So it has been almost 2 weeks since I last published an article, not because I did not want to, but because I have been very, very busy with all sorts of activities. Something had to give and it was publishing. Last Sunday during a church service, five of us were commissioned and anointed into the ministry of pastoral care having finished our training and police background checks. Of course I have been teaching and attending physio. Last Friday, I looked after Lucia's two youngest while Lucia took some "me time". I was totally wasted by the afternoon when Lucia returned. What's more, I managed to escape a nuclear diaper! I'll do the same next week so Lucia can be with Loliyo at a dance competition. There are also routine things like doctor's and dentist's appointments, and the most important, snuggles with the fur babies. I still have to do the taxes but since neither of us owe any, it isn't a big worry.
Short Takes
The Nation — Global warming is, in the end, not about the noisy political battles here on the planet’s surface. It actually happens in constant, silent interactions in the atmosphere, where the molecular structure of certain gases traps heat that would otherwise radiate back out to space. If you get the chemistry wrong, it doesn’t matter how many landmark climate agreements you sign or how many speeches you give. And it appears the United States may have gotten the chemistry wrong. Really wrong. …
In February, Harvard researchers published an explosive paper in Geophysical Research Letters. Using satellite data and ground observations, they concluded that the nation as a whole is leaking methane in massive quantities. Between 2002 and 2014, the data showed that US methane emissions increased by more than 30 percent, accounting for 30 to 60 percent of an enormous spike in methane in the entire planet’s atmosphere. …
These leaks are big enough to wipe out a large share of the gains from the Obama administration’s work on climate change—all those closed coal mines and fuel-efficient cars. In fact, it’s even possible that America’s contribution to global warming increased during the Obama years. The methane story is utterly at odds with what we’ve been telling ourselves, not to mention what we’ve been telling the rest of the planet. It undercuts the promises we made at the climate talks in Paris. It’s a disaster—and one that seems set to spread.
The Obama administration, to its credit, seems to be waking up to the problem. Over the winter, the EPA began to revise its methane calculations, and in early March, the United States reached an agreement with Canada to begin the arduous task of stanching some of the leaks from all that new gas infrastructure. But none of this gets to the core problem, which is the rapid spread of fracking. Carbon dioxide is driving the great warming of the planet, but CO2 isn’t doing it alone. It’s time to take methane seriously.
MSNBC — I found this interesting segment of The Rachel Maddow Show that showcases some of the Republican bigotry, racism and total lack of sensitivity to history.
Politico — Republicans over the past seven years have come to view Barack Obama not just as an ideological enemy but as a “dictator”—an accusation hurled most recently by both Chris Christie and Glenn Beck—a president who has unconstitutionally abused his executive power with an array of unilateral actions.
But Republicans are hardly passive victims of an overweening executive; they are, in fact, paying for their own unilateral surrender of power. The GOP-dominated Congress has sought to weaken and undermine Obama and instead has achieved the opposite. Unable to pass significant legislation after the Affordable Care Act, the Obama White House filled the vacuum by creative use of executive authority, setting a potentially risky precedent for the future balance between the branches but spurred, ironically, by the very opponents who were trying to contain him.
Is this where we get to say to Republicans "You reap what you sow!"? Personally, I do not see Obama as a dictator, but rather a man trapped by the incompetence and beligerence of political foes . . . foes willing to ruin the country in order to stick to their idiotological principles.
My Universe — 20 Reasons You Need A Cat In Your Life
You may view cats as evil creatures, and you may not be entirely wrong with that assumption. Still, you may not realize that owning a cat actually has a variety of benefits for you and your health. These are just a few reasons why you should open your home to a cat.
BTW, people don't own cats. Dogs have owners. Cats have staff!
3. They Do Not Need Baths
Giving cats a bath is not a fun experience. Fortunately, unlike dogs, cats really do not need baths. They are huge neat freaks that frequently groom themselves, making bathing unnecessary. This also goes back to the whole “low maintenance thing”. If you do dare to bath a cat, be sure to wear complete padding because this can get pretty messy though the results are pretty hilarious.
7. They Make Fantastic Alarm Clocks
When cats want their breakfast, they want it now. They do not care if you are sleeping, they will wake you up. In fact, they do not even need to have breakfast for an excuse to wake you up. They will wake you up for whatever reason they have decided to wake you up and you will have to deal with that.
11. They Will Keep You Grounded
All of those jokes about how cats think humans are their slaves? These are completely accurate. Cats believe that you are merely there to serve them and their needs. This will help put you in your place whenever you feel that you are better than you are.
Click through for the other 17 reasons you need at least one cat in your life.
14 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 26/04/2016”
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There is a video of a river on fire in Queensland, Australia because of the mehane gas caused by nearby fracking which you can see here. There is also a Forcechange petition to end fracking in Queensland.
Not everyone in Queensland is convinced that the methane in the river is caused by fracking as the MP was. Pundits think there could also been natural causes for this phenomenon, Lynn. But I've signed the petition as someone who lives in Queensland part-time, because all fracking needs to be banned everywhere for a myriad of other reasons.
