Thursday, October 30, 2008

As For Me And My House ... We're Voting McCain-Palin



I have read what you have said. I get updates from both the McCain and Obama websites. I have watched the news. I'm not a liberal. I'm not a conservative. I'm a moderate. I believe the answer is usually somewhere in the middle. This election hasn't really been about finding answers. It's been about marketing.

I know a little bit about marketing. I worked in advertising for ten years. Still, I can't think of one thing I have ever done because the media told me to.





I'm wondering ...

Why are the media and the public so amazed that the Republican Party would spend 150,000-dollars on clothes for Sarah Palin and yet, no one has asked ... Where is Obama getting MILLIONS of dollars to spend on advertising? Exactly WHO is financing this campaign?


I'm wondering ...

Obama hasn't been a Senator any longer than Palin has been a Governor and yet, the media says that we think Obama is ready to be President and Palin isn't ready to be Vice-President. What's the difference?I'm wondering ...Obama's former connections wouldn't clear an FBI background check and yet, the media says he is the man to be our President. None of us could even be a Federal employee with those connections. Doesn't that matter to anybody?


I'm wondering ...

I listen to NPR (National Public Radio) last week while I ran errands. They were interviewing foreigners and asking them who they wanted the next American President to be. A man from Arabia said Obama. A man from Jakarta said that he trusted Obama because even though he was a Christian, he knew Obama would be loyal to his Muslim roots. What? A man from Afghanistan said he wanted Obama too. That isn't exactly a ringing endorsement! Why would I or any other American vote with them?


I'm wondering ...

Obama is wearing an American flag pin now, but I saw the interview where he said he hasn't worn an American flag since 9-11 ... Why would someone STOP wearing a flag after 9-11? That's when most of us started flying our flags.


I'm wondering ...

The American public seems to believe that bringing the troops home will end the war. War isn't always up to us! What if they come after us? Do I want an inexperienced politician to be in control or do I want a guy who already knows what war is about? McCain and Palin have a very personal interest in what happens. They have sons in the military. They are invested. Obama doesn't know any more about foreign policy than Palin does! He thinks he can "just talk" to them. Wow! I bet nobody's ever thought of that!


I'm wondering ...

Liberals talk about the Republican Slime Machine but they are also the ones that have coined the marketing term "McSame", claiming that McCain is the same as George Bush. McCain is not George Bush any more than Obama is Rev Wright! I have personally observed George Bush and John McCain when they both came to our town. They are not the same kind of man.

McCain served our country in the military and later as a politician. He has made some hard choices that were good for our country but not necessarily good for him. He has the kind of character I want in my President.




I know this post won't be my most popular post. I know that some of you agree with me but you are afraid to say so. I don't expect to change anyone's mind. I am not trying to win anyone over. I have spent over three years talking about speaking authentically and I am simply practicing what I preach.

I can't vote for a guy who promises the moon, when he hasn't ever delivered the moon before. Why should I think he can do it now? Obama offers "change" and "hope", but he is only 1/3 of the equation. He can have all the ideas in the world, but if congress doesn't vote for them, they aren't happening.

That's another thing ... Democrats already have a majority in congress. What about checks and balances? Do I really want liberals to be writing checks on my bank account? In 50 years, the Democrats have taxed me more than the Republicans have! I am not interested in "spreading the wealth". I am interested in doing an honest days work for an honest wage, without having to pay too much in taxes.





Bottom line ... I have to vote for the guy who has already proven that he has the experience, the connections and the character to do the right thing. I trust McCain. I believe he really does have my back. I know that he will do the right thing because he has so many times before. I simply can not vote against a man who was tortured for our country. McCain has proven how much he loves our country and out of respect and admiration for his service, I have to stand with him. He is my kind of guy.

I like Sarah Palin. For years and years, I have heard Americans say that they wish they could have someone who was just like them in the White House. Sarah Palin is my chance to have that happen. She's not as polished as some. That's okay by me. I don't trust the slick politicians anyway. I like that Palin isn't afraid to challenge the status quo. I like that Palin is making the beltline politicians and talking heads nervous. That's my kind of gal!





This campaign has divided too many friends and family. It will not divide me from mine. I will continue to love my friends and family, no matter who they vote for, because that is what friends and family do. You all must vote with your conscience. Whatever reasons make up your mind for you are just as valid as mine are.

My name is Taylor and I approved this message.





Wednesday, October 22, 2008

October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Chris Templeton

 
This is a web-site of my friend, Chris Templeton.  She is a breast cancer survivor. 

Most people know her, still, as Carol Robbins Evans from the Young and The Restless.  I never watched Young And The Restless much so I am surprised when people REACT to her as Carol.

Once, while on a road trip, we stopped at a small town gas station.  I went to the rest room and was fnishing washing my hands when a woman came running in to the bathroom, screaming, "This is the best day of my life!  Carol Evans from Young And The Restless is here in my town!"  I could hear quite a crowd outside the bathroom and I went into "protective" mode.  I knew that Chris had been on the soap opera, but like I said, I never watched soap operas much.  Chris is a tiny little thing.  She is a polio survivor and walks with a cane.  I stood up straighter, buttoned my jacket and pretended to be a body guard as I walked up to Chris.  "Miss Templeton, would you like me to escort you to the car?"

Chris smiled and nodded her head.  I pushed the crowd aside and walked her to the car, opened her door, locked it and went around to the driver side.

We drove away.  We were both quiet for a few minutes before I said, "Okay, tell me about this soap opera thing again."  She laughed and said that she had been a character on Young And The Restless, and most of that time, Young And Restless was one of the top rated soap operas.  I guess that explains the excitement and loyalty of her fans.

For me, Chris has always been morethan a character on a soap opera.

She is from the Midwest and grew up with a lot of the same values that I did.  There is something gritty about Midwestern women ... the pioneer spirit lives on in most of us, but it shines in some.  Chris shines.  She has spent most of her life in a wheelchair or walking with a cane.  There was a time that people would have called her disabled, but because of people like Chris, public awareness has grown and disabled today means something a lot different than what it used to mean.

I admire her intelligence, her kindness, her empathy, her sense of humor and the way she deals with whatever life deals her, including her fight with (and winning) breast cancer.

She blogs ... just like us!

Christopher Templeton Blog

Here is an excerpt from one of her posts:

"’It's been 5 years. I've learned a lot, I've tried a lot. I think that prayer, food and attitude are the most important things.
I think God is in control but I also think that you can take ownership of your body –it’s your temple, your responsibility.
It’s like the little man sitting on the roof of his house surrounded by flood waters. People came by boat, helicopter and even a small pontoon plane asking to help and he keeps telling them that God is going to be his rescuer.
Well, he dies. He goes to heaven and asks God, “why didn't you save me?”
God replies, “I sent a boat, a helicopter and a plane – what more did you want?”
You don't know what God will use to bring your healing to come to pass. Keep open, keep praying and keep trying. Some times healing is emotional and spiritual rather than physical.
Remember, He will give you nothing that you can't handle. We have no idea what His purposes are for our lives.
All we can do is take every day as a gift.
All I can guess is that my purpose has been to educate people – to show them what I have learned and maybe help someone by example. I truly feel that was my purpose in Hollywood. After all, I was one of the first people with a disability to be on television long-term. But that’s another story!"

