was sparked with the expansion of the American West and the California gold rush in 1848. (Today, a ship heading from New York to San Francisco can save about 7,800 miles by taking the Panama Canal rather than sailing around South America.)

In 1880 a French company run by the builder of the Suez Canal started digging a canal across the Isthmus of Panama (then a part of Colombia). More than 22,000 workers died from tropical diseases such as yellow fever during this early phase of construction and the company eventually went bankrupt, selling its project rights to the United States in 1902 for $40 million. President Theodore Roosevelt championed the canal, viewing it as important to America's economic and military interests. In 1903, Panama declared its independence from Colombia in a U.S.-backed revolution and the U.S. and Panama signed the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, in which the U.S. agreed to pay Panama $10 million for a perpetual lease on land for the canal, plus $250,000 annually in rent.

Over 56,000 people worked on the canal between 1904 and 1913 and over 5,600 lost their lives. When finished, the canal, which cost the U.S. $375 million to build, was considered a great engineering marvel and represented America's emergence as a world power.

In 1977, responding to nearly 20 years of Panamanian protest, U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Panama's General Omar Torrijos signed two new treaties that replaced the original 1903 agreement and called for a transfer of canal control in 1999. The treaty, narrowly ratified by the U.S. Senate, gave America the ongoing right to defend the canal against any threats to its neutrality. In October 2006, Panamanian voters approved a $5.25 billion plan to double the canal's size by 2015 to better accommodate modern ships.

Ships pay tolls to use the canal, based on each vessel's size and cargo volume. In May 2006, the Maersk Dellys paid a record toll of $249,165. The smallest-ever toll--36 cents--was paid by Richard Halliburton, who swam the canal in 1928."

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Yesterday:

Jay's mother's house phone has been staticky, and Jay didn't want to fool with getting under her porch, in the mud, to check it out.   But yesterday, he realized he was going have to do something, as it went dead.  He asked me to bring a corded phone, as he wasn't sure if the one he has works.  Misty and I went down there with a phone, some contact cleaner and a 5/16" driver.  After Misty and Maddie had their walk-about in the foggy, dewy, morning air, Jay got under there, unscrewed the cover on the outside box, and plugged in my phone.  It was dead too, so we know it is on the phone company's side.  His mother had just discontinued her 'in-house repair' plan, so she was very relieved.  Phone company said they might repair it in the next FIVE days!  Nothing more we could do, so we came up here.

Jay and I had just taken some measurements to see what we would need to make an "L" shaped computer desk for me, when my phone rang. 

It was Mindi, wanting me to take care of four of her dogs over the New Year's holiday.  Mindi's baby nanny wanted time off too, so I will take care of the dogs, but NOT the people baby!  Mindi promised to have a Citronella Anti-bark collar for Caesar. I hope she doesn't forget.  I can put up with his chewing on my door jam, that can be repaired, but my nerves won't take his constant barking.

4-kennel-cages.2 That put Jay and me in a different work mode, as I had to have beds for them to sleep in, having sold four of my kennel cages the other day. The buyer wanted my carpet rugs to go over the wire floors, too.  I used to take the doors off, and Mindi's dogs would sleep in there, in dog beds.

Armed with the measurements for the desk, and for the carpet for my one remaining kennel cage, we went up to the storeroom Doggie-densattic. We found a piece of carpet to cover the wire rack in the kennel cage, and some birch for the desk.  We cut the carpet, and there was enough to line another cage that I still have. I took off the doors, put doggie beds in there, and the four dogs should be comfy in these dens.

Jay cut the birch, and I have one side in here already, supported by shelves and a stool.  It is just a mock-up for now, as it will take some tweaking.

Later, I heard that the dogs won't be here until Wednesday.

The low was a foggy 33°, and turned into a lovely 74° sunny day.

Friday, December 30, 2011

You Want Minerals With That! Low Quality Food Causes Cancer? USSR. US Border.

 

Where have all the minerals gone?

"When I was a boy growing up in the mid-west, my parents had a good-sized garden that I helped tend as I got older. The bulk of our daily meals came from that garden. We had a small compost area to return vital minerals and other nutrients back to the soil to become part of what we would be eating next harvest. Things are not quite like that anymore.

One of the major concerns to me is the condition of the soil from which our basic food chain begins. Of primary importance is the mineral content. See, plants such as vegetables, fruits and nuts absorb the minerals from the soil. Sunlight, clean air and water combine to create vitamins, amino and fatty acids. But, they do not 'make' minerals. Minerals must come from the soil.

The soil however, can become depleted of vital minerals within five to ten years, unless properly tilled or 'worked.' Fertilizers can be of value in supplying some minerals back to the soil. But sadly, for most of the last century commercial fertilizers have been used that provide only a few of the minerals required for good health. For at least the past sixty years only one type of fertilizer has been used extensively. It is the farming industry standard fertilizer, NPK. That stands for the minerals Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorous. These three minerals help grow substantial size crops, but do not address the problem of the missing eighty-seven other essential minerals we need for good health and nutrition.

As the mega farms have grown, it has become less and less cost effective to add back trace minerals like zinc, copper, selenium and so on to the soil. Then, along came NPK to the rescue. Those minerals help to make sure the crops reach an acceptable size and weight. After all, the bottom line is profit...right? The farm business is a profit center and derives its income by the pound or bushel, not by the amount of trace minerals in the product.

As far back as 1936 our government has been aware of the seriousness of soil mineral depletion and its effect on our health. The research and studies used to testify to this situation were noted in United States Senate document number 264, which stated that due to the decline of minerals in our farm soil, "foods are starving us."

Furthermore, at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, statistics were released showing U.S. soil was eighty-five percent depleted. That was 19 years ago and it was the highest amount of soil depletion in the world. To the best of my study and searches nothing substantial has ever been done to reverse the depletion of soil trace minerals. In fact, current nutrition books and journals are still showing the exact same amount of mineral content in fruits and vegetables as in reference books from the early 1970s. It seems to me that with each new edition, the figures were just copied from the previous edition. The figures are exactly the same as forty plus years ago. In reality, I find that hard to be the truth.

So, now what do we do...where do we start? As Glenda said in the Wizard of Oz, "It's always best to start at the beginning." Obviously, the quality of the soil needs to be recharged. Twentieth century concepts generally don't work too well in the twenty-first century.

Additionally, there are newer problems adding to the soil depletion problem. Some of those are extremely dangerous pesticides, GMO foods, synthetic hormones added to our animal food base as well as increasing petroleum based products leaching into our little eco-sphere here on the planet.

Consider the word 'progress.' It was General Electric's key word in their advertising program following World War II..."Progress is our most important product." However, unbridled progress has a high price tag. It comes in the form of air and water pollution, increasing levels of daily stress, reduced nutritive value in the foods we eat and new diseases related to all of the above.

