Storm Surge

c -------------------------------------------------- (click on the map and it will enlarge)
-
The house I used to live in near New Iberia, Louisiana was at an elevation of 20 feet above mean sea level. The latest prediction I can find shows that hurricane Gustav will hit this area with a storm surge of 12 feet. So it probably will be OK. The food processing factory that I was Plant Manager of is a few miles closer to the Gulf of Mexico, sits directly next to a bayou, and is at an elevation somewhat lower. The factory buildings are at about 15 feet MSL, and the wastewater ponds just a few hundred meters to the south are less than 10 feet above sea level. So this might be more problematic.
-
Because of the turning of the earth, in the northern hemisphere low pressure areas always rotate counter-clockwise. Low pressure areas include tornadoes and hurricanes.

As a hurricane travels in a generally northerly direction over the Gulf of Mexico, since it is turning counter clockwise, and has really powerful winds, the sea water is pushed up in the northeast corner. So if a hurricane eye just misses you and you happen to be just to the east of the eye of the storm you have a much bigger problem than those people who happen to be just to the west of the eye of the storm.

When this hurricane storm surge tide happens to occur in conjunction with the normal high tide, or when high tide combined with the moon and sun being just in the right locations, then this hurricane storm surge can even be even more of a problem.

This latest projection indicates that New Orleans might experience a storm surge between 15 and 21 feet above normal mean sea level. This could pose a real problem where some of the city is at or even below sea level.
-
In Holland the Dutch have built some remarkable dikes and movable sea walls to protect their below sea level land from big storms and tidal surges. But we have to be honest about it, while the Atlantic Ocean storms that hit the west coast of Europe are really quite severe, they are little baby storms which are not even in the same league when compared with a category 5 tropical cyclone or hurricane.
-
-
-
-
--
-
-
-

How Old Is Too Old?

You would not feel completely comfortable with a 72 year old man:
-
Fixing the air conditioner in your car.
Working on the space shuttle.
Driving a school bus.
Diagnosing why the check engine light keeps coming on.
Repairing your computer.
Going out on a date with your daughter.
Working on your dish washer.
-
-
If John McCain is elected he will become the oldest man ever to be inaugrated as President of the United States. And McCain's vice presidential running mate:
-
Wants creationism taught in school
Voted for far right wing Pat Buchanan in 2000
Doesn't believe in abortion even in cases of rape or incest
Has zero experience in foreign policy
-
-
Come on America, Get Real.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Monroe Calculators

------------------------------------------------------------ (Click on any of the pictures and they will enlarge)9C-

About 63 years ago World War II ended after America dropped two atomic bombs on Japan.

These nuclear bombs were developed in a massive undertaking that was called the Manhattan Project. At its peak 130,000 people worked on the Manhattan Project, including Benjamin Hadley Garland, my father.

Back in those days mathematicians didn’t do complex calculations by computer. The digital calculator didn’t come along until 25 years later (when I was in college). Back during WWII people used mechanical calculators.

One of the top manufacturers of calculators was the Monroe Calculating Machine Company which was founded in 1912 by Jay R. Monroe. It had factories in New Jersey and in Amsterdam, Holland. Keeping these mechanical calculators operating was essential to the war effort, and my father got a deferment from going to war because he worked for Monroe Calculator as a repair technician. This was his first career.

He only worked for Monroe Calculator for a few years, and he changed jobs before I was born. Nonetheless these Monroe Calculators have always held a very special appeal to me.

Today in the Flea Market at Ascarate Lake in El Paso, Texas I bought an old Monroe Calculator for $4-. Boy these things weigh a ton. Carrying it to the car was a challenge. These machines would make good boat anchors.

LINK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_calculator

-
-
-
-
--
-
-
-

Diana & Dody

-
Eleven years ago today Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dody died. They were in Paris. Late at night the driver of their Mercedes took them under the river Seine through the Point Alma underpass. Unfortunately the driver was drunk as a skunk, he was travelling at a very high speed, and he hit one of the support columns in the middle of the tunnel. Diana was not wearing her seat belt.

At the time I was living in Europe. I was up early that morning watching the news on the BBC, and I saw the first bulletin that Diana had been in a car crash.

A few days later I was in London when Diana was lying in state.
-
LINK: http://hpgarland.blogspot.com/2007/08/peoples-princess.html
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Hurricane Gustav

------------------------------ (click on any of the images and they will enlarge)
-
Gustav is still a long way away from America.

It looks clear that the Cuban people are in for a rough ride. It appears to be headed right for Havana.

Hurricanes are somewhat unpredictable, but if one takes the NOAA predictions seriously it looks most probable that after crossing the hot Gulf of Mexico and very likely growing in strength, it may reach land well west of New Orleans.

If it does, that will be a blessing for the people of New Orleans and the Katrina survivors. But it will be hard on the people in my old stomping grounds…around Vermillion bay, Morgan City, and New Iberia, Louisiana.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Sarah Palin

The United States presidential election just got even more interesting.
-
The jury is still out on Sarah, but she sure is better looking than Cheney. She is a life member of the National Rifle Association, lets hope she is a better shot than Cheney too.
-
I just read this on flickr:
-
"Surprise! McCain just handed the election to Obama. .
-
Sarah Palin has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Idaho and 18 months experience as Governor of Alaska. She is married with 5 children, including an infant with Down's Syndrome. She's a former beauty queen, Miss Wasilla, in 1984.
-
This woman will be a heartbeat away from becoming President of the USA when McCain becomes incapacitated.
-
Thank you, John McCain."
-
-
-
-


-


-

Democratic Convention

-
Al Gore, Bill Clinton, and Bill Richardon all spoke for Obama at the convention.
-
Here is a link to Bill Richardson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePdXjEvTggE
-
-
-
-
-
--
-
-

World's Highest Standard Of Living

Margaret Bourke-White was an excellent photographer. Neat and amazing lady too. If you have the time, read about her on Wikipedia.
-
-
My favorite picture she did is the candid shot she took in 1937 after the Louisville flood. People (mostly black people) were lined up to get free bread, and behind them was a billboard saying that America has the world's highest standard of living. Especially if you are white.