 

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Tuesday's Tiny Truth - The Magic Of Blogging






The Magic Of Blogging:

The sharing of joy,
whether physical, emotional, psychic, or intellectual,
forms a bridge between the sharers
which can be the basis for understanding
much of what is not shared between them,
and lessens the threat of their difference.
- Audre Lorde





Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Got Chocolate?




     


If you are "feeling older",
This could cheer you right up!
 
 
 
 
I,__________________, being of sound mind and body, do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial means. Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of pinhead politicians who couldn't pass ninth-grade biology if their lives depended on it, or lawyers/doctors interested in simply running up the bills. If a reasonable amount of time passes and I fail to ask for at least one of the following:
 
Glass of wine
Chocolate
Margarita
Sex
Martini
Bubble bath
Cold Beer
Chocolate
Chicken fried steak
Cream gravy
Sex
Italian food
Chocolate
French fries
Chocolate
Pizza
Sex
Ice cream
Cup of tea
Chocolate
Creme brulee
Chocolate
Sex
Chocolate
 
It should be presumed that I won't ever get better. When such a determination is reached, I hereby instruct my appointed person and attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes, let the 'fat lady sing,' and call it a day!







 
 
 

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Tuesday's Tiny Truths - PEACE!!!







There can be no vulnerability without risk;
there can be no community without vulnerability;
there can be no peace, and ultimately no life,
without community.
- M. Scott Peck


Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders
of our countries
or with those who have been appointed or elected to
do a particular job.
It lies with each of us individually.
Peace, for example, starts within each one of us.
When we have inner peace,
we can be at peace with those around us.
- The Dalai Lama


Peace is the deliberate adjustment of my life
to the will of God.


For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant,
and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones,
and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8




Tuesday's Tiny Truths - LOVE!!!







If you have LOVE,
you don't need to have anything else,
and if you don't have it,
it doesn't matter much what else you have.
- Sir James M. Barrie


True love comes quietly,
without banners or flashing lights.
If you hear bells, get your ears checked.
- Erich Segal


Few fall in love by choice, 
but by CHANCE. 
Few fall out of love by chance, 
but by CHOICE.





Tuesday's Tiny Truths - JOY!!!







He who has not looked on Sorrow will never see Joy.
- Kahlil Gibran


... joy and sorrow are inseparable ...
together they come
and when one sits alone with you,
remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
- Kahlil Gibran


The deeper that sorrow carves into your being
the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine
the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
- Kahlil Gibran


We choose our joys and sorrows long before
we experience them.
- Kahlil Gibran




Monday, September 22, 2008

Living Green And Healthy - Focus On Water Bottles And BPA




I don't know any hiker/camper/kid that hasn't used these bottles.  Our family takes them on trips, camping, boating or anywhere else that we don't want to worry about broken glass. 

The following articles contain words like birth defects, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.  After reading the articles, I will probably make a few changes in our household.  It's up to us to safeguard our family's health.  I am not sharing these article to alarm anyone.  I have always believed that knowledge is power.  I also believe that the market is demand driven.  If consumers request new, safer products, companies will have no choice but to fill consumer needs.

When large retailers started pulling Nalgene products from their shelves, Nalgene responded by offering a BPA-free line.  The Nalgene bottles are manufactured in the United States, so I will probably replace the bottles I have with new Nalgene bottles.  Another "green" option would be to recycle glass drink bottles by washing them, dunking them in boiling water and refilling them with filtered water from my house.

   



Plastics Linked to Health Risks in Humans
          By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR and LINDSEY TANNER, AP

WASHINGTON (Sept. 16, 2008) -- Federal regulators on Tuesday defended their assessment that a chemical widely used in plastic baby bottles and in food packaging is safe, even as the first major study of health effects in people linked it with possible risks for heart disease and diabetes.

"A margin of safety exists that is adequate to protect consumers, including infants and children, at the current levels of exposure," Laura Tarantino, a senior Food and Drug Administration scientist, told an expert panel that has been asked for a second opinion on the agency's assessmentof bisphenol A or BPA.

Note: Please However, a study released Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested a new concern about BPA. Because of the possible public health implications, the results "deserve scientific follow-up," the study authors said. Using a health survey of nearly 1,500 adults, they found that those exposed to higher amounts of BPA were more likely to report having heart disease and diabetes.

But the study is preliminary, far from proof that the chemical caused the health problems. Two Dartmouth College analysts of medical research said it raises questions but provides no answers about whether the ubiquitous chemical is harmful.

FDA officials said they are not dismissing such findings, and conceded that further research is needed. "We recognize the need to resolve the concerning questions that have been raised," said Tarantino. But the FDA is arguing that the studies with rats and mice it relied on for its assessment are more thorough than some of the human research that has raised doubts.

The JAMA article was released to coincide with the FDA scientific advisers' hearing.

The FDA has the power to limit use of BPA in food containers and medical devices but last month released its internal report concluding that BPA exposure is not enough to warrant action.

Since then, another government agency released a separate report concluding that risks to people, in particular to infants and children, cannot be ruled out.

Past animal studies have suggested reproductive and hormone-related problems from BPA. The JAMA study is the largest to examine possible BPA effects in people and the first suggesting a direct link to heart disease, said scientists Frederick vom Saal and John Peterson Myers, both longtime critics of the chemical.

Still, they said more rigorous studies are needed to confirm the results.

Vom Saal is a biological sciences professor at University of Missouri who has served asan expert witness and consultant on BPA litigation. Myers is chief scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, a Charlottesville, Va., nonprofit group. They wrote an editorial accompanying the JAMA study.

BPA is used in hardened plastics in a wide range of consumer goods including food containers, eyeglass lenses and compact discs. Many scientists believe it can act like the hormone estrogen, and animal studies have linked it with breast, prostate and reproductive system problems and some cancers.

Researchers from Britain and the University of Iowa examined a U.S. government health survey of 1,455 American adults who gave urine samples in 2003-04 and reported whether they had any of several common diseases.

Participants were divided into four groups based on BPA urine amounts; more than 90 percent had detectable BPA in their urine.

A total of 79 had heart attacks, chest pain or other types of cardiovascular disease and 136 had diabetes. There were more than twice as many people with heart disease or diabetes in the highest BPA group than in the lowest BPA group. The study showed no connection between BPA and other ailments, including cancer.

No one in the study had BPA urine amounts showing higher than recommended exposure levels, said co-author Dr. David Melzer, a University of Exeter researcher.

Drs. Lisa Schwartz and Steven Woloshin of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice said the study presents no clear information about what might have caused participants' heart disease and diabetes.

