Crockett Signal Being Written

One might conclude from this picture that Dan Robertson is painting but he is really editing the Crockett Signal. If you haven't yet read the May 2011 issue, it is for sale at the Crockett Museum and Historical Society. Dan not only publishes the magazine but he keeps us informed about the doings in town. He is also a Museum director. The picture above is posted on the Port Costa Conservation Society and was probably taken by Lewis Stewart.

Presidential Politics

I was saddened when I listened to President Obama at an unscheduled press conference discussing the noise being generated by some of the media concerning his birth certificate. Despite proof to the contrary nearly half of the Republicans bought into the lie that he was not born in the United States. The fact that large numbers of Americans accepted the lie proves that Goebels was correct when he said that if you repeat a lie often enough it will be accepted as the truth by a growing number of people. In my opinion this reflects a serious racial bias against a black man being president.I fear for our country.

Kindle for PC

Recently I installed Kindle for PC on my computer. This is a great "add-ons" for reading books online. First, its free and I don't need a Kindle reader. This is the Amazon reader that sells for $139 if you want one you can carry around. The program does everything the regular Kindle reader will do. Amazon has a large number of books that can be downloaded for a reduced price as well as a bunch of free books. Currently I am reading Benedict XVI's first volume of Jesus. This is not an ad for Amazon. I just enjoy the program.

OUT OF AFGHAN WAR

After the response of some Afghan folks to the burning of the Quran by some nut in Florida resulting in the death of 7 UN people and the parade with anti-American signs, I urge the President to remove all American from the country. Declare victory and leave.

Report to Representatives.

From time to time I like to write down my hopes for actions by our politicians in the hope that they will read my blog for insipration on how to vote. As of today, my desires for my government are:
1. Return to the draft for military service. A volunteer army leeds to separation of voter and taxpayer. If there were a draft young people would be interested in world affairs.
2. Pull all American military out of Iraq and Afganistan. If we haven't won after all this time, we are not likley to ever win.
3. Explain to me and others why we have large numbers of troops in Germany, Japan and dozens of other countries.
4. Establish a national health plan, single payer type. Medicare works very well thank you.
5. Order that all government owned vehicle run on natural gas.
6. Fix the potholes in all our roads and streets.
7. Reduce the speed limit in Interstates to 55 mph. Enforce the speed limit. This would serve two priorities: improve milage of automobiles, put monies in the treasuries of cities from speeding fines.

Barry Bonds Trial

Today begins the jury selection for the trial of Barry Bonds. I have real difficulty in the decisions to try Bonds. The US Attorney says its necessary to prove that one can't lie to a Grand Jury and not be punished. Bonds has been punished by the public. With the serious budget shortages facing the government it seems to me that they must have more serious cases on which to spend their time and resources. I'm left with the conclusion that the US Attorney is seeking his own publicity. If they don't get a conviction I assume the Attorney General will remove this US Attorney!!

Snowstorm?? Coming

Wednesday and off to the Museum for another day in my volunteer commitment of two days a week. Today I plan on digging out whatever information we have about snow in Crockett because the weatherpeople are saying that this weekend we may have snow down to 1000 ft.. The neatest weather page I've seen in awhile is an interactive map of every reporting point in the US. Take a look at it and enjoy. As an old (both age and long ago) weatherman I remember having to take the reports sent via teletype, plotting the data on a map and then giving it to the forecaster to analyze and send it out via fax machine.

Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds is still in the crosshairs of the District Attorney although the latest indictment dropped some more counts. Given the stated intent to cut the costs in the courts, etc., one would think they have more important and urgent things to do than to take on something several years old that have little chance of conviction.

Sunlight Finally

Tuesday the 25th of January. For the first time in several weeks the fog has lifted and its not raining. Temperature in the high 60's. California has returned. Tonite is the St. Rose Pastoral Council and I intend to make a pitch for a goal energizing the Catholics in our parish who have drifted away. 2012 is the 1ooth anniversary of becoming a parish and hopefully we will do more than have a luncheon for the Bishop.

