A weekly ezine of news, commentary, health, humor and general interest
The Magazine With Heart
News & Commentary; From Olya ~Easter Reflections From Ukraine; Meade Fischer Travels ~ Adventure Photography & Other Travel News; Good Examples; Bad Examples; Our Scienc Section Abridged; The Green Agenda; Health; Lifestyle; Best Of The Net; Thought of the Week; All Creatures Great & Small; Northstar Endorses; You Guys Think We Make This Stuff Up; About Us
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March 27, 2016 Vol. 9 No. 198 443rd Consecutive
Dennis Steussy – Associate Editor
Meade Fischer – Contributing Editor
Amy Goldstein – Contributing Editor
THE HEART TO LOVE A RADISH
Hi again from the shores of the Salish Sea. First, of course, I’d like to wish all our Christian readers a Happy Easter. As long as Jesus is remembered, He lives. And as long as He lives, there is a chance we might become worthy of sharing the same Father. Thank you, Jesus. And thank you, those of His brothers and sisters who love Him without hating anyone.
I came across this article about robotic gardening that I want to talk about for a second or several. This Robot Is A Better Gardener Than You By its definition, it is, particularly since I am a subsistence gardener who is not into trying to grow stuff faster, or grafting to make better fruit.
I came of age watching agribusiness take over small farms in Northern California’s San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys. It ultimately poisoned the environment to such an extent that Sacramento itself is now one of the unhealthiest places in America to live.
Gardening is also something very spiritual to me, without the chanting or the symbols, but certainly the heart and mind set. I’m bringing another life form into the world for the specific purpose of eating it when it either dies or reproduces.
During that time, I’m responsible for it and it behooves me to be as physically and emotionally nurturing as I would hope to be with any of God’s creatures, including puppies and children.
As sophomoric and as anthropomorphic as that might sound, it works in my house. When potatoes, corn, tomatoes, garlic, etc start loving you back, you have a harvest fit for the Divine and a feast worthy of the love you invested.
Not everyone can grow stuff, just like not everyone SHOULD be able to reproduce. So there’s definitely the Hand of the Deity in a green thumb. We created that robotic gardener but only God can give it the heart to love a radish.
Have a great week, all.
Rusty
To comment, email us at minstrel312@aol.com To contribute to the next edition, please go here.
THE NEWS
These are American cities most susceptible to Zika. Is yours one of them?
Sometimes I think headline writers like to cruise a little over the top. This one, for instance, made it sound like we’re about to get mugged by some very very bad dudes. The Hubble Space Telescope Just Spotted A Gang Of ‘Monster’ Stars
Considering its place in the web of life, this cannot bode well, if it is permitted to happen. Ash Tree Set For Extinction In Europe
INTERNATIONAL HEADLINE NEWS
Global
February Soars Past Previous Warmth Record
What We’re Doing To The Earth Has No Parallel In 66 Million Years
We Had All Better Hope These Scientists Are Wrong About Earth’s Future
Asia
Japan Zebra Dies In Golf Course Lake
A Story Of Reincarnation In Nepal
Missing HK Bookseller Back In Mainland
A Revived Challenge To Islam As Bangladesh’s State Religion Goes To Court
Man Detained In North Korea Confesses To Spying For South
Philippines Releases Ship Linked To North Korea
Asian Financial Cooperation Association To Be Launched In July
China
China’s ‘Minecraft’ Military Camouflage
Xi’s Czech Visit To Send Diplomatic Messages
China, Russia Should Work To Settle Hotspot Issues: President Xi
1,706 Apartments Snatched In Advance Of Shanghai’s New Housing Policies
China Implements New Tax On Cross-Border E-Commerce
China’s Actors Teach Operas To Pupils As World Theatre Day Approaches
Juyongguan Pass Segment Of Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railroad Decorated By Blooming Flowers
Tourists Flock To Park To View Cherry Blossoms
India
Celebrate Spring With Our Favorite Photos Of The Hindu Festival Of Colors