"Measuring who has disease and high BPA levels at a single point in time cannot tell you which comes first," Schwartz said.

The study authors acknowledge that it's impossible to rule out that people who already have heart disease or diabetes are somehow more vulnerable to having BPA show up in their urine.

The American Chemistry Council, an industry trade group, said the study is flawed, has substantial limitations and proves nothing.

But Dr. Ana Soto of Tufts University said the study raises enough concerns to warrant government action to limit BPA exposure.

"We shouldn't wait until further studies are done in order to act in protecting humans," said Soto, who has called for more restrictions in the past.

An earlier lab experiment with human fat tissue found that BPA can interfere with a hormone involved in protecting against diabetes, heart disease and obesity. That study appeared online last month in Environmental Health Perspectives, a monthly journal published by the National Institutes of Health.

Government toxicology experts have also studied BPA and recently completed their own report based on earlier animal studies. They found no strong evidence of health hazards from BPA, but said there was "some concern" about possible effects on the brain in fetuses, infants and children.

Several states are considering restricting BPA use, some manufacturers have begun promoting BPA-free baby bottles, and some stores are phasing out baby products containing the chemical. The European Union has said that BPA-containing products are safe, but Canada's government has proposed banning the sale of baby bottles with BPA as a precaution.
 
 
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.





Don't Buy A Nalgene Water Bottle
Until You Read This
          by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.16.08

Dangers of Nalgene water bottles and other plastic sport water bottles

Many Nalgene waterbottles and other hardplastic sport water bottles are made of polycarbonate (#7 on the bottom) , which may leach Bisphenol A, an estrogen-like chemical. Canada is considering a ban of products containing Bisphenol A (BPA) and a new American study links it to breast cancer and early puberty, and is particularly concerned about the effect on babies. Others have raised concerns about the effect of feminizing hormones on men, such as breast enlargement or dropping semen counts. At the same time, sport water bottles are ubiquitous and we don't want people going back to buying bottled water. What should you do? Time to nix the Nalgene? We looked at our past posts and the latest reports, and suggest the following.

7 Ways to beat BPA, in order of Importance:

1.   Ditch the clear plastic baby bottles, right now. All the research that says there are problems point at the effect of the estrogen-like BPA on children as being the most significant.
2.   Tin cans are often lined in plastic BPA and sit around a long time; get rid of older tin cans, particularly if they contain tomatoes and other acidic fruits.
3.   Don't use your poly-carbonate bottle for hot drinks.

4.   Poly-carbonate bottles get crazed and cracked as they get older; that increases surface area. Get rid of old ones.
5.   Replace your Poly-carbonate bottle with a
Sigg, Kleen Kanteen, or the new BPA free Camelbak, particularly if pregnant or pre-pubescent.
6.   Replace jugs where water sits around a long time, like Brita knockoffs. (Brita says they are BPA free)
7.   Stop using jugged water cooler water, get a filter and cooler that uses city water. It is a big jug so there probably isn't much of a problem, but why are you drinking bottled water anyway?

Don't worry about poly-carbonates in non-food related products like CDs and DVDs. but keep them out of babies' mouths.


The Bisphenol A Controversy

This list is based on a bit of consultation with our resident chemist, but the issue is controversial. The plastics industry says there is no problem, as does the maker of Nalgene water bottles.

Energy and Commerce Chair John Dingell says “There are serious health concerns about whether Bisphenol A is safe, not only for adults, but for children and infants," and is concerned that the Food and Drug Administration's policies on BPA are "entirely dependent on two studies' that are both funded by a subsidiary of the American Chemistry Council, which represents plastic resins manufacturers."

According to Chemistry World, The FDA maintains that there is no reason to ban orrestrict the use of BPA in food or drink containers because human exposure levels to the chemical from these sources is too low to have any adverse effects.

See also: BPA Danger may be greater from Tin Cans than Water Bottles


More in TreeHugger:

Polycarbonate Water bottles
Canada Calls Bisphenol A "Dangerous"
Time to Pack In the Polycarbonates
Bottled Water - Lifting the Lid :
MEC Nixes Nalgenes

Health effects:
Hot Water + Polycarbonate Bottles = More Gender-Benders
Gender Bender Chemicals Also Make You Fat

Alternatives:
A Safer Sippy for Your Little Green Angels
Stefani Water Purifiers: an Alternative to Plastic

Don't Buy A Nalgene Water Bottle Until You Read This : TreeHugger

 
 
 
 
Update From Nalgene Site:

In recent years, studies have suggested that polycarbonate plastics such as the ones Nalgene used may leach endocrine disruptors. Nalgene denies that the quantity leached from their products posed a significant threat to health. Among the secreted chemicals, Bisphenol A (BPA) is an area of concern as it binds to estrogen receptors, thus altering gene expression. Other research has found that fixatives in polycarbonateplastics can cause chromosomal error in cell division called aneuploidy. Nalgene claims these chemicals are only potentially released from Nalgene products when used at temperatures outside of the designed range.

In November 2007, Mountain Equipment Co-op removed all hard, clear polycarbonate plastic water bottles (including Nalgene-branded product) from their shelves and no longer offers these items for sale. In December 2007, Lululemon made a similar move. In May 2008, REI removed Nalgene-branded polycarbonate water bottles and replaced them with BP-A free Nalgene bottles.

On April 18, 2008, Health Canada announced that Bisphenol A is "'toxic' to human health".
Canada is the first nation to make this designation.
On the same date Nalgene announced it would phase out production of its Outdoor line of polycarbonate containers containing the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA).
Nalgene’s current product mix, includes the recently launched Everyday line and the original polycarbonate bottles made from materials that do not contain BPA.



Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Elly Mae Clampett aka Donna Douglas May Have Come To Our Town



At my son's graduation, there was an older woman ... not dressed in black or linen white ... In fact, she was wearing pink with a pink hat and bright pink lipstick ... and I thought, that's the kind of woman I want to be when I am that age.  People stopped to speak to her as she moved through the crowd, but no more or no less than the rest of us.  She had a presence that was, for lack of a better way to say it, unusual.

I stood up and pretended to take a picture of everyone at the other end of the table, but I had the zoom pointed at her.  She seemed to see me taking the picture and turned to face me while she continued to talk to the gentleman next to her.



I didn't think much about it until yesterday when I was transferring pictures to a disc to have them developed ... I smiled again ... I haven't seen anyone wear their hair curly and swept to the side like that since Elly Mae Clampett ...

Wait a minute!  No way!  Could that have been Elly Mae?

I googled Elly Mae Clampett (Donna Douglas) and one of the first pictures to come up was this one:



Now, you tell me ... Same hair, same lipstick, same shirt (pink must be her favorite color) ...

Did Elly Mae Clampett attend the same graduation that we did?

