Pegasus's Daily News, etc.

[the flying reindeer]

National Forest Products Week
Good afternoon my friends
It's another typical autumn day that can't make up it's "weathermind" about whether to be nice or rainy. <<sigh>>
Another school shooting, this time by an unidentified 12-year-old boy who shot and killed a teacher, wounding two students before killing himself. So far no one knows much of anything about how or why this happened. I would like to know how a boy this age came into possession of weapon, a semiautomatic handgun, but then it's Nevada, where it seems that it is very easy to obtain weapons.

The Labor Department reported a sluggish, lower-than-expected 148,000 jobs were added to the US economy in September, but the jobless rate edged lower to 7.2%, from 7.3%, the lowest unemployment rate since November 2008. I'll be interested in seeinghow the October job creation figures fare. Will they be substantially lower due to the shutdown?

Fall foliage in the Finger Lakes


Thought for Today:
"With a library you are free, not confined by temporary political climates. It is the most democratic of institutions because no one - but no one at all - can tell you what to read and when and how."
--Doris Lessing (b. 1919) Persian born British novelist and short-story writer

Cee jay bearded iris

Have a tasty Tuesday

[the flying reindeer]

Good afternoon my friends
It's an overcast day, threatening to rain/ The temp isn't supposed to go much above 50F and they say we may have the "S" word tonight. Nooooooo! Say it ain't so!!!!
the new royal baby, Prince George, had his christening, flashing his chubby cheeks outside St. James's Palace today as the family arrived for the intimate ceremony. Only close relatives and friends of Prince William and Duchess Kate were invited ln a break from larger ceremonies held at Buckingham Palace for a long line of other royals.


Update: The Australian bush fire crisis that menaced the western suburbs of Sydney, has eased. Firefighters battling blazes near Australia's largest city, said the worst had been averted -- but the threat is not yet over.

Only in Texas!! It seems that they are having problems with people not paying their tolls on Texas highways. One couple owes the state $236,000, having passed tool booths 14,000 times without paying. Sixteen drivers owe more than $100,000, The state says all told it is owed $27 million from across the state -- at least 28,000 drivers owe more than $100 in unpaid tolls. All I want to know is what took you so long to go after these people?

Thought for Today:
"Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness. "
George Sand (1804-1876) French Romantic writer of "rustic" novels

Celebration song bearded iris

Have a witchy Wednesday

[the flying reindeer]

United Nations Day
Good afternoon my friends
Another nice fall day, cool (temp in the 40s) but with sunshine in a cloudy blue sky. It's supposed to rain sometime today. I'm not looking forward to that -rain with temps in the 40s is not my cup of tea.
Piracy is back in the news with the kidnapping of two Americans, the captain and chief engineer of the US-flagged oil supply vessel C-Retriever. The International Maritime Bureau reported that pirate attacks off Nigeria's coast had jumped by a third this year -- with 29 attacks up from 21 last year. "Pirates, often heavily armed and violent, are targeting vessels and their crews along the Nigerian coast, rivers, anchorages, ports and surrounding waters," the IMB said. "In many cases, they ransack the vessels and steal the cargo." According to the article I read, the US Navy doesn't patrol this area like it does off the Somalia coast. Maybe it's time to spread the Navy's interest farther to cover both Somalia and Nigeria. To help out the Nigerian navy?
What is going on with parents and in our schools? Now an 11-year-old Washington state boy has been arrested after bringing 400 rounds of ammunition, several knives and a handgun to school. The boy was arrested on a count of attempted murder and booked into the juvenile detention center. Where were his parents? How did he get his hands on that much ammo and weapons? Are these copycat incidents? Those are just a few of the questions I have about this incident. Thank goodness I'm long past the stage of parenting - and that my grandsons seem to be normal youths.
Thought for Today:
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
--Seneca (mid-1st century AD) Roman philosopher

Celestial explosion bearded iris

Have a thankful Thursday

[the flying reindeer]

UNNITED NATIONS DAY

The United Nations charter took effect on this day in 1945 at the San Francisco Conference. 51 countries came together determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war; to reaffirm faith in human rights; to promote social progress and better standards of life; to practice tolerance and live together in peace and unite their strength to maintain international peace and security.
There are 191 member countries in the United Nations, led by a Secretary-General, controlled by the General Assembly and the Security Council. The Security Council has five permanent members (United States, Great Britain, France, China, Russian Federation) and ten temporary members (serving two-year terms, representing five regions of the world). Fifty-four members sit on the Economic and Social Council for three-year terms. There is also a Trusteeship Council and an International Court of Justice. At least fifteen agencies also exist under the auspices of the United Nations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization.

Since 1971, by unanimous request of the U.N. General Assembly (the world’s forum for discussing matters affecting world peace and security), this day has been observed throughout all UN member nations as a public holiday, United Nations Day.

[the flying reindeer]

German-American Heritage Month



Today in History: October 24th, the 297th day of 2013 with 68 days left in the year

439--Carthage, the leading Roman city in North Africa, fell to Genseric and the Vandals.
1537--Jane Seymour, the third wife of England's King Henry VIII, died 12 days after giving birth to Prince Edward, later King Edward VI.
1632--Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, Dutch tradesman and scientist who is known as the "father of microbiology"; died 1723 at age 90.
1648--the Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years' War and, effectively, the Holy Roman Empire.
1755--a British expedition against the French held Fort Niagara in Canada ended in failure.
1775--a British naval fleet of six ships sailed up the James River to attack Patriot troops and destroy the town of Norfolk, Va.
1836--Alonzo D. Phillips of Springfield, Mass. obtained a patent for phosphorous friction safety matches.
1861--the first transcontinental telegraph message was sent by Chief Justice Stephen J. Field of California from San Francisco to Pres. Lincoln over a line built by the Western Union Telegraph Co.
1862--Union General Don Carlos Buell was replaced after the Battle of Perryville, Ky. and was replaced by Gen. William Rosecrans,
1897--the New York Journal's printed the first regular comic strip called The Yellow Kid.
1901--widow Anna Edson (correct) Taylor on her 43rd birthday became the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel.
1917--a combined German and Austro-Hungarian decimated the Italian line along the northern stretch of the Isonzo River in the Battle of Caporetto in one of the most crushing victories of World War I.
1929--Black Thursday got its name when Wall Street investors panicked and ordered their stock brokers to sell all their shares.
1930--John Wayne debuted in his first starring role in The Big Trail
1931--the George Washington Bridge connecting New York and New Jersey was dedicated.
1939--nylon stockings were first sold publicly in Wilmington, Del.
1940--the 40-hour work week went into effect in the US under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.
1945--the United Nations officially came into existence as its charter took effect.
1947--two rush-hour commuter trains collided in South Croydon, England, killing 32 people caused by heavy fog and a serious mistake by a signalman.
1952--Republican presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower declared, "I shall go to Korea" as he promised to end the conflict.
1955--the Boxing Hall of Fame was dedicated in upstate New York.
1962--a naval quarantine of Cuba ordered by Pres. Kennedy went into effect during the missile crisis.
1969--Richard Burton dazzled wife Elizabeth Taylor when he bought her a 69-carat Cartier diamond ring costing $1.5 million.
1970--Salvador Allende, an avowed Marxist, became president of Chile after being confirmed by the Chilean congress.
1972--Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, who'd broken Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, died in Stamford, Conn., at age 53.
1987--30 years after it was expelled, the Teamsters union was welcomed back into the AFL-CIO.
1989--former television evangelist Jim Bakker was sentenced to 45 years (later reduced to 8 years, then 4) in prison for fraud and conspiracy.
1991--Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry died in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 70
1992--the Toronto Blue Jays became the first team outside the US to win a World Series as they defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-3 in Game 6.
2002--Authorities arrested Army veteran John Allen Muhammad and teenager Lee Boyd Malvo in connection with the Washington-area sniper attacks.
2003--the era of supersonic jet travel came to an end as three British Airways Concordes landed at London's Heathrow Airport.
2005--civil rights activist Rosa Parks died at age 92.
2007--Facebook Inc. sold a 1.6% stake to Microsoft Corp. for $240 million, spurning a competing offer from Google Inc.
2008--Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were found slain in their Chicago home; the body of her 7-year-old nephew was found three days later.
2008--a Russian Soyuz capsule touched down in Kazakhstan after delivering the first two men to follow their fathers into space, a Russian and an American, to the international space station.
2012--Pablo Sandoval became the fourth player to hit three home runs in a World Series game as the San Francisco Giants won the first game vs. the Detroit Tigers.
2012--Hurricane Sandy roared across Jamaica and toward Cuba, before taking aim on the eastern UA

