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Day 9 of 366 Oh no, not more craziness Mother Nature

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My heart goes out for the Japanese families facing yet another earthquake just eight days after the one on New Year’s Day. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake has rocked central Japan, the country’s Meteorological Agency announced. The earthquake struck off the Sea of Japan coast, rattling the same part of the country where a huge tremor on New Year’s Day and its aftershocks caused widespread destruction. Unfortunately, the death toll for the first earthquake is at 200 and still rising because rescuers are trying to provide sorely needed aid to almost 3,500 people still stuck in isolated communities. Many people are still unaccounted.

More than 1,200 aftershocks have blighted central Japan since the New Year’s Day quake. Thankfully, no tsunami warning has yet been issued. Let’s keep the Japanese people in our prayers.

The weather isn’t playing nice here in the states either. Panama City and Marianne Florida have significant tornado damage. The National Weather Service received 11 tornado reports since Monday night: seven in the Florida Panhandle, two in South Georgia and two in southern Alabama, where one death was confirmed. Heavy snow and blizzard conditions swept across parts of the Plains and the Midwest on Monday into Tuesday morning, closing roads and making travel difficult to impossible.

Yes, it is winter, and storms do happen but not ever have there been weather alerts for hazardous winds, snow, flooding and thunderstorms in effect for 49 of the 50 states, the lone exception being North Dakota. How crazy is that?

Finn is being followed by Gerry, the same track across the United States with snow and rain depending on where you’re located. Yup three storms in a row Ember, Finn and Gerry, the beginning of new this year.

Mt. Hood in Oregon has done the unplausible. The decision was made to shut the mountain down not for lack of snow, but precisely the opposite: because of it. Officials at Mt. Hood decided, with a “ferocious blizzard” forecasted for Oregon today that with great storms come great responsibility. We have made the decision to suspend operations tomorrow, January 9.” (1) The storm prediction is for 20 inches of snow and 50 mph sustained winds. Brrrr… Sounds like a good day to be inside with a cup of cocoa to me.

The Las Vegas area had crazy winds Sunday through this morning when it finally calmed down, but with Gerry on Thursday we will once again have high wind conditions into Friday night. It could be a lot worse; I know. Sadly, though Las Vegas has a high number of homeless people struggling to survive in these miserable conditions Like other major cities in the U.S. there isn’t enough shelters to provide for the homeless. Reality check: we’re a third world country. People exist in horrific conditions in every one of our fifty states. It’s not just the major cities.

If all the crazy weather conditions aren’t enough, a study from PNA Nexus (2) noted on January 2nd that the previous study stating the New York City Metro area is sinking 0.06 inches yearly is inaccurate. The new data says 0.08 inches is now. (3) The coastline is sinking faster than expected. It isn’t just NYC affected, “there are other hotspots from the study include Virginia Beach, where 451,000 people and 177,000 properties are at risk, and Baltimore, Maryland, where 826,000 people and 335,000 properties are at risk.” With the sea level rising 10 to 14 inches in the next three decades along the East Coast, this makes for what seems to be an inescapable situation.

My husband and I both have witnessed in Norfolk, Virginia how many streets are flooded whenever there is a rainstorm. I’m talking about a rainy day not a hurricane there’s simply no place for the water to go but on the streets which causes a lot of road damage because they are already below sea level.

Unfortunately, this study isn’t being taken serious enough, nor have previous studies. How many times have you heard climate change doesn’t exist. Ot climate change is just political grandstanding. The truth is It affects you and I and everyone. It may be gradual, but the impacts are real.

My embroidery project is coming along nicely. Today, I’m sewing the Fokker Dr. 1. Truthfully, I didn’t recognize this plane by its full name. In German, the Dreiddecker Triplane was better known as the Fokker DR. 1. It was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker Flugzeugwerke. Manfred Albrecht Freiherr better known to us as The Red Baron was a fighter pilot for the German Air Force. He is considered the ace of the aces in WWI. He was officially credited 80 combat victories.