I called Joey into the room ... He agreed.  Same woman.  I called my son and said, "Some people have presidents attend their graduations, but you might have had Elly Mae Clampett, and she is way better than any president!  Joey and I laughed at the coincidence ... me being close enough to take the picture, but not recognizing her until two weeks later ...

Still, it was a pretty cool coincidence, don't you think so?




Saturday, July 26, 2008

Missing In Action or A Brush With Future Greatness





Film Festival and Jordan Hayes, star of Speedland


What an amazing few days we have had here on the Creek!

On Thursday, our family journeyed to a nearby town where we attended a small film festival that featured a independent movie starring my nephew, Jordan Hayes. 

Okay, right off, I will admit to being totally prejudiced.  My eyes filled up with tears more than once to watch the little boy I remember (seems like just yesterday) playing a role in a movie.  We think Jordan looks like a cross between Nicholas Cage and Matthew McConaughey.  Jordan did a great job.  The camera loves him almost as much as we do!  It was fun to watch his film and to see him operating in "actor mode".




Jordan Hayes (and his cousin Sara-pictured below)


We got in late so my daughter stayed here rather than drive an hour up the mountain.  We went shopping the next day ... How does a small list turn into an all day affair?  LOL ... Oh well, we had a blast!

Last night, my grand daughter came over to spend the night and after playing all day, I am here to say ...

Yup, I am most certainly MISSING IN ACTION, but I have a really good excuse!!!



Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Such A Time As This



I really like the show TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL.  Occasionally, I catch an episode that touches my heart in a way that stays with me for days.  Recently, I watched an episode called SUCH A TIME AS THIS.  The story was about ...
 


In the middle of the African desert, Andrew snaps photographs of Sudanese slaves toiling in the hot sun ...

Back in the United States, young Thomas Cooper is upset that his mother, Senator Katherine Cooper, has to return to work in Washington D.C. Monica is horrified to see the pictures that Andrew took, and wonders why the angels aren't in the Sudan. Tess indicates that Thomas is the little child that will lead them there.

In Washington, Dr. Jospeh Akot, working with Andrew and Monica, approach Kate about the problem of slavery in the Sudan, but Kate, espousing the Sudanese government's position, denies its existence. They persuade her, however, to keep the pictures, and she relents, stuffing them into her briefcase.
Back home Thomas discovers the disturbing pictures and reads Dr. Joe's letter, which says that slaves can be bought and sold for fifty American dollars. Thomas is moved by one of the pictures in particular, of a small Sudanese boy, who Thomas names Sam after his older brother who died before Thomas was born. Thomas pleads with Kate to rescue Sam, but she tells him that the issue is too complicated.

Thomas sneaks the picture of Sam and takes it to school, where Tess, his substitute teacher, encourages him to talk about it during "show and tell." Led by Thomas, and with the help of Dr. Joe and the angels (Andrew, Monica and Tess), the class begins to raise funds to buy the freedom of Sudanese slaves.

Meanwhile, Kate, facing a tough re-election campaign, is given the financial support of a large candy company, on the condition that she remain uninvolved in Sudan, a country that, if undisturbed, will continue to manufacture candy ingredients at a low cost.

This makes the situation particularly tough for Kate when Thomas and the childrens' efforts receive media interest. She argues with her husband James, who supports Thomas, thereby embarrassing Kate. Their fight comes to a head when James accuses Kate of never forgiving him for the death of their son, Sam, who died because they never had health insurance. Indeed, Kate wears a locket with a picture of Sam in it around, tormenting James everyday.

Kate argues that if she supports Thomas, she may not be re-elected, and then she cannot help anyone. She returns to Washington and receives criticism for her son's actions from her campaign contributors.

Monica arrives with James and Thomas, who gives his mother the several thousand dollars he raised to travel to the Sudan and purchase slaves. Still Kate refuses to go, crushing Thomas' hopes of rescuing Sam, and inciting her politically uninvolved husband to vote -- against her.

Kate angrily confronts Monica for helping with this effort. Monica reveals herself to be an angel and tells Kate that she is the one God is calling to go to the Sudan to witness the abuses.


It's Monica's words to the Senator that have been ringing in my ears the past few weeks:

Kate:     There is a bigger picture and I am making a difference in it.  What has it all been for?

Monica:     God wants you to go (to the Sudan).

Kate:     Why would God send an angel?

Monica:     Because you are the one, Kate.  You're the one who has to see the horror when helpless people can't defend themselves.  You're the one who has to pay the money to redeem a human being from the closest thing to hell that there is on earth.  You're the one who has to come back and say, "Yes, I've proved it.  People are in bondage over there ... right now.  Today, You're the ONE to tell the ones who take their freedoms for granted.  You're the one who can shape policy for an entire nation ... Maybe, the world.
You're the ONE, Kate.
The world may not know it.  The slaves of the Sudan may not know it, but I know it and I can't leave here until you know it too.

Kate:     You're asking me to give up every thing I have worked for.

Monica:     You could lose everything.  Yes.
You could be killed tomorrow in the Sudanese Desert.
It's not always easy to do the thing God asks us to do.

Kate:     I am so afraid.

Monica:     I know.  Do you remember the story of Ester?  Ester was the Queen of Persia, but she had a secret.  She was Jewish, and she kept her secret until one day, she discovered the entire Jewish nation was about to be wiped out.  She had the power to prevent it but she was afraid to come forward, afraid she would lose her throne, perhaps even her life ... and then ... someone said to her, 'Who knows?  Maybe, this is what it's all for?  Perhaps you were brought to the kingdom for JUST SUCH A TIME AS THIS?'  You are the one, Kate, and I'll let you in on a little secret from heaven ... Sooner or later, everyone is THE ONE.  They just have to say YES when the time comes ...

Convinced, Kate travels with the angels and Dr. Joe to the Sudan, and buys the freedom of many slaves. When all of the money is spent, Kate sees one captive person left -- Sam, the little boy from Thomas' picture -- and tearfully exchanges her precious locket for the boy's freedom. Back in the U.S., James and Thomas are proud to hear that Kate has publicly testified to the existence of slavery in the Sudan.




SUCH A TIME AS THIS
                        - by Wayne Watson
                                               from his album The Way Home.
                              
Click here to get it now!

Now, all I have is now
To be faithful
To be holy
And to shine
Lighting up the darkness
Right now, I really have no choice
But to voice the truth to the nations
A generation looking for God

Chorus:
For such a time as this
I was placed upon the earth
To hear the voice of God
And do His will
Whatever it is
For such a time as this
For now and all the days He gives
I am here, I am here
And I am His
For such a time as this

You - Do you ever wonder why
Seems like the grass is always greener
Under everybody else's sky
But right here, right here for this time and place
You can live a mirror of His mercy
A forgiven image of grace

Can't change what's happened till now
But we can change what will be
By living in holiness
That the world will see Jesus

Repeat Chorus:
For such a time as this
I was placed upon the earth
To hear the voice of God
And do His will
Whatever it is
For such a time as this
For now and all the days He gives
I am here, I am here
And I am His
For such a time as this

 
 
I don't know when my time will come ... when I will be the ONE, but I know, in my heart, that I look every day for my chance to jump in.  I don't believe I will have to go to a foreign land when there are so many needs in my own town and this is where I am. 