Thought for Today:
"Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind."
--Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) English philosopher

[the flying reindeer]

Anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt

In 1415, the Battle of Agincourt took place in France, an outnumbered English army led by King Henry V defeated about 25,000 French combatants through the tactical use of the English longbow. It was a key victory for the English in the Hundred Years' War.

Good afternoon my friends
When I got up this a.m. it was gloomy and rainy, but now the sun has come out and it's much more pleasant. BUT it has definitely cooled down with the high today in the mid-40s.
I love Shakespeare's plays and one of my favorites is Henry V. And his rousing speech before the battle of Agincourt can send tingles up and down my spine when recited by a fine actor. I first saw it performed by Sir Lawrence Olivier and have been hooked ever since. Although the speech below is a work of fiction, it is evocative of the spirit with which Henry--and all strong medieval kings--ruled through the strength of their convictions and by force of their personality. What I have copied is not the full speech, just the ending.
Henry V: I would not lose so great an honor
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
Although this work was written nearly 200 years after the battle, it remains the finest dramatic interpretation of what leadership meant to the men in the Middle Ages. If you have never seen the play, both Olivier's version and the 1989 Kenneth Branagh film are available from Amazon. I saw both and both were top notch.

Thought for Today:
"Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand "
--Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) American writer [Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions] whose works blend satire, gallows humor, and science fiction.

Woolly thistle [Lat. Cirsium eriophorum] in memory of Sparkle

Shhhhh. Don't tell anybody but it's TGIF!!!

[the flying reindeer]

Happy Mule Day
Good morning my friends
It's a mainly overcast autumn day here in the middle of New York. And Lake Ontario is trying to produce its first lake effect s.... at its end. (I refuse to use THAT "s" word yet!!)
I don't believe it!! Bring your gun to work, leaving it in your car? Why? So you can have a shoot-out in the parking lot? According to a 2005 workplace study by the University of North Carolina, workplaces were five times as likely to experience a homicide when they allowed guns compared to those that prohibited all weapons, We should be making it harder for people to have access to guns, not easier. I have lived in five different states (including Texas) and every size community from villages to major cities and I have never needed a gun or knew anyone who felt they needed a gun, except my ex-husband who was a hunter and had a shotgun. Allow guns in the workplace - NO!! By the way, today's gun violence happened in Connecticut where a deadly shooting at the Key Club Cabaret in New Haven left one woman dead and five more, men and women,were injured.

On a lighter note, today is the 188th anniversary of the opening of New York's Erie Canal, which enabled the Midwest to send their products all the way to New York City via water, easier and cheaper transportation. The canal is still open but now is used mainly for recreational purposes.

I got a mule her name is Sal / Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal / She's a good ol' worker and a good ol' pal / Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

Thought for Today:
"If we're growing, we're always going to be out of our comfort zone."
--John Maxwell (b. 1947) American evangelical Christian author, speaker, and pastor

Celsius dwarf bearded iris

I hope your Saturday is going splendidly.

[the flying reindeer]

National School Bus Safety Week
Good afternoon from Tuxy and me

This is the 289th day of 2013 with 66 days left in the year.

Today in History:

899--King Alfred the Great, Saxon King of Wessex in southwest England, is believed to have died on this date.
1440 --Gilles de Rais, French marshal who fought for Joan of Arc, was hanged for Satanism and the murder of 140 children. His crimes inspired the tale of "Bluebeard."
1774--the First Continental Congress adjourned in Philadelphia, Pa.
1785--the first Spanish jacks, brought to the US as a gift from King Charles III of Spain, arrived in Boston, Mass.. George Washington's breeding of them resulted in the first donkeys born in America.
1825--the Erie Canal opened, connecting Lake Erie and the Hudson River in upstate New York.
1861--the legendary Pony Express officially ceased operations, giving way to the transcontinental telegraph.
1881--Wyatt Earp, his two brothers and "Doc" Holliday confronted Ike Clanton's gang in a gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Ariz. Three members of Clanton's gang were killed; Earp's brothers were wounded.
1905--Sweden and Norway signed a Treaty of Separation, and Oscar II abdicated as king of Norway.
1942--Japanese planes badly damaged the aircraft carrier USS Hornet in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands
1944--the US Navy beat the Japanese at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines after three days of what is seen as one of history's great sea battles. More than 30 ships were sunk, most of them Japanese including their last four aircraft carriers.
1947--Former secretary of state and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton turns 66 years old today.
1949--Pres. Truman signed a measure raising the minimum wage from 40 to 75 cents an hour.
1951--Winston Churchill became British prime minister for a second time, following his Conservative Party's narrow victory
1962--in one of the most dramatic verbal confrontations of the Cold War, American UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson asked his Soviet counterpart during a Security Council debate whether the USSR had placed missiles in Cuba.
1970--Garry Trudeau, only 22 years old, started his comic strip Doonesbury in 28 US newspapers.
1972--national security adviser Henry Kissinger declared "peace is at hand" in Vietnam.
1979--South Korean President Park Chung-Hee was shot and killed by his intelligence chief Kim Jae-kyu.
1980--Israeli Pres. Yitzhak Navon became the first Israeli head of state to visit Egypt.
1984--"Baby Fae".a newborn with a severe heart defect, was given the heart of a baboon in an experimental transplant in Loma Linda, Calif., but she lived for 21 more days only.
1986--Donald Duck cartoons were sown in Communist China for the first time.
1990--the Soviet republic of Kirghizia \ changed its official name to the Socialist Republic of Kyrgyzstan, a title recalling the ancient Turkic origins of many of its people.
1994--Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel and Prime Minister Abdel Salam Majali of Jordan signed a peace treaty before US Pres. Clinton/
2001--Pres. Bush signed the USA PATRIOT Act, giving authorities unprecedented ability to search, seize, detain or eavesdrop in their pursuit of possible terrorists.
2002--a hostage siege by Chechen rebels at a Moscow theater ended with 129 of the 800-plus captives dead, most from a knockout gas used by Russian special forces who stormed the theater.
2003--13 deaths in Southern California were reported as wildfires fed by hot Santa Ana winds flared into gigantic waves of flame that devoured entire neighborhoods.
2003--a rocket attack on the Al Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad, where US officials were residing, killed an American colonel, wounded 18 other people.
2005--the Chicago White Sox won their first World Series since 1917 by defeating the Houston Astros 1-0 in Game 4.
2008--Tony Hillerman, author of the acclaimed Navajo Tribal Police mystery novels, died in Albuquerque, NM, at age 83
2008--US military helicopters launched a rare attack on Syrian territory, killing eight people in a strike Damascus condemned as "serious aggression."
2012--after leaving more than 40 people dead in the Caribbean, Hurricane Sandy headed toward the eastern United States, with forecasters warning that it would merge with two winter storm systems to create a megastorm.

