Romney schedules visit to New Orleans (Friday following Convention) - Hurricane Isaac aftermath of flooding

from www.nola.com/

President Barack Obama will visit New Orleans Monday (Labor Day September 3, 2012) to survey Hurricane Isaac damage, the White House announced today. He'll be in town a couple days behind his GOP presidential opponent, Mitt Romney, who is visiting New Orleans this afternoon (Friday August 31, 2012)  -- just one day after his party's nomination in Tampa.The Romney campaign said Romney's visit is in response to an invitation from Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Romney's visit will allow him to demonstrate concern for area residents, who experienced another hurricane on the 7th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. And he'll have three-day jump start on President Obama.His visit, though, with so many homes and businesses still without power after Hurricane Isaac ravaged the metropolitan New Orleans area earlier this week, isn't without some political risk.
"Since he is not currently a government official, he has no assistance to offer, and all he can do is get in the way (especially with his large entourage/Secret Service and by diverting local law enforcement attention away from recovery)," said Brian Brox, a political scientist at Tulane University. " I understand Jindal's offer and Romney's acceptance (this will allow Romney to get some optics of doing the kind of chief executive things we expect presidents to do), but I would think the best possible outcome of this visit would be that he just doesn't get in the way."
The White House said details of President Obama's visit will be released later.

Dr. Adolph Brown - Berrien Springs (Michigan) High School September 5, 7 p.m. Lecture

Details at homeoftheshamrocks.org/ 

Special Two-Day beginning of High School year for Berrien Springs students (grades 9 - 12):

The first two days of school, September 4^th & 5^th, 2012 will be very unique and different this year.  The focus of both days will be to teach, model, role play, and engage students in discussion about learning expectations, positive behavior supports, academic success and growth mind set.  Our instruction these two days is based on proven effective educational research.  These two days will create a foundation for a successful school year for all students.  Subsequently, all high school students are required to be in the building for both days.

All of our site instructional programs have been informed of this requirement of our students.  Students scheduled for off-site programs morning or afternoon will have an adjusted schedule for both days.  These schedules will be posted throughout the building.

Parents are also encouraged to join us for a culminating event scheduled for Wednesday, September 5^{th, 2012} in the high school gym at 7:00 p.m.  The district has invited nationally known motivational speaker and educator Dr. Adolph Brown to address students and parents. 

NOTIFICATION FROM Dr. Eichberg (Building Principal) -- phone 269 - 471 - 1748

Lecture on St. Thomas Aquinas and Thomas Nagel (humans' place in the universe)

"Life, Mind, and Evolution: A Tale of Two Thomases"

Wednesday September 5, 2012,  7 p.m.

Student Center Lounge, Moreau Center (www.moreaucenter.com ), St. Mary's College, Notre Dame

Free admission and Open to the Public

2012 McMahon Aquinas Lecture with John Haldane

Renowned philosopher John Haldane will give the 2012 McMahon Aquinas Lecture titled “Life, Mind, and Evolution: A Tale of Two Thomases” on Wednesday, September 5 at 7 p.m. in St. Mary's College Student Center Lounge, Notre Dame, IN.

 Haldane is author or editor of some 20 books, has published nearly 200 articles, and is a frequent contributor to numerous newspapers, magazines, television and radio programs. He is director of the Centre for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs at St. Andrews University in Scotland, chairman of the Royal Institute for Philosophy in London, and consultor to the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Culture in Rome. In his McMahon Aquinas Lecture, Haldane will explore two very different accounts of the nature of human beings and their place in the Universe—those of the contemporary philosopher Thomas Nagel and of the great medieval theologian St. Thomas Aquinas—considering how these relate to the question of evolution.

Michael Waddell, holder of the Edna and George McMahon Aquinas Chair in Philosophy at Saint Mary's College, stated, “John Haldane is one of the most prolific and innovative scholars working on the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas today. He has brought Aquinas's ideas into conversation with an extraordinary range of contemporary thinkers and issues, spanning the fields of art, culture, politics, science, environmental studies, philosophy and theology. We are delighted that he will be delivering the 2012 McMahon Aquinas Lecture.”

The Edna and George McMahon Aquinas Chair in Philosophy sponsors the annual McMahon Aquinas Lecture, which focuses on a topic related to the philosophy of Aquinas.

Neil Armstrong private service - on a "Blue Moon" (second full moon) day of August

from USA TODAY article

Today is the day of a private service for Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, who died last Saturday August 25, 2012 in Ohio at age 82.

A blue moon occurs when there's a second full moon in one calendar month. It won't happen again until July 2015. The full moon cycle is 29.5 days so a blue moon is uncommon and has come to mean something rare. The moon actually won't be colored blue.  Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb said the moon is far more important to lovers, literature and folklore than to science.  Armstrong's family has suggested paying tribute to him by looking at the moon and giving the astronaut a wink.

Lunar pioneers plan to attend a private service in Ohio for astronaut Neil Armstrong today, following an event to announce a children's health fund in his honor.  Amstrong's family scheduled a private service in Cincinnati. A public memorial service is being planned for early September in Washington, D.C.

Tropical Storm Isaac weakens (Aug. 30) -- to become Tropical Depression

from NOLA dot-com (Times-Picayune report from NOAA) -- as of 2 a.m. online posting

AT 1 a.m. CDT, Tropical Storm Isaac is moving toward the northwest at about 5 mph. This general motion is expected to continue today followed by a turn toward the North-Northwest by tonight or early Friday.

The maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. The strongest winds are primarily occurring over water or near the coast. Steady weakening is expected during the next 48 hours as Isaac continues to move over land. Isaac should become a Tropical Depression by tonight.

Even though Isaac is no longer a hurricane, life threatening hazards from storm surge and inland flooding are still occurring. The combination of a storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters. The water could reach the following depths above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide.

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast in areas of on shore winds. Surge related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and tidal cycle and can vary greatly over short distances. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves.

Isaac is expected to produce total rainfall amounts of 7 to 14 inches with possible isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches over much of Louisiana.
http://www.nola.com/hurricane/index.ssf/2012/08/tropical_storm_isaac_steadily.html

Born on this date in 1732: Thinking Person's Philosopher: John Locke

from Writer's Almanac (American Public Media, Garrison Keillor):

August 28, 1732 was the birthday of the man who said, "The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts": British philosopher John Locke,  born in Wrington, Somerset, England (1632). He believed all of our knowledge is derived from the senses. He also believed that we can know about morality with the same precision we know about math, because we create our ideas. His Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1688) was an instant success and sparked debate all across Europe.
Locke said, "Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours."