I am not talking about the little things that we do everyday because that's what good people do ... I'm talking about that day when no one else will do! 
 
In the tapestry of life, there will come a time where He will reach for the thread that is me (and you too)!  I believe that everything in our life has meaning, the good and the bad.  We are aged to perfection by our joys and our sorrows.  We are being prepared for that day when He calls on us to be THE ONE, the perfect hue of me and you!

I can hardly wait!  



Friday, May 30, 2008

12-21-2008



My kids and I had all watched the same show ... Lester Holt and his camera crew, searching for a lost crystal skull ... Lester Holt And The 'Mystery of the Crystal Skulls' ... It all sounded quite "Indiana Jones" ... but part of the show was a discussion of the Mayan Calendar that claims 12-21-2008 will be the end of life as we know it.

Say what?

I found this site where an man calling himself simply, "John", has done an incredible amount of work!

Warning:  If this exploration causes you anxiety, please stop reading.  I, personally, do not believe that we have anything to fear.  My attitude is, "What an exciting time to be alive!" but not everyone will feel that way.  For that reason, I have included the Bible verses in red.  It is a common context for most of us and can be a source of great comfort when we are facing uncertain times.  Thanks.

I have included all the links so you can explore them further on your own if you wish to.  In some cases, I copied and pasted portions that were of additional interest to me, but there simply was too much information for me to include it all here.
 




December 21 2012 "101"

This is a note from the man who created this site:

When I first started developing my website December212012.com it quickly became very obvious to me that I was on to something big. Like most people I had a passing knowledge and basic understanding of the Mayan aspect of the December 21 2012 end date and their remarkable ability to monitor time and space. What I quickly learned was that there is much more to the 2012 equation. It seemed that the more I learned, the more fascinated I became with the realities and predictions surrounding this moment in time.

As I continued to research and learn as much as I possibly could about the 2012 end date, and just as importantly, the events leading up to this date, a lot of things started making sense to me, especially as they relate to current day world events. As a Christian, I have a deep-rooted need to believe in the word of the Bible. My simple faith in a higher power has seen me through a lot of life’s obstacles, and my ability to at least consider the possibilities of that which I do not completely understand have made me a more open-minded person.

If as Christians we can give credence to such seemingly ridiculous Bible stories as Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark and the fact that Jesus lived, dies and will someday return, then why is it so hard for these same Christians to completely ignore the signs set forth in the Book of Revelation? How is it possible to have faith in “what was”, and totally discard “what will be”?

It’s not my intention to completely represent the December 21 2012 end date and the events leading up to this day solely from a Christian or Biblical standpoint; it’s so much more than that. Sure, to some extent it’s a religious thing, but more than that it’s a sociological thing, it’s an environmental thing, it’s a universal thing, it’s a political thing and it’s a scientific thing. Let’s face it, our world, our mere existence is in complete and total turmoil. We live in a time of acceptable disregard for human life and simpledignity. Our society accepts the fact that we live in a world of very well defined classes and the gap between the haves and have-nots is getting wider and wider every day. We are politically, morally and socially corrupt. We completely ignore the signs that earth is a fragile ecosystem that needs protecting, and we continue to use and abuse our planet for our own selfish reasons.

I'm sure that by now many of you are saying to yourselves, here’s another bleeding heart, tree hugging liberal with yet another end-time prediction like so many others that have came and gone before. Well, you could not be further from the truth. In fact, I am very happy with my life, and like many of you, I simply do not question what I can not change, so I justify my existence with my own passive attitudes and tolerance. I can clearly see the signs before me, but there is absolutely nothing I can do about it, so I simply hope and pray that I am leading my life to the best of my abilities.

What we have to understand is that we are now where we once were. We have reached a point in our existence that our survival depends on our ability to understand where we have been and what lies ahead. Perhaps we are dealing with a higher power of some sort, or perhaps our planet and universe are entering into an evolutionary cycle that is once again coming around full circle. Whatever the reasons are, we are definitely in for some major changes in the near future. No one knows for sure what exactly is going to happen on December 21 2012, or in the days leading up to that day. What we do know for sure is that things are changing, and not necessarily for the good of mankind.

I will attempt to explain in plain English what the Mayan’s and their long count calendar have revealed. What other ancient cultures such as the Hopi Indians, Egyptians and Chinese believed. I will explain the astrological events expected to take place on December 21 2012 at exactly 11:11 universal time, and why Albert Einstein among others believe that a poll shift will accrue leading to massive earthquakes and tsunamis.

It should be noted at this point that December 21 2012 is not just another end-time prediction. This date marks a moment in time that has been foreseen and foretold by a variety of ancient cultures throughout the world, each without knowledge of the other. In addition and at the very same time, we will be witnesses to not one, but two astronomical events that have not taken place for 26,000 years. Many believe that absolutely nothing will happen on this date. Other see this as the coming of the end of the world, and still other believe that we are in for some sort of physiological change. Never the less, there is absolutely no doubt that something is on our horizon, and it is up to each and every person to decide for themselves what they believe.

December 21 2012 "101" 




General Information


Will The Earth Burn Up In 2012?
There has been much talk of late about the supposed doomsday prediction of December 21, 2012 as reflected in the Mayan long calendar ...

Once before because of its sin the earth was destroyed by water in the Great Flood of Noah's day but the Bible says that the world will be destroyed again, this time by fire.

"The present heavens and earth, by His word, are being reserved for fire, kept for the Day of Judgment and the destruction of ungodly men" (2Peter 3:7).

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat and the earth and its works will be burned up" (2Peter 3:10).

"The sun scorched men with fire" (Revelation 16:8).

"A third of the earth was burned up and a third of the trees were burned up and all the green grass was burned up. A great mountain (asteroid?) burning with fire was thrown into the sea and a third of the sea became blood and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died and a third of the ships were destroyed. And a great star (comet?) fell from heaven burning like a torch and it fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water (Revelation 8:7-11).

"The inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men are left" (Isaiah 24:6).

"The hills melt and the earth is burned up" (Nahum 1:5).

Once again, many have associated December 21, 2012 with a shift in the poles as well as signs in the sky. What does the Bible tell us about these events?

"The stars will fall from the sky" (Matthew 24:29).

If the earth shifts on its axis and we are thrown around, the stars will appear to fall but it will actually be us that are moving.

"The earth is broken asunder. The earth is split through. The earth is shaken violently. Thee earth reels to and fro like a drunkard and it totters like a shack "(Isaiah 24:19-20).

Once again a shift in the polar axis might tear the earth apart.

"There will be great earthquakes. The sun became black like sackcloth; the moon became like blood.The stars of the sky fell to the earth... The sky split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up.every mountain and island moved out of their place' (Revelation 6:12-14).

