ALL THE MIRACLES GOD HATH WROUGHT

Posted on October 9, 2021 by minstrel312
Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam
October 10, 2021  Volume 13 Number 43
Reader Supported
Our Content: All The Miracles God Hath Wrought; Ukraine Babi Yar Museum; News; People, Economics, History, Health, Home & Gardens; Earth, Climate Change, The Green Agenda, Space, Technology, Travel, Best of the Net, Media of the Week, Masha & the Bear; All Creatures Great & Small, About Us
Sea-Tac Tower.  Photo by Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller

ALL THE MIRACLES GOD HATH WROUGHT

Rusty Miller, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea.  I thought you guys might appreciate something I’ve created on the deck outside my bedroom window. It’s a meditation mini wildlife sanctuary that was fun to create and didn’t tax the budget.  I did a bit of landscape gardening to good effect and so can you.

For perspective, I live in South Seattle, which is more rural than urban.  I can see the Seattle-Tacoma (SeaTac) Tower and from the deck outside, looking southeast, Mount Rainier.  This house is shared and is as big as the Ponderosa, on three acres of woods, lawn and structures.  It has a village feel to it.  My wing is semi-private and my landlord is one of my best friends.  I’ve been here about six years now.

Okay, time to check this out, starting from the ceiling, which is also the deck above.  It’s where the bird feeders are.

Last is the Water Garden.

All told, this “Water Garden” attracts Stellar jays, English sparrows, chickadees, hummingbirds and squirrels, who compete with the bluejays for peanuts but leave the scattered birdseed alone.

That white column is one of several supporting an upper deck.  Where the photographer is sitting is a wooden table with a stained glass top, flanked by another wicker chair and two recycled office chairs.  Under the table is stored birdseed, peanuts, paper towels, Bug Spray and a spray bottle of ‘green’ utility cleaner.  I also keep a three ring notebook and two ballpoint pens.   

I also have a flex hose which we use for this patio/deck as well and with that hose, I can fill both of those big blue bowls I have made into ponds, using white aquarium sand and two solar powered pumps which spray water up about four inches.

The greenery is wild spearmint around the pond.  The stuff in the big buckets is essentially birdseed on steroids.  Some of it is maize.  Bamboo was once an invasive problem and so were blackberries.  Not here.  Thanks to the wild spearmint, we have no rats.

It’s a great place to meditate, pray, entertain quiet company, commune with the critters and celebrate quietly all the miracles God hath wrought.

Rusty

Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller  is a Northern California  born author, photojournalist and editor. Now living in Seattle, Washington.  For comments, please go here

Photo courtesy of TIME

UKRAINE BABI YAR MUSEUM

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty:

On September 29, Ukraine opened its new Holocaust Museum commemorating Babi Yar and the international media has been wondering if the new memorial is also an instrument of Kremlin Propaganda?  Sigh. Sometimes politics is a bit confusing. Do they actually use it or not?

Like in that ravine in Kyiv, in my hometown of Dnipro, there are also many group graves dating from the Second World War. How many of victims lay there, no one knows … My paternal grandfather did mention once that when his family were trying to escape Nazis in 1941, they appeared on the road full of bodies. Grandfather was small then so his memories were quite fragmentary. He just remembers that when the Germans came, everyone fought for their lives to survive.  Many did not.

A bit different story was in western Ukraine. Here the Germans were deemed as liberators from the Soviet Union. So I do have understanding what they meant by Russian propaganda, but Russians are too clever to base it on empty space. They understand there is a different mentality between the eastern and western parts of my country.

In the West, some did collaborate so their people didn’t have the same destiny as in other parts of Ukraine.  As a result, they do not have the same sort of resentment as people in the East towards any nationalistic ideologies. Divide et empera (divide and rule) always worked. So that cracking point in ideology indeed was probably used by some forces for whom a split Ukraine gives additional gains. 

How could Babi Yar tragedy happen?  When both sides fighting each other have an enemy in common?  It can and does happen easily.  Ask any Jew.

Olya

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. She travels Europe in conjunction with a family intelligence technology business and is proactively involved in protecting the forests of the Carpathian Mountains.  For comments, please go here.  

NEWS:  INTERNATIONAL

China’s Power Crunch Is Being Fueled By A ‘Simple And Brutal’ Approach To Climate Change Targets

One Colombian Community’s Quest For Peace

French Report: 330,000 Children Victims Of Church Sex Abuse

2 Koreas Restore Hotline Despite North’s Missile Tests

New Zealand Admits It Can No Longer Get Rid Of Coronavirus

Is Ukraine’s New Holocaust Memorial Also An Instrument Of Kremlin Propaganda?

The World Health Organization Endorses The World’s First Malaria Vaccine

NEWS:  AMERICAN

How Us Presidents Have Communicated With The Public—From The Telegraph To Twitter

Report Shows Tacoma Saw Fastest Rent Growth Among Metro Cities In Puget Sound

PEOPLE

From Grief To Action: Lessons From A Climate Hero

Meet The Women Participating In The Study That Could Change Future Of Breast Cancer

Nobel Prize Honors Discovery Of Temperature, Touch Receptors

Journalists From Philippines, Russia Given Nobel Peace Prize

Star Trek’s Captain Kirk Rocketing Into Space Next Week

ECONOMICS

Leaked Records Open A “Pandora” Box Of Financial Secrets

Inside The Battle For The Hearts And Minds Of Tomorrow’s Business Leaders

China Is Not Heading Toward A Market Economy, Often Due To Its Own Policies, Report Concludes

HISTORY

Rethinking How We Celebrate American History—Indigenous Peoples’ Day

How Did The Salem Witch Trials Influence The American Legal System?

HEALTH

Want To Live Longer? Science Says To Do These 5 Things

6 Eating Habits And Foods That Weaken Your Immune System

CDC Warns Flu Season Could Be ‘Severe’ This Year: Here’s Why, And How To Protect Yourself

Merck’s Covid-19 Antiviral Drug Cuts Hospitalizations And Deaths By Half

Receiving A Flu Shot And Covid Vaccine At The Same Time Is Safe, Study Finds

Why, When And How To Test At-Home For Covid-19

HOME & GARDENS

Perennial Grains Start Appearing On Grocery Store Shelves

Woman Lives And Works Remotely Full-Time In Charming Motorhome Renovation

Family Biking: Bikes And Kids And Rain, Oh My!

Vegan Foodie: Impossible Pork, Sticky Fingers Goes National, DiCaprio’s New Bet

Google’s Nest Renew Program Helps You Use More Clean Energy

Thai Corn And Tomato Salad

Corn And Shrimp Tempura Fritters With Green Tea

Indonesian Corn Fritters

OUR WORLD & BEYOND

Getty Images

What To See In The Night Sky For October 2021

First Ocean Drone Video From Inside A Hurricane

Half A Million Acres Of The Scottish Highlands Will Be Rewilded

EARTH

Earth Is Dimming Due To Climate Change

New Resource Outlines Nature-Based Solutions For Dealing With Flooding

Why Do Trees Shed Their Leaves?

CLIMATE CHANGE

Track Climate Policy With This Newsletter

UAE Sets Net Zero By 2050 Target, Promises Renewable Investments

Turkey Ratifies The Paris Agreement After Approving A 2053 Net Zero Goal

UK’s 2035 Zero-Carbon Electricity Goal Is A Diplomatic Trendsetter, Analysts Say

India’s Vulnerability To Coal Shocks Exposed Amid Surging Energy Demand And Prices

THE GREEN AGENDA

Biden To Restore Climate Criteria To Landmark Environmental Law

New Site Tracks Emissions From The World’s Largest Airports

SPACE

Draconid Meteor Shower 2021: All You Need To Know

Eyes In The Sky: New NASA Satellite Will Watch Climate Change

NASA’s Lucy Probe Asteroid Mission Will Study Fossil-Like Origins Of Our Solar System

The Latest From NASA’s Earth Observatory 

TECHNOLOGY

Small Electric Planes Could Help Decarbonize Air Transportation

Ex-Facebook Employee Bringing Sharp Criticisms To Congress

New Tech Enables Better Marine Reserve Management

BEST OF THE NET 

Bradley Walker, Joey Feek – In The Time That You Gave Me (Live)

Family Sowell – Devil Went Down To Georgia

‘Sister Act’ Reunion: Whoopi Goldberg And Co-Stars Perform | The View

TRAVEL

10 World Engineering Marvels

Underwater Museum Allows Divers To Explore Shipwrecks From The Battle Of Gallipoli

Visit Seattle

The New Swiss Family Robison.  A fresher but equally entertaining version of this adventure classic.  David Carradine and Jane Seymour in stellar roles.
Photo courtesy of Susan Kietzman, Author, Grandpa, What’s a Bookstore?
NORTHSTAR BOOKSTORE 
WRATH OF THE USS TESTAMENT:  A super power no longer, a resource hungry and repressive America faces a Latin American armada rampaging its west coast and a strong, silent and powerful Canada manning the North Wall. The fires of rebellion burn in the Pacific Northwest and it is into this crucible and forge that the cybernetic patrol boat Testament and her crew are thrust. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters who spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. For a $4.00 Kindle Book adventure you will remember for a lifetime, please go here.
By Olya Bereza:  ROCKY THE ROCKET:  Holley Dovetail. This is one of several of short novels for the young and the young at heart. To preview and/or purchase on amazon.com, please go here. https://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Rocket-Holley-Dovetail-ebook/dp/B071XYRDB5
By Olya Bereza:  RAINBOW RISING:  This little fairy-tale is dedicated to a pet friend gone chasing the rainbow and a child’s good-bye..  Yep, go here. http://litnet.com/en/book/rainbow-rising-b187572Girl sitting in bookstore
Human rights activist Nina Ansary’s imminent best seller is now available in Kindle and hard copy at amazon.com

WRITER FOR HIRE

ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL

Invasive Joro Spiders Spinning Golden Webs In Georgia

Largest Marine Protected Area *Works*

Modern Crocodiles Are Evolving At A Rapid Rate

ABOUT US:  The Northstar Journal is a weekly online general interest magazine which has been serving an international readership since 2007. Its editor is a professional journalist living in Seattle.  Its associate editor is European.  Our email address is minstrel312@aol.com  We are reader supported so if you would like to make a contribution, please go to our PayPal account here.  Thank you.
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RINGMASTER OF THE HEART

Posted on October 2, 2021 by minstrel312
Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam
October 3, 2021  Volume 13 Number 42
Reader Supported
Our Content: Ringmaster Of The Heart; The Island; News; People, Economics, History, Health, Home & Gardens; Earth, Climate Change, The Green Agenda, Space, Technology, Travel, Best of the Net, Media of the Week, Masha & the Bear; All Creatures Great & Small, About Us
Radio Consultant Valerie Geller About Creative Storytelling | Radio))) ILOVEIT

RINGMASTER OF THE HEART

Rusty Miller, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea.  As some of you know, I’m a fan of American talk show host George Noory on CBS radio’s AM Coast To Coast AM  Though I’m not “a 32-cents a day subscriber,” I listen to his radio program nightly.  And encourage others to pay for it, even though I can’t afford it.

He’s a grounded family man and media professional whose guests have written or produced other media across a pretty esoteric scale, including the supernatural, UFOs, ancient history, mythology, healing, reincarnation, communicating with the dead and nutrition.

He’s a great host, as this interview with intuition author Kim Chesny attests and it is also what he does not discuss that makes me like him.  If he has a political or religious agenda, it rarely displays itself.  He is a people person to the max and someone who listens with his mouth closed.

The show also takes calls from listeners and that direct interaction among guest, host and audience member is probably where George shines brightest.  He’s one of the brightest ringmasters in the Circus of the Heart.

Thank you, George, for all you do for us. 

Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller  is a Northern California  born author, photojournalist and editor. Now living in Seattle, Washington.  For comments, please go here

THE ISLAND

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty:

From the Isle of Wight again.  . As Jane Austen writes in her third novel, Mansfield Park, to her, there is no other place in the world like it, so she calls the Isle of Wight ‘The Island.”

Olde England is a name for this land that I do not think is a coincidence.  There are customs here that the locals maintain rigorously and which remind me of my grandmother.  It’s tidy.  It’s clean.  You can always ask for a cup of tea and if you like milk in it, they will bring you “a white tea.”

This place reminds me – powerfully and poignantly – of how much I miss my grandmother and the stories she told us so often.  To this day, I enjoy listening more than talking. Sometimes, passing by these English houses so traditionally adorned and decked out, my heart aches for her and I so wish we could take tea.  But she lives far away in the in the Urals.  I haven’t hugged her for so many years, and every year it seems that the whole world conspires to make the way there even more difficult. 

I think I started to understand the secret of why people in England have a high standard of living and enjoy longevity.  The answer is the continuity of generations.  When in my part of the world every generation wants to start everything from scratch, when the next revolutionaries say they know the best, I think this is the recipe for disaster.  One day when we begin to respect and appreciate the elderly, perhaps this will be a sign that life is getting better.  Moreover, something to think about as in a couple of decades, we will all have hair just as “white” as theirs.  

And yes, this is the grandmother who instilled in me love of English literature like the beautiful novels she often reread: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë or Pride and Prejudice  by Jane Austen .

Olya

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. She travels Europe in conjunction with a family intelligence technology business and is proactively involved in protecting the forests of the Carpathian Mountains.  For comments, please go here.  

