Update no.818

Update from the Heartland

No.818

28.8.17 – 3.9.17

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

            To all,

            Erratum: I should have learned the lessen months ago.  Apparently, my eMail server does not appreciate imbedded images, which results in my messages with imbedded photographs appearing as blank messages to recipients on the distribution list.  Last week’s Update included my eclipse travelogue with imbedded images for those who may be interested in such things; please see Update no.817 (August 2017) listed under Blog Archive in the column to the left, under my book list.  My apologies for the hiccup.

            The follow-up news items:

-- It was a busy week for the DPRK with the U.S. seemingly preoccupied with the consequences of Hurricane Harvey.  The DPRK fired a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile over Hokkaido, Japan, into the Pacific Ocean.  Then, a 6.3 magnitude seismic event signaled a probable nuclear event.  The DPRK claimed they tested a hydrogen bomb underground.  Whatever it was, the event was several times larger than previous similar events [252, 389, 583, 733].  Whether it was a fusion weapon is not certain beyond the regime’s claim.  I am not certain that it really matters other than if true it suggests advancing technical capability in the hermit regime.

-- Hurricane Harvey [817] made first landfall near Rockport, Texas, and then stalled over the region.  The storm meandered a bit, made its way back into the Gulf of Mexico to gain some strength, and made a second landfall just west of Cameron, Louisiana.  For five straight days, the storm pumped mountains of water into the Texas Gulf Coast with one location (Cedar Bayou) recording 52 inches (132 centimeters) of rainfall in those five days – more than the average annual rainfall (49 inches).  The flooding in Houston and Beaumont overshadowed the devastating wind damage around Rockport.  Harvey may well become the most expensive storm in U.S. history, set all kinds of records, and will take years to recover from the effect.

            Comments and contributions from Update no.816:

From a third party contributor:

“Without using meaningless stereotype labels, just what the [expletive deleted] is a ‘white supremacist’ in the first place?”

Followed by comment from a frequent contributor:

“I find that a fair question .

“Let me leave us with a meaningful quotation:

"The mental infection known as political correctness is one of the most dangerous intellectual afflictions ever to attack mankind. It appeals to pseudo-intellectuals everywhere, since it evokes the strong streak of cowardice notable among those wielding academic authority nowadays. Any empty-headed student with a powerful voice can claim someone (never specified) will be hurt by a hitherto harmless term, object or activity and be reasonably assured that the dons and professors in charge will show a white feather and do as the student demands. To a great extent PC is the revenge of the resentful underdog."

--Paul Johnson

Take care all,

Darren

My reply:

            OK; I’ll bite.

            As I have written many times, I am no fan of political correctness, as we witness in practical application.  The arbitrary interpretation of words commonly referred to as political correctness is perhaps the greatest threat to freedom of speech we have yet seen or experienced.  I advocate for the bigots, racists, homophobes, all of them, to speak freely.  I want to see them and hear them.  I do not want them hiding in the shadows spewing their hatred.  I want them out in the open.  That said, Johnson’s rant is a bit harsh; not wrong, just harsh; yet, as noted above, I defend his right to say what he says.

            Re: “white supremacist” = a person who believes people without skin pigmentation, sometimes referred to as Caucasians or white folks, are superior in most, if not all, ways to citizens who were born with dark skin pigmentation.  There is no basis for such beliefs other than hereditary skin pigmentation; nothing else matters.

 . . . a follow-up comment:

“For the record, I believe God created all men equally, however some men from all colors mess that all up.”

 . . . my follow-up reply:

            Yes, precisely.  The key word is created.  Unfortunately, some folks are taught from a very young age to hate, to distrust those not like them.  Such childhood teaching is the perfect incubator for racism and all other ‘–isms’ we suffer – “white supremacy” being one of those ‘–isms.’

            Comments and contributions from Update no.817:

Comment to the Blog:

“I enjoyed your writing on the eclipse, contrary to the TMI idea.  Giving the travel, weather forecast, etc., makes a clearer picture, and that works for me.  My only negative was that I didn’t understand the ‘contacts’ (first, second, third, fourth) that you mentioned.  As far as I know, I’ve never read or heard that term in reference to an eclipse.