Weather Report

Heavy December rains and snow lead me to consider the issues of global warming. Although the US is set to benefit from warmer winters, the south Pacific is already experiencing the effects of global warming. The US is the ONLY major country where the legislative leaders question the reality of the effects of a warmer earth. During the next 10 years we will witness the deaths and damages directly attributable to changes in weather. The Cancun Conference http://www.daraint.org made several things clear. We can no longer worship at the altar of Adam Smith,

SF Giants Rule Forever

Now that the Giants are the world champions, one would think that all those "friends" who took me to task for supporting Barry Bonds would call me to say they have been wrong. Bond holds more baseball records than any other player and had a real role in building this team. Oh well, next year - the Oakland A's.

Waiting for the Crown

Now that the San Francisco Giants have won the first two games, we are entitled to hope for 2 more wins. Then, everyone who has trash-talked my favorite player Barry Bonds can hear me say "I told you so!" Stay tuned.

New Computer

After 25 years of using a personal computer for the first time my hard disk failed. I thought everything was properly backed up. It wasn't! Now the transfer from XP tp Windows 7 also fails. I was able to save all my word processing material but so far have been unable to recover several years of financial records. Worst of all, my genealogy data is still not on the new machine. There may be a message hidden in there somewhere. Tomorrow will be the first game of the World's Series here in SF. Keep your fingers crossed.

Keith

Computer Woes

For the past 3 weeks, after my older computer died, I have been struggling to get my new machine working - a Gateway. I can only use it in "safe" mode and that is frustrating. Pray for me.

WHO IS THE WINNER? ND or Golf

Congratulations to ND state agencies for continuing investigation into issue of ground water dangers.

NEW YORK(Reuters) - Dallas-based Denbury Resources said it stanched an oil and fracturing fluid leak froma broken well in North Dakota, and will plug the well withcement later Friday before investigating the cause the two-dayleak.

The well near Killdeer, North Dakota spewed 246 barrels ofcrude and 2,200 barrels of fresh fracking fluid - a water-basedmixture containing chemicals -- before it was suppressed withdrilling mud early on Friday.

At Least It's Not Earl

As we listen to reports about hurricane Earl, we have been reminded that we live surrounded by several active faults. "Is this a precursor of the big one?" Who knows. Perhaps!

Magnitude 3.3 - SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA

Shades of BP

Even a small spill like this should cause North Dakotas residents to be a little uneasy.

"There are more than 5,000 wells now producing more than 320,000 barrels of oil a day in western North Dakota, a record amount. As of Wednesday, there were 142 rigs drilling new wells in the state, at the rate of about one well per rig per month."

Jason's New Job

After searching since graduation last May, grandson Jason is in the process of being hired by St. Vincent's School for Boys in San Rafael. The school is operated by the Archdiocese of San Francisco through Catholic Charities and Catholic Youth Organization. We keep our prayers focused on this process and pray that the employment process soon be completed.

The King, The President and Me

I don't know if King Harald is part of the Nobel selection process, but his views and mine coincide with President Obama's views.

The Norway Post: "King Harald's
New Year speech to the nation
Excess consumption, the climate crisis, the
hunt for profit, intolerance and 'Berlin Walls' that create hate and mistrust
were the main themes of King Harald's traditional speech to the nation on New
Year's Eve.
King Harald fears that excess consumption at the worst may
create a dramatic imbalance in the global climate. He urges us all to take this
challenge seriously, in order that our earth may be passed on to new
generations."

1927 Bridge on the way down

This is a shot of a piece of the old bridge coming down. The Crockett Museum has dozens of these.

North Dakota Leads

I always wanted to get down into these silos. Next trip home I'll do it.

Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site State Historical Society of North Dakota: "The new Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site actually consists of two sites telling the story of the Cold War years in North Dakota. They are the Oscar-Zero Missile Alert Facility and the November-33 Launch Facility. They are the last remnants of the 321st Missile Wing, a cluster of intercontinental ballistic missile launch sites that were spread over a 6,500-square-mile area around the Grand Forks Air Force Base. The Oscar Zero Launch Control Center and the November-33 Missile Facilty played an integral part in the Cold War in North Dakota and the world. This site is the last launch control center intact with the top-side of November 33 missile facility left intact."