Holi 2016: Hindu Festival Of Colors Welcomes Spring
Wild Elephants Kill 5 People In India In Separate Attacks
I Am Fighting Poverty, Not Tarun Gogoi In Assam, Says Pm
Pakistan Says It Has Captured Indian Spy In Baluchistan Province
Africa
Nigeria Targets Firms Over Arms Fraud
Ebola, Ruthless To Families, Leaves Liberian Man Alive And Alone
Ebola Fears Shut A Liberian Border
Congolese Politician, Jean-Pierre Bemba, Is Convicted Of War Crimes
Morocco Asks That U.N. Close Western Sahara Military Office
Attack Reported On Mali Hotel Used By European Union Military
BP And Statoil Pull Employees From Algeria Gas Fields After Attack
Angola: Yellow Fever Outbreak Kills 178
Congo Republic: President Is Re-Elected
Kenya: Exam Board Linked To Cheating On College Entrance Tests
Burundi: Army Officer Is Assassinated In The Capital
Middle East
Israel Soldier Detained In Shooting Of Palestinian
Israel Begins Murder Investigation Of Soldier Who Shot Palestinian
Egypt Continues Crackdown On Groups Documenting Government Abuse
Syrian Forces And ISIS Clash At Edge Of Palmyra
Iraq Retakes ISIS-Held Villages Outside Mosul
Egypt Implicates 4 Men Killed By Police In Death Of Italian Student
Family Sees TV Talent Scout Where Israeli Authorities See Jihadist Spy
Yemen: U.N. Envoy Unveils Truce Plan
A Spymaster Who Saw Cyberattacks As Israel’s Best Weapon Against Iran
U.S. Strike In Yemen Kills Dozens In Qaeda Affiliate, Officials Say
Kadyrov Gets Putin’s Support, Will Run In Elections
Plane Bomb Threat: Russian Citizens Arrested In Ukraine
Putin And Kerry Discuss Syria, Ukraine, Savchenko At Moscow Meeting
Russian Duma Deputies Propose Death Penalty For Terrorists
Russian Investigators Say Khodorkovsky’s Yukos Acquired Illegally
Anti-Doping Agency Records 123 Positive Tests For Sharapova Drug
Majority Of Russians Support Troop Withdrawal From Syria – Poll
Russian Cosmonaut On Forbes List Of World’s Greatest Leaders
Europe
Ukrainian Pilot Faces Russian Verdict
Hollande To Meet Paris Attack Relatives
Brussels Attacks Underscore Vulnerability Of An Open European Society
Credit Suisse To Cut Another 2,000 Jobs
Europe Was Once Home To Weird Wild Apes
Lawyer Defending Russian Soldier In Ukraine Is Found Dead
The Vatican
Video: Pope Francis ‘World’s Most Popular Leader’
‘Father Cody Is Dangerous’: Seattle Archdiocese Settles Sex Abuse Case For $9.1 Million After Damning Letters Surface
United Kingdom
EU Exit Backed By 250 Business Leaders
‘Small’ UK Economic Impact From EU Exit
UK Car Pollution Checks Dropped In 2011
The Tsunami That Terrified Britain
Teachers Heckle Morgan Over Academy Plans
Canada
Hartley Bay, A Four-Decade Fight To Dump Diesel Continues
Reconciliation Starts With Educating About Indigenous Lives
Canada’s Bankers Petroleum Agrees To Takeover By Chinese Firm
Engineering Programs Looking To Expand Within Ontario Universities
Alberta Discards Timeline For Balanced Budget
BC Gets $1-Million Boost To Electric Vehicle Charging
Jian Ghomeshi, Former Canadian Radio Host, Acquitted Of Sexual Assault
United States
The Mideast Came To Idaho State. It Wasn’t The Best Fit.
In A Florida Party Town, Last Call Leaves A Financial Hangover
Hawaii Struggles To Keep Rail Project From Becoming A Boondoggle
Nuclear Plant Leak Threatens Drinking Water Wells In Florida
Flint Water Crisis Inquiry Finds State Ignored Warning Signs
As Coal Prospects Decline, A Colorado Town Reconsiders Marijuana Ban
How America’s “Worst Walking City” Got Back On Its Feet
Sexual Harassment Cases Tarnish Berkeley’s Image As A Center Of Social Activism
North Carolina Gay Bias Law Draws A Sharp Backlash
Wrong Man Convicted Of 1957 Murder In Illinois, Prosecutor Says
Latin America
Cubans Pack The Streets For A Glimpse Of President Obama
Video: Obama Invited To Tango In Argentina
Rolling Stones Performs Historic Concert In Cuba
Obama Family Spring Break: Making History And Doing The Tango
Obama Family Vacations: Highlights From 2009-2015
Obama Expresses Regret For U.S. Policies During Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’
To Beat The Rush, Americans Rush To Cuba, Overloading Services
Dilma Rousseff, President Of Brazil, Resists Calls For Her Resignation
Cuba Says It Has Solved Racism. Obama Isn’t So Sure.
