Posts from — June 2011

Adopted as the flag of the United States of America by the Flag Resolution of 1777 enacted on 14 June, 1777.

The flag was first flown from Fort Stanwix, on the site of the present city of Rome, New York, on August 3, 1777. It was first under fire three days later in the Battle of Oriskany, August 6, 1777.

An official flag has a rise to run ratio of 1 to 1.9 [the flag should be 1.9 times as long as it is high] with the canton [the dark blue part] that rises over the top seven stripes with a run of 40% of the flag’s run.

The only time you will see a “correct” US Flag is if you see the official colors of a military unit. Most flags are 3’X5′ or 4’X6′ instead of 3’X5.7′ or 4’X7.6′.

Frances Bellamy, the Baptist minister and socialist who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance was from Rome, New York.

While the fire has expanded into New Mexico, that is generally the result of intentional backfires to deprive the wildfire of fuel. There are now some areas that have been cleared for access by residents, but the air quality is so bad due to the smoke, people return “at their own risk” and it is recommended that they don’t stay for an extended period, especially if they have any respiratory problems.

Information from the current Wallow Fire InciWeb Page

• Date Started: 5/29/2011
• Location: Apache, Navajo, Graham, and Greenlee Counties, San Carlos and White Mountain Apache Reservations, Arizona; Catron County, New Mexico
• Cause: Human – under investigation
• Size: 452,155 acres [706 miles² 1830 km²] based on infrared data
• Number of Personnel: Approximately 4,349 including 23 hotshot crews and 78 hand crews
• Equipment: 22 dozers, 347 engines, 70 watertenders
• Aircraft: 20 helicopters, 5 air tankers, DC-10
• Percent Contained: 10%
• Injuries to Date: 7
• Residences: 2,714 threatened; 31 destroyed; 5 damaged
• Commercial Property: 473 threatened; 4 destroyed
• Outbuildings: 1,216 threatened; 36 destroyed; 1 damaged
• Other: 1 truck destroyed
• Incident Commander: Jim Loach, Area Command Team 3

[Read more →]

It’s hot and the news is boring today.

The BBC reports that Hezbollah dominates new cabinet of PM Mikati in Lebanon. Oh, my, the political party that represents the largest ethnic group in Lebanon has a major role in the new government. [/snark]

I doubt it was discussed at the Republicant “debate” in New Hampshire. Per usual with the major parties, a group of white guys, with a woman and black guy included to proved “they are diverse”. It’s probably a media requirement. No doubt they attempted to prove that they were going to fix everything by cutting taxes and making government smaller. It is amazing how the taxes seem to get cut, but the government expands when there is a Republicant in the White House. Of course, the deficit soars under Republicant Presidents and Wall Street loses money, but they have their sound bites down.

Reuters reports that the Missouri River levee near Hamburg, Iowa fails. The river washed away about three hundred feet of the levee just north of the Missouri – Iowa border and more rain is predicted for the Missouri watershed. It is going to be a soggy summer.

Speaking of Republicants who might run for President, CNN has a piece on Governor Goodhair, Rick Perry: Texas governor’s modest Christian giving raises eyebrows. The fundies are not going to understand how someone can only give $90 to their home church in several years, when they are making around a million dollars a year. Apparently no one has told Perry that you don’t report any donations on your tax returns, so that if your giving is questioned you can say it was anonymous and you don’t discuss money and religion. If you are going to put it on your tax returns, you had better tithe if you are a “Christian” politician. Ninety bucks isn’t modest, it’s miserly.

Oh, yes, Zero said that if he were Weiner, he would resign. Yeah, right, like passing “naughty notes” is worse that shredding the Constitution.

At this point, the Wallow Fire will be the biggest recorded wildfire to ever hit Arizona. Planned back-burning will take it beyond the size of Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002.

This is the largest of three active wildfires in Arizona. The Murphy Fire [68,000 acres 106 miles² 275 km²] near Tubac in Southern Arizona is 90% contained, while the Horseshoe Two Fire [141,300 acres 231 miles² 572 km²] in Southeastern Arizona is 45% contained. The Arizona Republic reports that: “Budget cuts took nearly $250,000 out of the state’s fire-suppression fund this year, and about $300,000 will be cut next year, state records show.” Not to worry, they are using Federal funds to cover the costs.*

Information from the current Wallow Fire InciWeb Page

• Date Started: 5/29/2011
• Location: Apache, Navajo, Graham, and Greenlee Counties, Arizona
• Cause: Human – under investigation
• Size: 443,989 acres [694 miles² 1797 km²] based on infrared data
• Number of Personnel: Approximately 4,311 including 24 hotshot crews and 84 hand crews
• Equipment: 27 dozers, 334 engines, 66 watertenders
• Aircraft: 15 helicopters, 5 air tankers, DC-10
• Percent Contained: 6%
• Injuries to Date: 7
• Residences: 2,714 threatened; 29 destroyed; 5 damaged
• Commercial Property: 473 threatened; 4 destroyed
• Outbuildings: 1,216 threatened; 35 destroyed; 1 damaged
• Other: 1 truck destroyed
• Incident Commander: Jim Loach, Area Command Team 3

[Read more →]

It’s hot again and the cats are on edge. Adrian has dissolved into a remnant low, and the local thunderstorms aren’t storming, they are just hanging around and acting tough.