Not any more.


-


America isn't even in the Top 5.
-
-
As Americans we need to become a little more sceptical about the propaganda our own government feeds us.


-


-


-


--

Green Frog

-

Poor guy.

-

Must have opposed the power structure.

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Congressman Dennis Kucinich

-
And some words from Dennis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv0smG7ptcM
0-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Hillary At The Democratic Convention

-
I just got done watching Senator Clinton's talk.
-
I take back almost all of the hateful things I have said about her. Almost.
-
Great Speech Hil!
-
-
-
-
-
--
-
--

Vote For Steve

- ------------- Click This:
LINK: http://tinyurl.com/President-Stevo
-
-------------------------------- Then click on News Channel 3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

The Wicked Witch Lost

-
Hillary lost. Get over it. The country didn’t want Hillary Clinton. She lost in large measure because she is dishonest and rude. There is a new acronym being used now: PUMA. It describes the old women who refuse to recognize that Senator Clinton lost. It stands for Party Unity My Ass.

It just galls these old biddies that the electorate preferred a Black Man over that fat old dishonest bitch. Do you remember when Senator Rodham-Clinton said about Obama, "He is not a muslim" And then quickly added, "as far as I know." Liar, liar!

These people are out of touch. Much like the Corvair guy, Ralph Nader, was in the last election. They are perfectly willing to sabotage the Democrats. As long as Obama doesn’t win, it is completely alright with these Hillary supporters if the Republicans win the election and the country goes through another four years of these right wing thugs and country-wreckers.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Bias In The News Media

-
The Washington Post had an interesting article today regarding bias in the news media. Here is an excerpt from the article:
-
DENVER, Aug. 25 -- Jon Stewart ripped the cable news networks Monday as a "brutish, slow-witted beast" and castigated Fox News in particular as "an appendage of the Republican Party."
-
… the "Daily Show" host told reporters at a University of Denver breakfast that Fox's "fair and balanced" slogan is an insult "to people with brains" and that only "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace "saves that network from slapping on a bumper sticker. . . . Barack Obama could cure cancer and they'd figure out a way to frame it as an economic disaster."



Link To Full Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/25/AR2008082502186.html
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Juarez Drug Cartels

-
Nearly 1,000 people have been murdered so far in 2008 in Juarez. There are teams of hit men dressed as Mexican policemen openly operating there. Now the El Paso Police Department has acknowledged that they have good intelligence saying that the "hit men" operating in Mexico have made a decision to begin operating on the American side of the border as well. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5965004.html
-
I don't have anything to do with drugs, these drug thugs, or law enforcement, and I don't live in an especially wealthy part of town. So I doubt that any of this will affect me personally. But I'm certainly not going to REDUCE my ongoing self defense program. I took the proper training, and I was issued a permit by the State of Texas to carry a concealed handgun. In the Army I was classified as an Expert Marksman.
-
Any time that I go out of the house I always carry a concealed titanium .38 special + P pistol. In my car I keep a .44 magnum handgun, and I have a Dirty Harry Special .44 magnum at home in my bedroom.
-
I keep all of my handguns loaded with Glaser Slugs.
-
In Hugh Laurie's book one of the bad guys described the Glaser Slug this way, “The bullet of the Glaser Safety Slug, Thomas, is a small cup made of copper. Filled with fine lead shot in liquid Teflon. On impact, the Glaser is guaranteed to dump ninety-five percent of its energy on the target. No shoot-throughs, no ricochets, just a lot of knocking down. Big, big holes in your body.”
-
These bullets cost almost $5- each, but if you ever need to shoot in self defense, that is a cheap price to save a life.
-
I'm not some kind of a gun fanatic. Really. I'm just a tough old man who isn't going to take much shit from some doped up young punk who wants to hurt me or my loved ones.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

McCain - Mugabe - Hitler

Madonna's tour in Europe started over the weekend in Cardiff, Wales.
-
During a song called Get Stupid large images were shown in sequence of Adolph Hitler, Robert Mugabe, and John McCain. Then in sequence pictures of Ghandi, Al Gore, John Lennon, and Obama.
-
You can pretty much count on Madonna to speak the truth. Keep it up girl!
-


LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgEorUhFllk


-


-

South Louisiana

-
The New York Times has an article today about south Louisiana. One scientist is quoted as saying, “It’s the fastest disappearing land mass on Earth.”

The problem in South Louisiana comes from several sources. The ocean is rising, but this is the smallest problem.

For years waterways have been dredged into the salt marshes, mostly to help the oilfield industry. These waterways greatly accelerated erosion from storms in the Gulf of Mexico.

The land in south Louisiana has been gradually sinking for thousands of years, but the Mississippi river used to flood regularly, each time depositing some alluvial soil. Starting in the 1930’s levies and dikes were built to prevent flooding. The byproduct is that the Mississippi no longer deposits its load of soil on the land. And on top of that add in all the water wells draining the fresh water aquifers, and you have a situation where the land is sinking ever more rapidly.

I lived in south Louisiana for several years. It is a unique place, but the philosophy behind slavery and the plantations is alive and well down there. If you are white and rich, you are powerful and respected in the community. Whether you have a good education and how you got your money are both almost irrelevant. Graft and corruption is rife.

Greed and the Profit Motive rule completely. Environmentalists have about the same social status down there as poor blacks do. Naturally the cancer rate is much higher in south Louisiana than in places where the environment is better protected. If Louisiana were a country, it would be one those that the media likes to call a "failed country."