Romney "joke" or gaffe about Birth Certificate -- Columnist and Blogger Q/A (her Aug. 24 column)

from WASHINGTON POST (Tuesday chat-discussion, 8/28/2012):

Q.  Joke about birth certificates - yet he seeks groveling over Biden off-script remark

 

Your Friday column putting the remark in context of the Michigan Hospitals didn't help explain the cluelessness of the 64-year-old; for his being "endorsed" by Birther Donald Trump it's unlikely that Romney wasn't aware of the kerfuffle. Will anyone ask Romney about his first 100 days of office planning to dismantle the Obama home brewing operation? It just seems like he and Ann will be polar opposites of the First Couple.

• – August 28, 2012 9:45 AM

A.

Alexandra Petri :

Oh, I hadn't thought about the beer consequences! Dang. Well, hopefully by then the recipe will be out so the famed honey-tinged beer will not perish from the earth.
I think Romney is aware of the kerfuffle. But what he said Friday was not in his prepared remarks. Then again it seems unlikely that anyone would ever hand you a sheet of paper saying "Make a birther joke now!" To what extent it was premeditated, with all its ramifications lovingly sketched forth, is, I think, debatable. I don't presume to peer into anyone's internal controls, and but my general operating assumption is that people are more often incompetent than malevolent, so whenever I am given the choice between "subtle, knowing, subliminally poisoning message control" and "ill-considered remark," I usually assume the latter. Either way, it's not a thing one hopes to hear from a candidate for president.

          – August 28, 2012 11:14 AM

Isaac - Hurricane Evacuation - 9:40 a.m. Call not to be ignored

Story by Jonathan Trilove (New Orleans Times - Picayune) NOLA dot-com:

President Obama, in brief remarks from the White House Tuesday as Tropical Storm Isaac approached landfall, told residents of the Gulf Coast that "now is not the time to tempt fate," and they should carefully follow the instructions of local leaders, including to evacuate if necessary. "I encourage all residents of the Gulf Coat to listen to local officials and follow their directions, including if they tell you to evacuate," said the president.

"We are dealing with a big storm," said Obama. "Now is not he time to tempt fate, now is not the time to dismiss official warnings. Take them seriously."


Obama said the had just been briefed by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, that FEMA had been "on the ground for more than a week" preparing for Isaac, and that he had issued an emergency declaration for the state of Louisiana. In signing the declaration, Obama ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Isaac.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/08/president_obama_warns_gulf_res.html

Anniversary of a great Speech - March on Washington KEYNOTE - Aug. 28 at Capitol Mall

By The Rev. MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr.

Aug. 28, 1963

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring -- from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring -- from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring -- from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring -- from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring -- from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that.
Let freedom ring -- from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring -- from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring -- from every hill and molehill of Mississippi, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual,
"Free at last, free at last.
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."

Women's Equality Day (8/26/2012) - White House proclamation - blog posting

from WWW. WHITEHOUSE. GOV

On Women's Equality Day, we mark the anniversary of our Constitution's 19th Amendment, which secured the right to vote for America's women. The product of profound struggle and fierce hope, the 19th Amendment reaffirmed what we have always known: that America is a place where anything is possible and where each of us is entitled to the full pursuit of our own happiness. We also know that the defiant, can-do spirit that moved millions to seek suffrage is what runs through the veins of American history. It remains the wellspring of all our progress. And nearly a century after the battle for women's franchise was won, a new generation of young women stands ready to carry that spirit forward and bring us closer to a world where there are no limits on how big our children can dream or how high they can reach.

To keep our Nation moving ahead, all Americans -- men and women -- must be able to help provide for their families and contribute fully to our economy. That is why I have made supporting the needs and aspirations of women and girls a top priority for my Administration. From signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law and creating the White House Council on Women and Girls to combatting sexual assault and promoting women's economic and political empowerment at home and abroad, we have worked to ensure women have the opportunities they need and deserve at every stage of their lives. As women around the world continue to fight for their seat at the table, my Administration will keep their interests at the core of our policy decisions -- and we will join them every step of the way.

Today, women are nearly 50 percent of our workforce, the majority of students in our colleges and graduate schools, and a growing number of breadwinners in their families. From business to medicine to our military, women are leading the fields that were closed off to them only decades ago. We owe that legacy of progress to our mothers and aunts, grandmothers and great-grandmothers -- women who proved not only that opportunity and equality do not come without a fight, but also that they are possible. Even with the gains we have made, we still have work to do. As we mark this 92nd anniversary of the 19th Amendment, let us reflect on how far we have come toward fully realizing the basic freedoms enshrined in our founding documents, rededicate ourselves to closing the gaps that remain, and continue to widen the doors of opportunity for all of our daughters and sons.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 26, 2012, as Women's Equality Day. I call upon the people of the United States to celebrate the achievements of women and recommit to realizing gender equality in this country.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/24/presidential-proclamation-women-s-equality-day-2012

Huricane Isaac touches Cuba -- Warning issued for Florida Keys - SW Florida

from WWW. MiamiHerald dot-com :

The Florida Keys and Southwest Florida remain under a hurricane warning, with Miami-Dade County, Florida under a hurricane watch. Tropical storm warnings and watches were extended up the east coast to Suwannee River.
The northern coastline of Cuba, on Saturday evening, was feeling the brunt of Isaac’s weather.
Havana’s Meteorological Institute reported that the storm touched down in Maisi, a municipality east of Guantanamo Saturday afternoon.
Radio Baracoa reported that two homes in the island’s eastern most city of 48,000 had collapsed and that the storm surge had thrown up a lot of debris on its seaside Malecon boulevard and nearby streets.
But the storm’s drama fizzled at the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where the military had scrapped this month’s Sept. 11 terror trial hearings and evacuated staff and observers from the crude compound called Camp Justice.
“The bad weather did not materialize here as tropical storm Isaac turned away and headed up the East coast of Cuba,” said Navy Capt. Robert Durand, the detention center spokesman.
The base did not report any damage or injuries in what amounted to a splash of summertime rain. Soldiers embarked on late-morning runs around the 45-square-mile base, while the base commander ordered the cafeterias reopened in time for 5:30 p.m. Saturday supper.
Forecasters believe the system’s jaunt over Cuba will be brief — and allow the storm more time to strengthen in the warm waters of the Florida Straits.

Red Cross advises Floridians about Preparation for Tropical Storm Isaac (August 25 alert)

www.americanredcross.org/

Tropical Storm Isaac is moving towards Florida with heavy rain and flooding predicted for the state, and the American Red Cross is urging people in the potential path of the storm to get ready now.

“We urge folks who may be in the path of this storm to get prepared – to check their emergency supplies, finalize their hurricane plans, and listen closely to local officials for updates on the storm,” said Charley Shimanski, senior vice president for Red Cross Disaster Services.

