Please Help Stop King Amendment. Pet Hazards. Avoid GMO Corn. Workout Dogs. Dog Propelled Scooters And Carts. Plastic and Paper Voyager. Recycled Paper.

 

For "Mammal Monday":

It's The Last Chance: Don't Let Them Wipe Out Animal Protection Laws

"The King Amendment is a potential disaster for laws protecting animals:

The House version of this year's Farm Bill contains a provision from Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) that could negate most state and local laws on the production or manufacture of agricultural products. The King Amendment is a radical federal overreach that aims to block state laws protecting animals. It could also overturn many state laws covering child labor, dangerous pesticides, labels on farm-raised fish, and more. Please act now.

What is the King Amendment?

The King amendment proposes to undermine state laws related to public health, safety, or welfare. Read our King Amendment fact sheet [PDF] for details.

• Under the King Amendment, dogs and puppies suffering in puppy mills could lose their protection in many states. Kathy Milani/The HSUS

The King Amendment endangers state animal welfare laws

Laws like California’s Proposition 2, which will phase out cruel confinement for farm animals, could be reversed. Compassion Over Killing.

The King amendment could undo animal welfare laws in many states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, the Northern Mariana Island, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Rhode Island. Our fact sheet [PDF] provides specifics on the laws that could change.

The King Amendment could ax state laws on health and safety

Beside animal welfare laws, the King amendment could nullify a wide range of state and local measures regarding food safety, labeling, environmental requirements, labor standards, and other important issues. For more examples, check our fact sheet [PDF]."     More at: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/king-amendment.html

Please sign: https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=6297

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Can We See Our Hypocrisy to Animals?

"Today, the challenge is factory farming, which produces food exceptionally cheaply, at huge cost in animal welfare.

“There are still tens of billions of animals suffering horribly in factory farms every year, around the world.”   From: New York Times op-ed: Can we see our hypocrisy to animals?

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From Me:  More reason to buy happy, pasture-raised beef, poultry and eggs. They are more nutritious so you eat less, so it doesn't cost more.  Anyway, it is still cheaper than medical care, so what price do you put on your health?

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10 Holiday Pet Hazards

"The holidays are a joyous time, but the season does bring its own set of dangers for pets. Keep your furry family member away from these items to ensure a merry holiday for all.

If you think your pet has been harmed by or consumed one of these items, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) immediately."

Resist the urge to feed holiday table scraps to your dog or cat, and make sure your pet doesn't gain access to tables or countertops loaded with edible goodies. Rich, fatty foods can cause everything from mild indigestion to a serious case of pancreatitis in susceptible pets. Turkey bones and any cooked bones are also a no-no because they can splinter or break apart, puncturing or blocking internal organs."      More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/12/16/10-holiday-pet-hazards.aspx

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Avoid This Aflatoxin-Infested Food Like the Plague

"Aflatoxins are deadly metabolites produced by fungi that grow on crops, in particular, corn. These mycotoxins are known to cause acute toxic illness, including cancer, in both animals and humans.

The Argentina study results conclude that glyphosate enhances the growth of aflatoxin-producing fungi on GM corn. This is important because recent estimates are that over 60 percent of corn grown in the U.S. is genetically modified, and at least half the sweet corn grown on U.S. farms is as well.

A fascinating new twist in the growing contamination problem is a recent study that shows Roundup herbicide, the primary herbicide used in GM agriculture, promotes the growth of the fungi that produce aflatoxins. This certainly further explains the alarming increase in contamination levels in U.S. corn.

If you haven’t done so already, we highly recommend you switch from any pet food containing corn or its derivatives. Learn the ingredients in the food you buy for your pet, and avoid brands containing corn or any GMO ingredient in any form.

Also avoid formulas containing cereal grains. Instead, select organic pet foods or prepare a balanced homemade diet made from organic ingredients, for you and your pet."    More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/12/11/aflatoxin-contamination.aspx

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From me:  More reason to buy organically grown veggies, which are non GMO and do not have the pesticide Round-Up, or funguses in them. http://www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/search-participating-products/

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Turning Your Dog Into Your Workout Partner

"If you do it right, power walks, or “workout walks” with your dog may just replace your need for a gym membership. And what could be better than spending that extra time with your pet, insuring he’s getting all the physical activity he needs to be healthy?

First, though, you must reprogram any dog who has grown accustomed to checking it's 'pee mail' and 'sniff-piddle-dawdle' walks. Don’t expect to make a one-day transition from leisurely strolls to power walking. It will take several sessions for your pet to catch on.

