Just What Is Normal?

I was checking a few things out on the Internet recently. I read something interesting that I have never heard mentioned in the main stream media. So, let's get started.

He did Greenland get its name? According to StraightDope.com, Erik the Red and his father Thorvald were exiled from "Viking Land" for murder. They both went to Iceland. After Erik's father died, Erik apparently continued in the family business of "life cessation activities." He was now sent to a much larger island nearby. After Erik's hiatus expired he decided that his new island home would be a dandy place for his Viking playmates to call home. So, good old Erik named the island Greenland in hopes of luring many Viking settlers from Iceland to his new settlement. Apparently Greenland really was green during this time period.

Again, why was it called Greenland? According to Jared M. Diamond, in the book Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed, (2006) Harmondsworth [Eng.]: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-303655-6 Data from ice cores indicate that from AD 800 to 1300 the regions around the fjords of southern Greenland experienced a relatively mild climate, with temperatures similar to today. Trees and herbaceous plants grew there, and the climate initially allowed farming of livestock as in Norway. HMMMMM!!!!! After about 500 years the settlement began to vanish. The condition of human bones from this period indicates the Norse population was malnourished. Main reasons appeared to have been soil erosion due to destruction of the natural vegetation for farming, turf, and wood by the Norse, a decline in temperatures during the Little Ice Age, and armed conflicts with the Inuit.

So that tells me that if there really is Global Warming, then the world is really going back to the way it was and that perhaps The Little Ice Age was the anomaly. And that the earth's climate really is a vast system that is constantly changing and that perhaps "normal" is really "changing" and that man is terribly arrogant to assume that they can truly affect the climate long term for good or bad.

NOTE: The portion in Italics was surreptitiously borrowed from Wikipedia. Thank You Wikipedia for its use in today's blog.Now, for a small break from the total meltdown of the earth as we know it:

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Field Day: Sometimes It Bites

Yesterday was the annual field day at Brook Avenue. We planned it (Actually, Coach W planned it), we went, and it was a rousing success. At times we didn't listen. But we all tossed, we ran, we tugged, and we threw. Up to the end we all had fun. But that's okay. It was field day.

I sometimes wonder if my kindergarten students get together each morning and decide on what they are going to ask me about or what type of malady they will have on that particular day. For example, I may have one student come and tell me that they have a cut or whatever. Instead of sending them to the nurse or office, often times I will tend to the matter myself. Then I have a steady parade of students with the same ailment or malady. By the time run out of band-aids, and patience, the epidemic is over.

In the past I have had many ailments presented to me. I have seen cuts, scrapes, and burns. I have been asked to tend to toothaches, headaches, and tummy aches. There have been real injuries and imagined injuries. Some students have the same complaint at the same time each day. Many times after sending a student to the office or nurse I get a note telling me their temperature or explaining that they cannot treat that particular ailment. I often end up telling the next student, "I'm sorry, the office can't help with that!"

Yesterday, I had a first for me. I had three students come to me on three separate occasions during the field day activities. They came to me and told me a variation of , "Mr. Horst, I have a mosquito bite on my behind and it hurts." I looked at them, paused and thought, then said "I'm sorry. I can't do anything about it and neither can the school." They weren't happy but time seems to heal all wounds and they soon forgot about it and started having fun once again.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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FIELD DAY-If You Plan It, They Will Come

Today is our annual Field Day at school. The theme of this years field day is The Olympics. All of our activities have an international flair. For example, we will have Ireland’s Potato Race, Greece’s Torch Relay Race, and China’s Dragon Race. Those activities sound pretty straightforward and actually make sense.

BUT,--------Is it just me? What is it with Portugal’s Popcorn Machine? I thought popcorn was given to the world by Native Americans, not Portugal. Perhaps it has to do with Chapter 5 of the report, "Savory Snacks in Portugal to 2010".

Then there's Italy’s Balloon Toss. Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the French the first in the balloon category. I know the event is using latex balloons and not hot air balloons. But the first rubber balloons were made by Faraday for use in his experiments with hydrogen. There is more information on balloon history at Balloon HQ. I never saw a mention of Italy. Although I suppose they could have introduced the use of animal bladders and entrails as balloons in antiquity.

Finally, there's Australia’s Marble
Grab. Australia has got some marbles. they haven't lost them yet. (Sorry! I couldn't resist.) Their marbles are actually named Devils Marbles and they are huge. I'm sorry but my babies aren't going to be able to grab them anytime soon. Check out these pictures of them at Australia Marbles.