GET READY

Before the storm hits, people should prepare by taking the following steps:

Check and restock or replace disaster supplies – keep at least a three-day supply of water and non-perishable food per person on hand.

Close windows, doors and hurricane shutters. If someone does not have hurricane shutters, they should close and board up their windows and doors with plywood.

Fill their vehicle’s gas tank.

Bring in anything that can be picked up by the wind, like outdoor furniture.

Turn the refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting and keep closed as much as possible so food will last longer if the power goes out.

IF FLOODING OCCURS,

 people should:

Be prepared to evacuate quickly.

If a flood or flash flood warning is issued, head for higher ground and stay there.

Stay away from floodwaters and flooded roads. Be especially cautious at night.

More information on what to do before, during and after a storm is available in the preparedness section of this web site.

http://www.redcross.org/news/article/Red-Cross-Urges-People-In-Isaacs-Path-To-Get-Ready-Now

Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong of Ohio -- died today August 25, 2012 of Heart Complications

from just-posted lead paragraphs of WASH. POST dot-com lead story

Neil Armstrong, the astronaut who marked an epochal achievement in exploration with “one small step” from the Apollo 11 lunar module on July 20, 1969, becoming the first person to walk on the moon, has died at 82 on August 25, 2012.
The family announced the death in a statement Saturday but did not disclose when or where he died. They attributed it to “complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures.”   A taciturn engineer and test pilot who was never at ease with his fame, Mr. Armstrong was among the most heroized Americans of the 1960s Cold War space race.

Twelve years after the Soviet Sputnik satellite reached space first, deeply alarming U.S. officials, and after President John F. Kennedy in 1961 declared it a national priority to land an American on the moon “before this decade is out,” Mr. Armstrong, a former Navy fighter pilot, commanded the NASA crew that finished the job.
His trip to the moon — particularly the hair-raising final descent from lunar orbit to the treacherous surface — was history’s boldest feat of aviation. Yet what the experience meant to him, what he thought of it all on an emotional level, he mostly kept to himself.
Like his boyhood idol, transatlantic aviator Charles A. Lindbergh, Mr. Armstrong learned how uncomfortable the intrusion of global acclaim can be. He eventually shied from the public and avoided the popular media.  In time, he became almost mythical.
Mr. Armstrong was “exceedingly circumspect” from a young age, and the glare of international attention “just deepened a personality trait that he already had in spades,” said his authorized biographer, James R. Hansen, a former NASA historian. . .

Unacceptable weather for NASA Launch - Saturday Aug. 25 at 4:00 a.m. -

from SPACE sub-section of NBC NEWS dot-com/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48779492/ns/technology_and_science-space/

The launch of two probes into Earth's radiation belts was delayed again early Saturday, this time due to unacceptable weather conditions.

NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes were due to be sent into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 4:07 a.m. ET, but the weather remained stubbornly no-go due to a violation of launch rules for lightning and storm clouds.

Liftoff was postponed for at least 24 hours. Forecasters said the chances for acceptable weather appeared to be worsening, to 40 percent on Sunday morning. Tropical Storm Isaac is currently on a path to sweep south of the launch site late Sunday.

Saturday's delay came on top of a postponement on Friday that was due to an apparent malfunction with a tracking system for the mission's unmanned Atlas 5 rocket. The launch team spotted a frequency drift in the tracking beacon used by the Air Force's Eastern Range to monitor the rocket after liftoff. The problem was resolved on Friday.

The $686 million Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission is a two-year project to study the radiation environment around Earth in unprecedented detail. The twin spacecraft are designed to fly in formation to explore the Van Allen Belts of radiation that encircle the Earth.

The Van Allen Belts are two doughnut-shaped zones of radiation around Earth. They were first discovered in 1958 by scientist James A. Van Allen and his team using data from the first American satellite Explorer 1. The first belt stretches from the top of Earth's atmosphere out to about 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometers) above the planet. The second radiation belt extends from about 8,000 miles (12,874 kilometers) to more than 26,000 miles (41,842 kilometers) above Earth.

Scientists hope the Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission will help them solve the mystery of how the radiation is created and behaves inside the Van Allen Belts, as well as the regions' role in space weather events— such as strong solar flares from the sun — that can pose a danger to satellites and astronauts in orbit.

The two Radiation Belt Storm Probes are solar-powered and nearly identical. The octagon-shaped satellites are about 6 feet wide (1.8 meters) and just over 4 feet tall (1.3 meters). They each carry a set of five instrument suites to study Earth's radiation belts.

Twelve simple questions (self-rating quiz on Political Fit 2012) - Pew Research & PBS Newshour

from www.pbs.org/newshour (retrieved Saturday August 25, 2012)

Pew Research Center and the NewsHour have teamed up to establish the Political Party ID Quiz.
Twelve simple questions will calculate your partisan status, and you can see how you compare with others based on your age, gender, religion and marital status.
Take it here and tell your friends where you rank, and stay tuned to the NewsHour's 24-hour convention livestream to see how delegates and movers-and-shakers at each convention fit on the scale.
This quiz is a joint effort between the Pew Research Center and PBS Newshour.

Churchill's famous lines about what Britain owed to the few in R.A.F. - August 20, 1940

from the Writer's Almanac (Garrison Keillor, American Public Media) --

August 20 marks the date in 1940 when Winston Churchill delivered a speech to the House of Commons with the famous line: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." The Battle of Britain was raging, and he was referring to the small group of the Royal Air Force who had successfully held off the much larger Luftwaffe, the German air force.
Churchill wrote all of his own speeches, and he was a gifted orator, but people thought that his vocabulary and style of speaking were old-fashioned. But after the beginning of World War II, Churchill's dramatic rhetoric fit the mood of the country.
His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, served in the Parliament and was a talented debater, famous for making spontaneous speeches. Winston, on the other hand, labored over every speech. He brainstormed, researched, planned out the speech in his head, then dictated it aloud to his secretary. From there, he revised it several times and typed it up in what he called "psalm form." His speeches looked like blank verse poetry on the page, so that the rhythm and pauses were laid out just how he wanted them. Before Churchill delivered a speech, he would practice over and over, sometimes in the bathtub.