Support the Catholic Bishops

Washington D.C., Jul 22, 2009 / 03:02 am (CNA).- As national debate about a major Congressional health care bill continues, the U.S. bishops have called for “genuine” health care reform that protects human life and provides comprehensive health care access.
Bishop of Rockville Centre, New York William F. Murphy, writing a July 17 letter to Congress on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), commented:
“Genuine health care reform that protects the life and dignity of all is a moral imperative and a vital national obligation.”
Bishop Murphy, who is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, said that the U.S. bishops have advocated health care reform for decades.
He also outlined four criteria for health care reform, listing respect for human life and dignity, access for all, pluralism and equitable costs.
Concerning respect for human life, the bishop insisted that no health care reform plan should “compel us or others to pay for the destruction of human life, whether through government funding or mandatory coverage of abortion.”
“Any such action would be morally wrong,” he stated, noting that U.S. law already bars federal funding for most abortions.
Health care reform, he said, should not be a vehicle for abandoning a “consensus” that “respects freedom of conscience and honors our best American traditions.”
“Any legislation should reflect longstanding and widely supported current policies on abortion funding, mandates and conscience protections because they represent sound morality, wise policy and political reality.”
Discussing access to health care, Bishop Murphy remarked, “All people need and should have access to comprehensive, quality health care that they can afford, and it should not depend on their stage of life, where or whether they or their parents work, how much they earn, where they live, or where they were born.”
The bishop said the USCCB believes health care reform should be “truly universal” and “genuinely affordable.”
Noting that some families, including immigrants, will not be covered by health care reform, Bishop Murphy urged Congress to fund adequately clinics and hospitals that serve these populations.
He also advocated more cost-sharing protections and new coverage options for poorer families, limits or exemptions on premiums for those who are near poverty, and increases in eligibility levels

Contra Costa Unemployment

As of a few days ago, the California unemployment reached 11.1 percent - the highest since 1941. Our county, Contra Costa, exceeded this meaning we are back to the beginning of the buildup of aircraft companies and shipbuilding brought on by the beginning effects of WWII. Next month we will probably drift into that era when it took a war to recover from the effects of the Great Depression. Every working class family, including mine, is experiencing the effects. I am astounded that the "talking heads" on radio and TV fail to recognize that the difference today is due to unemployment insurance, food stamps, Social Security, FICA etc. all of which grew out of the depression. The GOP is using the same language that HOOVER used that leave people alone to solve their own problems and the economy will recover on its own.

Oh well, its obvious that I am an Obama supporter.

The Celebrated War on Drugs

If we can determine that Iran is sending weapons to Iraq, why can't we stop the shipments to Mexico from the US?



Mexico's Drug War: Mexico drug cartels’ new weaponry means war - Los Angeles Times: "In addition to grenades, high-powered guns such as the .50-caliber Barrett sniper rifle have become a weapon of choice in narcotics traffickers' arsenals, Mangan said. Unlike grenades and antitank weapons, the .50-caliber guns can be obtained by ordinary citizens in the U.S. and smuggled easily into Mexico, like the tons of assault rifles and automatic pistols."

Patsy's Ancestors

Since Patricia's (my wife) ancestors trace back to the French fur trappers maybe this is the answer to some of the anomolies.

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Hillary Clinton and the King's Daughters:

"Eastern Canada was originally settled by French adventurers, fur trappers, and soldiers. There were plenty of men but few women in the early days. The French government realized this was a problem and soon recruited young, single women to travel to New France. These women, known in French as the 'filles du roi' or in English as the 'King's Daughters,' agreed to travel to the new settlements in
North America and marry a settler there in exchange for a 50 pound dowry from the French King. Of the nearly 1,000 women who undertook the journey, about 800 made it to Canada."

Earthquake Preparedness

The geologists tell us that a major earthquake will occur on the Hayward Fault within the next thirty years. This reference from the Psalms is the first item in my survivor kit.

"Psalm 45 (46)
God, our refuge and our strength
The Lord is our refuge and our strength, a true help in our troubles.
Therefore we do not fear, even when the earth is shaken and mountains fall into the depths of the sea, the waves roar and foam and rise up to shake the mountains."

Saga of Cottonwood Farm

I am beginning my story of Cottonwood Farm - an autobiography of sorts. This is from the ND State Historical Society and will be included in a section on the first people to find Grand Forks County. I will be grateful for suggested sources to read and study.

