The Northstar Journal

THE MAIL BAG AND ONLINE CHATROOMS

Posted on September 16, 2018 by minstrel312

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam
September 16, 2018 Volume 11 Number 3

Reader Supported: All Contributions Appreciated and Accepted Here

INSIDE: The Mailbag & Online Chatrooms; World Headlines At A Glance; From Olya – Stopping A Killer Epidemic in Ukraine; Rusty’s Uncle Seamus; For Your Consideration; Our Science Section, Unabridged; Praise; Censure; Travel; The Green Beat; Health; Community, Home & Lifestyle; Best of the Net; Masha & the Bear; Northstar General Store; All Creatures Great & Small; You Guys Think We Make This Stuff Up; About Us

THE MAIL BAG & ONLINE CHATROOMS

Hi again, gang, from the shores of The Salish Sea: We got email, chatroom and in-person happy 11^th Birthday, Northstar wishes from several of you and one in particular who has been enjoying Olya’s columns a lot too. We shook the sugar can and it rustled. That’s always a good sign too. So thank you very much. It means a lot to both of us to hear from you guys.

As any small entrepreneur in the 21^st Century knows, “if you want that rustle, best be on the hustle”. That means making a profile with your business links on it, then going into a popular chat room, which is like a virtual online coffee house or pub, and interacting in a way that draws favorable attention to your profile and the information it contains.

The concept is consistent with virtual reality and instant personal communication on a global scale. I’ve been “doing chats” for a long time and my favorite “hang out” now is you will is one called “Dating Older.”

Room names are not meant to be taken literally sometimes. This room draws people from most of the former British Empire, including Oceana (Australia and New Zealand), Canada, Europe, the UK, inclusive of Scotland and Wales) and Ireland. They are, for the most part, extremely well-mannered and the things they discuss and they way they discuss them are, for the most part, family fare.

There’s also some offline bonding that occurs in this room as it does many others, and some truly positive information sharing. Through the others in the room, we get windows on places we’ve never been, provided by those who actually live there.

That having been said, chat rooms are not for the emotionally fragile. Behind the cloak of relative anonymity, the psychological refuse of all our shores washes up, vocally, and treats many a mental health expert to a display of textbook dysfunctionalism predating primordial soup.

It’s kind of like walking into a pub full of shaggy giants when everyone’s having a bad hair day and you’re bald. Except that these rooms have a feature called Block and when you use that, the moody shaggy giants disappear. So in that regard, virtual might be better than actual.

To check out chatrooms yourself, we recommend Wireclub and you can find them here.

That’s it for this week, gang. Take care, stay well and God Bless. Rusty

Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer who lives in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

THE PAST WEEK’S WORLD HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

FROM OLYA

STOPPING A KILLER EPIDEMIC IN UKRAINE

Hi Rusty:

This time it’s not about news but instead, about some worrying statistics I found on the site of a local political party about alcohol use among underaged. As you can see in the diagram above: consumption of alcohol in various age groups. source https://www.facebook.com/StopAlcopop/

The purpose of the campaign is to stop the industry of low-alcohol cocktails (the so-called “alcoholic beverage”) in Ukraine. Looking at how much on the streets youth drinking and smoking there is, the time for this kind of campaigns is now.

This is also a “local problem” gone national. For example, the image of a young mum pushing a pram with one hand, with a cigarette and an alcoholic drink in the other has become quite common.

Apparently, many parents aren’t even conscious about smoking with their own kids around. The same is unfortunately true in the night trains of Ukraine. Despite the regulations, smokers still indulge in the communal areas even knowing the air flow in the trains is congested.

Once I was curious to talk to one of them going to Poland. To my question do you smoke in Polish trains, the answer was- “Well, no, the fines there are too big.”

So a person is prepared to follow the strict rules in another country but feels free to disregard the rights, freedoms and protections of citizens in their own? Sad.

Another aspect hitting underaged now too is the increased use of hookahs. Cigarette packages in Ukraine carry a message of the health risks involved. Hookahs, which are also popular for smoking marijuana, hashish and opium, do not. And hookah bars are growing as mushrooms after rains. The Dangers Of Just One Evening Of Hookah Smoking. The rationale seems to be that the amount of nicotine kids inhale during this is considered “safe” compared to a cigarette.

Both kill and it’s time to change this.

Northstar columnist and associate editor Olya Bereza was born in the former Soviet Union and now lives in Ukraine. Fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, and English, she is a degreed psychologist with a background in international marketing and personnel management. For comments, please go here.

According to Rusty’s infamous Uncle Seamus, the only downside to freedom of speech is that it guarantees the right to speak one’s mind even to those who have far more wind than sail.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: The NFL Fought Trump’s Bullying 30 Years Ago And Won. Should It Do It Again?

OUR WORLD, UNABRIDGED

Now that the season for these has begun… How To Stay Safe In A Hurricane

This Is Awesome And Just A Little Scary. World’s Biggest Airplane Takes Off From Oakland

I use the word “awesome” a lot when it fits. What Is The Hypatia Catalog?

EARTH

Humans May Have Wiped Out Largest Birds

Hurricane Florence Seen From Space

Welcome To The Meghalayan Ages

SPACE

Stand On Mars, Look Around

What Is A Parsec?

Alien-Hunting AI Discovers Dozens Of Mysterious Fast Radio Bursts

TECHNOLOGY

China’s ‘Sea Dragon’ Underwater Robot Reaches Record Depth On Test Dive

A New Life For An Abandoned Skyscraper

Herbie 2.0: Putting Psychology To Work In Self-Driving Cars

PRAISE

Meet The Scientist Behind These Stunning Images Of Jupiter

Islanders In Kenya Build Recycled Plastic Boat To Highlight Pollution

Pope Francis Summons Bishops To Vatican For Abuse Prevention Summit

Amazon Chief Jeff Bezos Gives $2bn To Help The Homeless

The Pacific Ocean Is Getting A Long Overdue Cleanup

What Are You Doing To Cut Plastics?

Whale Shark-Inspired Aquadrone Scoops Up Ocean Trash

California Governor Signs Law For Clean Energy By 2045

HEALTH

Burning Health Questions? Email TIME’s Health Editors

Your Lifespan In A Fire-Filled Future

Making Slow Food A Way Of Life

People Around The World Experienced Record Levels Of Stress And Pain In 2017, Study Says

Why Whole-Fat Milk And Yogurt Are Healthier Than You Think

The Placebo Effect Is Real, And Scientists May Be Able To Predict Who Responds

Cancer Will Kill About 10 Million People This Year, Experts Predict

COMMUNITY, FAMILY, HOME AND LIFESTYLE

What A Society Designed For Well-Being Looks Like

$2 Billion To Support Homeless And Low-Income Families

People Of Color Are Still Being Locked Out Of The Democratic Process

5 Ways Small Actions Have Huge Power

Psychologist: After 9/11, Americans Were United. Today We’re Divided By Threats That Don’t Exist

7 Big Things You Should Understand About Teacher Pay, According To Teachers

Teens Are Over Face-To-Face Communication, Study Says

BEST OF THE NET

The Red Ball Express, (Universal, 1952) stars Jeff Chandler, Sidney Poitier, Hugh O’Brien and a totally excellent cast in the historically accurate story of the Army Transportation Corps which kept Patton’s Third Army, among others, supplied in their race to free Europe from NAZI Germany after the invasion of Normandy during WWII. It is realistic and has several sub themes, among them, racial integration in the American armed forces (See also Tuskogee Airmen). Shot in black and white, it is also a film for general audiences and even has a theme song you’ll find yourself humming, singing or whistling long after the popcorns gone and everybody’s gone home. As a technical post script: the advisor on this film commanded the actual Red Ball Express.

FUN ZONE

DAILY 10 QUESTION TRIVIA QUIZ: This one is from Daily Email Trivia and delivered to me in mine. There is also an opportunity, the site, to take more quizzes on a wide range of subjects and to engage interactively and competitively.