More shaking of the earth.

"There will be great earthquakes and in various places plagues and famines and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. There will be signs in the sun and the moon and stars and upon the earth great dismay among nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves. Men fainting from fear as the powers of heaven will be shaken" (Luke 21:9, 25-26).

Here we see the Bible tell us about signs in the heavens spoken of in relation to December 21, 2012. But what do we do when we see these things happening?

"When you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I say to you that this generation will not pass away until all things take place.But when these things begin to take place straighten up and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:31,32, 28).

God assures us that:

"Heaven and earth will pass away but My words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).

Some people ask why God takes so long to punish the ungodly:

"The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness but is patient toward you not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2Peter 3:9).

Remember this as the end fast approaches.



2012 : What's All The Fuss About??
Everyone hears about the different prophecies on how humanity will end. From the Bible predictions of the rapture and the Antichrist, to Nostradamus's prediction of the Planet Comet, people hear theories and see evidence of our civilization coming to an end.

Margaret Emenegger on Indigo Children and other new world issues
“According to prophecy the fifth sun of the fifth world of the Mayan calendar moves into ascension on December 21, 2012. This date represents a gateway of planetary development that will open humanity to new ways of living and a new world of opportunity ...

Atwater stated that in her research she discovered these kids “suddenly know things unknown to them previously even complex scientific and mathematical epistemologies.”

For example, they are able to solve engineering problems without knowing how they did it …and then are accused of cheating. They fail in mathematics, physics and engineering classes because they can't delineate how they arrived at their answers, Atwater says.

Get a copy of “Dumbing Down America” and “Why Johnny Can’t Read.” Then read Eugene Schwatz’s “Millennial Child, Transforming Education in the Twenty First Century.” Waldorf is the ideal school model. It’s Waldorf updated. Schwartz is available to educate and advise those who crave change. Sounds like a good idea.


The Shift in Human Consciousness
Are you aware that a Shift in human consciousness is occurring even as you read these words that employs celestial triggers such as supernovas and Earth's alignment with Galactic Center in the years leading up to 2012 to trigger the evolution of our species?

The Meaning of the December 21, End Date
The ongoing debate over the true Mayan calendar “endtime” date, be it December 21, 2012 or otherwise, is irrelevant to the actual “endtime” implications.

December 21, 2012: Judgment Day
Science can neither confirm nor discredit the validity of many religiously or prophetically deemed judgment days of the future, the soonest of which will be arriving December 21, 2012, the final day of the Mayan Calendar ... 

In light of so many unrelated sources pinpointing the same relatively small span of time for a cataclysmic event to occur, many scientists are carefully tracking the numbers and severities of today's natural disasters and comparing them closely to the past. In Revelations, as the world as we know it nears its final days, natural disasters are on the increase. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a government funded organization, in the 1900's there were 110 earthquakes large enough to cause 1000 or more deaths throughout the world. Breaking the century down to first half and second half, there were exactly fifty-five earthquakes of this magnitude during the first fifty years. There were also exactly fifty-five earthquakes during the second fifty years of the 1900's. So they have not increased in numbers. However, using the number of deaths as a determining factor in history is irrelevant because of the growth and greater densities of the population as time progresses. The great San Francisco earthquake of 1906, for example, caused 3,000 deaths. With today's population, that same earthquake could easily be responsible for 30,000 deaths.

Hurricanes and tropical storms are also being closely tracked. According to the National Hurricane Center, the United States had more hurricanes in the first half of the 1900's than the second half by twenty-three, but the percentage of those hurricanes that were ranked in the most severe categories rose from 32% to 39% in the latter half.

On the most recent years, CNN News reports that a record number of storms hit the U.S. in 2005. The seasonal average for named storms is ten. Six of those are hurricanes and two of those are major. In 2005 alone, there were a record twenty-seven named storms, thirteen of which were hurricanes, and seven of which were major. That puts over 50% of the hurricanes into the higher categories, a dramatic increase from the last century.

Another natural phenomenon going on right now that scientist and governments alike are very concerned about that could potentially cause the realization of the Mayan prediction regarding the fate of the earth, is global warming, or more specifically, the melting of the earth's ice caps. CBS NEWS reported on February 19, 2006, that the ice caps have been frozen for more than 100,000 years but will have melted by the end of this century. "Temps in the arctic are rising twice as fast as they are in the rest of the world" (Bill Owens).

The increased severities of these storms and earthquakes, as well as the predicted melting of the ice caps, are all natural phenomenon that may be taking place as part of the natural cycle of the solar system. Just as every summer melts away the winter snow and ice, the rising temperatures here on earth could be a part of a change of seasons in the solar system. Since the end of this cycle occurs December 21, 2012, it stands to reason that a new cycle will begin on December 22, 2012. We know that the solar system, as well as the planet we live on, has been through this cycle countless times in its billions of years of existence. We also know that the earth has been through many of these cycles without falling off its axis. Since the ice caps are not predicted to melt completely for another century or so, and the new solar season begins in less than six years, it is quite possible that the new season could begin to correct these natural phenomena before they contribute to the destruction of life on this planet as we know it. It is virtually impossible to know what daily or even yearly changes in the earth's climate may have taken place in the last decade or two before the end of the last solar cycle 5,119 years ago.

Something cosmic may indeed happen on December 21, 2012, but all we need to do is look back a few years to 1999 when the world held its breath as the calendar shifted to a new century. People were stocking up on supplies and preparing for a world-wide economic collapse just before the turn of the century based purely on the suspicions of a few paranoid folks in power. By 2010, the paranoia that the Maya's might be correct will undoubtedly reach discussion levels to equal the intensity of Y2K, if not surpass it. But without concrete scientific evidence that the structure of time is going to change as in the Mayan prediction, or that the earth is going to change its rotation or orbit around the sun in less than six years, in my opinion, we will more than likely see another prophesied judgment day come and go once again. Then after a collective, global, sigh of relief, we will undoubtedly shift our attention to the next potential judgment day in 2040 when all nine planets of our solar system line up in a straight line for the first time in hundreds of thousands of years.



(to be continued)

Thursday, May 29, 2008

What An Interesting Memorial Day We Had


 
What an interesting weekend we had!
 
 
SATURDAY
 
Joey and I went to the mountains on Saturday.  We stopped at one of our favorite bar-b-q spots.  It was raining a bit so we lingered for a while, watching people and talking about current events.
 
What a little paragraph to describe a third of my life!
 
Joey is all the things a husband should be but he is also my friend.  We talk about the most interesting things.  In the beginning, Joey was old south conservative and I was midwest liberal.  He preferred sounding sensible and I loved to make his eyes bug out by saying something completely off the wall ... but little by little, he was less shocked and more amused, even siding with me on some issues ... and little by little, I started to listen to his explanations and adopted some of his ideas as my own.
 