NEWS: INTERNATIONAL

AP Photos: Life In A Madrasa As Afghanistan Enters New Era

Dubai’s Expo Opens, Bringing First World Fair To The Mideast

In Western Europe, Covid-19 Caused The Biggest Drop In Life Expectancy Since World War II

Japan Ex-Diplomat Kishida Wins Party Vote, To Become New PM

100+ Countries Call For Protecting 30% Of Ocean

NEWS:  AMERICAN

Appalachia’s Front Porch Network Is A Lifeline

Flood Insurance Rates To Decrease For Many

How To Protect Your Home From Wildfires

In D.C., 695,000 Flags Memorialize The Americans Who Have Died Of Covid-19

Landmark Jail Reforms Enacted In Michigan

Scholars Spent A Year Scrutinizing America’s Monuments. Here’s What They Learned

The Northwest’s Unhealthy New Season: Smoke

PEOPLE

The Enduring Hope Of Jane Goodall

These Stunning Artworks Capture The Resilience—And Defiance—Of Black Lives Matter

ECONOMICS

U Report: Farm Subsidies Are Causing More Harm Than Good

Why The U.S. Is Losing The Global Race To Decide The Future Of Money

HISTORY

Who Was The Real James Bond?

A Timeline Of US-Cuba Relations

How The US Got Out Of 12 Economic Recessions Since World War II

The State Where Women Voted Long Before The 19th Amendment

How Mexican Vaqueros Inspired The American Cowboy

13 Facts About The 13 Colonies

How The Renaissance Challenged The Church And Influenced The Reformation

Sparta Was Much More Than An Army Of Super Warriors

Where Did The Ancient Etruscans Come From?

3-D Reconstruction Reveals The Faces Of Three Ancient Egyptian Mummies

HEALTH

How Often Do You Really Need To Shower? Dermatologists Reveal The Truth

The 10 Best CBD Oils For Pain Relief, Based On Expert Testing

Why You Feel So Tired All The Time

HOME & GARDENS

Chinese Omelettes With Pork, Shrimp And Snow Peas

Nasi Lemak With Shrimp

Asparagus Tart With Garlic Cream

OUR WORLD & BEYOND

Listen to the beauty of the universe.

EARTH

Kīlauea Spews Magma And Golden Strings Of Volcanic Glass On Hawaii’s Big Island

Low Oxygen Levels Along Pacific Northwest Coast A ‘Silent’ Climate Change Crisis

CLIMATE CHANGE

UK Seeks Alliance To End Public Finance For Coal, Oil And Gas Projects Overseas

China’s Power Crunch Could Fuel Anti-Climate Backlash, Analysts Warn

On Expert Advice, South Africa Cuts Its 2030 Emissions Cap By A Third

THE GREEN AGENDA

The International Energy Agency Aims For Net-Zero By 2024

Paris Shows How To Make Public Housing Greener And More Habitable At The Same Time

SPACE

NASA Lander Records The Largest ‘Marsquakes’ Ever Detected

Sounds Of Space: Jingle, Pluck And Hum

Landsat: 5 Decades Of Imagery And Data

The Latest From NASA’s Earth Observatory 

TECHNOLOGY

All Small Electronics Should Have The Same Charging Port, New E.U. Rule Says

Off-Grid Solar-Powered Shipping Container Tiny House Has It All

What Is Machine Learning, And How Does It Work? Here’s A Short Video Primer

BEST OF THE NET 

Presentation Of All Celtic Women

Chelsea Pensioner Colin Thackerey Wins Britain’s Got Talent!

Dolly Parton – Kennedy Center Honors (This totally rocks)

TRAVEL

Visit Seattle

The Best US National Parks For Fall Foliage

Antarctica — BBC

Mysteries Of The Gods (1977) – William Shatner explores the theory that the US government is involved in a cover-up of visiting alien spacecraft. This documentary contains evidence of extraterrestrial life here on earth. Proof discovered through photographs taken by scientists and evidence of actual voyages found by archaeologists. Everything from the Peruvian crystal skull to the megalith structures in the jungles of southeast Asia is accepted as evidence for the AAS theory. Cave drawings, old legends, biblical stories and even some psychic visions of late Jeane Dixon are understood as stone cold facts.
Photo courtesy of Susan Kietzman, Author, Grandpa, What’s a Bookstore?
NORTHSTAR BOOKSTORE 
WRATH OF THE USS TESTAMENT:  A super power no longer, a resource hungry and repressive America faces a Latin American armada rampaging its west coast and a strong, silent and powerful Canada manning the North Wall. The fires of rebellion burn in the Pacific Northwest and it is into this crucible and forge that the cybernetic patrol boat Testament and her crew are thrust. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters who spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. For a $4.00 Kindle Book adventure you will remember for a lifetime, please go here.
By Olya Bereza:  ROCKY THE ROCKET:  Holley Dovetail. This is one of several of short novels for the young and the young at heart. To preview and/or purchase on amazon.com, please go here. https://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Rocket-Holley-Dovetail-ebook/dp/B071XYRDB5
By Olya Bereza:  RAINBOW RISING:  This little fairy-tale is dedicated to a pet friend gone chasing the rainbow and a child’s good-bye..  Yep, go here. http://litnet.com/en/book/rainbow-rising-b187572
 

WRITER FOR HIRE

Big Sisters Are Better Than Big Brothers If You’re An Elephant

Moments Of Zen And More Striking Images Win Nature Photo Awards

Ode To An Orca

Just How Fat Are The Fat Bears?

ABOUT US:  The Northstar Journal is a weekly online general interest magazine which has been serving an international readership since 2007. Its editor is a professional journalist living in Seattle.  Its associate editor is European.  Our email address is minstrel312@aol.com  We are reader supported so if you would like to make a contribution, please go to our PayPal account here.  Thank you.
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TO SHORT STUFF

Posted on September 25, 2021 by minstrel312

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam

September 26,  2021  Volume 13 Number 41

Reader Supported

Our Content: To Short Stuff; Wet Leg; News; People, Economics, History, Health, Home & Gardens; Earth, Climate Change, The Green Agenda, Space, Technology, Travel, Best of the Net, Media of the Week, Masha & the Bear; All Creatures Great & Small, About Us

TO SHORT STUFF

Rusty Miller, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea.  She was born Shannon Patricia Goddard on a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) base in East Germany, the daughter of a career noncommissioned officer and his prairie wife, Shannon’s mom.

A niece of the actress Paulette Goddard, this small, slender blonde grew up among ranchers and farmers in Manitoba.  She loved horses, even though she herself was more Shetland than Morgan, but within that modest chest, there beat the heart of a champion.  To everyone’s surprise but her own, she became a farrier, a handler of horses.

“Short stuff,” they called her and she basked in the warmth of it.  She had a wild streak in her that made her personal life sound like the Wild West of America.  The woman resembled Sharon Stone’s portrayals.  

She became a quick draw expert with a pair of small caliber revolvers and a marksman of considerable authority with a .410 and an M1 carbine.  She loved to sing and dance and never missed a Friday night out. 

In time, she came to have three kids and supported them by designing a line of children’s clothing for kids and by writing and publishing juvenile short fiction which had an adult appeal, as well.

She was living comfortably in Victoria, Canada, on Vancouver Island, when she learned she’d contracted ovarian cancer.  She hated her first round of chemotherapy because it took her hair, and she retreated to Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Mountains, where she made a living teaching blind kids to ride. 

Her chemo went into remission and when she returned to Victoria, she took a job as the Canadian editor of an online monthly magazine whose total circulation she increased ten fold with some of the most beautiful and interesting pages on the Net.  Not surprising that publication for the two years she held the job won the Hersch Best Read On The Net, the fledgling Internet’s Pulitzer.

When her cancer came out of remission, she said good-bye to all of us and spent the last six weeks of her life with a friend who could make her laugh.  At her request, she was cremated, her ashes tossed to the wind and a small bronze plaque in a rose garden of an undisclosed cemetery.

This week marks the 20th year of her passing.  That magazine she worked for was this one.

Rusty

Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller  is a Northern California  born author, photojournalist and editor. Now living in Seattle, Washington.  For comments, please go here

WET LEG

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty:

The band I discovered for myself during Isle of Wight Festival appeared to be just a local  group called Wet Leg.  These two girls from Sandown have just become recognized for their hit song Chaise Lounge.

I’m not sure who they reminded me of.  Maybe the voice of Lana Del Rey or the acoustic experiments of Nirvana.  But my favorite DNB style dancing is definitely appropriate to their unique sound.  The festival crowd sure seemed to enjoy them too.

I’ve been in the hometown of the lead singers a few times. Sandown had its heyday almost a century ago when its fashionable Ocean Hotel opened in 1899. In the 20th century, it has been a favorite holiday destination for all classes.

Sandown’s colorful past is gone now, the victim of falling airline prices which make more exotic locations within the reach of most.  It was so sad to see that Ocean hotel in ruin.  I’ve seen time to this and I know you guys have too.

And also perhaps like many of you, I believe in the rebirth of nations.  And in places like Sandown, on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.

Olya

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. She travels Europe in conjunction with a family intelligence technology business and is proactively involved in protecting the forests of the Carpathian Mountains.  For comments, please go here.  

NEWS:  INTERNATIONAL

Canada Election: Trudeau Stays In Power But Liberals Fall Short Of Majority

Indonesia Ends Forest Protection Deal With Norway, Raising Deforestation Fears

Protecting Our Oceans

NEWS:  AMERICAN

New York City Plans Massive EV Charging Network

States Are Buying Hotels To House Displaced Wildfire Survivors

Wildfire Victims Left With Nothing Get Hope From Donated RVs

PEOPLE

107-Year-Old Japanese Twins Certified As World’s Oldest

Tabitha Brown Is The Gentlest Person On The Internet

Woman Plans To Help Fellow Rwandan Amputees Get Prosthetics

ECONOMICS

Inside The Nation’s Largest Guaranteed Income Experiment

China Makes Crypto Transactions Illegal, Prompting Bitcoin Market Crash

HISTORY

Fossilized Footprints Reveal An Ancient Elephant Nursery In Spain

Mexico’s Ancient Inhabitants Moved Land And Bent Rivers To Build Teotihuacán

Genetic Study Maps When And How Polynesians Settled The Pacific Islands

Prehistoric Footprints Push Back Timeline Of Humans’ Arrival In North America

HEALTH

19 Thyroid Disease Symptoms You Should Get Checked Out Asap

Unvaccinated Individuals Are 11 Times More Likely To Die From Covid-19

Rural Vaccinations Climb By Fastest Rate In Three Months

HOME & GARDENS

Forget Plastic Kitchen Sponges—Natural Ones Work Just As Well

Reading The Weeds: What Weeds Can Tell You About Your Garden

EARTH

Harvard Study: Melting Polar Ice Is Physically Warping The Planet

See Stunning Undersea Images That Showcase Our Blue Planet

A Mysterious ‘Portal’ To The Universe

CLIMATE CHANGE

How Climate Week NYC Became A Fixture On The Political Calendar

European Gas Shortages Prompt Calls To Accelerate Clean Energy Transition

US To Double Climate Finance Again, But Gap Remains To $100bn

Seven Countries Join US And EU In Methane Reduction Pledge

THE GREEN AGENDA

Best Of Green Awards 2021: Eco Decor

China Pledges To Stop Financing New Coal Projects Abroad

Environmental Group Wins 20-Year Idaho Lease To Protect Wilderness From Livestock Grazing

Ford Partners With Startup To Recycle EV Batteries

SPACE

Famous Comet 67p/C-G Will Be Closest Until 2214

NASA Lander Is Off Life Support And Back To Work

The Bunks In The Chinese Space Station Are Absolutely Enormous

The Latest From NASA’s Earth Observatory 

TECHNOLOGY

All-Electric Lucid Air Is First EV With A 520-Mile Era Range Rating

Rolls-Royce’s All-Electric Plane Takes Its First Flight

Eli Zero Is A Vehicle Designed To Fit Cities

German Researchers Converted A Tesla Model Y Into A Hydrogen Car

BEST OF THE NET 

Jonathan & Charlotte – The Prayer

Amistad: The Best Of John Quincy Adams – Anthony Hopkins

For One Night, TV Comedians Focus On Climate Change

TRAVEL

Visit Seattle

The Rich Civilization America Looted

Why This Scottish Isle Is In Big Demand

THE LAST OF HIS TRIBE — The story of Ishi, the last survivor of the Yahi Indians of California.
Photo courtesy of Susan Kietzman, Author, Grandpa, What’s a Bookstore?

NORTHSTAR BOOKSTORE

WRATH OF THE USS TESTAMENT:  A super power no longer, a resource hungry and repressive America faces a Latin American armada rampaging its west coast and a strong, silent and powerful Canada manning the North Wall. The fires of rebellion burn in the Pacific Northwest and it is into this crucible and forge that the cybernetic patrol boat Testament and her crew are thrust. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters who spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. For a $4.00 Kindle Book adventure you will remember for a lifetime, please go here.

By Olya Bereza:  ROCKY THE ROCKET:  Holley Dovetail. This is one of several of short novels for the young and the young at heart. To preview and/or purchase on amazon.com, please go here. https://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Rocket-Holley-Dovetail-ebook/dp/B071XYRDB5

By Olya Bereza:  RAINBOW RISING:  This little fairy-tale is dedicated to a pet friend gone chasing the rainbow and a child’s good-bye..  Yep, go here. http://litnet.com/en/book/rainbow-rising-b187572

WRITER FOR HIRE

ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL

Quiz: Which Iconic Winter Animal Are You?

