Monday, March 21, 2011

Illinois abolishes death penalty

 
 

Sent to you by LVH @ Newport Oregon via Google Reader:

 
 

via BBC News - Home on 3/9/11

Illinois becomes the 16th US state to abolish the death penalty after the governor makes permanent a 10-year-old moratorium on executions.

 
 

Things you can do from here:

 
 

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
-- Mark Twain

Sunday, March 13, 2011

NOAA Tour

NOAA Tour 03.11.11 007.jpg


This in from Barb............Stay tuned to see if we can get this event rescheduled.




Lee Fries had arranged for members of the Longview Hills Fishing Club and some Newport Police Volunteers to participate in a tour scheduled of the NOAA facility last Friday afternoon.  After the events of the morning (the tsunami alert), we found out when we got there that the tour had to be cancelled as the all the equipment was on emergency alert.  They had had 11 "surges" in waves since the morning and they were not convinced the threat was over. Again, a wake-up call to us all.  The tour will be rescheduled.

Back to normal in Newport?  I don't think so.  Today, Sunday March 13th, we saw a sight we fortunately do not see very often - the Storm Warning Flag was flying at the USCG Station Yaquina Bay.  This is for winds 48-63 knots (55-73 mph).  

We are hardy souls who live in Newport, Oregon . . . 

Panoptikos

 
 

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Bet you're thinking about earthquake insurance about now

 
 

Sent to you by LVH @ Newport Oregon via Google Reader:

 
 

via Oregon Environmental News by Brent Hunsberger, The Oregonian on 3/12/11

IT'S ONLY MONEY's column from a year ago reviews the ins and outs of earthquake insurance.

 
 

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Saturday, March 12, 2011

Biggest Full Moon in 19 Years Almost Certainly Won't Cause a Huge Natural Di...

 
 

Sent to you by LVH @ Newport Oregon via Google Reader:

 
 


Apogee/Perigee NASA
On March 19th, the moon will be closer--and thus bigger--than it's been in two decades

On March 19th, the moon will be closer to Earth than it's been since 1992. The full moon that night will appear about 14 percent larger and significantly brighter than usual, but despite the brightness, the supermoon has a dark side. Supermoons have been linked to massive natural disasters in the past, from earthquakes to floods--but that connection is typically touted by astrologists. Astronomers and scientists, with typical drollness, say a catastrophe is unlikely.

March 19th marks this year's lunar perigee, the point in the moon's orbit at which it is closest to Earth. It's the moon's elliptical orbit that's responsible for the differences in distance between the moon and Earth (the opposite, the point at which the moon is farthest from the Earth, is called the lunar apogee). This month's perigee will leave the moon, says Steve Owens at Dark Sky Diary, about 8 percent closer to Earth than usual, and about 2 percent closer to Earth than the average lunar perigee. In fact, it'll be the closest positioning since 1992.

Past supermoons have coincided with natural disasters--the Indonesian earthquake in 2005, Australian flooding in 1954--but scientists note that those are unrelated, more likely than not. Says John Bellini, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey: "A lot of studies have been done on this kind of thing by USGS scientists and others. They haven't found anything significant at all." The tides will pull a bit higher, but earthquakes are almost completely unaffected and volcanoes are not likely to show unusual behavior. John Vidale, a seismologist at the University of Washington in Seattle, said "Practically speaking, you'll never see any effect of lunar perigee. It's somewhere between 'It has no effect' and 'It's so small you don't see any effect.'"

Besides, it's still 2011. Everyone knows there won't be any world-ending catastrophes until next year, right?

[Life's Little Mysteries, Dark Sky Diary]


 
 

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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Oregon State Police release more details on crash on Highway 101 near Depoe Bay | OregonLive.com

Oregon State Police release more details on crash on Highway 101 near Depoe Bay | OregonLive.com: "Oregon State Police Sunday released more details about the first of two crashes on Highway 101 near Depoe Bay Saturday.

Authorities said at about 4:06 p.m. Saturday, a 2005 Mazda RX8 driven by Nathan Wells Biel, 25, of Lincoln City, was traveling southbound on Highway 101 near milepost 130 when he lost control while negotiating a curve. The Mazda began to spin into the northbound lane where it collided with a northbound 2009 GMC Sierra pickup driven by James R. Reed, 60, of Lincoln City."

Discounts at places you have not heard of

Folks, here is a really cool site for Sr savings:

http://www.giftcardgranny.com/

Saturday, February 05, 2011

Exercise is a boost to fall reduction

Exercise is a boost to fall reduction: "Healthy elderly adults who do regular aerobic exercise, such as walking for 40 minutes three times a week, may help to reduce age-related memory loss, according to research published this week.

Previous studies have found that aerobic activity may prevent areas of the brain involved in learning and memory from becoming damaged, but by how much is unclear."