World News Capsules:

With snap of group photo, 3 members of advocacy group face trial in China
....Charged with illegal assembly, the members of the New Citizens Movement will be tried Monday in the first court test of how far the government will go to extinguish the group.
a. Chinese university defends outspoken teacher's firing
....Peking University’s dismissal of an economist, Xia Yeliang, has prompted questions about whether it was politically motivated.

Egyptian satirist returns to TV with careful barbs
....In his first show since the military ousted Pres. Mohamed Morsi in July, Bassem Youssef skewered the leadership with caution, in a test of what the government was prepared to allow.

In European spy uproar, 'Everyone does it' just won't do
....The uproar in Europe has obscured a new reality: The digital age has merely expanded the ability of nations to do to one another what they have done for centuries.
a. Amid new storm in US-Europe relationship, a call for talks on spying

....The offer was an attempt to defuse a trans-Atlantic dispute over eavesdropping by the US that has hurt its relations with Europe and prompted calls to suspend trade talks
b. Europe turns its eye to migration policies, amid another sea rescue

....The scale and urgency of the challenge was brought into stark focus by the rescue of more than 700 refugees overnight near Sicily.

Hard-line push to rid Indonesia of alcohol worries tourism industry
....Conservative Muslim groups say prohibition is part of their goal to create an Islamic state, and critics fear that lawmakers may support a ban to win over voters in elections next year

Iran executes 16 Sunni insurgents in retaliation for an attack
....Though the insurgents were not believed to be connected to an attack that killed 14 border guards the day before, an official described the Sunnis as “bandits linked to groups against the system.”

Earthquake, and much smaller tsunami, in Japan
....No major injuries or damage were reported after a 7.1 magnitude quake off the coast where the effects of the 2011 disaster are still felt

Roma, feared as kidnappers, see their own children at risk
....A backlash against members of the ethnic group has fed negative stereotypes, but many say it is they who must worry about losing their children. In case you don't already know, Roma are more commonly known as gypsies.

'Open games' in Moscow to test an anti-gay law
....An organization called the Russian L.G.B.T. Sport Federation plans to hold gay-friendly Olympics just three days after the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Angry over Syrian war, Saudis fault US policy

....Saudi Arabia is threatening to break with the US and pursue a more robust role in supporting the rebellion against the Syrian government. But officials worry about alienating a friend and helping jihadists.
1. Saudi women rise up, quietly, and slide into the driver's seat

....In open defiance of staunch opposition in a conservative Saudi society, a small group of women on Saturday got into their cars and drove off, with some posting videos.

UN, fearing a polio epidemic in Syria, moves to vaccinate millions of children
....Officials said that the discovery a few weeks ago of a cluster of paralyzed young children in Deir al-Zour, a heavily contested city in eastern Syria, had prompted their alarm.

US News Capsules
1. For victim of ghastly crime, a new face, a new beginning

....Six years after being beaten and burned beyond recognition, Carmen Tarleton is adjusting to a transplanted face.
2. Drug tests falter as way for states to deny public aid
....Proposals to refuse welfare and jobless aid based on failed tests have proved hard to enact and have had a limited effect.
3. FDA bids to regulate animal food, acting after recall and deaths

....The Food and Drug Administration, hoping to prevent food-borne illness, proposed rules for pet food and farm animal feed.
4. Gambling debate entangles Disney in Florida

....The Walt Disney Co. has long argued that gambling tarnishes the state’s family-friendly brand, leading the fight against the expansion of casinos in the state, but it also owns the Marvel superheroes, whose images appear on slot machines.
5. Federal prosecutors, in a policy shift, cite warrantless wiretaps as evidence
....The contentious issue of government wiretaps done without a warrant has now moved a step closer to being legally challenged.
6. FBI begins inquiry to deputy's killing of 13-year-old boy

....The police said the boy was carrying a pellet gun that looked like an AK-47 assault rifle when the deputy fatally shot him in Santa Rosa, Calif.
7. Chinese company falling short of goal for California jobs
....B.Y.D. is employing some Chinese workers at its Lancaster, Calif., plant, and has been fined for paying them less than minimum wage.
8. Neighbors fight 600$ tax hike as building boom hurts coastal community

....Slave descendants on Georgia's Sapelo Island fear losing ancestral lands to high taxes, but a tax official suggests residents brought this on themselves. To fix the problem, he said, "the state has to create a special exemption for cultural communities."
9. Bottled water sales rising as soda fades
....By the end of the decade, sales of water - whether plain, flavored or carbonated - will surpass those of sodas like Coke and Pepsi
POLITICS:
1. Promised fix for health site could squeeze some users
....The White House said that it would fix the insurance marketplace by Nov. 30, raising the question of how people whose current policies do not comply with the law will get new coverage in time.
a. Health site woes undermine Obama's vow on government

....Flaws in the rollout of the online federal exchange could have serious implications for Pres. Obama’s promise of a more efficient government.
2. Immigration poses threat of another Republican rift
....A push to bring legislation to the House floor, led by a coalition of executives, conservatives and evangelical leaders, could affect campaign contributions before the midterm elections.
3. After year of working around federal cuts, agencies face fewer options
....As House and Senate budget negotiators sit down to devise a 2014 spending plan, politicians from both sides are preparing to think small.
4. Cruz takes his stand on the road to Iowa
....Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican, argued that the battle over the health care law would invigorate Republicans in next year’s elections.

[ Thought for Today
"You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity."
—Marie Curie, (1867-1934).Polish-French two-time Nobel Prize-winning scientist

[the flying reindeer]

Mother-in-Law Day
Good afternoon my friends
It's a somewhat cloudy and chilly day. If it were the middle of winter I'd be overjoyed with it, but in October? <<sigh>>
And the carnage goes on. According to two Boston doctors who presented their findings to the American Academy of Pediatrics about 500 children and teenagers die in hospitals every year from gunshots (a rate that has increased 60% in a decade). Added to that are the estimates 7,500 kids hospitalized yearly who have been wounded by gunfire (up more than 80% from 1997 to 2009). That's a total of 8,000 a year and the rate is rising rapidly. And this doesn't include those children who die outside a hospital. More and more everywhere every year. And still nothing changes. We've heard it proposed that guns should be carried by teachers in schools and guns should be allowed in the workplace. So what will be the response to this - every person in the US should have their own gun? As far as I can see is that the only people who benefit from this advice is the gun manufacturers. It seems to me that the nation's response to all this violence is being controlled by the one segment who profits from it.
There's a new sanctuary for elephants at the National Elepphant Center in Fellsmere, Fla., which opened earlier this year. The 225-acre facility aims to preserve the threatened species while also offering a home to any elephant in need. By providing an environment closer to the animals’ natural habitat, managers hope to eventually help elephants reproduce and enjoy a better quality of life. More than $2 million in donations from zoos paid for the facility's construction. Unlike a zoo, however, the center is not open to the public. “We just want elephants to be elephants,” said John Lehnhardt, the executive director of the center, who has dedicated most of his life to helping these threatened animals. What a great idea. Now if the elephants could only help get rid of the unwanted pythons in Florida.