New medical technologies can do little to correct the problems arising from the so-called progress we are experiencing. At best, all they can do is treat the symptoms. My, things sure have changed over time."      Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031648_minerals_nutrition.html#ixzz1We89hSvi

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Our Disappearing Minerals and Their Vital Health Role (Part 1)


"In modern times, we have disrupted the natural cycle of mineral replenishment by clear-cutting the forests and trees to make crop land, removing most of the waste and dead animals, and we have over-farmed virtually all of our soil without allowing time for micro-organisms to convert the remaining minerals into usable forms for plants. Thanks to the advent of petro-chemical fertilizers in 1908, we have mostly returned to the soil only petroleum derived nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus -- which produce lush growth but nutrient-poor plants.

To make matters worse, we have applied pesticides and herbicides that have killed off vital micro-organisms which help convert remaining soil minerals to usable forms.

Thanks to the extended use of fertilizers and "maximum yield" mass farming methods, the soil in the North American continent has had an average of 85% mineral depletion over the past 100 years -- the worst of any other country in the world.

The end result is that a bowl of spinach most of us eat today contains perhaps 1/8th the nutrition of the bowl our grandparents and great grandparents ate.

The role of minerals and human health is immense, yet seldom recognized. Two times Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling went so far as to state unequivocally "You can trace every sickness, every disease, and every ailment to a mineral deficiency."

Dr. Gary Price Todd echoed this sentiment when he stated, "The lack of minerals is the root of all disease."

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/023237_minerals_health_soil.html#ixzz1WeAkbW1g

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MINERAL NUTRIENT DEPLETION IN US FARMS AND RANGE SOILS        CONCLUSION:

"Mineral nutrient depletion continues to be a problem in U.S. farm, forest and range soils. This depletion is caused by natural processes, such as weathering and erosion, particularly in the sensitive soils of the southeastern United States. More significantly, throughout the United States, human accelerated depletion is caused by the production of high yield crops and livestock grazing. Those activities cause nutrients to be removed and organic matter to be depleted from the soil's natural cycling system.

Moreover, when commercial growers attempt to replenish the soils of only some mineral nutrients by fertilization they may exacerbate mineral nutrient imbalances. While methods exist to replenish the soil of its mineral nutrients there is a relative lack of knowledge on how to identify all deficiencies and to fully correct them. In addition, the lack of an economic incentive to implement long term, soil-building solutions perpetuates the relative fragility and inconsistency of US soils' nutrient supplying power."   From: http://www.canadianlongevity.net/misc/mineral_depletion.php By Michael Karr, Ph.D.      ARCPACS Certified Professional Soil Scientist

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dissolved minerals within.

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Low Quality Food Causes Cancer?

Revealed: Shocking Facts About Our Food

"What we found in our unofficial report is now official. The Journal of the American College of Nutrition has published new findings from University of Texas researchers showing diminished levels of six nutrients in vegetables and fruits.

According to the new report, levels of calcium, riboflavin, vitamin C, iron, potassium, and protein in vegetables and fruits have significantly declined since 1950. This finding holds up even after making numerous statistical adjustments to account for the losses. The report covers only a few common nutrients; potential declines in lesser-known nutrients like lycopene and zeaxanthin are unknown.


When asked about the apparent drain, commercial plant breeders refuse to comment, but clues have emerged as to why today's vegetables are not what they should be. It has to do with the way commercial growers do business.

From Food to Commodity

Tomatoes that resemble tennis balls, peppers that taste like small rocks, and big, red, flavorless strawberries are all a result of selective breeding for pith and water (pith is defined as the fibrous part of fruits and vegetables, such as the - netting around orange sections that is usually discarded).

Desirable traits for commercial growers who want produce to ship well, look good, and weigh a lot, but undesirable traits for consumers who buy produce as a source of nutrition. Plant jockeys call it the dilution effect — more water and pith, less vitamin content.

The transformation of vegetables from food to commodity is well illustrated by the one people love to hate: broccoli. Broccoli is a terrific source of calcium, especially for people who don't drink milk. But the most prized commercial version of broccoli is a heavy, calcium/magnesium-deficient hybrid called Marathon.

In research conducted by the US Department of Agriculture, Marathon is consistently about a third lower in calcium and magnesium than are other hybrids. And the hybrids themselves are about 50% lower in calcium than the broccoli listed in the 1998 USDA nutrient database. It has been reported that the calcium and magnesium content in commercially grown broccoli sold in grocery stores can vary twofold."

More at: http://www.cancerpreventionreport.com/cancer_prevention/antioxidants/low_quality_food_causes_cancer?_revealed-_shocking_facts_about_our_food_2005121079.html

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On This Day:

USSR established, Dec 30, 1922:

"In post-revolutionary Russia, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is established, comprising a confederation of Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, and the Transcaucasian Federation (divided in 1936 into the Georgian, Azerbaijan, and Armenian republics). Also known as the Soviet Union, the new communist state was the successor to the Russian Empire and the first country in the world to be based on Marxist socialism.

During the Russian Revolution of 1917 and subsequent three-year Russian Civil War, the Bolshevik Party under Vladimir Lenin dominated the soviet forces, a coalition of workers' and soldiers' committees that called for the establishment of a socialist state in the former Russian Empire. In the USSR, all levels of government were controlled by the Communist Party, and the party's politburo, with its increasingly powerful general secretary, effectively ruled the country. Soviet industry was owned and managed by the state, and agricultural land was divided into state-run collective farms.

In the decades after it was established, the Russian-dominated Soviet Union grew into one of the world's most powerful and influential states and eventually encompassed 15 republics--Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Belorussia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. In 1991, the Soviet Union was dissolved following the collapse of its communist government."

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Southern U.S. border established, Dec 30, 1853:

"James Gadsden, the U.S. minister to Mexico, and General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the president of Mexico, sign the Gadsden Purchase in Mexico City. The treaty settled the dispute over the location of the Mexican border west of El Paso, Texas, and established the final boundaries of the southern United States. For the price of $15 million, later reduced to $10 million, the United States acquired approximately 30,000 square miles of land in what is now southern New Mexico and Arizona.

Jefferson Davis, the U.S. secretary of war under President Franklin Pierce, had sent Gadsden to negotiate with Santa Anna for the land, which was deemed by a group of political and industrial leaders to be a highly strategic location for the construction of the southern transcontinental railroad. In 1861, the "big four" leaders of western railroad construction--Collis P. Huntington, Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker--established the Southern Pacific branch of the Central Pacific Railroad."

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Yesterday:

New-TVMisty and I went to pick up Jay, so we could do something about my lack of a grooming table with the unexpected sale of my big one the day before.  Jay wanted me to groom Maddie, and I already have two other dogs waiting.