Of course, you’ll also be taking your dog on casual walks, so you’ll need to help him learn to distinguish between the two. It could be a time of day thing – for example, you could schedule slower walks for first thing in the morning and again before bedtime, and workout walks happen at some point in between.

Alternatively, you could develop a verbal cue that tells your pet he’s about to go on a power walk. I also strongly encourage the use of a harness for exercising with your dog. A leash attached to your dog’s collar can quickly become a health hazard as you’re cruising city streets or even country roads. Many dogs learn which walk they’re going on by whether the leash gets attached to their collar (short walk) or a harness (time to get serious!)."    More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/07/22/dog-workout-partner.aspx

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Dog Propelled Scooters

"Do you have a hard time giving your dog enough exercise?  Maybe you don’t walk as fast as the dog does or perhaps the dog pulls too hard on the leash for you to control him or her.  Here’s a new one (on me, anyways)":  dog-powered scooters and bikes.

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Dog takes owner for ride in dog cart

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Introduction into dog triking (English version)

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On This Day:

Voyager completes global flight, Dec 23, 1986:

"After nine days and four minutes in the sky, the experimental aircraft Voyager lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California, completing the first nonstop flight around the globe on one load of fuel. Piloted by Americans Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, Voyager was made mostly of plastic and stiffened paper and carried more than three times its weight in fuel when it took off from Edwards Air Force Base on December 14. By the time it returned, after flying 25,012 miles around the planet, it had just five gallons of fuel left in its remaining operational fuel tank.

Voyager was built by Burt Rutan of the Rutan Aircraft Company without government support and with minimal corporate sponsorship. Dick Rutan, Burt's brother and a decorated Vietnam War pilot, joined the project early on, as did Dick's friend Jeanna Yeager (no relation to aviator Chuck Yeager). Voyager's extremely light yet strong body was made of layers of carbon-fiber tape and paper impregnated with epoxy resin. Its wingspan was 111 feet, and it had its horizontal stabilizer wing on the plane's nose rather than its rear--a trademark of many of Rutan's aircraft designs. Essentially a flying fuel tank, every possible area was used for fuel storage and much modern aircraft technology was foregone in the effort to reduce weight.

When Voyager took off from Edwards Air Force at 8:02 a.m. PST on December 14, its wings were so heavy with fuel that their tips scraped along the ground and caused minor damage. The plane made it into the air, however, and headed west. On the second day, Voyager ran into severe turbulence caused by two tropical storms in the Pacific. Dick Rutan had been concerned about flying the aircraft at more than a 15-degree angle, but he soon found the plane could fly on its side at 90 degrees, which occurred when the wind tossed it back and forth.

Rutan and Yeager shared the controls, but Rutan, a more experienced pilot, did most of the flying owing to the long periods of turbulence encountered at various points in the journey. With weak stomachs, they ate only a fraction of the food brought along, and each lost about 10 pounds.

On December 23, when Voyager was flying north along the Baja California coast and just 450 miles short of its goal, the engine it was using went out, and the aircraft plunged from 8,500 to 5,000 feet before an alternate engine was started up.

Almost nine days to the minute after it lifted off, Voyager appeared over Edwards Air Force Base and circled as Yeager turned a primitive crank that lowered the landing gear. Then, to the cheers of 23,000 spectators, the plane landed safely with a few gallons of fuel to spare, completing the first nonstop circumnavigation of the earth by an aircraft that was not refueled in the air.

Voyager is on permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C."

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Yesterday:

Not much happened yesterday, so I got around to going through the junk mail and kept the shredder busy.  Why do these companies put your name and address inside their literature, too?  Just one more step to take them out of the envelope to examine them, so all the names and addresses can be put in the shredder.  Shredded paper cannot be recycled into good new paper, so I tear the important part off and just shred it.  The rest of the literature can go in the recycling.  This time of year there seems to be so much junk mail that slips past the "Do Not Mail" list.

"The main reasons for some recycling centers not accepting shredded paper is that some paper mills cannot deal with it. It’s said that shredded paper makes weaker fibers and produces an inferior quality product. In some paper mills, the small fragments cause problems with machinery."

If you are on the road, or don't have a shredder, put the torn off names and addresses in with your used kitty litter, in doggie poop bags, or put them in with your coffee grounds.  That will make them illegible, and anyway no-one would want to retrieve them. If you don't have a pet, or drink coffee, I suppose you will have to put them in with your veggie peelings, or safely burn them.