First People
Before Euro-American settlement
of the Northern Plains began in the 19th Century, the land had been occupied for many centuries. Archeological investigations document the presence of big game hunting cultures after the retreat of the continental glaciers about 10,000 years ago and later settlements of both hunting and gathering and farming
peoples dating ca. 2000 B.C. to 1860. When the first white explorers arrived,
distinct Indian groups existed in what is now North Dakota.

These included the Dakota or Lakota nation (called "Sioux", or enemies by those who feared them), Assiniboine, Cheyenne, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara. Groups of Chippewa (or Ojibway) moved into the northern Red River valley around 1800, and Cree, Blackfeet, and Crow frequented the western buffalo ranges.

New Activity on the Hill

One of the actions I promised myself was to read Roman and Greek history when I had the time to do so. Recently I discovered an organization called "The Teaching Company." They offer hundreds of courses on Science and Math, Religion, Literature and the English Language, Classics, History and Philosopy on DVD taught by professors of top standing. At the moment I am pursuing "Masters of Greek Thought: Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle,"in 36 half hour lectures taught by Robert Bartlett from Emory University.

Earthquake Science

Here in Crockett we probably spend more time discussing possible earthquakes rather than the election or Paris Hilton. The only thing ranking higher in our interest is the coming desert (read drought) and the size of our water bill. Who would have thought that this North Dakota raised Crockettonian would concern himself with the movement of tektonic plates??

RUSSIAN RIDGE — At the summit of Rolph Hill, in a corner of the Russian Ridge
Open Space Preserve closed to the public, stands an alien-looking machine — a
small white dome balanced on three long 'legs' sunk deep into moss-covered
bedrock.
Inside is a small, powerful GPS receiver that's measuring the
movement of the earth via satellite every 15 seconds and a cellular modem that
sends the data hundreds of miles away. Scientists are using it to calculate
earthquake hazards across the San Andreas Fault, which lies a few miles to the
east."

Bear on Watch

Actually, Bear is waiting for direction frpm his owner, Pete. They had just discovered the lair of a mountain lion in our hills. Bear, who loves to chase cats, knew that the cat he had just discovered was not the ordinary feline. It took him about a week to get over the trauma.

Smokey Air and View

For the past several days, near synrise and sunset, it has been possible to look directly at the sun without colored glasses. The smoke from the various fires up and down California hangs in the atmoshere dimming the rays from the sun. One of these days it will clear up. Maybe next November!!!

Even in Crockett

Anyone with Swedish blood coursing through their veins will feel the pull to dance and celebrate all through this day. And remember all the Swedes you have known.



The Local - The Lowdown on Swedish Midsummer: "What exactly are we celebrating?

Held on the evening of the Friday between June 19th and 25th, Midsummer marks the the longest day of the year. In Sweden, a country with dark winters and short summers, celebrating the light and the warmth is a natural thing to do.

Strong pagan elements to the festival persist, although their exact links to pre-Christian Sweden are hard to pin down. Pagan societies in northern Europe were known to celebrate summer solstice, but there are no sources to indicate exactly how pagan Midsummer celebrations in Sweden might have looked.

Attempts by the church to adapt the day to the feast of St. John the Baptist never really took off in Sweden, and celebrations retain a reassuringly profane feeling."

Happy Father's Day

We will journey down the hill to my son's house for lunch. It's warm enough to sit in his back yard. He usually has a selection of foods to challenge the most hungry. The picture has nothing to do with his home - it's a view across the Strait from Crockett to Glen Cove.

Traffic Snarls Cost Gas

I-80 is probably the heaviest loaded in the Bay Area. Certainly between Crockett and San Francisco, every day, there gas-eating jams.

Museum Volunteer

After 15 years I have resigned my jobs at the Museum in Crockett. I'll still be a member, use its resources, write for the Signal and all that good stuff. But, for various reasons, I can no longer commit to Wednesday and Saturday. If any Crockett people read this blog, the Crockett Historical Society can use your help.

Presidential Campaign

Generally I have avoided any comments or messages reflecting my political position. This message is simply to state that I am rooting for Obama to be the Democrat nominee.