A Fox In Canada Gave Birth To Cubs Right Under The Porch Of An Apartment Building

Scientists Have Determined Which Mice Are The Smartest

ABOUT US:  The Northstar Journal is a weekly online general interest magazine which has been serving an international readership since 2007. Its editor is a professional journalist living in Seattle.  Its associate editor is European.  Our email address is minstrel312@aol.com  We are reader supported so if you would like to make a contribution, please go to our PayPal account here.  Thank you.
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A SHORT STORY YOU’LL LOVE

Posted on September 18, 2021 by minstrel312

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam

September 19, 2021  No. 670

Reader Supported

A Short Story You’ll Love; From The Isle Of Wight; News:  International, American; People, Good Ideas, Bad Ideas, Economics, History, Health, Home & Garden; Earth, Climate Change, The Green Agenda, Space, Technology, Travel, Best of the Net, Media of the Week, Masha & the Bear; All Creatures Great & Small, About Us

A SHORT STORY YOU’LL LOVE

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea.  This week, I am delighted to present a delightful short story written by our Olya Bereza and published here in America.  English is Olya’s third language.

Rusty

RESCUED

by, Olya Bereza

I stood and watched as my dog was running around merrily with another puppy.  Both are mini schnauzers.  If you know about breeds, you know they can be playful.

As if taking part in a race, they caught up with each other, then both dogs jumped behind a birch, which visually served as a finishing line.

But for some reason, only my pet emerged out of that “freeze frame” behind the wide birch.  Replaying events from a second ago, I thought it strange; two dogs flew in a jump, but only one reappeared from the birch.  Surreal.  As if someone had cut the second puppy out of the film.

Where was the puppy?  I came closer and looked behind the tree.  Then everything became clear.  There was an open manhole.

My heart sank as I approached and looked in.  By some miracle, the puppy had avoided falling into the dark waste water and lodged its paws on the safe rock in the middle of the dangerous flows.  By the dog’s astonished eyes, one could deduce it did not understand what had happened.

I called over to the dog’s owner, a middle-aged woman who was still naively calling her doggie in a cheerful voice.

Seeing where the puppy had fallen, she immediately became hysterical and rushed to a nearby apartment building.  She returned with a huge ladder.  The problem was that the ladder was too big to go through the manhole.

Seeing her fuss, people began to gather and ask what had happened.  A big man approached.  Man-talk is often more to the point.  I asked him, “Did you come by car?”  He answered, “Yes.”  Then I asked if he had a rope with him, by chance.

He brought the tow rope.  I already had a plan, but it involved choosing someone who would allow my plan work.  I critically assessed the dimensions of the hole, then myself, the lady, and the man with the rope.

Unfortunately, w were all too wide in girth.

A kid of about ten or eleven years-old, with matted, short hair and slightly worn clothes, stood close by.

I asked him if he would like to help.  He said, “Yes.”

That was the answer I needed.  I told him my plan; “We will lower you on the robe, then you grab the dog, and we lift you both out.”

At first, the child agreed.  Then, when we had already tied him with a rope, the boy looked into the gaping hole and became frightened.

I explained to him that we will be quick, and that everything will be fine.  After his agreement, we carefully descended the boy behind the dog.

Within a few moments, bot the savior and the one saved emerged back into daylight.  They were both shaking with fear.

The lady was close to crying.  She rushed to her puppy, taking it in her hands.

To cheer the kind up, I said, “Well done!  You are a hero.  Good job, boy!”  I said, patting him on the back.

To that, he humbly replied, “I am a girl.”

All I could think of was, “Oh, my God!  I put a little girl in danger!”

The girl was covered in dirt from her trip down the manhole.  So I asked the lady who owned the cog to take care of her.  Luckily, the plan was a success, but I decided to disappear from the scene as soon as possible, before anyone questioned my good intentions.

The best stories are those that have happy endings.  Now whenever I am out walking my dog and we meet up with that same puppy, we call him “rescued one,” and I’m grateful for that brave, little girl.

But next time, I will be more careful with my “save the world” plans.

Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller  is a Northern California  born author, photojournalist and editor. Now living in Seattle, Washington.  For comments, please go here

FROM THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty:

From the Isle of Wight this time. I am going to the Isle of Wight Festival this weekend and it’s a wonderful time to  see people together for such a great event.  It feels almost like hippie times again with such community spirit back.

Lots of young people this time. Maybe they are not familiar with the history of these bands and their music but they certainly caught the spirit.  I think it’s more for a festive mood and the possibility to enjoy that massive event after almost two years of being desperate for gigs and festivals.

Still, there is something for me to remember in my youth days. Seeing Sophie Ellis-Bextor cheerfully dancing yesterday on the scene reminded me that I’m not too old for the dance floor either.

So yes flowers and ribbons in my blonde hair, Wellington boots, and I’m ready to go 🙂 Luckily while still in my thirties I don’t need hologram as ABBA  which going to perform later next year using high tech technologies to look young again ABBA goes high tech

What also I don’t want to forget to mention is the amazing red arrows jet show at the opening of festival Red Arrows at Isle of Wight Festival

Their high pilotage trick of making heart pierced by an arrow made me emotional. After all that dividing people to see them actually gathering together for the love of music is overwhelming.

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. She travels Europe in conjunction with a family intelligence technology business and is proactively involved in protecting the forests of the Carpathian Mountains.  For comments, please go here.  

NEWS:  INTERNATIONAL

AUKUS: UK, US And Australia Launch Pact To Counter China

France Says Head Of Islamic State In Sahara Has Been Killed

Indonesia’s President Ruled Guilty Of Neglecting Jakartans’ Right To Clean Air

Rival Koreas Test Missiles Hours Apart, Raising Tensions

NEWS:  AMERICAN

Farmers Across The Midwest Struggle To Hire Domestic Employees

How Has Hurricane Ida Affected Agriculture And Food?

New, Fairer U.S. Flood Insurance Rating System

USDA Announces Aid For Farm And Food Workers

PEOPLE

California Gov. Gavin Newsom Beats Back GOP-Led Recall

Russian Feminist Runs For Duma To Take On Domestic Violence

Woman Saved By Snohomish County Volunteer Rescue Team On Pacific Crest Trail

The 100 Most Influential People Of 2021

GOOD IDEAS

9 Steps For Addressing Seattle’s Homelessness Crisis

Condo Project Puts Home Ownership Within Reach In Victoria, BC

Denmark Set To Ban Life-Term Prisoners From New Romantic Links

Idled Thai Taxis Go Green With Mini-Gardens On Car Roofs

Sri Lanka Conservationists Fight Elephant Smuggling In Court

BAD IDEAS

Carbon Emitters ‘Failing To Disclose Climate Risks’

Indian Wolf Is One Of World’s Most Endangered Wolves

Report: Vancouver, BC, Has Highest Rental Eviction Rate In Country

Stop Seabed Mining—For Now—Global Leaders Say

Some Vaping Companies Are Turning To Synthetic Nicotine To Outsmart The FDA
ECONOMICS

Common-Prosperity Push Has China’s Rich And Poor Asking: ‘What’s Next?’State Pensions In Best Condition In 13 Years

HISTORY

How Did The Battle Of Antietam Reveal The Civil War’s Horrors?

The Polynesian ‘Prince’ Who Took 18th-Century England By Storm

Rediscovered Medieval Manuscript Offers New Twist On Arthurian Legend

Saudi Arabia Camel Carvings Dated To Prehistoric Era

HEALTH

9 Lymphoma Symptoms To Watch For, According To Cancer Doctors

Finally, New Federal Cash Will Bolster Public Health Ranks

How to Work from Home Without Burning Out

I’m Supposed To Be In A Wedding. Will I Risk Bringing Covid-19 Home To My Kids?

HOME & GARDEN

5 Things Sustainable Gardeners Should Never Do

How I Protect The Soil In My Garden Over The Winter Months

The Rise Of At-Home Hydroponic Gardens

Why You Should Always Wash New Clothes Before Wearing Them

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

John Merriam caught last week’s Inspiration4 launch from Ormond Beach, Florida. On Wednesday, September 15, he wrote: “Quarter moon, twilight, liftoff 8:03 p.m. and then the International Space Station flew over at 8:08 p.m. So it was a really inspiring night for Inspiration4, the first orbital flight of civilians in space history. This shot taken on the beach north of Daytona and about 60 miles from the launch pad.” Thank you, John! Read more about Inspiration4.

Megapod Of Feeding Humpback Whales In Australia ‘So Special’

Fighting Fire With Fire To Protect Ancient Sequoia Trees

The Desert Chefs Who Cook With The Sun

EARTH

California Continues To Burn

Can We Protect The Ocean By 2030?

CLIMATE CHANGE

9 Questions About The Civilian Climate Corps, Answered

Report: Most Nations Fall Far Short In Plans To Curb Warming

UN Chief Urges ‘Rapid’ Emission Cuts To Curb Climate Change

Climate Survey Finds Worldwide Concern

THE GREEN AGENDA

Climeworks Turns On The World’s Largest Carbon Capture And Storage Plant

EU Commits €4 Billion More To Climate Vulnerables, Calls On The US To Step Up

Harvard  Moves To  Divest  From  Fossil  Fuels

Leftwing Victory In Norway Election Puts Oil Exit At The Heart Of Coalition Talks

Tribal Solar Projects Provide More Than Climate Solutions

SPACE

Sex In Space: Time To Talk About It?

SpaceX Lasers Define Next Era Of Starlink Technology

The Latest From NASA’s Earth Observatory 

TECHNOLOGY

Rivian’s R1t Is First Electric Truck To Go Into Production

Electric Cars In Cold Weather: How To Maximize Ev Performance In Winter

When A Natural Disaster Hits, Structural Engineers Learn From The Destruction

 

BEST OF THE NET: 

Barbados Pursues ‘Norwegian Model’: Going Green At Home And Drilling For Oil

The Sights And Sounds Of The Sea Have Inspired American Artists For Generations

Untold America

TRAVEL

Singapore’s Forgotten First People

A Remote World Of 23 Deserts

Six Stops On The Pony Express That You Can Still Visit

MEDIA OF THE WEEK: SHOUT AT THE DEVIL –Screen legends Lee Marvin (“The Dirty Dozen”) and Roger Moore (the “James Bond” films) unite to “Shout at the Devil” in this epic tale of adventure and revenge. Set in German East Africa just prior to World War I; “Shout at the Devil” is the story of Flynn O’Flynn (Marvin) and Sebastian Oldsmith (Moore); two men who have teamed up on a series of illicit poaching raids. Their actions soon catch the eye of German Commissioner Herman Fleischer; who uses his authority to enact a terrible punishment. O’Flynn and Oldsmith embark on a personal campaign against Fleischer; eventually being recruited by the allied forces to take on an even bigger target-an elusive German battleship. Also starring Ian Holm (“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”) and Barbara Parkins (“Asylum”); “Shout at the Devil” is an exciting mix of humor; action; and the unique chemistry shared between two of Hollywood’s finest stars.  Our thanks to YouTube for this description.

Photo courtesy of Susan Kietzman, Author, Grandpa, What’s a Bookstore?

NORTHSTAR BOOKSTORE

WRATH OF THE USS TESTAMENT:  A super power no longer, a resource hungry and repressive America faces a Latin American armada rampaging its west coast and a strong, silent and powerful Canada manning the North Wall. It is into this crucible that the cybernetic patrol boat Testament and her crew are thrust. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters who spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. For a $4.00 Kindle Book adventure you will remember for a lifetime, please go here. http://www.amazon.com/Wrath-USS-Testament-tale-rebellion-ebook/dp/B004DNWL6G 

To read Wrath Of The USS Testament in Microsoft Word, replete with cover and autographed copy page, email me at minstrel312@aol.com.  I’ll send it to you as an attachment.  When you receive it, you visit my Paypal account and deposit $5.00 USD.

By Olya Bereza:  ROCKY THE ROCKET:  Holley Dovetail. This is one of several of short novels for the young and the young at heart. To preview and/or purchase on amazon.com, please go here. https://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Rocket-Holley-Dovetail-ebook/dp/B071XYRDB5

By Olya Bereza:  RAINBOW RISING:  This little fairy-tale is dedicated to a pet friend gone chasing the rainbow and a child’s good-bye..  Yep, go here. http://litnet.com/en/book/rainbow-rising-b187572

WRITER FOR HIRE

A British Beast Rarer Than The Panda

Five Zebras Roam Maryland Town, Turning Heads

Lion Vs. Buffalo

ABOUT US:  The Northstar Journal is a weekly online general interest magazine which has been serving an international readership since 2007. Its editor is a professional journalist living in Seattle.  Its associate editor is European.  Our email address is minstrel312@aol.com  We are reader supported so if you would like to make a contribution, please go to our PayPal account here.  Thank you.

Our Sources: Associated Press, the BBC, CBS News, Earth/Sky News, KUOW — National Public Radio, National Geographic, Sightline Daily, South China Morning Post, TIME, TreeHugger.com & Yes Magazine

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AN AUTUMN NOT FORGOTTEN

Posted on September 11, 2021 by minstrel312

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam

September 12,  2021  Volume 13 Number 37

Reader Supported

Our Sources: Associated Press, the BBC, CBS News, Earth/Sky News, KUOW — National Public Radio, National Geographic, Sightline Daily, South China Morning Post, TIME, TreeHugger.com & Yes Magazine

Our Content: An Autumn Not Forgotten; Summer 2021; News:  International, American;; People, Good Ideas, Economics, History, Health, Covid 19, Home & Gardens; Earth, Climate Change, The Green Agenda, Space, Technology, Travel, Best of the Net, Media of the Week, Masha & the Bear; All Creatures Great & Small, About Us

Photo courtesy of (47) Pinterest

AN AUTUMN NOT FORGOTTEN

Rusty Miller, Editor

Feathered souls fly southward, seeking gentler rain.  Naked sun children wax their victory boards and stow them fondly.  Children in sweatshirts bed down for a last pine-scented night.  Morning finds them again prisoners of slate and hardwood.  The city says good-bye to summer sun.