In the mean time, the Republicans, aided and abetted by Zero and what passes for the Democratic Congressional leadership, are free to wander about spreading lies and misinformation about the Social Security & Medicare systems.

First off, sorry but there has been only a minimal increase in the number of years an American can expect to hang around, and some of that increase is now fading because of the tough economic times. The AVERAGE life span of Americans has increased, but, by now, I hope everyone has learned that when you read or hear the term AVERAGE, someone is trying to con you. More children are growing up rather than dying of the many diseases that were quite common when I was a child. Childhood immunization means that getting born in the US is not the coin toss that it was in the early 20^th century. This means there are more people to work and pay taxes. This is one of the things that Digby refers to as Zombie Lies.

Another point in that post is that people will get about 3 times as much money out of the system as they put in. Well, duh, if you have been paying for almost 50 years there should be some interest. With only annual compounding you triple your money in under 24 years with 5% interest. Wall Street and their minions want to give you the original principal and loot the much larger interest that has accrued.

[Read more →]

The fire area went under a Red Flag at 1PM MDT, that continues until 8PM for high temperatures, low humidity, and gusty winds. The eastern edge of the fire is at the border with New Mexico which is preparing for the worst.

Another burst of activity, and the Wallow Fire will surpass the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Complex which burned 468,500 acres [732 miles² 1896 km²] and is currently ranked as the worst fire in Arizona history.

Information from the current Wallow Fire InciWeb Page

• Date Started: 5/29/2011
• Location: Apache, Navajo, Graham, and Greenlee Counties, Arizona
• Size: 430,171 acres [672 miles² 1741 km²] based on infrared data
• Cause: Human – under investigation
• Number of Personnel: Approximately 3,208 including 20 hotshot crews and 45 hand crews
• Equipment: 17 dozers, 221 engines, 66 watertenders
• Aircraft: 14 helicopters, DC-10
• Percent Contained: 5%
• Injuries to Date: 6
• Residences: 2,714 threatened; 29 destroyed; 5 damaged
• Commercial Property: 473 threatened; 4 destroyed
• Outbuildings: 34 destroyed; 1 damaged
• Other: 1 truck destroyed
• Incident Commander: Jim Loach, Area Command Team 3

The fire is 5% contained, with containment lines established on the northeast side of the fire. Improved weather conditions allowed for successful burnout operations along the 273 road near Greer, in Water Canyon south of Eager, and northeast of Alpine. Today’s activities include structure protection, continued burnout and mop-up operations to strengthen containment lines, and patrol for spot fires. Burnout operations will continue into New Mexico east of Luna along Highway 220. Burnout operations may be affected by a Red Flag warning that has been issued for today from 1 pm to 8 pm for gusty south-southwest winds 15-25 mph, low relative humidity, and unstable air mass over the fire.

[For the latest information click on the Fire symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Fires” for all of the posts related to wildfires on this site.]

Position: 15.8N 113.9W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [275°] near 12 mph [19 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 45 mph [ 75 kph].
Wind Gusts: 60 mph [ 95 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 70 miles [110 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1002 mb ↑.

Currently about 555 miles [895 km] South-Southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Adrian has reached its sell-by date and is melting into the Pacific. It moved over the cooler waters and is losing the “fuel” needed to sustain itself as a tropical storm. If it can maintain some organization and finally turns back towards the coast it might regenerate, but it will probably fade to a remnant low.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

The weather gave firefighters a break today and they used it to make some progress on containment, but the winds and low humidity are returning on Saturday.