Thought for Today:
"Truth indeed rather alleviates than hurts, and will always bear up against falsehood, as oil does above water. "
--Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) Spanish author

Aster in memory of Sparkle

I hope you have a sun-filled Sunday

[the flying reindeer]

National Chocolates Day
Good afternoon my friends
Well, we dodged the S word last night and today is bright and sunny with temp reaching 50F. So far so good!!
What is going on with baseball's World Series in St. Louis? Has some coven of witches put a hex on the game? First we have Saturday's came ending in the Red Sox's favor with the umpires' obstruction call. Then we have yesterday's game ending with a Cardinal player getting picked off 1st base for the game's final out. I can't help wondering what bizarre situation will end tonight's game. At least the possibility will keep me watching the game!!
OMG I see that the worst storm in 5 years has hit Britain, leaving two crushed to death by falling trees and a teenage boy feared dead and 200,000 homes without power. It's being called the "St. Jude's" storm, after the patron saint of lost causes who is traditionally celebrated on Oct. 28 - certainly an appropriate name!! "The thing that's unusual about this one is that most of our storms develop out over the Atlantic so that they've done all their strengthening and deepening by the time they reach us," Met spokeswoman Helen Chivers said. "This one is developing as it crosses the UK, which is why it brings the potential for significant disruption ... and that doesn't happen very often.” I hope all our UK friends have escaped harm.
Thought for Today:
"To sin is a human business, to justify sins is a devilish business."
--Count Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) Russian novelist and philosopher, notable for his influence on Russian literature and politics.

Champagne elegance bearded iris

I hope you're having a moan-free Monday

[the flying reindeer]

In a stunning move, a federal judge Monday ruled that abortion restrictions authorized by Texas lawmakers in July are unconstitutional, and will not be implemented as scheduled on Tuesday, according to court documents obtained by NBC News.

usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/28/21215002-federal-judge-rules-key-provisions-of-controversial-texas-abortion-law-unconstitutional?lite

U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel decided Monday that the regulations requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital impeded on the rights of physicians to do what they judge is best for their patients and would unreasonably limit a woman's access to state abortion clinics.

"The admitting-privileges provision of House Bill 2 does not bear a rational relationship to the legitimate right of the state in preserving and promoting fetal life or a woman's health and, in any event, places a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion of a nonviable fetus and is thus an undue burden to her," Yeakel wrote in his decision.

[the flying reindeer]

Hermit Day
Good afternoon my friends
It's another sunshiny day but chilly (43ºF). A nice autumn day when you're not in the shade.
I'm glad to see that our UK friends are all OK and that things weren't a bad as we were led to believe.
Well, it's back to Boston for the 6th game of the World Series. If Boston wins, then it's all over. Factoid: Boston hasn't clinched a World Series at home since - 1918!!
Be warned - Milk prices may skyrocket if farm bill isn't renewed. The fight over renewing the nation's farm bill has centered on cuts to the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program, but there could be unintended consequences if no agreement is reached: higher milk prices. Dairy support expire at the end of this year and that means one of the basic of everyone's diet may skyrocket in price - milk. I certainly hope the the politicians in Washington do a better job of dealing with the farm bill negotiations than they have on the budget up to now!!

Thought for Today:
"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time."
--Steven Wright (b. 1955) American comedian, actor and writer

Scabwort in memory of Sparkle

I hope you're having a tantalizing Tuesday

[the flying reindeer]

National Candy Corn Day
Good afternoon my friends
It's been an overcast day here but slightly warmer with temps in the 50s. Typical for autumn in New York (I think there's a song somewhere in that).
For those who assert that this nation was founded as a Christian nation, I offer the following quote by our 2nd president who helped frame the Declaratio of Independence and the Constitution, John Adams - "This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it" Now that doesn't sound like promoting Christianity to me, hmmmm?
The government has announced that Social Security benefits will be increased only 1.2% next year or around $19.00 per month. The annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is based on a government measure of inflation affects benefits for more than 20% of the country (disabled veterans, federal retirees and people who get Supplemental Security Income/SSI, the disability program for the poor). And the amount of one's wages subject to Social Security deductions is also going up to $117,000. At least we'll be getting a break on our Medicare Part B payments which will stay the same.
World Series Game 6 in Boston tonight and I'll be watching. If Boston wins, the Series will be over with the Red Sox MLB cahmps. If it's a St Louis win, then we'll have one of sports' most exciting contests - a winner-take-all Game 7tomorrow night. That's what I'm hoping for.
Thought for Today:
"Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life. "
--Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) German philosopher

Champagne frost bearded iris

Have a "wicked" Wednesday

[the flying reindeer]

HALLOWEEN
Good afternoon my friends
It's been raining off and on, sometimes heavily, since last night and from the looks of the weather map, it will continue for some time. I hope it stops in time for the trick or treaters, Halloween parades, etc.
In the latest NBC/WSJ poll, the American public has placed a curse on all Washington, DC politicians after the government shutdown and the latest sparring over the health-care law and its website troubles. Along with Pres. Obama's unfavorable rating of 42%, the view of the Republican Party has reached another all-time low with now just 22% seeing the GOP in a positive light and 53% viewing it negatively; House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell remain unpopular at record levels. 63% of voters want to replace their own member of Congress (which is the highest percentage ever recorded on this question that dates back to 1992). I agree - throw them all out and let's get a whole new Congress. Unfortunately, we have to way until November 2014 to do so.
Some good news from abroad - Syria has met the deadline for destroying chemical weapons. The Joint Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said, “The Joint Mission is now satisfied that it has verified - and seen destroyed - all of Syria's declared critical production and mixing/filling equipment." So now if the US and Russia could only broker some kind of resolution to the fighting and arrange for the refugees in the surrounding countries to go back home.
Thought for Today:
"By nature we have no defect that could not become a strength, no strength that could not become a defect."
--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) German playwright, poet and novelist

Wildflowers in memory of Sparkle

Have a "scary" Halloween, heh, heh, heh!!

[the flying reindeer]

Books for Treats Day



Today in History: October 31st, the 304th day of 2013 with 61 days left in the year

1517--Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Palace church, marking the start of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.
1776--in a speech before British Parliament, King George III acknowledged that all was not going well for Britain in the war with the American colonies.
1795--John Keats, English Romantic poet. one of the main figures of the second generation of Romantic poets along with Lord Byron and Shelley, was born in London; died 1921 at age 25 of tuberculosis in King's College, London.
1846--the Donner party became trapped in what is now known as Donner Pass in the Sierra Mountains.
1861--citing failing health, Gen. Winfield Scott, commander of the Union forces, retired from service.
1864--Nevada became the 36th state.
1868--Postmaster General Alexander Williams Randall approved a standard uniform for mail carriers.
1888--John Boyd Dunlop took out a patent for his pneumatic bicycle tire.
1892--The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle, was published for the first time in book form (had benn publishing in magazines since 1887).
1914--Russian troops under General Russki pushed the Germans under Hindenburg back to their original positions, ending the battle of the Vistula River.
1922--Benito Mussolini became prime minister of Italy.
1926--magician Harry Houdini died of complications from a ruptured appendix causing gangrene and peritonitis.
1931--Dan Rather, broadcast journalist for CBS, turns 82 today.
1938--the day after his War of the Worlds broadcast had panicked radio listeners, Orson Welles expressed "deep regret" but also bewilderment that anyone had thought the show was real.
1941--the Navy destroyer USS Reuben James was torpedoed by a German U-boat off Iceland with the loss of some 100 lives.
1941--work was completed on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, begun in 1927. Actually, the money ran out.
1954--the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) began a revolt against French rule.
1956--British and French military forces join Israel in the Suez Canal Zone to try to retake the canal from Egypt.
1961--the body of Josef Stalin was removed from Lenin's Tomb as part of the Soviet Union's "de-Stalinization" drive.
1968--Pres. Johnson ordered a halt to all bombing of North Vietnam, saying he hoped for fruitful peace negotiations.
1984--Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated near her residence by two Sikh security guards.
1992--five American nuns in Liberia were shot to death near the capital Monrovia; the killings were blamed on rebels loyal to Charles Taylor.
1992--Pope John Paul II formally proclaimed that the Roman Catholic Church had erred in condemning the astronomer Galileo for holding that the Earth was not the center of the universe.
1993--River Phoenix died at the age of 23 after collapsing outside The Viper Room in Hollywood
1999--EgyptAir Flight 990 crashed off the Massachusetts coast, killing all 217 people aboard.
2001--New York hospital worker Kathy T. Nguyen (nwen) died of inhalation anthrax, the fourth person to perish in a spreading wave of bioterrorism.
2005--Pres. Bush nominated Judge Samuel Alito to the US Supreme Court.
2006--P.W. Botha, South Africa's apartheid-era president, died at age 90.
2008--Pulitzer Prize-winning author Studs Terkel died in Chicago at age 96.
2012--Pres. Obama joined Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for a tour of damage along the New Jersey coast from Superstorm Sandy.