Jay hooked up the 'new' TV in the corner of the living room.  It works fine, but as I said I am never in my living room.  I just walk through it from the hall to the kitchen, my bedroom, the computer, the screen porch, or the workshop.  When I have company, the TV isn't on anyway. I turned on the electric log heater, at the bottom, but the flickering logs didn't show up in the picture.

Empty-grooming-roomWith the four kennel cages and the big grooming table gone, we vacuumed every corner of the grooming room, and I mopped the floor.  It looks so bare in there.

I had to go back to my old grooming table, which is a hospital table that raises and lowers.  But I was using it in the computer area.  That meant re-doing the computer area all over again. We moved the left side table to the right, so at least I have one workspace for now.  There is not enough room to have a store-bought computer desk, so we will make one.

My last remaining fiberglass kennel cage was in the workshop with stuff stored in and on it.  I needed it for a 'doggie dryer', so we took it outside, hosed the saw dust off it, let it dry, and brought it in the grooming room.

Now, I was functional again, so Jay and his mother brought Maddie up here to be groomed.  Little Yorkies like her don't take very long, especially as they want her coat to grow out.  A little scissoring here and there, then trim up her face, feet and tail with the clippers. Cut her nails, spray some doggie cologne, and she is done.

So I used my new clippers for the first time yesterday.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

RV Batteries. Wind Turbine. High, Low Voltage. Shorts. Blitz. TX. Wounded Knee. Sold!

For "tRaVersing, or RV day":
No RV Battery Charging While Driving

"I enjoyed your recent FMCA seminar about 12-volt battery systems. I have a converter that doesn't properly give a full charge while driving! I have a Dodge Sprinter chassis with the Mercedes  turbo. The converter is the 7300 series by Parallax Power Supply. The two 12-volt house batteries are new and I've only used the rig for less than four months. Is there a better converter that I should buy? Glenn C". (Eugene, OR)

"Glenn, just to clarify, your Parallax converter/charger will not charge while actually driving down the road. It is powered by 120-volt AC electricity and should charge while plugged into shoreline power or when running the generator. The house batteries and the engine battery should receive a charge via the alternator on the engine while actually driving. It is plausible to run the generator while driving, but if the alternator is sized properly, both battery systems can be effectively charged while driving. Once you stop for the night, plug the coach into 120-volt AC park power and then the Parallax can top off the house batteries. (The Parallax will not charge the chassis battery).

If you're not getting a proper charging current to the batteries while driving, it will be necessary to evaluate the engine alternator and the battery isolator and all points between the alternator and battery bank. A proper setup will have the alternator output feeding into a dedicated dual battery separator or isolator.  The output amperage of the alternator is then split between the two battery systems, the house batteries and the chassis battery.

One quick test you can make is to measure the voltage at the battery bank with the motorhome engine off. Note that voltage measurement, then start the engine. There should be a 2-3 volt rise in the voltage at the battery bank if the alternator is charging. If the voltage remains the same or goes down at all, it may be a faulty alternator, a faulty battery separator or faulty connections between point A and B.... meaning, further troubleshooting is in order.

A Certified RV technician should be able to quickly diagnose which component(s) may be at fault and make the subsequent repair(s). In my RV Owner's Handbook, I give you the step-by-step procedures for testing the isolator and the wiring. But a quick voltage measurement with the engine off and then running will give you some indication of where the problem is originating. This, of course, is assuming the batteries themselves are in good condition." Posted by RV Doctor.

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Best way to charge an RV battery 

RV DoctorThe RV Doctor, Gary Bunzer, answers your questions.

"Dear Gary,
I have an Itasca motorhome with two 12-volt batteries wired parallel. I have been dry camping with this rig and have nearly run down the coach batteries after a few days. When that happens I have to start my RV generator (which runs on propane) to charge the coach batteries up some. I thought I remember you saying that this is not very effective. Is running the RV engine more effective or taking it out and driving it a little? I am also thinking of buying a portable 2000 watt generator that I can just connect to the coach batteries and charge them in place. My plan is to buy the little generator and connect to the coach batteries in place without unhooking the battery cables. I have been told I can charge the two coach batteries together by hooking the positive clip to the positive terminal of one battery and the negative clip to the negative post of the other battery. Will buying the 2000 watt generator, which has a built in 8-amp charger, do the job?" --Jim G.,
Read Gary's response:

"Jim, I'm glad the seminar prompted some further contemplation on your part! And you remembered correctly; most modern RV generators do not have a dedicated battery charging circuit. They simply produce the 120-volt AC output that further powers a converter/charger or, in some cases, an inverter/charger for on-board battery charging.

As for connecting the load and a charger, both the load and the charger should be connected to the positive terminal of one battery and the negative terminal of the other battery in a two-battery, 12-volt parallel set-up.

But in my opinion, 8-amps would not be sufficient for effectively charging your battery bank. The general rule of thumb is C/5. “C” being the total amp-hour capacity of your battery bank, divided by 5, which equals the output amperage necessary to fully charge the bank in the least amount of time, without the fear of over-charging. This presupposes the battery charger is a sophisticated, 3-step charger. If your batteries are Group 27, you can store about 210 amp-hours, or so, of current since the two are connected in parallel. 210 divided by 5 means you’ll need a battery charger that can perform a bulk charge of about 40-amps. Anything less, simply will take much longer to charge and risk overheating the batteries.

Now the engine alternator will likely put out a lot more current, but it’s not very effective or efficient to actually run the motorhome engine just for battery charging purposes. Your best bet is a dedicated battery charger. You already have an on-board generator, so a portable generator just for charging the batteries is not what I would recommend. 

I have recommended the TrueCharge 2 battery charger since it came onto the market. You can read my review here. See what you think. I think it would be a much better option. "

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How will my batteries cope with winter?

"Not every RVer uses their rig throughout the year. Some do a winter lay-up and wonder: Just how will my batteries cope with cold weather? Taking care of RV batteries will add to longevity--ignore them and you may wind up replacing come spring.
First, let's confirm that your rig will be stored somewhere in the lower 48. Alaska (so we're told) gets frigidly cold in places; if you have an RV in Alaska, your best bet is to bring it (and yourself) south of the 54th.


For the rest of us who stay out of Seward's Icebox, cold care for RV batteries is fairly easy. First rule: Never store your rig with batteries at anything less than a 100% charge. A fully charged battery won't freeze, but less-than-full batteries can (and sometimes do). A battery frozen is a battery that expands and can break the casing, ruining the battery and spilling acid causing still more trouble. So hang your charger on your battery and fill 'er up.