Famous Poet - essayist - Nature writer (Annie Dillard) -- self maintained C.V.

from www.anniedillard.com/

Curriculum Vitae

Annie Dillard April 30, 1945-

Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Religion: None

Democrat

EDUCATION:

The Ellis School

B.A. Hollins College 1967 (English)

M.A. Hollins College 1968 (English)

TEACHING:

Scholar-in-Residence, Western Washington University, 1975-1979

Professor emeritus, Wesleyan University

HONORS:

Phi Beta Kappa, 1966

Pulitzer Prize, general nonfiction (Pilgrim at Tinker Creek), 1975

New York Press Club Award for Excellence ("Innocence in the Galapagos," Harper's Magazine), 1975

Washington Governor's Award for Literature, 1977

Connecticut Governor's Arts Award, 1993

Western Pennsylvania Historical Society History Makers Award, 1993

National Endowment for the Arts/Literature Grant, September 1982-September 1983

Phi Beta Kappa Orator, Harvard Commencement Exercises, 1983

New York Public Library Literary Lion, 1984

Boston Public Library "Literary Light," 1990

John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Grant, September 1985-September 1986

Doctor of Humane Letters, Boston College, 1986; University of Hartford, 1993; Connecticut College, 1993. Subsequent honorary degrees turned down as they take days and days in heels.

Middletown Commission on the Arts Award, 1987

National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, 1987 (An American Childhood)

Appalachian Gold Medallion, 1989; University of Charleston, Charleston, West Virginia

St. Botolph's Club Foundation Award in the Arts, 1989; St. Botolph's Club, Boston

Ambassador Book Award in letters, English- Speaking Union, 1989 (for The Writing Life)

Boston Globe, "Best Books of the Decade" for Teaching a Stone to Talk

The Milton Prize, 1994 (The Milton Center, Wichita)

The Campion Award (America magazine-int'l), 1994

Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame, 1997

Fellow, Calhoun College, Yale, 1997-99

PEN Diamond-Vogelstein Award for book of essays, 1999, for For the Time Being, which is not a book of essays

Pour le meilleur roman etranger, the Maurice Coindreau award, 2002 for For the Time Being, tr. Sabine Porte, and 1975 for Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, tr. Sabine Porte.

Academy Award in Literature, 1998, from American Academy of Arts and Letters

Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Letters, 1999-

century's 100 best nonfiction books includes Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

century's 100 best Western novels (Los Angeles Times) incl The Living

century's 100 best spiritual books (ed. Philip Zaleski) incl Pilgrim

100 best essays (ed. Joyce Carol Oates) incl "Total Eclipse."

Top Ten Books of the Year, The New York Times Book Review, includes The Maytrees

Sole finalist in North America for Dublin Times IMPAC award, for The Maytrees.

Irish Times, IMPAC Award for The Maytrees as one of the best novels of 2007 worldwide.

OTHER ACTIVITIES:

Contributing editor, Harper's magazine, 1974-1981, 1983-1985

Usage panelist, American Heritage Dictionary

Member, P.E.N., Poetry Society, Committee for Public Libraries, New York Public Library National
Literary Committee, (also “Library Lion”) National Committee on
U.S.- China Relations, McNair Mentors Program,
The Catholic Commission on Intellectual and
Cultural Affairs, NAACP, The Society of American
Historians, The Century Association, American
Society of Arts and Letters.

honorary board, Key West Literary Seminar

board, Western States Arts Foundation until 1988
Ossabaw Island Project until 1982
Ossabaw Foundation, 1994
The Milton Center, 1980
The New Press, 1992
Wesleyan Writer's Conference, 1984-?
Chairman, 1991-2003
Authors Guild Fund, active voter 1993-2011
Protect Historic America

member, U.S. Cultural Delegation to China
(scholars, publishers, writers), May-June,
1982

member, U.S. writers delegation, UCLA U.S.-
Chinese writers conference, September, 1982

volunteer, St. Mary's soup kitchen (Fl) {and seldom:
Inter-faith Council soup kitchen (N.C.)} for about
10 years ending 2000

"mentor" Kingswood-Oxford Mentor Program 1990-98

prop., Key West Sat. Volleyball 1994-2004

juror: Associated Writing Program Award in
Nonfiction, 1983

Bollingen Prize, Yale University
Library, 1984

Pulitzer Prize General Nonfiction,
1985 and 1991.

Western States Book Award, 1988

PEN Martha Albrand Award in
Nonfiction, 1988 and 1989

Connecticut Commission on the Arts,
fiction, 1990

Society of American Historians, fiction

Barnes and Noble nonfiction prize 2000

Nominator: Lila Wallace Foundation

MacArthur Foundation--can't remember when

http://www.anniedillard.com/curriculum-vitae.html

Cause of Blood Donation Shortage: Unseasonably early spring (Am. Red Cross)

http://www.redcrossblood.org/summerneed

The Red Cross blood supply has reached emergency levels with 50,000 fewer donations than expected in June 2012. This shortfall leaves the Red Cross with half the readily available blood products on hand now than this time last year (2011).
The Red Cross is calling on all eligible blood donors – now more than ever – to roll up a sleeve and give as soon as possible. All blood types are needed, but especially O positive, O negative, B negative and A negative in order to meet patient demand this summer.
An unseasonably early start to spring may be a contributing factor to this year’s decrease in donations. Many regular donors got an early start on summer activities and aren’t taking time to give blood or platelets.
In addition, this year’s mid-week Independence Day holiday (Wednesday July 4) has reduced the number of scheduled Red Cross blood drives. Many sponsors, especially businesses are unable to host drives because employees are taking extended vacations.
Unfortunately, patients don’t get a holiday from needing blood products. The need is constant.

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion. Blood and platelets are needed for many different reasons, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery patients, organ transplant patients, premature babies – when there are complications during childbirth – and for patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease.

Born on this date in 1774 (Meriwether Lewis, great explorer)

from American Public Media's WRITER's ALMANAC (Garrison Keillor, Minnesota Public Radio)

August 19 is the birthday of the explorer Meriwether Lewis, born just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia (1774). Thomas Jefferson chose him to explore the new Louisiana Territory in 1804, and he in turn asked William Clark to be his partner on the journey. Lewis was the younger of the two, and whereas Clark was easy-going and friendly, Lewis was quiet and intellectual. Lewis kept meticulous journals and recorded everything they saw: prairie dogs, grizzly bears, and Native American tribes both friendly and hostile. When the account of the expedition was collected and published, most of the words were Lewis's.Among the many written observations of geography, Indian customs, and flora and fauna, Lewis also sent back specimens to Thomas Jefferson of the most interesting things he'd found. Among the varied items were several living animals: four magpies, one sharp-tailed grouse, and one black-tailed prairie dog. The prairie dog and one of the magpies arrived in good health, and they spent the rest of their days in the nation's capital.
For his work, Lewis was paid a handsome salary, received 1,600 acres of land, and was made governor of the Louisiana Territory. But he was prone to depression and alcoholism, and he died in 1809, probably by his own hand.