Thought for Today:
"I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman."
—Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) English author and critic

[the flying reindeer]

National Family Literacy Day
Good afternoon my friends
The sun is shining, the wind is blowing and the temp is 61F. It's hard to believe that it's the 1st of November!!
My favorite "Housewives" show is due to start a new season from Beverly Hills. They've added two new wives - Carlton Gebbia (a Wiccan) and Joyce Giraud de Ohoven (a former Miss Puerto Rico) for a total of seven wives sisters Kim & Kyle Richards, Yolanda Foster, Brandi Glanville and Lisa Vanderpump). Gone are Adrienne Maloof, Taylor Armstrong and Camille Grammar who underwent surgery for breast cancer. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills kicks off season four this coming Monday at 8 p.m. on Bravo. I'm really looking forward to it.

Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Mailiki has come to Washington to plead for aid in fighting terrorists. This past month 30 Iraqi civilians were killed every day in the country's deadliest month sine 2008. I think that we should help since we are the ones who went into that country and essentially destroyed the political structure that they had had for years. That gave terrorist organizations an invitation to "come one in." Besides, we need all the friends we can get in the Middle East.

Thought for Today:
"Happiness isn't something you experience; it's something you remember."
--Oscar Levant (1906-1972) American pianist, composer, author, comedian, and actor

Champagne waltz bearded iris

I hope you have a Fabulous Friday - TGIF!!

[the flying reindeer]

Plan Your Epitaph Day
Good afternoon my friends
It's overcast and threatening rain. <<sigh>> When the weather is gloomy, so am I.
Anyone with pets, remember what's a treat for us can be a trick for your pet. For instance, chocolate, especially dark chocolate can kill your pet within 24 hours. It contains a substance called theobromine, and caffeine. Those items combined can cause rapid or irregular heartbeat, diarrhea, vomitting, or seizures for your pet. Raisins and grapes can also be deadly, causing kidney failure. Signs to look out for include vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. I knew that chocolate was a no-no, but didn't know grapes/raisins were too.

I cannot believe my eyes and ears. Already there are Christmas shopping commercials on TV. I saw the first one the week before Halloween. At one time this never started until after Thanksgiving. Now stores (K-mart) begin breaking out the Christmas decorations/ads as early as September!! I'm going to start making a note of those early ads and make it a point not to shop there as my protest against this. And I include any store that decides to be open on Thanksgiving.
Another shooting incident. This time at the Los Angeles airport where, for some unknown reason, a young man shot and killed a TSA agent. Just another incident in a long list of such happenings with nothing being done to try and change the American attitude towards guns. Is someone going to suggest that anyone going to an airport carry a gun? Lord, I'm tired of all this mayhem.

Thought for Today:
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."
--Anais Nin (1903-1977) in The Diary of Anais Nin, volume 3, 1939-1944

Grape hyacinth [Lat. Muscari] in memory of Sparkle

I hope your weekend is going well

[the flying reindeer]

National Model Railroad Month
Good evening from Tuxy and me

This is the 306th day of 2013 with 59 days left in the year.

Today in History:

1483--Britain's Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, was beheaded at Salisbury for his rebellion against King Richard III.
1721--Peter I was proclaimed Emperor of All the Russias.
1755--Marie-Antoinette, French queen consort to Louis VXI, was born; executed 1793 in Paris during the French Revolution.
1777--the USS Ranger, with a crew of 140 men under the command of John Paul Jones, left Portsmouth, NH toward the Irish Sea to begin raids on British warships.
1783--Gen. George Washington issued his farewell address to the Army near Princeton, NJ.
1841--following the British occupation of Kabul, Afghans revolted and murdered Sir Alexander Burnes and 23 others
1861--controversial Union Gen. John C. Fremont was relieved of command in the Western Department and replaced by David Hunter.
1865--Warren G. Harding, the 29th president of the United States, was born near Corsica, Ohio; died 1923 at age 5while still president and succeeded by Vice Pres. Calvin Coolidge..
1889--North Dakota and South Dakota became the 39th and 40th states.
1917--British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour expressed support for a national home for the Jews of Palestine in what became known as the Balfour Declaration.
1942--Gen. Montgomery broke through Rommel's defensive line at El Alamein, Egypt, beginning of the end of the Axis occupation of North Africa.
1947--Howard Hughes piloted his huge wooden airplane, the Spruce Goose, on its only flight, which lasted about a minute over Long Beach Harbor in California.
1948--Pres. Truman surprised the experts by winning a narrow upset over Republican challenger Thomas E. Dewey.
1959--Charles Van Doren admitted to a House subcommittee that he had the questions and answers in advance of his appearances on the TV game show "Twenty-One."
1962--Pres. Kennedy delivered a brief statement to the nation in which he said that aerial photographs had confirmed that Soviet missile bases in Cuba were being dismantled.
1963--South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated in a military coup.
1976--former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter defeated Republican incumbent Gerald R. Ford, becoming the first US president from the Deep South since the Civil War.
1979--black militant JoAnne Chesimard escaped from a New Jersey prison, where she'd been serving a life sentence for the 1973 slaying of New Jersey state trooper Werner Foerster.
1982--a truck exploded in the Salang Tunnel in Afghanistan, killing an estimated 3,000 people, mostly Soviet soldiers traveling to Kabul.
1983--Pres. Reagan signed a bill establishing a federal holiday on the third Monday of January in honor of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
1986--Norwegian distance runner Grete Waitz won her eighth New York City marathon.
1989--Gwendolyn Graham was sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole for killing five elderly female residents of the Alpine Manor Nursing Home near Grand Rapids, Mich.
2003--in Durham, NH, V. Gene Robinson was consecrated as the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church.
2006--the Rev. Ted Haggard resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals after a man said they had had sexual trysts together.
2008-- Paula Radcliffe became the second woman to win the New York City Marathon three times; Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil won the men's race for the second time in three years
2009--Afghanistan's election commission proclaimed Pres. Hamid Karzai the victor of the country's tumultuous ballot, canceling a planned runoff.
2010--Californians rejected a ballot measure that would have made their state the first to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
2012--New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the New York City Marathon would be canceled due to the impact of Superstorm Sandy.

World News Capsules:

Comic finds new life, and punch lines, in Australia
....Sami Shah, who was making a name for himself as a comedian in Pakistan, left with his family for Australia not just because of death threats but because of his daughter’s birth.

Chinese doctors becoming the targets of patients' anger
....Doctors in China face violence at work from patients and their relatives who are dissatisfied over treatment. In growing numbers, physicians have been attacked, and sometimes killed.
a. China aims to fully mute Dalai Lama
....China aims to stamp out the voice of the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, by making his words inaccessible to Tibetans by any means, a top official said.
b. China says terror group was behind Tiananmen attack

....A Chinese official said the deadly attack that killed five people was instigated by the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.
c. Strident video by Chinese military casts US as menace
....he film, “Silent Contest,” shows a senior Chinese military official criticizing military exchanges with the United States and warning that the Americans will use them for “infiltration.”