 
What causes batteries to lose their charge? Two things: A load on the battery, even small, "parasitic" loads like those placed on them by say, an LP gas detector or engine "computer" will with enough time, deplete the battery charge. The second cause of discharge is "self discharge," meaning that batteries, left to themselves, with time will simply discharge on their own.
Battery loads can be eliminated simply by disconnecting the batteries from their circuit. For "house" batteries that care for non-engine systems, disconnecting the load means loosening and removing the negative cable from the house battery bank. Of course, safety detectors in the coach will no longer work to warn your of any sort of disaster. Disconnecting the SLI ("starting, lighting, ignition") battery will cause any "trouble codes" stored in your rig's engine computer to vanish from memory. You may want to have a technician hook up a code reader to verify you have no stored codes--some auto parts stores will do this for free.


Even with batteries disconnected there's still the issue of self-discharge. Rule to thumb says, the colder the battery, the slower the rate of self-discharge. This means you might be able to come out and hook up your battery charger every few weeks to bring your stored batteries "up to snuff."
We're much bigger fans of just leaving the batteries hooked up to their related circuits and hooking a "smart" charger to them. A smart charger analyzes the battery's needs and charges them accordingly. Once at full charge, a smart charger applies a "float" charge that keeps the battery at the fully charged level, but doesn't allow for a damaging overcharge.

 
We have "seasonal use" car that we store away from shore power. When not in use, we have a regulated solar panel hooked up to the battery that keeps the battery topped off. Regulated, because any old solar panel hooked directly to a battery doesn't have the sense to stop charging when "full" is reached, and the result of overcharging can be fatal to the battery.
The same principle applies to RVs equipped with solar panels. If the rig is stored outside where the panels can find the sun, and the system has a regulator, your "house" battery issues are solved. Getting "juice" to the SLI battery in your motorhome is possible too, but it will require a bit more wiring and equipment to tie it to the solar array."   Russ and Tina DeMaris.
From: http://www.newrver.com/winter_batteries.shtml

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"The battery charger in the RV converter is only designed to keep the coach battery(s) topped off. It is not designed or capable of recharging a battery that is completely discharged."

"Camping/RV Battery Chargers- BatteryMINDers® are the new generation of SMART, pulse type "computer-on-a-chip" chargers, that safely charge and maintain all size / type / brands of batteries including starter, deep cycle and sealed types including AGM “dry” made by OPTIMA, ODYSSEY, EXIDE, INTERSTATE, et al. They do all of this without ever overcharging, no matter how long they are left on charge – days-weeks-or even months. Dubbed the chargers with "brains," they are the first to fully-automatically reverse the primary cause of early battery failure known as "sulfation". Sulfated batteries once considered beyond recovery can now be brought back to long-term useful condition. Certain models of BatteryMINDers® can more than double the useful life of new batteries."

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Generate electricity with a wind turbine

"The Rover Series Wind Turbine Kits are rated for 300 Watts, perfect for mobile power applications. 

Rover is great for charging battery banks. We designed the Rover to be compact and easy to deploy. Consider it for both traditional applications as well as use on-the-go with your RV!
Rover Wind Turbine is easy to maintain and built for durability. It's perfect for supplementing your power needs, charging batteries if you're a casual camper that settles in spots for a few days at a time.
Ideal for conserving on gasoline consumption in more remote locations to power lights and appliances! The Rover is completely corrosion protected, with a layer of electro-coat followed by a layer of white powder coating to protect from the elements. The housing is sealed aluminum housing with 100% steel fasteners. 100% steel construction, including mounting frame, tail, and fasteners provides you with everything you need to assemble.
Comes with our acclaimed 28-inch HyperSpin aluminum wind turbine blades, providing a 60 inch rotor, as well as an oversized self-lubricating yaw bushing for effortless tracking in the wind! This is a 100% complete wind turbine kit! Mounts directly to 1.5 inch schedule 40 or schedule 80 pipe. More at: http://www.greatrvaccessories.com/2011/12/generate-free-electricity-with-wind.html

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"Batteries that are not fully charged in cold temperatures can freeze resulting in not being able to use the RV furnace. I recommend that you plan your stay where you have access to an electrical supply when camping in cold weather. When we are plugged into electricity we set the forced air furnace on a low setting, around 60 degrees, and supplement the heat with thermostatically controlled ceramic heaters. These heaters work extremely well and you don’t need to be concerned about a fire or carbon monoxide."   By Mark Polk.

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"Before hooking your RV up to shore power. Such as the electrical hook-up at a campground, test the outlet with a polarity tester. A polarity tester is a small, inexpensive gadget you get at a hardware store, most Walmarts, or RV supply store. Plug it into the shore power outlet and compare the lights you see on it to the chart on the tester. Those lights indicate whether the outlet is wired correctly or not."

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Do you need a surge protector for your RV? 


Danger! High Voltage!

"This article was prompted by an RVtravel.com reader who wrote asking if it made sense to spend $300 on a surge protector for her RV.
Surge is one of those words that has fallen into common usage when in fact, it's not very descriptive of the situation. And interestingly "surge strips" do little to stop a long-term voltage "surge."


So let's start with a basic definition of voltage and the types of situations that can ruin your electrical gear. To gain a better understand of what we're going to discuss, re-read my article about voltage. As you will see, voltage is really electrical pressure, much like the water pressure in your pipes feeding the kitchen sink."      Article at: http://rvtravel.com/noshockzone/surge477.shtml

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Surge Guard on Duty

Surge Guard on Duty

"We saw an article about RV surge guards in a magazine that had a picture of the worse-case scenario of what happens when there’s a short or surge in the campground electric box.  Nothing left of the rig after the fire.  So we bought one and used it until in a state park in Minnesota it melted from a surge.  “Never happened here before, you bet!” the camp host assured me.  Didn’t matter – we were out a $56.00 surge guard (apparently $80.00 now) but thankful that was all the damage.  The 50-amp are much pricier, but I’m certain it’s a worthwhile investment

I used that replacement surge guard for about three months before donating it to another camper – not on purpose, but because I didn’t go down my takeoff check list until we were a good ways down the road.  An expensive mistake I (hope I) won’t make again."

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Don't be zapped by low voltage

DANGER Low Voltage Cables

"In the classic monster movies, the mad scientist zaps his new "creation" with a huge blast of electricity--and it all goes bad from there. As RVers, the wrong kind of voltage can raise all kinds of problems for us: But what we may fail to be on guard against is not high voltage, but low voltage.

Pull into that "budget" RV park, plug into the electrical system, and prepare to cool down by switching on the air conditioner. But hang on a minute! Old RV parks often have an old electrical system--one that may well be under-rated for the needs put on it by present-day power-hog RVs. If the electrical system voltage is low--consistently below 104 volts--it can cause damage to RV electrical and electronic gear.

Your air conditioning system is one of the most easily grieved by low voltage. It takes a set amount of power to operate your air condition--it MUST have it. If the voltage is low, then the a.c. unit will still try and respond to your command to produce cool, but in the process, it will run hot. This puts a huge strain on the compressor motors, and given enough trouble, something’s gonna break--and we can guarantee one thing: It won’t be cheap to fix.