After a few days of warmth, it has turned colder again.  One day it's tank tops, and the next it's turtlenecks and sweaters again.  That's Texas winter weather! 

Even though I had let her out late last night, Misty got me up early this morning (2.45am), and wanted to go out three times.  It was so cold that she would try to make a short trip do, and then have to go back out again in the cold.  I tried to go back to sleep, and then I'd hear her one little urgent bark again, so I am going to be dragging today.

Audubon's Oriole. Bird Group Names. Bats Are Not Blind. Hummingbirds. BirdNote: Bird Songs Go to Hollywood! Hoover Dam. Oskar Schindler.

 

For "Winged Wednesday":

Audubon's Oriole

"The song of Audubon’s Oriole—a low, slurred warble—almost sounds like a person learning to whistle. Both males and females sing a series of long notes, often calling to each other as they forage or come and go from the nest.

Once known as the Black-headed Oriole, Audubon’s Oriole is the only yellow oriole with a black hood and a yellow back found in the United States. Less than five percent of its population occurs in the U.S., making it a much sought-after species by listers.

The bird was once common in the Lower Rio Grande Valley but began to decline there in the 1920s because of the destruction of thorn and riparian forests for agriculture. Populations have declined significantly not only in Texas but in much of its Mexican range, following conversion of its preferred habitat to crops and pastureland. Brood parasitism by the Bronzed Cowbird, facilitated by habitat fragmentation, is also a major problem.

Audubon’s Oriole is a priority species for the Rio Grande Joint Venture, which includes ABC and a network of private and public partners. The best hope for this species’ recovery are efforts to protect and restore native vegetation in the Lower Rio Grande Valley."

Help ABC conserve this and other birds and their habitats! Range Map by ABC

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Very Strange Bird Group Names

“These group nouns are rarely used, even by scientists, but they nonetheless represent our own species' collective creativity for linguistics — not to mention our deep-rooted affinity for nature."    A Partial List:

A bevy of quail
A bouquet of pheasants [when flushed]
A brood of hens
A building of rooks
A cast of hawks [or falcons]
A charm of finches
A colony of penguins
A company of parrots
A congregation of plovers
A cover of coots
A covey of partridges [or grouse or ptarmigans]
A deceit of lapwings
A descent of woodpeckers
A dissimulation of birds
A dole of doves
An exaltation of larks
A fall of woodcocks
A flight of swallows [or doves, goshawks, or cormorants]
A gaggle of geese [wild or domesticated]
A host of sparrows
A kettle of hawks [riding a thermal]
A murmuration of starlings
A murder of crows
A muster of storks
A nye of pheasants [on the ground]
An ostentation of peacocks
A paddling of ducks [on the water]
A parliament of owls
A party of jays
A peep of chickens
A pitying of turtledoves
A raft of ducks
A rafter of turkeys
A siege of herons
A skein of geese [in flight]
A sord of mallards
A spring of teal
A tidings of magpies
A trip of dotterel
An unkindness of ravens
A watch of nightingales
A wedge of swans [or geese, flying in a "V"]
A wisp of snipe.    From: http://baltimorebirdclub.org/gnlist.html

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Bats Have Good Eyesight

An Amazing Fact: "Contrary to popular belief, bats are not blind. In fact, many bats have exceptionally good eyesight designed for low levels of light.

Bats are nocturnal creatures and can be found all over the world, from Canada to warm tropical climates. To get around in the dark, many bats rely on a sophisticated form of sonar known as echolocation. With this detection method, bats emit short pulses of high-frequency sounds that are usually well above the threshold of human hearing. The sound waves spread out in front of the bat, striking any objects in its flight path and bouncing back in the form of an echo. By using this God-given radar, bats are able to discern the direction, distance, speed, and in some instances, the size and density of the objects around them."

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Are you missing your hummingbirds?

"Are you missing your hummingbirds? Many species of hummingbirds have already migrated south for the winter, though some species will be present year-round.  We've assembled some terrific hummingbird images on our website to ease the pain until they return next spring. And where in North America can you find hummingbirds year-round? 

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BirdNote: Bird Songs Go to Hollywood!

