Friday, January 22, 2010

Q&A: Is There Life After Death? - TIME

Q&A: Is There Life After Death? - TIME: "Is there life after death? Theologians can debate all they want, but radiation oncologist Dr. Jeffrey Long argues that if you look at the scientific evidence, the answer is unequivocally yes."

Stayton to the rescue in Haiti | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal

Stayton to the rescue in Haiti | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal: "Dr. Guesly Dessieux, a family practice physician at Santiam Memorial Hospital in Stayton, was born in Haiti and came to the U.S. at age 8. Dessieux is leading a team of 15 medical personnel on a two-week medical support mission to Haiti. The team leaves Oregon on Saturday morning."

Facebook to build $180M Oregon data center - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

Facebook to build $180M Oregon data center - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:: "Facebook Inc. on Thursday said it will build a 147,000-square-foot data center in Prineville, Ore. The project will cost $180 million.

It will be the first corporate-owned data center for the Palo Alto.-based company, the world’s largest social networking service with more than 350 million users.

The data center will be used to store and route information posted by Facebook users. It will employ 200 workers during its 12 months of construction and another 35 full-time once operating."

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Huge Number of Whale Sightings and Pelicans on Oregon Coast


Huge Number of Whale Sightings and Pelicans on Oregon Coast: "The recent Whale Watch Week in December recorded all time high whale sightings, setting all kinds of records.

“It was the highest visitor count in five years, and the highest number of whales spotted in five years,” said Morris Grover, head of the Whale Watch Center in Depoe Bay."

FireFox

Over the years I have advocated that you use FireFox as your web browser... There is a new update available this morning and it is faster and more secure with new Personas feature.

Try it.. If you are on FireFox now just click the link that says on your very top toolbar and from the drop down menu select . Just follow the prompts from there.
RT

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

A Senior moment

Yesterday, I awoke to one of life's minor aggravations. There it is, I've seen it a number of times before... the left rear foot on our Old Betsy Van..flatter than a pancake. Of course it all happened the night before at Walmart.... That's were I noticed it ... Not quite deflated then. Had Jacky drive it home and called AAA to come change it.

The young fella came out to change it... It was raining (naturally) and quite dark. Put on the headlamp to help him change it out and made a general nuisance of myself.. Hey, it's a senior thing.. no what I mean? Later I gave him the light so he could position his jack under the car... As he gave it back he tried to turn it off and twisted the battery compartment and sproing!!! the batteries and end cap flew out all over the driveway.. in the dark.... I found everything... I've always been good at Easter Egg hunting.

Next morning I'm off to Les Schwab's tire shop by the bridge. Take my library book just in case it's a prolonged repair... Offered the choices available, I opted for two new tires.. Betsy would like new shoes I thought.

Well settled in for a good read... I was really into the book... one of my favorite authors.... It seemed like a long time had past.. A couple of chapters for sure... Decided to see how the tire change was coming along.. Old Betsy had been moved and parked next to the Dodge van that was out by the main LVH main gate with 4 flat tires and had been towed in the day before.

The tires were mounted and she was ready to go. So, I went to the clerk, Ann, and asked if they had called me about being done? "Why, yes 25 minutes ago," she said. I had read right through the call for me... Laughing I told her what had happened and she laughed too. I suppose they would have eventually found me glued to my book before the store closed...

NOAA workers worry over Oregon move


NOAA workers worry over Oregon move: "NOAA's decision move from Seattle to Newport Oregon was a 'quality of life' choice, Capt. Michele Bullock told the press last summer. She's the amiable commander of NOAA's Pacific Marine Operations Center where the big research ships have been located for 50 years, but not much longer if NOAA has its way."

Monday, January 18, 2010

See the men?

Oregon held to account for failing to protect coastal waterways | Oregon Environmental News - – OregonLive.com

Oregon held to account for failing to protect coastal waterways | Oregon Environmental News - – OregonLive.com: "The agencies want the state to start dealing with muddy runoff from the vast network of old logging roads; forbid loggers from cutting all trees right up to the banks of certain small streams; and restrict logging in places with a high risk of landslides that could impact water quality.

The agencies have already signed off on the forestry portions of California and Washington's coastal protection plans.

'The fact is, California and Washington have riparian protections that are two to three times as strong as Oregon's,' said Dave Powers, EPA's regional manager for forests and rangelands."

Two found dead in crashed plane

Two found dead in crashed plane: "Benton County sheriff’s deputies and search and rescue personnel found the wreckage of a plane that crashed on Sunday west of Philomath.

Both the pilot and a passenger were found deceased at the scene. Names of the victims are being withheld pending notification.

A single-engine Cessna registered to the U.S. Department of the Interior disappeared Sunday afternoon on a flight from Newport to Corvallis."

Cantwell, others ‘troubled’ by NOAA’s planned move to Oregon - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

Cantwell, others ‘troubled’ by NOAA’s planned move to Oregon - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):: "A letter sent to Gary Locke, Department of Commerce Secretary (and former governor of Washington), was signed by Cantwell and the state’s other Democratic senator, Patty Murray, as well as six of the state’s nine U.S. Representatives. The eight ask Locke why NOAA was allowed to select the Newport site, which is located in a floodplain development, without conducting environmental assessments of the site that they say are required."

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Sea otter at Newport's Oregon Coast Aquarium getting the best of care | Oregon Local News - OregonLive.com


Sea otter at Newport's Oregon Coast Aquarium getting the best of care | Oregon Local News - OregonLive.com: "NEWPORT – Veterinarians here are consulting with some of the best minds in the aquarium world to try to save the life of one of the Oregon Coast Aquarium's most entertaining residents.

It all started when Aialik, an 11-year-old Northern sea otter, came down with a persistent bladder infection, and, simply put, couldn't pee. Veterinarian Steven Brown suspected a protozoan infection was the culprit, and feared it might have caused a lesion on the lower part of the spine."