Yes, the common people (even the red necks and the wealthy racists) in Louisiana are basically good people. Honest.

But over the last half a century I have had common working class people work for me who came from Mexico, Vietnam, Tunisia, and Afghanistan. These were also good people. The point is: People Are People, and most people are decent and hard working. The Cajuns are no better or worse than any other group.

South Louisiana is doomed. It is a shame. The Cajuns are a lot of fun, and crawfish are great to eat. But long before California falls off into the ocean due to the San Andreas fault, much of South Louisiana will be nothing more than a memory.

LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/us/25louisiana.html?sq=louisiana&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=5&adxnnlx=1219684781-YcmGwyF4NhBCSqV6gllUvg
-
-
-
-
-
-
--
-
-
-

Joe Biden

-
A friend of a friend has this to say about Obama's Vice Presidential choice:
-
-
"Absolutely TERRIFIC choice. What a marvelous combination.
-
Two men both of whom with IQs off the charts, articulate and truly give a shit about their fellow man and the country; qualities that have been missing since the Dummy and his bunch of thugs barged into office."
-
-
I have to say that I fully agree. What a delightful description too!
-
-
-
-
--
-
-
--

Otero Mesa Geocache

fffffffff-
I planted another geocache today. This one I placed in a very scenic location up on Otero Mesa at 5,287 feet MSL. I guess it is about a 25 mile drive east of El Paso, Texas on Highway 62/180. This is the message and contents inside:

If found, please do not remove.

Registered with http://www.geocaching.com/ as GC1FHBH
For more information please e-mail h.paulgarland@gmail.com

This geocache contains low value “treasures.” If you take one, please replace it with one of your own.

Please sign the log indicating the date and other information you think relevant. The ball point pen is from the 100 year celebration of the Aachen, Germany main train station.

The initial treasures in this cache in August 2008 are some polished rocks, a Ferrari and a Cobra, a double-decker London bus, an olive drab army pickup truck, a disco ball, a tourist memento from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, a broach, a set of plastic beads, a match book from the Route 66 diner in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and an Elvis Presley award from the 1978 2nd international American wanderung in Bad Kreuznach, Germany.


Help in finding: Park at the picnic area.
Walk over the stairs and continue north for about 0.21 miles to

------------ N 31 degrees, 51.002 minutes
----------- W 105 degrees, 46.945 minutes
-
-
-
-
-
--
-
-
-
--
-
-
-

Happy Birthday Stephen Fry

-
Tomorrow 24 August is Stephen Fry's birthday. This year he will turn 51.
-
He is one of the most influential people in Great Britain. The future King Of England has called him a national treasure.

-

-
-
------------ Happy Birthday Stephen!
-
-
-
-

---------------------------------------------------------------- http://stephenfry.com/
-
--
-
--
-

Joke

Once upon a time, a man and a woman, who had never met before, and were both married to other people, found themselves assigned to the same sleeping room on a trans-continental train.

Though initially embarrassed and uneasy over sharing a room, they were both very tired and fell asleep quickly.....he in the upper bunk and she in the lower.

At 1:00 AM, the man leaned down and gently woke the woman saying, “Ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you, but would you be willing to reach into the closet to get me a second blanket? I'm awfully cold.”

“I have a better idea,” she replied. “Just for tonight, let's pretend that we're married.”

“Wow! That's a great idea!” he exclaimed.

“Good,” she replied. “Get your own fucking blanket!”

After a moment of silence, he farted.

The end.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Seven Houses

-
The new Obama ad is on YouTube talking about Senator McCain's seven houses:
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCMVL5tXLGQ

-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Arsenic In Drinking Water

-
Arsenic is a carcinogen which causes many cancers including skin, lung, and bladder as well as cardiovascular disease. It also is associated with diabetes. Wikipedia says that in America the U.S. Government’s Environmental Protection Agency has a standard of 10 parts per billion. Some people think that this is too high a level. For example the state of New Jersey has set their legal limit at 5 parts per billion.

Arsenic is naturally occurring in groundwater, especially water that is drawn from deeper wells as is the case for much of the tap water in El Paso, Texas.
-
There have been a number of cases of people being harmed by excessive arsenic in their drinking water. According to Wikipedia, “Approximately 20 incidents of groundwater arsenic contamination have been reported from all over the world. Of these, four major incidents were in Asia, including locations in Thailand, Taiwan, and Mainland China. South American countries like Argentina and Chile have also been affected.”

According to a database that was prepared by the National Resources Defense Council in February 2000 the water in El Paso ON AVERAGE contains 6.8 parts per billion of arsenic, but there was one sample of water measured which contained 16.6 parts per billion (ppb). Since the EPA standard is 10 ppb, one would think that this subject merits watching closely and maybe even a certain amount of concern. LINK: http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/arsenic/appa.asp
-
It is interesting to note that the tap water in San Antonio, Texas which comes from a limestone formation has approximately 1/3 the arsenic contamination as the water in El Paso.
-
-
-
-

-
LINK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenic_contamination_of_groundwater
-
-
-
-

Geocache

-
This morning I found a really innovative geocache in the Marty Robbins park in El Paso, Texas. It was so good that it motivated me to make one and go hide it!

Mine is in a plastic “Tupperware” container and contains a log book, two ballpoint pens, an egg cup from Spain, a souvenir from the Eifel Tower in Paris, a small coffee spoon, some shiny rocks, a couple of fossils, and a new pair of ear bud type headphones.