As I sewed, I listened to the Story of Snoopy versus the Red Baron song by the Royal Guardsman.

(1) https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/oregon-s-mt-hood-meadows-temporarily-suspends-operations

(2) https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article

(3) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-impacts-are-real-new-satellite-images-show-east-coast-sinking-faster-than-we-though

Day 8 of 366 same old crazy and some new crazy, Can’t make this crap up

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United says, just loose bolts on Boeing 737 max 9 and are declining to say how many. No surprise there! “The plug, measuring 26-by-46 inches and weighing 63 pounds, was discovered intact Sunday evening in the backyard of a Portland teacher’s home, according to NTSB officials. NTSB investigators recovered the door plug that fell off Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 giving them the key piece of evidence that they are examining with a laboratory telescope. The door plug is used by some Max 9 operators, including Alaska and United, in place of an exit door that would be required if the plane were configured with a larger number of seats. The door plug according to a diagram released by the NTSB, is attached to the plane with a series of bolts, cables, hinges and stop pad.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/other/united-finds-loose-bolts-on-its-planes-in-wake-of-alaska-airlines-door-plug-incident/ar-AA1mEFxT Wouldn’t that have been noticeable if daily inspections were done? I would have noticed loose bolts on the frame of my school bus especially after the one incident. It was an eye-opening experience for me and one I’ve never forgotten.

Looking back on it’s funny how the story unfolded but not the potential risk that could’ve happened. We received new school buses the day before school started. I got my keys the morning of the first day. I quickly did my circle check and skipped the middle door because the bus was brand new, so I didn’t anticipate anything unusual. Until later that morning, when I did a fire drill with the elementary kids and reviewed the new exit breakdowns. If there’s a fire, we never depart front door we use the rear door and the side door. Thank goodness, we were in the school yard because when the child opened the side door it fell off the bus. The manufacturer never put the hinge pins in the side door. No one had exited the bus before the child opening the door so there were no injuries involved except for the door with nicked paint. It could’ve been a lot worse. I never trusted the manufacturer again when our buses were replaced. In fact, I looked harder for issues.

However, this isn’t the first time there’s been issues with Boeing aircraft, one would think they would be extra cautious. The repercussions for Boeing’s reputation and share price especially since this isn’t the first incident with the Max-family of jets may improve their maintenance routines. Five years ago, the entire global fleet was grounded following two fatal crashes. No investor likes the stock market triggered.

Alaska Airlines, which operates 65 of the Max 9 jets, said in a statement on its website: “The 737-9 MAX grounding has significantly impacted our operation. We have cancelled 170 Sunday flights and 60 cancellations for Monday, with more expected. Cancellations will continue through the first half of the week.” Whereas United Airlines, which operates 79 of the jets, said it had cancelled 230 flights, and issued a statement: “Following the incident on an Alaska Airlines flight on Friday, we have temporarily suspended service on select Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft to conduct an inspection.”

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/boeing-737-max-9-groundings-trigger-stock-turbulence-for-carriers-as-regulators-order-safety-check

Political crazy continues with Trump … “Of course I was entitled, as President of the United States and Commander in Chief, to Immunity,” Trump said in a post Monday on Truth Social If that’s the case, more people should become politicians before committing a crime so they’re immune from charges. Oh wait, they already do that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_federal_politicians_convicted_of_crimes

Tanya Chutkan is the federal judge overseeing the federal election interference case brought by Special Council Jack Smith.  against Trump. She appeared to be the victim of “swatting,” which happens when someone makes a false report of a crime in progress to draw police to a certain location. Doesn’t one find the timing conspicuous with all that is going on with the Trump media circus and the different courtroom hearings.

And the weather insanity continues with an arctic blast threatens to bring temperatures of -50 degrees to large swathes of the West and Midwest next week. Meteorologists have said the polar vortex could sweep across the Pacific Northwest and roll into the Central and Midwest over the next five to ten days.

