Geminid Meteor. Philippines Typhoon. Reduce Colic. Diamond Jubilee. War Declared.

 

For “Summary Saturday”:

Ten tips for watching the Geminid meteor shower

“The 2012 Geminid meteor shower will peak on the nights of December 13/14 and 14/15, with the nod being given to the former. Meteor numbers intensify as evening deepens into late night. The greatest numbers fall an hour or two after midnight (December 14 and 15) – when the meteor shower radiant point looms highest in the sky – as seen from around the globe. But you might see a Geminid meteor any time this week. That’s because it takes some weeks for Earth to ford this meteor stream in space.  

Even from a mildly light-polluted town, you may see some meteors! Best direction to look? Like all meteors in annual showers, the meteors will appear in all parts of the sky. Find an open sky and – if possible – a sky sheltered from artificial lighting.

You’ll find EarthSky’s top 10 tips for watching this shower here:  http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/ten-tips-for-watching-the-geminid-meteor-shower    As a wise man once said, meteor watching is a lot like fishing. You go outside. You enjoy nature all around you. You hope you catch some!”

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Philippines typhoon death toll tops 500

Rescuers retrieve flash flood victims from the debris of Typhoon Bopha at New Bataan township, Compostela Valley in southern Philippines, Dec. 7, 2012. / AP

“NEW BATAAN, Philippines Rescuers were digging through mud and debris Friday to retrieve more bodies strewn across a farming valley in the southern Philippines by a powerful typhoon. The death toll from the storm has surpassed 500, with more than 400 people missing.”  More at: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57557738/philippines-typhoon-death-toll-tops-500/

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Best Diaper Changing Technique for Newborns to Reduce Colic

“The way most of us have intuitively changed a diaper is not sound spinal biomechanics, and it very well may be the cause of your baby's colic.”

More at: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/best-diaper-changing-technique-newborns-reduce-colic

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Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II (morph sequence) – YouTube

“The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, celebrated on 2 June 2012, was only the second in the country's history. A Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 75th anniversary, but only the 60th anniversary in the case of a monarch (i.e. length of time a monarch has reigned). Traditionally, the diamond jubilee or anniversary of a person was also on the 75th anniversary.”

We are coming to the end of the year, so now is a good time to see Queen Elizabeth over the years: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=E8nJhG1xE5o

More about this special year at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Jubilee_of_Queen_Elizabeth_II

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On This Day:

The United States declares war on Japan, Dec 8, 1941:

“On this day, as America's Pacific fleet lay in ruins at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt requests, and receives, a declaration of war against Japan.

Leaning heavily on the arm of his son James, a Marine captain, FDR walked haltingly into the House of Representatives at noon to request a declaration of war from the House and address the nation via radio. "Yesterday," the president proclaimed, "December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory."

Roosevelt's 10-minute speech, ending with an oath-"So help us God"—was greeted in the House by thunderous applause and stamping of feet. Within one hour, the president had his declaration of war, with only one dissenting vote, from a pacifist in the House. FDR signed the declaration at 4:10 p.m., wearing a black armband to symbolize mourning for those lost at Pearl Harbor.

On both coasts, civilian defense groups were mobilized. In New York, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia ordered the rounding up of Japanese nationals, who were transported to Ellis Island and held in custody indefinitely. In California, antiaircraft batteries were set up on Long Beach and the Hollywood Hills. Reports on supposed spy activity on the part of Japanese Americans began pouring into Washington, even as Japanese Americans paid for space in newspapers to declare unreservedly their loyalty to the United States. The groundwork was being laid for the tragic internment of Japanese Americans, thought a necessary caution at the time but regretted years later as a hysterical and bigoted response.”

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Yesterday:

Ray and I have both volunteered to help man the new SPCA Cat Habitat at the Conroe Petco.  We will each be tending to the cats, and prospective adopters for 2 hours a week.  Later on, if there are more volunteers, it will be once a fortnight (2 weeks).  Trying to get all the volunteer’s hours worked out made a flurry of emails which had to be answered. The hours when volunteers will be there has to be on a strict schedule, as the times will be posted all over the internet and local newspaper.  We have to go to an orientation soon.  What have we got ourselves into!  But if it helps all our foster cats get great ‘furever’ homes, it will be worth it. Not all of them are on this list: http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?offset=0&limit=25&&sort=&tmpl=0&shelterid=TX92&lat=&long=&zip=&preview=1

As the satellite TV installer wasn’t coming until the afternoon, I went into the next town and bought the little computer desk that I had seen at the thrift shop the day before.  It is very small and neat as they were originally sold for RV use.  It will hold my printer, too.  I hope it will help streamline this house and give it more feng shui.

The TV installer arrived, and he was just going to install two boxes, as that was on the order, when I had been led to believe that he would install four.  Very long phone calls to his head office, and then I found out that you can’t have any signal to a TV that doesn’t have a box.  I thought you could have some hooked together, but they would all have to be on the same channel.  We have 8 TV’s around here, so that wasn’t going to work.  By the time I had paid for all those boxes, it was going to be more expensive than cable.  The cable company supplies all the boxes free, and the cable guy even installed a booster in my attic at no extra charge.

So I am back to square one, as I had to cancel the satellite TV yesterday.