Speed Lottery. CPR, Now CCR. Medical Mistakes. You're a Guinea Pig. Largest Oil Spill. Mackinac Pipelines. Paper or Plastic? Sutro Tunnel. "A World View, A New Humanism."

For "Summary Saturday", News, some new, some old, that you might not have seen:
For some reason my Live Writer and Blogger aren't talking today, so I had to do this over in Blogger.

Speed Camera Lottery
"The winning idea of the fun theory award, submitted by Kevin Richardson, USA. Can we get more people to obey the speed limit by making it fun to do? This was the question Kevin's idea answered and it was so good that Volkswagen, together with The Swedish National Society for Road Safety, actually made this innovative idea a reality in Stockholm, Sweden."

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Mayo Clinic Presentation of Continuous Chest Compression CPR - Cardiocerebral Resuscitation "Cardiocerebral resuscitation (CCR) is a new approach to patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest that has been shown to improve rates of neurologically intact survival by 250%--300% over the approach advocated by the 2000 American Heart Association guidelines. And EMS systems can realize these improvements without having to buy a single new gadget or device."

 "Staying Alive" by the BeeGees.

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Kills as Many as 4 Jumbo Jet Crashes Per Week, But Widely Ignored
"Preventable medical mistakes are the third-leading cause of death in the US, right after heart disease and cancer. In all, preventable medical mistakes may account for one-sixth of all deaths that occur in the US annually
According to the latest estimates, between 210,000 and 440,000 Americans die from preventable hospital errors each year
The US has the most expensive health care in the world. It spends more on health care than the next 10 biggest spenders combined, yet ranks last in health and mortality when compared with 17 other developed nations.
An estimated 30 percent of all medical procedures, tests and medications may be unnecessary – at a cost of at least $750 billion a year
Once you’re hospitalized, you’re immediately at risk for medical errors, so one of the best safeguards is to have someone there with you to act as your personal advocate."  Complete article at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/09/preventable-medical-errors.aspx

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Are You Taking Medication?  You’re a Guinea Pig
"Remember Vioxx, the arthritis drug that increases heart attack risk by 50 percent, yet was allowed to remain on the market despite early warning signs of the risks involved? Sixty thousand people died before it was taken off the market.

More recently,  Avandia** has killed over 83,000 people who thought they could cheat the sugar monster with it and failed. Shockingly, this drug is banned in Europe but still available in the U.S. The FDA finally decided to restrict its use in the United States last month, but it will still remain on the market, despite the steep known heart risks.
My point is, if you are taking one or more medications, you are often acting as an experimental guinea pig, despite the guise of safety. Clinical safety studies are limited in scope, and even if they were done ethically cannot possibly predict every outcome that could occur when a synthetically created drug is introduced into your specific body.
If you’re taking multiple medications, the potential repercussions are even more of a mystery. And don’t even get me started on the 69 doses of 16 vaccines that children are now expected to receive from the day of birth to age 18 -- completely uncharted territory!
Further, many drug studies do find risk of serious harm, only to cover up the negative findings and push the drug to market anyway. Every drug and vaccine has risks, and it’s really a giant experiment to see who those risks will end up impacting first.
Let’s face it. Drug companies have fiercely defended every single drug ever recalled as being safe and effective -- until definitively proven dead wrong, and sometimes they still wouldn’t fess up to their culpability.
Drug companies are ALLOWED to continue marketing their medications despite being caught lying, defrauding, even knowingly killing, time and time again, and it’s all at your -- the guinea pig’s -- expense."    More at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/12/the-worst-sadistic-experiments.aspx
** http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/glaxosmithkline-pay-states-229m-wrap-avandia-suits-other-claims/2013-07-25

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North Dakota farmer makes crude discovery: largest oil spill on US soil

The 20,600-barrel crude oil spoil on a North Dakota wheat farm. (COURTESY: NEAL LAURON/GREENPEACE)
"When Steve Jensen saw crude oil bubbling up from the ground on his North Dakota farm, he knew immediately he wasn't having a Jed Clampett moment. 
The "black gold" was coming from the pipeline that runs under his 1,800-acre wheat farm, carrying oil from the Bakken formation to a rail facility 45 miles north. Instead of getting rich, Jensen, 56, has been left with a huge mess -- his acreage in Tioga fouled by the largest oil spill on U.S. soil in history.
"It had been leaking for awhile," Jensen, who spied -- and smelled -- the leak on Sept. 29, told FoxNews.com Tuesday. He said the oil was gushing from a "perfectly round, quarter-inch hole" with "about 100 pounds pressure."  More at: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/10/15/oil-unwelcome-discovery-for-north-dakota-farmer/
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What’s the Condition of the Pipeline Beneath the Straits of Mackinac: VIDEO -
"The Straits of Mackinac pipelines, owned by Enbridge Energy, are 60-years-old and considered one of the greatest threats to the Great Lakes because of their age, location, and the hazardous products they transport – including tar sands derived oil.
If these aging pipelines rupture, the resulting oil slick would cause irreversible damage to fish and wildlife, drinking water, Lake Michigan beaches, Mackinac Island and our economy.
To make matters worse, the recent shutdown of our federal government has left communities and wildlife with an increased risk of oil spills and failed response because pipeline safety and responding agencies have been scaled back or closed all together. The recent oil spill in North Dakota, of approximately 800,000 gallons, is living proof.
This footage revealed that the pipelines are suspended over the lake bed, some of the original supports have broken away indicating the presence of corrosion and some sections of the pipelines are covered in large piles of unknown debris."

"Please help NWF press for measures that will minimize the risk of an oil spill in the Mackinac Straits.
Help protect Great Lakes wildlife—tell your U.S. Senators to protect the Great Lakes from tar sands oil spills.:     More at: http://blog.nwf.org/2013/10/whats-the-condition-of-the-pipeline-beneath-the-straits-of-mackinac-video/
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Paper or Plastic?

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On This Day:

Construction begins on the Sutro Tunnel in Virginia City, Nevada, Oct 19, 1869:

"On this day in 1869, the famous Prussian-born mining engineer, Adolph Sutro, begins work on one of the most ambitious western engineering projects of the day: a four-mile-long tunnel through the solid rock of the Comstock Lode mining district.
One of the richest silver deposits in the world, the Comstock Lode had been discovered by prospectors in 1859, and it quickly became the focus of the most intensive mining activity in the West. But as miners sank shafts ever deeper into the rock in search of more silver and gold, they began to encounter large amounts of water that had to be pumped to the surface at great expense. If only some means could be found to drain the water horizontally, the mining companies would save a fortune.
Adolph Sutro's tunnel was intended to do just that. Sutro-who had already demonstrated his technical brilliance by inventing a new way to extract silver from waste rock-proposed to blast a large horizontal tunnel right through the rock of the neighboring Mt. Davidson and straight into the heart of the Comstock mine. Mine water would thus drain through the tunnel without need for expensive pumps, and the mining companies would also be able to use the tunnel to move men and ore in and out of the mine, greatly reducing transportation costs.
While all involved agreed that technically Sutro's tunnel would be a boon to the Comstock, progress on the project was continually slowed down by resistance from some of the major mining interests who feared that Sutro would use his tunnel to take control of the entire lode. Only after securing European capital was Sutro able to complete the $5-million project in 1878.
Every bit as successful as promised, the Sutro tunnel drained some two million gallons of water from the mines per year and greatly reduced transportation costs. Unfortunately, by 1878, the richer sections of the Comstock Lode had been tapped out, and the mine had begun to steadily decline in profitability. Sutro, though, succeeded in selling his tunnel in 1879 at a fantastic profit. He moved to San Francisco where he became one of the city's largest landowners as well as the city's mayor from 1894 to 1896."
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The first Cold War world's fair closes, Oct 19, 1958:

"In Brussels, Belgium, the first world's fair held since before World War II closes its doors, after nearly 42 million people have visited the various exhibits. Officially called the Brussels Universal and International Exhibition, the fair's overall theme was "A World View, A New Humanism." As such, the fair was supposed to celebrate the universality of the human condition and encourage dialogue and peaceful relations among the nations of a world only recently torn asunder by war, and now caught in the clutches of the Cold War.
Officials in the United States, however, saw the fair as something quite different: An opportunity to promote America's particular "world view," and to meet the Soviets head-on in the continuing propaganda battle for the "hearts and minds" of the world's people. The fair, therefore, became a showplace for the American and Soviet ways of life, and their exhibition halls became the headquarters for this battle.
The adversarial context was accentuated by the fact that the U.S. and Soviet exhibition halls were located directly across from one another. The Soviet exhibit centered on the technological and scientific accomplishments of the communist state. A replica of Sputnik I, the unmanned satellite put into orbit by the Soviets in 1957, was the centerpiece of the imposing exhibition hall. The United States decided on a different tack, and focused on the everyday life of Americans. Mock voting booths were set up; beautiful women showed off the latest fashions; home furnishings and appliances were in abundance; and a typical American "Main Street" was constructed. It probably came as something of a shock to both U.S. and Soviet officials when Czechoslovakia won first place for best exhibition hall."
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Yesterday:
The night before, for the first time since last Spring, I had to turn the heater on.  But that was just for one night, then it warmed up a little bit again.
Mostly, I spent the day catching up on odd jobs, cooking for the church's potluck, and tending to the critters. 
A lady from 'Senior Solutions' came to visit me to see if I was enrolled in the best medical plan for me.  After hearing about the long waits at the clinic where I go, she suggested another doctor who is with the same insurance company.  The wait time there is supposed to be never more than 15 minutes, as this lady doctor is very picky about that.  On Monday, I'll check into this doctor and decide if I should switch.
Ray and Shay were beat after another day of clearing some lots for someone.  I made them some veggie and apple juice in my auger juicer, and they said it made them feel better.
It was a lovely 'windows-and-doors open' day.

Surge Protector Recall. Oil Spills. “Open-Air” Nat. Parks. Fall Foliage. Shutdown Effects. Lake Conroe's New Dredger. Christopher Columbus. Oktoberfest.

 

For "Summary Saturday", News, some new, some old, that you might not have seen:

Surge Protectors Posing Danger Recalled by Company

"Outdated appliances kept at home could pose a greater danger than anticipated  leading to one company's choice to take action. Electric company Schneider Electric recalled 15 million of its APC 7 and 8 series SurgeArrest surge protectors due to possible fire hazards.
Manufactured before 2003, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission noted the company received countless reports due to the product. Reports included 700 complaints of overheating, 13 reports of injuries and 55 of damaged property including a house fire that caused $916K in loss.
According to Today Money, the surge protectors making the recall list were sold nation-wide and created in China and the Philippines. Questions are being posed as to why the company waited so long to recall the product, in which a spokesperson commented in a statement to NBC News.
"In all but a fraction of these cases, the inquiry was resolved with no property damage and the consumer was provided with a replacement product," the statement said.

Whether you own one of these recalled products or not, there is still a lesson to be learned: check the quality of your home appliances and electronics frequently. Faulty appliances can be within your home without you knowing, so don't take a chance if something seems strange."  From: http://www.homesessive.com/read/surge-protectors-posing-danger-recalled-company

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More Oil And Gas Wastewater Spills Found In Colorado After Flooding

WELD COUNTY, CO -  Gas wells and oil storage tanks surrounded with flood water in Weld County Colorado near the town of Milliken Thursday afternoon, September 19, 2013. (Photo By Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Getty

"The amount of released wastewater from oil and gas drilling sites being tracked in Colorado increased again, after floodwaters inundated one of the most densely drilled regions in the United States last month.

A total of 17 "produced water" releases -- or 26,385 gallons of wastewater collected at the surface of an oil and gas drilling well -- are now being monitored by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission as of Tuesday. That's up from last week's 13 sites with a total of 18,060 gallons."  More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/09/colorado-oil-spills_n_4071674.html

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Why Can’t Visitors Walk In to “Open-Air” Parks, Posted on: October 11 2013

"National parks are prominent icons representing the very best of America—so it’s not surprising that losing access to these inspirational places is causing heartbreak and anger around the country. When Congress closed the national parks as part of the government shutdown on October 1, it affected hundreds of thousands of visitors, business owners, and workers. Eleven days later, the standoff on Capitol Hill continues.

Some critics have questioned why the Park Service would attempt to close “open-air” parks and monuments. I had never heard that phrase used in this context before last week, and it seems to imply that natural areas and monuments that are not normally kept behind fences are “out there” in the world, so the public should be able to just walk in and see them like they always have.

Why should an “open-air” monument, however, be treated any differently than, say, a museum with no one there to staff it? Should citizens be allowed to walk in to the Smithsonian museums while they are closed and there is no one there to protect their world-class exhibits? Of course not.

The situation at national parks and monuments is very similar. Just because many national parks and monuments are physically outdoors does not mean we don’t need staff there to protect them. Like a Smithsonian museum, the National Park System is chock-full of irreplaceable treasures. And unlike a museum, people often undertake rigorous physical activity in potentially dangerous environments when they visit national parks, and those rangers are there to protect visitors’ safety, too."   More at: http://www.parkadvocate.org/why-cant-visitors-walk-in-to-open-air-parks/  By John Garder, Director, Budget and Appropriations

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The 10 Best Places You Can’t See Fall Foliage

"Looking for the perfect leaf-peeping spot? National parks offer some of the best places to celebrate fall. NPCA put together a feature on the ten best national parks to see the changing colors, based on the excellent recommendations by our friends at National Geographic.

Then Congress closed the national parks.

So instead we offer you … the ten best places where you can’t see the fall foliage

It’s hard to talk about the impact of lost beauty when 21,000 Park Service employees are indefinitely out of work and local businesses are losing as much as $30 million per day in park-driven revenue—but these are just a few of the public lands the public can’t enjoy as a result of the fiscal standoff."   More and pictures at: http://www.parkadvocate.org/the-10-best-places-you-cant-see-fall-foliage/

"Urge your members of Congress to re-open parks and support full funding for the Park Service by taking action on NPCA’s website and calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121 and asking to speak with your representatives. Not sure who your representatives are? Look them up on NPCA’s website. See more shutdown-related news at www.npca.org/shutdown."

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WHAT'S CHANGING, WHAT'S NOT, IN A SHUTDOWN

WASHINGTON (AP) - "Campers in national parks had to pull up stakes and leave, some veterans waiting to have disability benefits approved will have to cool their heels even longer, many routine food inspections are suspended and panda-cams went dark at the shuttered National Zoo.

Those are among the immediate effects when the government shut down Tuesday because of the budget impasse in Congress.

In this time of argument and political gridlock, a blueprint to manage federal dysfunction is one function that appears to have gone smoothly. Throughout government, plans are ready to roll out to keep essential services running and numb the impact for the public. The longer a shutdown goes on, the more it will be felt in day-to-day lives and in the economy as a whole.

A look at what is bound to happen, and what probably won't:"     More at: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/shutdown-impact-tourists-homebuyers-hit-quickly-20423534

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And some local news, as I live on Lake Conroe, north of Houston:

NEW MACHINE MOVES TO LAKE CONROE

"Over the past few years Lake Conroe has continued to drop. Last weekend's rains had very little effect as it remains at least three feed below normal. In addition the construction of the fresh water pipeline from Lake Conroe to The Woodlands continues to move forward.

Many residents who have boats have had to relocate them due to no water or shallow water at their docks.

In 2010 the lake began to drop as the area went into drought. Miller who had several barges started doing some dredging work around the lake.

The Palm Beach residents contracted Miller to remove 10,000 yards of soil from under the lake surface in order to give them access to their docks. The project could have taken 3 to 6 months having to rent equipment and move it in.