 

Upcoming Shows

Pied-billed Grebe  SUNDAY Bird Songs Go to Hollywood by Bob Sundstrom  LISTEN NOW ►

Aqua Tower, Chicago  MONDAY  Architecture With Birds in Mind Featuring Jeanne Gang, founder and principal of Studio Gang Architects    LISTEN NOW ►

Swainson's Thrush  TUESDAY  How Evolution Works Featuring Dr. Mike Webster, Director, Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology  LISTEN NOW ►

Rufous-collared Sparrow  WEDNESDAY  Tico-Tico by Bob Sundstrom  LISTEN NOW ►

Wood Thrush  THURSDAY Geolocators Reveal Secrets of Landbird Migration by Todd Peterson  LISTEN NOW ►

Canada Geese   FRIDAY  Canada Geese - Migratory or Not by Frances Wood  LISTEN NOW ►

Steller's Jay  SATURDAY Landscaping for Wildlife II Featuring Russell Link, wildlife biologist with the Washington Dep't. of Fish and Wildlife  LISTEN NOW ►

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On This Day:

Hoover Dam begins transmitting electricity to Los Angeles, Oct 9, 1936:

"On this day in 1936, harnessing the power of the mighty Colorado River, Hoover Dam begins sending electricity over transmission lines spanning 266 miles of mountains and deserts to run the lights, radios, and stoves of Los Angeles.

Under the guidance of the Federal Reclamation Bureau, Hoover Dam became one part of a much larger multipurpose water development project that tamed the wild Colorado River for the use of the growing number of western farmers, ranchers, and city dwellers. Water that had once flowed freely to the ocean now was impounded in the 115-mile-long Lake Mead. Massive aqueducts channeled millions of gallons of Colorado River water to California where it continues to this day to flow from Los Angeles faucets and irrigate vast stretches of fertile cropland.

With Hoover Dam, the federal government set out to demonstrate that the aridity of a region once called the Great American Desert need be no serious obstacle to its full settlement and development. However, as rapidly growing western cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix today face increasing difficulties in obtaining the water they need, it remains to be seen if the Great American Desert might still dictate its own limits to western growth."

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Oskar Schindler dies, Oct 9, 1974:

"German businessman Oskar Schindler, credited with saving 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust, dies at the age of 66.

A member of the Nazi Party, he ran an enamel-works factory in Krakow during the German occupation of Poland, employing workers from the nearby Jewish ghetto. When the ghetto was liquidated, he persuaded Nazi officials to allow the transfer of his workers to the Plaszow labor camp, thus saving them from deportation to the death camps. In 1944, all Jews at Plaszow were sent to Auschwitz, but Schindler, at great risk to himself, bribed officials into allowing him to keep his workers and set up a factory in a safer location in occupied Czechoslovakia. By the war's end, he was penniless, but he had saved 1,200 Jews.

Schindler's grave in Jerusalem. The Hebrew inscription reads: "Righteous Among the Nations"; the German inscription reads: "The Unforgettable Lifesaver of 1200 Persecuted Jews".

In 1962, he was declared a Righteous Gentile by Yad Vashem, Israel's official agency for remembering the Holocaust. According to his wishes, he was buried in Israel at the Catholic cemetery on Mount Zion."

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Yesterday:

Misty and I went to pick up Jay, and had a walk down there.  While I was gone, Animal Control picked up the trap with the two feral cats.  My yard was in great need of mowing, and Jay likes to mow.  It took him a while as the grass was very long from all the recent intermittent rains. I think it would have been too much for Ray's bad back.  But because of that rain the burn ban was lifted, so we finally got rid of some of the pile of brush and pine needles.  Then I took Jay home and stopped at the mail box to pick up the mail.

Meanwhile, Ray was inside vacuuming ceiling fans and reloading the air cleaner filters with AC filters cut to size.  Much cheaper than buying the new cartridges for the air cleaners. The carbon part can be bought separately, so I have a stock of that.  I was trying to keep Ray and Jay apart, because they just haven't been getting along since  Jay caused all that trouble up here when he was drunk a while back.  

Medicare had asked me to scan and fax some documents to their office.   That's when I found out about more programs which are different on this computer.  It took me a while to get that sorted out, but I got it done. I don't fax very often, so I don't need a fax machine any more and just use a free fax site, http://faxzero.com/ on my computer.

The afternoon was spent going through all the mail, recycling all the ads, and shredding all the junk.  I only go to the mail box about every two weeks.

It's turning chillier at night, and I had to put the winter bedspread back on my bed.  Another 'windows and doors open' day.

New Pet? Pyometra Kills. Avoid Testicular Cancer. Feral Cat Lovers. Dog Germs! Factory-Farming Abuses. Anti-Whistleblower Bill. Jack Nicklaus. Sue, T.rex.