You asked:
I'd go with a corollary to the Pottery Barn Rule. addressed to the GOP through the Koch Brothers:
"You Bought It – You Broke It!"
The Nation: Everyone needs to be made aware of this, and get on board. Signed petition already.
MSNBC: Inciting violence and hate! Trump knows how to work the crowds too, and it's frightening, with his bigotry, and rhetoric.
Politico: Our President's Nemeisis has been the GOP, and as the article states, they are the 'Party of No' when it comes to Mr. Obama's executive powers. Yep, you reap what you sow, Rethugs!!
My Universe: I've always had animals. From spiders, snakes, birds, lizards, fish, and yes, cats and dogs. I found #5 important, as that is soothing to me in the evenings, before going to bed. The dog has her pillow, as does the cat, and that's important to them. They too, are like little old ladies like me at bedtime. Thank god for a large bed to accommodate everyone!
Congratulations on your Commissioning! You have a very busy schedule. I am still volunteering a little, the testing for students is in a couple weeks. I feel their stress over this too.
Enjoy your day, and Thank you for your post, Lynn.
**************'s to you, Nameless!
Love your comment!!!
My works cut out for me now, because I'm not sure I know any 14-lettered words … at least none that can be said in a family-friendly blog.
Oh, hon, she's a Care2 person, she means she's sending "stars" – tokens of praise and admitation. And probably more than 14.
Thanks – learn something new everyday!
(Certainly not deserved – but appreciated)
Hey, welcome back!
Nation – How many ways can you say "I told you so"? Perfectly safe my $^&($%#^&*(!
HuffPo – Yup. And yet people who do not actually see a hate crime in fron of them do not think there is a problem. I know some. They are very nice people – to me. Most claim to be Christian. I am reminded of the priest and the Levite who "passed by on the other side."
Politico – THe slant of this story is not backed up by evidence. It mentions, for instance, that in the roughly a decade starting with Harding, Presidential ppower was limited. Yet, Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover each issued more than 200 executive orders EACH YEAR OF THEIR PRESIDENCIES. It took President Obama till 2013 just to rack up 200 TOTAL. Anyone who wants to prove to me that President Obama is taking a lot of power needs to analyze the thrust of all those executive orders (including the almost 400 that Saint Ronnie issued) and prove that other Presidents' orders were trivial while President Obama's were dictatorial. I do not think that can be done.
Universe – Baths – There is an exception to be made when a cat gets himself (or herself) into a substance which would be toxic if he were left to clean it himself. Like road dirt mixed with motor oil. I speak from experience here. Fortunately for me, Archie, though loudly protesting, was not as violent as he could have been. I think he knew it was necessary but just felt the need to go on record as being opposed. (And, yes, Archie was often a little politician.)
Thanks Squatch! More exhausated hugs!
Thanks, enjoyed all of it, but especially the reasons to own cats, although we never own them, they own us.
Thanks, Lynn. With the current two posts you've certainly made up for not posting for almost two weeks. Not that we wouldn't understand that sometimes a retired person can be so busy (helping others) that some tough decisions had to be made.
TN: True, America's methane emission has risen with 30% in little over a decade and that's probably due to fracking and the terrible lack of measures to curtail leakage, but as fracking is a very popular American export product and American and Canadian companies are globally pushing fracking down people's throats, I would like to see some numbers of global methane emissions. Not all leakage of gas production has to do with fracking, I expect to see huge quantities of methane escape from Russia's drilling sites. The largest producer of natural gas in Europe is notorious for its safety measures for anything which would endanger profits. Sounds familiar, right? I think that global figures for man-caused methane emissions, not counting the secondary effects of global warming on methane in thawing permafrost – would make our hair stand on end. And what about the methane stemming from the millions of cows we keep for dairy and beef? My point is that methane is in a blind spot of the eye of the world, something that needs to be rectified sooner than later, and preferably yesterday, if we want to combat global warming at all.
Sorry, can't get Rachel's video to play nor find it on The Rachel Maddow Show.
Politico: I've nothing to add to your spot-on analysis with one little remark. I wouldn't say the foes are willing to ruin the country to stick to their principles, however idiotological 😉 they may be. It's pure and unadulterated racism that's driving them and I'd hate to call that a principle.
My Universe: As a person owned by a large number of cats over the years I can assure you that you never own a cat, it owns you to serve it at all times, without question and unwavering loyalty. But it's soooo worth it.
I've never given any of those cats a bath.Toweled them dry after being too long in the rain. Yes, but a bath? No. I value my life too much and no cat should suffer the humiliation. And I've stepped into a rodent leftover or two in my time, but I still serve them and couldn't be without their company.
Petition signed.
Fracking needs to be made illegal.
The methane fire on the river was an illuminating fact.
What about the toxic chemicals lurking in the waters…?
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The violence at the Trump speeches gives me an awful moment of DEJA VU.I grew up in the UK during W.W. 2.
Not Again .PLEASE. WAKE UP AMERICA.