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2018 December 01 — Why Now?
On-line Opinion Magazine…OK, it's a blog
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George Herbert Walker Bush 1924-2018

The BBC does this well: Obituary: George H W Bush and follows up with George H W Bush: The war years [the WWII years].

I have a great deal of respect for his service as a Naval aviator, and much of his service as the 41st President.

It would be nice if someone told the Resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that flags are at half staff for 30 days when a President dies.

December 1, 2018   20 Comments

Anchorage Earthquake

The USGS provides all of the technical details of Friday’s quake:M 7.0 – 13km N of Anchorage, Alaska.

I grabbed the NBC News initial reporting and their follow-up: Depth of Alaska earthquake — and strong building codes — likely prevented more damage, saved lives.

In 1964 the strongest known earthquake to hit the United States, 9.2 on the Richter scale, was centered in Anchorage. As a result, smart people build for the reality of earthquakes. Even with all that preparation, they couldn’t save their roads and bridges from damage. This creates a problem for the rest of Alaska as the majority of things shipped to the state arrive in Anchorage and are then distributed by roads and rail which are now damaged.

That said, there are no reports of serious injury or deaths.

December 1, 2018   Comments Off on Anchorage Earthquake

The Season Is Over

Technically the Atlantic hurricane season is over, but it started in May with Tropical Storm Alberto coming ashore on the Florida Gulf Coast East of me. There were 16 tropical systems: 1 depression, 7 tropical storms, and 8 hurricanes. Three storms came ashore on the northern Gulf Coast [TS Alberto, TS Gordon, and Cat 4 Hurricane Michael (155 mph)] while Hurricane Florence came ashore in the Carolinas as Cat 1 after peaking as a Cat 4, but caused massive damage with flooding rains.

Michael was the fourth strongest storm to make landfall in the US. [The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 (185 mph), Hurricane Camille (175 mph), and Hurricane Andrew (165 mph)]

Further analysis from the National Hurricane Center, Dr Jeff Masters, and Accuweather.

December 1, 2018   Comments Off on The Season Is Over