Suicide Bomber (Bulgaria Airport Israeli Tourists) -- fake Michigan Driver's License ID (Grand Rapids address) - M. Live

from Michigan LIVE! dot-com 3 p.m. posting August 16, 2012

A man Bulgarian authorities believe is connected to the July 18 suicide bombing in the country that killed six was using a fake Michigan driver's license with a Grand Rapids address.
The Bulgarian Interior Ministryreleased images of the fake license, bearing the name Ralph William Rico. It also shows an incorrect Grand Rapids address line and a farfetched expiration date of June 19, 2025.
According to reporting by the Jerusalem Post staff, Bulgarian authorities have not specified how the man might be involved with the July 18 attack at an airport in the Bulgarian city of Burgas.
The bombing left five Israeli tourists and the Bulgarian bus driver dead. Bulgarian authorities said the man may have tried to use aliases other than what is on the fake ID.
The identification appears authentic, including the backside, which bears organ donation information found on all Michigan IDs. There are, however, several discrepancies.
The address and city lines, however, appear to be combined. The address reads "42 Pearl Street," and what would be an accompanying NW was bumped down to the city line.
The address on Pearl Street comes back to a location in downtown Grand Rapids, between Ionia and Ottawa avenues.
The driver's license number also begins with "A," when it should begin with "R" for the last name of Rico. The birthday line appears to be copied from the license's expiration date, is off-center and should be in black type.
Other discrepancies include no watermarked photo under the expiration date, the otherwise correct zip code's +4 digits are missing and, despite the man wearing glasses in the photo, the license has no "corrective lens" restriction.
Messages were left with Grand Rapids police Capt. Jeffrey Hertel of the department's investigative unit and the U.S. Marshals for the Western District of Michigan about whether Bulgarian authorities had contacted them about the fake driver's license.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/08/fake_grand_rapids_id_tied_to_b.html#incart_river_default

Eid al-Fitr : what is it? when is it for 2012?

from Religion & Ethics Newsweekly ( www. pbs.org/wnet )

August 19-21, 2012

Eid al Fitr (Islam)
Eid al Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. Ramadan recognizes Muhammad’s divine revelation from Allah, as recorded in the Qur’an. During this period, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, and time is focused on prayer, charity and self-reflection. On Eid al Fitr, Muslims celebrate the end of fasting, and give thanks to Allah for giving them the strength to practice self-control during Ramadan.

from Multi-faith Calendar blog posting:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/multifaith-calendar/

It's the Right day to Write Left-Handed ! International Lefthanders Day (August 13)

Happy Day for all the Lefthanders reading this Blog!  -- Exercise your right to be a "Lefty" !

from WIKIPEDIA explanation - definition

August 13 is designated International Lefthanders Day by Lefthanders International. It was first observed 13 August 1976.

As its name suggests, it is meant to promote awareness of the inconveniences facing left-handed individuals in a predominantly right-handed  world. It celebrates their uniqueness and difference, who are from 7 - 10 % of the world's population.

Many left-handed people are discriminated against today's society, and are forced to use right handed tools, drive on the right side of the road, and even get harassed. International Lefthanders Day is made to end this discrimination.

Newsfeed from TIME dot-com has this article by Glen Levy:

Chances are that President Barack Obama, to say nothing of quite a few of his predecessors, knows that it's International Left-Handers Day. Why? Because he — like five of the last seven presidents — is a lefty. (And we’re not talking about politically.)

Obama, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford are or were left-handed — quite the statistical anomaly, considering that only about 1 in 10 people worldwide prefer using their left hands.

It turns out that 1 in 4 Apollo astronauts were left-handed, as were 4 of the 5 original designers of the Macintosh computer. When it comes to twins, one of them has a high chance of being left-handed, and lefties are believed to be especially good at the likes of tennis, baseball, swimming and fencing.

Other famous lefties include Prince William, Marilyn Monroe, Leonardo da Vinci, Jimi Hendrix, Martina Navratilova, and Nicole Kidman.

In Memoriam (Michigan Marine killed in Afghanistan) -- Flags at half-mast

posted at M-Live dot-com (August 13, 2012, morning postings):

Gov. Rick Snyder has ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-staff in honor of a Marine from West Michigan who was killed in Afghanistan.

Snyder issued an order to be in effect Monday for 27-year-old Gunnery Sgt. Daniel Price of Zeeland, who was killed in combat in Badghis province on July 29.

Price was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion at Camp Pendleton, Calif. The governor's office said Price joined the Marines in 2003 after graduating from high school. Price served three tours of duty in Iraq, where he was promoted to sergeant, and three tours in Afghanistan.
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/08/gov_rick_snyder_orders_us_flag.html#incart_river_default

Islam's "Night of Power" - August 14, 2012 - Religion & Ethics Newsweekly

from INTERFAITH CALENDAR section of website:

August 14, 2012

Laylat al Qader (Islam)
Meaning loosely “the night of power,” this is identified as the night in which Allah first revealed the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad. It is believed that this day holds more power in prayer than one-thousand months; thus many Muslims spend the whole day in prayer and reading the Qur’an. Sunni Muslims traditionally observe Laylat al Qader on the 27th day of Ramadan, while Shi’as believe the 23rd day to be the most important. Since the specific day of the revelation is uncertain, many Muslims spend the last 10 days of Ramadan focused on prayer.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/multifaith-calendar/

"Softball Questions and No Follow-up" -- how did the interviewer act (60_MINUTES August 12, 2012)

from POLITICO dot-com (Dylan Byers) media analysis of Veteran Washington Bureau Chief (CBS NEWS):

Mitt Romney rarely ventures into the network television interview. When he does, he chooses the safest option on the table: Bob Schieffer.

For the second time this cycle, Romney has given an exclusive, in-person interview to the CBS anchor and Face The Nation host, and once again Schieffer has rewarded Romney -- and in this case, his running mate Paul Ryan -- with softball questions and no follow-ups.

Sunday's 60 Minutes interview (first segment only: August 12) was Romney and Ryan's very first joint television interview -- a landmark moment for any television personality. And yet Schieffer went easy. For one, he never asked either Romney or Ryan how the Ryan budget would impact American citizens.

Though he asked Ryan how many years of Federal Tax Returns he had given to the Romney campaign staff during the vetting process, he didn't press Ryan on the obvious discrepancy of providing "several" years of tax returns to Romney and only "two" to the American people. At one point, Schieffer told Ryan he was "going to put you on the spot" (an unnecessary warning), then simply asked, "Did you think he's been too defensive about Bain Capital?"

Such omissions epitomized an interview in which the guests were allowed to answer simple questions without fear of the interjection. . .

