Undocumented Immigrants

If our elected leaders would set aside their political motives and get to solving some of the real problems facing us, we might be more optomistic about the state of U. S. affairs.

It was a lousy Thanksgiving for the Miechkota family in International
Falls, Minn.

About 700 Canadian citizens were deported back to Canada during 2006, said
Tim Counts, public affairs officer for the U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) office in Bloomington, Minn. The office assumed a portion of
the Immigration and Naturalization Service's duties after that office was
dissolved in 2003.

Read the entire item from the Grand Forks Herald.

Real Global Warming Results

I sus pect the residents of Kivalina, Alaska are not sympathetic to those who discount the reality of global warming effects. This small village will be gone in a few years. Check it out on the web.

Kivalina is an Inupiat community first reported as "Kivualinagmut" in 1847 by Lt. Lavrenty Zagoskin of the Imperial Russian Navy. It has long been a stopping place for travelers between arctic coastal areas and Kotzebue Sound communities. It is the only village in the region where people hunt the bowhead whale. The original village was located at the north end of the Kivalina Lagoon but was relocated.
In about 1900, reindeer were brought to the area and some people were trained as reindeer herders.
An airstrip was built at Kivalina in 1960. Kivalina incorporated as a city in 1969. During the 1970s, a new school and an electric system were constructed in the village.
Due to severe erosion, the City intends to relocate again to a new site 12 km (7.5 miles) from the present site.

We Used to Go to Winnepeg

Wow. Who would have thought that traveling from Canada to North Dakota to shop would be like heading to Mexico to look for bargains.

FLU SHOTS

Everyone at our house has had their flu shots. Have you had yours? If not, why not?

Earthquake

At 8:04 pm, Tuesday, Oct. 30, we had a 5.6 earthquake centeres near Alum Rock, near San Jose. The sideway shaking scared Bear (our dog) more than me. But now, for the next 7 days, when there is a high liklihood of another quake, I will probably jump at anything feeling like a shake.

Viking remains found intact

Viking remains found intact

So, imagine! 1200 years ago this relative of our reigned over a bunch of maurauding Vikings. Which side of the family do I spring? Uff-dah!

Labor Day

It seems to me that over the years we, as a nation, have drifted away from the real value and role of "labor." This item came from the Library of Congress blog.

"Folklorist Archie Green, upon whom the Library recently bestowed a Living Legend medal, has spent a lifetime studying the history and culture of the labor movement. The award was accepted by his son during a two-day symposium devoted to “laborlore.” (More information about the event and the Library’s laborlore collections can be found here.) Green, who coined the term “laborlore,” is also regarded as the founding father of the Library’s American Folklife Center (AFC). He spent a decade lobbying Congress to establish a center to preserve and present American folklife. His vision became a reality on Jan. 2, 1976, when President Gerald R. Ford signed the bill establishing the AFC."

Tradeoff - Money for Fish

As I get older I seem to become more concerned about what is left on this earth when I leave. Mining company owners have said they are prepared to spend more than a billion dollars to develop this property. No doubt they see enormous profits for them and their stockholders. I can't believe we as a nation won't oppose this proposal with vigor.

Alaskan economy faces a fork in the river - Los Angeles Times: "Opponents say a proposed Pebble mine would destroy one of the planet's last sustainable fisheries, dry up spawning streams, and poison lakes and groundwater with acid runoff. Biologists have found that salmon's genetic radar, which enable the fish to return from the bay to the very streams where they were spawned, can be ruined by microscopic particles of copper dust."

SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS

FROM TIME TO TIME I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE THE US USERS "JUST SAID NO." Or if more of our national efforts were focused on the problems at home rather than on the otherside of the globe.



BBC NEWS South Asia Afghanistan opium at record high

A Different View

I was astounded to learn about the number of Chinese children adopted by American families. More astounding was the information about the cooperation of the Chinese government in this process. Maybe, if we in this country were to focus on making adoption easier, we would have a greater impact on reducing abortions than by the constant effort to make abortion illegal.


Adopted as children, Chinese in America - International Herald Tribune: "Since 1991, when China loosened its adoption laws to address a growing number of children abandoned because of its national one-child policy, American families have adopted more than 55,000 Chinese children, almost all girls. Most of the children are younger than 10, and an organized subculture has developed around them, complete with play groups, tours of China and online support groups."

