Archive for September, 2005
September 30, 2005 at 2:31 pm · Filed under Personal
“Everyone smiles in the same language.”
At Unique Exposures (a photo sharing gallery site for all levels of photography), each month we have a monthly theme. We decide or vote on a new and different topic. For the month of October, however, our RevGary offered a different idea. He asked if the theme could be “Six things that make Barb smile”
Well, there are so many things that make me smile, it seemed impossible to restrict them to just six, but I thought hard and came up with some I thought would be easy to photograph, and some I felt would take some planning and thought.
Here are the six:
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Things that make Barb smile:
1. children
2. mirthful and awesome clouds
3. fond memories
4. surprises in nature
5. birds
6. smiles made to me first
Do you have a camera and would you like to join us for the monthly theme? Or just join a site with a family atmosphere, a place to display your digital or regular photography? I invite you to do so! I invite you to make me smile!
Join Unique Exposures HERE
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September 28, 2005 at 12:51 pm · Filed under News Items
…in the morning…or anytime of the day!
I will be the first to admit, I know little about oil, gas, refineries and such, but as we fill up our cars of late at the gas station, it just lends ourselves to get a little educated. Why on earth did two hurricanes increase the prices sky high? Is it true that someone is profiting, and much, from these disasters?
Indeed, after watching the news this morning, Marc Ginsberg sort of made it clear that the refineries are guzzling the profits to the tune of a 50% increase, up 30% from before the crisis. After gasoline leaves refineries, the profit margin becomes narrower, even when prices are high. Many motorists direct their anger at gas station owners when the higher market prices for oil and gasoline show up at the pump. But the bulk of the increases at the pump typically is not making station owners rich, analysts said.
So, if you want to get upset, look to the refineries.
Another point was made though, A new oil refinery has not been built in the United States since 1976. During that time, our gasoline use has increased over 25 percent. The nation’s 149 existing refineries have been running at maximum capacity trying to meet record demand and, as a result, not only do we import oil, we actually have to import 10 percent of our daily gasoline from refineries overseas.
Just a few new refineries would alleviate the problem and help keep our gas prices lower and steadier.
But getting an oil refinery built is next to impossible, hence the 30-year construction drought. There will always be environmental activists who fight any new proposed refinery, regardless of where it might be located and how environmentally safe it is. And our environmental rules give them the upper hand.
Those existing refineries must love those environmental groups. They can guzzle the green thanks to the greens.
As for me, I have no answer. I can conserve. I sure drive a small enough car (which isn’t always practical in a snow covered Maryland). I drive less than ever.
These refineries…I think its worth a study, don’t you? Should we build more? Should government regulate their profits? What can be done?
Related Links
Washington Post Article
Slate MSN
Reason Foundation
September 27, 2005 at 8:35 pm · Filed under News Items
“When China awakes, it will shake the world.”
- Napoleon Bonaparte
One day last year, my children and I were deep in study of world geography. Before we would start on a new country, we would review some quick facts about each. (Population, capital city, military facts, main exports, etc.)
Perhaps I was very naive when we hit the nation of China, and I saw the size of its military. Their population is well known, but I had no idea of their military size.
I went back and forth from the US to China’s military stats and was very surprised!
| China population: 1,273,111,290
Armed Forces:
Army: 1,830,000
Reserves: 1,000,000
Navy: 230,000
Air Force: 420,000 |
US population: 278,058,881Armed Forces:
Army: 495,000
Navy: 388,760
Air Force: 390,000
Marines: 174,000 |
That was my first awareness of this county as something to take notice of - a nation rising to superpower status. Frankly, I never did like the word ’superpower’. My first trip to Europe and several after, people always spoke to me and my homeland as a ’superpower’ and I kind of felt defensive about it. I didn’t like it. Everyone thinks of a superpower as a big bully or something. So after reading the news of late, I am thinking perhaps China wants the title. I kind of wouldn’t mind personally, I get tired in my travels to be looked at like a freak from a superpower nation.
But is China indeed going to that trend? Here are my findings so far:
China’s Economy
Chances are good your child’s favorite stuffed toy, those sneakers on your feet and the microwave that reheated dinner were all manufactured in China. Chinese-made products fill American stores to the tune of $82 billion a year.
American businesses are cashing in, too, from McDonald’s to agricultural pesticides — all trying to tap the world’s biggest market of more than 1.2 billion consumers, or one out of every five people on earth.