. . . the Romney campaign cancelled this weekend's interview with PBS Newshour's Gwen Ifill, and did Schieffer (60 Minutes contributor) instead.

Happy 113th Birthday to the Director of six landmark Suspense-Horror films

from the Writer's Almanac (American Public Media: Garrison Keillor):

August 13 is the birthday of director Alfred Hitchcock, born in London (1899). His father was a greengrocer -- and a strict man. Once, when the five-year-old Alfred misbehaved, his father sent him to the police station and they locked him in a cell for a few minutes to teach him a lesson. Hitchcock was so terrified that he was afraid of the police for the rest of his life, and he rarely drove a car so that he could not be pulled over. Hitchcock directed great suspense and horror films, including Rebecca (1940), Notorious (1946), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963).
He said: "A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theatre admission and the babysitter were worth it."

Closing Ceremony Details (XXX Olympics Summer Games)

as posted on YAHOO! News:

The ceremony will be broadcast live in the U.K. at 9 p.m. local time and NBC, which took a lot of heat for not making the Opening Ceremony available until hours after the fact, will live stream it on www.nbcolympics.com when it begins at 4 p.m. ET. As has been the case throughout the Games, only those with a cable or satellite subscription will have access to the live feed. NBC will air the event in prime time from 7-10 p.m. on both coasts, likely with portions edited out.

"A Symphony of British Music" is the title of the 2012 London Olympics Closing Ceremony and will be directed by Kim Gavin. Gavin, who directed the sold out Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in 2007, is widely known in the United Kingdom as one of the most creative directors and choreographers in the world. According to the BBC, Kim is "a master at choreographing events on a grand scale."

"For the Closing Ceremony we will not only be working with our most globally successful musicians, but we also want to use this opportunity to showcase our stars of tomorrow," Gavin told the BBC.

NASA to enlist sky-watchers (Night of August 11, 2012) - Perseid Meteor Showers Count

from WWW. NASA. GOV :

Escape the heat of the waning days of summer for an evening of sky watching. The Perseid meteor shower peaks on the night of August 11 through the morning of August 12. Perseid rates can get as high as 100 per hour, with many fireballs visible in the night sky. A waning crescent moon will interfere slightly with this year's show, but viewing should definitely be worth a look!

On the night of Aug. 11-12, astronomer Bill Cooke and his team from the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center will answer your questions about the 2012 Perseid meteor shower via an "Up All Night" live chat. A chat is available at www.nasa.gov/ The chat experts will be available to answer questions between the hours of 11 p.m. - 3 a.m. EDT, beginning the evening of Aug. 11 and continuing into the morning of Aug. 12.

Watch the Perseids! Live Video/Audio Feed

On the night of Aug. 11, a live video/audio feed of the Perseid shower will be embedded at NASA dot-gov. The camera is mounted at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. During daylight, you'll see a dark gray box -- the camera is light-activated and will turn on at dusk. At night you'll see white points, or stars, on a black background.

About the Perseids

The Perseids have been observed for at least 2,000 years and are associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years. Each year in August, the Earth passes through a cloud of the comet's debris. These bits of ice and dust -- most over 1,000 years old -- burn up in the Earth's atmosphere to create one of the best meteor showers of the year. The Perseids can be seen all over the sky, but the best viewing opportunities will be across the northern hemisphere. Those with sharp eyes will see that the meteors radiate from the direction of the constellation Perseus.

H3N2 viral infections August 2012 report (groups - patients) - CIDRAP posted information

Friday August 10, 2012 -- The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today reported that it has received 153 reports of novel H3N2 infections (H3N2v) since illnesses started surfacing in the middle of July, nearly all of them in people who had contact with pigs or were around pigs at fairs. . . on Aug 7 the CDC updated the results interpretation of the test for public health labs, which allows them to report the presumptive H3N2v-positives as confirmed cases.

The CDC said 128 (93%) of the patients are younger than age 18 and the median age is 7 years. Though the infections have predominantly occurred in kids, the fact that 10 of the illnesses involved adults underscores the point that people of any age can be infected, the CDC said. It urged people with underlying health conditions that pose a high risk of complications from flu to avoid swine barns this summer, especially if sick pigs have been identified.

In initial tests on seven rapid flu diagnostic tests, four detected all of the H3N2v viruses, the CDC reported. It said the findings reinforce that negative test results shouldn't be considered conclusive for ruling out H3N2v infection. CDC added that more data are needed on the performance of the rapid tests but that both positive and negative findings should be interpreted in the broader context of circulating strains in the community, level of clinical suspicion, disease severity, and patients' underlying risk factors.

The CDC said that although human-to-human transmission hasn't been seen in this summer's H3N2v infections, limited spread was suspected in a few cases that were detected in households and in a child-care setting in 2011. It urged state health officials to enhance surveillance, especially in areas where infections have already been confirmed.

"The initial goal of enhanced surveillance is to detect the source and geographic spread of these viruses, but once cases are detected, particular emphasis should be placed on detection of ongoing transmission within the community through investigation of close contacts of patients with confirmed cases," the CDC wrote.

In a separate information release for clinicians, the CDC said the H3N2v infections can't be distinguished clinically from seasonal flu infections and other flulike illnesses. The key to identifying a suspected H3N2v infection is to tease out a link to swine exposure in the week before illness onset, including direct contact with pigs, indirect exposure (such as walking through a swine barn at a fair), and close contact with a sick person who had recent swine exposure.

The virus has been circulating in US pigs since 2011, has been detected in many states, and appears to be circulating widely in the nation's pig populations, the CDC said.

Healthcare workers have noted some instances of asthma exacerbation in patients infected with H3N2v, and the CDC warned that people with underlying medical conditions are at greater risk for complications, as with seasonal flu.

Limited serologic data show that children younger than 10 lack immunity to the virus and are most susceptible, and that while other age-groups may have cross-protective antibodies, some persons are still susceptible to the new virus, according to the CDC.

Patients with flu-like illness and an epidemiologic link to swine exposure should be considered probable H3N2v cases and local health departments should be notified as soon as possible for additional testing, the agency said.

 http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/general/news/aug1012flu.html

News Agency story on Sikh religious belief in afterlife follows August 5 shooting near Milwaukee, WI Temple

Religious News Service as connected in "Religion and Ethics Newsweekly" (PBS program website):

 Funeral services will be held on Friday (Aug. 10, 2012) for the six Sikhs killed at a Wisconsin temple last Sunday. The bodies of the deceased will later be cremated --  but their souls will live on, Sikh tradition teaches.

Sikh scriptures don't dwell on what happens after death. Instead, the faith focuses on earthly duties, such as honoring God, performing charity and promoting justice.