Information from the current Wallow Fire InciWeb Page

• Date Started: 5/29/2011
• Number of Personnel: Approximately 3,137 including 19 hotshot crews and 45 hand crews
• Location: south and west of Alpine, Arizona
• Cause: Human – under investigation
• Equipment: 17 dozers, 221 engines, 66 watertenders
• Size: 408,887 acres [639 miles² 1655 km²] based on last night’s infrared data
• Aircraft: 14 helicopters, DC-10
• Percent Contained: 5%
• Injuries to Date: 3
• Residences: 5,242 threatened, 29 destroyed, 5 damaged
• Structures: 24 destroyed
• Other: 1 truck destroyed
• Area Command Team 3 lead by Jim Loach is now managing the Wallow Fire

The fire is 5% contained on the northeast side of the fire. Last night’s operational period included burnout operations, structure protection, patrolling for spot fires, and mop up in the Alpine area. The predicted weather today is expected to allow firefighters to continue burnout operations. Today’s operational period also includes, building fireline using handcrews & dozers around Springerville and Eagar, structure protection, patrolling for spot fires and mop up. The DC-10 air tanker was used during yesterday’s operations in the area of Greer.

[For the latest information click on the Fire symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Fires” for all of the posts related to wildfires on this site.]

It’s back to the bean sprouts for the Germans, according to the BBC: German tests link bean sprouts to deadly E. coli

New data released in Germany strongly suggests that locally produced bean sprouts were, as suspected, the source of the deadly E. coli outbreak.

“It’s the bean sprouts,” said Reinhard Burger, head of Germany’s centre for disease control.

Officials initially blamed the E. coli, which has killed 29 people, on imported cucumbers, then bean sprouts.
…

Mr Burger, who heads the Robert Koch Institute, told reporters on Friday that even though no tests of the sprouts from a farm in Lower Saxony had come back positive, the epidemiological investigation of the pattern of the outbreak had produced enough evidence to draw the conclusion.

The institute, he added, was lifting its warning against eating cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce, but keeping it in place for the sprouts.
…
[Read more →]

Position: 15.6N 109.3W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [285°] near 9 mph [15 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 110 mph [175 kph].
Wind Gusts: 125 mph [205 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 90 miles [150 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 30 miles [ 45 km].
Minimum central pressure: 966 mb ↑.

Currently about 505 miles [815 km] South of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Adrian has peaked as the pressure is rising and winds have fallen to a Category 2. The conditions for the anticipated turn to the North are building too late and the storm has passed beyond their influence.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Waiting for Good Food

When you get a moment, OK?

[Editor: Ringo is most assuredly not on the hunt – it is too hot. She is patiently waiting for me to put wet food in the dish. She knows I am to her side, but maintains her watch on the wet food dish.]

Friday Ark

High winds and low humidy are allies of wildfires, and they have been brutally effective for the last couple of days. They have not only helped to spread the fire, but the winds were bad enough that they grounded the aircraft.

The latest InciWeb Wallow Fire page:

• Date Started: 5/29/2011
• Number of Personnel: Approximately 3,012 including 24 hotshot crews and 79 handcrews
• Location: south and west of Alpine, Arizona
• Cause: Human – under investigation
• Equipment: 18 dozers, 197 engines, 61 watertenders
• Aircraft: 16 helicopters
• Size: 386,690 acres [604miles² 1565 km²]
• Percent Contained: 0%
• Injuries to Date: 3 minor injuries
• Structures: 4,018 threatened; 1 damaged; 16 lost
• Area Command Team 3 (Jim Loach, Area Commander) is now managing the Wallow Fire

The Structures numbers were reported before the information came in on Property Damage in Greer: “The property damage has been assessed in the community of Greer. In total, 22 homes lost, 5 damaged, 24 out-buildings, and 1 vehicle.” [It isn’t clear whether the out-buildings and vehicle were simply damaged or lost, but it is likely they were lost.]

The winds are decreasing, but they really need rain to help them with this fire, and that isn’t likely for a while.

[For the latest information click on the fire symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Fires” for all of the posts related to wildfires on this site.]

Position: 14.6N 105.8W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [285°] near 9 mph [15 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 140 mph [220 kph].
Wind Gusts: 165 mph [270 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 90 miles [150 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 30 miles [ 45 km].
Minimum central pressure: 946 mb ↓.

Currently about 320 miles [515 km] South-Southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.

Adrian is now a Category 4 storm, continuing its rapid intensification. It is expected to lose energy beginning tomorrow. It is certainly to be hoped that no one runs into this storm on the Pacific.

The turn to the North keeps getting pushed further West, so the value of Adrian to pull rain into the Southwestern states is much reduced. It will begin to pass over cooler water as it heads West and lose strength.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

The media is working overtime to make the exchange of notes via electronic means in the spirit of middle school a “sex scandal”. It’s pathetic.

When I was a lad Democrats knew how to have real sex scandals. None of today’s wimps will ever top the Democratic governor of Louisiana, Earl K. Long, or the long-time chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Arkansas Democratic Congressman Wilbur D. Mills. Now those were worthy of newsprint and pictures.

Democrats should be ashamed that they are allowing the Republicans to outpace them in the sex scandal area. John Edwards can’t be expected to carry the entire load.