Graduation Memories

This was taken about the time I graduated from San Jose in 1957. It was taken in Aunt Esther's backyard. From the left - Harley, Esther, Patricia, Keith. Clint McCready sent it to me recently. Wow. How things change!

ContraCostaTimes.com - Blast isn't past

How sweet it is. I will refrain from saying "I told you so." At least for awhile.


ContraCostaTimes.com - Blast isn't past: "I've finally emerged from the dog pile of sportswriters who pounced on Barry Bonds' quotes after home run No. 756. And just in time to see No. 757 make a splash 23 hours later in Wednesday's encore, a 5-0 Giants win over the Washington Nationals at AT&T Park. That one lacked the panache of No. 756, however, so gather around as we auction off memories from Tuesday's record-breaking night:"

BONDS OWNS RECORD

Barry hit 756 tonight in Giant's Stadium. It is now San Francisco's.

Bergman Gone

BBC NEWS Entertainment Film director Bergman dies at 89: "Legendary film-maker Ingmar Bergman, one of the key figures in modern cinema, has died at the age of 89.Legendary film-maker Ingmar Bergman, one of the key figures in modern cinema, has died at the age of 89."

Reading this news leaves me sad and lonesome. How else would Ingmar expect me to feel?

BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | World owes US a debt, says Brown

BBC NEWS UK UK Politics World owes US a debt, says Brown

This item carried by the BBC is worth reading. The new Prime Minister meets with Bush today.

Some Manvel History

This is a great story. Read it.


· Grand Forks Herald ·: "Hatts off to Manvel
By Kevin Bonham
Herald Staff Writer - 07/27/2007
MANVEL, N.D. When Robert Hatt needs a little advice on civic matters, the mayor of Manvel knows he can rely on his dad. "

Life in the slow lane / In I-80's shadow, Crockett has stayed small as the county grew up

Life in the slow lane / In I-80's shadow, Crockett has stayed small as the county grew up

Sometimes reporters capture the essence of the community. This article is 4 or 5 years old but worth reading.

Hayward Fault Quake

"July 20 (Bloomberg) -- Northern California was shaken this morning by a magnitude-4.2 earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The earthquake struck at 4:42 a.m. local time, 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) east-northeast of Oakland, and was 3.6 miles deep, the agency said in a report on its Web site. "

Earthquakes happen with som frequency and usually go unnoticed. Peter and Jason woke up. I didn't. The scarry part of this one is that it is on the Hayward fault and the fault that will cause the greatest damage. Sometime in the next 40 years a 7.0 or greater is expected. A 7.0 shake would release 30,000 times as much energy as this one and virtually wipe out everything in the east bay!

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Viking ship attempts sea crossing

BBC NEWS Science/Nature Viking ship attempts sea crossing

Time passes and the world changes - mostly for the best. Read this BBC News article. The question: Where are the Vikings these days?

Cottonwood Seeds Reunion

The reunion of Charlie Olsen's descendants has passed. I am sorry I couldn't be there. Hope Everyone survived in health and happiness.

Fire Scare in Crockett

Last week, for a day, we were surrounded by fires. Our area was not in danger but the upper regions of Valona, above Rose, were threatened. A few yards further and the houses could have burned.

Pray for the People of Chiapas

: "By AP
TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico — A strong earthquake shook parts of southern Mexico on Thursday night, sending thousands of area residents fleeing from buildings into the streets.
Officials said there were no immediate reports of injury or damage.
The magnitude-6.1 earthquake hit Chiapas state at 8:09 p.m. local time, said the U.S. Geological Survey, which monitors quakes worldwide.
Thousands of people in the Chiapas state capital Tuxtla Gutierrez ran out of homes and buildings as the ground trembled and windows rattled. Electricity for much of the city was also cut off for several minutes.
In the swampy oil-rich city Villahermosa in neighbouring Tabasco state, the quake also rattled buildings.
Some Mexico City buildings also shook, causing some residents to run out of their homes. "

Immigration Policy????

BBC NEWS Americas 'Melting pot' America: "'Melting pot' America
American society has often been described as a melting pot but in recent years, it has also attracted other definitions such as 'tomato soup' and 'tossed salad'.
For centuries, the US has attracted people in search of a share of 'the American dream' from all corners of the world.
In fact, US history is one of immigration. "

Now that the Congress has again proven that it is incapable of legislating, maybe we the people should make the current recess permanent.