DO YOU SEE A DRAGON IN THESE CLOUDS?

FOR A VERY FUN SHOPPING EXPERIENCE WITH A LOT OF USEFUL FREE STUFF

THE NORTHSTAR JOURNAL GENERAL STORE is a page full of links to mostly free stuff and several unique gifts for under $5.00//4.5 EUROS, including Olya’s novel “Rocket Man” and mine, “Wrath of the USS Testament”. The ‘shelves’ also offer films, television episodes, gadgets and apps to make our lives easier and more enjoyable. Now, here’s the really cool part. Load up your cart and instead of getting your plastic out, just drop in the jar on your way out whatever it’s worth to you. You can even try it now and use the back browser to return to the rest of the magazine.

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

Nope, this isn’t about a new species. It is, instead, an excellent story about an outstanding wildlife management program with photos that will tweak your cuteness factor. Flying Goats!

We absolutely agree with this. Vancouver Island’s Orcas Need More Than The Rescue Of One Sick Whale

We agree. It’s About TIME This Animal Was Added To The Endangered Species Act!

SHORTS

Honeybees Are Hurting. What Else Can Pollinate Our Food?

Humans Devastated Chinook Salmon. Now They Want To Save It

How A Tiny Satellite Fleet Will Track Millions Of Animals

YOU GUYS THINK WE MAKE THIS STUFF UP

Colorado Robber Drops Gun, Then Trousers — Video

Russian National Guard Chief Challenges Navalny To A ‘Duel’

Inside The World Of Kenya’s ‘Killer Cop’ — Video

ABOUT US: The Northstar Journal reaches an international readership of strong, intelligent, proactively compassionate people like you, who are out there helping make this a better world. We are proud to serve them as an information resource in that regard. If you would like to help us help them, please go here. No contribution too large or too small. If you would like to sponsor an edition or contribute in some other way, please contact us at minstrel312@aol.com Thank you and see you next week. RM/OB

IMMIGRANTS IN GERMANY: A FIRSTHAND REPORT

Posted on September 9, 2018 by minstrel312

TO VIEW IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam
September 9, 2018 Volume 11 Number 2

Reader Supported: All Contributions Appreciated and Accepted Here

INSIDE: Immigrants In Germany: A Firsthand Report; World Headlines At A Glance; From the Shores of the Salish Sea – Perspective: A Tribute To BBC World Service; Rusty’s Uncle Seamus; For Your Consideration; Our World, Unabridged; Praise; Censure; Travel; The Green Beat; Health; Community, Home & Lifestyle; Best of the Net; Masha & the Bear; Northstar General Store; All Creatures Great & Small; You Guys Think We Make This Stuff Up; About Us

IMMIGRANTS IN GERMANY: A FIRSTHAND REPORT

Hi Rusty:

Once again last week there were a wave of protests in Germany, this time motivated by the murder of a German national by a newcomer: Germany: Chemnitz protests against immigration policy.

Having a friend living in Germany, I asked her if she considers immigrants a threat to herself and her family. (Here I should mention that she moved to Germany from Ukraine about 15 years ago.) She said that as far as she knows, the majority of Germans still supported their immigration policy. She told me that after the protests in Chemnitz, there were huge demonstrations in Berlin and Münster against racism and far forces.

To quote my friend directly, “Germany is a very multicultural country. There are many different people on the streets. But you never know whether this is local or newcomers in the next generation.

Since 2015, approximately 1.3 million refugees have arrived. Previously, too, always arrived, but in small quantities. Approximately 250,000 of them work (every forth refugee has a work) are paying into the social fund and taxes. Others are at the courses, all the children at school. The rest are waiting for the distribution. All children go to school. Classes have become larger. More teachers are needed. They have a lot of additional lessons of German and integration. Adults are taken by many large companies for training. Government spends a lot of money but nothing has made by the government for its population worse. Improvements are here every year in a financial sense. All help is made from additional income. Revenues in Germany are constantly growing.

Men refugees number is a little more, this is understandable. There is some statistics about age groups seeking for asylum. It’s easier for them to get to the country. But if the newcomers want to bring their families here is a problem. They are not particularly allowed to do so, as there will be many times larger numbers of refugees. Permit to do this is granted only in very limited cases.

We also have refugees in the city. For example, they were given a hotel near us for living. We always expected something. It was interesting. We passed many times past. No changes. Everything is quiet and clean.

Very many people help as much as they can. They give away toys, clothes, help in other ways …

The main thing, in my opinion, is integration courses. No matter where people come from, they must live according to our basic law.”

Later this week again in Chemnitz was organized a concert but this time against racism and xenophobia where prominent German bands participated. Chemnitz concert: #WirSindMehr becomes a trending topic on Twitter.

To my opinion, probably the main reason for all the troubles is the labels we hang on each other. Are all Germans who participated in anti-immigration marches “far rights”? Maybe some of them are simply concerned about safety and not talking to them is not the right approach to the issue.

Germans protesting against crimes by migrants are not all neo-Nazis

Probably showing people statistics, the government being open with people about their plants; transparency in cases of graft, corruption and other crimes, these would, I think, make people feel save as fear usually comes from uncertainty. If there are people who are worried and you just call them all racists and Nazis I don’t think it will calm them down. The concerts are good but it looks like now there are two irreconcilable positions and someone should swallow the insult.

As long as few drops of German blood are still goes in my veins I wish all the best to that country and hopefully the mutual understanding will be found.

Pray for them, Mishka, when you pray for us all. Happy autumn, my cousin. Olya.

THE PAST WEEK’S WORLD HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

FROM THE SHORES OF THE SALISH SEA:

PERSPECTIVE: A TRIBUTE TO BBC WORLD SERVICE

Hi again, gang, from the shores of The Salish Sea: Someone where I live and a first responder who works the same midnight to noon shift I do has heard me listening to the BBC World Service, some of which, as many of you know, is sadder than the headline version of it.

Given what I do professionally, he wondered why, when I’m working or outside in my “hutch,” where I decompress post-shift, that would be my medium and my program of choice. Appropriate enough question politely rendered and the answer, actually, is quite simple.

Perspective.

Perspective which makes me considerably more appreciative of what I have and much less frustrated or disappointed with what I do not have.

Perspective which makes me very protective of those I love and those for whom I care.

Perspective which suggests that the “news” I have personally experienced in war and in peace is regrettably too common an experience among our global family and that there are enough violin players on that street corner.

Perspective which reaffirms my faith in the human spirit to survive and grow, despite the lethal weeds still flourishing in Our Garden and perhaps still in the souls of far too many of us.

Perhaps most of all, perspective which has made me more determined than I have ever been to do what I can, modestly and with Humility I hope, to help make this a gentler, healthier and more compassionate place to live.

There are excuses and rationales for the suffering the BBC reports. But there is no reason for it. That, perhaps, is the saddest part of all. But tears that fall on parched earth are as precious as rain.

We squander even our compassion. Nature wastes nothing.

That’s it for this week, gang. Take care, stay well and God Bless. Rusty

Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer who lives in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

According to Rusty’s infamous Uncle Seamus, even a bad meal tastes good when someone else pays for it.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: Faces In The Darkness: The Victims Of ’Non-Lethal’ Weapons In Kashmir

OUR WORLD, UNABRIDGED

I thought this was a pretty heads up question. Animals Are Smart. Are Humans Holding Them Back?

Outstanding. Plastic Catcher Heads For Ocean Clean-Up

Think of how many lives this would save and enhance. Large-Scale Wind And Solar Power ‘Could Green The Sahara

EARTH

The Biggest Solar Farms On Earth

A Huge Iceberg Is Moving. Now Scientists Finally Might Understand What Lives Underneath It.

Why You Can Smell Rain

SPACE

Could NASA’s Next Big Thing Detect Alien Life?