Golden hue and call lingers longer in the hills of San Pedro.  Sea wind rustles emerald grass and honey hair, gently.  Fog peaks about the shaggy cliffs, shyly.  Rain falls on Spanish tile, softly.  A sleep town welcomes Indian Autumn.

A stranger wanders sleepy streets, seeking gentler rain.  Naked lovers steal softly into borrowed beds.  Life grasps at stolen hours, and longer shadows.  Rain falls, fog peaks, and He simply watches.

A gentler world welcomes winter.

Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller  is a Northern California  born author, photojournalist and editor. Now living in Seattle, Washington.  For comments, please go here

Aerial photo of Lyiv. Istock.com

SUMMER 2021

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty:

Summer moved on with colder days in Ukraine so it’s time to recollect the fluid memories, print pictures from vacations and summarize the experiences.

If there was a single word to describe Summer 2021, it would be ‘evanescent’.  For the first time in too long, people at last let themselves enjoy the season with international travel partially restored and happiness actually being “allowed” again.  We’re back to communicating by going out and meeting people again

My personal pride was to restart the meetings of my book club, Anonymous Authors Club,  It was such a joy to, in person, reach like-minded people interested in writing, discussing our ideas, what we already wrote, sharing thoughts.

Once a week we gather in one of the numerous coffee-shops of Lyiv to exercise our writing skills, to talk, to laugh. I really enjoyed those times and another confirmation for me that humans are such a social creatures. We do need each other to thrive.

They say here summer is a small life. And this one been beautiful indeed. And as per the astronomical calendar, there  are a few days of it left When will summer end in 2021?

So let’s enjoy the Indian Summer. 

Olya

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. She travels Europe in conjunction with a family intelligence technology business and is proactively involved in protecting the forests of the Carpathian Mountains.  For comments, please go here.  

NEWS:  INTERNATIONAL

9/11 Anniversary: How The World Reacted To Terror Attacks

Belarus Jail Terms For Opposition Figures Kolesnikova And Znak

Belize Commits To Protecting Its Mangroves

Fairy Creek Protest Now Considered Largest Act Of Civil Disobedience In Canadian History

Guinea’s New Junta Leaders Seek To Tighten Grip On Power

Extremely Deadly Virus Spreading In India

Monument To Indigenous Women Will Replace Columbus Statue In Mexico City

Singapore Deploys Multiple Robot Cops To Police Public Areas

NEWS:  AMERICAN

Emergency Medical Service Workers In New Orleans Battle A Hurricane And COVID-19

Fall Armyworms Are Attacking Lawns And Crops On ‘Unprecedented’ Scale

Nearly 9 Million Americans Just Lost All Their Unemployment Benefits

New Mexico Governor Signs Order To Preserve 30 Percent Of Public Lands

In New York City After Ida, Biden Calls Climate ‘Everybody’s Crisis’

Rural Hospitals Can’t Find The Nurses They Need To Fight Covid

Texas School District Closes After 2 Teachers Die Of Covid-19 Within Days

PEOPLE

U.S. Marine, A Curious Afghan Boy, An Unfathomable Moment

Australian Bush Rescue: Mother’s Reunion With Boy Lost For Four Days

Black Heroes Throughout US Military History

Care Workers Are First Responders In Climate Crises

Five Women Veterans Who Deserve To Have Army Bases Named After Them

In The Steps Of History’s Forgotten Female Explorers

‘Young, Black People Have To Work Three Times As Hard’

GOOD IDEAS

Sweeping New Vaccine Mandates For 100 Million Americans

VERY BAD IDEAS

Beatings, Buried Videos A Pattern At Louisiana State Police

ECONOMICS

Fear And Excitement In El Salvador As Bitcoin Becomes Legal Tender

Record Personal Income Growth Seen In The States

HISTORY

On 9/11, A Flotilla Of Ferries, Yachts And Tugboats Evacuated 500,000 People Away From Ground Zero

When Rock Was Banned In The Soviet Union, Teens Took To Bootlegged Recordings On X-Rays

When Millions Of Americans Stopped Eating Grapes In Support Of Farm Workers

This Pioneering WWII Officer Faced A Daunting Mission

The Incredible Story Of Ray Caldwell, The Mlb Pitcher Who Survived A Lightning Strike To Finish A Game

Louisiana’s Poverty Point Earthworks Show Early Native Americans Were ‘Incredible Engineers’

How Julius Caesar’s Assassination Triggered The Fall Of The Roman Republic

How The Ancient Greeks Designed The Parthenon To Impress—And Last

Hand-Carved, 400,000-Year-Old Bone Tool Used For Smoothing Leather Found In Italy

HEALTH – GENERAL

12 Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

Covax Was A Great Idea, But Is Now 500 Million Doses Short Of Its Vaccine Distribution Goals. What Exactly Went Wrong?

Is Pneumonia Contagious? Some Types Can Be, According To Experts

Needle Phobia’ May Be Keeping Some From Getting Their Covid-19 Vaccine. Here’s How To Cope

Work Emails May Be Taking A Toll On Your Mental Health — And Your Relationship

HEALTH — COVID 19

Chinese Study Says Mixed Vaccine Booster Produced Stronger Response

Japan To Extend Virus Emergency Until End Of Month

New Report: The Internet And The Pandemic

HOME & GARDENS

How Long Does It Take To Digest Food? The Answer Might Surprise You

Nature Meets Nostalgia: Treehouses Return In Style

Shabu Shabu Salad With Sesame Dressing

Sichuan-Style Pork Belly With Shaved Cucumber

Duck Larb

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

Small Asteroid Skimmed Close To Earth, Hours After Discovery

What It’s Like To Live On Mars?

What Is A Haboob? An Overview Of Weather’s Colossal Dust Storms

EARTH

Disappearing Sea Ice Means Stronger Arctic Tides

What Fueled Hurricane Ida’s Catastrophic Rainfall

What Rebuilding From Wildfire Looks Like

CLIMATE CHANGE

Pope Francis And Other Christian Leaders Are Calling For Bold Climate Action

Climate Change: Dragonflies Spread North In Warming World

Displaced Afghan Negotiator Calls For Climate Aid To War-Torn States

UK Rejects Campaigners’ Call To Postpone Cop26 Climate Talks Again

What Is COP26 And Why Does It Matter? Your Guide To The Glasgow Climate Summit

THE GREEN AGENDA

EPA To Protect Bristol Bay In Alaska, Blocking Major Gold Mine

Global Conservation Milestone Possible

Recycled Oyster Shells Become New Reefs

US Renewable Energy Sees Record Growth

SPACE

Best Milky Way Pics Of 2021

Blue And Gold Orbiters Bound For Mars In 2024

Success! 1st Martian Rock Cored By Perseverance

Fomalhaut, The Loneliest Star, Near Jupiter And Saturn In 2021

The Latest From NASA’s Earth Observatory 

TECHNOLOGY

Solar Could Provide Nearly Half Of US Electricity By 2050

What We Learned About Genetic Sequencing During Covid-19 Could Revolutionize Public Health

BEST OF THE NET: 

Daddy Sang Bass – Jimmy Fortune

Battle of New Orleans – Jimmy Fortune

I’ll Fly Away – Jimmy Fortune

TRAVEL

Chinese Travelers Are Going On Holiday Again, But Not Too Far From Home

First Museum Dedicated To American Arts And Crafts Movement Opens In Florida

From Aerial Firefighting Planes To Private Jets, This New Smithsonian Gallery Celebrates General Aviation

MEDIA OF THE WEEK: Champion Ventriloquist Of The World Darci Lynne On AGT (All Performances) | Kids Got Talent

Photo courtesy of Susan Kietzman, Author, Grandpa, What’s a Bookstore?

NORTHSTAR BOOKSTORE

WRATH OF THE USS TESTAMENT:  A super power no longer, a resource hungry and repressive America faces a Latin American armada rampaging its west coast and a strong, silent and powerful Canada manning the North Wall. The fires of rebellion burn in the Pacific Northwest and it is into this crucible and forge that the cybernetic patrol boat Testament and her crew are thrust. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters who spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. For a $4.00 Kindle Book adventure you will remember for a lifetime, please go here. http://www.amazon.com/Wrath-USS-Testament-tale-rebellion-ebook/dp/B004DNWL6G 

To read Wrath Of The USS Testament in Microsoft Word, replete with cover and autographed copy page, email me at minstrel312@aol.com.  I’ll send it to you as an attachment.  When you receive it, you visit my Paypal account and deposit $5.00 USD.

By Olya Bereza:  ROCKY THE ROCKET:  Holley Dovetail. This is one of several of short novels for the young and the young at heart. To preview and/or purchase on amazon.com, please go here. https://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Rocket-Holley-Dovetail-ebook/dp/B071XYRDB5

By Olya Bereza:  RAINBOW RISING:  This little fairy-tale is dedicated to a pet friend gone chasing the rainbow and a child’s good-bye..  Yep, go here. http://litnet.com/en/book/rainbow-rising-b187572

WRITER FOR HIRE

ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL

Animals Are Changing Shape To Cope With Rising Temperatures

Hummingbirds Are Able To Smell Danger

This Tiny, Endangered Fish Stopped Construction Of A Federal Dam In 1975. Now, The Species Has Finally Recovered

Why Whales In Alaska Have Been So Happy

ABOUT US:  The Northstar Journal is a weekly online general interest magazine which has been serving an international readership since 2007. Its editor is a professional journalist living in Seattle.  Its associate editor is European.  Our email address is minstrel312@aol.com  We are reader supported so if you would like to make a contribution, please go to our PayPal account here.  Thank you.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Posted on September 4, 2021 by minstrel312

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam

September 5,  2021  Volume 13 Number 36

Reader Supported

Our Sources: Associated Press, the BBC, CBS News, Earth/Sky News, KUOW — National Public Radio, National Geographic, Sightline Daily, South China Sea Weekly, TIME, TreeHugger.com & Yes Magazine

Our Content: The Week In Review; To The Paralympians;  News:  International, American, Pacific Northwest; People, Good Ideas, Economics, History, Health, Covid 19, Home & Gardens; Earth, Climate Change, The Green Agenda, Space, Technology, Travel, Best of the Net, Media of the Week, Masha & the Bear; All Creatures Great & Small, About Us

Photo by Rusty Miller

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Rusty Miller, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea.  Earlier this week, the end of America’s war in Afghanistan and Hurricane Ida dominated the news.

The former was heralded with mixed blessings but the deal is done and we now have citizen warriors whose talents can be domestically employed.  It will certainly be interesting to see how that shakes out.

The latter laid bare the aging and tragically inadequate infrastructure of those in Ida’s path and those less directly impacted.  Despite the standard exploits of heroism and self-sacrifice that characterize an American’s reaction to disaster, nothing will bring back the dead.  We know what killed them and it wasn’t a big wind.  It was our own negligence.

It will be our own negligence which gives the pandemic new victims.  I rode the bus yesterday on a 20-minute trip that took three hours because the route was blocked by a property fire that took the structures and the trees as well. 

The wind blew from west to east and the bus driver kept the doors closed.  He also made sure we stayed masked up and this time, it was to keep smoke out of our lungs.  King County Sheriffs were also there, blocking this leg of the bus route at both ends.  It was done with virtually no noise and with impeccable professionalism.  What also impressed me is that this fire never made the local media.

If the summer must be long and hot, let it be shared with neighbors who know how to keep their cool.

Rusty

Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller  is a Northern California  born author, photojournalist and editor. Now living in Seattle, Washington.  For comments, please go here

The Peoples’ Friendship Arch.  Photo by Olya Bereza

TO THE PARALYMPIANS

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty:

This past week, from August 24 – September 5, Tokyo has hosted the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games.  Here in Kiev, it is nice to enjoy the broadcast of them outside, in a park near a famous monument here, The Peoples’ Friendship Arch.

I like the community spirit of watching the Games as it’s always better to cheer your sportsmen with a crowd of fellow Ukrainians. And there is something to cheer about. The Ukrainian Paralympic team for now is within the first five top countries .

One of the Ukrainian swimmers was especially successful this week Swimming legend Maksym Kripal wins fourth gold in Tokyo and ninth of Paralympic career.   And since it is still not the end, I’m sure more amazing achievements are ahead.

You could also see Paralympic Medal Count online. Your home country at the moment goes third. I think for Ukraine to be in top five places is very good result and we are extremely proud of these very special athletes.  Paralympians really teach us a lot.  Their spirit, courage and striving for success against all odd is amazing.  And they give us the opportunity to tell the world that no child is left behind.

Cheers to all the athletes from all the countries for their strong will to win. Good luck to them all. 

And let the best win.

OlyaNorthstar 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. She travels Europe in conjunction with a family intelligence technology business and is proactively involved in protecting the forests of the Carpathian Mountains.  For comments, please go here.