Single Issue Voting

For years I have railed against voting based on a single issue such as abortion, etc. I think I am now a single issue voter - that anyone at any level to receive my vote must convince me that their position on global warming is positive.

Preservation Online: Today's News Archives: N.D. Approves $5 Million for 1932 International Peace Garden

Preservation Online: Today's News Archives: N.D. Approves $5 Million for 1932 International Peace Garden: "N.D. Approves $5 Million for 1932 International Peace Garden


Story by Krista Walton / June 5, 2007

Harmony soon will be restored to the 75-year-old International Peace Garden, a park that serves as a reminder of the long-standing accord between the U.S. and Canada.
After decades in the grips of overgrown weeds, the park and its 180 structures will soon get some much-needed care, thanks to $5 million allocated to the garden's restoration by North Dakota lawmakers last month. "

Read on. Great idea and timely.

North Dakota Revisited

I hope someone will write and tell me their reaction to these.


Fields of Dreams: "Fields of Dreams
To help revive his North Dakota hometown, a former high-school principal created giant sculptures to grace a stretch of prairie highway

By Reed Karaim

Gary Greff was driving across western North Dakota when he came upon a
human figure fashioned out of metal and a round hay bale. As he watched a family
stop to take a picture of the figure, he saw his future. Having recently left
his job as a high-school principal, Greff had returned to his hometown of
Regent, a struggling community of some 200 souls tucked into the southwestern
corner of North Dakota, to figure out what to do next. Now, he knew. "

Norwegians' day to celebrate

Norwegians' day to celebrate: "Norwegians' day to celebrate

The 17th of May is Norway's Constitution Day, celebrating the signing of the country's most important document back in 1814. It took another 91 years before Norway won full independence in 1905, and Norwegians have been celebrating ever since. The biggest national event is the school children's parade up to the Royal Palace in Oslo.
PHOTO: KYRRE LIEN / SCANPIX"

And to think that there were no celebrations in Crockett! On the other hand, a couple of whales went all the way to Sacramento. See below.

He's Back

It has been several years since Humphrey invaded the Straits.

: "Whale rescue mission set for today: Plan is to nudge pair with sound
By Rowena Coetsee
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Contra Costa Times"

Changes in France

Pro-american president may permit our people to talk to the French.

Sarkozy Wins the Chance to Prove His Critics Wrong - New York Times: "But what is certain is that Nicolas Sarkozy, who won Sunday’s runoff election, is one of the most polarizing figures to move into Élysée Palace in the postwar era. He is a whirling dervish of ideas who inspires hope and fear. Even many members of his own party, the Union for a Popular Movement, are holding their breath in anticipation of what his presidency may bring. “Other politicians don’t want to take risks, but he will take any risk,” said Brice Hortefeux, one of Mr. Sarkozy’s closest friends and political allies"

Doomed to Drive

No matter what, we will not spend money for rail. Yesterday the water company predicts a dry year next year and the year following.


The Schwarzenegger Administration has floated a budget proposal that slashes
transit funds by $1.1 billion, just months after the Governor personally committed
himself to fighting global climate change. The proposal caused fury among rail and
transit advocates testifying at State Senate and Assembly budget subcommittees in the Capitol in late March.

Its Time for Trains

This morning we learned that a piece of freeway had been destroyed by a truck accident and that it will take months to repair the damage. In the meantime, traffic to and from San Francisco will be impossible. At the same time, the Governor is cutting funds for "high speed rail." It seems to me we should put bunches of resources into trains cutting the carbon footprint.

Mexico City Earthquake

Last night right around midnight, a 6.0 quake stuck from Acupulco to Mexico City. There was a small item buried in the middle of today's New York Times and nothing in our local papers. How come? A 6 quake in California would shove Imus off the front page.

Our Dog Bear

The recent problems with dog food has caused me to view Bear differently. He is an essential member of our family and the thought of losing him because of tainted food has changed his diet. Now we feed him only what we would eat ourselves. Except for the dry food!

The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London 1674 to 1834

Check out this site. It represents a breathtaking advance into the study of history. Imagine having the proceedings at Old Baily at your fingertips anywhere, anytime.