Today no one can compete on price with Chinese manufactured goods and China is looking to dominate the industrial power of the Far East in the way Japan currently does, all it needs now is a focus on quality and that is starting.
Western investors are urged not to “miss the boat to China”. It is forecast that China’s economy will become the largest in the world by 2040; it already accounts for 12 per cent of the world’s energy consumption. No one talks about “communist China” any longer: even the Communist Party of China prefers to describe itself as the “ruling party”. For those who have been watching the country since the years when Mao was alive, it is hard to exaggerate the extent to which China has changed.
China and Other Countries
Russian President Putin is taking a lead role in putting together the most powerful coalition of regional and superpowers in the world. The coalition consists of India, China, Russia and Brazil. This will challenge the superpower supremacy of America as well as the European Union. The Chinese are concerned about American and European influence over the world. So is India, Brazil and Russia. Russians need Brazil badly.
At the same time, added Bates Gill, holder of the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the center: “China clearly has become more multilateral than the U.S. — in peacekeeping, in the U.N., in the last few years in its increased relations with its Southeast Asian neighbors … It has been waging joint military exercises with foreign militaries, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Australia and the United Kingdom
China is indeed rising as a superpower, albeit a dangerously unbalanced one economically and socially. Nevertheless, in its “rise” (the word everyone uses nowadays), it is rapidly (and ironically, given its secluded and fearful past) taking over the multilateral, peacekeeping, good-neighbor role that America always played in the world. It is changing America’s relations everywhere, whether in Africa, the Middle East, Iran, Central Asia or Latin America, where, for instance, it is wooing Venezuela for oil and the Dominican Republic for access to American markets.
Is China Hoarding Oil?
According to a recent Japanese government energy study it is predicted that by the end of this year China will overtake Japan as the world’s biggest consumer of crude oil after the United States. Much of that oil will be driving China’s increasing manufacturing operations and export drive to every country in the world
Evidence is mounting that China is buying more oil than it consumes, raising fears that oil hoarding may be supporting the current high price of crude. The signs of aggressive Chinese stockpiling emerge from research by Merrill Lynch, the investment bank, which suggests that China is importing crude and refined products at twice the rate of growth in actual demand.
Projections of the rate of growth in consumption in the People’s Republic suggest that China’s power generators, road hauliers, petrochemical plants and factories will burn an extra 500,000 barrels a day of crude oil this year. But Merrill Lynch’s analysis of implied demand, based on import data in the first and second quarter of this year, suggests that demand will increase this year by one million barrels a day.
Michael Rothman, Merrill Lynch’s senior energy analyst in New York, reckons that the second figure is not real consumption and does not reflect actual burning of crude in Chinese cars and power plants.
I think in the final analysis its a good idea to to keep our eyes on China, and one hopes around the world they are, too. Go figure, China is the first country in history to become a superpower while being poor, not a democracy, and with basically a non-market economy. Amazing.
References & Links of Interest:
The Encyclopedia of World Geography
News Max
CNN
FAS.Org
NIC
International Relations.com
IndiaDaily
Silicon.com
Yahoo News
September 25, 2005 at 9:04 pm · Filed under News Items
Apparently this year’s back to back hurricanes is proof positive to Barbra Streisand that we have entered a new period of "global warming emergency." Or at least this is what she tells Diane Sawyer in a recent interview.
Now I just don’t know how scientific that all sounds. So I decided to research a little to see if hurricane activity such as we have had this year and last, is something new. What I found out that hurricane activity such as this, is nothing new, and certainly way before the time of cars and automobiles and such.
For example, the busiest Hurricane Season Ever for the U.S.:
The 1886 hurricane season has been analyzed to be the busiest on record for the continental United States. Seven hurricanes were recorded to have hit the U.S.: a Saffir- Simpson Hurricane Scale Category 2 hurricane into Texas and Louisiana in June, two Category 2 hurricanes into northwest Florida in June, a Category 1 hurricane into northwest Florida in July, the Category 4 "Indianola" hurricane into Texas in August, a Category 1 hurricane into Texas in September, and a Category 3 hurricane into Louisiana in October. The previous busiest hurricane season for the United States was 1985 with six landfalling hurricanes.