Watch Online, As Asteroid 2018 Rc Sweeps Past

Saturn’s Famous Hexagon Towers Above Cloudtops

TECHNOLOGY

Vector Robot Is Everything You Want In A Sidekick

Farmbot Automates Home Gardening From Seed To Harvest

Urban Wind Turbine Wins Engineering Prize

PRAISE

A Teenager Had A Dream To Clean Up The World’s Oceans. 7 Years On, It’s Coming True

Testing Out Faster And Flexible Ways To Deploy Homeless Shelters And Services

CENSURE

Egypt Sentences 75 To Death, Hundreds To Jail Over 2013 Sit-In

TRAVEL

The US Islands Of Slave Descendants

The Bedouin Answer To Barbecue

The Sinking Islands Of The Southern US

THE GREEN BEAT

Why Small Efficiency Homes Have A Big Price Tag

House Of The Future: Inside BC’s First Public Indigenous-Centred School

More Evidence That Green Space Helps Develop Young Brains

HEALTH

Preventable Heart Problems Killed 415,000 People In 2016. Here’s How To Keep Your Heart Healthy

A Quarter Of The World’s Adults Don’t Get Enough Exercise, Study Says

Americans Are Going To Urgent Care Centers More Than Ever, Study Says

Health Alerts

Don’t Eat Any Honey Smacks Cereal, Center For Disease Control Warns As Salmonella Outbreak Continues

Health Questions? Email Time’s Health Editors

COMMUNITY, FAMILY, HOME AND LIFESTYLE

The Gender Wage Gap Is More Than Just Pay Discrimination

BEST OF THE NET

With Olya living in Ukraine, this is very close to home to us. The Strange Unreality Of Life During Eastern Ukraine’s Forgotten War

This is almost too cute for words. Baby Giraffes Stand Within Minutes Of Birth. How Do They Do It?

This is fantastic. Stunning Artworks Made Of Light

JUST FOR FUN

MASHA AND THE BEAR

DO YOU SEE A DRAGON IN THESE CLOUDS?

FOR A VERY FUN SHOPPING EXPERIENCE WITH AL USEFUL FREE STUFF

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

Amazing. Hundreds Of Dolphins Dash Past California Coast In Magical Video Of ‘Superpod’

Nature truly wastes nothing. Wildlife Hotspots Thanks To Livestock Dung Heaps?

This was a little gruesome, I thought. Love Vines Suck Life From Wasps, Leaving Mummies

FOLKS WE FOLLOW

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s September 2018 newsletter is now online.

YOU GUYS THINK WE MAKE THIS STUFF UP

Tesla Stock Plummets 5% After Elon Musk Smokes Weed On Podcast

Video A Clever Way To Make A Living Out Of Rubbish

Chinese Private Firms Eye Great Potential In Africa

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

HAPPY LABOR DAY, AMERICA; GOOD-BYE CAPTAIN MCCAIN

Posted on September 2, 2018 by minstrel312

TO VIEW IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam
September 2, 2018 Volume 11 Number 1

Reader Supported: All Contributions Appreciated and Accepted Here

Be informed. Be entertained. Be empowered. Read The Northstar Journal

INSIDE: Happy Labor Day, America; Good-Bye, Captain John McCain; World Headlines At A Glance; From Olya – Back To School In Ukraine, 21^st Century Style; Rusty’s Uncle Seamus; For Your Consideration; Our Science Section, Unabridged; Praise; Censure; Travel; The Green Beat; Health; Community, Home & Lifestyle; Best of the Net; Masha & the Bear; Northstar General Store; All Creatures Great & Small; You Guys Think We Make This Stuff Up; About Us

Norman Rockwell’s Freedom of Speech from his Four Freedoms essay https://www.nrm.org/2012/10/collections-four-freedoms/

HAPPY LABOR DAY, AMERICA; GOOD-BYE CAPTAIN MCCAIN

Hi again, gang, from the shores of The Salish Sea: Well, it was a sad week for many of us as we said good-bye to a fellow American whose last brave act was to have his own life support turned off rather than prolong his own suffering and the suffering of his family in a battle he knew he would not win. For a moving photo tribute to Captain John McCain, please go here.

Monday, September 2, America celebrates Labor Day…by taking the day off. For a quick look at how this all came about, we visited Wikipedia and found some outstanding information to augment what we already knew about the often bloody history of the working man in the United States and why that history is, in fact, so commemorated. We also found three songs that you might enjoy while you’re taking a look at this site. Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford Six Days On The Road by Johnny Cash 40 Hour Week by Alabama live at Farm Aid 1985

As a historical note of minor significance, this edition marks our 11^th birthday. We began as a monthly in 1998 and among other things, brought you the first photos of the of the Kosovo War Massacres and a live account of the Nisqually Earthquake which rocked Seattle in February 2001.

When our Canadian editor succumbed to cancer, we ceased publication and when our grief ended, we returned in our present form and format. If you’d like to congratulate us with a coin of the realm thank you, this would be a good time and you can do that by going here.

That’s it for this week, gang. Take care, stay well and God Bless. Rusty

Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer who lives in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

THE PAST WEEK’S WORLD HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

FROM OLYA

Ukraine school children. Photo courtesy of http://www.soft.net

BACK TO SCHOOL IN UKRAINE, 21^ST CENTURY STYLE

Hi Rusty:

It’s 1 September and that means the start of a new beginning in schools and universities throughout Ukraine. I am wishing all who students the twin blessings of good luck and wise teachers who are guides along the highways and byways of knowledge.

According to BBC Ukraine, for 450,000 children, this will be their first year. I think they are very fortunate for they will learn by new conception without grades, and the lessons in the form of games. Knapsacks heavy with paper textbooks have been relegated to the past. Before lessons, the children will gather in a circle with a teacher to start the day. From a psychological perspective, this form of communication is great for creating a nurturing class environment.

From the same source, I also learned that the largest school in Ukraine is in Kiev (Kyiv). It has 2284 students. The smallest, in our remote Carpathian Mountains, has three.

Another aspect of this new style of education is that it is also online. As yet, according to sources I checked, there is not enough data for statistical analysis.

Anecdotally, I did read about an online school started in Odessa, whose purpose is mainly to give those from rural areas an opportunity for a formal education. A few schools have apparently appeared since then. One of them is targeting the people resettling from the Donbas and Luhansk areas.

It seems, however, that parents choose online education for a variety of reasons including a bad psychological atmosphere in local school; problems with communications with other kids; misunderstandings with teachers; a desire for more free time, changing place of living etc. And, of course, the online education option gives families more lifestyle flexibility.

I would also like to join our readers in congratulating the Northstar Journal as it opens its eleven chapter. I am wishing us full wind in our sails and that God grant us the wisdom and the strength to continue educating, inspiring and challenging those we serve as “the magazine with the heart.

That’s it for this week, Mishka. Stay cool, my cousin. Olya

According to Rusty’s infamous Uncle Seamus, sometimes the only way you can survive hard times is by sewing rubber pockets in your pants so you can steal soup.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: This past week, the world lost an exemplary human being. Here are his final words to us. ‘Do Not Despair Of Our Present Difficulties.’ Read John McCain’s Powerful Farewell Letter

OUR SCIENCE SECTION, UNABRIDGED

Oookay… Elephant Repellent Invented At A Kenyan School That Warns By SMS

The answer to this one just might surprise you. Is Hypnosis Real? Here’s What Science Says

Hello HAL. Good morning, Rusty Apple Self-Driving Car Rear-Ended During Road Testing

EARTH

We’re In For Dramatic Changes To Earth’s Ecosystems

Hothouse Earth: Scientists Show Us Where We’re Headed

How To Build For The Ocean Of The Future

SPACE

Dates Set For Touchdown On An Asteroid

Astronauts Tackle Air Leak On International Space Station

We’ve Got A Landing Site On Asteroid Ryugu

TECHNOLOGY

Chasing Quakes With Machine Learning

Tablet Bends ‘Like Ancient Scroll’

The Electric Scooter Boom Offers Cities A Chance To Rethink Streetscapes

PRAISE

The Duke Of Sussex Gets On Stage With The Hamilton Cast

FGM: The Maasai Woman On A Mission To Educate Her Community — Video

Pope Denounces Irish Forced Adoptions After Victims’ Appeal

3D-Printed Gun Blueprints Ban Extended

CENSURE

A High Blood Pressure Medication Is Being Recalled After A Potentially ‘Life-Threatening’ Labeling Mistake

Hong Kong Woman Marries Stranger After Being ‘Tricked’ By Work

Yemen Conflict: UN Experts Detail Possible War Crimes By All Parties

TRAVEL

Is This The Quirkiest Town In The US?