It was then that Miller’s niece Cristin was on Craigslist and found a Marsh Dredger for sale in East Texas.  After talking with the owner who had the unit in Cuero, Texas on a job, it was agreed that as soon as the job was completed it would be transported to Lake Conroe. Half of Tuesday morning was tied up with TXDOT in getting permits and routing for the 70,000 pound dredge that is 17 feet wide.  Another issue was where the dredge which also floats and can maneuver in the water could be launched."  More at: http://montgomerycountypolicereporter.com/new-machine-moves-lake-conroe/

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On This Day:

Columbus reaches the New World, Oct 12, 1492:

"After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sights a Bahamian island, believing he has reached East Asia. His expedition went ashore the same day and claimed the land for Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, who sponsored his attempt to find a western ocean route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia.

With only the Atlantic Ocean, he thought, lying between Europe and the riches of the East Indies, Columbus met with King John II of Portugal and tried to persuade him to back his "Enterprise of the Indies," as he called his plan. He was rebuffed and went to Spain, where he was also rejected at least twice by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. However, after the Spanish conquest of the Moorish kingdom of Granada in January 1492, the Spanish monarchs, flush with victory, agreed to support his voyage.

On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, with three small ships, the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina. On October 12, the expedition reached land, probably Watling Island in the Bahamas. Later that month, Columbus sighted Cuba, which he thought was mainland China, and in December the expedition landed on Hispaniola, which Columbus thought might be Japan. He established a small colony there with 39 of his men. The explorer returned to Spain with gold, spices, and "Indian" captives in March 1493 and was received with the highest honors by the Spanish court. He was the first European to explore the Americas since the Vikings set up colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland in the 10th century."

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The origin of Oktoberfest, Oct 12, 1810:

"Bavarian Crown Prince Louis, later King Louis I of Bavaria, marries Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The Bavarian royalty invited the citizens of Munich to attend the festivities, held on the fields in front of the city gates. These famous public fields were named Theresienwiese—"Therese's fields"—in honor of the crown princess; although locals have since abbreviated the name simply to the "Wies'n." Horse races in the presence of the royal family concluded the popular event, celebrated in varying forms all across Bavaria.

The decision to repeat the festivities and the horse races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of the annual Oktoberfest, which now begins in late September and lasts until the first Sunday in October. Alcohol consumption is an important part of the modern festival, and more than 1 million gallons of beer are consumed annually at Oktoberfest."

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Yesterday:

Ray and I put some more screen up on the screen porch, and then we went up to my attic and brought down a blue-grey cellular blind. Just as we were going to hang it where the sun comes in on the porch too brightly, Ray noticed a hidden corner where Jay had screened up at a top between the rafters, that there was a great big gap.   So we had to install larger piece of screen there, before we could put up the blind. The screen porch is really a 'catio', a patio for cats, and a foster cat would have found that hole and got out.  Apart from that, we have gone to great trouble to try to make sure that even a skeeter can't get in there.  I don't know what Jay was thinking.

The little kitten, Pippa, Piper, Peekers, whatever his name will be, is doing well.  Nala, my foster cat went in the grooming room, but didn't think much of him though.  I hope they will be friends and play together when he can come out of the cage after recuperating from his surgery.  That was the only reason I offered to foster him, so she wouldn't be so lonely.  I am sure she is missing her litter brother who is now in his 'furever' home.

I tried something new, to me, anyway.  A plantain banana cut like fries and sautéed in coconut oil.  It was good.

The blind made such a difference when the sun came around yesterday.

Prairie Dogs. Gulf Dolphins. Don’t Shop, ADOPT! Toxic Pond Water. Neptune. Saudi Oil.

 

For “Mammal Monday”:

Prairie Dogs Rescued from Colorado Flooding

“The HSUS's Prairie Dog Coalition which is based in Boulder, Colorado has been busy rescuing prairie dogs from the disastrous Colorado flooding. In just one day, they had already rescued 45 prairie dogs from the freezing waters, and now have them recovering safe and warm—ready for a new home when conditions improve.”

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Despite BP’s Claims, Gulf Dolphins Still Struggling

BP’s chief executive Bob Dudley recently boasted in an interview, “The Gulf has bounced back really well. And I’d like to think that we played a big role.”

The more than 900 bottlenose dolphins that have died since the spill might indicate otherwise. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is still investigating the ongoing wave of dolphin deaths and the agency has explicitly stated that it is considering the oil spill as a potential cause.

The deaths are concentrated in states closest to the Deepwater Horizon. Louisiana, ground zero for spill impacts, has also seen the largest number of dead dolphins. Stranding rates in Mississippi and Alabama remain elevated, while deaths in the less-affected Florida Panhandle have returned to normal historical levels.

An in-depth study of 32 dolphins in one particularly heavily-oiled area of the Louisiana coast found the animals there were seriously ill with symptoms indicating oil exposure. Specifically, the dolphins in the study were underweight, anemic, had low blood sugar, and some had symptoms of liver and lung disease. Half the dolphins also had abnormally low levels of the hormones that help with stress response, metabolism, and immune function.

Dolphin mother and calf, Ocean Springs, MS. Three years after the oil disaster, stillborn dolphin calves are still being found at high rates. Photo: Juanma Carrillo.

Roughly a quarter of the dolphins tested appear to have died from a bacterial infection. Teri Rowles, the coordinator of NOAA’s National Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, points out that the presence of the Brucella bacteria does not rule out the oil spill, saying, “Severe environmental stress, including from exposure to oil, could have reduced the animals’ ability to fight infection.”

Stillborn dolphin calves have been found in high numbers every spring since the oil disaster.  Infant dolphins were found dead at almost four times historical rates during the first four months of 2013.”    More at:  http://blog.nwf.org/2013/08/despite-bps-claims-gulf-dolphins-still-struggling/

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Improving Regulation and Oversight of Commercial Breeders

USDA Restores Important Check and Balance on Retail Pet Sales to Ensure Health, Humane Treatment.

“We take animal welfare seriously. But the Animal Welfare Act, which sets standards for humane treatment and care of pets for commercial sale, was written more than 40 years ago -- before the internet created new ways for breeders to sell pets sight unseen.

Until now, most online breeders were considered "retail pet stores," and exempt from regulation even though buyers never had the opportunity to view animals before they bought them like they would in a traditional pet store and as the Animal Welfare Act envisioned. Nobody was monitoring or inspecting these breeders to ensure their animals' overall health and humane treatment.

So when you petitioned us to regulate so-called puppy mills, the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed a rule that would update that "retail pet stores" definition. After huge amounts of public input, the USDA has finalized that ruling -- and is bringing more animals under the protection of the Animal Welfare Act.

This rule restores the original intent of the Animal Welfare Act:  that a retail pet store must be a place where the seller, buyer, and animal available for sale are all in the same place -- so that no animal is bought sight unseen and the buyer can be sure it’s healthy prior to taking it home.”  More at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/2013/09/retail_pet_final_rule.shtml

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Cyanobacteria: This Stealth Poison Could Kill Your Pet (or Child) Within Hours

“A Jack Russell Terrier in New York died recently after drinking from a pond while enjoying the outdoors with his family. Testing showed the dog was full of cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, which he ingested when he drank the contaminated pond water.

Always Avoid Greenish-Colored Ponds and Lakes

Blue-green algae form blooms that make the water look as if someone spilled blue or green paint on the surface. The floating blooms can form thick, dense mats that collect near the shore, which is where animals and people come into contact with them.

Blue-green algae can be toxic to both animals -- including dogs, cats, horses, cows and birds -- and people. It can cause damage to the liver and nervous system, inflame the respiratory tract, and irritate the skin, eyes, nose and throat.”  More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/09/16/cyanobacteria-blue-green-algae.aspx

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On This Day:

Eighth planet discovered, Sep 23, 1846:

“German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle discovers the planet Neptune at the Berlin Observatory.