Today, there isn't any mind I'd rather pick than his.  Today, it's my feelings that matter most to him.  If a stranger were to listen to us talk when it was just the two of us, they would hear the kind of speech that only happens between two people who have been speaking for a very long time.  We have words that hold meaning that only the two of us know.  We dance and swirl around each other's thoughts, adjusting our pace and movement when the music changes, but here we are, dancing still.

We almost lost each other.  We gave up on each other for a while.  Sometimes, love renewed has a magic all it's own.  There's the comfort of knowing one another but the knowledge that if we aren't careful, everything could disappear like a puff of smoke ... It makes NOW too precious to waste.

We stopped at a few mountain stores and found a treasure or two or three.

I had iced coffee and Joey had sweet tea.  We laughed and held hands and talked about growing tomatoes and benches and window boxes and exchanged memories on a little town's street.

Life is good.


SUNDAY
 
Joey got up early and made us breakfast.  The smell of coffee woke me up.

We ate breakfast on the back porch with the birds and the sound of the creek.  When the leaves are thick, our little woods turns into an exotic rain forest with those caw-caw-caw and eee-eee-eee sounds of birds.  We talked about our day.
 
Joey wanted to mow the front lower yard, the front upper yard and the back meadow too.

I had to clean the back room and get some things ready for the kids to pick up.

I had a little excitement.  I was cleaning and rearranging bird feeders and wind chimes, tightening screws and adjusting chain when I slipped and pulled the tip of the needle nose pliers across my forehead at an angle.  I dug the most amazing gouge!  It bled gloriously.  After I put peroxide and neosporin on it, I looked like I had been in one heck of a good prize fight!  I'm glad I have bangs!

It gave me such a headache.

Joey and I cooked together in prep for the kids coming the next day.  I made potato salad and Joey made some of his famous chili for the burgers.

I had a cup of tea and we went to bed early.


MONDAY 
 
Joey and I got up early and began to make preparations for company.  Have you ever noticed that chores are easier on a holiday?

Everyone got here around noon.  We had grilled burgers/cheeseburgers with potato salad, chips and drinks ... nothing fancy.  We got the kids fed and then we all sat at the table in the dining room.  We talked through lunch and sat at the table for another hour or two, with the conversation floating from one subject to another.  It was a LOT of fun.
 
One of the most interesting conversations was about a show they had seen on the DISCOVERY CHANNEL.  I didn't see the show, but I found a web-site that seemed to say a lot of what they explained to me.  Here it is:





5 Natural Disasters Headed for the United States
                             
By Jim Gorman
                                     Source:
http://www.popularmechanics.com


Earth is one rough place. Even the most devastating storms of recent years pale in sheer destructive power against outsize natural disasters of the past, such as continent-smothering ice sheets, ocean-raising floods, super volcanoes and the occasional asteroid. Because cataclysms will always be a regular feature of life on Earth, PM consulted with leading scientists to detail five more disasters that may be in store. Some will be beyond human control; others could be disasters of our own making. Either way, prepare for a real doozy.


40-Mile-Long Mudslide, Washington State
Movin' Mountain


On an overcast afternoon high on Mount Rainier, a rocky slope slumps and then cuts loose from the mountain. Small rock slides are common on the volcano's steep flanks, but this one is different. Most of Mount Rainier's west face is in motion. Into the tumbling maelstrom go millions of tons of ice from the Puyallup and Tahoma glaciers. House-size rocks disintegrate in the downward crush. “With Rainier's active hydrothermal system saturating the rock, the landslide would reach the base of the slope as a flowing mass of watery, muddy debris,” says Kevin Scott, scientist emeritus at the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascade Volcano Observatory (CVO).

So a lahar is born--a volcanic mudflow--and a nightmare realized for the approximately 150,000 Washington residents who live and work on the solidified debris of past flows. The mass of roiling mud, rock and trees, traveling at 60 mph, would quickly funnel into the canyons of the Puyallup and Carbon rivers, where it would rise 180 ft. high before spreading into the lowlands as a 15-ft. wave. The 5000 residents of Orting, at the rivers' confluence, would have less than 45 minutes to evacuate. People downstream, in towns such as Puyallup and Sumner, might have twice that long.

Despite its iconic standing, 14,410-ft. Mount Rainier is pocked with corroded, unstable rock capped by a cubic mile of ice and snow. The mountain--weakened from the inside out by acids resulting from upwelling magma--has partially collapsed many times in the last 5600 years, unleashing mudflows that have inundated five of six major drainages. Six of those lahars surged at least 45 miles to reach Puget Sound.

The USGS gives a 1-in-7 chance of a similar event occurring in anyone's lifetime. And, says Dan Dzurisin, a CVO geologist: “There's no guarantee there would be any advance warning.”


80-Ft.-High Tsunami, Atlantic Coast
Coast Buster


A massive collapse of Cumbre Vieja in the Canary Islands would cause a tsunami to radiate all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to the East Coast. PHOTOGRAPH BY J. SCHWAKE/ALAMY

Cumbre Vieja, the most active volcano in the Canary Islands, lurches as a violent earthquake wracks its upper slopes. A third of the mountain breaks away and plunges into the Atlantic Ocean, pushing up a dome of water nearly 3000 ft. high. They don't yet know it, but tens of millions of Americans from Key West, Fla., to South Lubec, Maine, have just 9 hours to escape with their lives.

The collapse of Cumbre Vieja unleashes a train of enormous waves traveling at jetliner speed. The first slam into nearby islands, then the African mainland. By the time they reach the East Coast of North America, the waves are up to 80 ft. high, and in low-lying areas, sweep several miles inland.

When tsunamis strike the United States, it is usually Hawaii or Alaska that take the hit. But topography and population density put the East Coast in a special risk category. “More Easterners are exposed to potential tsunamis--from the Canary Islands or the Cape Verde Islands--than the people on the West Coast, which has a steep coastline and few lowlands,” says Steven Ward, a geophysicist at the University of California, Santa Cruz. A Cumbre Vieja eruption in 1949 opened a mile-long, 20-ft.-deep fissure near the crest, forcing the volcano's western face to slump several feet. A 1971 eruption didn't budge it.

Marine geologists at Southampton Oceanography Center in Great Britain have a different take. They conclude the volcano would collapse in stages-- at worst threatening nearby islands. Ward calculates only a 5 percent chance Cumbre Vieja will trigger a tsunami in a given century, but that when it does a chunk of earth 15 miles long, 9 miles wide and nearly 1 mile thick will plunge into the sea--a landslide 250 times larger than the collapse of Mount St. Helens.


The tsunami's probable trajectory within 5 hours of the collapse of Cumbre Vieja.


The tsunami's potential range of destruction 9 hours after the collapse of Cumbre Vieja


Magnitude 6.9 Earthquake, Mississippi River Valley
Stress Test


The New Madrid Seismic Zone, which extends into five states, is part of a rift that formed more than 500 million years ago when tectonic forces began pulling the continent apart.