Powerful quake inevitable in next 30 years, odds show - ContraCostaTimes.com

One of Crockett's advantages is that the Hayward-Rogers Creek fault does not bisect the town. But it runs just west of us by a couple miles. Oh well, ......................

Two faults that we are particularly concerned about with respect to high
probabilities are the southern San Andreas and the Hayward-Rogers Creek," Field said. "Both have elevated probabilities relative to their long-term
averages."

FOXNews.com - Huge Oil Reservoir May Lie Under Northern Plains - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News

Well, its a lot less than the 200 billion barrels some folks have forcast but as technology advances, so grows the resource. I stll beats ethanol.

"The government estimates up to 4.3 billion barrels of oil can be recovered from the Bakken shale formation in North Dakota and Montana, using current technology. The U.S. Geological Survey calls it the largest continuous oil accumulation it has ever assessed.
An assessment by USGS in 1999 found the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge had 10.3 billion barrels of recoverable oil, said Brenda Pierce, a geologist for the agency The Bakken Formation encompasses some
25,000 square miles in North Dakota, Montana, Saskatchewan and Manitoba."

SALMON SEASON GONE

For any of you expecting fresh, newly caught northwestern salmon, it will be a long wait. Might be the time to buy an ocean going skiff....

Salmon Fishing Banned in U.S. Northwest
Donna Gordon Blankinship in Seatac,
WashingtonAssociated Press
April 11, 2008

West Coast fisheries
managers voted Thursday to cancel all commercial salmon fishing off the California and Oregon coasts this year. The Pacific Fishery Management Council decided to allow limited recreational fishing of coho salmon on holiday weekends off the Oregon coast, but no recreational fishing off California after several members of the
panel argued that every salmon counts.Scientists and government officials are expecting this year's West Coast salmon season to be poor because of the collapse of Sacramento River chinook, one of the West Coast's biggest wild salmon runs.Although commercial salmon fishing off the Washington coast is scheduled to begin May 1, fisheries managers do not predict a good season off either the north or south Pacific coasts."For the entire West Coast, this is the worst in history," said Don McIsaac, executive director of the Pacific Fishery Management Council.The council's decision still must be
confirmed by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal agency in charge of salmon management.Relief for FishersEven before the vote, however, officials were on to the next step: disaster relief for fishers, said Mariam McCall, an attorney with the marine fisheries service.The governors of Washington, Oregon, and California have already signed letters seeking a disaster declaration. Congress will be asked to make a fast decision on money to alleviate the suffering of fishers and any other negative effects the cutback might have, said Brian Gorman, a NOAA Fisheries spokesperson.Scientists are studying the causes of the Sacramento River chinook collapse, with possible
factors ranging from ocean conditions and habitat destruction to dam operations and agricultural pollution. But a proposal to allow limited fishing for scientific purposes was struck down by the panel.Last year average quotas for the southern coast were allowed, while fishing was restricted north of Cape Falcon to the Canadian border.

Norwegian Wisdom

The Oslo newspaper is worth reading from time to time.

'The worst US president'A Norwegian professor who's considered one of the country's leading experts on US politics has ranked George W Bush as the worst US president in history. The best: Abraham Lincoln.
Professor Ole O Moen, who has followed American politics most of his career, has just written a book about all the US presidents. Aftenposten's weekly magazine A-magasinet asked Moen to choose who he thinks are the five best presidents and the five worst.
Two members of the Republican party landed as both the worst and the best presidents. Bush, in Moen's opinion, is the worst.
"His administration stands for a dangerous blend of arrogance and ignorance," Moen told A-magasinet, claiming that Bush has lacked an ability to listen to and cooperate with other heads of state, and with the US Congress.
Moen cited the invasion of Iraq, the resulting chaos that has erupted in the country and the intelligence reports that Bush's basis for the invasion (alleged weapons of mass destruction) didn't exist. Bush also defied international opinion on a host of other issues, from
the Kyoto agreement to rules for an international court, and his tax measures have widened the gap between rich and poor.
A federal budget surplus inherited from the Clinton administration has turned into a huge deficit and now the US is widely believed to be heading into a recession. Bush's approval ratings are currently at a low point in the US, but Bush himself has indicated that he doesn't care about his legacy.
Moen's choice for the "next-worst" US president is James Buchanan, a Democrat, whose term ran from 1857-1861 and who is often called the father of the American Civil War. Buchanan is followed by
Warren G Harding, a Republican who was president in the early 1920s and whose isolationist policies destabilized the world economy and helped fuel Germany's desire for military revenge.
Moen chose Calvin Coolidge, president from 1923-27) who continued an isolationist strategy, as the fourth-worst president,
and Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) as the fifth worst, because he allowed defeated southern states into the union without insisting that they reform themselves.
The Norwegian professor's favorite president is Abraham Lincoln,
also a Republican, who insisted on a government "of the people, by the people and for the people," and who rose from a poor background to save a nation that had descended into civil war.
Franklin D Roosevelt is Moen's choice as second-best president, for bringing the US out of the Depression, launching social reforms and leading the nation to victory in World War II. George Washington, the country's first president, was ranked third-best, Thomas
Jefferson fourth and Woodrow Wilson fifth.