"The afterlife is not a primary concern," said Gurinder Singh Mann, a religious studies professor at the University of California-Santa Barbara. "It's a very life-affirming belief system."
Still, like many religions, Sikhism includes intimations of immortality.

Founded in 15th-century India, Sikhism was born in the same cradle as Hinduism and Buddhism, both of which posit reincarnation. Like those faiths, Sikhism teaches that the goal is to escape from the cycle of death and rebirth.

But unlike Hindus and Buddhists, Sikhs believe that humans can't liberate themselves through meditation and virtuous living -- only God's grace offers freedom from rebirth.

"We don't think that, 'Well, I've done these wonderful things, I get a ticket to heaven,'" said Mann. "That's a divine decision."

It's almost as if Sikhs straddle the fault line in the old Catholic and Protestant dispute over salvation by faith or good works. In Sikh theology, Mann explained, moral living prepares the soul to receive God's grace. But God could decide to save a scoundrel, or flick a mensch back to be reborn.
For those fortunate enough to escape rebirth, the ultimate destination is a return to the divine soul from which all beings emanate, said Harpreet Singh, a South Asian studies scholar at Harvard University. A Sikh hymn often sung at funerals says, "Like droplets of water in an ocean wave and the ripples of a stream, I am immersed in the Lord."

A host of metaphors are used to describe that indwelling with God. Some Sikh scriptures describe a divine court in the afterlife, as if God were a supreme king. Ultimately, though, God is less like a monarch than a transcendent force, at once visible and invisible.

"In our culture, it's not the end when somebody dies," Amardeep Kaleka, whose father, Satwant Singh Kaleka, was killed in Sunday's shooting, told CNN. "Their soul and energy kind of transcends, traverses into the universe and helps influence other events."

That's why Sikh funerals end on a happy note, Singh explained. Like jazz funerals in New Orleans, which begin with a dirge and conclude with a swinging spiritual, Sikh services include verses from the Anand Sahib, or Song of Bliss.

"Even though we grieve when loved ones depart, the tradition also teaches us that death is something worth celebrating, because the souls are going to be one with God," said Singh. "Almost like a drop of water going back into the ocean."
http://www.religionnews.com/faith/beliefs/for-sikhs-the-soul-lives-on-long-after-the-body-dies

Archaeological Open House & Revolutionary War Muster (August 10 - 12, 2012) Niles Michigan's Fort St. Joseph

from Leader Pub dot-com online article (August 10, 2012):

The sixth annual Archaeology and Re-enactment event, which, in the past, has brought an estimated 10,000 people to Niles, Michigan 49120 will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at South Riverfront Park, near the intersection of Fort and Bond Streets.

This free event showcases 2012 findings of Western Michigan University’s annual dig.

Barbara Schwaderer and Bob Myers previewed the open house, which features an 18th century encampment by the Northwest Territory Alliance. Eighty re-enactors will stage a militia muster.
Re-enactors portray the king’s 8th Regiment of Foot, the only military unit in the region in 1775.
“Setting it in 1775 is later than we frequently portray,” Schwaderer said. “We’ll have 18th century skills shown, merchants selling reproduction goods, a Celtic trio.”

The trio, Moxie Strings with Fritz McGirr, was formerly String Cheese consisting of fiddler Diana Ladio and cellist Alison Lynn, who appear Fridays at Fiddler’s Hearth in South Bend.

“We’ll have a women’s sewing circle,” Schwaderer said.
Period children’s games will add another perspective to the timeline.
“We’ll have a tea tent for refreshments. The other new thing this year is Sarett Nature Center’s 35-foot Montreal canoes offering rides for $3 for half an hour so people get an idea what it was like on the river. There will be competitions in the encampment, such as tomahawk throwing.”

Fort St. Joseph was one of a handful of Michigan sites to play a role in the American Revolution. Virginia troops under George Rogers Clark captured Fort Sackville in present-day Vincennes, Indiana, in 1779, then planned an assault on Detroit.

Knowing Clark’s force would pass near Fort St. Joseph, the British at Michilimackinac planned an ambush. British regulars, French militia and hundreds of allied Native Americans gathered at the fort to attack the Virginians, but lack of supplies thwarted Clark’s plans. British troops returned to Michilimackinac.

Niles’ fort was one of the most important colonial outposts in the western Great Lakes.
The mission, garrison and trading post complex was occupied from 1691 to 1781 and under the control of four nations, giving rise to the “City of Four Flags.”

Annual "Mutts March" (Pet Refuge of South Bend, Indiana) -- annual event August 11, 2012

from SouthBend Tribune dot-com

Mutts to march for Pet Refuge

• SOUTH BEND -- The public is invited to take their companion animal canines and join Pet Refuge's annual Mutt March Saturday morning at St. Patrick's County Park, 50651 Laurel Road.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. with contests at 9:30, the walk at 10, and lunch at 10:30 a.m.
The Mutt March raises money for the homeless dogs and cats in Michiana. Registration also can be completed in advance at the website www.petrefuge.com.

White House Iftar Dinner (to mark end of Ramadan 2012): Obama Food-o-rama coverage

from www.obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/

Friday August 10, 2012 after sunset President Obama will welcome guests to the White House for an Iftar Dinner to mark Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar. The celebratory meal serves as a fast-breaker for observant Muslims, and will be at 8:35 PM in the State Dining Room. Guests will be "elected officials, religious and grassroots leaders in the Muslim American community, and leaders of diverse faiths and members of the diplomatic corps," the White House said. The President will make remarks at what is his fourth and perhaps final Iftar at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

"Ramadan reminds us that Islam is part of the fabric of our Nation," President Obama said in his official Ramadan greeting on July 20. "Muslim Americans help strengthen our country and enrich our lives."

With campaign season in full swing, and President Obama hopscotching around the nation to stump, the dinner is the first entertaining since June 13, when Mr. Obama welcomed guests to the Medal of Freedom state dinner for Israel's President Shimon Peres. The White House typically does not release the menu for the Iftar Dinners, but it is "traditional" foods.
http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2012/08/tonight-president-obama-marks-ramadan.html

Transfiguration Day (Orthodox Christian Calendar) - Religion & Ethics Newsweekly definition

August 6, 2012

Transfiguration of the Lord (Orthodox Christianity)
The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported by the Synoptic Gospels in which Jesus was transfigured upon a mountain (Matthew 17:1-6, Mark 9:1-8, Luke 9:28-36). Jesus becomes radiant, speaks with Moses and Elijah, and is called “Son” by God. The transfiguration put Jesus on par with the two preeminent figures of Judaism: Moses and Elijah. It also supports his identity as the Son of God. In keeping with the Messianic secret, Jesus tells the witnesses not to tell others what they saw. In general, the events in Jesus’ life that are said to have taken place in secret, such as the transfiguration, are given less weight by scholars of the historical Jesus than public events. The original Greek term in the Gospels is metamorphothe, describing Jesus as having undergone metamorphosis.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/multifaith-calendar/

Michigan's Longest Garage Sale 2012: August 10 to 12 from Detroit to New Buffalo (U.S. 12)

from Niles Daily Star (www.nilesstar.com/ ) advance article:

Preparations are under way in many homes, organizations and businesses across U.S. Highway 12 for Michigan’s Longest Garage Sale Aug. 10-12.