Emergency detection systems for senior citizens

Emergency detection systems for senior citizens: "IESE scientists are working on an unobtrusive system that provides constant 'companionship' to elderly people living in single households or in retirement facilities. Multisensory nodes mounted to the ceiling of a room register an individual's movements.
'Our system records how long a person spends in what part of the home,' notes Holger Storf, a scientist at IESE. A radio signal transmits the data to a computer. Software documents the individual's daily activities, constantly learning the person's 'normal behavior.' The analytical software compares the resident's current activity with the model that has been generated."
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Saturday, January 29, 2011

'Officer down' timeline: Lincoln City traffic stop sets dramatic events in motion | OregonLive.com

'Officer down' timeline: Lincoln City traffic stop sets dramatic events in motion | OregonLive.com: "The evening of Sunday, Jan. 23, Officer Steven Dodds of the Lincoln City Police Department was working 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Patrolling in his black, blue and white Ford Crown Victoria, Dodds was keeping an eye on the streets of the coastal city of about 7,400 residents when he spotted a 1984 Dodge Ram sport utility vehicle zipping south on the main drag, U.S. 101.

Dodds flipped on the light bar atop his patrol car and took after the Dodge.

As authorities would report later, the SUV was registered to David Durham of Portland.

What follows is a timeline of events that rolled out over the next hours and days. "
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Monday, January 24, 2011

Giant Pepper For Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers Bred Specifically For Increased Cheese Payload | Popular Science

Giant Pepper For Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers Bred Specifically For Increased Cheese Payload | Popular Science: "n a breakthrough with vast implications for both chiles and Chili’s, the New Mexico State University chile pepper breeding program has bred a wholly new, extra large, medium-hot jalapeno pepper precisely optimized for jalapeno poppers—jalapenos stuffed with cheese and deep fried. Named “NuMex Jalmundo” (a contraction of “jalapeno” and “mundo,” Spanish for “world”), the plus-sized peppers were created from a routine hybridization of a bell pepper and a jalapeno with help from NMSU’s non-profit Chile Pepper Institute. No kidding."
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Yglesias » You’ve Got Ripped Off! AOL’s Scam Economics

Yglesias » You’ve Got Ripped Off! AOL’s Scam Economics: "The economics of scams continues to be, in my opinion, an underexplored subject. Here Nicholason Carlson from Business Insider extracts the fact that AOL’s business at this point is mostly dependent on a pretty crude ripoff—selling internet access to old people who already have internet access:"
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Sunday, January 23, 2011

Fitness guru Jack LaLanne dies at 96 - CNN.com

SACRAMENTO, CA - DECEMBER 15:  (EDITORIAL USE ...Image by Getty Images via @daylifeFitness guru Jack LaLanne dies at 96 - CNN.com: "CNN) -- American fitness guru Jack LaLanne died Sunday afternoon at his home in Morro Bay, California, according to his long-time agent, Rick Hersh. He was 96."
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Saturday, January 22, 2011

Earth may soon have a second sun



Earth may soon have a second sun: "The red supergiant star Betelgeuse is getting ready to go supernova, and when it does Earth will have a front-row seat. The explosion will be so bright that Earth will briefly seem to have two suns in the sky."
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Friday, January 21, 2011

$4 Gallon for gas?

Sent in by Alan Davis Park Resident


Thought you might like this picture I took yesterday from Alice' porch of the progress in filling the slide.
Allen

Hi,
Just wanted to show you all what is being done to repair the damage done by Sundays slide! What you see on the side slope is three days of rock brought in by dump trucks! The word is that it will take 18,000 cubic yards OR! ( 4500 dump truck loads) to repair only what is necessary to stabilize the two houses, which will make it safe enough to allow the owners to retrieve their valuables. As I understand neither of the houses in the picture will remain .
Allen

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Local News on LVH



by KGW Staff
NWCN.com
Posted on January 18, 2011 at 8:40 PM
Updated yesterday at 9:21 PM

Friday, January 14, 2011

50% OFF On all Breakfast items on their Menu

The Shilo Cafe is offering 50% all their breakfasts Week days only until undisclosed time in February. The food is good, Jacky and I patronize them a couple of times a month. I don't think you can make breakfast at home as cheap as this... A good deal for you.

Move Over Scorpios: Welcome to the Age of Ophiucus - TIME NewsFeed

Scorpio Birthday CupcakesImage by abakedcreation via FlickrMove Over Scorpios: Welcome to the Age of Ophiucus - TIME NewsFeed: "According to new calculations by astronomers at the Minnesota Planetarium Society, Scorpio has been almost completely replaced by Ophiuchus's 19 days of annual astrological prominence.

Yes, look at the new calendar
and you'll find that Scorpios are now only those born between Nov. 23 and 29. As for the Ophiuchus regime, it spans Nov. 29 through Dec. 17. See the full calendar here."
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Tai Chi May Boost Balance in Seniors

Tai Chi May Boost Balance in Seniors: "“Given the frequency of falls and the injuries that occur as a result, falling is as big of a problem as heart attack and stroke, and we need to start taking it as seriously because falls are preventable,” says guideline author Mary Tinetti, MD, a geriatrician at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. “The most effective way to prevent falls is to reduce medication, make the environment as safe as possible, and improve balance and gait through exercises including tai chi or physical therapy.”"