Kerry plans brief stop in Egypt, his first since military takeover, state media report
....Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Egypt on Sunday, a day before Mohamed Morsi, the deposed president, is to make his first court appearance.

A fiscal scold, Merkel softens tone at home
....Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is being pushed to accept policies that would sharply increase domestic spending, even as she shows few signs of easing austerity for the rest of Europe.

British media abuzz as phone hacking trial reveals Brooks-Coulson affair

....The courtroom claim that Rebekah Brooks, a protege of global media baron Rupert Murdoch's, and Andy Coulson, a former spin doctor for British Prime Minister David Cameron, had a six-year affair has set British media abuzz.
a. Tabloid hacked phone of Prince Harry's secretary, jury is told
....A message seeking help on a term paper led to an article in The News of the World, with some details left out, the prosecution said.

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 4 Hamas militants
....Israeli forces responded after five Israeli soldiers were injured in an explosion while they were destroying a tunnel from Gaza into Israel.

Two French journalists are kidnapped and killed by gunmen in Mali

....Two reporters for Radio France Internationale had been interviewing a leader with a separatist group in Mali’s unstable desert north. Their bodies were found with their throats slit.

Drone strikes are said to kill Pakistan's Taliban CHIEF
....The killing deals a major blow to a group that has terrorized Pakistan and tried to set off a car bomb in New York in 2010, according to Pakistani intelligence officials and militant commanders. Four candidates are thought to be in the running to succeed Hakimullah Mehsud, in an opaque process rived with tribal rivalry and personality-driven tensions.

Russia to transfer detained Greenpeace activists
....The reason for moving the detainees, held since their ship was seized after an open-seas protest against oil drilling in the Arctic, to a St. Petersburg jail was not immediately clear.

Turkey and Iran signal a softening of differences over Syria
....While the two countries support opposing sides in the Syrian civil war, their foreign ministers suggested that mutual concerns over rising sectarianism could bring them closer together.

US News Capsules:
1. Climate change seen posing risk to food supplies
....A leaked draft of a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that climate change could reduce output and send prices higher in a period when global food demand is expected to soar.
2. No morsel too minuscule for all-consuming NSA

....The National Security Agency finds itself under intense pressure after disclosures of spying on allies and rivals alike, but it defends the wide net it casts.
3. Doctors fear losing leukemia drug deemed risky
....The Food and Drug Administration announced it would ban the sale of Iclusig, which is keeping patients alive but has grave side effects.
4. At Los Angeles International Airport, two paths crossed in a fatal instant

....Federal agents combed the airport for clues about a man wielding an assault rifle who killed a Transportation Security Administration officer on Friday
5. Oarfish offer chance to study an elusive animal long thought a monster

....Within five days, two oarfish were found in California last month, giving marine biologists a rare opportunity to study a lengthy and elusive big fish.
6. 344,000 minivans recalled by Honda for brake problem
....The recall, like an earlier one in March, is to fix a problem in the vehicle’s computer that could result in unexpected braking.
7. In the east at dawn, an eclipse on Sunday
....Early risers in the eastern United States will wake to a rare site on Sunday morning: a partial eclipse. A brief total eclipse will then sweep across the Atlantic and Central Africa.
POLITICS:
1. 2 Democrats split on tactics to fight military sex assaults
....As Senators Kirsten Gillibrand an Claire McCaskill mount fierce separate campaigns, the conflict has created an uncomfortable division between the Senate's women.
2. Ex-governor of Florida seeks old job in new party

....The governor's race will no doubt be one of next year's most expensive and rancorous, offering a contrast between Charlie Crist, a centrist, and Gov. Rick Scott, a Tea Party conservative.
3. Texas clinics stop abortions after court ruling
....After a court let new limits take effect, many clinics prepared to shut down, leaving those seeking their services distraught.
4. Republican rivalry simmers as paths and styles diverge
....The strategies pursued by Ted Cruz and Rand Paul could help determine whether the Tea Party remains at war with the GOP establishment or is eventually integrated

Thought for Today
"If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons."
—James Thurber (1894-1961) American humorist and writer

[the flying reindeer]

Sherlock Holmes Weekend
Good afternoon my friends
It's a beautifull sunny day that fools you, if your inside. It's also cold with temps in the mid-30s!! Boy, things sure took a turn for the worse. I think we did more that turn back the clock an hour last night - we turned it all the way back to winter!!
The New York City marathon was run today, with increased security, but otherwise unchanged. It went off without a hitch as 47,000 runners raced through five boroughs and passed cheering crowds. But, as a sign of the times, at least 1,500 cameras were positioned along the route and there were baggage screenings and surveillance helicopters. Bomb-sniffing dogs and scuba divers scanned bridges and shorelines, while counterterrorism officers escorted ferries carrying runners. What's that? Oh, you want to know who won? Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya won the women's division and Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya, the men's side, Each will get $100,000 in prize money.

Now it's time for the NFL for the rest of the day, starting with the Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs. Surprisingly, the Bills are doing well in the first half. Against the unbeaten Chiefs?? Bills with their 3rd string QB?? And the score at halftime is Bills 10 KC 3?? Well, halftime's over and the Chiefs just intercepted a pass and returned it for 100+ yards to tie the game. Ah well, I knew I shouldn't get my hopes up.

Thought for Today:
"Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who holds a low opinion of himself."
--Anthony Trollope (1815-1882) prolific and respected English novelist of the Victorian era

Change in the weather bearded iris

I hope you're having a sunfilled Sunday

[the flying reindeer]

King Tut Day
Good afternoon my friends
The sun is shining, the sky is blue but it's COLD (31F). I am not a happy camper, to say the least.
Oh, wow!! A trove of 1,500 works of art plundered by the Nazis has been discovered in Munich - a collection that, if confirmed, ranks among the most significant artistic finds of the postwar era. The cache of modernist masterpieces looted in the 1930s and 1940s from their Jewish owners is believed to include priceless works by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee and Marc Chagall. Most were considered lost — until now. International warrants were out for at least 200 of the prized works and the recovered collection is being stored in a secure warehouse in Munich for the time being. It makes one wonder how many other "lost" treasures are being kept hidden in Germany by families of ex-Nazis.

Along with all its other problems, Syria is facing an oubeak of polio among 2-year-olds and under with at least 10 childllren becoming paralyzed. They speculate that these children went unvaccinated because of the civil war and so were vulnerable. It should serve as a warning to the rest of the world - it could happen elsewhere, like here in the US among those who have chosen not to be vacicinated. I hope not, because I can remember a time when we were all vulnerable to this disease. And with the Sabine vaccine, it's painless because it's drinkable.

Thought for Today:
"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today.”
--Will Rogers (1879-1935) American humorist

Yellow lilies in memory of Sparkle

I hope you all have a mirthful Monday

[the flying reindeer]

Late Color Some late fall colors along the roadside in the Town of Victor. Photo by Mike Sargent


Fall at Watkins Glen Always a different scene anytime of the day or year at the gorge at Watkins Glen. Here is Watkins Glen on the first day of November taken just before sunset. Photo by Rachel Burkholder


Fall at the Falls The Falls just inside the entrance at Watkins Glen dressed in the colors of Fall. Photo by Rachel Burkholder


November Shore A sunny start to the month of November as seen on the northern shore of Cayuga Lake in Seneca Falls in the morning.
Photo by Cindy Loncosky


Autumn Slips Away The west branch of Keuka Lake in Penn Yan as seen early in the evening. Photo by Susan Eisenhart

Some photos from the area of New York State where I live - the Finger Lakes. If you look at a map of the state, there are a bunch of long thin lakes between Syracuse and Rochester, NY that, using a bit of imagination, look like the fingers on a hand.