 

For “Mammal Monday”:

Looking for a New Pet? Avoid These Breeding Tragedies

“Dr. Becker attended a recent United Kennel Club Premier show in Michigan and sat down for a fascinating discussion with Wayne Cavanaugh, president of the UKC. Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Cavanaugh, UKC shows have evolved very differently than traditional dog shows. They feature several competitive events like dock diving and lure coursing, and all dogs are welcome to participate. The show ring is the only activity reserved for purebred dogs.

Dr. Becker and Mr. Cavanaugh agree that many dog breed standards are suffering from extreme exaggeration of certain physical characteristics. The arching backs of today’s German Shepherd Dogs and the inverted muzzles of Pugs are two examples. Neither of these breeds, nor several others, have benefitted from these exaggerations. Many GSDs can barely walk, and many Pugs can barely breathe.

Registration papers, whether from the AKC, the UKC or another registry, do not guarantee the health of a dog. This is a fact too many dog owners overlook. In today’s world of puppy mills and online puppy storefronts, a “papered” dog means nothing in terms of how the animal was bred, it’s health, talents, or temperament.

Drastic narrowing of the canine gene pool has created generations of sick, debilitated purebred dogs. Golden Retrievers are a heartbreaking example. Since the inception of the breed, only a handful of sires have been bred. This in large part has contributed to the astronomical rates of cancer in this breed, who are now often referred to as “cancer retrievers,” or “golden tumor dogs.”

If people understood more about where their pet store or online puppy really came from – what conditions it was bred in – we could put a quick end to the factory farming of puppies. A good rule of thumb: if you can’t meet the parents, don’t buy the puppy. That is the best way to stop supporting the monstrous business of puppy mills.”

What Registration Papers DON'T Tell You About a Dog

We’ve reached the point where national organizations like the AKC are registering puppies bred in puppy mills or by other types of contemptible commercial breeders. People who buy these puppies assume they are getting healthy animals because they have papers, but in many cases, nothing could be further from the truth.

Wayne wants to make it clear that mixed breed shelter dogs, three-legged dogs, spayed and neutered dogs – can all compete in UKC performance events. He wants to see them there. Dogs don’t have to be perfect to compete. They don’t have to be at breed standard. These dogs can’t compete in the show ring, but there are seven other events – which will increase to nine very shortly, and more by next year – in which any dog can participate.”      Complete article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/08/05/ukc-shows.aspx

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Pyometra: This Life-Threatening Condition Could Kill Your Dog Within 48 Hours

“Pyometra is a uterine disease that occurs most often in intact female dogs six years or older that have never been pregnant.

Pyometra is a hormonal abnormality with or without the presence of a secondary bacterial infection. An excessive amount of progesterone, or hypersensitivity of the uterus to progesterone, is what causes the condition. Left untreated, pyometra can be life-threatening.

Pyometra is triggered by a heat cycle that doesn’t end in egg fertilization. Cysts develop in the lining of the uterus and release large amounts of fluid into the uterus. The accumulated fluid can spark a secondary bacterial infection.

There are two types of pyometra, open and closed. In open pyometra, the cervix allows accumulated fluid and debris in the uterus to flow out of the body through the vagina. At some point, however, the cervix closes (closed pyometra), trapping all the excess fluid and white blood cells in the uterus. The flow of fluid into the uterus continues, causing the organ to enlarge. The uterus can eventually rupture and empty all its contents into the abdominal cavity, causing death within about 48 hours.

Treatment of the condition includes spaying. If the owner wants to breed the animal, obviously other options are available, but they present a higher risk to the dog.”  Complete article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/07/22/pyometra.aspx

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From me:  My Misty developed Pyometra within a few weeks of my rescuing her. Her dental surgery, which she had within a week, was so time-consuming and she was under anesthetic for so long that they didn’t spay her when I first got her. I rushed her to the hospital in time, and she survived that lengthy, and expensive, surgery, too.

Spay your female dogs, and neuter your males, so they don’t get cancer.  

Male pets who are neutered eliminate their chances of getting testicular cancer, and it is thought they they have lowered rates of prostate cancer, as well. 