I have listed my geocache with http://www.geocaching.com/
It will take them about 24 hours to publish it. When they do it probably will be listed as GC1FE6F
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=5d6002e2-6571-404f-8172-f7b91777f42b

It is in zip code 79936:
-
---- N 31 degrees 45.267 minutes
----W 106 degrees 15.985 minutes

This is at an elevation of 4,007 feet out in the Chihuahuan desert. It is only about 100 feet from a safe place to park your car. I would recommend wearing good sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots.

The idea is you find the geocache using your hand held GPS, write down in the log book the date, who you are, and if you took or left anything in the cache for the next person. Then you put it back where you found it.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Virgin Birth

-
I have been reading the Da Vinci Code again. It suggests that before he died (in his early thirties) Jesus of Nazareth may have sired at least one child.

This concept seems to badly upset some Christians. To me it just makes good sense. Jesus was a carpenter. Two thousand years ago this required heavy manual labor, so one can be certain that this guy was not some little wimp. He was in great physical condition from all that manual labor, and he was also very charismatic.

If he got to be more than 30 years old without having had sex with women many times, I would rate him as some kind of pervert. Of course Jesus had girl friends! And he probably had several children. Maybe many children.

Celsus (Greek: Κέλσος) was a 2nd century Greek philosopher. Not long after Matthew, Mark and the others wrote their accounts of the Tales of Jesus, Celsus made a charge of illegitimacy against Jesus.
-
He wrote, “It was Jesus himself who fabricated the story that he had been born of a virgin. In fact, however, his mother was a poor country woman who earned her money by spinning. She had been driven out by her carpenter husband when she was convicted of adultery with a soldier named Panthera. She then wandered about and secretly gave birth to Jesus. Later, because he was poor, Jesus hired himself out in Egypt where he became adept in magical powers. Puffed up by these, he claimed for himself the title of God.”

Carrying this idea forward, the mother of Jesus had a healthy sex drive. Enough the she got caught in adultery. So one would reasonably expect that her child Jesus had a strong sex drive as well.

That is one perspective, and Celsus was more than 1,500 years closer in time to Jesus than we are.

Catholic priests are not allowed to have sex with women. And because of this they have gradually turned into a group of abnormal sexual perverts. Over time more and more men with really strange ideas about sex have gravitated to the profession; and increasingly fewer normal men have decided to become priests. The Catholic church has almost been bankrupted by all the financial settlements they have had to pay because of the sick child molestation and perversion of so many priests. And the church hierarchy from Bishops to the Pope in Rome let them get away with it for many years.

In my view it is totally irrelevant if Jesus had kids or not. By now the gene pool would be so watered down that it would be completely meaningless.
-
-
-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
I have been to the Louvre in Paris many times. And Roslyn Chapel in Scotland twice. And the St. Sulpice church, and the Temple church in London. What a lot of fun to see them all again!
-
-

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Copper Canyon

-
In the amazing, tall mountains between the city of Chihuahua, Mexico and the Pacific coast called the Sierra Madre Occidental there is the Mexican equivalent of the American Grand Canyon. This is known as Copper Canyon or the Barranca del Cobre. The best way to see it is riding on the Chihuahua al Pacífico railroad. I have taken this train ride a few times, and I highly recommend it.

This vast canyon system consists of six canyons. The overall canyon system is larger than the Grand Canyon of the U.S.A., and portions are deeper than the Grand Canyon.

The Cascada de Basaseachi is up in those mountains. This is a waterfall which falls free standing for 1,023 feet (312 meters). This is the tallest, free standing, permanent year-round waterfall in the North American continent.

I backpacked extensively in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains and Copper Canyon during the 1970’s with various (mostly female) friends. One time on a narrow, steep mountain trail several days out in the wilderness me and my friend had to pass a male Tarahumara Indian. This young gentleman was wearing a skirt and sandals, and in a scabbard on his belt was carrying a VERY large knife. He did not even speak Spanish, only his native Uto-Aztecan Tarahumara language. The situation of confronting him on this narrow mountain trail with a thin, blonde, big-boobed little hippie chick was a bit unnerving, but it ended up working out just fine. Long (different) story.

Now the violence and mafia killings in Mexico have spread up to this beautiful rural area. I found the following article so shocking that I am repeating it in its entirety:





--------------- Massacre in the Sierra Tarahumara

Gangland-style killings have spread to a new front in Mexico: the tourist town of Creel in Chihuahua's Sierra Tarahumara. In the trademark fashion of drug cartel death squads, masked gunmen with automatic rifles opened fire at a social gathering in Creel on the evening of August 16, killing 13 persons and wounding an undetermined number of others, according to the Chihuahua state attorney general's office (PGJE). An infant was among the dead, the law enforcement agency said.

The motive behind the attack wasn't immediately clear, but the PGJE revealed most of the victims belonged to a single family. One media dispatch reported that return gunfire erupted from the attacked group, possibly resulting in casualties among the aggressors.

Until now, Creel has escaped the narco-violence that's shaken much of the rest of the state in 2008. Situated on the railway to the famed Copper Canyon, Creel is a popular stop-over for backpackers and eco-tourists. The small town is located in a region known for its cultivation of illegal marijuana and opium poppy crops. Home to indigenous Tarahumaras, or Raramuris, the Sierra Tarahumara also hosts clandestine air strips used to transport drugs, including South American cocaine moved from the Pacific Coast.

After hearing the gunshots that disturbed the evening of August 16, workers at Creel's Best Western Hotel warned tourists to stay inside.

The Creel attack could be the latest example of the "Iraqization" of Mexico's narco-war. Massacres, multiple kidnappings, mass graves and gang-installed checkpoints have been registered in Chihuahua and other parts of Mexico throughout the course of the year. On August 11, a woman on her way to work at a maquiladora plant in Nogales, Sonora, was shot to death at checkpoint set up by individuals reportedly disguised as policemen.