Obama Visit Affirms Argentina’s Shift Toward Center
Obama Declares A New Partnership After Talks With Argentine Leader
Crisis In Brazil Widens With Report Of Firm’s Payments To Politicians
Obama, In Havana Speech, Says Cuba Has Nothing To Fear From U.S.
Cuban Dissidents Praise ‘Closeness And Trust’ After Meeting With Obama
Canada: Government Budget Will Seek Significant Increase In Deficit Spending
Stay Or Go? Cuban Entrepreneurs Divided On Where To Stake Futures
Oceana & Polynesia
Australian Stock Exchange Boss Resigns
Dramatic Sydney Siege Footage Shown
Fairy Circles, Long A Mystery In Africa, Now Found In Australia
TOPICAL HEADLINE NEWS
Climate Change & Weather
Worsening Droughts Spell Trouble For US Forest Fire Recovery
How Exploiting The Earth Can Fuel Violent Conflict
Espionage And Terrorism
Video: ISIS’s Signature Explosive In Europe
Strikes Claimed By ISIS Shut Brussels And Shake European Security
Two Brothers Behind Brussels Attacks
ISIS In Europe: The Race To The Death
Multiple Arrests Over Europe ISIS Plots
U.S. Indicts 7 Iranians In Cyberattacks On Banks And A Dam
A Top ISIS Leader Is Killed In An Airstrike, The Pentagon Says
ISIS Suicide Bomber In Iraq Kills Dozens At Soccer Game
Refugee Crisis
Video: Migrants Arrive In Lesbos Under New Rules
Massachusetts Clinic Treats Refugees With Mindfulness And Medicine From Home
Zika
WHO Expects Over 2,500 Zika-Linked Microcephaly Cases In Brazil
Zika Virus May Affect 50 U.S. Cities
Sex In A Time Of Zika: CDC Issues Ever-More Detailed Guidelines
FROM OLYA
EASTER REFLECTIONS FROM UKRAINE
Hi Mishka:
Easter is one of the oldest of Christian traditions. For some, it is just a celebration with exchanging of gifts and cards and I think that is good. For others, however, Easter is a reminder of the love nature of Jesus and what he faced from people on his own will.
And it is always challenging to look in the mirror and seriously ask, “Have we, as a people, changed much for the last two thousand years, even having the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) to read?”
Mishka, wishing you and yours happy Easter. I know you are one of those who do understand the meaning of this celebration. and good luck with gardening 😉
Stay well, my cousin.
Olya Bereza, European Editor To comment for publication, email her c/o minstrel312@aol.com
MEADE FISCHER TRAVELS –The Pacific Crest Trail.
Where has one of North America’s foremost kayaking photojournalists and writers been lately and who or what has he been shooting? Yep, find out here. This is a Northstar Journal Five Star Recommendation.
SEE ALSO
Natural Habitat Adventures Cuban Tour
Mike Philbin’s Free Planet Blog
GOOD EXAMPLES
Outstanding. Now if the powers that be will only listen. Nobel Peace Prize Winners Call For Halt To Arctic Drilling
Outstanding Part II. Video: Prince Speaks Out For Nepalese Girls
I believe them and good show! Amazon.Com Says That There Is No Gender Or Ethnic Imbalance In What It Pays Its Employees
GE Extras
Forget Nutraloaf—Prisoners Are Growing Their Own Food
To comment, email us at minstrel312@aol.com
BAD EXAMPLES
This absolutely must stop and if that means going to sea in a small swift boat to do it, tell me where I sign on. Minkies are among the largest but gentlest creatures on a planet that is mostly water. And they certainly do not deserve this. A Japanese Fleet Killed 333 Whales For ‘Research’
And this is the same state which gave us one of the most enlightened chief executives this nation has ever had. It is, indeed, a rainy night in this place. Parents in America’s state of Georgia were offended by the ‘Far East religion’ of yoga, so they got ‘Namaste’ banned from school
Under the “What Were They THINKING?” category and this really browns me off because I live in this state and I am normally very proud of it. Hollow Columns Holding Up I-5, I-405 Bridges Could Implode In Major Quake
To comment, email us at minstrel312@aol.com
OUR SCIENCE SECTION, ABRIDGED
This will never happen in my house. Welcome To Your Driverless Life
I honestly do not know whether to laugh or cry about this one. Microsoft’s tay.ai chabot was a fast learner. Unfortunately the artificial intelligence bot, designed to converse with millennials on twitter and messaging services, quickly learned to parrot racist and other offensive comments. Microsoft took tay offline for adjustments.