Neptune, generally the eighth planet from the sun, was postulated by the French astronomer Urbain-Jean-Joseph Le Verrier, who calculated the approximate location of the planet by studying gravity-induced disturbances in the motions of Uranus. On September 23, 1846, Le Verrier informed Galle of his findings, and the same night Galle and his assistant Heinrich Louis d'Arrest identified Neptune at their observatory in Berlin. Noting its movement relative to background stars over 24 hours confirmed that it was a planet.

The blue gas giant, which has a diameter four times that of Earth, was named for the Roman god of the sea. It has eight known moons, of which Triton is the largest, and a ring system containing three bright and two dim rings. It completes an orbit of the sun once every 165 years. In 1989, the U.S. planetary spacecraft Voyager 2 was the first human spacecraft to visit Neptune.”

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Standard Oil geologists arrive in Saudi Arabia, Sep 23, 1933:

“On September 23, 1933, a party of American geologists lands at the Persian Gulf port of Jubail in Saudi Arabia and begins its journey into the desert. That July, with the discovery of a massive oil field at Ghawar, Saudi King Abdel Aziz had granted the Standard Oil Company of California a concession to "explore and search for and drill and extract and manufacture and transport" petroleum and "kindred bituminous matter" in the country's vast Eastern Province; in turn, Standard Oil immediately dispatched the team of scientists to locate the most profitable spot for the company to begin its drilling.

As automobiles and other internal-combustion machines proliferated, both in the United States and around the globe, Standard Oil was eager to control as much of the market for gasoline as it could. As a result, it would do almost anything to have first dibs on Saudi oil. The partnership between Abdel Aziz's government and Standard Oil became known as the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco). (Texaco soon joined the partnership; about a decade later, so did Standard Oil of New Jersey and Socony-Vacuum Oil.) The company promised to provide the Saudi government with a steady income, along with an outright payment of 50,0000 British pounds; in return, Aramco got exclusive rights to all the oil underneath the eastern desert. In 1938, the company's gamble (after all, while Aramco engineers knew there was oil in the region, no one knew exactly where or how much) paid off: its geologists and drillers discovered oil in "commercial quantities" at the Dammam Dome, near Dhahran. The next year, Aramco exported its first tanker-load of petroleum.

In 1950, once it had become clear how very much oil there was under that desert, Aramco agreed to split its profits with the Saudi government. In 1980, after several years of squabbling over the price and availability of the country's petroleum (Saudi Arabia was a founding member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, whose 1973 embargo precipitated a massive fuel crisis in the United States and other parts of the industrial world), Saudis won total control of the company: It's now known as Saudi Aramco. The next year, the kingdom's oil revenues reached $118 billion.”

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Yesterday:

Because they had been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, it seemed like I was researching medical stuff with a neighbor, for most of the day.

Convert RV lights to LEDs. Light Bulb Comparison. Exterior LED Lights. Queen Victoria. Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Solar-energy Installed at White House.

 

For “tRaVersing Thursday”, or RV Day:

How to convert fluorescent RV lights to LEDs

“The RV Geeks show you how to convert a 12-volt fluorescent fixture into low-power LED lighting.”

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LED versus Incandescent Light Bulb Comparison

“In this video I compare the power consumption of standard incandescent light bulbs to low power LED replacement bulbs. I also show you how you can replace the standard light bulbs in your RV with LEDs.”

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LED Lighting for outside your RV, by Dometic

“In this RV how to video Mark Polk with RV Education 101 http://rveducation101.com/ demonstrates how easy it is to add LED lighting to the exterior of your RV using LED light kits by Dometic. You have your choice of the Dometic 7-Color LED Light Kit, Lateral Awning Arm LED Light Kit, Universal LED Light Kit or the Add On LED Light Kit. Add a splash of color to your RV.”

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Random RV Thoughts
”An excellent way to make instant friends in a campground is to walk with a cute dog (heck, even an ugly dog!). Your fellow campers will comment, which opens the door to further conversation and maybe even a new friendship.”

Leash to the rescue
”Dog owners, need a quickie clothes line? Stretch out Rover's retractable cable and make it work in a flash.”

Hanging shoe holder comes in handy
”I hang a plastic shoe bag with 24 clear compartments designed for 12 pairs of shoes on the inside of my motorhome bathroom door to contain miscellaneous necessities like batteries, cosmetics, grooming items, medical supplies, etc. Everything is in clear view and immediately accessible.” From reader Mary Clizbe:

Importance of checking battery levels
"Be sure to check your rig's batteries' water levels at least once a month. If they're low, fill them to the "split ring" with distilled water — but make sure they're charged up before you fill them.”

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Reader’s questions:

“One about how to afford taking up RVing, another about "unfriendly RV overnight parking locations" and finally one about a technique at an RV sanitary dumping station.” From RVtravel.com

"Don't pay to stay!" Visit http://freecampgrounds.com/ (Free is good!)

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On This Day:

Princess Victoria, became Queen, 20 June 1837

Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years, 216 days

“On 20 June 1837, King William IV died and his niece, Princess Victoria, became Queen at the age of 18. Her coronation was held at Westminster Abbey a year later on 28 June 1838. The coronation was a huge occasion and four hundred thousand visitors went to London to see the new Queen being crowned.

As of 2013, Queen Victoria had, and still does have, the longest reign of any king or queen in the United Kingdom since the time she died in 1901, at the age of 81. 

Queen Elizabeth II will surpass Victoria's record in September 2015.

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Oil flows in Alaska, Jun 20, 1977:

“With a flip of a switch in Prudhoe Bay, crude oil from the nation's largest oil field begins flowing south down the trans-Alaska pipeline to the ice-free port of Valdez, Alaska. The steel pipeline, 48 inches in diameter, winds through 800 miles of Alaskan wilderness, crossing three Arctic mountain ranges and hundreds of rivers and streams. Environmentalists fought to prevent its construction, saying it would destroy a pristine ecosystem, but they were ultimately overruled by Congress, who saw it as a way of lessening America's dependence on foreign oil. The trans-Alaska pipeline was the world's largest privately funded construction project to that date, costing $8 billion and taking three years to build.

U.S. conservation groups argued that the pipeline would destroy caribou habitats in the Arctic, melt the fragile permafrost--permanently frozen subsoil--along its route, and pollute the salmon-rich waters of the Prince William Sound at Valdez. Under pressure, Alyeska agreed to extensive environmental precautions, including building 50 percent of the pipeline above the ground to protect the permafrost from the naturally heated crude oil and to permit passage of caribou underneath.

On June 20, 1977, oil began flowing down the pipeline. It got off to a rocky start, however, as power supply problems, a cracked section of pipe, faulty welds, and an unsuccessful dynamite attack on the pipeline outside of Fairbanks delayed the arrival of oil at Valdez for several weeks. In August, the first oil tanker left Valdez en route to the lower 48 states. The trans-Alaska pipeline proved a great boon to the Alaskan economy. Today, about 800,000 barrels move through the pipeline each day. Altogether, the pipeline has carried more than 14 billion barrels of oil in its lifetime.”

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Solar-energy system installed at White House, Jun 20, 1979:

“President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter climb to the White House roof to celebrate the installation of solar-energy panels there on this day in 1979.

Carter presided over a nation still suffering from the fallout of the 1973-74 Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil embargo. Carter, a proponent of alternative and sustainable energy sources, put into practice what he preached and, in June 1979, had a $28,000 solar-heating system installed on the White House roof. The system consisted of 32 photovoltaic panels that generated enough energy to provide hot water for the entire White House. During his term Carter also had an energy-efficient wood-burning stove installed in the drafty White House residential quarters.