With growing frequency, the number of people reported murdered or kidnapped in single incidents is similar to stories emanating from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. On August 13, assassins gunned down 8 people during an evangelical service at a drug rehabilitation center in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. The border city has borne the brunt of Mexico's 2008 drug violence, with a 42-year-old woman, Cruz Mendoza Pichardo reported as the 800th murder victim in Ciudad Juarez this year. Mendoza was shot to death at her home on Friday, August 15.

Violence in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua escalated after the administration of Mexican President Felipe Calderon deployed troops as part of Operation Chihuahua Together last March.

Supported by business, political and social leaders, Chihuahua Governor Jose Reyes Baeza recently requested that the army refocus its mission and go after organized bands of criminals with "precision." The military operation, Governor Reyes contended, has "fallen short."

The PGJE sent investigators to Creel after the weekend's bloody attack. No arrests were immediately announced.


Sources: El Universal/AP, August 17, 2008. La Jornada, August 17, 2008.
Article by Ruben Villalpando. Lapolaka.com, August 17, 2008.
El Diario de Juarez, August 17, 2008. Norte, August 16, 2008.
Article by Arturo Chacon. Cimanoticias, August 14, 2008. Article by Silvia
Nunez Esquer.

Frontera NorteSur (FNS): on-line, U.S.-Mexico border news
Center for Latin American and Border Studies New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Intelligence

-
NOVA is currently running a great program on Cuttlefish. These mollusks are the most intelligent of the invertebrate species. Over time they have dispensed with all forms of body armor and now only rely on their intelligence to survive. They have the unique ability to rapidly change the color of their skin at will. I looked at many of the YouTube clips, but none of the ones I saw are anywhere near as colorful as the NOVA TV show.

Here is the Wikipedia article on cuttlefish: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuttle_fish

One of the marine biologists on the show said, “Intelligence is about adapting to new situations.” That little short statement really made me think. In fact I had to turn on the light next to the bed and write down that statement.

It made me go back and replay portions of the tape for the last 60 years.

Beginning grade school at age 5, later starting high school, managing to get through college and graduating with honors, being in the Army during the Vietnam war and in West Germany at that, moving to California on a motorcycle, then South Florida. Moving to Cajun country in South Louisiana, then to The Netherlands for fifteen years. Travelling all over Europe. Paris and London each probably 10 or 15 times, Stonehenge many times, Scotland, Ireland, Rome, Berlin, Copenhagen, etc.
-
Three marriages and one child along the way.

Becoming an amateur radio operator, a pilot and a scuba diver. Having a home darkroom back in the ancient era of chemicals and film emulsion. Transitioning to digital photography, getting fairly good at computer programming. Travelling extensively in Mexico, officially importing orchid plants for resale, and having a couple of orchid greenhouses. Backpacking in the Swiss Alps, the Guadalupe mountains, and in the Gila Wilderness. Scuba diving in the Caribbean, California, and in Europe. Learning how to snow ski and then snow camping-backpacking many times.

Now towards the end of this little journey retiring to the desert in West Texas where 90% of the population is Hispanic.

Yes, I can relate to what that marine biologist said: “Intelligence is about adapting to new situations.”
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

What America Has Become

-
I am not happy with what America has become.

When I was a teenager America was respected around the world. America made the finest cars, televisions, washing machines, computers, tires, and refrigerators. There was nothing better anywhere in the world than the small block Chevy V8 in the early 1960’s. People around the world wanted stuff that was Made in America. Not any more. Not at all…

America is no longer respected. In fact there is a mixture of pity and derision from much of the rest of the world.

My car is a Toyota, my camera is a Nikon with components made in various parts of Asia, and my television and DVD players were also made in the east somewhere. I look around the house and virtually everything, even most of my clothes, were made overseas. We are no longer a country which manufactures things. We are a country of consumers, and this continued buying binge is mostly being financed with borrowed money.

I grew up in a country where it was considered immoral to be in debt. And living beyond your means was unforgivable. Almost sinful. Yet since the late 1960’s both the country, and more-and-more the individual people, have been living on borrowed money.

The concepts of working hard and saving up to buy something (rather than instant gratification through buying it on credit) has become a totally alien concept.

As a group we Americans are now owned by the company store.

Don’t tell me that I am not patriotic. I served three years in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war, and I was a E-5 with a couple of minor medals on my chest when I was honorably discharged.

The U.S. Congress has become unrecognizable. More than 97% of the job description of all Senators and Congressmen has become: Remain elected, Stay in Power. Money, corruption, and campaign contributions have turned the American political system into a sham democracy.

In the 1970’s Denmark had the same problem with energy independence that America did. And it took the necessary steps to solve the problem. Today they are energy independent. Our politicians did nothing besides blab, blab, blab. Right now this enormous transfer of wealth to the middle east is bankrupting America. Our children and grandchildren are inheriting a shell of a country. No manufacturing base left, poor educational system, and citizens who by and large are horribly lazy, spoiled, and obese.

Thinking that one can solve the problems in the middle east through American military power is arrogant, stupid, and just plain wrong. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will go down in history as being even dumber and more misguided than Vietnam.

The Last Superpower. What incredibly stupid arrogance! With all our high tech we are getting our asses kicked by simple roadside bombs, now popularly called IEDs.

There are times when you need to fight. The battle against Hitler and the Nazis made sense. And the whole country participated. But the 21st century politicians are trying the fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan without any inconvenience to the civilians at home. These guys are lost. Our leaders are lost in space. This is really a disturbing idea for sure.

These problems can’t all be blamed on one political party or the other. The Republicans since Ronald Reagan have been completely irresponsible fiscally, but the Democrats really aren’t much better. I support Senator Obama, but truthfully whether he or Senator McCain gets elected, virtually none of these problems will be solved.