Extremely busy Decade for the U.S. Atlantic seaboard: The 1890s were one of the busiest decades on record for the Atlantic seaboard of the United States. Four major hurricanes impacted the coast from Georgia northward - the 1893 Category 3 "Sea Islands Hurricane" in Georgia and South Carolina, another 1893 Category 3 in South Carolina and North Carolina, an 1898 Category 4 in Georgia, and a 1899 Category 3 in North Carolina. Only the decade of the 1950s had more strong hurricanes making landfall along this part of the coast, going back to 1851 when reliable records began.
In general, the period of the 1850s to the mid-1860s was quiet, the late 1860s through the 1890s were busy and the first decade of the 1900s were quiet. (There were five hurricane seasons with at least 10 hurricanes per year in the active period of the late 1860s to the 1890s and none in the quiet periods.)
Georgia major hurricanes: During the 20th Century, Georgia did not have even a single major hurricane make a landfall along its coast. However, such absence did not continue back to the 19th Century. In contrast, Georgia experienced three major hurricanes in the later half of the 19th Century: a Category 3 in 1854 near Savannah, the Category 3 "Sea Islands Hurricane" in 1893 that killed 1000-2000 people near Savannah and a Category 4 in 1898 near Brunswick.
First time categorization of catastrophic 19th Century U.S. landfalling hurricanes: Several catastrophic hurricanes in U.S. history were categorized for the first time by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. These included: the "Chenier Caminanda Hurricane" that struck Louisiana in 1893 and killed about 2000 people was assigned a Category 4 at landfall; the 1893 "Sea Islands Hurricane" killed 1000-2000 people in Georgia and South Carolina was ranked a Category 3 for its impact in both states; a hurricane in 1881 that also impacted Georgia and South Carolina and killed about 700 people was assigned Category 2 status. These hurricanes rank #2, 4 and 5, respectively, in the largest number of fatalities for U.S. landfalling tropical storms and hurricanes ever.
Strongest U.S. landfalling hurricane of the 1851 to 1910 era: The 1886 "Indianola" hurricane was analyzed as having 155 mph maximum sustained winds, a Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale Category 4 (approaching Category 5) and was the strongest to strike the United States between 1851 and 1910. This hurricane destroyed the town of Indianola, Texas due to its winds and 15′ storm surge and the town was never rebuilt. This was also the strongest hurricane of record anywhere in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico or Caribbean Sea during the same time period. (No Category 5 hurricanes were recorded to have hit the United States between 1851 and 1910. However, records are somewhat incomplete along in Gulf coast and Florida because there were some coastal regions with few to no inhabitants, thus there may have been some systems mis-diagnosed in intensity in that period.) 31 major (Category 3, 4 and 5) hurricanes are recorded to have hit the United States from 1851 to 1910.
Longest lasting hurricane on record: Storm #3 (also known as the "San Ciriaco" hurricane for its impact in Puerto Rico in 1899 has been re-analyzed to now tie the record for longest lasting tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin. It began on August 3 in the tropical North Atlantic, hit Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane on the 8th, hit North Carolina as a Category 3 hurricane on the 18th, transformed into an extratropical system north of Bermuda on the 21st, redeveloped into a tropical storm on the 26th, went through the Azores Islands as a Category 1 hurricane on the 3rd of September and finally dissipated as an extratropical storm on the 4th. It was a storm system for 33 days and a tropical storm or hurricane for 28 of those days. This ties the record with Hurricane Ginger of 1971, which also was a tropical cyclone for 28 days.
Most hurricanes ever in one day: On August 22, 1893, four hurricanes were occurring simultaneously: storm #3 approaching Nova Scotia, Canada, storm #4 between Bermuda and the Bahamas, storm #6 northeast of the Lesser Antilles, and storm #7 west of the Cape Verde Islands. Storm #4 would end up making a direct hit on New York City as a Category 1 hurricane two days later and storm #6 ending up hitting Georgia and South Carolina as a Category 3 hurricane (the "Sea Islands Hurricane") and killing 1000-2000 people. The only other known date with four hurricanes occurring at the same time was September 25, 1998, when hurricanes Georges, Ivan, Jeanne and Karl were in existence.
I am not saying to discount ol’ Babs, but I sure think her statement and those of other nations saying the same need to give us a reason for the early hurricane activity too.
September 24, 2005 at 8:23 pm · Filed under Personal
This weekend and next Miquel is playing tennis at McDonogh School. After a long time out for injuries, it was good to see him on the court again.
Friends at the end of a three set match.