The City That’s Losing Its Lights

The Ancient Samaritans Alive Today

THE GREEN BEAT

First Nations Celebrate Win Against Trans Mountain Pipeline

Five Things About The Trans Mountain Pipeline Ruling

More States Take Interest In Legal Fight Over Washington State Coal Terminal

What Pipeline Protesters Should Know

Trans Mountain Pipeline Construction Underway With Feds Footing The Bill

Why Don’t We Farm Huckleberries?

What If We Retrained Coal Workers For Solar?

The Giant Coal Plant Turning ‘Green’

HEALTH

Burning Health Questions? Email TIME’s Health Editors

STD Rates Hit A Record For A 4th Year In A Row. It Won’t Be Easy To Fix

5 Easy Nutrition Tweaks You Should Make, According To Dietitians

13 Surprising Uses For Baking Soda

Worst Foods From The Deli Section

12 Public Hot Spots For Germs

Vitamins And Minerals From A To Zinc

15 Cancer Symptoms You Should Never Ignore

How To Keep Your Liver Healthy

COMMUNITY, FAMILY, HOME AND LIFESTYLE

America’s Car Culture Is Literally Shortening Your Life

Which Country’s Education Costs Most?

Unintended Impacts Of Women’s Suffrage

BEST OF THE NET

If you think this did not make a grown man cry, think again. Drake Fan Sofia Sanchez Receives New Heart After Birthday Wish

This is spectacular. Fireball Caught On Camera Over Perth

This is one of the best we have ever featured in here. Incredible Waterfalls To See In Every State )

JUST FOR FUN

MASHA AND THE BEAR

NASA SELFIES APP LETS YOU PLAY ASTRONAUT

FOR A VERY ENTERTAINING SHOPPING EXPERIENCE WITH LOTS OF ACTUALLY USEFUL FREE STUFF

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

Photo of Pacific Northwest L Pod courtesy of earthjustice.org

To Save The Orcas, We Must Clean Up The Duwamish And we’re not talking about taking as long as the Monorail with this either, neighbors.

I’m not sure why we need to know this but oookay. Beluga Whales And Narwhals Go Through Menopause

I don’t imagine the State Chamber of Commerce is thrilled this news is getting out. Hybrid Super-Snakes In South Florida?

SHORTS

What Did The Dolphin Say To The Porpoise?

Goats ‘Drawn To Happy Human Faces’

Dinosaur Dna Clues Unpicked In Uk

The Black Mambas Protecting Elephants

Saving The ‘King Of The Birds’ With Dna

The Birds That Forgot How To Get Home

Can A Turtle Live Without Its Shell?

YOU GUYS THINK WE MAKE THIS STUFF UP

Why Are Some Species More Likely To Go Extinct?

Volcano Helped Defeat Napoleon At Waterloo?

The Plan To Measure Wind From Space

ABOUT US

This is what Americans look like, not Donald Trump. (James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington)

The Northstar Journal reaches an international readership of strong, intelligent, proactively compassionate people like you, who are out there helping make this a better world. We are proud to serve them as an information resource in that regard. If you would like to help us help them, please go here. No contribution too large or too small. If you would like to sponsor an edition or contribute in some other way, please contact us at minstrel312@aol.com Thank you and see you next week. RM/OB

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CHILD ABUSE RESPECTS NO FLAG, RELIGION, INSTITUTION, INDUSTRY OR INDIVIDUAL.

Posted on August 26, 2018 by minstrel312

TO VIEW IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam
August 26, 2018 Volume 10 Number 51

Reader Supported: All Contributions Appreciated and Accepted Here

Be informed. Be entertained. Be empowered. Read The Northstar Journal

Inside: Child Abuse Respects No Flag, Religion, Institution, Industry Or Individual; World Headlines At A Glance; From Olya – We Are Not 27 Years Of Age: Happy Birthday, Ukraine; Rusty’s Uncle Seamus; For Your Consideration; Our Science Section, Unabridged; Praise; Censure; Travel; The Green Beat; Health; Community, Home & Lifestyle; Best of the Net; Masha & the Bear; Northstar General Store; All Creatures Great & Small; You Guys Think We Make This Stuff Up; About Us

CHILD ABUSE RESPECTS NO FLAG, RELIGION, INSTITUTION, INDUSTRY OR INDIVIDUAL

Hi again, gang, from the shores of The Salish Sea. The news about children has been brutal this past week and I am again reminded that the abuse of our offspring respects no flag, religion, institution, industry or individual. It is also still silently and universally sanctioned. While other species may eat their young, ours is the only one which uses them, often lethally, for its own amusement, profit and gratification.

In light of recent revelations about the Roman Catholic Church in the American state of Pennsylvania and those less recently in Latin America, it has been contended that the abusers believe that, as servants of god, they are entitled to such “rewards” and that the victims should actually be grateful to be granted the opportunity to serve the Holy Roman Catholic Church in such a fashion.

That it has been going on for centuries suggests that the greater congregation bought it as well. This “Diplomatic Immunity” applied on a theological level also justified the abuse of women, the enslavement of non-Catholics and butchery the equal of which is likely non-existent in the history of our species.

This is not, however, a blanket indictment of the Vatican and all for which it stands. The very rationale itself has been a human species universal. It did not come from the Divine. The gods can claim no authorship. To use an American expression I love, “we own this, lock, stock and barrel.”

We are the ones who have said it is okay to abuse, exploit, injure, torture and murder children. When we say it is not okay to do these things, those who do them will be removed from the population and our children will be safe, at least from human predation.

It will not totally civilize us but it will be a good start.

That’s it for this week, gang. Take care, stay well and God Bless. Rusty

Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer who lives in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

THE PAST WEEK’S WORLD HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

FROM OLYA

Lviv Opera House – A High Mark In Ukraine Culture. Photo by Olya Bereza

WE ARE NOT 27 YEARS OF AGE: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UKRAINE

This last Friday, August 24, Ukraine celebrated its 27th Independence Day. There was an interesting video that went viral on that date called “We Are Not 27 Years Of Age“. A variety of Ukrainian celebrities like actors, singers, musicians reminded us and the world that the important historical events of our culture were not limited to a few decades:

1945 — 73 years ago — Ukraine became one of 51 founding members of the United Nations.

1632 — 386 years ago — Kyiv-Mohylanska Academy, one of the oldest in Eastern Europe, was founded

1550 — 468 years ago — Zaporozhian Sich the cradle of free Dniepro Cossacks became established

1356 — 662 years ago — Magdeburg rights were applied in Lviv, town in West Ukraine, given it rights for certain autonomy and self administration

1037 — 981 years ago — Saint Sophia’s Cathedral in Kiev following the will of Yaroslav the Wise was constructed

988 — 1030 years ago — Christianization of Kievan Rus‘ by Vladimir the Great

482 — 1536 years ago – Village which became Kiev “founded”

So here’s wishing a long life to a “young” country and an old culture.

Here is also a nice video dedicated to the celebrations, showing the beauty of the country and its towns called “Full of life. Flower of Ukraine”

That’s it for this week, Mishka. Stay cool, cousin mine. Olya

ACCORDING TO RUSTY’S INFAMOUS UNCLE SEAMUS: That chap is so flippin’ full of himself you’d think he was allergic to kryptonite.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: Views: Small Is Beautiful And Helpful

OUR SCIENCE SECTION, UNABRIDGED

Well, now when we’re invaded, they’ll know what some of us look like. No offense to an agency i admire and respect but NASA? This is dumb. You Can Now Launch Your Selfies Into Outer Space Thanks To NASA’s New App

It isn’t like we did not see this coming, right gang? Self-Driving Car Makers Prepare To Blame “Jaywalkers”

Considering our own is, I would not be a bit surprised. Water Worlds Are Likely Common

EARTH

Nature Through A Cultural Lens

What Are Rare Earth Elements?