In 1986, President Reagan had the solar panels removed and put into a federal storage facility in Virginia, stating that the energy crisis that had affected both foreign and domestic policy during Carter's term would not be a factor during his own. Both the environmental organization Greenpeace and a college in Maine asked to have the solar panels after they were taken down. As an October 2004 Associated Press article reported, Greenpeace's request for the panels, which they wanted to use in a homeless shelter, was ultimately rejected, and in 1992, the conservation-minded Unity College of Maine installed them to use for the generation of hot water in the student dining hall. Former President Carter sent a congratulatory note to the college saying he was glad the panels would be of some use.

By 2004, the solar panels had worn out. Unity College kept one of the panels for "historical significance," donated another panel to the Smithsonian Institute and offered the rest for sale.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I went to get Jay, had our walk, and his neighbor gave me some more tomatoes. Some had to be put on the screen porch to let them ripen.  I could can them, but for me it is easier to cook and freeze them.

Ray adjusted the height on the mower deck, and mowed the grass, again.  Golly! It has grown quickly.  Then he went next door to his son’s place and tried to get his son’s back yard cleaned up, but that’s when Ray put his back out.

Jay and I cut out the corner of the screen porch floor, so that he could get the post hole digger in there to make the hole for the new corner post.  If the contractor had tried to put a post on the outside of the screen porch, which is what he wanted to do, he would have hit a sewer line.

Jay put the extra dirt in a 5-gal bucket, and somehow the bottom edge of it plopped itself on my big toe, hard, while I was trying to move it.  So now I am having to wear a left shoe with the toe cut out to accommodate the swelling and the bandage to stop the bleeding.

Jay said that he had pulled a muscle in his shoulder, and had a hard time getting the hole dug, so he didn’t get it finished. 

We were really ‘in the wars’ (Brit idiom) yesterday.

Fathers, Be "Courageous". Top Ten Animal Dads. $15 Million Stolen. AR Sues Exxon. Gut Biota Never Recover From Antibiotics. U.S.-Canadian Border. Francis Parkman.

 

For “Summary Saturday”,  News, Some New, Some Old: Tomorrow is Father’s Day.

Fathers and Father-Figures - Do It Right, Be "Courageous"

“For Father’s Day, an idea popped into my head—rent the movie “Courageous” to watch with my wife and son. By the end of the movie, we were super thankful for the idea that made an ideal Father’s Day activity!

The movie focuses on the lives of four tough sheriff’s deputies who come to realize that being good fathers was a bigger challenge than being good law enforcement officers. For them, protecting the streets was second nature. Committing to raising their children in a God-honoring way required even greater courage. And the wisdom from the greatest authority on parenting--the Bible.

Movie critics who don’t like the Bible don’t like this movie. No surprise about that! But a very high percentage of the people who have watched the movie loved it as being highly entertaining, instructive, inspiring and motivating.

What the sheriff said to the deputies

Early in the movie, the sheriff gives a routine morning briefing to all the deputies. He concludes his instructions for the day by adding this:

“Had an e-mail to come across my desk I’d like to share with you. A recent study was done on the increase in violent gang activity. In almost every case, each gang member had a similar attribute. Runaways, dropouts, kids on drugs, and teens in prison. That attribute is that most of them came from a fatherless home. To put it another way, when a father’s absent, kids are five times more likely to abuse drugs and commit suicide, and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. Look, I know your shift work is hard and I know you see the worst side of people. But when you clock out, go home and love your families.”  

So...may all of us fathers be firmly committed to being, with the guidance and help of God, the best fathers we can possibly be. And whether or not you have children of your own, you can be a strong father-figure to other children. There are lots and lots of children who don’t have a father with them. You can be a part-time dad and make a big difference in the life of a fatherless child.”

Read more at: http://www.ucg.org/blog/fathers-and-father-figures-do-it-right-be-courageous/ by Don Hooser.

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Top Ten Animal Dads

“Lessons from America's animal kingdom in how to be a super-dad

1. Red Fox: Best Tough-Love Dad 

For the first month after a fox couple produces young, the female must stay in her den, doubling as a food source and thermal blanket for the babies, called kits. Dad's job is providing her with food every four to six hours until she can leave the den and start hunting as well. For the young, though, life is a free ride for about 90 days, as both parents cater to their needs. After three months, it's time for life's first harsh lesson as the adults start making the pups work for their grub: Fox fathers bury surplus food close to the den and disguise it with leaves and twigs, teaching the kits to sniff and forage and laying the groundwork for their adult roles as hunters.

2. Barking Frog: Best Amphibian Dad

Truthfully, there is not much competition. The male barking frog in the U.S. Southwest is the only North American frog known to pitch in with parenting. His contribution? He stays near the eggs until they're hatched, wetting them down with urine when they begin to dry out.

3. Phalarope: Most Thoroughly Modern Dad

The phalarope—a shorebird that resembles a sandpiper—takes role reversal to extremes. The male makes the nest, incubates the eggs and cares for the young. His breeding plumage is also less colorful than his mate's, almost unheard of in the bird world. In the United States, northern and red-necked phalaropes nest in Alaskan tundra, and Wilson's phalaropes nest in inland marshes in the West.

4. Jacana: Most Multi-Dad Household

During nesting season, a female jacana—a long-legged wading bird—will guard her territory from interlopers while her harem of males bustles with more domestic tasks: As many as four male counterparts are each building nests and rearing individual clutches of eggs laid by the female. Usually found south of the U.S. border, jacanas sometimes range into Texas.

5. Seahorse: Best Mom-Mimicking Dad

According to evolutionary ecologist Sara Lewis at Tufts University, "Seahorses are the champions of paternal care. They are one of the few animals where the males are morphologically specialized to take care of the young." Talk about role reversal. After an elaborate courtship that includes sunrise swims along the ocean floor, the female inserts a tube inside the male's brood pouch and "impregnates" him with eggs. While she swims off, the male knocks his body against a plant or rock to settle the now fertilized eggs in his pouch. Depending on the species, during the next 10 to 30 days the male seahorse's belly swells with the growth of 10 to 300 offspring. Delivery can take hours as the young spring free and clumsily swim to hook themselves on nearby grasses. The male will then return to the same partner later that day to mate again. Seahorses can be found in all of the nation's shallow coastal waters.

6. Sea Catfish: Dad with the Best Dieting Plan

The male sea catfish's mouth is his nursery, as he swims around with jaws full of eggs the size of marbles that he picked up shortly after the female laid them. This strategy precludes eating, so he lives off body fat for the month it takes the eggs to hatch and also for the two or three weeks his young need to grow into independence. Sea catfish inhabit temperate coastal and brackish waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico and southern Florida.

7. Giant Water Bug: Most Misunderstood Dad

While paternal care goes against the norm in the insect world, the male giant water bug nevertheless shoulders his species' parenting burden: Once they've mated, the female essentially glues her eggs on the male's back. After he's loaded up with 150 or more eggs, the male water bug is totally responsible for them. He strokes the eggs to keep them clean. He executes a sort of deep knee bend to aerate the eggs. He sometimes sits at the water surface to dry them off and get rid of parasites. Within a few weeks, the eggs triple in size. Right before they hatch, the male stops eating to avoid consuming his offspring. Once his young hatch and scatter, the male ends his parenting session by kicking the egg pads off his back. He can have three more clutches before breeding season is over. Observant naturalists can see these behaviors in and near moving water in Florida and at higher elevations in the Southwest.

8. Lumpsucker: Most Self-Sacrificing Dad

When the tide's in, the lumpsucker (a stout-bodied, tadpole-shaped fish found in northern U.S. coastal waters) isn't much different from other fish dads that aerate their eggs by fanning them with fins or tail. When the tide recedes, however, the lumpsucker goes the extra mile by staying put. He remains with his eggs by attaching himself to the rocks with a sucker formed from his pelvic fins, a kamikaze move exposing him to hungry gulls and crows.