More reasons to spay or neuter at: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/why_spay_neuter.html

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Dogs Bring Beneficial Bacteria Into Home

“Countless studies have shown that beneficial bacteria are key players when it comes to producing immunity from disease.  Microbes are all around us; on our skin, in our digestive tracts, on the surfaces around our homes and the people we interact with.  Any addition to the family brings new things into the home - personalities, resources, schedule changes... but it turns out that dogs bring a little extra.
A new study has shown that families with dogs have a higher bacterial diversity, both in the home and in the people.  This may sound initially off-putting, but actually, this very diversity acts like a dose of probiotic-filled yogurt, increasing beneficial bacteria populations, bolstering immunity, and decreasing the likelihood of allergies in developing children.
So the next time your kid gets a friendly lick on the face and responds like Lucy: "Yuck!  I have dog germs!"  Just remind them that Snoopy is actually doing them a favor, helping to keep the whole family healthy and happy.”    Read more at http://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/ars/article/Dogs-Bring-Beneficial-Bacteria-Into-Home221#fl0CJeGxCPyvJ61z.99

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Feral cat lovers: uninformed and irresponsible

“Ziggy was a loving fun and happy cat.
He regularly walked with us to visit the neighbors. If we went inside, he did, too. He loved dogs, brazenly meeting strange dogs whose owners held the leash. He became everyone’s friend.
Ziggy was constantly making friends of any animal or human that would be his friend. There were those that wanted Ziggy’s and his two sister’s territory.
Feral, mean and wild, they attacked relentlessly. At my own back door they attacked and even challenged me, a human.

Ziggy was a big, strong cat and would defend himself, his sisters and our property. He never lost – except his life.

Ziggy recently lost weight quickly. He became lethargic and couldn’t even come to sit on a lap or his pillow on our bed. We took him to the vet office and had tests run. He had a viral form of feline leukemia.

This disease was given to him by a feral cat, fed by a well-meaning human with little understanding of the facts. It is a form for which there is neither inoculation nor cure. Ziggy was buried with his best friend Boomerang, our cattle show dog that died.”  From: http://www.tbnweekly.com/editorial/readers_poll/content_articles/070213_pol-01.txt

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From me:  This is one reason why cats should be kept indoors, or in their own enclosure outside.

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Share This Video to Help Animals

“Wayne Pacelle, President of the Humane Society of the United States, was with Ellen to discuss new and important legislation about animals that you need to hear.”

Anti-Whistleblower Bills Hide Factory-Farming Abuses from the Public

Learn more and see what you can do

Stop Agribusiness from Hiding Animal Cruelty

https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=6047&autologin=true&s_src=web_tx_3097459578

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On This Day:

Nicklaus sets title record, Aug 12, 1973:

“On August 12, 1973, American golfer Jack Nicklaus wins the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) championship for his 14th major title, surpassing Bobby Jones' record of 13 major championships. Nicklaus shot a seven-under-par 277 at Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio, to win $45,000 and his third PGA National championship. The "Golden Bear" went on to win a total of 20 major tournaments, a record that still stands today. (Although it aptly describes his golden-colored hair and large build, Nicklaus' famous moniker is actually derived from his high school alma mater, the Upper Arlington Golden Bears.)”

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Skeleton of Tyrannosaurus rex discovered, Aug 12, 1990:

“On this day in 1990, fossil hunter Susan Hendrickson discovers three huge bones jutting out of a cliff near Faith, South Dakota. They turn out to be part of the largest-ever Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever discovered, a 65 million-year-old specimen dubbed Sue, after its discoverer.

Amazingly, Sue's skeleton was over 90 percent complete, and Sue's extraordinarily well-preserved bones have allowed scientists to determine many things about the life of T.rex. They have determined that the carnivorous dinosaur had an incredible sense of smell, as the olfactory bulbs were each bigger than the cerebrum, the thinking part of the brain. In addition, Sue was the first T.rex skeleton to be discovered with a wishbone, a crucial discovery that provided support for scientists’ theory that birds are a type of living dinosaur. One thing that remains unknown is Sue's actual gender; to determine this, scientists would have to compare many more T.rex skeletons than the 22 that have been found so far.”

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Yesterday:

Ray was busy, so I called around about someone to install the porch roofs.  One man was supposed to be here at 2.00 PM, but he didn’t show up! 

In the morning, as it is too far for Misty to walk now, I drove her down to the mailboxes for her exercise around the park there.  That meant more junk mail to go through, and keep the shredder busy.

Then I caught up with some household chores and cooked enough food so that some was frozen for later when I don’t have time to cook.

Also, I searched in Craigslist and eBay looking for a Park Model travel trailer that isn’t too far away.  I’ll find one that I like, some day.