Digital Line Monitor

How can your protect yourself? Buy, install, and use a power line monitor. On those hot summer days when everybody around you has fired up their a.c. unit, before you switch on yours, take a quick peek at your monitor--conveniently plugged into a wall outlet--and make sure the power is safely above 104 volts.

We use ours as an added safety benefit against bad electrical wiring at the RV hookup. One of us gets in the rig before we plug into the power. The other plugs in the power, while the inside person verifies that the power monitor shows "good" wiring--no reverse polarity, no "no ground" situations--any of which are present can lead to safety issues.

Camping World sells a fancy power for about $65. If you don’t want to spend that much, the use your digital volt meter: Set the meter to monitor AC voltage and carefully plug the probes into the large, rectangular blade slots of one of your wall outlets as shown. Check the voltage that way--but don’t leave the meter probes plugged in unattended! An alternative would be to build yourself a "plug in" cord set, using a wall plug, some "zip" wire, and a set of plugs to fit your meter. With digital meters so inexpensive, you can build your own for a whole lot less."  From:  http://rvtechtips.blogspot.com/2011/11/dont-be-zapped-by-low-voltage.html

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Locating 12-Volt DC Shorts in an RV

"Can my 1986 Yellowstone travel trailer have a positive grounded electrical system? When I wire it as a negative ground, I keep blowing 40-amp fuses. Also, would I be better off to use a standard battery charger than the converter? "Hank H., (Yuma, AZ)

"Hank, I've never heard of any recreation vehicle using a positively grounded DC system. Those even disappeared from the auto industry many years ago. It's apparent, however, that you have a direct short to ground somewhere within the 12-volt DC battery system. Equipped with a digital volt/ohm meter (VOM), it is relatively easy to "ring out" the circuits to find which contains the direct short. Here's how....

The first thing to do is to ensure all 12-volt loads are turned off. Then remove all the fuses from the DC fuse block. Next install a new 40-amp main fuse. If the fuse still blows, the short is between the battery and the fuse box and not likely within an individual DC load circuit. With all the fuses still removed, set the VOM to the ohm's scale and measure for continuity (zero ohms), between the load side of each fuse position of each circuit, to ground. If you measure some resistance, but not continuity, you're probably reading the resistance through that load so make sure it is turned off. You'll be looking for a direct short to ground.

Some digital meters will have a diode test function which is also good to use. In the diode test setting, the meter will emit a audible beep when there is direct continuity. The circuit that indicates continuity is the problem circuit to focus on.

Next, begin eliminating each device on that circuit one at a time. Obtain an automatic resetting 12-volt circuit breaker and attach two short leads with alligator clips to the two terminals. Use the breaker instead of continuing to blow fuses. Attach the circuit breaker to each side of the fuse holder. This test breaker replaces the individual fuse and will automatically reset after it cools down. This eliminates burning through a pile of fuses during the troubleshooting procedure."     Rest of article at: http://www.rvdoctor.com/2011/09/locating-12-volt-dc-shorts-in-rv.html

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On This Day:

Germans raid London, Worst air raid on London, Dec 29, 1940:

"On this day, German aircraft blanket incendiary bombs over London, setting both banks of the Thames ablaze and killing almost 3,600 British civilians.

The German targeting of the English capital had begun back in August, payback for British attacks on Berlin. In September, a horrendous firestorm broke out in London's poorest districts as German aircraft dropped 337 tons of bombs on docks, tenements, and teeming streets. The "London Blitz" killed thousands of civilians.

December 29 saw the widespread destruction not just of civilians, but of great portions of London's cultural relics. Historic buildings were severely damaged or destroyed as relentless bombing set 15,000 separate fires. Among the architectural treasures that proved casualties of the German assault were the Guildhall (the administrative center of the city, dating back to 1673 but also containing a 15th-century vault) and eight Christopher Wren churches. St. Paul's Cathedral also caught fire but was saved from being burned to the ground by brave, tenacious firefighters. Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and the Chamber of the House of Commons were also hit but suffered less extensive damage.

In May and June 1940, Holland, Belgium, Norway, and France fell one by one to the German Wehrmacht, leaving Great Britain alone in its resistance against Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's plans for world domination.

By denying the Germans a quick victory, depriving them of forces to be used in their invasion of the USSR, the outcome of the Battle of Britain greatly changed the course of World War II. As Churchill said of the RAF fliers during the Battle of Britain, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

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Texas enters the Union, Dec 29, 1845:

"Six months after the congress of the Republic of Texas accepts U.S. annexation of the territory, Texas is admitted into the United States as the 28th state.

The Texas volunteers initially suffered defeat against the forces of Mexican General Santa Anna--the Alamo fell and Sam Houston's troops were forced into an eastward retreat. However, in late April, Houston's troops surprised a Mexican force at San Jacinto, and Santa Anna was captured, bringing an end to Mexico's efforts to subdue Texas."

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U.S. Army massacres Sioux at Wounded Knee, Dec 29, 1890:

"In the tragic final chapter of America's long war against the Plains Indians, the U.S. Cavalry kills 146 Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.

On December 29, the 7th Cavalry under Colonel James Forsyth surrounded a band of Ghost Dancers under the Sioux Chief Big Foot near Wounded Knee Creek and demanded they surrender their weapons. Big Foot and his followers had no intentions of attacking anyone, but they were distrustful of the army and feared they would be attacked if they relinquished their guns. Nonetheless, the Sioux agreed to surrender and began turning over their guns. As that was happening, a scuffle broke out between an Indian and a soldier, and a shot was fired. Though no one is certain which side fired it, the ensuing melee was quick and brutal. Without arms and outnumbered, the Sioux were reduced to hand-to-hand fighting with knives, and they were cut down in a withering rain of bullets, many coming from the army's rapid-fire repeating Hotchkiss guns. By the time the soldiers withdrew, 146 Indians were dead (including 44 women and 18 children) and 51 wounded. The 7th Cavalry had 25 dead and 39 wounded."

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Yesterday:

Jay and I walked Misty and Maddie down to the lake, the water has come up a bit, but there is still an island showing, that shouldn't be there.

The evening before I had listed my kennel cages on Craigslist, and had a reply in the morning.  We agreed to meet here in the afternoon, after I returned from Conroe.  They were driving all the way from Katy, TX.  Jay and I did a bit of thrift shopping, he bought a vintage sail boat, some shirts, and a hand blown bowl.

I bought some blue and white Corelle plates, but not the pattern I really wanted.  My living room TV shows a great picture, but the volume suddenly goes up and just blares.  I had been keeping an eye out for a bargain, so bought a 29" with built-in VCR for $20.  I know VCR's went out with the dinosaurs, but I still have plenty of tapes.  No, it isn't a flat TV, but the corner where it goes used to have a 32", so it fits just right.  Jay is the only one who ever turns on my living room TV, anyway.