Wanted.... Computer Keyboard

Ron Thomas

Anyone have a spare keyboard sitting around? I can put it to good use. One of mine took a nose dive.

email:    
teckron@gmail.com
         or
call using the community phone list

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Energy... oil ... climate change

Sometimes, reasonable experts talk plainly about what's happening to climate and our appetite for more energy. This is such a story. If you are a Republican, a Democrat an Independent or don't care about at all about politics.. or say you don;t trust any of them or if you put your trust in spiritual solutions to everything this is 20 minutes of good clean reasonable logic that I personally find enlightening.

Monday, January 03, 2011

Sent in by Lori Thomas

Hotel Bill
A married couple are traveling by car from Victoria to Prince George.
Being seniors, after almost eleven hours on the road, they were too tired to
continue, and decided to take a room. They planned to sleep for four
hours and then get back on the road.
When they checked out four hours later, the desk clerk handed them a
bill for $350.00. The man exploded and demanded to know why the charge was so high. He told the clerk that although it's a nice hotel, the rooms certainly aren't worth $35000 for four hours.
The clerk told him that $350.00 is the 'standard rate'. He insisted on
speaking to the manager. The manager appeared, listened to him, and
then explained that the hotel has an Olympic-sized pool and a huge
conference centre that were available for them to use.

But we didn't use them," the husband said. ''Well, they are here, and
you could have," explained the manager. The manager went on to explain that
the couple could also have taken in one of the shows for which the hotel is

famous. "We have the best entertainers from New York, Hollywood, and
Las Vegas perform here," the manager says.

"But we didn't go to any of those shows," the husband said. "Well, we
have them, and you could have," the manager replied. No matter what amenity the manager mentioned, the husband replied, "But we didn't use it!"

The manager was unmoved, and eventually the husband gave up and agreed
to pay. He didn't have the check book he asked his wife to write the
check. he did and gave it to the manager.
The manager was surprised when he looked at the check. "But ma'am, this
is made out for only $50.00." 'That's correct. I charged you $300.00 for
sleeping with me,' she replied. "But I didn't!" exclaimed the manager.

"Well, too bad, I was here, and you could have."

Don't mess with senior citizens. They didn't get there by being stupid!

Chemist Discovers a Non-Prank Use for Banana Peels : TreeHugger

Chemist Discovers a Non-Prank Use for Banana Peels : TreeHugger: "According to Brazilian media, a chemist named Milena Boniolo from the Federal University of São Carlos, near São Paulo, has made a discovery that could potentially save thousands of banana peels from the garbage heap. When dried and ground into a powder, says Boniolo, peels have the ability to clean up polluted water."

Saturday, January 01, 2011

What It Means to Forgive: Scientific American Podcast

What It Means to Forgive: Scientific American Podcast: "This New Year's as we reflect on our experiences with friends and family we might think about forgiveness, both given and received. Philosopher Charles Griswald provides some guidance. Christie Nicholson reports
 | January 1, 2011 |
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This New Year's, maybe sparked by renditions of Auld Lang Syne, we might reflect on times with friends and family. And maybe we might think about forgiveness.

Well Charles Griswald, professor of Philosophy at Boston University, outlines the complexities of forgiveness in a recent blog post."

Ore. gas tax jumps 6 cents on New Years Day | KATU.com - Portland News, Sports, Traffic Weather and Breaking News - Portland, Oregon - Portland, Oregon | Business

Ore. gas tax jumps 6 cents on New Years Day | KATU.com - Portland News, Sports, Traffic Weather and Breaking News - Portland, Oregon - Portland, Oregon | Business: "UNDATED – Gas prices have been going up for awhile now and are about to go higher.

Oregon legislators approved a 25 percent increase in the state gas tax, effective Jan. 1, 2011.  The tax will go from 24 to 30 cents a gallon the first of the year."

BBC News - A science news preview of 2011

BBC News - A science news preview of 2011: "Nasa's twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity are about to enter their seventh year on Mars. And it shouldn't be too long before they are joined by another roaming robot nicknamed Curiosity. The US space agency's Mars Science Laboratory mission is scheduled to launch in late 2011, to land the Curiosity rover on Mars's surface in the summer of 2012."

Ron says,
Go to the link and watch the rover movie.... Beyond cool... RT

Boomers Take The 'Retire' Out Of Retirement : NPR

Boomers Take The 'Retire' Out Of Retirement : NPR: "Sixty-five used to be the age when Americans stopped working, kicked back and embarked on serious leisure to make up for all those decades of the daily grind. But just like with every other stage of life they've gone through, baby boomers are expected to transform how we think about 'retirement.'"