I thought this was amazing. Video: Century-Old Missing Ship Mystery Solved
EARTH
Get Up Close And Personal With The Smithsonian’s New Dinosaurs In This 360 Video
Searching For Shipwrecks From Space
The Coral Reefs That Almost Made Scientists Cry (For Joy)
OUTER SPACE
Why Parallel Universes Might Be Real
Kepler Catches A Supernova Shockwave
Five New Studies On Pluto Show Just How Weird The Little Planet Is
TECHNOLOGY
What’s The Best Way To Stop Trolls?
10 Black Women Innovators And The Awesome Things They Brought Us
Researchers Create A New Type Of Stem Cell That Has Half A Genome
THE GREEN AGENDA
To The Tune Of $10m, Wind Power Pays Off For Or Landowners
The Lure And Challenge Of Clean Power For Remote First Nation Reserves
Farms, Hydropower At Risk In West’s Changing Climate
The Return On Investment In Affordable Housing
Love Solar But Got No Rooftop? “Shared Solar” Coming For You
Record Investment In Clean Energy In 2015
9 Figures To Help You Understand The State Of Renewable Energy
Eco Wave Power Turns Seawater Into Energy At New Gibraltar Plant
HEALTH
Wellness Magazine: Chocolate, Money And Happiness
Artificial Hearts Ticking Along Decades After Jarvik-7 Debate
Heroin Epidemic Is Yielding To A Deadlier Cousin: Fentanyl
F.D.A. Toughens Warning Labels For Some Opioid Painkillers
Researchers Find Key To Long-Term Preservation Of Organs For Transplant
What Makes Water Unsafe? Not The Color, Taste, Or Smell
TB Cases Increase In U.S. For First Time In 23 Years
LIFESTYLE
What To Do During A Terrorist Attack
A Year Later, Kids Turn Baltimore’s Uprising Into Art
The World’s Most Troublesome Names
Why Are People So Incredibly Gullible?
Tangos, Waltzes And Hand Jives: Obama’s Legacy As The Dancing President
SEATTLE SCENES
Ridership on Seattle’s light rail, after the openings of stations at UW and Capitol Hill, is higher than expected. Sound Transit is adding bigger trains to keep up with the crowds. $50 billion is the tally of Sound Transit’s proposal to increase light rail, buses and commuter trains from Tacoma to Everett. The plan, which could be on the ballot this fall, would result in a network of 108 miles of light rail.
Hey, millennials: Microsoft’s snarky bot wants to talk to you. The bot — tay.ai, which is fluent at teenage Web speak — was built using machine-learning technology and some input from improvisational comedians.
Females in farming: “We’ve all been sort of conditioned to assume this farmer is with the hat, and he’s a man, and he’s white,” says Audra Mulkern, who takes photos for The Female Farmer Project. Her portraits of agricultural women at work — and the statistics — show that this is not the case in Washington.
Record-breaking restaurant: For the first time, our critic Providence Cicero is giving a four-star review: Renee Erickson’s steakhouse Bateau. Bar Melusine next door, also owned by Erickson, is great for oysters and little dishes.
Up for hiking, paddling, birding? How about heading to the South Sound? The stunning area around Olympia has a lot more options than you’d think for a great weekend, and none of them involves the Legislature.
Another tech powerhouse is coming to South Lake Union. Google is working with Paul Allen’s Vulcan to move into 607,000 square feet of office space in Amazon’s neighborhood. Between 3,000 and 4,000 employees could fit in the space.