After Jay helped me unload the TV and I had taken him and his bargains home, I had time to tidy up the grooming room a bit. The men arrived and bought not only my kennel cages, but also my expensive hydraulic grooming table.  I will have to find something else to use for a grooming table now.  The grooming room looks plum bare!

Even though it was sunny, it was still a cold day.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Birds: Long-whiskered Owlet. Bird Songs. Parahawking. Albatross Chicks. Giant Trees. "I" of Bird. Quake. "De-fostering".

For "Winged Wednesday":

Long-whiskered Owlet

Long-whiskered Owlet by Dubi Shapiro

"The Long-whiskered Owlet is one of the tiniest owls in the world, measuring only 5” tall.  Its long, wispy facial feathers extend out past its head, making the bird appear to have long whiskers; its large eyes are a vivid orange-brown.  Only discovered in 1976, this owl is so distinctive that scientists have placed it in its own genus: Xenoglaux, meaning “strange owl”.

Ongoing habitat destruction for agriculture and timber is the biggest threat to this species. Fortunately, this owl and other threatened birds, such as the Ochre-fronted Antpitta, Johnson's Tody-Tyrant, and Royal Sunangel, are protected at the Abra Patricia Reserve, where ABC and our Peruvian partner ECOAN have secured approximately 24,900 acres of key native habitat.

At present, the reserve provides the best opportunity for birdwatchers to see the owlet, where it can be found along trails near ECOAN’s Owlet Lodge.

Birdwatchers interested in visiting Abra Patricia can find out more and plan their trip at ECOAN’s website or ConservationBirding.org. "

Here is a video of the Long-whiskered Owlet taken at the reserve in November 2011 by Guy Foulks.

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Videos with the songs of 59 birds:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMusicOfNature

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"Parahawking is coming to the USA. These are a few shots of training a Harris's Hawk to fly with a paraglider."

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Lead Removal to Save Thousands of Albatross Chicks on Midway

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Laysan Albatross chick: George Wallace, ABC

This August, years of dedicated
advocacy by ABC and others finally paid off as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service announced an agreement
for a $21 million effort to remove lead-based paint from Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. This action marks a significant step forward in solving a decades-old problem that has resulted in the death of as many as 130,000 Laysan Albatross from lead poisoning.
Midway hosts nearly one million breeding Laysan Albatrosses every year, making it the world’s largest colony. Unfortunately, curious albatross chicks eat leadbased paint chips peeling off 95 abandoned buildings on the island. The chicks then develop
a condition known as droopwing, which leaves them unable to lift their developing wings off the ground. As many as 10,000 chicks have died each year from the toxic effects of lead, which include starvation and dehydration.       More at: http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/birdconservation_pdf/MagFall11.pdf

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BIRD’S EYE VIEW    FALL 2011


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"Some years ago, several ABC staff were mulling over ways to prevent incursions into our Latin American partners’ forest
reserves for wood-cutting and poaching.

Finally, someone exclaimed, “The best defense could be a good
offense,” meaning that if we funded reserve neighbors to plant trees on their degraded pastureland adjacent to the reserves, we would not only provide critical buffers to our forests, but strengthen relations with our neighbors, and by extension, the
entire community. We realized that we could push the forest frontier outward instead of retreating inward.

This ultimately led to a multinational “silvipasture” development program funded by the World Bank, with ABC providing the conservation leadership.
But more importantly, it spawned many new ABC approaches in both reserve sustainability and habitat recovery."

More at: http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/birdconservation_pdf/MagFall11.pdf

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imageBack When The Logging Industry Was Young

I wonder how many birds lost their homes, to make homes for people?:    

Let’s see – how many 2x4s is that?

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Just look at the length of the hand saw they needed

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And look at the size of the heavy duty axes.

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After a tree was felled the real work began - a week or more to cut it up.

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The work required very strong and courageous men.

 

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Some of the logs were larger than the train engine.

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A hollowed out log became the company's mobile office.

Hollowed out logs were also used to house and feed the crews.

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The I of a Bird (or Welcome to Birding! Now Get Out!)

Buff-bellied Hummingbird

"Edward Abbey said “that which today calls itself science gives us more and more information, and indigestible glut of information, and less and less understanding.” Are we awash in information, drowning in a media overload that dulls sight and mind? Are we down for the count?

Get out.     Get away.

Drag the kids to the car and rush to the nearest open space. Clear your senses. Watch nature. Watch birds. Watch closely. Birding is for your sanity, for your health. I know; we like to pretend that birding is a science (we call ourselves field ornithologists). I know; birding is a competitive sport and a rapidly expanding recreation. Forget all of this. Birding feeds the brain. Birding exercises the senses. Birding reveals the world as is, not as marketed."

The complete article at: http://blog.aba.org/2011/12/the-i-of-a-bird.html#c6a00e5505da1178834015438065c1c970c

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On This Day:

Worst European earthquake, Dec 28, 1908:

"At dawn, the most destructive earthquake in recorded European history strikes the Straits of Messina in southern Italy, leveling the cities of Messina in Sicily and Reggio di Calabria on the Italian mainland. The earthquake and tsunami it caused killed an estimated 100,000 people.

Sicily and Calabria are known as la terra ballerina--"the dancing land"--for the periodic seismic activity that strikes the region. In 1693, 60,000 people were killed in southern Sicily by an earthquake, and in 1783 most of the Tyrrenian coast of Calabria was razed by a massive earthquake that killed 50,000. The quake of 1908 was particularly costly in terms of human life because it struck at 5:20 a.m. without warning, catching most people at home in bed rather than in the relative safety of the streets or fields.

The main shock, registering an estimated 7.5 magnitude on the Richter scale, caused a devastating tsunami with 40-foot waves that washed over coastal towns and cities. The two major cities on either side of the Messina Straits--Messina and Reggio di Calabria--had some 90 percent of their buildings destroyed. Telegraph lines were cut and railway lines were damaged, hampering relief efforts. To make matters worse, the major quake on the 28th was followed by hundreds of smaller tremors over subsequent days, bringing down many of the remaining buildings and injuring or killing rescuers. On December 30, King Victor Emmanuel III arrived aboard the battleship Napoli to inspect the devastation.

Meanwhile, a steady rain fell on the ruined cities, forcing the dazed and injured survivors, clad only in their nightclothes, to take shelter in caves, grottoes, and impromptu shacks built out of materials salvaged from the collapsed buildings. Veteran sailors could barely recognize the shoreline because long stretches of the coast had sunk several feet into the Messina Strait."

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Yesterday:

Misty was glad of her coat again for her walk down at Jay's, when we went to pick him up.  Maddie was wearing her sweater, too.  There was unexpected frost on the ground.