U.S. 12, the nation’s second-oldest highway, stretches along an old Native American trail from Detroit to New Buffalo on the state’s southwest coast. It is one of 16 Michigan State Scenic Byways, designated by the State Legislature to preserve the state’s historic highways. Since the sale started in 2003, it has taken place during the second weekend of every August.

Sales will include everything from antiques, collectables, furniture, dishware, fresh garden produce, homemade jams and jellies, live entertainment and more. Many nonprofit organizations are collecting donations for the sale because it is one of the biggest fundraising events of the year. Other organizations are renting space out for people who want to sell, but don’t have a place to showcase their items.

Those interested in hosting a sale are  encouraged to register their sale on the U.S. 12 Heritage Trail website www.us12heritagetrail.org by Aug. 8 so it will be included on the interactive online map and also in a downloadable prin- ready list of sales. There is no cost to register your sale on the map.
“This sale has become a destination with people from around the Midwest,” said Kim Gallagher, project manager of the U.S. 12 Heritage Trail Project. “Every year, there are more and more information requests about lodging because people are making a weekend out of the sale event.

“Everyone involved in this sale is helping to create a unique travel experience for people interested in history, bargains, scenery and making connections with real people who live in the towns that dot Michigan’s U.S. 12 Heritage Trail,” she said.

August 6 is 67th Anniversary of Hiroshima Bombing (ended World War II)

story from Washington Post (posted online - August 5, 2012):
ASSOCIATED PRESS coverage (10 p.m. Eastern Time Zone)

Hiroshima marked the 67th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb attack on Monday with a call for the elimination of nuclear arsenals.
About 50,000 people gathered in Hiroshima’s peace park near the epicenter of the 1945 blast that destroyed most of the city and killed as many as 140,000 people. A second atomic bombing Aug. 9 that year in Nagasaki killed tens of thousands more and prompted Japan to surrender to the World War II Allies.  The ceremony, attended by representatives of about 70 countries, began with the ringing of a temple bell and a moment of silence. Flowers were placed before Hiroshima’s eternal flame, which is the park’s centerpiece.

Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said Japan must take a bolder role in leading global disarmament efforts and called on world leaders to come to his city to “contemplate peace.”
He also said the nuclear accident at Fukushima last year has shown the dangers of nuclear technology, even for peaceful purposes, and urged the government to create a mix of energy sources for Japan that is safe and secure.  “I firmly believe that the demand for freedom from nuclear weapons will soon spread out from Hiroshima, encircle the globe, and lead us to genuine world peace,” he said.
Matsui noted that the average survivor of the bombing is now 78 years old, and said the city is increasing its effort to provide them with health care and chronicle their experiences so the events of that day are remembered.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Japan must pass the experience on to future generations so that the lessons of Hiroshima are not forgotten.
The United States was represented by Ambassador John Roos.

Presidential Candidate's horse Rafalca score 70.213 at Dressage (Olympics Equestrian) August 2

at Blogs. NYTIMES dot-com :

EQUESTRIAN Rafalca, a 15-year-old mare owned in part by Gov. Romney's wife, Ann, begins her Olympic competition in dressage. Rafalca and her rider, Jan Ebeling, will represent the United States, but they both were born in Germany, which has won a medal in dressage in the past seven Olympics. nbcolympics.com, 6 a.m.; MSNBC, 1:30 p.m.

http://london2012.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/day-7-what-to-watch-for/

222 years ago - On this date in history

according to Posted History at "Writer's Almanac" (American Public Media: Garrison Keillor)

On August 2 in 1790, the first U.S. Census was conducted. The United States was the first country in the world to make a census mandatory in its constitution. It is to be held every 10 years and to serve as the basis for Congressional seats, electoral votes, and to aid planning of government services. In 1790, only the names of the heads of households were recorded and the number of "free white males" were counted for draft purposes. Women were not allowed to work as census takers and were rarely named in the census except when widowed. Genders and ethnicities of all other residents were noted, but slaves were only counted as three-fifths of a person, and American Indians were not counted at all.
It wasn't accurate, but the first census recorded just under 4 million people residing in the United States. In 2010, almost 310 million residents were recorded. It is now the largest peacetime operation in the country and employs more than a million Americans.

Then, in that hour of deliverance, my heart spoke -- birthday of that Poet - Lyricist

from Writer's Almanac (American Public Media, Garrison Keillor, daily notices of calendar and anniversaries)

August 1 is the birthday of the man who composed the American national anthem, Francis Scott Key, born on the family plantation in what is now Carroll County, Maryland (1779). During the War of 1812, he was aboard a British ship off the coast of Baltimore negotiating a prisoner exchange and became aware of an impending British attack on the nearby Fort McHenry. He was held captive and for two days forced to watch the bombardment of the unsuspecting American troops. And after being released, he wrote a poem called "Defense of Fort McHenry," in which he recounted the sight of the flag still waving through the debris of battle. The poem was fitted to a popular English tune of the day and soon became widely known as "The Star-Spangled Banner."

President Woodrow Wilson declared it the national anthem in 1916, and Congress followed with a resolution in 1931, signed by President Hoover. Key later authored a book on religion and literature and had a career as a lawyer.
He said: "Then, in that hour of deliverance, my heart spoke. Does not such a country, and such defenders of their country, deserve a song?"

New Month begins: August 1, 2012 Lammas Day & Full Moon (Almanac reminders)

from Old Farmer's Almanac (online list serv from ALMANAC dot-com : Dublin, NH)

Welcome August!

Named for Augustus Caesar, the month of August once had the Anglo-Saxon label of Weodmonath, or “weed month.” If you haven’t been weeding your garden all along, now’s the time to plunge in!

Lammas Day—August 1Lammas Day traditionally marked the harvesttime in old England. Loaves of bread were baked from the first-ripened grain, consecrated in churches, and eaten.
PROVERB: After Lammas Day, corn ripens as much by night as by day.

–proverb

Full Sturgeon Moon—August 1
Did you know? There are two full Moons this August!

Weather Blog:

An August El Niño?
Do you want cooler temperatures and more rain? It may be coming.