Ten miles beneath
Caruthersville, Mo., stress along an ancient rift zone releases in a violent spasm. Shock waves from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake roll 160 miles up the Mississippi River Valley to St. Louis, and 75 miles downriver to Memphis, Tenn. The soils under Memphis ripple like a shook rug. Century-old brick buildings heave, then crumble. Sewer and water lines rupture. Gaslines snap. Downtown, the 14-story federal building, a decade overdue for quakeproofing, rains 3-ton panels.

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While all eyes are fixed on California as the site of the next “Big One,” damage from a quake along the New Madrid Fault--which runs for 150 miles between Marked Tree, Ark., and Cairo, Ill.--may be greater. The hot, shattered crust beneath California absorbs seismic energy quickly and focuses it at an epicenter, says Gary Patterson, a geologist at the University of Memphis. But, he says, “the relatively hard, cold slab of rock beneath the central U.S. allows that energy to travel great distances.” A quake's impact zone is at least 10 times larger on the New Madrid Fault than on the San Andreas, and its shock waves reverberate longer.

The New Madrid Fault has produced the strongest earthquakes in the contiguous states: three tremors near magnitude 8.0 that struck from December 1811 to February 1812. Odds of a quake of that scale are small: 7 to 10 percent in the next 50 years. But factor in unprepared citizens and infrastructure and even a 6.0 earthquake, which has a 25 to 40 percent chance of occurring, would be a disaster.

“There's a lot about the New Madrid we don't know,” Patterson says. “But what we do know is very concerning.”


195-MPH Hurricane, Florida
Tropical Terror


Packing maximum sustained winds of 195 mph, Hurricane Lyle slams into Coral Gables just south of Miami. The breadth and intensity of the storm dazzles meteorologists, who rank it the strongest hurricane ever to hit the U.S. mainland.

On the north side of the storm's eye, Miami Beach, which has the second highest housing density in the country, is in shambles. Many residents don't evacuate, believing they are safe in concrete high-rises. They are wrong. Then it is too late, as the causeways connecting them to the mainland wash out. Waves riding a 15-ft. storm surge gut oceanfront condos up to the third story; windows blow out, allowing wind and rain to ravage upper floors. The storm surge sweeps over the island, carrying wreckage into downtown Miami, where the 70-story Four Seasons Hotel and Tower is reduced to a sodden shell.


Low-lying coastal areas would be hit twice by a supercharged storm—as waves rushed in and then back out. PHOTORAPH BY WARREN FAIDLEY/CORBIS

Block after block of homes in Coral Gables, West Miami and Sweetwater--many not yet retrofitted to the tough codes imposed after Hurricane Andrew in 1992--are blasted down to roofless frames. Waist-deep floodwater inundates areas as far north as Fort Lauderdale. Insured losses exceed $100 billion--nearly twice the amount caused by Katrina--making Lyle the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

Katrina should have been a wakeup call, but coastal development has continued unabated, exposing the 4 million people in Florida's Miami-Dade and Broward counties to deadly monster storms. Warm water is rocket fuel for hurricanes, and global warming is predicted to heat tropical oceans by 4 F in the next century. Sea surface temperatures in the tropics have already risen by about 1 F since 1970.

Researchers at Georgia Tech and at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., have measured a near doubling in the annual number of Category 4 and 5 storms during the past 35 years. And Kerry Emanuel, professor of meteorology at MIT, has found that Atlantic storms today wield twice the destructive force as those in 1970.


Wind speeds increase with altitude, and so a Category 4 storm at ground level can be a full category higher at the top of a building. While the storm surge scours the first two stories, overpressure blows out windows in the highest floors, exposing the interiors to wind and rain.

Some scientists dispute the global warming-hurricane connection. They attribute the intensity of recent hurricanes to natural cycles, or they contest the accuracy of early data and the objectivity of techniques used to analyze it.

Supercharged or not, hurricanes promise to wreak unprecedented damage in the decades ahead for one simple reason: More people have put themselves in harm's way. Coastal zones from Texas to North Carolina have gained 24 million residents since 1950.


Climate-Changing Ocean Disruption, North Atlantic
Sea Change


Winters in the Northeast begin to bite with a ferocity last seen during the deep freezes of 1936 and 1978, when icebreakers plied the Mississippi and Hudson rivers. Winter temperatures in Washington, D.C., begin to approximate those of Boston. Extreme drought grips the Midwest, sending grain commodity prices soaring; crops fail and farmers spin into bankruptcy. Climate patterns go haywire. London, Paris and the Scandinavian capitals shiver through their coldest winters since 1850. Summer monsoons in India and China weaken, affecting harvests that feed hundreds of millions of people. Fisheries decline when plankton populations collapse. Drought and flood push worldwide agricultural losses to $250 billion.

The cause of the big chill is an unlikely culprit: global warming. The northeastern States, eastern Canada and, primarily, Europe enjoy warmer climates than they otherwise would because of an ocean-based system of heat delivery called thermohaline circulation. This vast ocean conveyor sweeps warm, salty water from tropical latitudes north along the surface. After shedding heat to the atmosphere, the chilled brine becomes denser and sinks. Thousands of feet beneath the surface it flows back toward the equator, completing the loop.


Freshwater melt from the Greenland ice sheet contributes to a layer of buoyant water that is beginning to cap the North Atlantic Ocean. PHOTOGRAPH BY BLICKWINKEL/ALAMY

But as the climate warms disproportionately at the poles, the gears of the system begin to wobble. Freshwater runoff from Greenland's ice cap and from melting glaciers across the Arctic, combined with increased precipitation, could form a thick, buoyant cap over the North Atlantic. Already, the great gyre may be sputtering. The surface of the North Atlantic is becoming noticeably less salty, and thus less driven to sink.

Thermohaline circulation shut down as recently as 8200 years ago, and some scientists contend that the Little Ice Age of 1300 to 1850 was due to a hiccup in the system. The chance of another collapse is hotly debated. Terrence Joyce, a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, calls it “unlikely” if Greenland's ice cap continues to melt at the current pace. However, “Greenland is a wild card,” he says--its melt rate remains unpredictable. Michael Schlesinger, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, calculates a 45 percent chance of the system shutting down in the next century if nothing is done to slow global warming.


Cold, dense water typically sinks near the Arctic and flows in deep currents to the equator. When this cycle is disrupted, warm water is not pushed as far north along the surface.


Ice core samples indicate the switch from temperate to bitter could be measured in mere years--and last for centuries. The timing of such an event will determine the severity of its consequences. “If the shutdown happens 100 years from now, it will bring us back to where we are now, canceling 4 to 6 F of atmospheric warming [predicted] in the Northeast,” Joyce says. “If it happened tomorrow, that would be something more significant.”



I am curious to hear your take on it.  What do you think? 

While searching for this to show you, I researched something else we talked about yesterday.  I'll continue my part of this conversation tomorrow ...