Aftenposten's reporterLars KlugeAftenposten English Web
DeskNina Berglund

Only in California

California Town Digs for Ideas for Historic Ditch Story by Margaret Foster / Jan. 8, 2008

In California, where water is king, an irrigation ditch can have more historic clout than Plymouth Rock.
A Southern California group wants to create parkland around a historic 12-mile-long ditch, built in 1819 in Redlands, Calif.
Located in San Bernardino County, the Zanja, which is Spanish for ditch, delivered water to the local Spanish mission, San Bernardino Asistencia; it has been a flood-control channel for the past 80 years.
A third of the trench has already been cemented over and erased by apartment buildings and other development, so now is the time to act, says Sherli Leonard, executive director of the Redlands Conservancy, which will welcome the public's ideas in a Jan. 28 meeting.
"It's so important to the history of this community that we feel we ought to do something about it," Leonard says.
Last year, the city bristled at plans for an apartment building that would have taken down trees and redirect part of the Zanja, which has been listed on the National Register since 1977.
To create an eight-mile-long park with a trail, interpretive signs, and parks the Redlands Conservancy wants to buy and place easements on the privately owned sections of the Zanja, Leonard says. It also plans list the entire stretch on the local register, which offers more protection than the state and National Register.
"We'd have to find foundations or agencies that would support this project," Leonard says. "I'm really hoping we can get it all done by 2019. We're in the very early stages."
© Preservation Magazine

Another Victory for Life

New Jersey is now my favorite state. They recently eliminated the death penalty as a punishment for crimes. Hopefully other states will have the courage to take similar action.

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.

Wild Pigs Beware

Wild pigs hunted in defense of natureBy Denis CuffCONTRA COSTA TIMES

SUISUN MARSH - Save the flowers. Save the birds. Kill the pigs.

This was Ted Champagne's mission deep in a maze of tule-covered islands and twisting sloughs where he steered his shallow hunting boat and waited for his Catahoula hounds to catch a whiff of wild pigs. The dogs, Butch and Porter, held their bodies taut and sniffed furiously.
Champagne kept his 12-gauge shotgun close.

He kept his 10-inch-long knife closer, strapped to his side and ready for use in case he found a pig in thick grass and reeds where it could be hard to tell if he was shooting a pig or his dogs.
"Once the dogs smell something and jump out of the boat, things move fast," Champagne said. "You want to get in and finish it fast."
Champagne is no ordinary hunter in this big marsh, but rather a guardian of endangered flowers and plants.
He hunts to protect nature.
Champagne volunteers his hunting services for a conservation group, the Solano Land Trust, one of a growing number of California public and nonprofit landowners who kill wild pigs to prevent them from damaging or killing native plants and wildlife.

Medical Jolt

My Kaiser MD informed me this am that I have a problem with Atrial Fibrilation. He prescribed Cumadin and bunches of other actions. I am a bit anxious about all of this. However, for the moment it is not life threatening. Hail Mary, pray for me.