[the flying reindeer]

Give Wildlife A Brake! Week

Good afternoon my friends
The sun is shining in a blue sky and all's right with the world (I hope).
Another election day has come and gone, the first chance we voters had to let our government know what we thought of their behavior. It has resulted in the Tea Party taking it on the chin with the GOP establishment making a solid comeback. Results in Virginia, New Jersey and Alabama show that mainstream Republican efforts to fight back against the Tea Party are having an effect. Gov. Chris Christie won reelection in New Jersey; in Alabama's Congressional GOP runoff, the establishment candidate beat the Tea Party candidate and in Virginia the Democratic candidate narrowly beat the Tea Party candidate in a close race that an establishment GOP probably would have won. In the other notable contests last night, Bill de Blasio (D) won New York City’s mayoral contest… Martin Walsh (D) will be Boston’s next mayor and Mike Duggan (D) will be Detroit’s first white mayor in decades. Now maybe Boehner witll be more willing to ignore the Tea Party members of his caucus and listen to the more pragmatic establishment GOP members. It certainly seems that we voters have clearly stated our feelings about what happened earlier this year and how we want things to go in the future.

Can someone explain why Jennifer Anniston's decision to cut her hair should be newsworthy? Along with Pamela Anderson and Kristen Chenoweth? Who cares? Really, who cares?

Thought for Today:
"You can only be young once. But you can always be immature."
--Dave Barry (b. 1947) American humorist and writer

Houseleeks in memory of Sparkle

Have a WOW of a Wednesday

[the flying reindeer]

National COPD Month
Good evening from Tuxy and me

This is the 310th day of 2013 with 55 days left in the year.

Today in History:

1528--the Spanish conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca was shipwrecked on a low sandy island off the coast of Texas and became the first European to set foot on the soil of the future Lone Star state.
1632--Sweden's King Gustavus II was killed during the Battle of Lutzen in the Thirty Years' War.
1789--Pope Pius VI appointed John Carroll bishop of Baltimore, making him the first Catholic bishop in the United States.
1854--John Philip Sousa, the king of American march music, was born in Washington, D.C.; died 1932 at age 77.
1860--former Illinois congressman Abraham Lincoln defeated three other candidates for the US presidency.
1861--Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederacy.
1861--James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, was born in Ontario, Canada; died 1939 at age 79.
1869--in New Brunswick, NJ, the first intercollegiate football game was played with Rutgers defeating Princeton 6-4.
1887--Baseball Hall of Famer Walter Johnson was born in Humboldt, Kansas; died 1945 at age 59.
1888--Republican Benjamin Harrison was elected president, beating incumbent Grover Cleveland in the Electoral College, even though Cleveland led in the popular vote.
1893--composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky died in St. Petersburg, Russia at age 53.
1899--in New York City, William Gillette starred in Sherlock Holmes on Broadway and later on radio.
1903--in New York, the original stage production of Sir James Barrie’s Peter Pan opened and ran for 2 years with Maude Adams as its star.
1900--Pres. McKinley was returned to office, defeating Democrat William Jennings Bryan.
1906--Pres. Teddy Roosevelt left for a trip to Panama and Puerto Rico, becoming the first president to make an official diplomatic tour outside of the continental United States.
1913--Mohandas K. Gandhi was arrested as he led a march of Indian miners in South Africa.
1917--after three months of horrific fighting, the 3rd Battle of Ypres finally ended when Canadian forces took the village of Passchendaele in Belgium.
1928--Republican Herbert Hoover was elected president over Democrat Alfred E. Smith.
1928--Jacob Schick patented the first electric razor.
1955--police dispersed soccer fans in Naples, Italy, who tried to kill an umpire for awarding a tying penalty kick to the visiting Bologna team.
1956--Pres. Eisenhower won a second term by besting Democrat Adlai E. Stevenson at the polls.
1962--the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning South Africa's racist apartheid policies and calling on all its members to end economic and military relations with the country.
1963--Gen. Duong Van Minh, leader of the Revolutionary Military Committee of dissident generals took over leadership of South Vietnam.
1977--an earthen dam burst, sending a wall of water through Toccoa Falls Bible College in Georgia, killing 39 people. .
1988--Soviet physicist and well-known human rights activist Andrei Sakharov begab a two-week visit to the United States.
1995--Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell announced plans to move the team to Baltimore.
1996--more than 2,000 people were killed or lost at sea when a cyclone struck India's major crop-growing state of Andhra Pradesh.
1998--Pres. Clinton declared that part of Detroit will become an "Automobile National Heritage Area."
2001--Billionaire Republican Michael Bloomberg was elected New York City mayor.
2009--unemployment rose to 10.2% in the U.S. in October, the first time the jobless rate had hit double digits since 1983.

World News Capsules:

Afghan militant group faces unusual discontent[/'u]
....The militant Haqqani network’s war against the Soviets more than two decades ago is still spoken of in reverential tones in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, but support has turned to resentment in some corners.

Behind those fast African growth rates, rising inequality
....There is a disquieting reality behind the “Africa Rising” narrative: The total number of people living in extreme poverty has increased.

Argentina finds a dictatorship's secret records
....The discovery of secret documents from the military dictatorship that led Argentina from 1976 to 1983 provides rare insight into the persecution of intellectual figures.

152 Bangladeshi border guards get death penalty over revolt
....The sentence was imposed on members of the Bangladesh Rifles in connection with a 2009 mutiny in which scores were killed.

Toronto mayor admits smoking crack, but won't step down as wild ride in office continues
....After months of denials, Mayor Rob Ford, who has been accused of many types of boorish behavior, told reporters that he had "probably" tried crack cocaine "in one of my drunken stupors," after a video fell into the hands of the police. He later apologized to city residents, but refused to resign.

After outside pressure, rebels in Congo lay down their arms

....The surrender offered new hope for a region where conflict has gone on for so many years that it has often come to seem almost inevitable.

European Union predicts anemic growth and high unemployment in 2014
....Economic growth in 2014 should hit 1.1 percent in the euro area and 1.4 percent across the European Union and continue to strengthen in 2015.

In a rediscovered trove of art, a triumph over the Nazis' willl
....Among the Nazis’ goals was to purge museums and ransack private collections, but as the years have gone by, art continues to be found, refusing oblivion.
a. German officials provide details on looted art
....The first glimpse of the collection brought astonishment but also anger and the initial stirrings of what will likely be a long battle over who owns the works.

Indian craft is lofted toward Mars, trailed by pride and questions
....The launch was a major step in India’s hopes to become the first country in Asia to reach Mars.

Iranian minister says nuclear deal is possible this week
....Two days before talks over Iran’s disputed nuclear program resume in Geneva, the country’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, sounded an optimistic note.

Israeli court clears former foreign minister of fraud charges

....The acquittal opens the way for Avigdor Lieberman, a political powerhouse in Israel, to be reinstated as foreign minister by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
a. Kerry presses Israel on settlement construction
....Secretary of State John Kerry’s efforts to steady peace talks floundered after a dispute over Jewish settlements.

Qatari court orders temporary release of American couple
....The couple, Matthew and Grace Huang, are accused of starving their 8-year-old daughter to death, but they say the girl had been struggling with an underlying eating disorder.