NEWS:  INTERNATIONAL

China Says Minors Can Only Play Three Hours Of Online Games Per Week

Merkel Steps Down With Legacy Dominated By Tackling Crises

Uganda’s Long History Of Hosting Refugees

NEWS:  AMERICAN

Biden Message To Battered Gulf Coast: ‘We Are Here For You’

Extreme Weather Cost US Taxpayers $99 Billion Last Year, And It Is Getting Worse

High Court Divides 5-4 To Leave Texas Abortion Law In Place

How Government Can Address Rising Disaster Costs

More Than 45 Dead After Ida’s Remnants Blindside Northeast

New York Floods Show Subway Systems Must Be Prepared For Climate Change

NEWS:  PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Anxiety And Hope In Wildfire-Prone Oregon

Covering Climate Change Means Watching The Washington State You Love Fade Away

McDonald’s Hiring 14-Year-Olds In Oregon Amid Labor Shortage

PEOPLE

Actor Ed Asner, TV’s Blustery Lou Grant, Dies At 91

From Teachers To Custodians, Meet The Educators Who Saved A Pandemic School Year

GOOD IDEAS

Paralympics: How Hand-Cycling Saved My Life

An Electric Carbon Battle Bus Is Touring Britain In A ‘Race To Zero’

The Future Of Humanitarian Aid? Pilot Scheme Stops Drought Leading To Hunger

NOT SO GOOD IDEAS

The High Price Of The Opioid Crisis In 2021

Idiot Anti-Vaxxer Misspells “Moderna” On Falsified Vaccine Card

Why Amur Leopards Are Endangered And What We Can Do

ECONOMICS

India Sees Record Economic Growth During Covid Surge

UK House Price Rises Accelerate, Says Nationwide

US Business Highlights: Jobless Aid, Chip Shortage

US Hiring Slows To Just 235,000 Jobs After 2 Strong Months

HISTORY

How The End Of The Vietnam War Led To A Refugee Crisis

After Victory In World War II, Black Veterans Continued The Fight For Freedom At Home

How Nina Simone Used Her Performances For Activism

Mass Graves In Ukraine Hold Thousands Of Victims Of Stalin’s Great Purge

Uncovering The Asian American Old West

How Toussaint Louverture Rose From Slavery To Lead The Haitian Revolution

Why Were These Neolithic People Buried With Urns On Their Heads And Feet?

HEALTH – GENERAL

Doctors Claim To Have Discovered How To Reverse Cell Aging

5 Habits That May Help You Live 10 Years Longer, Study Says

6 Foods That Help Digestion—And 8 You May Want To Skip

What Experts Want You To Know About COVID-19 Home Tests

What Is A Healthy Heart Rate? Here’s What Cardiologists Say

Does Drinking Alcohol Make You Gain Weight? Here’s What Experts Say

HEALTH — COVID 19

The Troubled History Of Vaccines And Conflict Zones

Your Pandemic Habits May Fade Away—But The Strength And Wisdom You Gained Won’t

The Facts Behind The Covid-19 Delta Variant

HOME & GARDENS

5 Things You Should Clean Every Single Day (And 3 You Can Totally Skip) | Health.Com

How To (Actually) Get Rid Of Fruit Flies

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Slices

Recipe By Butteredup

Pan-Seared Scallops By Dalboz17 On Flickr.

The 5 Healthiest Salad Dressings, According To A Nutritionist

Late-Summer Sip: A New World Of Booze-Free Options

Thai Grilled Pork Neck

Bun Ga Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Chicken With Noodles)

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

Some people say they feel “panic” when pondering the vastness of outer space. Others say they feel comforted. What do you feel? Read more. Image via Getty Images.

Apple Delays Plan To Scan Iphones For Child Abuse

Tech Tent – China’s Crackdown On Young Gamers

Whatsapp Issued Second-Largest GDPR Fine

EARTH

Aztec Pictograms Are The First Written Records Of Earthquakes In The Americas

See When Fall Foliage Will Peak With This Interactive Map

How Elk Restored A Million Acres Of Strip-Mined Land

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Change A ‘Child Rights Crisis,’ UNICEF Says

Conservation Summit Opens Amid Debate Over Role Of Indigenous People

For Local Communities, Combating Climate Change Starts With More Plants, Less Pavement

Frustration Mounts As COP26 Delegates Wait For The Uk’s Promised Covid Vaccines

THE GREEN AGENDA

California Builds A ‘Noah’s Ark’ To Protect Wildlife From Extinction By Fire And Heat

Leaded Gasoline Use In Vehicles Has Now Officially Ended Worldwide

SPACE

Astronomers Discover Extremely Strange Deep Space Object

China Releases Beautiful New Photos From The Surface Of Mars

Hyeon Planets Might Be Habitable Ocean Worlds

What To See In The Night Sky In September 2021

The Latest From NASA’s Earth Observatory 

TECHNOLOGY

The Hydropower Of Retrofitting Dams

EVs Will Take Over Because They’re Better Cars

This Ambulance Conversion Is A 4X4 Overland Rig With Shower, Toilet, And Hot Tub

BEST OF THE NET: 

Voices Of Hope Choir Golden Buzzer – YouTube

Daddy Sang Bass – Jimmy Fortune, Live at small club in Columbia, TN

Battle of New Orleans – Jimmy Fortune, Live at small club in Columbia, TN

TRAVEL

50 Reasons To Love The World

The Asian Capital You’ve Never Heard Of

The Mysterious Tunnel Found In Wales

Seattle’s Neptune Theater. Photo by Merritt Scott Miller

MEDIA OF THE WEEK: Perhaps best remembered as Lou Grant on two Emmy-award winning television series, Ed Asner was also a bad guy in a John Wayne western.  The role for which I remember him best, however, is that of a troubled angel in an episode of Michael Landon’s Highway to Heaven entitled “The Last Assignment.”

Photo courtesy of Susan Kietzman, Author, Grandpa, What’s a Bookstore?

NORTHSTAR BOOKSTORE

WRATH OF THE USS TESTAMENT:  A super power no longer, a resource hungry and repressive America faces a Latin American armada rampaging its west coast and a strong, silent and powerful Canada manning the North Wall. The fires of rebellion burn in the Pacific Northwest and it is into this crucible and forge that the cybernetic patrol boat Testament and her crew are thrust. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters who spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. For a $4.00 Kindle Book adventure you will remember for a lifetime, please go here. http://www.amazon.com/Wrath-USS-Testament-tale-rebellion-ebook/dp/B004DNWL6G 

To read Wrath Of The USS Testament in Microsoft Word, replete with cover and autographed copy page, email me at minstrel312@aol.com.  I’ll send it to you as an attachment.  When you receive it, you visit my Paypal account and deposit $5.00 USD.

By Olya Bereza:  ROCKY THE ROCKET:  Holley Dovetail. This is one of several of short novels for the young and the young at heart. To preview and/or purchase on amazon.com, please go here. https://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Rocket-Holley-Dovetail-ebook/dp/B071XYRDB5

By Olya Bereza:  RAINBOW RISING:  This little fairy-tale is dedicated to a pet friend gone chasing the rainbow and a child’s good-bye..  Yep, go here. http://litnet.com/en/book/rainbow-rising-b187572

WRITER FOR HIRE

ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL

Endangered Wild Dogs Rely On Diverse Habitat To Survive Around Lions

11 Numbers That Explain Washington’s ‘Murder Hornet’ Problem

Scientists Identify Seven Species Of Spotted Skunks, And They All Do Handstands Before They Spray

Scientists Discover Tiny Tardigrades Trot Around Like Insects

Why There Is Still Hope For The World’s Critically Endangered Black Rhinos

ABOUT US:  The Northstar Journal is a weekly online general interest magazine which has been serving an international readership since 2007. Its editor is a professional journalist living in Seattle.  Its associate editor is European.  Our email address is minstrel312@aol.com  We are reader supported so if you would like to make a contribution, please go to our PayPal account here.  Thank you.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

DISARM, DO NOT DESTROY

Posted on August 28, 2021 by minstrel312

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam

August 29, 2021  Volume 13 Number 35

Reader Supported

Our thanks to the Associated Press, the BBC, CBS News, Earth/Sky News, National Geographic, National Public Radio, Sightline Daily, South China Sea Weekly, TIME, TreeHugger.com, Yes Magazine

Disarm, Do Not Destroy; A Hymn To Life; News:  International, American, Pacific Northwest; People, Good Ideas, Economics, History, Health, Covid 19, Home & Gardens; Earth, Climate Change, Space, Technology, The Green Agenda, Travel, Best of the Net, Media of the Week, Masha & the Bear; All Creatures Great & Small, About Us

DISARM, DO NOT DESTROY

Rusty Miller, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea.  I join all those impacted by Afghanistan.  I blame no one for the savagery of it.  War is not a board game. There is no collateral damage, no walking wounded, no real enemy.  War is an infinitely saddening human enterprise measured in the most precious coin of the realm, human lives.

When I read about that drone strike which killed an ISIS planner, I felt a profound sense of loss.  What it takes to be one of those is also what it takes get good things done in this world.  I would like to see such individuals disarmed and redirected, not destroyed. 

I’d also like to join Olya in wishing Ukraine a happy independence day.  Her people predate the Bronze Age and they have known both the beneficence of benevolent rulers and the pogroms which mingled the blood of Kulaks with the blood of Jews and watered the land with the tears of the survivors.

Thirty years ago, by the vote of those who live there, Ukraine became a nation of the people, by the people and for the people.  Those words seem vaguely familiar to me. 

And they do have such a nice ring to them, do they not?

Rusty

Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller  is a Northern California  born author, photojournalist and editor. Now living in Seattle, Washington.  For comments, please go here

Dnipro and the Dnieper River which bears its name.  Photo courtesy of https://www.oseiagyemang.com/dnipro-is-over-240-years-old-and-is-one-of-the-oldest-cities-in-ukraine/

A HYMN TO LIFE

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty:

This week, the sound of Ukraine was the sound of celebration as Ukraine Marked Independence Day. It is the 30th anniversary of that moment in history when 90 percent of us, in the Referendum of 1991, voted for independence. Since then, like many young nations, our path has been a thorny and difficult one.  It is very important to keep our freedom and right for self-determination. 

I just want to share this time one of my favorite songs called Flower Ukraine, especially as a flower was chosen as this year’s symbol of celebration. The artists created symbols for every region of Ukraine. They all were presented at the main square in Kiev called Maidan.

Here is my translation of that song that in a way could be a hymn to life:

“Year after year we are led by the breath of time,

Thousands of ways will be carried away by this river.

Nothing is in vain even if there are hard times,

But with the breath of your love we will live forever!

Flower Ukraine, you are full of life,

Dream Ukraine, you are your own for everyone,

Dear Ukraine, we are all your family,

Each of us is the country that connects hearts.

Leave your fears at night, 

Let there be light in your heart with the flowers in your soul.

Ukraine, you are my blue waters, you are my sky, 

You are my fields of rye

You are the land of freedom,

Where my soul lives on your palms..”

I’m very proud that this song was written in one of my favorite cities, Dnipro.

Olya

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. She travels Europe in conjunction with a family intelligence technology business and is proactively involved in protecting the forests of the Carpathian Mountains.  For comments, please go here.  

NEWS:  INTERNATIONAL

Covid-19 Reaches Australia’s Remote Aboriginal Communities Facing A Perilously Slow Vaccine Rollout

Grizzly Bear Territories In Canada Match Maps Of Indigenous Language Families

Evacuations Resume After Kabul Bombings As Toll Now Over 100

NEWS:  AMERICAN

Biden Vows To Finish Kabul Evacuation, Avenge Us Deaths

Tropical Storm Ida A Hurricane Menace To New Orleans

‘It’s Not Our Fight’ Vs. ‘We Owe Them’: Americans Debate What’s Right In Afghanistan 

NEWS:  PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Washington State Vacuums Over 100 Asian Giant Hornets Out Of Nest In Whatcom County

PEOPLE

Alone In The Sky, Chopper Pilot, Fiancee Saved 17 From Flood

Josephine Baker To Be First Black Woman Buried At Paris’ Panthéon

Newly Digitized Freedmen’s Bureau Records Help Black Americans Trace Their Ancestry

Hochul, NY’s 1st Female Governor, Inherits Vast Challenges

Palestinian Twins Open Cafe In Converted Jet In West Bank

This Teenager Is Developing A Video Game That Assesses Your Mental Health

US Soldier Loses 1 Afghan Translator; Fights To Save Another

Veterans Are Prized Recruits As Congressional Candidate

Young Advocate Fights For Long-Term Ocean Health

Christine Dior: A Closer Look At Her Quietly Influential Life

GOOD IDEAS

Airbnb Offers Free Accommodation For 20,000 Afghan Refugees

Increase Wildfire Resiliency, Operational Safety, And Reduce Weather Related Risk Exposures

ECONOMICS

Afghanistan: World Bank Halts Aid After Taliban Takeover

HISTORY

Through Four Wars, Toll Mounts On A Gaza Neighborhood

How Levee Failures Made Hurricane Katrina A Bigger Disaster

8 Spies Who Leaked Atomic Bomb Intelligence To The Soviets

Remains Of Nazi Massacre Victims Discovered In Poland’s ‘Death Valley’

US WWII Veteran Reunites With Italians He Saved As Children

What Made The Battle Of Blair Mountain The Largest Labor Uprising In American History

Follow A Couple’s Daring Escape From Slavery In The Antebellum South

How The Columbian Exchange Brought Globalization—And Disease

HEALTH — GENERAL

The Side Effects Of Quitting Sugar

Financial Stress Is A Leading Catalyst For Suicide—These Steps Can Help Save Lives

The 4 Most Common Reasons For Divorce, According To Research

HEALTH — COVID 19

After Pandemic Ravaged Nursing Homes, New State Laws Protect Residents 

Pfizer-Biontech’s Vaccine Is The First COVID-19 Shot To Get Full Approval From The U.S. FDA

U.S. Will Require COVID-19 Vaccination For Nursing Home Staff

HOME & GARDENS

6 Inventions That Transformed Housework

If Your Home Smells Funny, Check These 8 Problem Areas

How To Choose Containers For A Container Garden

Planting Trees Encourages Cloud Formation—And Efficiently Cools The Planet

Pork Belly Bossam With Radish And Oyster Kimchi

Chinese Steamed Pork Patty With Dried Cuttlefish

Glass Noodles With Pork And Shrimp

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

View At Earthsky Community Photos. | Soumyadeep Mukherjee In Kolkata, West Bengal, India, Caught This Rare Lunar Halo – An Odd-Radius Halo – On August 21. See The Multiple Rings? Plus The Image Has Something Extra. That’s Jupiter To The Left, And Saturn To The Right, Of The Moon. Read More.