Forecast for today is HOT and HUMID, high around 92. There was a slight chance of rain but now I think that has passed. Regardless of the weather, fun will be had by one and all. After all, we will be outside running and playing and getting wet tossing all of those Italian water balloons. Maybe they will be filled with Perrier water as a concession to the French who kindly gave the world the hot air balloon.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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We'll Cross That Bridge When We Get To It

Well the inevitable has begun. I went to work yesterday morning and I noticed that they have officially started work on our portion of Interstate 35. Actually it isn't work on the Interstate. It is on the Sun Valley Drive bridge that crosses the Interstate. The bridge currently has one lane each way. And let me tell you, during peak times it can take an act of Congress to get across. There is a Pilot Truck Stop at the intersection which draws a lot of traffic. But within the past year there has been an Ashley Furniture Warehouse, MHC Kenworth Truck dealership, a truck tire center, two new freight trans-shipment centers added to the current Mack and Volvo Truck Center already located within a couple of square blocks. Add to this they are building a new hotel behind the McDonald's. Oh I forgot to mention that the Pilot also added a truck maintenance facility to add to the traffic.

Wow! That's a lot of trucks in the area. There are certain times of the day when both lanes of the bridge are lined up with 18 wheelers. The west bound side of the bridge is waiting to turn and get on south bound IH-35 but can't move because oncoming traffic is stalled because the east bound lane on the bridge is at a stand still. They are waiting to turn left and head to north bound IH-35 OR go straight to one of the various truck centers OR to turn right to go to the Pilot Truck Stop. If the trucks turn right they have to go across another lane of traffic to get into the Pilot. This wait causes traffic behind them' and sometimes on the bridge, to stall. Of course the trucks are waiting because they can't cross due to that one vehicle at the light that wants to turn left but can't due to the idle traffic on the bridge. AAARGH!!!! All I want to do is go straight but I can't.

Then sometimes, if you hit it just right; No Waiting. Pass right on along.

As the construction continues they will be putting a third lane north and south on IH-35 from New Road in Waco south to Sun Valley.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Things Are Not As They Seem

Sometimes things I read or hear strike me as being kind of odd. For instance, last night I was looking at a website for Canadian products. The name of the site is, interestingly enough, Canadaonly.ca. I did some browsing around and marveled at the choice of items. I am sort of jealous. The Canadians seem to have some items that i think I would really enjoy. For instance, Smoky Bacon flavor Lay's Potato Chips. Yum!!!

Then I saw it while perusing the meat selections. Canadian Peameal Bacon, described as "The world's most famous bacon." Okay, this sounds interesting. I continue reading and there it is, "Our extra lean Peameal bacon is shipped from the U.S. direct to you in an insulated container....." (Emphasis added.) I thought the whole purpose of the website was to hawk Canadian items. That sort of reminds of the salsa made "...in New York City!"

Then I started thinking of other things. I went to the store the other day and was looking at the frozen bread. And, of course, there it was frozen and sitting in a box in the freezer, New York Texas Toast. It was made in Ohio.

Soooooo, I did a little research. Mars Bars are not made on Mars. Nature Valley Granola Bars are not made in Nature Valley. Andes Mints are not made in the Andes and Klondike Bars are not made in the Klondike.

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing may be made on a ranch, in a valley. But I don't know for sure. I think it's because the valley is hidden.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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If It's Not One Thing, It's Another

As I mentioned yesterday I have gotten my computer half-way back to normal. It works without any problems now. I just have to work to assemble the programs that I still need to do a few things that I still can't get done. For instance I lost all of my audio and video editing programs. They will take a while to get again since many were free.

Now the next problem coming down the road is with my DVD player-recorder for the TV. It seems that it gets rather tired after playing DVD's after 10-15 minutes. It freezes and simply does not want to play the disc at all. It has been freezing for a while but it at least had the decency to wait until and hour into the thing. At least then i could watch at least one show. Now that it has changed to 10-15 minutes I can't even watch a 30 minute show without it acting up. I suppose it feels like it has not been getting the attention it wants since I have been dealing with the computer.

I have an LG DVD Player-Recorder with HD Tuner, Model # RC797T. I got this past Christmas. Wouldn't you know it start acting up after the warranty ran out. And of course LG has brought out a new model and there are no local stores that still carry this one. I have emailed Customer Service at LG and described the problem. I will let you know what happens. Until then I guess I have to break out the cheap Insignia from Best Buy.© 2008 Barry T Horst


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