Washington lawmakers ask review of NOAA decision; Oregon congressmen confident - OregonLive.com

Washington lawmakers ask review of NOAA decision; Oregon congressmen confident - OregonLive.com: "Seven members of Congress from Washington state are asking the Government Accountability Office to review a decision by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to move its Pacific fleet of research ships from Seattle to Newport.

But two Oregon congressmen who played a role in helping Newport secure the new base say they're not worried."

I thought some of you might be interested to see my photos from the boat beached at Nye Beach last week.

an email from a neighbor

A TRIP TO Tesco’s. Supermarket

Yesterday I was at my local Tesco’s buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Biscuit, the Wonder Dog and was in the checkout line when the woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had, an elephant? So since I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.) Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff an Irish Setter's bum and a car hit us both.

Tesco’s won't let me shop there anymore.

Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say. Usually, the consequences are worth it.

Chocolate Helps Hinder Heart Disease : Discovery News

Chocolate Helps Hinder Heart Disease : Discovery News: "Heart attack survivors who eat chocolate two or more times per week cut their risk of dying from heart disease about threefold compared to those who never touch the stuff, scientists have reported."

Perseids: "Last Chance" for Best Meteor Viewing Tonight

Perseids: "Last Chance" for Best Meteor Viewing Tonight: "Tonight will be your last chance to see the Perseid meteor shower at its peak—and the annual sky show is especially dazzling this year thanks to a one-time-only boost from Saturn, experts say.

The Perseids light up the night when Earth passes through a trail of debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle, which swings past the sun roughly every 130 years."

A bright idea: LED light bulbs yield big savings in energy | McClatchy

A bright idea: LED light bulbs yield big savings in energy | McClatchy: "Lighting consumes 22 percent of electricity in the United States. The DOE predicts that solid-state lighting — which uses semiconducting materials to convert electricity into light, and includes LEDs — has the potential to reduce energy use for lighting by one-third by 2030. That's the equivalent of saving the output of 40 large (1,000-megawatt) power plants, the greenhouse gas emissions of 47 million cars and $30 billion."

Boat loaded with tuna ends aground at Nye Beach - OregonLive.com

Boat loaded with tuna ends aground at Nye Beach - OregonLive.com: "Tuesday, as the Coast Guard investigated, Vitale searched for a buyer for 5 tons of albacore tuna they'd caught in the past 11 days of fishing.

That bounty had a lot to do with the predicament the two found themselves in, said Vitale, owner of the Lori Ann.

'Too many hours up,' he said, sheepishly. 'I went to sleep for little bit and then I heard it. Bang!'

A tip 4 u

ron thomas

Jacky was wondering who to get car insurance with and remarked she didn't know how to find a good company to go with.... I told her to go to google search and type in "insurance company reviews", That will bring up all the good and the bad customers have to say about their companies... Then you just pick one and go with them.

I thought everyone knew that search technique but she said you all might benefit from it. It also works for any item you are shopping for... Just type review on the end and you will get a list for that product.

Chevrolet Volt gets 230 mpg in the city, and only in the city. - BusinessWeek

Chevrolet Volt gets 230 mpg in the city, and only in the city. - BusinessWeek: "General Motors made some big headlines this morning with word that its Chevrolet Volt electric car will get 230 miles per gallon in the city. That’s an impressive feat to be sure. It will certainly leap frog any car on the market except for all-electric cars like the Nissan Leaf or the Tesla Roadster when the Volt goes on sale late next year. But the Volt has an advantage for some drivers because its gasoline engine keeps recharging the battery, so drivers can drive far longer than the Leaf’s 100 miles. In auto industry parlance, the Volt is an extended-range electric vehicle."

Inside the Fight Against a Flu Pandemic - TIME

Inside the Fight Against a Flu Pandemic - TIME: "at Camp Modin in Belgrade, Maine, carrying flip-flops, sleeping bags and swimsuits. But they also carried something new. First there was one fever, then six, then nine campers in a single day. By the end of the first full week, dozens of kids were sleeping on state-issued cots in a specially quarantined cabin"

Veteran's info

ron thomas
I dropped in to visit the VA office in town yesterday and found out some good news.

For months now the VA has been promising a local Dr.'s office in Newport. Finally, it is a done deal. A Portland VA Dr. that lives in Lincoln City will be in Newport 3 days a week starting this October. The location of the new office has not been selected yet.

Many of you that are veterans but did not participate in a conflict should know that VA health benefits are for all veterans. In June rules for inclusion into the system were relaxed and many of you are now eligible. Check it out.. Visit the VA office here in Newport... The man running it is your advocate and he does a superior job of helping you get on board.

The recent National health care debates have pointed out that the VA provides the best health care in the United States and if you are a VET then it is free to you. My opinion, based on what I have experienced, It is a 4 star system.

Other news to your benefit. The VA provides financing and refinancing for modular homes on leased land. Ask your VA rep here in Newport.

California city shuts down girl's lemonade stand | McClatchy

California city shuts down girl's lemonade stand | McClatchy: "Hoping to raise money for a family trip to Disneyland, the Tulare girl opened a lemonade stand Monday. But because Daniela didn't have a business license, the city of Tulare shut it down the same day."

Engine rattle is rattlesnake in Klamath Falls woman's car | Local News | kgw.com | News for Portland Oregon and SW Washington

Engine rattle is rattlesnake in Klamath Falls woman's car | Local News | kgw.com | News for Portland Oregon and SW Washington: "There were a couple of things wrong with Katie Prewitt's Geo Tracker. There was the rope that seemed to hang from the car's undercarriage. And then that hissing noise; maybe a faulty emissions valve."

Voyage to the Pacific Ocean's garbage patch: Sadness, anger and a plea to help avoid catastrophic changes in the marine ecosystem: Scientific American Blog

Voyage to the Pacific Ocean's garbage patch: Sadness, anger and a plea to help avoid catastrophic changes in the marine ecosystem: Scientific American Blog: "Scuba instructor and underwater videographer Drew Wheeler is traveling on board the Algalita Marine Research Foundation's 50-foot Ocean Research Vessel, Alguita, on a two-month voyage to sample and study portions of a 10-million-square-mile oval known as the North Subtropical Gyre (aka 'Pacific garbage patch'). Wheeler and the rest of the Alguita crew left Long Beach, Calif., on June 10 with a plan to cross the International Date Line and investigate regions of reported high plastic concentrations, northwest of the Hawaiian Islands. This is his eighth blog post for Scientific American.com."

Seventh Oregon swine flu death reported | Local News | kgw.com | News for Portland Oregon and SW Washington

Seventh Oregon swine flu death reported | Local News | kgw.com | News for Portland Oregon and SW Washington: "It was the seventh death in Oregon attributed to swine flu.

More than 530 cases of the H1N1 virus have also been confirmed in the state."

Tsunami report highlights threats to Oregon Coast | Local News | kgw.com | News for Portland Oregon and SW Washington

Tsunami report highlights threats to Oregon Coast | Local News | kgw.com | News for Portland Oregon and SW Washington: "A recently published report takes a closer look at the tsunami threat to Cannon Beach and Oregon's coastal communities -- and the hazards appear worse than previously concluded."

NOAA to base research boats, jobs in Newport, Ore. | KATU.com - Portland, Oregon | Local & Regional

NOAA to base research boats, jobs in Newport, Ore. | KATU.com - Portland, Oregon | Local & Regional:

YAY!

"SEATTLE (AP) - The central Oregon coastal town of Newport will be the new base for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's research ships on the West Coast, the federal agency announced Tuesday."