Diplomats fail to agree on details for Syria peace talks
....Senior American, Russian and UN diplomats could not agree on a date for peace talks, nor were they able to decide on which countries should participate.
a. Deadly blast punctures picture of normalcy in Damascus
....A bomb in the heart of Damascus, the Syrian capital, killed at least eight people and wounded 50, the Syrian state news media reported.

United Nations group warms on emissions
....A report by the United Nations Environment Program says that greenhouse gas emissions must start to fall immediately to avoid more drastic and expensive action later.

US News Capsules:
1. US is losing advantage in spying, report says
....A congressional panel charged that the US intelligence agencies’ research-and-development efforts were disorganized and unfocused.
POLITICS:
1. De Blastso is elected New York City mayor
....The election of Bill de Blasio, the Democratic candidate, amounted to a forceful rejection of the hard-nosed, business-minded style of governance that reigned at City Hall for the past two decades.
2. Chris Christie re-elected governor of New Jersey
....Gov. Chris Christie won decisively, making impressive inroads among younger voters, blacks, Hispanics and women – all groups that Republicans nationally have struggled to attract.
3. Terry McAuliffe, Democrat, is elected governor of Virginia in tight race
....Terry McAuliffe, a longtime Democratic fund-raiser, won by two points after outraising Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, the attorney general, nearly two to one.

Thought for Today
"It takes a lot of things to prove you are smart, but only one thing to prove you are ignorant."
--Don Herold (1889-1966) American humorist, writer, illustrator, and cartoonist

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

Can someone explain why Jennifer Anniston's decision to cut her hair should be newsworthy? Along with Pamela Anderson and Kristen Chenoweth? Who cares? Really, who cares?

Apparently you - since you commented - otherwise, you would ignore the celeb gossip altogether without comment.

It isn't a headline story, or taking up space for more important news on daily newspapers or on network news hours -- it's just "celebrity news" - period. Like you'd see on the cover of "People" magazine while standing in line at the grocery - or on "Entertainment Tonight". You either watch/read it and care what they do with their lives, or you don't.

Stories like that are usually used to fill space on a page or air time on an entertainment program. It's called "fluff news".

Was it on the front page of your local paper? Or in any of the inside pages? Probably not.

[the flying reindeer]

You're right. But it was the NBCNews.com website that I saw it on. And it just struck me as being odd to see such a headline even though it was in the entertainment section.
www.nbcnews.com/

[the flying reindeer]

Cook Something Bold Day
Good morning my friends
The day started out nice but is deteriorating into overcast gloominess. Ah well, that's autumn for you.
The most powerful storm ever to make landfall battered the Philippines as category-5 super typhoon Haiyan packs 200 mph winds that gusted to 235 mph, causing mudslides, flash floods and 30-foot waves. More than one million people fled in search of safety from Haiyan, which caused mudslides, flash flooding and a storm surge with waves of up to 30 feet. Typhoon Haiyan may be the strongest tropical cyclone to hit land anywhere in recorded history. And we thought Sandy was terrible. This storm was horrible!! And the Philippines is especially vulnerable to its destruction, being a series of islands.

What IS it with Rob Ford, Toronto, Canada's mayor? First he had to admit to smoking crack because of a video. Now another video shows him in an alcohol-induced rage threatening to kill someone. "I'm going to kill that (expletive) guy. I'm telling you it's first-degree murder. ... He dies or I die, brother," Ford is heard saying in the video. Amazingly, the gleaming lakeside city that's arguably the cultural center of English-speaking Canada still delights his supporters. People are truly amazing..

Thought for Today:
"Autumn wins you best by this its mute appeal to sympathy for its decay."
--Robert Browning (1812-1889) English poet

A rose in memory of Sparkle

TGIF everyone!!

[the flying reindeer]

Forget-Me-Not Day
Good afternoon my friends
It's another overcast and chilly autumn day. It's fine for staying cozy and warm watching endless football games on TV, which is my plan for the day.
Those poor people in the Philippines!! The scenes of destruction by Typhoon Haiyan are horrendous!! I thought the destruction by Hurricane Sandy was horrific but this is twice as bad. So far they are estimating that 10,000 or more people have been killed in the province of Leyte. As with Sandy, most of the destruction was caused by surging sea water. "From a helicopter, you can see the extent of devastation. From the shore and moving a kilometer inland, there are no structures standing. It was like a tsunami," Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas told Reuters. According to authorities, it flattened hundreds of homes and triggered mudslides, flash flooding and a storm surge with waves of up to 30 feet. The weather system has been downgraded overnight from a "super typhoon" to a typhoon, and was making its way toward Vietnam, where it may become no more than a tropical storm.

Thought for Today:
"It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere."
--Agnes Repplier (1858-1950) American essayist and writer

Chanted dwarf bearded iris

I hope you all are having a superb Sunday

[the flying reindeer]

Armistice Day
Good afternoon my friends
Another overcast and chilly day with S.... forecasted for today and tonight. Brrrrrr. I don' wannit!!
I'm sorry that here in the US we've stopped commemorating this day with poppies. I think that we've lost something when we stopped connecting this day to the cessation of warfare in World War I. It was the first instance of the US joining like-minded nations in combating the aggression of another and set the example for the rest of the century and beyond
.
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army
Thought for Today:
"I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center."
--Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (1922-2007) American writer [Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five Breakfast of Champions

Strawflower in memory of Sparkle

I hope you are having a madcap Monday

[the flying reindeer]

National Young Reader's Day
Good morning my friends
Well, we had some of the white stuff last night and it's sticking because it's overcast and the temp is only in the 20sF. <<sigh>>
Today is a special sequential date: 11/12/13. There's only one more to go in this millennium - next year on 12/13/14. There are expected to be over 30,000 weddings worldwide today - who could forget this wedding date in years to come?
The talk about the 2016 presidential race is starting and we've got two years to go!! According to an NBC News poll if New Jersey Gov. Christie runs for president, he would face the dual challenges of uniting a fractured Republican Party and besting a formidable Hillary Clinton in a general election. Really?? This is a news story?? I could have told you this. It covers any GOP candidate. And who's to say that Hilary Clinton will be the Democratic candidate any how. Joe Biden isn't going to try for the nomination? Or how about the present Secretary of State trying again? Hmmmm. I can't stand the thought of two years of presidential election politics. It drove me crazy in 2012-14 and it looks like it's beginning again. Arrrrrggggghhhhhh!!!!

Thought for Today:
"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place."
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) 1925 Nobel Prize-winning Irish playwright, critic and essayist

Chartres miniature bearded iris

Have a terrific Tuesday

[the flying reindeer]

National Indian Pudding Day
Good afternoon my friends
The white stuff fell overnight but the sun has been out all day and there's nothing left but some dampness. However it's still cold - 35ºF but feels like 28ºF.
I see Hawaii had become the 13th state to legalize gay marriage. Good for them. And look for a bump in the tourism business. Not that theincrease has anything to do with the legalization of gay marriages. How cynical of you. Tut, tut!!
UPDATE: Toronto Mayor Bob Ford has admitted to buying illegal drugs in the last two years amid a heated and raucous city council meeting in which nearly every legislator stood up and called on him to step down. He refused and claimed that he was a “positive role model for kids who are down and out” and not a crackhead. The board, which cannot remove the mayor, voted 11-2 asking him to step down. The two no votes were his and his Councilman brother Dour Ford's. What a strange situation. How can he continue after such admissions.? Part of running a city like Toronto comes about through the respect that people have for the mayor's office, which Bob Ford has destroyed. But I must say it's nice to read about someone else's misbehaving pos!!

Thought for Today:
"We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done."
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (180 1882) American poet

Chickweed [Lat. Stellaria holostea] in memory of Sparkle

I hope you are having a whimsical Wednesday