Prime-Bobbie-screen-porch-Dec.2011 Later the day warmed up, so Prime and Bobbiecat were on the porch.

Jay and I started to 'de-foster' and 'de-board' the house.  That meant cleaning and putting away the cages that had been used for my years as a foster mom, and Poodle Nanny.   I have to keep my grooming equipment, but the rest of the grooming room can now be used for something else.  Like even a spare bedroom, it has it's own bathroom.

Whatcha-doin-up-there-Sis First, we took the extra big cage out of the little used dining area.  Originally, it had been put there so that I would have somewhere to put the kittens when I couldn't have them loose in the house. But that didn't work out, Pebbles got into too much stuff, so they went back to the grooming room.  Now, it has mostly been used to lock Prime up when we have the door going into the workshop opening and closing.   We carried it outside, washed it, folded it up, and put it away in the closet in the grooming room. 

Now, while we are working, Prime will be closed up in my bedroom and bathroom with Bobbiecat and Misty. That is if it is too cold/hot on the porch. It is only for 2-3 hours a day. Yes, I know Prime is a foster, too, but she lives in the house with us.

While we were outside a "metal-man" drove by.  Ray had wanted his non-working lawnmower gone, so off it went.

Great!   Now we could get to the window in my storeroom.  The mini-blind was all ratty, so we replaced it with one that had been stored in my attic.  We took the extra pet carriers, and Bobbiecat's two strollers to store up there, too.

4-kennel-cages Now, we are seeing headway.  We moved the fiberglass kennel cages in the grooming room, swept the floor, put them back, and took pictures to offer them for sale. 

These were for when Mindi's dogs used to stay here regularly, I was her "Poodle Nanny".  4-kennel-cages-2 They had carpet over the wire floors with doggie beds in them, and her dogs slept in there with the doors off.  I hardly ever take care of Mindi's dogs now that she has adopted Noah and has a "People Nanny". 

Another picture to show that they can be stacked.

I have one more larger kennel cage in the workshop, and I will use that in the grooming room for a "Doggie Dryer".  I take the bottom tray out and put an ionic pet dryer under the wire.

Mar-28-2011--1The cages have not been taken out of the Middle Room yet.  Those cages have been there for two or three years now.  The kitten's new 'parents' have two weeks to make sure they fit in.  Once that time period it over, I will fold the cages up, and put them away or sell them. No more fosters!

The kittens must be so scared in their new surroundings. I have been thinking about them all day.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Fort Davis. Davis Mtns. State Park. McDonald Observatory. El Paso. Adoption.

For   "Travel Tuesday":

Not too far from Big Bend, featured in last Tuesday's Travel Day,  is Fort Davis:

"Today, twenty-four roofed buildings and over 100 ruins and foundations are part of Fort Davis National Historic Site. Five of the historic buildings have been refurnished to the 1880s, making it easy for visitors to envision themselves being at the fort at the height of its development."

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Fort Davis National Historic Site, TexasFort Davis National Historic Site

Fort Davis National Historic Site, Texas (024-005-00187-5)"Park staff, along with the Friends of Fort Davis National Historic Site and local volunteers, are currently restoring and refurnishing portions of the 1876 Post Hospital. When completed the Post Hospital at Fort Davis will be the first such 19th Century structure built as a hospital in the National Park Service to be restored.

Fort Davis is one of the best surviving examples of an Indian Wars' frontier military post in the Southwest.

Medical treatment at Fort Davis represented state-of-the-art medicine of the 19th century. The soldiers at Fort Davis and other frontier posts probably received medical treatment as good as or better than what the average American received at the time.

Nightmares of what could have been. Although Fort Davis is one of the best preserved examples of a frontier military post in the American Southwest, there has always been one aspect of the fort that remained at risk – its view. Most of the landscape surrounding Fort Davis is protected, but a prominent 41-acre bluff overlooking the fort was for sale, generating concern that the pristine view would be disturbed. Luckily, a conservation buyer stepped in and purchased the property and is now working with the National Park Service to add the land to Fort Davis National Historic Site. In June 1891, as a result of the army’s efforts to consolidate its frontier garrisons, Fort Davis was ordered abandoned, having "outlived its usefulness." Seventy years later, in 1961, the fort was authorized as a national historic site, a unit of the National Park Service.

Fort Davis National HistoricFort Davis National Historic

 

 

 

 

 

Fort Davis National Historic Site, TexasFORT DAVIS NATIONAL HISTORIC

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fort Davis National Historic

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More about Fort Davis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Davis_National_Historic_Site

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Fort Davis: Frontier Post

"A key post in the defense system of western Texas, Fort Davis played a major role in the history of the Southwest. From 1854 until 1891, troops stationed at the post protected emigrants, freighters, mail coaches, and travelers on the San Antonio-El Paso Road. Today, Fort Davis is considered one of the best remaining examples of a frontier military post in the American Southwest. It is a vivid reminder of the significant role played by the military in the settlement and development of the western frontier.

Named for Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, the fort was first garrisoned by Lieutenant Colonel Washington Seawell and six companies of the Eighth U.S. Infantry. The post was located in a box canyon near Limpia Creek on the eastern side of the Davis Mountains--where wood, water, and grass were plentiful. From 1854 to 1861 , troops of the Eighth Infantry spent much of their time in the field pursuing Comanches, Kiowas, and Apaches."

More at: http://www.nps.gov/foda/fortdavisfrontierpost.htm

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Warm Springs Apache leader Victorio.

"Apache leader Victorio led a group of Mescaleros, Warm Springs, and Chiricahuas from an Apache Reservation in New Mexico in 1879. Pursued by soldiers from Fort Davis and other west Texas forts he fled into Mexico where he and many of his followers were killed by Mexican troops in October of 1880."

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Davis Mountains State Park

"History: Davis Mountains State Park, 2708.9 acres in size, is located in Jeff Davis County, four miles northwest of Fort Davis, approximately halfway between Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Carlsbad Caverns, and Big Bend National Park. The original portion of the park was deeded to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department by a local family. Original improvements were accomplished by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933; the park has been open to the public in since the late 1930s; formal campground facilities were added in 1967.

The Davis Mountains, the most extensive mountain range in Texas, were formed by volcanic activity during the Tertiary geologic period, which began around 65 million years ago. These mountains were named after Jefferson Davis, U.S. Secretary of War and later President of the Confederacy, who ordered the construction of the Fort Davis army post.