9. Great Horned Owl: Hardest Working Dad

The male great horned owl starts a family by establishing his territory and attracting a mate with his three- or five-hooter call. Then both partners go househunting for places like old squirrel nests, hawk nests or hollowed-out tree stumps. "I've even seen an owl take over a red-tailed hawk's nest," says ornithologist Richard J. Clark at York College of Pennsylvania. In late winter, the female lays two or three eggs, and the male's marathon begins. While she keeps those eggs from freezing, he brings home food in the form of rats, mice, squirrels and even prey as large as pheasants. In most bird species, says Clark, the female is the smaller animal, but not birds of prey. So the male great horned owl must feed himself and another adult about 25 percent larger than he. With two or three hatchlings crying for food, his burden multiplies. After about a month, however, the female starts to help hunt. This is a blessing for the male, because the fledglings will grow to be temporarily bigger than their parents and require as much as one-fourth their body weight in daily food intake.

10. Three-Spined Stickleback: Best Bachelor-Pad Dad

In spring, the male three-spined stickleback gets domestic: Using twigs, plant debris and mucus as mortar, this resident of northern U.S. waters and the eastern North Pacific meticulously constructs bower-like nests. Once done, he turns to finding a mate. Advertising availability with a bright red belly and blue-green on his tail, he approaches a female and vibrates to signal his interest. To capture hers, he shows off his prime real estate. The process continues until a female enters his nest to lay eggs. Her role done, the male chases her out and swims through the nest to fertilize what she has left behind. He may even add to his brood by repeating the process with other females. Once he moves on to guarding his nest, the stickleback is a protective dad. He fans oxygen-filled water to the eggs with his fins. He removes eggs infected with fungus. He defends his young fry for the first few days of their lives. And he gathers wanderers in his mouth and spits them back into their nursery until they're ready to be off on their own.

And Who's the Worst Dad in the Animal Kingdom? ... The Grizzly Bear!

Deadbeat dads who desert their young are bad enough, but the grizzly bear actually kills cubs. To be fair, the grizzly is an equal-opportunity assassin. He goes after any cubs in his home range, an area as big as 1,200 square miles, where a half dozen females could be rearing young. "There's a good chance he's killing his own offspring," says biologist Harry Reynolds of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks.

A murderous male doesn't find it easy to get past mother bears, however--despite the fact that he is likely two or three times bigger than they are. Females with cubs are ferociously protective, and the more aggressive the female, the more likely she'll succeed in protecting her young. "This characteristic has obvious evolutionary advantages and may in part explain the species `personality' traits," adds Reynolds.

Killing progeny seems counterproductive, evolutionarily speaking, so why does the grizzly practice infanticide? According to biologist Vic Barnes at Alaska's Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, murderous males may be regulating the size of the bear population. Since females can have litters of mixed paternity, another theory suggests a male kills cubs so a female will come back into estrus and he can impregnate her again to better ensure passing on his genes. To Reynolds, neither theory seems conclusive. "Here's one thing we do know," he says. "Bears are successful because they are opportunists, eating anything from grasses to whale carcasses. If that food source is occasionally another bear, I doubt they stop to think about it."”    A Father's Day Top Ten: Animal Fathers by Susan Goodman, National Wildlife.

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Cybercriminals Hacked 15 Financial Firms for $15 Million Over 2 Years

“Hackers allegedly targeted 15 financial institutions, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc. and E-Trade, as part of a nearly two-year-long scheme to hack into customer accounts online to steal at least $15 million, U.S. authorities announced this week.

"Cybercriminals penetrated some of our most trusted financial institutions as part of a global scheme that stole money and identities from people in the United States," New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said in a statement.”  Read more at: http://www.dailyfinance.com/on/cybercriminals-hack-banks-15-million-dollars/

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Exxon sued over Arkansas pipeline spill

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- “The Arkansas Attorney General and the federal government are suing ExxonMobil, alleging improper waste storage and water contamination stemming from a March pipeline spill that sent thousands of barrels of heavy tar sands crude flooding into the small town of Mayflower.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday, the Arkansas AG alleges that Exxon stored oil and oil-contaminated clean-up material alongside a state highway without a permit, despite being told to remove the material on May 1. Civil penalties related to that case could total $25,000 per violation.

The AG and the federal Environmental Protection Agency are also seeking civil penalties against Exxon for violations of state and federal clean water and air laws. Violating the state environmental laws carries a penalty of up to $10,000 per violation per day.

"This spill disrupted lives and damaged our environment," Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said in a written statement. "As the party responsible for this incident, Exxon is also responsible for the penalties imposed by the state for the damage to our environment and the company should foot the bill for the state's clean-up costs."”       Read more at: http://www.12newsnow.com/story/22593100/exxon-sued-over-arkansas-pipeline-spill

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Gut Biota Never Recover from Antibiotics: Damages Future Generations

“The misuse of antibiotics is not only causing new, never-before known diseases like E. coli and MRSA, the flesh-eating bacteria, it's also destroying the gut biome with devastating effects on our ability to deal with infections and destroying our ability to absorb nutrients from food.

Emerging research shows that the harmful effects of antibiotics go much further than the development of drug resistant diseases. The beneficial bacteria lost to antibiotics, along with disease-inducing bacteria, do not fully recover. Worse, flora lost by a mother is also lost to her babies. The missing beneficial gut bacteria are likely a major factor behind much of the chronic disease experienced today. The continuous use of antibiotics is resulting in each generation experiencing worse health than their parents.

Martin Blaser, the author of a report in the prestigious journal Nature writes:

Antibiotics kill the bacteria we do want, as well as those we don’t. These long-term changes to the beneficial bacteria within people’s bodies may even increase our susceptibility to infections and disease. Overuse of antibiotics could be fuelling the dramatic increase in conditions such as obesity, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies and asthma, which have more than doubled in many populations.

Without even considering the development of superbugs, we’re now seeing clear documentation that the overall long term effects of antibiotics are devastatingly harmful to our health. Speaking to ABC News, Blaser said:

Antibiotics are miraculous. They’ve changed health and medicine over the last 70 years. But when doctors prescribe antibiotics, it is based on the belief that there are no long-term effects. We’ve seen evidence that suggests antibiotics may permanently change the beneficial bacteria that we’re carrying.

Notice that term, permanent. Without factoring in the potential risks in the casual use of antibiotics, it now looks like conventional medicine is creating several pandemics of some of the worst chronic diseases known.

Mass Use of Antibiotics

By the time a child reaches age 18 in the industrialized world, the chances are he or she has been given 10-20 courses of antibiotics. That misuse continues into adulthood, and they’re casually prescribed to pregnant women.

That’s where the situation grows ever worse. Part of normal childbirth is a baby’s passage through the birth canal—where it’s exposed to its first dose of beneficial bacteria. (This should give pause to anyone considering a caesarian birth that isn’t absolutely necessary.)” 

Read more at: http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2013-04-13/gut-biota-never-recover-from-antibiotics-damages-future-generations/ by Heidi Stevenson.

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On This Day:

U.S.-Canadian border established, Jun 15, 1846:

“Representatives of Great Britain and the United States sign the Oregon Treaty, which settles a long-standing dispute with Britain over who controlled the Oregon territory. The treaty established the 49th parallel from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Georgia as the boundary between the United States and British Canada. The United States gained formal control over the future states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, and the British retained Vancouver Island and navigation rights to part of the Columbia River.

In 1818, a U.S.-British agreement had established the border along the 49th parallel from Lake of the Woods in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west. The two nations also agreed to a joint occupation of Oregon territory for 10 years, an arrangement that was extended for an additional 10 years in 1827. After 1838, the issue of who possessed Oregon became increasingly controversial, especially when mass American migration along the Oregon Trail began in the early 1840s.

American expansionists urged seizure of Oregon, and in 1844 Democrat James K. Polk successfully ran for president under the platform "Fifty-four forty or fight," which referred to his hope of bringing a sizable portion of present-day Vancouver and Alberta into the United States. However, neither President Polk nor the British government wanted a third Anglo-American war, and on June 15, 1846, the Oregon Treaty, a compromise, was signed. By the terms of the agreement, the U.S. and Canadian border was extended west along the 49th parallel to the Strait of Georgia, just short of the Pacific Ocean.”