Could Forgotten Crops Feed Our Future?

SPACE

Insight Halfway There! Update On Opportunity Rover

Video: Compare Size Of Sun And Stars

Astronomers See A Baby Planet Growing

TECHNOLOGY

Virtual Reality Technology Is Playing A Key Role In Holocaust Education And Awareness

DJI Mavic 2 Drones Add Obstacle Sensors To All Sides

Norway’s Electric Aircraft Evolution

PRAISE

For Women, By Women: A Crew Of Carpenters Builds Tiny Houses For Seattle’s Homeless

Pope Francis Condemns ‘Crime’ Of Church’s Sexual Abuse Cover-Ups

Being A Female Chess Prodigy

Despite What Trump Says About Mollie Tibbetts, Data Suggest Immigrants Have A Lower Crime Rate

Starbucks Partners With Points Of Light To Pay Employees To Do Good

Fruit Fly Fighters: Israeli Green Tech Firm Tackles Infestations Worldwide

CENSURE

Thomas Frieden, Former Head Of CDC, Arrested On Sex Abuse Charge

Russia Trolls ‘Spreading Vaccination Misinformation’ To Create Discord

Here’s How Rudy Giuliani Explains His ‘Truth Isn’t Truth’ Comment

Measles Is Making A Comeback. Anti-Vaxxers Aren’t The Only Reason

TRAVEL

France’s New And Thriving Style Hub

This Single Phrase Makes Japan Go Round

The Revolution That Mapped The World

Why Czechs Don’t Speak German

The Descendants Of Alexander The Great?

THE GREEN BEAT

US EPA’s New Coal Pollution Rules Will Lead To More Deaths, Agency’s Numbers Show

Keystone XL Hit With New Delay

Your Contact Lenses May Be Polluting The Ocean

HEALTH

‘No Safe Level’ Of Alcohol Consumption

People Are Now Taking Placebo Pills To Deal With Their Health Problems—And It’s Working

Is Guacamole Healthy? Here’s What The Experts Say

HPV Testing Can Replace Pap Smears For Many Women

More Teenagers Than Ever Are Getting The HPV Vaccine, CDC Says

Why There’s No Such Thing As A Single ‘Best’ Diet

How A Healthy Heart Can Help Lower Risk Of Dementia

Burning Health Questions? Email TIME’s Health Editors

COMMUNITY, FAMILY, HOME AND LIFESTYLE

War-Torn Korean Families Describe What It Was Like To Be Reunited

How To Raise Optimistic Kids In Pessimistic Times

Between Two Popes: Ireland’s Transformation

The 8 Cover Letter Mistakes To Avoid In Your Next Job Hunt

More Than Half Of Teens Think They Spend Too Much Time On Their Phones

‘Phubbing’ Is Hurting Your Relationships. Here’s What You Should Know

Get Ready To Bike To School

Watch: What Women Candidates Hear On The Trail

BEST OF THE NET

If this does not absolutely melt your heart and make you want to stand up and cheer, it’s time to ask the Mother Ship to beam you back up. Meet The Chinese Kidney Patient Selling A Smile To Survive

This is amazing. Satellites and Astronauts Capture Hurricane Lane From Space As it Nears Hawaii

Awesome. Go, you guys. Container Ship To Break The Ice On Russian Arctic Route

BON EXTRA: Listening For The Sound Of Silence In Washington’s Hoh Rain Forest

JUST FOR FUN

MASHA AND THE BEAR

DO YOU SEE A DRAGON IN THESE CLOUDS?

FOR A VERY FUN SHOPPING EXPERIENCE WITH LOTS OF USEFUL FREE STUFF

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

Wild Bees May Benefit From Cleaning Up After Clearcuts Let’s hope so. I haven’t seen too many of them around and I miss them.

I always wondered about this. Why Plants Don’t Get Sunburn

If they ever make a movie of this, I’m hiding under the bed. Army Of Wasps To Devour Invasive Stink Bugs

FOLKS WE FOLLOW

Nestwatch E Newsletter August 2018

YOU GUYS THINK WE MAKE THIS STUFF UP

Comedian Jon Stewart Rescues Goats From New York Subway Tracks

Hong Kong’s Homes Are So Small Hundreds Would Rather Sleep In Mcdonald’s

Police: Abduction Report Was Hoax, Family Was Playing Prank On Young Members

ABOUT US:

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IMMIGRATION, AN EXPERIENCE SHARED BY ALL

Posted on August 19, 2018 by minstrel312

TO VIEW IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE

Reader Supported: All Contributions Appreciated and Accepted Here

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam
August 19, 2018 Volume 10 Number 50

Be informed. Be entertained. Be empowered. Read The Northstar Journal

INSIDE: Immigration, An Experience Shared By All; World Headlines At A Glance; From Olya – Could Genoa Happen Here?; Rusty’s Uncle Seamus; For Your Consideration; Our Science Section, Unabridged; Praise; Censure; Travel; The Green Beat; Health; Community, Home & Lifestyle; Best of the Net; Masha & the Bear; Northstar General Store; All Creatures Great & Small; You Guys Think We Make This Stuff Up; About Us

IMMIGRATION, AN EXPERIENCE SHARED BY ALL

Hi again, gang, from the shores of The Salish Sea: Most contemporary discussions of immigration seem to emphasize their rights. Given the abuse of the system, I think that is totally appropriate and I approve. However, I also believe we need balance.

I’ve lived from one end of the American Pacific Coast to the other and in communities almost as ethnically diverse as the one in which I am living now in South Seattle. I have had mostly good experiences with ethnic diversity and have always respected what respects me and mine.

My good will comes from the way these “new Americans” choose to live. While total assimilation is neither their goal nor mine, to learn not only what is, but why it is certainly should be. So should a cultural inventory in terms of what the new can contribute to the “established”.

It also means avoiding drawing unfavorable attention to one’s self or group by being loud, overly gregarious and exclusionary to the point where it looks like rather than coming to a new land for a new life, the goal is a beach-head for an invasion.

The Russian blonde is reading over my shoulder and is pointing out that at some point in time, most people have been “immigrants”. If you’ve moved to a new city or state, you’re an immigrant. If you’ve switched schools or a job, you’re an immigrant.

When you look at it that way, immigration and assimilation are both American experiences, shared by all.

That’s it for this week, gang. Take care, stay well and God Bless. Rusty

Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer who lives in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

THE PAST WEEK’S WORLD HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

FROM OLYA

COULD GENOA HAPPEN HERE?

Seems like rain was leading the headlines this week. While most people — when thinking of rain — imagine its poetic side, as we all also know, on some unfortunate occasions it can lead to disaster. And even though we do, we can’t blame the weather itself.

It is neither good nor bad but in combination with human mistakes it often lkeadscould lead to irremediable circumstances like in Genoa, when heavy rains caused that city’s main connecting bridge to the Italian mainland to collapse.

“It is not acceptable that such an important bridge was not built to avoid this kind of collapse,” deputy transport minister Edoardo Rixi told the world recently.

Could such tragedy have been avoided? And could it happen where I live? That made me immediately think about bridges across Dnipro River in Kyiv and Dnipro City. All of them are pretty old and according to famous words of Kyiv’s mayor about one in the capital- the Shuliavskiy Overbridge – “tired”.

This is also what he said when that structure collapsed last year, fortunately without victims. The recent rains in Kyiv also put the mayor under critics of the locals who experienced the consequences of flooding and one of the main reasons is the poor drainage problem which has not been tackled yet: The weather in Kiev storm flooded streets and washed cars. flooding many underground passages and road networks and even, as evidenced by the videos in that article, the underground tube and shopping centers were full of water.