RV Water Pressure. Passport America. Chinese-made Tires. Old Fashioned Oven or Convection Microwave? Leaky Shower? Bicycle Rack. Sink Strainer. Iced Tank. Compact Hose. Tornadoes. NYC Public Library. My Roof.

 

For “tRaVersing Thursday”, or RV Day:

Keep your water pressure under control

“RV water systems are designed for modest water pressures. The typical built-in 12-volt pump produces a maximum of 45 psi or 55 psi, which is enough for a decent shower. But when you hook up to "city water" there are no guarantees.

I've been connected to water supplies as low as 18 psi (wow, does that take a LONG time to fill the fresh tank), and as high as 125 psi, which is enough to damage water system components. It's always a Russian-roulette game, and it's one you really don't want to play.

The short story is to always test the water hookup before you hook up. But this involves digging out your water-pressure gauge (now which drawer was that in?), screwing it onto the faucet, testing, unscrewing, and then (finally) attaching your water hose. For most of us, it kind of begs for laziness ("Oh, it's probably okay"), which can be an expensive mistake. A handier solution is to make up a water quick-connect assembly with integral gauge.

Here's all you need, available from any local hardware store:
    •Water pressure gauge
    •Water manifold Y-fitting with shut-off valves
    •Short flex-line "hose-saver"

The Y-fitting female attaches to the flex-line and then to the city-water faucet — the flex line allows attaching the setup to even the most inaccessible faucet. The water-pressure gauge attaches to one of the Y-fitting male outlets and your water-hose to the other.

When you are ready to hook up screw the flex line onto the city-water faucet, turn off the valve going to the hose, turn on the valve going to the gauge, and then turn on the city-water valve. The gauge will show you what pressure you have. If it's okay, turn on the Y-fitting hose valve. If the pressure is too high, of course you'll need a regulator — but you don't need to employ such a flow-restricting device if the water pressure is under 80 psi.

Leave the whole setup attached to your water hose and you'll never get lazy. This dandy apparatus will keep you honest, always providing the important pressure reading whenever you connect your precious RV water system to that strange faucet.” By Greg Illes

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Why a Passport America membership is a good thing

“Although it seems like campground costs are rising with each new season, bargains can still be found throughout North America. Passport America is one RV park club that makes it easy to save money.

If you're skeptical about yet another RV camping club you can put your skepticism to rest. For a $44 yearly membership fee you'll get half-price camping at hundreds of membership campgrounds in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Parks in choice locations like San Diego that normally charge $50 a night are just $25 with a Passport America membership.

Unlike many camping clubs, Passport America openly shares which campgrounds are part of its network with members and non-members alike. This makes it easy to research RVer's reviews on member parks at sites like rvparkreviews.com. To see which Passport America parks are currently part of the group's network click here.

Passport America memberships only have a couple of downsides: Affiliated parks are often located on the fringe of major cities and RV parks in the most desirable areas often restrict membership access to certain times of the week or season. For example, most Passport America parks in Arizona only allow members summer use.

Despite these limitations, RVing is one of the cheapest ways to enjoy prime real estate and a Passport America membership can make it even more affordable. For the price of one night in a first-rate RV park, you can have more money to put into your gas tank.” By Rene Agredano

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Complaints on Chinese-made tires. Are they valid?

“Our RV Tire Safety blogger, Roger Marble, comments on complaints about "China bombs," or Chinese-made tires. He reviews some complaints to NHTSA.

Without complaints that provide the information needed by the investigators at NHTSA, there will never be a recall and without a recall there is little real incentive to some companies to improve the quality of their tires." Read more

Bottom Line
”Some but not all tires that fail, appear to be made in China. Also the NHTSA web site isn't very easy to use to find which tires have fewer complaints than others. One of the major reasons is what engineers call GIGO Garbage In Garbage Out. 
People are not providing the tire DOT serial so numerous errors follow, making the complaint web site less than helpful, which means others can't gain knowledge needed to make informed decisions.”

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Old fashioned oven or convection microwave?

My Convection Microwave

“The oven has been a basic tool in home cookery for decades. RV's have had them for a long time. On the other hand convection ovens haven't been around nearly as long, but have proven to be a great cooking method for RVs and the home alike. So what's best?”   Rich Miller, the Wanderman, has some thoughts.

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How to prevent your RV's shower stall from leaking

“Certified RV technician Chris Dougherty outlines a simple way to keep your RV's shower stall from leaking.”

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A better sink drain strainer for your RV kitchen

Rene Agredano went shopping for a better kitchen sink drain strainer. Here's what she found.