“Winter storm warnings are in place for parts of 14 states as meteorologists predict a “multiple hazard storm” will bring extreme weather to many parts of the U.S., including blizzards, tornadoes and flash flooding in places beginning Monday morning and into Tuesday. Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Washington were cautioned about difficult travel conditions and whiteout conditions.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/winter-weather-warning-for-14-states-as-hazardous-storm-hits-us/ar-AA1mCIAD?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=

I finished another airplane on my embroidery project. This one is the Spirit of St. Louis which was custom built and flown by non-other than Charles Lindbergh. The Spirit of St. Louis did a non-stop transatlantic flight from Long Island, New York to Paris, France. The manufacturer was Ryan Airlines owned at the time by Benjamin Mahoney and was located in San Diego, California and the designer was Donald Hall who worked with Lindbergh to get it as Lindbergh needed to complete the 33-hour flight. After that flight, the Spirit of St. Louis did numerous flights for mail delivery.

The next airplane to be stitched is the Fokker Dr-1 or better known as the Red Baron. The quilt will have twelve different planes total when it is completed including a square with my doctor’s own plane. My doctor is part of an air rescue squad here in Las Vegas which gives him immense pleasure.

And I’ve blogged every day in this new year. Kudos to me!

Day 7 of 366 and my ongoing topic- crazy

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Yesterday, when I was reading about the planes, I’ve completed in my embroidery project I didn’t process the information about the coating on the fabric until, I was lying down. There wasn’t plastic in 1903. I looked into it further and discovered that the muslin was doubled with one side on the bias and the other piece not on the bias for additional strength. I should know better than to simply rely on Wikipedia for information.

The death toll in Gaza rises to 23,000 and nearly 2 million people have been displaced amid the war. Does the violence ever end? Apparently, the Chinese found a good market for their assault rifles, grenade launchers, and advanced communications equipment. The findings raise questions about how the weaponry reached Hamas. I thought Israel and China were friends, guess not.

Following this media headline came Abandoned Celebrity homes that the owners are struggling to sell. A five-bedroom mansion for 17.6 million dollars seriously? Did you know pay attention this country is heading toward another crash in the real estate market? Whoa is me. Mel Gibson!

Maybe he should look at Las Vegas housing shortages. Nevada has the highest percentage in the United States of extremely low-income renters that are severely cost burdened, meaning the renter pays more than 50 percent of income on rent and housing expenses. Why is this an issue?

Dallas-based Invitation Homes shelled out $98 million to buy 264 homes in Clark County, property records show.” The deal forms part of a $650 million swap of a portfolio of close to 1,900 single-family rental homes between billionaire Barry Sternlicht’s private equity fund Starwood Capital and Invitation Homes. Invitation Homes now owns 3,500 homes in Clark County. This conglomerate is now the second-largest owner of single-family rental homes, according to data from Las Vegas Review.

It may not seem like a big deal now, but corporate sharks like Sternlicht will by the time 2030 arrives own 40% of the housing market and the number of people homeless will be even higher than now. It’s challenging enough now when rent is 50% of your income and that doesn’t include electricity, heating expenses, medical needs and food expenses.

And rich people like Gibson are bemoaning not being able to sell their elaborate properties while the masses are struggling to survive. That’s ludicrous!

January thus far has more Trump headlines than any other story, it’s sickening! No wonder why people spend so much time on Facebook and Instagram and X. The US media coverage sucks!

W​inter Storm Ember delivered more than a foot of snow to parts of the Northeast and New England, which left many digging out or just staying home to avoid the nasty conditions. And if that isn’t bad enough Winter Storm Finn is coming on strong. I don’t miss shoveling snow at all. Snow here in Vegas would be a novelty for a few short hours before it melted. It certainly, gets cold enough but it doesn’t stay that way. The mountains surrounding Las Vegas are white capped and pretty to gaze upon but thankfully far enough I don’t have to do any work. That works for this old girl.

Just out of curiosity, how often do you find yourself talking about the weather?

Day 6 of 366 The Crazy isn’t over yet.