September 23, 2005 at 8:52 pm · Filed under News Items
Starting the week of Oct. 17, in Jackson, Kentucky, students will get every Friday off!
I find this news very surprising!
What do YOU think?
News Story Here
September 22, 2005 at 10:59 am · Filed under General
Oh this is interesting, a site dedicated to caffeine, coffee, and all those new energy drinks that are out. (I have tried some, and like them very much.) I found out my system really does need some extra energy occasionally.
Check out Energy Fiend
September 21, 2005 at 10:14 pm · Filed under General
Season two of Lost began tonight. The first hour was a recap, and the second hour picked up from last season. We got to know what was in the hole in the ground a little bit more, but, the show didn’t highlight anything on what happened to the people on the raft. Ah…so…maybe next week? 
September 21, 2005 at 6:12 pm · Filed under General
Just to prove that I can also give praise when things go right!
September 21, 2005 at 5:59 pm · Filed under General
This email came today from a Woman’s Group I belong to. After reading it, I must say, it had meaning to me… I thought to pass it on to other women and young ladies.
Wait
Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot,
Who calls you back when you hang up on him,
Who will stay awake just to watch you sleep.
Wait for the guy who kisses your forehead,
Who wants to show you off to the world
even when you are in your sweats,
Who holds your hand in front of his friends.
Wait for the one who is constantly reminding
You of how much he cares about you
and how lucky he is to have you.
Wait for the one who turns to his friends and says, "…that’s her."
~Author Unknown
National Abuse Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE
(7233)
September 17, 2005 at 11:09 am · Filed under Personal
Well, I say "finale" but I am sure that this will only be the end of a chapter, and another will unfold. But for now, the issues of slow to no connection and a dangling orange cable seem to be over.
I thought that the orange cable was going to be there forever, until one day I open my front door and find little yellow flags, and yellow dotted lines across the front lawn:
And then it dawned on me…"Ohhhhh……Comcast had to wait for the gas and electric company to mark things before they could bury the nice little orange cable. Well, that makes sense."
It took quite a while longer, and when we least expected it, but the cable was finally buried.
I kinda miss that little bump as I drive out my driveway…..
Just kidding
September 16, 2005 at 10:49 pm · Filed under News Items
News is not just facts and news any more. These days it just seems to be a constant tangled web of details and counter details, getting to the truth of anything is very difficult. Add to it a news media that just seems to want to bring our country down. How much worse is it outside our own borders???
The French publication Le Monde: “At this moment, America discovers or rediscovers that she shelters the Third World in herself.”
Philip Stephens, writing in The Financial Times :”[There is a] sadness at the loss of so many innocent lives, yet alongside this sits a nagging satisfaction that Mr. Bush’s inert administration has been humbled.”
Edward Alden in the same publication put forth that the levees break in New Orleans can be blamed on Ronald Reagan and the orthodoxy of small government and low taxes!!!
Blaming Bush for a hurricane, or Reagan for levees breaking is just plain weird…and anyone writing how they possess a “nagging satisfaction” to this tragedy, needs help. What a cheap, and misguided low blow.
And this kind of comment from the same place that just two summers ago; Europe let an estimated 40,000 people die during a heat wave - nearly 15,000 in France alone - in part because so many people couldn’t be bothered to return from their August vacations on the Riviera to help [elderly people] leave their overheated apartments?”
Now back to the tangled details of news these days. This was a major hurricane. This wasn’t an ordinary hurricane, but as the events are unfolding, we are learning more and more, sheds new light on the first soundbites we got.
One, that even though it seemed a little slow to get help to the people who for whatever reason stayed behind for the category 5 hurricane, it was actually the fastest deployed rescue compared to past hurricanes.
Two, that even though on a federal level help was sent, at the state level, they were not allowed to help.
Three, news of the looting is now showing itself to be not all that it looked at the beginning. Apparently these were organized people from many states away, coming in on boats (with weapons) taking advantage of the crises.
Now can we learn from Hurrican Katrina? Yes, we certainly can, we can improve on how to deal with these situations just like we all do when we see that things can be done better.
One more thing, just like our tragedy at 9-11, there were many wonderful stories of people helping people in the face of danger and risk to their own selves. Now after hurricane Katrina, there are indeed many more wonderful stories of bravery, of help, and reaching out to care for those who need it. So while others mock us, put us down, and ‘celebrate’ our misfortune, we will just continue in our spirit of helping one another, and grateful for any outside the borders who care to contribute as well.
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