Rare Lunar Halo – An Odd-Radius Halo – Over India

More Than 80 Cultures Still Speak In Whistles

Europe’s Extreme Floods Are ‘Up To Nine Times More Likely’ Because Of Climate Change

EARTH

How To Protect The High Seas

Trees Get Sunburn, Too: Coastal Range Forests See Damage From Heat Waves

Why One Billion Years Of Time Are Missing In The Grand Canyon

Planting Forests At Mid-Latitudes Could Help Cool Planet

CLIMATE CHANGE

U.N. Climate Report: Governments Must Act Now

How Biden Will Meet America’s 2030 Paris Agreement Goal

Imagine A World Of Climate Solutions

SPACE

Webb Telescope Done Testing, Aims For Spaceport

Scientists Just Discovered The Fastest Asteroid In The Solar System

Can The World’s First Space Sweeper Make A Dent In Orbiting Debris?

Oort Cloud: How Many Comets From Elsewhere?

The Latest From NASA’s Earth Observatory 

TECHNOLOGY

Aircraft With A Capsule To Save Passengers (Cargo) During Catastrophe

Army Gene-Hacked Disease-Spreading Mosquitoes To Make Them Infertile

Nation’s First Hydrogen-Powered Ferry Launches In Bellingham, Washington

Tasmanian House Shows How To ‘Make The Most Out Of Quite Little’

The Climate Crisis Is Worse For Women. Here’s Why

THE GREEN AGENDA

An Aspirational Vision Of Life After Fossil Fuels

How The West’s Divided Electric Grid Slows Green Growth

The 9 Best Eco-Friendly School Supplies Of 2021

BEST OF THE NET: 

13 Unmissable New Documentaries To Watch

Explore Stunning 360-Degree Panoramic Views Of Mars In New NASA Video

Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo Rated Among Nation’s Top 10 – Best Exhibits:  A Short Five-Star Film

TRAVEL

10 Extraordinary Joshua Tree National Park Facts

The Paradise Island With A Lesson About Pride

The Small Italian Village That Can’t Be Reached By Car

Neptune Theatre, Seattle, Washington Photo by Merritt Scott Miller

MEDIA OF THE WEEK: James Cameron’s Deepsea Challenge 3D  This is in the finest tradition of both Jacques Cousteau and Gene Roddenberry.  Mr. Cameron goes where no one has gone before.  That we know of for sure.


Photo courtesy of Susan Kietzman, Author, Grandpa, What’s a Bookstore?

NORTHSTAR BOOKSTORE

WRATH OF THE USS TESTAMENT:  A super power no longer, a resource hungry and repressive America faces a Latin American armada rampaging its west coast and a strong, silent and powerful Canada manning the North Wall. The fires of rebellion burn in the Pacific Northwest and it is into this crucible and forge that the cybernetic patrol boat Testament and her crew are thrust. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters who spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. For a $4.00 Kindle Book adventure you will remember for a lifetime, please go here. http://www.amazon.com/Wrath-USS-Testament-tale-rebellion-ebook/dp/B004DNWL6G 

To read Wrath Of The USS Testament in Microsoft Word, replete with cover and autographed copy page, email me at minstrel312@aol.com.  I’ll send it to you as an attachment.  When you receive it, you visit my Paypal account and deposit $5.00 USD.

By Olya Bereza:  ROCKY THE ROCKET:  Holley Dovetail. This is one of several of short novels for the young and the young at heart. To preview and/or purchase on amazon.com, please go here. https://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Rocket-Holley-Dovetail-ebook/dp/B071XYRDB5 By Olya Bereza:  RAINBOW RISING:  This little fairy-tale is dedicated to a pet friend gone chasing the rainbow and a child’s good-bye..  Yep, go here.http://litnet.com/en/book/rainbow-rising-b187572

WRITER FOR HIRE

ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL

Baby Bats Babble—Just Like Human Infants

How Rattlesnakes Use Their Rattles To Trick People

Meet The Majestic Giant Manta Ray

This Anatolian Guard Dog Protects Both Livestock And Predators

ABOUT US:  The Northstar Journal is a weekly online general interest magazine which has been serving an international readership since 2007. Its editor is a professional journalist living in Seattle.  Its associate editor is European.  Our email address is minstrel312@aol.com  We are reader supported so if you would like to make a contribution, please go to our PayPal account here.  Thank you.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

FROM A SON OF THE SACRAMENTO

Posted on August 21, 2021 by minstrel312

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam

August 21, 2021  Volume 13 Number 34

Reader Supported

Contents:

From A Son Of The Sacramento

The Netherlands

News:  International, American, Pacific Northwest

People, So Not A Good Idea, Economics, History

Health, Covid 19, Home & Gardens

Earth, Climate Change, Space

Technology & The Green Agenda,

Travel, Best of the Net, Media of the Week, Masha & the Bear

All Creatures Great & Small

About Us


Photo by Bill Dally via iStock

FROM A SON OF THE SACRAMENTO

Rusty Miller,

Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea.  Following the fires in California has been an anguishing experience for me, both as a journalist and as a man.  I was raised by fifth generation Eureka Staters, some of who came across with the Bidwells, or so family lore has it.  They were spread out some in the northern part of the state; Modoc, Lassen, Shasta and Sacramento counties  Morally conservative, they were apolitical.

When asked what party he belonged to, my maternal grandfather, a rancher and truck mechanic who looked and sounded like the American actor Glen Ford, replied, “I am a registered Presbyterian.”  When it was pointed out that Presbyterians are a religion, not a political party, Rudy just shrugged.  “Somebody should probably tell them that, then.  Good luck.”

Water was what we all had in common.  The Sacramento River was our mighty Mississippi, our Columbia that rolled on.  And annual rains which invariably cost property and people losses that would today seem unrecoverable but from which we always did.  Those of us not born with gills learned to swim like those who were and eating fish on Friday took on an almost cannibalistic tone.

A major system of flood control dams mitigated that experience by the time I was old enough to realize that not all kids swam to school in winter.  In terms of aesthetic beauty and outdoor recreation –– including some of the best fishing in the known universe – this new infrastructure provided in embarrassing abundance, including water driven electricity for the agribusiness boom which made a handful of farmers rich and left the soil dirt poor.

We tried to tame a land never intended for bondage.  God did not tell Adam to conquer but to care.  If we are to survive as a species, we need to listen better than Eve’s husband did.

Rusty

Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller  is a Northern California  born author, photojournalist and editor. Now living in Seattle, Washington.  For comments, please go here

All photos by Olya Bereza. Amsterdam street

THE NETHERLANDS

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty:

This week I visited the Netherlands and Amsterdam in particular so wanted to share my impressions. Two things struck me immediately.  I found absolutely charming the narrow arty streets with fragrances and aromas both foreign and familiar, like the people themselves.  Diverse and interesting. Now I understand why my fellow Ukrainians love to go to the Netherlands. Those little houses each with their own individuality definitely gives a character to the streets, making them cozy and looking attractive.

The other thing I really noticed was all sorts of bikes on those streets, a reminder that because this small country is flat, pedaling is a preferred mode of transportation.  While I was there, I learned that Amsterdam is, in fact, the cycling capital of Europe. There is an interesting YouTube video about urban planning by a Canadian who moved his family to Amsterdam for its livability called Just Bikes Why We Won’t Raise Our Kids in Suburbia (and moved to the Netherlands instead)

From the air, when landing in Amsterdam, I saw that Holland is full of waterways.  It seemed to me that the heart of the country has all those rivers and lakes as its arteries . I actually found out it is the densest network of waterways in Europe, connecting all of the cities and major towns. Waterways of Netherlands

Some of the areas here are below sea level so Dutch people had to build dikes and create polders. How the Netherlands Reclaimed Land From the Sea Going by train through green fields, I saw a few canals. On the whole it reminded me a bit of English views too with its never-ending green lands. 

Looking forward to spending more time here.

Olya

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. She travels Europe in conjunction with a family intelligence technology business and is proactively involved in protecting the forests of the Carpathian Mountains.  For comments, please go here.  

NEWS:  INTERNATIONAL

Afghan Reporter Asks NATO Secretary General For Help

‘We Have Reached a Breaking Point.’ As Third Wave Hits Africa, Senegal Races to Build a Facility to Make COVID-19 Vaccines

Australian And New Zealand

Why Haiti Is Prone To Devastating Earthquakes

Zambia Election: Hakainde Hichilema Beats President Edgar Lungu

NEWS:  AMERICAN

The Americas’ First Ecosystem Managers

A Mega-Dairy Is Transforming Arizona’s Aquifer And Farming Lifestyles

The Apache Community Running To Rescue Its Holy Mountain

At An Old Juke Joint In Mississippi, The Blues Are Alive

California Drought Hits World’s Top Almond Producer

Colorado River: First-ever shortage declared amid record US drought

Every State Grew More Diverse, Census Shows

Fishers Struggle As Fish Head For The Poles

How Technology In The Air Battles Fires On The Ground

Images Show Decline Of California’s ‘Life Source’

U.S. Will Require COVID-19 Vaccination For Nursing Home Staff

Western States Face First Federal Water Cuts

NEWS:  PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Alaska Drilling Project Blocked

Family Farm Brings African Produce To Portland

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Extends Foreclosure Moratorium Through Year End

SO NOT A GOOD IDEA

Bees Are Being Killed in Greater Numbers by Pesticide Cocktails

Despite A Century Of Protection, Barro Colorado Island Suffers Critical Loss In Biodiversity

EPA Reverses Course, Will Allow Use Of Pesticide Paraquat

Massive Drilling Project On Alaska’s North Slope Given Go Ahead

Pesticides Can Amplify Each Other. Bees Have Become The Victims.

Poachers, Climate Change Are Endangering Succulents

Uncertain Times Ahead For Afghan Women

‘World’s Worst Invasive Weed’ Sold At Many U.S. Garden Centers

PEOPLE
Living Water: Three Generations Of Apsáalooke Revive A River
After UN Climate Report, Individuals Seek To Do Their Part
Four Civilian Astronauts. Three Days In Orbit. One Giant Leap. Meet The Inspiration4 Crew
India’s Dancing Cop Becomes Internet Star

Sri Lankan Teenager Builds Solar-Powered Tuk-Tuk From Scraps

‘Do Not Give Up’: Americans Help Afghans In New Homeland

Who Are The Taliban?

Taliban: Women To Have Rights Within Islamic Law

What Is Sharia Law? What Does It Mean For Women In Afghanistan?

Young Advocate Fights For Long-Term Ocean Health

ECONOMICS
China’s Economic Recovery Is Faltering Amid Gloomy Second Half Outlook
Japan’s Economy Bounced Back Ahead Of The Olympics
Mastercard To End Magnetic Strip On Cards

HISTORY

Church Where MLK Launched His Civil Rights Career To Become A Museum

How The Nazis Stole A Sacred Symbol

The Rugged History Of The Pickup Truck

What A Watch Tells Us About The Titanic‘s Final Hours

8 US Governors Who Were Impeached And Convicted

What An Englishwoman’s Letters Reveal About Life In Britain During The American Revolution

The Rise And Fall Of Tudor England’s Scandalous Boleyn Family

Pax Romana: Ancient Rome’s Golden Age

Lost Monastery Run By Early Medieval Queen Discovered In England

Eight-Foot-Tall, 1,600-Year-Old Statue Of Pagan Deity Found In Ireland

The Ancient Persian Way To Keep Cool

Ancient Christian Settlement In Egypt Shows Evidence Of Urban Planning

HEALTH — GENERAL

Bottled Water Is 3,500 Times More Harmful Than Tap Water

Farmers’ Markets Are Growing Their Role As Essential Sources Of Healthy Food For Rich And Poor

Sex After 60: Why It’s Good For You 

Wildfire Smoke Linked To Covid-19 Cases And Deaths In The West

HEALTH — COVID 19

Kids Can’t Get Covid-19 Vaccines Yet. But We Do Have Ways To Protect Them

Pope Appears In Video Promoting Vaccination

RSV And Covid-19 Cases Are Both Rising—How To Tell These 2 Contagious Viruses Apart

Summer Colds & Covid-19 Have Similar Symptoms—How To Know Which One You Might Have