But for as much inclement weather as Ukraine got, the Most Rain Fury Award this week goes to India, with “state’s worst monsoon in almost a century”. Kerala Floods Live Updates: Public Transport System Collapses In Many Parts Of Central Keral.

Prayers to this nation.

That’s it for this week, Mishka. Stay dry, my cousin.

Editor’s Note: Sometimes Olya’s sense of humour runs a bit to the bizarre. Where I live has not seen measurable rainfall in several months, despite its reputation for being one of the soggiest places on the planet.

ACCORDING TO RUSTY’S INFAMOUS UNCLE SEAMUS: Despite all the signs to the contrary, life is the only one-way street.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Aretha Franklin: Civil Rights Icon

OUR SCIENCE SECTION, UNABRIDGED

Good for these folks. There’s plenty of room out there and this could solve a lot of problems for the subject nation. Narendra Modi Says India Will Send A Manned Flight Into Space By 2022

These photos are as dramatic as they are descriptive. Dust, Smoke And North America’s Sunsets

Disaster defined. We’re Putting More Homes In The Path Of Wildfires

Earth

The Rare Blue The Mayans Invented

What’s Causing Florida’s Algae Crisis? 5 Questions Answered

Carbon Monoxide From California Wildfires Drifts East

Outer Space

Favorite Perseid Meteor Shower Photos

Happy Chinese Valentine’s Day, From Vega

Astronomers Find Weird Rogue World With Wild Auroras

Technology

Google Releases A Searchable Database Of US Political Ads

Google Tracks Users Who Turn Off Location History

Corncobs Could Be The Fuel Of The Future, Chinese Scientists Find

PRAISE

Aretha Franklin Sang Her Way Through America’s History

The Story Of The First Woman To Join The U.S. Marines

The Weather Channel Is On A Mission To Document The Damage Of Climate Change

The Country Engineering Happiness

How Backyard Cottages Could Help Close The Affordable Housing Gap

Environmentalists Sue To Protect Orcas

CENSURE

Judge Dismisses Kids’ Lawsuit Seeking To Protect The Climate

A Crackdown On Minorities In Northeast India Threatens To Strip 4 Million People Of Citizenship

Children Pulled From Rubble After Deadly Syria Blast

The Jail To Homelessness Pipeline

The Pot Industry Has A Big Waste Problem

Second Cardinal Withdraws From Ireland Congress Amid Abuse Scandals

TRAVEL

The Guatemalan Deity Of Vice

Asia’s Capital Of Connection

Heathrow Airport Passport Queues Reach 2.5 Hours

A Greek Island That Defeated The Nazis

The Islands With A ‘Third Gender

Why Some People Have A Crippling Fear Of Flying—And How To Overcome It’

THE GREEN BEAT

Is Your Joint Helping To Ruin The Environment?

How Houseplants Could Save Us From Toxic Buildings

Another Setback For The Keystone Pipeline

A Derailing For Trans Mountain’s Canadian Pipeline?

A River Of Oil

HEALTH

Burning Health Questions? Email TIME’s Health Editors

Does Sunscreen Ever Expire? Here’s What To Know

This May Be The Secret To Feeling Younger And Living Longer

You Asked: Can Indoor Plants Really Purify The Air?

This Is The Healthiest Non-Dairy Milk

Is Oatmeal Healthy? Here’s What The Experts Say

How People With Type 2 Diabetes Can Lower Their Health Risks

Low-Carb Diets Could Shorten Life, Study Suggests

Eating This Many Carbs Is Linked To A Longer Life. Here’s Why

Epipen Gets Its First Generic Rival After Criticism For High Price

COMMUNITY, FAMILY, HOME AND LIFESTYLE

You Could Own A Piece Of The Neighborhood

Views: Why Drivers Should Support Bike Lanes

Valuing The True Cost Of Eating Out

The Case For Community Gardens

What If We Treated Homelessness Like An Earthquake?

Fishing For Coins In The Ganges River To Survive

Working-Class White Women Could Make Or Break Midterms

How Do Kids Experience Racism?

Should You Work Alone Or Collaborate With Others?

How To Spot A Narcissist

How Cities ‘Nudge’ Better Behaviour

The History Of Rosa Parks’ House Is The History Of Redlining

BEST OF THE NET

If this does not motivate us to put more money into our infrastructures, we will die foolish and beyond redemption. Genoa Bridge: ‘I Was Under The Bridge When It Collapsed’

Heaven just got itself another angel. I am so looking forward to listening to her forever. Aretha Franklin: In Her Own Words

If this does not tug your heartstrings, you need to ask God for a new one. Kids Battling Illnesses Become ‘Chief’ For A Day – Youtube

MASHA AND THE BEAR

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

We promise you won’t be eaten by a megalodon Uh huh. How much of the planet is covered with water? And how much of that has been explored? And you can guarantee there’s not one of these blood-thirsty carnivores as big as an ICBM down there somewhere? Riiight.

Whale Rescued From Fishing Net In Chile Outstanding and way to go, guys.

My apologies to the species and the little country involved but I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I read this. The Unexpected Animals Roaming Cuba

SHORTS

Only The Strong Survived: Resilient Bees To Pass Strong Genes Onto Next Generation

Marine Worms Are Eating Plastic Now

Rebuilding A Creek Where Trout Can Thrive

YOU GUYS THINK WE MAKE THIS STUFF UP

Teenager Recovers After Lightning Strike In Arizona

The Only Country With A $7 Banknote

Sussex Woman Stalked By Husband Impersonating Ex-Boyfriend

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IT DOES NOT TAKE ANGST AND MELODRAMA TO SAVE THE PLANET

Posted on August 12, 2018 by minstrel312

TO VIEW IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam
August 12, 2018 Volume 10 Number 49

Reader Supported: All Contributions Appreciated and Accepted Here

Be informed. Be entertained. Be empowered. Read The Northstar Journal

Inside: It Does Not Take Angst And Melodrama To Save The Planet; World Headlines At A Glance; From Olya – Lyiv, a Film Destination Emerging; Rusty’s Uncle Seamus; For Your Consideration; Our Science Section, Unabridged; Praise; Censure; Travel; The Green Beat; Health; Community, Home & Lifestyle; Best of the Net; Masha & the Bear; Northstar General Store; All Creatures Great & Small; You Guys Think We Make This Stuff Up; About Us

Photo courtesy of http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zznwmXbFzzs/TwzcGFiYkDI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/MLeKHXZo3co/s1600/Gaea-Gaia–Mother-Earth-40577007905.jpg

IT DOES NOT TAKE ANGST AND MELODRAMA TO SAVE THE PLANET

Hi again, gang, from the shores of The Salish Sea: Well, Seattle’s getting a temporary break from its own heat wave and I wish to Almighty God that was true in Australia, California, Japan, the UK and other places around the world.

If I was just a little truer to my paternal Druid roots, I’d suspect the Planet Herself (“Gaia,” she is called in my house) was very angry and like a flea-invested dog, was doing everything she could to rid herself of the source of her misery.

If that, in fact, turns out to be the case, I cannot say I blame her. These cyclic climactic extremes started long before human beings did. To what extent we made them more dramatic is a moot point. Does anyone honestly believe that a lifestyle fueled by removing what was also here and turning it into substances that kill us one way or another is GOOD for Mother Earth and those of us with whom she shares her hospitality? Looking at you guys over the top of my specs.

I appreciate all the rhetoric, promises, etc behind an awareness and an appreciation of our contribution to lethalizing the earth’s own growth and renewal. I’m also aware that there are a few simple things each and every single person on this environmentally benighted planet can do to mitigate that impact. They are not complicated things. They are not difficult to do and they are not difficult habits to acquire. In my family, we make a contest out of seeing how small we can make our respective carbon footprints.

Granted, some of our results are pretty extreme and occasionally “rolling on the floor” laughable. But then my family tends to reflect the species in general. That’s not always easy to live with or reconcile but it does make getting up in the morning generally the start of a very interesting day.