What is the solution? I have some ideas. But like the Alcoholic, you can’t begin to solve the problem until you recognize that you have a problem. And until America looks in the mirror and doesn’t like what it sees, and really is ready to make some fundamental changes, there is no point in me or anyone else talking about how to solve these problems. We would just be wasting our breath.
-
-
-
-
-

Poking The Animals

-
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has been poking the bear. He thought he was big buddies with the latest president in the Bush dynasty. So instead of being a bit humble, and occasionally lowering his gaze, he has been behaving very arrogantly towards Russia.

Not wise. Saakashvili apparently believed that George Junior’s word was as “Good as Gold.” Sorry, but this jerk of a president is just so much uneducated hot air. And because you fell for it lots of the people in your country have now died or are suffering.

And the really scary part is: Now Bush Baby is just itching to punch the Russians in the nose. George Jr. should have been impeached long ago. He is a dangerous fellow simply because he is so insecure and stupid. Probably the many years of alcohol abuse have damaged his brain.

And the man who quite openly screwed around on his first wife with several different women, until he found one rich enough to marry (Senator John McCain), also seems to be really getting off on talking tough to the Russians. Goodness these politicians are Bozos.

During a time when many millions of Americans do not have health insurance, these politicians are simply ignoring the wishes and needs of the people.

Its kind of like if El Paso County, Texas wanted to break away from the U.S.A. and become a part of Mexico. The people of El Paso overwhelmingly are of Mexican heritage. A great many do not speak English. Of course they would rather not be ruled by Anglos who speak English. Tough luck. The American government simply would not tolerate this break away region leaving the country. Period…full stop. America proved this in the 1800s by fighting brother against brother in the American Civil War.

South Ossetia probably has legitimate complaints against Russia. I’m certain that Georgia does too. These should be openly talked about by journalists, authors, in the UN, and on the internet. But Russia is a strong, mean bully. Letting oneself get involved in a physical conflict with Russia goes way beyond stupid.

Watch out George Junior. Tread lightly. The same advice needs to go to your surrogate Senator McCain.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Transfer Of Wealth

-
In 2008 we are living in interesting times. We are witnessing the largest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind. $700 billion is leaving America every year and going to rich Muslim Arabs. Keep in mind that in Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to drive cars or to vote. People are stoned to death for having an extramarital affair.

When I was in college back in the late 1960's it became clear to me that the rich countries in the world needed to transfer a large amount of wealth to the poor countries in Africa and the southern hemisphere. We could do it voluntarily (unlikely) or some terrorist group with an atomic bomb or a biological agent would extort this wealth.

As it turns out this hasn’t been the actual scenario at all. Instead most Americans have become like heroin addicts. Even in the face of the energy crisis and global warming, they continue to drive enormous, terrible fuel economy vehicles. And they drive them fast, constantly speeding up and then braking, so as to insure the very worst fuel economy possible. Most of the vehicles I see driving around town are large heavy SUVs or V8 engine pickup trucks. And much of the time there is only one person inside.

So these drug addicts continue to drive their morbidly obese American pig cars. In the face of all logic they don’t change the light bulbs in their houses to compact fluorescents, and they don’t put more air pressure in the tires of their vehicles and slow down a lot. Just like alcoholics they live in denial. It is so sick and so sad to watch.

America uses 25% of the world’s oil, but it only has 4% of the world’s population.

In 1970 America imported 24% of the oil it was using.
By 1990 this had grown to 42%.
And by 2008 not only were we using much more oil, but 70% of it was being imported.

The solution is simple, feasible, and possible. But frankly this is not at all likely due to the problems caused by massive corruption in our political system.

The government needs to provide rebates to consumers buying high fuel economy vehicles like the Toyota Prius. Rebates of at least several thousand dollars at the time of purchase.

And the government needs to tax heavily those great big, polluting and poor fuel economy vehicles which are so common today. Taxation at the time of purchase on the order of $8,000- plus an annual wastefulness tax of several thousand dollars would be a good place to start.

The government needs to apply a tax of several dollars per gallon on gasoline and diesel, and use all of the funds generated to support wind generation of electricity. Insulation and energy efficiency of buildings and household appliances needs to be mandated and encouraged through tax policy and building codes.

This all is more than possible. Other countries have already done it.
-
Just like other countries have solved the health care problem and have instituted affordable, universal access health care. But I would give The United States of America less than a 5% chance of doing what it necessary. What a pity.
-
-
--
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Nikon Camera With Built In GPS

-
Nikon has come out with a really fascinating up market point and shoot camera. It is called the P6000. It will be officially out in a few weeks, but you can already place an advance order at Amazon.

Technically it is not an SLR, and you cannot change the lenses. But listen to these specifications:

---Built in GPS.
---Optical Vibration Reduction and image stabilization.
---Nikon lens made with ED glass.
---13.5 megapixels.
---Auto ISO 64 to 6400.
---High TV quality movies with sound.
---2.7 inch LCD and an optical viewfinder.
---Manual focus, aperture or shutter priority, manual mode.
---Can shoot in raw mode that Windows recognizes.
-
This looks like a good camera except that the sensor size is really tiny. Another approach to this is adding a GPS to the D300. This is what I have done and it works great!
-


-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Infidelity

-
John Edwards has admitted that he was unfaithful to his wife.....during the period when she was battling cancer! --He came clean that he had been arrogant and a general bastard. --I think most people would agree that you just can’t get much lower than this.
-
Edwards told a TV reporter that his rise from "a small-town boy in North Carolina" who "came from nothing" to a successful lawyer, U.S. senator and national public figure "fed a self-focus, an egotism, a narcissism that leads you to believe that you can do whatever you want."
-
Other politicians should read this admission by John Edwards and really do some soul searching. It is such a shame. Edwards is brilliant, and his ideas about the weaknesses in our political system are spot on.
-
At least he had the class to choose a mature, forty-ish woman. Ok, she is into astrology and new age, and other weird stuff, but not everyone is well grounded. At least she is not some fat pig of a vulnerable, young intern like the other famous, arrogant, egotistical and self-centered guy, Billy Boy.
-
-
LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/us/politics/09edwards.html
-
-
-
-
-
-
--
-

2008 Summer Olympic Games

The 2008 summer Olympic games opened in China yesterday. The opening show was on television last night.