More on Time

Time

What is time? Time to live.Time to think.Time to dream.Time is a measure of our existance.Time never stands still.Time moves on.Time never retraces its steps.Time is continuous.Time can never stop.Time can heal wounds.Time can bring death.You can kill time.You can take time out.You can keep time. you can be behind time.Time marks the progression of growth and decay.Time governs every single act we are capable of.I had better fill in that tax return.Do'nt want to DO time. sid john gardner

The Puzzel of Time

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

To every thing there is a season,and a time to every purpose under the heaven:A time to be born, a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;A time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;A time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;A time to get, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to cast away;A time to rend, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;A time to love, and a time to hate;A time of war, and a time of peace. Anonymous

A Day To Remember

Sixty-five years have passed since December 7, 1941. The memory of the events of that day is still vivid. We had returned to our farm after services at Zion Congregational Church in Manvel, North Dakota at about 2 o’clock in the afternoon. I was doing something in the barn when my father called me to come to the house where I found everyone clustered around our radio listening to the reports of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I knew our lives had changed and would never be the same. I remember thinking about the coming Christmas and wondering if we would celebrate as usual. I remember wondering about my cousin Jack who had gone to Canada to join the Canadian army and about my close friend Warren, our hired-man, who enlisted in the Navy a few months earlier and was stationed at Pearl Harbor. Christmas came but was different, Eventually V-E and V-J Day came. Jack came home and so did Warren. For me December 7 remains a day to remember.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each of you from all of us at the Crockett Museum and Historical Society

Moving On

We again celebrated Veteran's Day at the Museum with food, drinks, music (Aaron Cargo on the accordian) and lots of visiting. It was somewhat lighter than usual partly because of rain in the morning and because WWII vets are getting older. John Swett lost it's final game to St. Pat's. The Benedictine Ravens won.

I Like This Pope

Vatican City, Nov. 06, 2006 (CNA) - Meeting today with members of the Pontifical Academy of the Sciences, Pope Benedict XVI said that, “Christianity does not posit an inevitable conflict between supernatural faith and scientific progress,” and assured the scientists that the Church supports their scientific research so long as it is a sincere search for the truth.

IT'S ABOUT TIME

Multiple ceremonies to honor Korean veterans
TRI-VALLEY: One event's organizers say they want to recognize the war's troops before it's too late
By Meera Pal
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
The Korean War is referred to as the "Forgotten War," as it is often overshadowed in history by World War II and the Vietnam War.
"It was the first war in which American veterans came home without receiving the welcoming accolades and recognition from the American people," said retired Maj. Gen. Dan Helix, a Korean War veteran.

Preserve Our Past

Every day, all over our country, there is mounting evidence that we lack a sense of our past.

1867 Mormon Tabernacle Pews Are Casualties of a Face-Lift
By MARTIN STOLZ
SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 25 — When the historic Tabernacle, the egg-shaped building that is home to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, reopens next year after a lengthy face-lift and seismic retrofit, visitors will find something new: the pews.
The loss of the original, and uncomfortable, pine pews, handmade in 1867 and meticulously etched and painted to look like oak, angers many Mormons, whose religion is strongly defined by its history and its forebears’ hardships.
Kim Farah, a spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, released a two-sentence statement saying some original pews — Ms. Farah would not say how many — would be returned and that others would be replaced with oak copies “to maintain historicity.” “No determination has been made on what will happen to the unused original benches,” the statement said.
Church officials would not give an explanation for the change, Ms. Farah said in an interview.
“The church is circumspect about the pews, because it is a work in progress,” she said of the Tabernacle renovations, including the pews.

SAD and Discouraged I May Root for the 49ers

Winless Raiders are in a league of their own: "Oakland, at 0-5, is now the only team without a victory this season
By Steve Corkran
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

DENVER - And then there was one. One, as in only one NFL team remains without a victory this season. One, as in, can the Raiders just win one, baby?
Four teams entered play Sunday without a victory. Only the Raiders awake today without anything to show for their efforts through the first six weeks of the NFL season."

Prisoners transferred to new jail

Prisoners transferred to new jail: "Prisoners transferred to new jail

And just in time for winter! Who would have thought there were as many as 120 criminals in Grand Forks county!!

GRAND FORKS (AP) - Prisoners have been moved from the old downtown Grand
Forks County jail to a new $16 million correctional center on the county
fairgrounds.

The 120 prisoners were transferred by bus Friday night and
early Saturday morning, said Gary Gardner, jail administrator.

'The
inmates are settled in,' he said. 'It went pretty smoothly.'"