Edmund Bury Godfrey , and Edward Gould , of London, were indicted for
feloniously stealing 134 pair of Worsted stockings, value 20 l. the Property of
John Squire and Samuel Wheeler , out of the Dwelling-house of Edward Bury , the
26th of March last. The Prosecutor deposed, That his Stockings were lost while
he was abroad, and that Edward Gould was his Servant, and that he inspecting him
pressed him very hard to declare the Truth, which after some urgency he did, and
also declar'd the same before Sir Thomas Abney . That he and Godfrey having
contrived to rob his Master, the latter came the Friday before and enquired when
he might come that there would be Goods ready to carry off. That he told him the
Tuesday following about 8 a clock, and the Signal was to whistle at the Window;
that accordingly he came and whistled and he let him in, where he lay hid till
Gould getting his Fellow-Servant to the Alehouse, the Prisoner Godfrey had the
opportunity to carry away the Goods. This Examination to this effect was Read in
Court: but notwithstanding this he now used the common Newgate Argument, an
universal Negative. However, the Jury took him at his first word, and found him
guilty of the Indictment; and there being not sufficient Proof against Godfrey,
him they acquitted

Australia Leads the Way

The group of "ludites" posing as Republicans need to take a look at Australian experiences before they make fun of Gore. Wether human caused or not, the effects of global warming are evident.

thewest.com.au : Climate doomsday approaching: report: "“If the water gets fresh enough . . .then it won’t matter how much ice we form, we won’t be able to make this water cold and salty enough to sink,” said Steve Rintoul, a senior CSIRO scientist who recently led a multinational team on an expedition to sample deepbasin water south of WA to the Antarctic. The Antarctic Peninsula is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth, and glaciers are in massive retreat. "

Al Gore Wins

After watching Al Gore testify the other day before Boxer's Senate committee, I am greatly impressed with his recommendations and will step up my own actions yo reduce my own carbon footprint.

More Global Warming???

It gets "worser and worser". Hooray for Al Gore.



Los Angeles Times: L.A. facing its driest year ever: "Put away that umbrella and hold on to that moisturizer.

The National Weather Service on Monday declared that Los Angeles is experiencing its driest year on record.

Only about 2.40 inches of rain has fallen on downtown Los Angeles since July 1, and there's no sign of rain through at least the middle of this month.

Forecasters expected February — historically Los Angeles' wettest month — to provide some relief, but it didn't. Now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's weather models suggest that a La Niña climate pattern is emerging in the Pacific, continuing the drought-like conditions.

The prolonged dry spell contributed to an unusually long fire season, rife with Santa Ana winds that have extended into March.

The last time it was remotely this dry was 1924, when 2.50 inches of rain had fallen.

'We've never had a drier year on record so far,' said Eric Boldt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. 'If nothing significant happens in March, then we've pretty much run out of time.' "

Research and Reading Enjoyment

Google and the San Francisco-based Internet Archive are among the greatest additions to internet power since the beginning. Sitting in my cluttered office, I can read and search thousands of volumes that were unavailable unless I traveled to libraies in Sacramento, Berkeley or San Francisco.

Light Earthquake

It certainly fills me with awe - after the fear leaves.


Info for event nc40194055:
"A light earthquake occurred at 8:40:00 PM (PST) on Thursday, March 1, 2007.
The magnitude 4.2 event occurred 2 km (1 miles) NE of Lafayette, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 17 km (10 miles). "


Magnitude
4.2 - regional moment magnitude (Mw)
Time
Thursday, March 1, 2007 at 8:40:00 PM (PST)Friday, March 2, 2007 at 4:40:00 (UTC)
Distance from
Lafayette, CA - 2 km (1 miles) NE (47 degrees)Walnut Creek, CA - 5 km (3 miles) WSW (257 degrees)Pleasant Hill, CA - 6 km (4 miles) SSW (202 degrees)Concord, CA - 10 km (6 miles) SW (225 degrees)San Francisco City Hall, CA - 31 km (20 miles) ENE (63 degrees)
Coordinates
37 deg. 54.1 min. N (37.901N), 122 deg. 5.9 min. W (122.098W)
Depth
16.6 km (10.3 miles)
Location Quality
Excellent

ContraCostaTimes.com | 02/14/2007 | Vallejo Kaiser center now smoke free

Bravo Kaiser. I quit smoking 25 years ago and have developed a severe dislike of smoke odors in the meantime. Since I visit Kaiser Vallejo a couple times a week, this action is most welcome.