________On the same day:

Francis Parkman arrives at Fort Laramie, Jun 15, 1846:

“Francis Parkman, one of the first serious historians to study the American West, arrives at Fort Laramie and prepares for a summer of research with the Sioux.

Parkman was an unlikely frontiersman. The son of a prominent Boston family, he was an impeccably proper gentleman of independent means who was more at home among the ivory towers of Harvard than the tepees of the Sioux. Yet, after graduating from Harvard in 1846, Parkman set out to write the definitive history of the French and Indian Wars of 1689 to 1763. To set the stage for the wars, he wished to discuss the life of the Northeastern Native Americans before the arrival of Europeans, but could find few useful sources on the subject. Parkman reasoned that the still relatively untouched tribes of the Western plains would provide him with insights into pre-Columbian Indian life. In 1846, he headed west to spend a summer among the Plains Indians.

Traveling with an experienced trapper named Henry Chatillon as a guide, Parkman followed the Oregon Trail west for three months. On this day in 1846, he arrived at Fort Laramie in present-day Wyoming. Parkman was overjoyed to learn that a party of Oglala Sioux was gathering nearby in preparation for a summer war with their enemies, the Snake. Certain that all Indians were bloodthirsty savages eager to fight, Parkman viewed the approaching war as an opportunity to witness the Indian's true nature. Soon after, though, he heard that the Sioux had decided to abandon the warpath for that summer. For the first time, Parkman began to question the accuracy of the stereotypical white view of the Indians.

If he was fully to understand the Sioux, Parkman believed, he would need to "become, as it were, one of them." Luckily, his guide Chatillon was married to a daughter of a Sioux chief, and the trapper managed to persuade the chief to allow Parkman to travel with the Sioux for a summer. A prominent warrior named Big Crow (Kongra-Tonga) agreed to share his tepee with Parkman and watch over the inexperienced Bostonian.

In the months that followed, many of Parkman's preconceived notions about Indians melted away. Though Big Crow and other warriors proudly described their often-brutal fights with enemy tribes, Parkman also discovered the Sioux were a warm and generous people. "Both Kongra-Tonga [Big Crow] and his squaw," he noted, "like most other Indians, were very fond of their children, whom they indulged to excess and never punished except in extreme cases." Observing that they would at times give away all of their possessions, he concluded that the Sioux, "though often rapacious, are devoid of avarice."

After six months in the West, Parkman returned to Boston and wrote a compelling account of his summer with the Sioux. Published in 1849, The Oregon Trail was both a fascinating travel book and an important work of ethnography. Initially, Parkman thought of his first book as little more than a preface to the works of history he subsequently produced. Only later in life did he realize it was an important work, an "image of an irrevocable past." Indeed, Parkman's portrait of the Sioux continues to be a valuable window into Plains Indian life before it was changed by the advancing front of Anglo-American settlement.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I went to get Jay, and had our walk down there

Jay mowed the all the grass.  My job was to go around picking up any sticks and pine cones before he got to each section.  As there was hardly any wind we burned one of the burn piles.  I doused it down with a water hose before I took Jay home.  It was going to be in the high 90’s, too hot to be outside watching a fire, so I didn’t want to burn any more piles and have it burning all day.  

Roseate Spoonbill. Cicadas. Baby or Sick Birds. Birding Trip. Restoring Seagrass. Hawks Shot. 40th. Year. Swallows, Hummingbirds, and Bluebirds ... Bobby Kennedy. Ronald Reagan.

 

For “Winged Wednesday”:

Roseate Spoonbill

“The Roseate Spoonbill, a large wading bird and member of the spoonbill and ibis family, was one of the many species' impacted by the Gulf Oil Spill. Nesting in trees and shrubs, Roseate Spoonbills often inhabit mangroves along the coast. Once hunted to near extinction for its distinctive reddish plumes, the species population has rebounded, but coastal development and toxic contamination remain threats.

American Bird Conservancy has produced a brief video about the Gulf Oil Spill and ways birds such as the Roseate Spoonbill can be better protected in the future.”

 

This Bird News Network video by American Bird Conservancy (http://www.abcbirds.org) covers the impacts to birds of the Gulf oil spill and problems with the cleanup effort. ABC released a report making recommendations to improve future efforts.

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Roseate Spoonbill Feeding Young

 

Roseate Spoonbill;Ted Ardley, Range Map;Natureserve, 2002.

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Cicada Time-Lapse Video By Samuel Orr Makes Insects Look Beautiful

Unfurling: The most dramatic moment of the video comes when the delicate wings of the insect unfold for the first time

“At first glance, the cicada appears a difficult insect to love. And this summer they are emerging in huge numbers on the East Coast from North Carolina up to New England.

Danger: Some cicadas fall prey to predators

This crop of the insects, named Brood II by scientists, has spent 17 long years in the ground before hatching and noisily trying to find a mate.

But Return Of The Cicadas, an incredible time-lapse video by film-maker Samuel Orr, may change your mind on this astounding creature as the stunning beauty and tragedy of its life unfolds before your eyes.

The footage captures huge amounts of cicadas emerging from the ground after their long wait underground.

The insects climb trees in their thousands on a search for safety before they break through their infant exoskeleton.”

http://vimeo.com/66688653

More at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2334062/See-delicate-beauty-cicadas-circle-life-incredible-time-lapse-video.html

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Bird 101: How to approach, handle and what to do with baby or sick birds

“Now that it’s baby bird season, don’t be too quick to scoop up a young bird you find on the ground. It may be just fine on its own.

The most common reason people find baby birds on the ground is that they are fledglings — little birds that look like adults with feathers on their wings and tails, hopping around on the ground trying to fly.

When they “fledge,” the babies are trying to leave the nest and could be on the ground for several days, often with mom or dad close by to keep an eye on the baby.

“When you call is when it is obvious it has a problem,” Nevill said. “Really, the No. 1 thing is keeping cats away from them. They are trying to fledge and leave the nest and could be on the ground for several days, so keep your cats, dogs and kids away from them.””  More at: http://www.newsminer.com/features/sundays/community_features/bird-how-to-approach-handle-and-what-to-do-with/article_ad347b74-cb10-11e2-964d-001a4bcf6878.html

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Plan Your Next Birding Trip!

Elegant Trogon in Arizona © Lois Manowitz

“One the great joys of birdwatching is that there are birds nearly everywhere in the world. Admittedly, some areas are better are others, so we’ve pulled together some resources that can help you find that special place—or special bird—on that family vacation across the state or that business trip to the other side of the world.

I hope you can use some of these tools to help you bring a little feathered wonder to your trip;” http://birdnote.org/blog/2013/03/plan-your-next-birding-trip  By Adam Sedgley

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Florida, Restoring Seagrass – the prairies of the sea

Brown Pelican, Ross Geredien

What kind of birds use the bird stakes? It varies by season. In the spring and summer, brown pelicans are dominant in the Perdido Bay area. In the winter it’s the double-breasted cormorant. But other birds use the roosts as well, including gulls, terns, herons and egrets.

“By tearing up sand and ripping out grasses, a boat propeller can gouge holes and make long trails through the seagrass. These are called scars because they look remarkably like pale scars when viewed from the air. One or two scars can heal themselves, but constant small cuts will gradually overwhelm a seagrass bed’s ability to recover.

Testing simple and effective solutions

The Conservancy works in several Florida locations to:

• Restore previously damaged seagrass beds, and
• Prevent or minimize future damage from motor-driven boats.

In 2009, scientists began experimenting with two primary restoration techniques. One technique used effectively in northwest Florida is elegant in its simplicity – well, if a technique involving PVC pipe, galvanized screws and bird poop can be called elegant. But what this method lacks in dignity, it makes up for in effectiveness.