Perhaps more to the point, it is also fun and living proof that it does not take angst and melodrama to save the planet, only the desire to do so. If we, as a species, lack that desire, we will perish and the planet will prevail without us.

That’s it for this week, gang. Take care, stay well and God Bless. Rusty

Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer who lives in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

THE PAST WEEK’S WORLD HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

FROM OLYA

LYIV, A FILM DESTINATION EMERGING

Hi Rusty:

As you know, my country has a tradition of theatre dating back to the 16^th Century and a film industry to the early 20^th. While Kiev and Odessa have been primary film locations for not only domestic but foreign projects, this city, Lviv (Lyiv) through which I am now strolling is emerging as another primate location.

Why? Perhaps because of its medieval European architectural masterpieces dating back to the13th Century. I did, in fact, stumble onto shootings of what it seems to be a music video by international team from Middle East. That made me think about the great possibilities this little town could offer for those who would like to get European looking back ground but do not want to spend an enormous amount for it.

I read recently that one hour shooting in the city cost less then 15 dollars and city council is very welcoming of such projects. Last year, four films were set here. Of course it’s only the beginning but with time Lviv can become a destination for filming too. As for me one of my favorite Soviets movies were shot here called D’Artagnan and Three Musketeers after A. Dumas’ famous work.

That’s it for this week, Mishka. Stay cool, beloved cousin mine.

According to Rusty’s infamous Uncle Seamus: It’s only a natural disaster when it inconveniences human beings.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Family ‘Stunned’ By Fatal Crash As Investigators Reveal Details Of How It Happened

OUR SCIENCE SECTION, UNABRIDGED

I stayed up late to watch this and it was well worth it. Parker Solar Probe: NASA Launches Mission To ‘Touch The Sun’

I know the feeling. Rise In Wolf Attacks Alarms Dutch Farmers

Why does this remind me of the 1968 American film Planet of the Apes? Primate Brains Reveal Speech

Earth

Coral Reefs ‘Weathered Dinosaur Extinction

Prehistoric Mass Graves Linked To Tsunamis

Why Wildfires Are Bigger And Harder To Control

Outer Space

How NASA Will Shield Solar Probe From Crazy Heat

Scientists Identify Best Exoplanets For Earth-Like Life

Astronomers Discover New, Enigmatic Fast Radio Burst

Technology

Designing The Death Of Plastic

Organic Solar Cells Set New Energy Record

Will We Ever Be Able To Freeze Time?

PRAISE

King County Metro Named Nation’s Top Public Transportation Agency

Rashida Tlaib Set To Be First Muslim Woman Elected To Congress

France’s Gender Equality Minister Cracked Down On Catcalling. She’s Just Getting Started

Meet Your Trend-Setters, 2018: Women

U.S. To Return Colonization Era Church Bells To The Philippines

CENSURE

Off-The-Grid Dream Becomes Nightmare In New Mexico Compound

German Couple Jailed For Selling Son To Paedophiles On Dark Net

New Mexico: Police Find 11 Starving Children In Compound

Black Women Are Paid Only 62.5% Of What Men Make. Here’s How To Fix That

Argentina’s Abortion Vote Reveals The Catholic Church’s Deep Fear Of Female Desire: Writer

New York Congressman Chris Collins Indicted On Insider Trading Charges

What’s In The Water? West Coast Sewage Threaten Chinook Salmon

TRAVEL

The Country That Cannot Slow Down

The Complex Art Of Apology In Japan

A French Village Committed To Deception

THE GREEN BEAT

What’s With Exxon’s Big Algae Push?

Seattle’s Link To Run Almost Entirely On Renewable Energy

Worst Types Of Litter: Plastic Straws Not Even In The Top 5

HEALTH

Burning Health Questions? Email Time’s Health Editors

Exercise Is Good For Your Mental Health—But Only To A Point

Lowering Your Blood Pressure Could Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk, New Research Shows

Italy’s Government Is Trying To Overturn A Lifesaving Vaccination Law

This Food Causes The Most Illness Outbreaks, Says CDC

Trying To Be Happy Is Making You Miserable. Here’s Why

A Diverse Diet May Not Be The Healthiest

COMMUNITY, FAMILY, HOME AND LIFESTYLE

Do Retired Folks Become Homeless?

Views: Fighting California Wildfires As An Inmate

Why Are Our Clothes So Bad For The Environment?

Are Wealthy Nations Hoarding The World’s Fish Supply?

People Hate When You’re Petty, According To Science

Here’s How To Brag Without Making People Hate You

BEST OF THE NET

This is a glimpse of both the past and the future. Fire Cloud Over California, From Space

This is a trip. Want To Trick Your Ears?

This is a Special Feature from Time Magazine. This Photographer Spent The Year Since Charlottesville Documenting White Supremacists

MASHA AND THE BEAR

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

We certainly did not know this. Today, Sunday, 12 August, is World Elephant Day. The Unique Elephant Brain

This is incredible. A Galaxy Of Falcons: Witnessing The Amur Falcon’s Massive Migration Flocks

This is NOT good press for these guys. Video Shows The Moment A 12-Foot Great White Shark Jumped At A Researcher

SHORTS

Rescue Team Cleared To Help Ailing Orca In US, Canada Waters

That Pain You Feel About Orcas? The Lummi Know It Well

Think Sharks Are The Coolest Ocean Predators? Consider Mantis Shrimps

FOLKS WE FOLLOW

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s August 2018 newsletter is now online and it is awesome.

YOU GUYS THINK WE MAKE THIS STUFF UP

The World’s Largest Ice Cream Parlour?

Dozens Of Octopuses Are Walking Up Onto Shore For No Apparent Reason

The Deity That Gets People Out Of Jail

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

ANOTHER OF THOSE “INTERESTING” WEEKS”

Posted on August 5, 2018 by minstrel312

TO VIEW IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam
August 5, 2018 Volume 10 Number 48

Reader Supported: All Contributions Appreciated and Accepted Here

Be informed. Be entertained. Be empowered. Read The Northstar Journal

INSIDE: Another Of Those Interesting Weeks; World Headlines At A Glance; From Olya – Fighting Corruption In Ukraine; Rusty’s Uncle Seamus; For Your Consideration; Our Science Section, Unabridged; Praise; Censure; Travel; The Green Beat; Health; Community, Home & Lifestyle; Best of the Net; Masha & the Bear; Northstar General Store; All Creatures Great & Small; You Guys Think We Make This Stuff Up; About Us

ANOTHER OF THOSE “INTERESTING” WEEKS”

Hi again, gang, from the shores of The Salish Sea: It has been another of those “interesting weeks”. The Carr Fire in Northern California which destroyed much of a city in which I grew up has now consumed an area about twice the size of Seattle and 14 times as large as Manhattan. And this is not the end of the fire season but the middle of it.

When I see something like this – Chinese Girl Fighting For Life After Falling Into Pool At Birthday Party – my first instinct is to scream, “if you can’t watch ‘em, don’t have ‘em!” And here’s another I believe in miracles. Mexico Plane Crash: All 103 People On Board Survive

Closer to home and on a perhaps more practical level, I had an opportunity to be a part of rewarding someone for an “above the call” moment. That’s done a lot in my world to encourage such behavior and I usually have pretty good luck choosing something the recipient will appreciate.

However, the Russian-Ukrainian blonde with the eight million megawatt brain has come up with a better game plan and one which assures total success. “Mishka, don’t guess. Ask.”

There is nothing in this entire world quite like having a best friend with one’s IQ to the tenth power to keep one humble.