Most Indian bands passed through the Davis Mountains, although the Mescalero Apaches made seasonal camps. As west Texas settlements increased, raiding in Mexico and along the San Antonio-El Paso Trail became a way of life for Apaches, Kiowas, and Comanches. Few Americans had seen the Davis Mountains prior to 1846. After the war with Mexico, a wave of gold seekers, settlers, and traders came through the area and needed the protection of a military post - Fort Davis. Fort Davis was active from 1854 until 1891, except for certain periods during the Civil War. In 1961, the historic fort ruins were declared a National Historic Site, and a vast restoration/preservation program was initiated by the National Park Service. "

More at: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/davis_mountains/

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If you look a topographical map of the USA, the Davis Mountains are at the tail end of the Rocky Mountains.

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McDonald Observatory

"When the three large domes of the McDonald Observatory appear on a mountain ridge in the distance, you know Fort Davis can't be far away. The observatory's three largest instruments are the 362" Hobby-Eberly telescope on 6,600-foot Mount Fowlkes, and the 107" Harlan J. Smith and 82" Otto Struve telescopes located on 6,800-foot Mt. Locke. The observatory is located just 17 miles from Fort Davis on Texas Highway 118.

Hobby-Eberly Telescope

Operated by the University of Texas at Austin, the observatory has several large research telescopes and hosts astronomers from around the world. Self-guided tours are possible from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.  Solar viewing sessions are conducted twice daily at 11:00 am and 2:00 p.m. Daily tours follow Solar Viewing Daily.  A telescope equipped with a safe filter and camera provides dramatic views of our sun and its many features.

MacDonald Observatory

The observatory's evening Star Parties held on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays should not be missed.  Beginning after sunset, the star party  showcases interesting stars, planets, and other astronomical objects with live views through telescopes from 8 to 22 inches in size.  A tour of the stars and constellations is presented by knowledgeable staffers, while equally interesting live presentations take place in the new Frank N. Bash Visitor Center's multimedia theater. The Star Party is a rare opportunity for the entire family to learn about the heavens from experts under one of the darkest skies in North America. Bring a jacket, since the mountain air cools quickly. The Observatory is closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
A gift shop in the Frank N. Bash Visitor Center offers astronomy related merchandise, and the StarDate Cafe offers delicious snacks or full meals." 
For more information please call (432) 426-3640 or Toll Free 1-877-984-7827
or visit their website at http://McDonaldObservatory.org

Accurate information for opening hours, tours can be found at http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/visitors/programs/

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On This Day:

Doniphan's Thousand takes El Paso, Dec 27, 1846:

"The rag-tag army of volunteers known as Doniphan's Thousand, led by Colonel Alexander W. Doniphan, wins a major victory in the war with Mexico with the occupation of El Paso.

Born in Kentucky in 1808, Doniphan moved to Missouri in 1830 to practice law. But the tall redheaded man was not satisfied with fighting only courtroom battles, and he volunteered as a brigadier general in the Missouri militia. When war between Mexico and the U.S. erupted in 1846, the men of the 1st Missouri Mounted Volunteers elected Doniphan their colonel, and marched south to join General Stephen Kearny's army in New Mexico.

Since they were not professional military men, Doniphan's troops cared little for the traditional spit-and-polish of the regular troops, and reportedly looked more like tramps than soldiers. Likewise, Doniphan was a casual officer who led more by example than by strict discipline. Nonetheless, Doniphan's Thousand proved to be a surprisingly effective force in the war with Mexico.

In December, Doniphan led 500 of his men and a large wagon train of supplies south to join General John E. Wool in his planned invasion of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Before he had a chance to meet up with Wool's larger force near the city of Chihuahua, Doniphan encountered an army of 1,200 Mexican soldiers about 30 miles north of El Paso, Texas. Although his opponents had twice the number of soldiers, Doniphan led his men to victory, and with the path to El Paso now largely undefended was able to occupy the city two days later.

When nearing the Mexican border, Doniphan learned that General Wool's forces had broken off their invasion of Chihuahua because the army's wheeled vehicles had proved unworkable in the desert landscape. But rather than turn back, Doniphan reassembled his army to its full force of about 1,000 men and was allowed to proceed with the invasion unassisted. Once again grossly outnumbered-the Mexican army was four times the size of Doniphan's-the Missouri troops were still able to quickly break through the defensive lines and occupy Chihuahua City. By mid-summer 1847, Doniphan's victorious army reached the Gulf Coast, where they were picked up by ships and taken to New Orleans for discharge. By then, the focus of the battle had shifted to General Winfield Scott's campaign to take Mexico City.

In September of that year, Scott's troops ended the war by successfully occupying Mexico City, and for the first time in U.S. history an American flag flew over a foreign capital. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed early in 1848, gave the U.S. the vast western territory stretching from Texas to the Pacific and north to Oregon."

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Yesterday was "Boxing Day".  In Britain, one's gift is called a Christmas Box after the old customs in these two sites.  : http://britishfood.about.com/od/christmas/p/boxingday.htm

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/boxingday.html

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Mistys-new-coat-2 It was a cold, rainy, dreary day, but a hopefully happy one for the kittens and me.  Misty, wearing her water-repellant barn coat, and I, went to get Jay.

The prospective new 'parents' of Pebbles and Precious were starting from 'scratch', as they had got rid of all their old cat's things.  I donated a litter box and their cedar board scratching post.  Hopefully, the adopters will buy one or two of my pet carriers, as I will no longer need them, so I gave them a quick wash to spruce them up.   The kittens knew something was going on, and scrunched down in their bed, trying to look invisible.

With the kittens in their carriers, cat food, toys, cedar board,  litter box, and printed instructions (with medical records) packed, we set off early, in case the traffic was bad.

For a change, there were no wrecks on the wet freeway, so we were early.  All the 'exchangers' and 'returners' must have already got to town, as it was packed.  We shared a Dickey's BBQ brisket sandwich there in the same shopping center as Petco, while we waited.  It was tender and delicious, but beware their hot BBQ sauce was even too spicy for Jay.

The adopters arrived right on time, and I showed them how I trim the nails on the kittens.  Both kittens were very good, even though they were stressed.    The adopters petted both kittens, and the wife held Precious.  They commented on the wonderful condition of their coats.

After a while, Pebbles got in one of her hissing moods, and was put in her carrier.  She is scared of everyone but me, but once she realizes where her food comes from, she will settle down, I hope.

The adopters were given the usual recommendations about keeping the new pets in a separate room for the first week.  It makes them feel more secure.  Giving them run of a whole house at first, confuses them, gives them places to hide, and should they get out of an outside door, they haven't yet got their bearings.

They bought the larger of my carriers, so I put Precious in there with Pebbles, and they went to their new home. 

They must be so scared, they have only known this place and have thought of me as their mom for the last nine months since they first opened their eyes.  But it will also be a new chapter for us, Misty, Bobbiecat, Prime and me.  No more fosters.

Jay and I went to Angelic Thrift Shop, and bought a few things, then on to Kroger's, and bought more things.

When I came home, Prime, my remaining foster cat, was wondering where the kittens were.  I know she, and I, will miss them for many days.