Where the poop comes in

Pioneered in the Florida Keys, where more than 600 boat groundings are reported every year, a “bird stake” technique is quite straightforward:

• Fashion two pieces of durable PVC pipe into a rough T suitable for a bird roost. Small diameter, so birds cannot get in it.
• Place the bird stake directly over a seagrass scar.
• Let nature takes its course.
• Remove the stake once healing has taken place.

Bird poop (also known as guano) is high in phosphorus – an important nutrient for seagrass growth. Studies from the Keys have shown that the re-growth of seagrass is more rapid when propeller scars are heavily fertilized by birds. Bird stakes appear less expensive and more successful than some other, more intensive techniques.” More at: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/florida/howwework/seagrass-restoration.xml

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Endangered Hawaiian hawks found shot on Big Island

In this April 27, 2013 photo provided by the Three Ring Ranch, Ann Goody, curator of Three Ring Ranch in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii inspects an endangered Hawaiian hawk after the bird was found shot and brought to her sanctuary. (AP Photo/Three Ring Ranch,Norman Goody)

T”wo endangered Hawaiian hawks were found wounded on the Big Island after apparently being shot with a pellet gun, and federal wildlife officials want to know who is responsible.

One was found April 27 and the other on March 20, said Ann Goody, the facility's curator. She said finding two injured birds in six weeks is alarming because the sanctuary normally sees just one hurt every several years.”  More at: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/20130516_Endangered_Hawaiian_hawks_found_shot_on_Big_Island.html?id=207786661

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40 Years of Success Protecting Endangered Species & Other Wildlife in Our Backyards

The endangered whooping crane, one of the many beneficiaries of the Endangered Species Act. Photo by David Sager

“2013 is the 40^th anniversary of two important moments in wildlife conservation history.  In 1973, Congress enacted and President Nixon signed into law the Endangered Species Act.  The ESA has become the nation’s most important wildlife conservation law, helping rescue from extinction the American bald eagle, the Florida panther, and hundreds of other at-risk species.  It also has unleashed countless wildlife and habitat restoration projects across the country and served as the model and inspiration for endangered species laws and programs around the globe.”  More at: http://blog.nwf.org/2013/05/40-years-of-success-protecting-backyard-and-endangered-species/

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BirdNote Weekly Preview: Swallows, Hummingbirds, and Bluebirds ...  Upcoming Shows:

 

Bald Eagle

SUNDAY
We Draw Strength
From Nature
by Chris Peterson
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Mark Borden

MONDAY
Mark Borden and The Swallows
by Chris Peterson
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Ruby-throated Hummingbird

TUESDAY
Hummingbirds at Home - National Audubon's
Citizen-Science Initiative
by Todd Peterson
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Rufous Hummingbird

WEDNESDAY
A Rufous in the Rain
by Chris Peterson
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Eastern Wood-Pewee

THURSDAY
Eastern Wood-Pewee And Eastern Deciduous Forest
by Bob Sundstrom
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Robert Otto

FRIDAY
Robert Otto Loves Bluebirds
featuring Robert Otto - retired mechanical engineer
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Brown Jay

SATURDAY
Helpers at the Nest
by Bob Sundstrom
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On This Day:

Bobby Kennedy is assassinated, Jun 5, 1968:

“Senator Robert Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary. Immediately after he announced to his cheering supporters that the country was ready to end its fractious divisions, Kennedy was shot several times by the 22-year-old Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan. He died a day later.”

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Ronald Reagan dies, Jun 5, 2004:

“On this day in 2004, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, dies, after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Reagan, who was also a well-known actor and served as governor of California, was a popular president known for restoring American confidence after the problems of the 1970s and helping to defeat communism.

Known as the Great Communicator, Reagan left the Oval Office as one of the most popular presidents in history, retiring to his much-loved California ranch, Rancho del Cielo. His announcement in 1994 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease was greeted with great sadness by many across the country. He wrote, in an open letter to the American people, I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

He lived out the rest of his days on the ranch, with his wife Nancy, who remained devoted to him to the end, by his side. He was buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I went to get Jay as he wanted to go to town with me when I took Ray’s son’s fridge to be repaired.  Misty and I had a short walk down there.  Jay wanted me to take him to get some more parts for the wheels on a wooden gate he is making for one of his neighbors. He stopped by his neighbor and got money for parts.  Jay was in one of his blustery moods, and even though he said he hadn’t been drinking, he reeked of it.

When we got back here, Ray, Jay and I started to take everything out of my van, even the tool box.  Jay and Ray took the second seat out, and put it in Ray’s outside sitting area, as it is the only place under cover right now.  Then Jay stopped helping, so Ray and I loaded the fridge on it’s side and it slid right in the van.  Then we loaded a little electric three-burner stove/oven that I have, that came out of a boat.  Shay wants me to have it installed in the guest house.  I couldn’t get it to work but on one burner and the oven, so it was going to the repair shop, too.

Then, of all the nerve, Jay starts putting fence boards on top of Ray’s son’s fridge.  He said he needed them down at his place, but I quickly got him to take them out before he scratched the fridge.  I told him to load them in the Puddle Jumper, which he did.  I took him and the boards back to his place, and told him I didn’t want to be around him again until he had at least three days of sobriety.  On the way, he said “Is this how people at the church would treat me, what would Jesus say?”  I said, “Jesus would tell you to stop drinking”, so he looked sheepishly at me, and shut up.  He is so enervating when he is in one of those moods, and I knew I just couldn’t stand to go into town with him.  I usually try to keep him out of his sick mother’s way in the mornings, but I just couldn’t take it any more.

After the fridge and stove had been unloaded at Mark’s, I went to Conroe Bolt Co., looking for the right parts for the wooden gate’s wheels.  They didn’t have want it needed, but I found them at Conroe Mill Supply.  They had some long heavy-duty 5/8” diameter bolts, with just 2” of thread at one end.   Jay was trying to make an axle out of some cheap all-thread, which was chewing up the wooden gate.  I am only helping with this as Jay’s neighbor is an old friend of mine, and I’d like to see it done properly.  The neighbor even said that he thought that Jay hallucinates sometimes, the weird ideas that he has.

From there, I went to Petco to see Simba in our Cat Habitat.   Kenya had called me and wanted me to pick him up as he was being nasty.  She was afraid that he might hurt one of the volunteers who clean the Habitat in the afternoons.  Simba was so pleased to see me, and was his usual loving self.  He rolled over on his back and put his paws through the holes in the Plexiglas window and petted my hand.  Nila stayed hidden, but did look and meow at me.

Simba just can’t be here right now, as I am trying to get to my daughter’s Lake Somerville house to help her unpack, since she closes on the sale of their house near Houston, on the 7th. Even if Simba would be good on the trip, my son-in-law is allergic to cats, and I might be, too.

My last stop was at Kroger’s Pharmacy to pick up my prescriptions.  Maybe they will work, and I won’t wake up all stuffed up, at 4.00 AM in the morning. 

I found out why Simba was so laid back when I called Kenya to tell her that Simba was acting fine.  She had put an “I don’t care” pill in his food, so he would be amiable for the cleaning volunteer!

In the evening, a very drunk Jay called me.  I could hardly understand what he was saying, but I think he said had he found a Yorkie, and wanted me to groom it, as it was matted.  Well, I was working my evening job on the computer, so I don’t groom anytime but mornings.  I told him that he had a brush, and he could take care of it, as I didn’t want to be around Jay.  Then he comes up here on his ATV, and when I wouldn’t open the front door, he opens the little secret door to my screen porch and drops the dog off in there.  Well, you know I wasn’t going to leave the little skinny critter out there in the heat, so I fixed it a bed, food and water in my Grooming Room.  It has recently had surgery on a front leg, and it’s mats were like it had been caught out in the rain.  Maybe the thunder and lightening scared it, and it ran off.  So I will be trying to find it’s owner today.

(PS.  Later, I found out that Jay stole the dog from someone’s yard, and the police came here for it.)