That’s it for this week, gang. Take care, stay well and God Bless. Rusty

Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer who lives in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

THE PAST WEEK’S WORLD HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

FROM OLYA

Scene from the Maidan Revolution. Photo courtesy of https://www.ecfr.eu/page/-/maidan_4

FIGHTING CORRUPTION IN UKRAINE

Hi Everyone:

Looking through the recent Ukrainian news, this drew my immediate attention. “Savage Attack On Kherson Civic Activist Known For Scathing Criticism Of Police Corruption”, Kateryna Handziuk , a prominent Ukrainian civic activist, participant in the Maidan Revolution and former United Nations Development Program regional representative, is best known in Ukraine for her public campaign exposing corruption in the Ministry of Interior Affairs.

Reforming of the police started in March 2014. While there were some positive results like new police officers being hired and many of them really eager to “serve and protect” (and I know such brave people). Still the ones working on streets can’t always affect the situation in upper echelons. The unsolved cases on assaults of famous journalists like Gongadze, Sheremet or Buzina just makes the criminals feel free to continue.

As Transparency International Ukraine rightly demands, “The police must show the society that attacks against social activists are a crime, and the perpetrators must and will be brought to justice.”

What we all need is to strengthen the rule of law so everyone in our society feels protected from attacks of any kind. Also while society, in my opinion, is still divided by hatred messages, the feature that FaceBook and other media have a for flagging hate speech becomes quite valuable. Maybe if we used it more often here, there would be less spreading hatred, dividing people or nudging individuals with weak psychology to unrightful actions like happened recently on racist grounds with Roma nationality.

That’s it for this week. Stay cool, Mishka. It’s hot here too. Smiling and waving from a train. Love, Olya

According to Rusty’s infamous Uncle Seamus: If his brains were dynamite, that poor chap couldn’t blow a fuse.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

How Should The Media Cover Suicides? A New Study Has Some Answers

OUR SCIENCE SECTION, UNABRIDGED

Okay, this is a little scary. Robots, Immune To Fear Or Favour, Are Making China’s Foreign Policy

This must come as good news, especially to the people who live there, right? We Are Now One Step Closer To Predicting Tibet’s Devastating Quakes

Okay, this tweaked my Scale of Weird a little. Think You Could Do More if You Just Had an Extra Hand? You’re Probably Right.

Earth

Natural Burials Are Rising, And That’s Good For The Planet

A Warm Water Mass Called “The Blob” Is Killing Alaska’s Cod

Rare Reflection Rainbow Over Michigan

Outer Space

Asgardia: The First Space Nation?

Dust In Space: 10 Cool Things To Know

20 Years Of Tracking Near-Earth Objects

An Easier Way To Search For Life On Europa

How Far Is A Light-Year?

Technology

Engineers Use CRISPR To Create A New Species With Just One Chromosome

Town Dusts Off Typewriters After Cyber-Attack

How Using A Drone Changed The Way This Photographer Saw Inequality

PRAISE

Pompeo Urges Release Of Reuters Reporters In Meeting With Myanmar Minister

US Release Of 3D-Printed Gun Software Blocked

Mamma Maria: The Greek Mother Who Loves To Share

Facebook Bans Pages Aimed At US Election Interference

CENSURE

Britain’s Labour Leader Sees ‘Real Problem’ Of Anti-Semitism In Party

Surrounded By Oil Fields, A Village In Alaska Fears For Its Health

Chinese Girl Fighting For Life After Falling Into Pool At Birthday Party

The Influence Campaign Facebook Just Uncovered Is A ‘Canary In The Coal Mine,’ Experts Say

Malaysia Flight 370 Was ‘Steered Off Course Deliberately,’ Report Says

TRAVEL

The US Island That Feels Like Russia

In Search Of My Grandfather’s Gold

Vietnam Bridge: Walking Through A God’s Hands

THE GREEN BEAT

Increased Fracking = Increased Air Pollution

Space-Based Solar Power: How Close To Reality?

HEALTH

Burning Health Questions? Email TIME’s Health Editors

Why Having Sex Makes You Feel Better The Next Day

Several Of The Biggest Pharma Giants Are Freezing Drug Prices. Here’s How It Will Affect You

The Case For More Male Organ Donors

What Is Intermittent Fasting, And Is It Actually Good For You?

A New Study Shows Just How Much Doctors Prescribe Opioids

Foods Can Be Endangered, Too. Here Are 9 That Need Our Protection.

WHO Warns Of New Yemen Cholera Surge, Asks For Ceasefire To Vaccinate

COMMUNITY, FAMILY, HOME AND LIFESTYLE

Here’s How Much You Need To Make To Afford A Home In Every State

Inside Lebron James’s New $8 Million Public School, Where Students Get Free Bikes, Meals, And College Tuition

The World’s Oldest Ice Cream?

The Truth About The Humble French Fry

Is This The End Of Laundry?

Social Media And Reality TV Is ‘Bad For Body Image’, Survey Suggests

Retroactive Jealousy: Obsessed With My Partner’s Past

Changes Coming To Your Gas Mileage

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This song, written by American composer Irving Berlin in the final years of the First World War and popularized during the second one by Kate Smith, is as resonant today as it was back then and rendered beautifully by perhaps the most talented entertainer of her gender since Shirley Temple Black, Jackie Evancho. Enjoy, then, and God Bless America.

This, to me, is an incredible way to study history. Augmented Reality Recreates A New York City Not Seen For Centuries

And no reference to beautiful voices would be complete without including my personal favorite in a song I realized is not about returning to the old neighborhood, but about going Home. Here, then, is Sissel and Going Home.

MASHA AND THE BEAR

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

Here’s jungle justice at its most sublime, eh? Lions Eat Suspected Rhino Poachers On South African Game Reserve

I’m kind of glad I don’t live here. A Significant Number of Goats Just Casually Took Over an Idaho Neighborhood

Our prayers are with this one. Another J Pod Orca Calf Is Sick; Scientists Fight To Save Her Life

YOU GUYS THINK WE MAKE THIS STUFF UP

The Cause Of Chipotle’s Latest Heath Scare Is A Mystery

12 Shark Facts That Might Surprise You

Which Lizards Can Outlast A Hurricane?

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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: The NFL Fought Trump’s Bullying 30 Years Ago And Won. Should It Do It Again?

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IMMIGRANTS IN GERMANY: A FIRSTHAND REPORT

FROM THE SHORES OF THE SALISH SEA:

PERSPECTIVE: A TRIBUTE TO BBC WORLD SERVICE

Hi again, gang, from the shores of The Salish Sea: Someone where I live and a first responder who works the same midnight to noon shift I do has heard me listening to the BBC World Service, some of which, as many of you know, is sadder than the headline version of it.

Given what I do professionally, he wondered why, when I’m working or outside in my “hutch,” where I decompress post-shift, that would be my medium and my program of choice. Appropriate enough question politely rendered and the answer, actually, is quite simple.

Perspective.

Perspective which makes me considerably more appreciative of what I have and much less frustrated or disappointed with what I do not have.

Perspective which makes me very protective of those I love and those for whom I care.

Perspective which suggests that the “news” I have personally experienced in war and in peace is regrettably too common an experience among our global family and that there are enough violin players on that street corner.

Perspective which reaffirms my faith in the human spirit to survive and grow, despite the lethal weeds still flourishing in Our Garden and perhaps still in the souls of far too many of us.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: Faces In The Darkness: The Victims Of ’Non-Lethal’ Weapons In Kashmir

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Outstanding. Plastic Catcher Heads For Ocean Clean-Up

Think of how many lives this would save and enhance. Large-Scale Wind And Solar Power ‘Could Green The Sahara

Vector Robot Is Everything You Want In A Sidekick

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HAPPY LABOR DAY, AMERICA; GOOD-BYE CAPTAIN MCCAIN

FROM OLYA

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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: This past week, the world lost an exemplary human being. Here are his final words to us. ‘Do Not Despair Of Our Present Difficulties.’ Read John McCain’s Powerful Farewell Letter

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Be informed. Be entertained. Be empowered. Read The Northstar Journal

CHILD ABUSE RESPECTS NO FLAG, RELIGION, INSTITUTION, INDUSTRY OR INDIVIDUAL

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WE ARE NOT 27 YEARS OF AGE: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UKRAINE

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