Sunday, September 16, 2018

POTPOURRI -- SPACE TO EARTH

A potpourri of topics from space to earth have my attention .....

Get your tickets!

Who will be the first passenger on Luknar BFR Mission? 

Find out by clicking HERE ..... revealed  Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 at 6 P.M.

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(Unfortunately, I just discovered the Diana Krall video I had up here until 9/18, which is still on YouTube, has been withdrawn for play here. )  

Here's Julie London singing "Fly Me To The Moon"






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On earth in the U.S. -– we’re all painfully aware of the devastating effects of Hurricane Florence – destruction, flooding and tragically, deaths.   Tropical Storm level continues to wreck havoc.

Our governments post-storm response must offer more meaningful support and compassion than that given to Puerto Rico last year.  

If the rest of us are ever similarly in need, what will be the concrete efforts our erstwhile leader will see are put forth at the federal level to assist us – or will we just hear a lot of rhetoric and falsehoods, much as he persists in extolling even today on matters, despite facts to the contrary?

Why don’t the current dominating Congressional legislators in the majority -- if they truly care about their constituents -- resist their governing leader – who fails to act and behave like a responsible leader?  Do they share his values, unethical behaviors and lack of morality?

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In California -- Gov. Brown is promoting our state “...as a global leader in combating climate change.”  He recently signed “...16 new environmental laws aimed at easing global warming.”

“The bills he signed into law aim to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles and charging stations and reduce the number of heavily polluting cars and trucks.

The effort is key to California’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions because pollution from vehicles has risen even as emissions from other sources drop.”

We’ve experienced improvement in our inland air quality compared to when we moved here over forty years ago thanks to environmental protection efforts made. 

We really need to do more to reduce the extraction of fossil fuels including resistance to offshore drilling. 

Support to protect the environment is lacking from this current federal administration and, in fact, their philosophy undermines our efforts regardless of States’ rights.     

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Caring about the security of the American people in terms of our health has been a pretty low priority by our leader, if not virtually non-existent at the federal level currently.  That seems to be the case where women are concerned -- years ago our administration with legislators gave us Clarence Thomas as a Judge on the Supreme Court.  Now they’re rushing to get nominee Brett Kavanaugh appointed whose attitude toward women's rights is highly questionable.

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Locally -- an update on our first “Thriving in Place” group meeting -- 18 present, began by getting acquainted, establishing some pretty standard “rules of the road” -- including that everyone has an opportunity to civilly speak.  Humor will be an important element.  As my previous post explains, our group will be exploring: Thriving in the process of living as we age.

Exploring the different living choices for our older years will be the focus of our next month’s meeting – traditional settings and some of the more unusual, rare and unique ones.  Ultimately, reality will prevail with choice determined by financial considerations, issues associated with family and friends relationships, and where we can feel contented and reasonably happy.

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Would you like to take a trip around the moon, or take any flights into space?

28 comments:

  1. No moon flight for me. I'd rather stay home and watch the feed from on board cameras.

    One of the most shocking thing we learned during Florence is that our president took money from FEMA to build those 'baby cages' at the border. And FEMA isn't the only department they diverted money from. Trump's attitude towards Puerto Rico is shameful.It would cost him nothing to show some compassion.



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    1. Viewing the moon flight feed from on board cameras should be fascinating.

      Yes, that diversion of FEMA funds was reprehensible.

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  2. As a child, going to the moon was one of my three ambitions. Having accomplished two of my three, I gave up on going to the moon about 30 years ago when I passed age 50.
    Cop Car

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    1. You've gotten much closer to the possibility of going to the moon than those of us writing and reading here with your flying activities. I wonder if others are familiar with just how much you've done in your career?

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    2. You have a better memory than most of us, Joared. I think that most of my blog friends know entirely too much about what I've done as I do tend to blather on. Besides, at least one of my blog friends (Stu) has more flight ratings and flight time than do I.
      CC

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    3. You are too modest -- besides there are many new bloggers/readers who likely know very little about your flight experience. I'm unable to describe the specifics so won't attempt to do so, but I think they would be interested in knowing what a source we have in our midst -- with you and Stu. Your blog name "Cop Car" they may think, as I did briefly, that you were probably a retired police officer. Then, I learned about the cat.