ContraCostaTimes.com 02/14/2007 Vallejo Kaiser center now smoke free: "Vallejo Kaiser center now smoke free
By Andrea Wolf
MEDIANEWS CORRESPONDENT
Butts are no longer welcome anywhere at Vallejo's Kaiser Permanente Medical Center.
Smokers will have to light up somewhere else as the entire Kaiser campus is now smoke free.
The two smoking areas, or 'butt huts,' were removed Tuesday to the delight of on-looking doctors and health officials.
To help members and employees who want to quit, Kaiser is offering a battalion of resources to make the difficult process a little easier."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Teraflop chip hints at the future

Imagine what the world will be like when our desktops can have such a chip? Not in my lifetime I suspect.


BBC NEWS Technology Teraflop chip hints at the future: "Teraflop chip hints at the future
A chip with 80 processing cores and capable of more than a trillion calculations per second (teraflop) has been unveiled by Intel.
The Teraflop chip is not a commercial release but could point the way to more powerful processors, said the firm.
The chip achieves performance on a piece of silicon no bigger than a fingernail that 11 years ago required a machine with 10,000 chips inside it.
The challenge is to find a way to program the many cores simultaneously. "

AP Wire | 02/09/2007 | Report says Pentagon manipulated intel

Read it and weep!

Kids and Family History

As we prepare for the Reunion next summer, this article has good suggestions.

24-7 Family History Circle » Tips from the Pros: Stir a Child’s Interest, from Maureen Taylor
Getting kids interested in family history can be easy or hard depending on the child and their interests. There are a couple of simple things you can do to grab their attention.

Jury Duty

On Wednesday, January 24, I reported for jury duty at Superior Court in Martinez. Getting through the door into the court building did not start out well. I had to go through the metal detector three times - each time remembering something else like my cell phone. There were about 120 of us in the jury assembly room where we had to line up to obtain forms to fill out. Sometime around eleven o'clock they read 80 names, mine included, to be in the first court. The rest of the folks went home. We were taken to Department 4 on the second floor, seated and waited for the judge. She, Judge O'Malley, gave us a rundown on what the process would be to select the jury. She sent us to lunch. At 1:30 we all entered the courtroom after the first 12 folks were selected to sit in the jury box with an additional 9 seated in number seats in the first row. The the process of questioning began. This continued through the rest of the day and through the following day. Since the Judge had other things scheduled for Friday, we came back today (Monday). By eleven the jury and the alternates were seated and the rest of us (six people) were excused.

I felt let down that I wasn't selected - sort of like not being chosen to be on the baseball team in grammar school.

The Carquinez

On good days this is the view from the hill.

Crockett Weather BRRRRRRRRR!

For the past week our temperatures at night have dropped below freezing resulting in heavily frosted windshields. Much more of this and we may have to install headbolt heaters! But I note the below zero temperatures in Grand Forks and Minot and Atchison and am grateful to be here where we can't walk across rivers and lakes.

$1 million for a Condo!!!!!!

Only a few years ago, Walnut Creek was in the country and a haven for those seeking to reduce housing costs. But Now....

Walnut Creek feels like a millionBy Theresa HarringtonCONTRA COSTA TIMES
When Tiffany and Co. opened in downtown Walnut Creek in 2003, the city attained star status as an up-and-coming urban community beginning to rival San Francisco with its shopping and dining choices.
Now, Walnut Creek is upping the ante with luxury condominiums for people who want an urban atmosphere in a suburban area, priced as high as $1.3 million.
"Who'd have thought that you'd be paying $1 million for a condo in downtown Walnut Creek?" Mayor Sue Rainey said with a laugh. "I think that is a stunning surprise."
Although the housing market is considered to be slumping, the Mercer luxury condo project under construction on North California Boulevard is defying the odds by selling 17 of its 23 three-bedroom units, costing $1.1 million to $1.3 million, before they're even built. The project expects to open in the fall.
"The pricing is consistent with the demand for this type of living experience," said developer Jon Moss, senior vice president of Prometheus Real Estate. "It's a very unique environment. The retail in Walnut Creek is second to none in the East Bay."
Similar San Francisco condos cost about twice as much per square foot as the Mercer, Moss said.