Amazon is adding Uwajimaya and PCC Natural Markets to its Prime Now fast-delivery service in Seattle. The two grocers say the arrangement makes them like neighborhood stores for area households.
Dance dance revolution. Think ballet is all Tchaikovsky? Think again. This year’s “Director’s Choice” program (Pacific Northwest Ballet’s annual grab bag of short works) includes performances set to Tom Waits, Sufjan Stevens and Philip Glass — plus dancers stuck to a wall with Velcro.
BEST OF THE NET
Video: ‘Ode to Joy’ Played in Brussels Square
The Brussels Philharmonic and Vlaams Radio Koor performed Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” at a memorial for the victims of this week’s attacks.
Video: American Missionary’s Account of Attack
Mason Wells, a 19-year-old Mormon missionary in Belgium, describes how he survived the terrorist attack at the Brussels Airport.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
Illustration by Norman Rockwell
The little things?
The little moments?
They aren’t little.
To subscribe and experience Thoughts in their original, please contact Ame at SpringggRain@aol.com
FROM NORTHSTAR
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 of three men and three women are thrust. Individuals of duty and conscience both, when they join the other side, all Hell breaks loose. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters which spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. Now available in both paperback and Kindle at amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Wrath-USS-Testament-tale-rebellion/dp/1511900660/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
Now available in both paperback and Kindle at amazon.com
NORTHSTAR MEDIA SERVICES
Advertising Copy ~ Classified and Display
Comedy ~ jokes, monologues
Ghost writing
Speeches
Editing ~ General and International
“Americanization” of International Websites
Online English Tutoring
Special Projects
ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL
Okay, so is this like something every subway should have? London Underground Has Its Own Mosquito
I think if I saw this small fish on my front porch, I might get a little tweaked. This Weird Little Fish Can Walk Up Waterfalls
I wonder how the father in this family handles this. How Do These Beetle Moms Make Time For Their Kids? Very Unsexy Perfume.
SHORTS
Illegal Pet Trade In Madagascar May Threaten Conservation And Survival Of Endangered Lemur Species
4 UK Bird Species Join The IUCN List Facing Global Extinction
Cambodia’s Extraordinary Waterbird Colony – Prek Toal – Recognised As Ramsar Site
National Protection For Three Areas Off The Hampshire And Isle Of Wight Coast
Birds To Spot At RSPB Arne Nature Reserve This Winter
Urgent Rehoming Appeal From The Mare And Foal Sanctuary
Why Do Hares Go ‘Mad’ In March?
Star Grazers At Knettishall Heath
FOLKS WE FOLLOW
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s March 2016 newsletter is now online. This one has an outstanding video of a golden eagle doing aerial acrobatics and a discussion of how many species of birds there are and why. Their Project FeederWatch eNews is now, as well.
NORTHSTAR ENDORSES
If you’re feeling generous and want to spend some money making yourself feel good, instead of a trip to the mall or the deli, check out one of the outfits on this list and consider joining it. You’ll be contributing to something really important and each month, you’ll be reminded of what your contribution is doing. Some of them even have cool things like sweatshirts with their name on it or coffee mugs with lids. As the King of Kitsch, that kind of appeals to me. And if you want to throw a couple of bucks or Euros in our sugar can, here’s now to do that. Thank you very much, guys. Rusty
Help End World Hunger & Poverty | Heifer International® | Heifer.Org
Nature Conservancy in Washington
No Camels – Weekly Israeli Innovation News
SeaDoc Society: People & Science Healing The Sea
Showcase Magazine: Today’s Media For Artful Living
YOU GUYS THINK WE MAKE THIS STUFF UP
The Mountains Whose Height Is A Mystery
The Eerie Grave Of 200,000 Monks
This 80-Year-Old ‘Black Widow,’ Who Lured Lonesome Old Men To Horrible Fates, Is Out Of Prison Again
ABOUT US
We are a reader-supported international news, commentary and general interest Internet weekly magazine reaching readers in 22 countries. They range in age from 12 – 93 and cross all demographics. We’ve been publishing for over eight years and we have not missed a deadline. If you like what you read and would like to contribute to the next edition, please go here. For more information and to receive us in your email, contact us at minstrel312@aol.com
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