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  3. Completely admire California's efforts to reduce emissions. Wish the rest of the country was so dedicated.
    The younger me would have gone into space in a heart beat. The old me--not so much.

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    1. California has more to do and hope we're able to prevent federal EPA from forcing us to water down our efforts. This is of special concern on vehicle exhaust emissions as those truly are a respiratory health hazard as with asthma for all ages -- our children are truly at risk. Impacts the air I breathe in the foothills northeast of Los Angeles with major east/west freeways located north and south of a swath of homes in my community. More and more cities across the country are experiencing such smog issues their residents will want to address -- better sooner than later.

      Yes, we do rein back some of the appealing activities of our youth as we age. They probably will have health and/or age requirements and wouldn't let us go anyway.

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  4. I wouldn't mind flying to the moon if it weren't for my colitis. Haha.

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    1. Yeah, colitis might be an inconvenience on such a flight! ha

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  5. I wonder what this does to global warning lol

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    1. I guess you're referring to the effects in the atmosphere from this moon traffic. We humans have already caused warming on the moon according to this:
      https://curiosity.com/topics/humans-have-already-caused-global-warming-on-the-moon-curiosity/

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  6. I'm afraid I'm pretty gutless. I like having the earth beneath my feet. I'm frustrated with our government leadership as well.

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    1. I suppose that's what a lot of people said in the beginning about flying in the planes we use now. But then, not everybody likes to to fly in our planes today.

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  7. Even as a 10-year old watching the lunar landing, I never once gave any thought to ever wanting to go there myself. That hasn't changed.

    Kudos to Gov. Brown for his continued leadership from the vanguard on so many things: environment, net neutrality, fuel standards, food safety, etc. We need his bold initiative on the federal level, it goes without saying.

    Actually, we just need a grownup and a Congress with the welfare of the country as its chief concern and that would be a vast improvement.

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    1. So far, I must admit there's not a lot to do once you get to the moon. The view going and coming might be spectacular.

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  8. I would indeed but, my current health situation will not permit it.

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    1. We’ll continue viewing it all from our earthly distance.

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  9. Was always a "Mars" person myself. The moon always left me with a sense of boredom. Not sure why? Perhaps its the fact that every time you look up... "BOOM!"... there it is! Besides, too many potholes for my liking. :)

    Always been a fan of Governor Brown. Unlike Arkansas, being Governor of a state like California is more like being the President of a country and not a state like Arkansas. He's a politician so I'm sure he's made some happy and some, well, not so happy but I have from afar always been impressed with his governance and his politics for the most part.

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    1. Mars is intriguing but will take longer to get there, I think. Still, maybe it’s more about the trip and view so far — like it used to be when cars first came into use — a drive in the country.

      Yes, Brown hasn’t been perfect and we still have some problems carried over from before him, but he’s done a better job than most of his immediate predecessors IMHO. I’m sorry he is term limited out, especially now, as are many others.
      ,

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    2. Circle the moon? Um- nope. If god had intended me to fly she would have made me a 747. But I applaud your groups insistence on civil discourse.

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    3. Keepin’ your feet on the ground, eh! I can’t imagine anyone wouldn’t be civil discussing our group topics, but given the times we’re living in, one never knows.

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  10. It doesn't surprise me that health is a pretty low priority among your President and federal politicians. Indifference to people's health and well-being seems to be a standard right-wing attitude. The British government is continuing to underfund the NHS, leading to ever-lengthening waiting lists for consultations and operations and plummeting morale among medical staff.

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    1. So if we went to a single payer system similar to what you have, we still could have problems getting adequate funding from our legislators — a great system for rationing and often the older people can be the ones to be most affected.

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  11. Oh, I forgot to say, I have no desire whatever to fly round the moon or into space. There are still plenty of wonderful places on planet earth to explore.

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  12. No not me but there was a time :) I'll watch the on board cameras tho and must say that I often have dreams where I'm so far up and looking down at the *smoking* earth but not scared but relieved. Which is odd.

    XO
    WWW

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  13. My husband would have given anything to take (literally) a trip to the moon. Me … not so much !

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