I don’t want to exaggerate or engage in hyperbole so let me understate my praise of the opening ceremony: It makes me proud to be a human being seeing something that wonderful. It was clearly the pinnacle of human artistic achievement. And it stressed harmony and beauty.

I no longer fear the Chinese becoming more powerful than America. If any of the children in our family ever decide to begin having children, I will encourage them to send the grandchild to Chinese language classes while still a small infant. Or maybe hire a Chinese nanny for the first 5 or 6 years of his/her life so that the child will grow up speaking Chinese as a second language.

They said that this opening ceremony for the Olympics was the Chinese equivalent of our putting a man on the moon. I can see that now. In 2012 the British can’t possibly equal the show put on in China. They need to just accept this.

Well Done China!
-
LINK: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080801134.html?wpisrc=newsletter

-
-
-
-
-
-
--
-

Meteor Shower

-

One of the finest meteor showers of the year has already begun. It will peak on the night of August 11, the morning of August 12 at around 3:00 - 4:00 a.m. Click on this chart and it will enlarge enough to be readable.

-

This meteor shower should have around 100 visible meteors per hour at its peak. Look up about 45 degrees to the Northeast. They will be all over the sky but will appear to be coming out of the sky near Cassiopea (the big W). Laying in a chaise lounge might be the best idea, and if it is cold where you are why not do it in a sleeping bag!

-

For a complete list of all the major meteor showers of the year go to the website of the American Meteor Society at http://www.amsmeteors.org/showers.html#major

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

2008 Summer Olympics

-
For many years I lived in the Netherlands, and I was intimately involved with dressage. Much of my free time was spent at dressage events or at the stables. I owned two dressage horses.

The Dutch dressage team at the 2008 Olympic summer games has three members. Under the rules this year each country is only allowed three riders.

Of the three members on the Dutch team, I know two. I have been to Anky van Grunsven’s house. She won Olympic gold medals in 2000 on Bonfire and also won the gold medal for dressage again in 2004. When she brought out her line of equestrian clothing she told me that her boyfriend (now husband) Sjef Janssen looked sexy in one of her top of the line jackets, and that it would look good on me too. It goes without saying that I didn’t hesitate…I still like that jacket.

Imke Schellekens-Bartels is the daughter of Tineke Bartles. I know Imke, her mother, and her father Joep well. They are really nice people. I guess I’ve been to their house 5 or 6 times, maybe more. Imke competed in the summer games in Greece in 2004.

I’ve seen two of the German Olympic competitors ride many times as well. Isabell Werth and Nadine Capellmann are both great riders. Isabell and Tineke have been competitors for years. Isabell took a few years off to finish her law degree, now she is back riding competitively.

Of the three American riders I have only seen one of them ride. Steffen Peters is originally from Germany and now is on the American team. I have had the pleasure of watching him ride many times. He is also a first class rider.

Dressage is an equestrian sport that is really targeted at a narrow market. I find it elegant and beautiful.
-
I guess it is kind of strange, but even though I have moved back to America now after living in Europe for 15 years, I still am rooting for my old friends on the Dutch team!
-
This is a YouTube video of Imke on Sunrise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5r-nB4yuiU
-
LINK: http://www.cleveland.com/olympics/index.ssf/2008/08/netherlands_anky_van_grunsven.html
-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Postscript: Isabel Werth won the individual dressage. Wonderful ride!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy0dWNBoqA0
0-
-



-
-
--
-
-
-
-

I.O.U.S.A.

-
If you are not frightened by the growing national debt, you should be.
-
On August 21, 2008 a movie called I.O.U.S.A. is going to come out. It presents compelling factual evidence that this ever growing governmental debt has created a looming economic crisis that will make the Great Depression look like a market correction. We are headed over a cliff.
-
The national debt has especially been increased greatly during Republican administrations. During the tenure of President Reagan and President George W. Bush Jr. the situation has been completely out of control. The federal government has been spending much more than it has been bringing in through taxation. This is called the national deficit. And the Republicans continue to argue for even more tax cuts for the wealthy.
-
The country as a whole has been importing much more than it has been exporting. This is called the trade imbalance. This situation has been greatly worsened during the Bush administration. Much of the country's manufacturing has been shifted from factories in America to ones in poor countries overseas. This was done to avoid minimum wage regulations and reduce labor cost by taking advantage of child labor. Moving the country's manufacturing overseas had the added advantage of avoiding environmental regulations and workplace safety regulations.
-
These politicians were warned by the Republican President Dwight W. Eisenhower to be wary of the military-industrial complex. But they did not heed his warnings. Wasteful spending on national defense and nuclear bombs was what brought the U.S.S.R. to a crashing end, and now the U.S.A. appears to be pursuing the same track.
-
The nation's debt now accounts for 66 percent of the gross national product. The film argues that it will rise to 244 percent by 2040, twice what it was at the end of World War II, and our highest level of national debt in the history of the country. Warren E. Buffett says that a national debt of this magnitude "could create real political instability."
-
Duh. No shit Sherlock.
-
I grew up as a patriotic 1950’s American kid. I once cried because our family’s American flag accidentally fell on the ground and my Father did not throw it away. During the Vietnam War I served for three years in the U.S. Army, and besides receiving a few medals, I was discharged honorably. So I sure have as much (or more) right to speak my mind than some loser who didn’t even serve in the military, like Vice President Dick Cheney.
-
Most other advanced countries have universal health care. Everyone has access to health care whether they are rich or poor. But in America we just can’t seem to solve this problem. In fact we can’t even seem to begin the process…
-
We go on and on talking about basic human rights, but we can’t seem to figure out that in most other advanced countries basic housing, free education through college for all, a decent government paid old age pension, and government funded health care are all viewed as basic human rights. Right up there with freedom of speech, freedom of the press, rule of law, racial equality, and all the other platitudes that we talk so much about but don’t really do much about.
-
This is a link to the YouTube trailer for the film. LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBo2xQIWHiM