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FAA orders temporary grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 after a flight from Oregon to California had to make an emergency landing because a chunk of the wall detached midair. I drove school bus 31 years and we had to do circle checks every day on our bus before our departure. Obviously, the precheck on the plane differs but it should have been noticeable before takeoff.

“First, there was a pop. And then a big bang.

Air whooshed out of the side of the airplane, which was flying at 16,000 feet with an emergency exit-size gash. A cellphone, a giant teddy bear and a passenger’s shirt were sucked out the hole in the cabin. Oxygen masks dropped from overhead compartments. Passengers on Alaska Airlines flight 1282—which on Friday afternoon was en route to Ontario, Calif., from Portland International Airport—were fearful for their lives. The flight, however, landed back at the Portland airport less than 30 minutes after takeoff, with 171 passengers and six crew members aboard, all of them alive. “~ MSN

I can’t help wondering how often the outside structure is checked. I wonder if after this, it will be done on a regular basis.

All of Central Florida is under a tornado watch Saturday through 10 p.m.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch that stretches from Tampa and the Gulf Coast through Orlando to Daytona Beach and the Treasure Coast on the Atlantic. Florida has seen a lot of severe weather this week.  Hail pummeled West Melbourne and Palm Bay in Brevard County. A weak tornado touched down in Boynton Beach Friday night.

Trump says,” The Civil War could have been negotiated.” Historians are shaking their heads wondering where he comes up with these outlandish thoughts. “The declarations of secession explicitly state that the seceding states were leaving the Union to maintain that system. … This could not be ‘negotiated, says James Grossman (Director of the Historical Association)

There’s a fascinating series on Netflix I recommend watching called “You Are What You Eat, the Twin Experiment. https://www.netflix.com/title/81133260 Identical twins change their diets and lifestyles for eight weeks in a unique scientific experiment designed to explore how certain foods impact the body. It will definitely make you think twice about the American diet and our meat consumption. 

A 90-year old woman was rescued five days after the 7.6 magnitude hit Japan. She was trapped 124 hours under her house. Sadly, more than 200 people are still unaccounted-for, although the number varies.

I’ve discussed my enjoyment with embroidery and the project I’m doing for my doctor who loves airplanes. I’ve completed the Kittyhawk and the Curtiss Jenny. What I learned when I looked up what colors to use when I stitched them. The Kittyhawk built by the Wright’s in 1903. They used spruce for straight members of the airframe (such as wing spars) and ash wood for curved components (wing ribs). The wings were designed with a 1-in-20 camber. The wing fabric used was a 100% cotton muslin called “Pride of the West“, commonly used for women’s underwear. It had a warp of 107 threads per inch and a weft of 102 from a total thread count of 209. The muslin fabric was on the lower left wing panel of the Wright Flyer on December 17, 1903, when the airplane made its historic first flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Muslin squares are what I’m embroidering the planes to put in the quilt. I love the durability of muslin when used in quilts but there are disadvantages too. Pulls can be expected and occasionally there are slight color and intensity variances. What I love is it is lightweight and breathable because it is a loose plain weave. Muslin dates back to Ancient India.

The Curtiss JN “Jenny” was a series of biplanes built by the Glenn Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. The Jenny is made from  a combination of steel and aluminum tubing with some wooden parts and a doped aircraft fabric. Its 27.50 ft (8.4 m) span wing has a wing area of 175.0 sq ft (16.26 m2) and the cockpit width is 24 in (61 cm). Aircraft dope is a plasticized lacquer that is applied to fabric covered aircraft.  It tightens and stiffens fabric stretched over airframes, which renders them airtight and weatherproof, increasing their durability and lifespan. The technique has been commonly applied to both full-size and flying models of aircraft.

What I learned that the Kittyhawk and Curtiss Jenny both benefitted from the doping techniques. These techniques have been employed in aircraft construction since the dawn of heavier-than-air flight. Without the application of dope, the fabric coverings lacked durability and were highly flammable. Both factors rendered them far less viable.