“I base my religion on nature, and the spiritual meanings of the eclipse still enlighten me.  I watched it on TV, and the network I viewed showed a wonderful shot of totality.  The corona is a wondrous thing that can only be seen when the body of the sun is completely blocked.  I see that as a clear analogy for an alcoholic ‘bottom’ and several other life processes.  There’s more, too.

“I have seen a statement that the Navy works its sailors in shifts ‘that would be illegal in trucking.’  My family background makes me aware that most truck accidents result from fatigue, so that may be worth following up.  Firing people one holds to blame does not resolve systemic issues, and that is one.

“I have a friend who spent time in Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s tent jail.  My friend is a devout Christian and does not wish Arpaio dead as so many others do, but he and I would see it as extremely appropriate if Arpaio had done time.

“I hope Houston gets all the help we can give in this disaster.  My heart goes out to all those affected by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey.  This storm is unprecedented in its track and slow speed of travel, and the disaster is a level of magnitude beyond a typical landfall.  Let’s put real resources into helping those people.

“I lived several years off and on in the 1980s in the fringe of Harvey’s affected area and worked within it a couple of times.  (As I wrote, a tornado warning was issued for Morgan City, Louisiana, where I lived and worked several times for a few weeks each time.)  Around Houston, that terrain, the ‘development’ of former wetlands, and a thirty-year increase in flooding storms combine to make the Houston-Galveston metropolitan area dangerous.  The city, state, and nation need to take a long look at that area once recovery is well under way.  Diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment are in order.

“I have been considering our discussion of Confederate symbols and monuments to Confederate leaders, but that is a complex topic.  When my cognition makes enough progress, I will email you about it.”

My response:

            At least one person enjoyed my eclipse travelogue.  I should have explained the contact references; I thought they were common terms; my bad.

first contact = moon’s disc begins to obscure the sun
second contact = moon completely obscures the sun
third contact = sun first reappears after eclipse
fourth contact = moon no longer obscures the sun.

            I failed to capture a reasonable image of the corona during totality.  At least part of the corona was visible with the naked eye like a halo around the moon’s disc.  It was captivating just to watch it, to experience it.  I had to remind myself to keep attempting to find the proper camera setting.  No joy!

            Re: Arpaio.  As I said, in general, I liked his tough approach to incarceration; prison is not a holiday resort.  However, he crossed the line when he repeatedly and defiantly ignored a federal court order.  He should suffer the same punishment, as the rest of us would do, if we had done what he did.  I acknowledge that he disagreed with the district court judge; he chose the wrong path to deal with that disagreement.

            Re: Harvey.  Likewise.  Yes, the storm track was quite atypical to my knowledge.  Also unprecedented, they’ve received their average annual rainfall in a couple of days.  I don’t know any land region that could take that level of rainfall, i.e., annual rainfall in a couple of days.

            Re: Houston.  As I understand the non-storm situation, Houston has experienced extraordinary growth without the necessary planning and building code refinements to protect people and property.  They pave the land and wonder why they experience floods.

            I await your Confederate symbols ruminations.

 . . . follow-up comment:

“Thank you for the explanation of ‘contact.’  Seeing the corona was a powerful experience for both of us.

“Sheriff Arpaio took the ‘tough’ approach far into cruel and unusual punishment, even without the racism.  Phoenix's combination of 100+ degree heat and temperature inversions endangers the physical and mental health of the people he confined in tents.  Beyond that, the ‘tough’ approach neither rehabilitates the individual nor deters others.”

 . . . my follow-up response:

            Re: “contact.”  Now you know.  My apologies for missing the explanation in my original post.

            Re: “Arpaio.”  I have never seen Sheriff ‘Joe’ as concerned a twit about rehabilitation . . . only punishment.  He has never shown any interest in contributing factors, only outcomes.

            My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                        :-)