Why You Might Want An MRNA Booster Shot, In One Simple Graphic

HOME & GARDENS

Architect Converts Historic Micro-Apartment Into A Modern Live-Work Space

Why I Keep Making Homemade Jam, Year After Year

An Ode To Heirloom Okra

Thai Crispy Pork Neck

Fried Pork Spare Ribs With Fermented Bean Curd

Minced Pork Patties With Salted Fish And Lotus Root

How I Multiply Strawberry Plants For Free

How I Enhance Fungal Ecology in My Garden

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

Couple’s Extra-Wide Tiny Home Features Mudroom and Ergonomic Kitchen
Indian Farmers Are Producing Apples Where They Never Grew Before
Botanists Identify New Carnivorous Plant

Elephants Don’t Just Trumpet—They Also Squeak

EARTH

Astronauts Alarmed by Huge Fires on Surface of Earth
The Present And (Possible) Future Arctic
Nearly 10 Million Acres Of Land Are Burning In Siberia

Siberia’s Enormous Hole In The Ground Is Getting Bigger

The View From Space Is Helping Fight Wildfires On The Ground

CLIMATE CHANGE

Developing Nations Push To Define ‘Unacceptably Vague’ Adaptation Goal

In The UK At Least, Climate Denial Turns To Climate Delay

Nigeria To End Gas Flaring By 2030, Under National Climate Plan

Sri Lanka Rules Out New Coal Power, Promotes Rooftop Solar

The Climate Solution Right Under Our Feet

The Lesson From German Floods: Prepare For The Unimaginable

What Changes Individuals Can Make In Their Daily Lives To Fight Climate Change

SPACE

Five Big Ways The James Webb Telescope Will Help Astronomers Understand The Universe

Japan Aims To Bring Back Soil Samples From Mars Moon By 2029

Predicting Solar Storms To Protect Earth

Saturn’s Seismic Activity Makes Waves In Its Iconic Rings

The Latest From NASA’s Earth Observatory 

TECHNOLOGY

From Supercomputers To Fire-Starting Drones, These Tools Help Fight Wildfires

How Do Solar-Powered Boats Work? 7 Innovative Vessels That Run on Solar

Inventor Builds Auto-Aiming Bow That Never Misses

Researchers Transfer A Human Protein Into Plants To Supersize Them

Sweden’s HYBRIT Delivers Fossil-Free Steel

What Are Bifacial Solar Panels? Overview, How They Work, And Outlook

Zero-Power Sewage Plant Inspired By Cows

THE GREEN AGENDA

Electric Vehicles Are Cheaper To Own Than Their Fossil Fuel Counterparts

Infrastructure Can Be Beautiful, Like This Storm Water Facility In Toronto

West Virginia Startup Turns Coal Mines Into Lavender Farms And Wellness Products

BEST OF THE NET: 

8 Moments When Radio Helped Bring Americans Together

New Education Center Dedicated To Anne Frank Debuts In South Carolina

Watch Giant Panda Cub Eating Sweet Potatoes, Tumbling With Toys And Tasting Snow

TRAVEL

The Top 15 Sculpture Gardens In The US

You Can Now Explore An Underwater Sculpture Museum In The Mediterranean

An Immense Mystery 11,000 Years Old

Neptune Theater, Seattle, Washington. Photo by Merritt Scott Miller

MEDIA OF THE WEEK:  BRING YOUR OWN BRIGADE: — This is a heart-wrenching documentary of the California wildfires.

Photo courtesy of Susan Kietzman, Author, Grandpa, What’s a Bookstore?

NORTHSTAR BOOKSTORE

WRATH OF THE USS TESTAMENT:  A super power no longer, a resource hungry and repressive America faces a Latin American armada rampaging its west coast and a strong, silent and powerful Canada manning the North Wall. The fires of rebellion burn in the Pacific Northwest and it is into this crucible and forge that the cybernetic patrol boat Testament and her crew are thrust. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters who spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. For a $4.00 Kindle Book adventure you will remember for a lifetime, please go here. http://www.amazon.com/Wrath-USS-Testament-tale-rebellion-ebook/dp/B004DNWL6G 

To read Wrath Of The USS Testament in Microsoft Word, replete with cover and autographed copy page, email me at minstrel312@aol.com.  I’ll send it to you as an attachment.  When you receive it, you visit my Paypal account and deposit $5.00 USD.

By Olya Bereza:  ROCKY THE ROCKET:  Holley Dovetail. This is one of several of short novels for the young and the young at heart. To preview and/or purchase on amazon.com, please go here. https://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Rocket-Holley-Dovetail-ebook/dp/B071XYRDB5

By Olya Bereza:  RAINBOW RISING:  This little fairy-tale is dedicated to a pet friend gone chasing the rainbow and a child’s good-bye..  Yep, go here. http://litnet.com/en/book/rainbow-rising-b187572

WRITER FOR HIRE

ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL

Arctic Terns Never Fly the Road Less Taken

How Cats Became Divine Symbols In Ancient Egypt

The Immortal Myth Of The Unicorn

7 Ways Pets Improve Your Health

ABOUT US:  The Northstar Journal is a weekly online general interest magazine which has been serving an international readership since 2007. Its editor is a professional journalist living in Seattle.  Its associate editor is European.  Our email address is minstrel312@aol.com  We are reader supported so if you would like to make a contribution, please go to our PayPal account here.  Thank you.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

COMPASSION & MERCY

Posted on August 14, 2021 by minstrel312

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam

August 15, 2021  Volume 13 Number 34

Reader Supported

Compassion & Mercy

New Age Gold Fever

News:  International, American, Pacific Northwest

People, Economics & History

Health, Home

Earth, Climate Change, Space

Technology & The Green Agenda,

Travel, Best of the Net, Media of the Week, Masha & the Bear

All Creatures Great & Small

About Us

COMPASSION & MERCY

Rusty Miler, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea.  Have you noticed that ever since President Biden took office, the word “transparency” has been frequently making the media?  And invariably, as something to be truly desired in this environmentally correct Orwellian Age when not only do we sanction more exposure, we seek it out, sometimes desperately.

I think that’s risky behavior.  In my mind, “transparency” is a word begging both definition and context.  As a species, until now, we’ve historically accepted the need for some secrets.  Discretion is a word we’ve prized as well in this regard.  There are some things we don’t need to know and some others that are simply none of our business.  And it depends on the nature of what we’re hiding.

The abuse of another human being is one of those dirty little secrets which needs absolute transparency because it is unacceptable and because it needs to be stopped.  And not tomorrow by some branch of government helping a total class of victims.  It needs to be stopped today, by us in our treatment of family, friends, neighbors and all the others to whom we are somehow connected.

We have never needed saviors and too many good people have died filling that role.  We are perfectly capable of saving ourselves FROM ourselves.  Think about that the next time you raise your voice in anger or rear back your hand to slap someone.

One immutable fact about our species is that if the energy and desire are there, what the mind creates becomes “the new reality”.  Compassion and mercy included.

Rusty

Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller aka “Mishka” is an author, photojournalist and editor. A Northern California native, he has lived in Oregon and Washington State and resides now in South Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

NEW AGE GOLD FEVER

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty:

It seems every couple of years we have the headlines like Could Bitcoin Reach $100,000? or A Price Surge Means Optimistic Predictions Are Back.  We have a New Age gold fever now.  It is called “Crypto.”

Does it mean the enthusiasm for cryptocurrency is back?. Seems that way. It’s not tangible, which is especially useful for Covid times,.  It is fast and banks which cannot process as quickly need to be worried about the competition.  Who will think about a few percent on deposit gains if speculations with crypto can make a fortune? 

While some countries are yet unsure about the transparency and legal grounds, others choose this financial tool to help their own people in difficult times.  Recently, in Latin America, for example,. Venezuela adopts crypto trading amidst COVID-19 quarantine   It will be interesting to see how this impacts poor countries, few of whose citizens have bank accounts.

I like the idea some social networks provide to motivate people to create content not only by “likes” which you get on Facebook or Instagram for example but by some coins like  steemit.com  network provides. 

For me, it is the perfect way to become acquainted with the whole new world of intangible financies without any consequences, as you don’t risk any of your own money. Even though investing in cryptocurrency seems more and more reasonable, thinking about how most people are trapped in bank credits for life, I see this a new field for individuals to try their  intuition as definitely nowhere else 100 or 500 percent rise could be expected.

Olya

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. She travels Europe in conjunction with a family intelligence technology business and is proactively involved in protecting the forests of the Carpathian Mountains.  For comments, please go here.  

NEWS:  INTERNATIONAL

China Sentences Canadian To 11 Years In Case Tied To Hauwei

Chinese Health Experts Call For Change In Zero-Covid-19 Strategy

China Sends 70,000 Communist Party Workers To Help Covid-19-Hit City

Days Of Hot Weather Grip Southern Europe, North Africa

In Iran, Slow Vaccinations Fuel Anger In Unending Pandemic

Turkish capital reels from violent protests against Syrians

NEWS:  AMERICAN

America’s Housing Crisis Is A Choice

Census Data: US Is Diversifying, White Population Shrinking

Forest Service Stops Controlled Burns As Wildfires Ramp Up

There Is Enough Food, Just Not Enough Access

Where US Cities Are Sprawling

NEWS:  PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Washington Joins The Movement To Honor Voting Rights For All Community Members

Democrats’ Budget Proposal Sets The Stage For A Massive Climate Bill

Climate Change Is Changing Seattle Summers

It’s Code Red For The Climate. Will BC Do Anything About It?

How a Seattle Neighborhood Confronted Food Insecurity

PEOPLE

Living Water: Three generations of Apsáalooke revive a river

NASA Is Recruiting Candidates For Year-Long Mars Simulation

What Kind Of Ocean Fan Are You?

ECONOMICS

Business Highlights: Jobless Claims, Disney Results

US Jobless Claims Near Pandemic Low As Economy Strengthens

UK Economy Rebounds As Covid Restrictions Ease

HISTORY

Why WWII Soldiers Mutinied After V-J Day

This Little-Known Peruvian Civilization Built Pyramids As Old As Ancient Egypt’s

Explore Julius Caesar’s Rome

9 Bronze Age Weapons

These Horse-Riding Ancient Nomads Made Astonishing Golden Art

Woolly Mammoths Roamed Far And Wide Just Like Living Elephants

Chinese Scientists Find Traces Of Biggest Asteroid Strike Of Human Age

HEALTH

3-Step Exercise To Help You Calm Down When You’re Nervous

7 Signs Someone You Know Might Be A ‘Covidiot’

Chinese Health Experts Call For Change In Zero-Covid-19 Strategy

Four Ways to Protect Yourself From Harmful Air Pollution Caused by Wildfires

Is City Noise Making Us Sick?

US Turns To Social Media Influencers To Boost Vaccine Rates

Will Covid-19 Become More Infectious With More Variants Emerging?

HOME

The 7 Best Plastic-Free Lunchboxes Of 2021

Let’s Make Life Better For Working Moms

10 Air Purifying Plants To Help You Breathe Better At Home

What Does Organic Really Mean? Food And Farming Practices

What To Do With A Lavender Harvest

Find The Best Plants For Your Garden.

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

Cygnus Spacecraft Secured At The Space Station 

Giant, Dragon-Like, Flying Reptile Fossil Discovered In Australia

Salmon Is Life

Seaweed Farming: Could This Carbon-Negative Crop Help Restore Our Oceans?

EARTH

3 Takeaways From The Global Climate Change Report

Climate-Fueled Wildfires Take Toll On Tropical Pacific Isles

Seven Reasons To Be Optimistic About The World’s Oceans

Three Volcanoes Are Erupting Simultaneously In Alaska

CLIMATE CHANGE

Five Takeaways From The IPCC’s 2021 Climate Science Report

IPCC Report A ‘Call To Arms’ For Climate Science In Courts, Legal Experts Say

Ukraine Aims To Grow Economy Without Increasing Carbon Emissions

UN Climate Change Report Is ‘Code Red For Humanity’

SPACE

An All-Sky Red Giant Star Symphony

SpaceX Launching Satellite To Display Billboard Ads In Space

The Next Frontier Of Space

The Latest From NASA’s Earth Observatory 

TECHNOLOGY

Boxabl Reinvents The Foldable House

DHL Orders 12 Electric Cargo Planes

OpenAI’s New Algorithm Can Turn Written Commands Into Code

Robotic Chameleon That Crawls And Changes Color

Scientists Create Glass That’s As Strong As A Diamond

This Off-Grid Home Is Designed To Withstand Sun, Wind, And Bushfires

THE GREEN AGENDA

Biden and Automakers Agree on 50% EVs by 2030—Are the Regulations Tough Enough?

Dole Makes Sustainability Sweeter By Turning Pineapple Waste Into Textiles

How AI Can Help Save Us From Air Pollution

Study: There Are Ways to Dramatically Reduce Agricultural Water Pollution

To Solve Climate, We Need Electric Cars—And A Lot Less Driving

What Are PFAS Chemicals, And Why Are They In Makeup?