-
-
-
-
-
--

Solving The Energy Crisis

-
We are currently sending a large portion of our country's wealth to Muslim sheiks in the middle east. The solution to this problem is really quite simple.
-
It is not nuclear, nor is it renewable energy like wind power or photovoltaic cells.
-
"The fastest, cheapest, easiest and cleanest step toward a sane energy environment is the powerful combination of efficiency and conservation."
-
If you disagree with that statement or think that this is far too simplistic a solution, then you need to read this article: http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,570073,00.html

-
-
-
-
--
-
-

The American Home Mortgage Crisis

-
America is undergoing a severe crisis in the home mortgage lending industry. The New York Times today has an article which suggests that an even far larger wave of home loan defaults is coming.
LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/business/04lend.html

Because many of these home loans have been securitized and then were sold to foreign investors, this home mortgage crisis has now become worldwide. It is even resulting in banks failing in prosperous countries like Germany.

In America when you get a mortgage to buy a home this is essentially where you pledge the property to the lender as security for the loan. Until the loan is fully paid off, the lender has an interest in the land. In most cases the lender can foreclose on the mortgaged property if the borrower stops making the payments, or gets too far behind. If this happens the lender has the right to take back the property and sell it. Any amounts received from the sale of the house (net of costs) are used to pay off the loan.

In most cases in America these home loans are “non-recourse loans.” What this means is that if the money received from selling the foreclosed house is not enough to pay off the loan, this loss is the lender’s problem, not the borrower’s. So if the borrower loses his job, or just wants to, he can simply turn the house back to the lender and walk away with no further obligations. All he has lost is any payments he has made on the loan (plus the down payment).

If the home was bought during a boom market, then the bust comes and the value of the house declines significantly, the homeowner may find that even after his down payment and all the payments he has already made, the house is worth far less than the amount still owed to the lender. If the homeowner decides that it makes sound financial sense to stop his losses and just walk away, he can legally do so. He then leaves the lender responsible for the loss.

In most other countries this kind of home loan is viewed like some sort of a fairy tale. In their country the borrower pledges the property, so the lender can foreclose if the payments are not being made on time, but in this situation once the house is sold if the amount of money received is not enough to fully pay off the loan, the borrower is still responsible the this remaining amount.

So home loans in most of the world are a combination of a mortgage with the home pledged as security for the loan plus what Americans would view as a personal loan.

When this form of home loan is used with a requirement of at least a 10% or 20% down payment, one has a much more stable and sound system financial system. Integral to this is the legal requirement that money may not be borrowed to make a down payment on another loan. This approach is much sounder, is less prone to abuse, and less encouraging of the boom-and-bust economy than the system which is in place in America.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Happy Birthday #44

-

Today is the 4th of August, and it the birthday of a man who many hope will be the 44th president of the United States of America.

-

Happy Birthday Barack Obama!

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

One Way Communication

-
A little over two weeks ago I wrote a blog entry about one way communication: http://hpgarland.blogspot.com/2008/07/speaker-phones.html

Today the Sunday New York Times had a good article on the increasing popularity of various forms of this one way communication.

Their article talked about how some people are now using e-mail, text messaging, and voice mail in order to avoid phone conversations. To these people “it becomes about saying things - just blathering on.” The New York Times article calls these people digital-era solipsists who are more interested in broadcasting information than in the real time give-and-take of a genuine two way conversation.

They went on to say that telephone communiqués are seen as requiring a sacrifice of time and energy and a higher level of commitment on the part of the communicator.

I looked up the word solipsist and one of the definitions is extreme egotism.

These people avoid phone conversations as a waste of time. “A phone conversation is like wildfire - you don’t know where it is going to go.” So they prefer to leave a voice mail message.

One of the people interviewed for the article admitted that these technologies encourage a not-so-valiant character trait. “It does make you more cowardly,” he said.

I guess this is why I find talking to a telephone message recorder so offensive. I called because I wanted to have honest two way communication. Not just one party talking AT the other. But both parties really listening while the other one talks. Then thinking about what the other one has said before responding. And not rudely interrupting either.

I guess I’m tilting at windmills again.
-
-
-
-
-

Nuclear Proliferation

-
I am strongly opposed to nuclear proliferation. In the medium to longer term this may be a more critical problem that pollution and global warming.
-
And I really don’t have much of anything good to say about Islam. But I also don’t like hypocrites. America is a country that is supposed to be honest. -
-
So how do we justify not really being all THAT upset that the following countries have nuclear weapons: North Korea, Pakistan, India, Israel, France, and Britain? The answer is obvious: The Iranians are crazed religious fanatics. Well, so was Jim Jones, and so is the fundamentalist wing of the Republican party in America.
-
Ok, the Iranians are not only crazy, they are the bad guys. If this were to come out the mouth of Bush or Cheney a lot of people would say, “Well, duh, so are you!”
-
It is clear that doing everything possible to stop proliferation of nuclear weapons is vital. But the American people should be provided with a more intellectual reason than, “Those rag heads are the axis of evil.”
-
-
-
-

John McCain

-