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RV bicycle rack uses roof ladder to transport bikes

“Jim Nelson demonstrates a very clever bicycle rack that uses an RV's ladder to transport one or two bikes.”

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Ice cubes in the toilet

“Purchase a five-pound bag of ice cubes and dump them down the toilet before heading on the road. As the ice melts and gets sloshed around while driving, it should knock any dried solid waste from the walls in the tank and mix with the water that will be ready to dump at your next stop.”  By Jim Spellman

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An ideal hose for your RV? Maybe not

“RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury has a tip about a new type of compact hose that at first glance seems like a good thing for RVers. But maybe not.”

Just don’t use them for drinking water.

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BT Daily: Tornadoes, God & Hope

May 21, 2013 - “Did God cause the Oklahoma tornadoes? Is there hope?”

Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/christian-living/tornadoes-god-hope

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On This Day:

New York Public Library dedicated, May 23, 1911:

“In a ceremony presided over by President William Howard Taft, the New York Public Library, the largest marble structure ever constructed in the United States, is dedicated in New York City. Occupying a two-block section of Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets, the monumental beaux-arts structure took 14 years to complete at a cost of $9 million. The day after its dedication, the library opened its doors to the public, and some 40,000 citizens passed through to make use of a collection that already consisted of more than a million books.

In the late 19th century, New York had surpassed Paris in population and was quickly catching up with London, then the world's most populous city. Unlike these cities, however, it lacked a public library large enough to serve its many citizens. In 1886, former New York Governor Samuel J. Tilden died, bequeathing to the city $2.4 million to "establish and maintain a free library and reading room in the city of New York." The gift remained unspent until May 23, 1895, when New York's two largest libraries--the Astor and Lenox libraries--agreed to combine with the Tilden Trust to form a new entity that would be known as The New York Public Library. Sixteen years later to the day, the main branch of the library was dedicated in midtown Manhattan.

During the next few decades, thanks in large part to a $5.2 million gift from steel baron Andrew Carnegie, a system of branch libraries opened throughout New York City. Today, the New York Public Library is visited and used annually by more than 10 million people, and there are currently well over two million cardholders, more than for any other library system in the nation.”

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Yesterday:

Thoughts of the front porch extension woke me up before 5.00am.  It is just too awful, and I couldn’t let it go on.  It really needed to be cantilevered and Jay doesn’t want to learn how to do that.  Jay had assured me that he could build this roof extension, but I have let it go on too long.  Every time I said to Jay that it looked unstable, or the boards look uneven, or not lining up right, he said “Oh, it’ll be alright.”  This is not what I had in mind for the entrance to my house!

 

 

 

 

 

Misty and I went to get Jay, hoping he would do something about it, and Misty and I had a short walk down there.  As usual, I had to wait for him for about 25 minutes as he wasn’t ready when he said he was, and that just get’s my goat! 

That 25 minutes could have put to good use. I always have emails to tend to, yesterday I had two baskets of laundry to be folded, and there is always that pile of junk mail to shred. I could even be spending that time exercising these foster cats with a feather toy on a string and stick. Maybe, one day, I will have time to install the new padded toilet seat that I bought a month ago.

Jay took ‘umbrage’ (Brit: To take umbrage means to be offended), when I asked him to fix it to try to make it look more presentable, and he asked to be driven home.  He said he had to go home to change the water in his aquarium as his plecostomus had died.  I was already working on something else with Ray, and I told Jay that I shouldn’t have to waste my gas and time again.  He called someone else to give him a ride home.  Even though Jay owes me money, sometimes you have to cut your losses.  There are plenty of other things that he can do around here that maybe his beer-sodden brain can do right.  Such as, I need a bunch of fence pickets cut on the table saw, it’s one way to use up old lumber.

Ray and I were airing up the tires of all the vehicles with the compressor.  One utility trailer, one camping-cargo trailer, two motor homes, (one with air lift bags), my Puddle Jumper, my van, Ray’s car, and his son’s SUV.  That’s 32 tires on the ground, plus spares. It was still too damp from the overnight rains to do any painting.

It would be nice if my screen porch could look like this:

or my entrance way, like this:

In the afternoon, I had to cook a bunch of veggies.  They had been bought to be juiced, but I had been too worn out after cutting down the Collie to even think about juicing or eating for a couple of days.  I even forgot to take my vitamins.  That might have contributed to my immune system being compromised, and made me so susceptible to the allergens of the last few days.