BEST OF THE NET: 

Trouble In Paradise

Heartwarming Chemo Therapy Ad

After 50 You Just Stop Caring. Karen Morgan

TRAVEL

Canada Begins Allowing Vaccinated US Citizens To Visit Again

Dry California Tourist Town To Guests: ‘Please Conserve’

Visit Seattle

Neptune Theater, Seattle, Washington. Photo by Merritt Scott Miller

MEDIA OF THE WEEK:  China Doll (1958) Victor Mature, Ward Bond a.k.a. Time Is a Memory is a 1958 romantic drama film set in the China Burma India Theater of World War II and starring Victor Mature and Li Li-Hua. It represented a return to films for director Frank Borzage who had taken a 10-year hiatus before tackling this poignant, yet “offbeat” film.[1][N 1]

WRATH OF THE TESTAMENT:  A super power no longer, a resource hungry and repressive America faces a Latin American armada rampaging its west coast and a strong, silent and powerful Canada manning the North Wall. The fires of rebellion burn in the Pacific Northwest and it is into this crucible and forge that the cybernetic patrol boat Testament and her crew are thrust. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters who spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. For a $4.00 Kindle Book adventure you will remember for a lifetime, please go here. http://www.amazon.com/Wrath-USS-Testament-tale-rebellion-ebook/dp/B004DNWL6G

ROCKY THE ROCKET:  Holley Dovetail. This is one of several of short novels for the young and the young at heart. To preview and/or purchase on amazon.com, please go here. https://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Rocket-Holley-Dovetail-ebook/dp/B071XYRDB5

RAINBOW RISING:  Olya Bereza.  This little fairy-tale is dedicated to a pet friend gone chasing the rainbow and a child’s good-bye..  Yep, go here. http://litnet.com/en/book/rainbow-rising-b187572

ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL

Giraffes May Be Much More Socially Complex Than Imagined

New Marine Protected Area Announced In Indian Ocean

A Fox In Canada Gave Birth To Cubs Right Under The Porch Of An Apartment Building

ABOUT US:  The Northstar Journal is a weekly online general interest magazine which has been serving an international readership since 2007. Its editor is a professional journalist living in Seattle.  Its associate editor is European.  Our email address is minstrel312@aol.com  We are reader supported so if you would like to make a contribution, please go to our PayPal account here.  Thank you.

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THE BEST PART OF ALL

Posted on August 8, 2021 by minstrel312

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam

August 8, 2021  Volume 13 Number 33

Reader Supported

The Best Part Of All

Glory Of The Games

News: International, American, Pacific Northwest

People, Economics & History

Health, Home, Garden & Kitchen

Earth, Space, Technology & The Green Agenda,

Travel, Best of the Net, Media of the Week, Masha & the Bear

All Creatures Great & Small

About Us

THE BEST PART OF ALL

Rusty Miler, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea.  Well, I got my first Covid-19 vaccination last week and I’m scheduled for a second later this month.  Since millions are or should be doing this ~ including me months before I did ~ I had not intended to share this.  Olya, who loves me like another brother and owns fifty percent of the property rights of the magazine, feels otherwise.

The process itself was comfortable and in familiar surroundings.  It was where I used to shop for groceries until I began doing that online.  I got to the supermarket an hour early and spent most of it in a real nice, quiet, comfortably lighted waiting room next to the pharmacy in the back of a big store.

The shot was administered by one of the pharmacy assistants in a room adjoining the waiting room and set up for that purpose.  I asked the Asian PA if I could selfie my vaccination but she gave me a look I’ve seen a lot in my life.  But she didn’t jab me extra hard for being a twit.

It was early afternoon on a hot day but I felt good enough to take the bus back home, rather than another cab, and was tired from the mile walk from the bus stop to my front door.  After I got into the air-conditioned house, I felt fine, except for the fatigue.  I slept a lot but it was REM and I had some good dreams.

I promised the nicest person on the planet that I would do everything I could to stay alive as long as I could.  I have not broken a single promise I have made to that individual.  Knowing how she feels about that is perhaps the best part of all.

Rusty

Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller aka “Mishka” is an author, photojournalist and editor. A Northern California native, he has lived in Oregon and Washington State and resides now in South Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here


Olympic Metro Station in Kiev, named for the games.  Photo by Olya Bereza

GLORY OF THE GAMES

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty:

I really got into the spirit of the Olympics after accidentally being present at the Boryspil Airport in Kiev, when a few Olympians were met with flowers, among them our Bronze medalist Tennis player Elina Svitolina  Other news I found quite interesting was Qatar and Italy sharing the high jump gold medal, the first joint Olympic podium since 1912. 

I think this is the sort of atmosphere we all miss. Remembering myself as a teenager when I used to watch the Olympic Winter and Summer games with great enthusiasm. I think after all the COVID times now when the world is united by some positive news is such a relief and sign we are getting back on track. More experienced, appreciating each other and nature more, but still strong in our unity.

In Kiev, one of my acquaintances said that the Ukrainian silver finalist Mykhailo Romanchuk inspired her even more to swim in the Bosphorus Cross- Continental swimming race this summer.

That is the best thing the sportsmen could do is to inspire us to strive for achievements. Hurray for that.

That’s it for this week, Mishka.  Take care, cousin mine.  And all.

Olya

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. She travels Europe in conjunction with a family intelligence technology business and is proactively involved in protecting the forests of the Carpathian Mountains.  For comments, please go here.  

NEWS:  INTERNATIONAL

China, India Miss UN’s Extended Deadline For Climate Pledges

China Seals City As Its Worst Virus Outbreak In A Year Grows

Climate Crisis Is Going to Make Europe Even Stormier

Ancient Olympics’ Birthplace Saved as Fires Rage Across Southern Europe

Greece: Thousands More Flee Fires Outside Athens Amid Heat Wave

Oil-Producing Oman Pledges 7% Emissions Reduction From Business As Usual By 2030

Turkey:  A Week Of Wildfires Has Left Thousands Homeless In Southern Turkey

South Africa Quickens Vaccine Drive, Gets More Doses From US

NEWS:  AMERICAN

15 US Cities With The Worst Air Quality

100 Years After Removal, Nez Perce People Reclaim Their Land

Immigrant Detentions Soar Despite Biden’s Campaign Promises

California Wildfires: Rising From The Bones

CDC Issues New Eviction Ban For Most Of US Through Oct. 3

Delta Variant Upends US Politicians’ COVID Calculus
How Do Localities Raise Tax Revenue?
Microsoft To Require COVID-19 Vaccine For Workers

This Year’s Summer Of Climate Extremes Hits Wealthier Places

What A Plant-Based Future Could Mean For Farmers

Where Population Growth Lags Most
NEWS:  PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Automatic Voter Registration Continues To Kick Ass In Oregon

The West Is On Fire. It’s Past Time To Act On Climate Change.

Video: A Huge Opportunity for Central Washington

Northwest climate goals are at odds with a few state energy efficiency rules

What would you need to give up to save salmon in WA?

PEOPLE
3 Climate Activists Making Change In Their Communities

Artist’s Fantastical Paper Installations Are A ‘Love Song’ To Earth’s Biodiversity

At An Extraordinary Olympics, Acts Of Kindness Abound

Fighting Fires In The Amazon To Save Rescued Animals

Green Knight Adopts A Medieval Approach To ‘Modern’ Problems

Teen Turns Old Ropes Into Leashes

This Powerhouse Duo Wants Us To Fight For Our Rights

Where Does Harassment Report Leave Andrew Cuomo?

ECONOMICS
IMF Upgrades UK Economic Forecast
It’s Time To Redefine GDP To Help Save The Planet

US Economic Recovery ‘Making Progress’, Says Fed

HISTORY

How Did History’s Worst Pandemics Finally End?
How Nelson Mandela Used Rugby As A Symbol Of South African Unity

Happy 50th Birthday To The Berkeley Restaurant That Launched Farm-To-Fork Eating

Hiroshima Marks 76th Anniversary Of US Atomic Bombing
Researchers Find Physical Evidence of Earthquake Described in Old Testament
Why Greece Is Considered The Birthplace Of Democracy
Babylonians Used Applied Geometry 1,000 Years Before Pythagoras
Tyrannosaurs Dominated Their Cretaceous Ecosystems
Greenhouse Gas Caused Global Cooling 34 Million Years Ago

HEALTH

9 Reasons You Bruise So Easily
Screen Use Strongly Linked To Failing Eyesight In Children
How To Boost Your Immune System, According To Experts
COVID 19

China Scientist Calls For ‘Continuity’ In Who’s Covid-19 Origins Hunt

Expert Leading China’s Who Team Urges Inquiry To Look At Other Countries

Fully Vaccinated People Can Still Get A Covid ‘Breakthrough’ Infection—Here’s What That Means

Global Coronavirus Cases Pass 200 Million As Delta Variant Spreads

How Will Delta And Covid-19 Change This Back-To-School Season? Here’s What To Know

Is It Safe To Go To An Outdoor Concert?

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Shot Works Well Against Delta Variant, Study Finds
Massachusetts Outbreak Of 900 Covid Cases Leads To Only 7 Hospitalizations: ‘The Vaccines Are Working’

United Airlines Will Require All 67,000 U.S. Employees To Get Vaccinated

Why Food Could Be The Best Medicine Of All

X-Rays Show Difference In COVID-19 Cases Between Vaccinated And Unvaccinated Patients

HOME, KITCHEN & GARDEN

Home Bio Gas Toilet Turns Poop Into Fuel
How To Make Pomegranate Spritz

Yangzhou Fried Rice

Goose Fat Fried Rice

Nasi Goreng With Salted Fish

How To Grow Blueberries: Your Go-To Guide For Plant Care
The Top Benefits Of A Walled Garden
How I Prepare For And Prevent Garden Flooding
Eat Like An Armenian With These Tips From A Local Guide
Give Your Front Yard A Sustainable Makeover

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

Photo courtesy of Hakai Magazine

The Language of Bears

Timeline: How The Science Linking Climate Change To Extreme Weather Took Off

Why Seamounts Deserve Greater Protection

Move Over Goats. Cattle Are The New Fire Fighters In Town

2.5 Billion Tons of Wasted Food Compounds Climate Change, Study Shows

EARTH

5 New Plant Species Discovered In Bolivia

A Critical Ocean System May Be Heading For Collapse

Climate Change Quiz: How Much Do You Know?

Colorado’s Subalpine Forests Are Dying From Extreme Heat

Hot, Dry Weather Fuels Spread Of Toxic Algae, Beach Closures

How Replanted Seagrass Is Restoring the Ocean

How We Can Restore Forests, Increase Fire Resilience And Protect Communities

Rare Snowfall Blankets Cities Across Brazil

Rising Gas Prices Signal Trouble For Climate Change Action

This Year’s Summer Of Climate Extremes Hits Wealthier Places

SPACE

Comet C/2021 O3 Approaching, May Brighten In 2022

Heads Up! Close Asteroid Pass This Month

Neutron Star Mountains Are Tiny (But You Can’t Climb ‘Em)

Observing Meteors: Top Tips For The Perseids
What’s A Blue Moon And When’s The Next One?

Scientist Claims That Aliens May Be Communicating Via Starlight

Videos Shows Meteor Explosion Turning Sky An Eerie Green

Weird Metal-Rich Star Catapulted From The Galaxy

TECHNOLOGY & THE GREEN AGENDA

What Is The Best Electric Bike For Older Or Novice Riders?

The Ingenious Ancient Technology Concealed In The Shallows

Solar-Powered Refrigerated Trailers Could Eliminate Millions Of Tons Of CO2 Emissions

UK Explores Building E-Highway To Power Long-Haul Trucks

BEST OF THE NET: 

To Save A Huge, 24-Armed Sea Creature, Scientists Become Loving Foster Parents

The Best Climate Solutions Start with Listening

Now We Are Free – Aliki

TRAVEL

Glaze Glory Of Forbidden City

From Mountaintops To Coral Reefs: 10 Most-Loved Photos From August

Visit Seattle

https://mashabear.com/

MEDIA OF THE WEEK:  MIRACLE OF THE WHITE STALLIONS is a 1963 film released by Walt Disney starring Robert Taylor (playing Alois Podhajsky), Lilli Palmer, and Eddie Albert. It is the story of the evacuation of the Lipizzaner horses from the Spanish Riding Schoo in Vienna during World War II. Major parts of the movie were shot at the Hermesvilla palace in th Lainzer Tiergarten of Vienna, a former hunting area for the Habsburg nobility. The music for the soundtrack was based on the first movement of Franz Schubert‘s Marche Militaire no 1, D733.  Run Time:  1:57:42

WRATH OF THE TESTAMENT:  A super power no longer, a resource hungry and repressive America faces a Latin American armada rampaging its west coast and a strong, silent and powerful Canada manning the North Wall. The fires of rebellion burn in the Pacific Northwest and it is into this crucible and forge that the cybernetic patrol boat Testament and her crew are thrust. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters who spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. For a $4.00 Kindle Book adventure you will remember for a lifetime, please go here. http://www.amazon.com/Wrath-USS-Testament-tale-rebellion-ebook/dp/B004DNWL6G

ROCKY THE ROCKET:  Holley Dovetail. This is one of several of short novels for the young and the young at heart. To preview and/or purchase on amazon.com, please go here. https://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Rocket-Holley-Dovetail-ebook/dp/B071XYRDB5

RAINBOW RISING:  Olya Bereza.  This little fairy-tale is dedicated to a pet friend gone chasing the rainbow and a child’s good-bye..  Yep, go here. http://litnet.com/en/book/rainbow-rising-b187572

http://minstrel312.tripod.com/

ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL

Coronavirus Antibodies Detected In Wild White-Tailed Deer In Several U.S. States

Endangered Orcas Get New Protection From US Government

Hyenas Hoarded Thousands of Human, Animal Bones in Saudi Arabian Lava Tube

Meet Rescued Bald Eagles Tioga and Annie

Sierra Nevada Red Fox To Be Protected As Endangered Species

Stranded Killer Whale Survives With The Help Of Humans

ABOUT US:  The Northstar Journal is a weekly online general interest magazine which has been serving an international readership since 2007. Its editor is a professional journalist living in Seattle.  Its associate editor is European.  Our email address is minstrel312@aol.com  We are reader supported so if you would like to make a contribution, please go to our PayPal account here.  Thank you.

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