Speaking of which, Winter snuck up on us, folks—without much warning, too.  Our four-way irrigation thingy froze this weekend while we were out of town.  Water spewed around the well for three days and two nights. I think there’s some irony here.  What if I told you the seminar’s focus was on energy conservation?

Say this ain’t so, too.  Old news now, but another $140 billion of porky stuff had to be included in that bailout plan before lawmakers could bring themselves to approve it.  Hey, what’s another 100 bill when the National Debt is topping 10 trillion as we speak (10.2 trillion).

How many billions are there in ten trillion (10,000,000,000,000)?  Sad to say, I think my brain needs more place holders.  Just like the National Debt Clock in New York City, both of us done run out of space.

It’s not my fault. Numbers once reserved for the distance between heavenly bodies are now part of our daily lingo.  I think it’s high time we went to scientific notation.  Follow the link for a refresher course or better yet, here’s a quickie:

To write a number in scientific notation, put a decimal point behind the first digit, drop all those place holding zeroes, count up the dropped amount and put that number up in the air real small behind ‘x ten’.

The National Debt would look like this:  10.2 x 10″   Hmmm, still looks a bit unwieldy.  Maybe we need Astronomical Units.

An Astronomical Unit (AU) is the distance from the Earth’s center to the Sun’s center or 92,955,807 miles.  In other words, just one Astronmical Unit equals 92,955,807. If we divide our National Debt by this number, we should get the debt in Astronomical Units.   Drum roll….the National Debt is 107,578 or let’s just say 108,000 AU.  By the way, don’t try this with your hand-helds or adding machines. I found out the hard way that they don’t go up to ten trillion. (error error error)

Happy to say, at 108,000 AU our National Debt gets us out of the solar system and a bit beyond. From Mercury, it’s less than 1AU to Earth, from Venus a little over 1, and from Mars about 2.5.  Jupiter clocks in around 5 and Saturn a little over 10.  Uranus shoots above 19 with Neptune at 30 and Pluto 31.

No worries. We’ll just go to light-years. One light-year equals 5.88 million million miles or ten trillion kilometers. I’m a kilometer hater, folks, but there it is—the exact number we need, ten trillion.  The National Debt is just a little over one light-year.

I don’t know about ya’ll, but I’m feeling a lot better about a National Debt of only one light-year. Our closest star friend, Proxima Centauri, is 4.3 light-years from the Sun.  The Canis Major dwarf Galaxy is the nearest to our solar system and it’s 25,000 light-years away.  Astronomers who hazard a guess say that the whole universe is a whopping 79 billion light-years across.  I think I’ll stop there.  (a joke)

By the way, folks, one of the things I was supposed to learn at the seminar was how to change my perception.  And judging from this calculated discourse on the National Debt, I do believe that idea took.

What do those ET's want with our mountain?

What a monster!  My wide-angle lens just couldn’t get wide enough.

This lenticular cloud blew in with last night’s sunset, folks—the biggest one in some time.  If it was a spaceship, we’re all in trouble.

Technically speaking, weather people call these clouds altocumulus standing lenticularis or ACSL.  I can’t figure out why the weather-namers mix an English word with two Latin ones.

Moving on.  Wave clouds form when the wind hits a topographic feature, such as a mountain, and get deflected up and over the peak, thereby creating a gravity wave downwind of the obstruction, i.e. mountain.  The clouds only materialize when sufficient moisture is in the air, but the wave pattern in the atmosphere may still be there.

That’s why you don’t see airplane pilots (unless they’re gliders) buzzing around tall topographic features like mountains.  The downdraft could suck them under.  Here’s the thing, folks, lenticular clouds may look like they’re standing still, but they ain’t.  These clouds are constantly forming in the updraft and dissipating in the downdraft and sometimes contain winds of 50 knots or more.

So let this be a lesson to you. Don’t fly your motorized vehicle near a mountain. If you’re a glider pilot, though, be my guest.

The same combination of winds and updrafts that allows the cloud to form also provides a rapid lift and a long flight in a glider.  Glider pilots spend long hours trying to catch the wave or be the wave.

Mountain wave schematic

Mt Shasta sunset by Chris Tatro (www.sendoutcards.com/site)

Gustav, staff of the gods, has veered West of New Orleans, and that’s a good thing by most accounts. His impatience to make landfall lost the dude some strength, so he’s been downgraded to a category 2 hurricane.

What tropical cyclone is next on the horizon, I wonder? That’s easy to find out. First, though, you ought to check out this Western Hemisphere Satellite Map full of tropical depressions and tropical cyclones. It’s rather awesome!

Then there’s the Western Pacific Global Satellite Map. Equally awesome! And for heaven’s sake, don’t leave out the Tropical Atlantic Satellite, and the South Pole Infrared Satellite Image while you’re there, just for kicks.

Speaking of kicks, Tropical Storm Hannah is next on the horizon—more specifically, the East Coast horizon. And let us not forget Tropical Storm #9 soon to be named “Ike”.

5 Day Forecast for Hanna compliments of Weather Underground.

For a full update on the Atlantic Basin click here. All hail to AccuWeather.com! (No pun intended.)

Happy tales,

Laura signing off.

Mount Shasta sunrise sans smoke by Chris Tatro (www.sendoutcards.com/site)

Good morning, one and all, from the slopes of Mt Shasta, your friendly, active, neighborhood volcano in Northern California. It is a sendoutcards kind of day: The atmosphere here is crystalline, with an inspiring AQI (Air Quality Index). Let me just say that this is the sky of which dreams are made.

If you’ll bear with me for a bit more politics, compliments of the People’s Daily Online, I would be most honored. Those Asian types may not know their English, but that doesn’t stop them from turning a phrase, not to mention a victorious moment.

The victorious moment of which I’m speaking happened last night at the Democratic National Convertion, where Barack Obama was hailed by many as one of the greatest orators of our time. Even the critical Pat Buchanan, “right from the beginning”, looked shellshocked. This former presidental candidate called Obama’s acceptance speech the best and most important political convention speech he had ever heard, going back 48 years.

You can decide for yourself, though. For Barack Obama’s speech on video along with the complete text, follow this link to The Huffington Post. You can also get the lowdown on McCain’s VP pick( Sarah Palin).

Who is Sarah Palin, you might ask: She’s “the former point guard and captain of the Wasilla (Alaska) High School Warriors who went on to become Miss Wasilla 1984 before working as a local news sports reporter who then served as city councilwoman and mayor of the town of about 9,000 before being elected governor of her home state just two years ago. Here, a look back at the woman who failed to become Miss Alaska, but could be a heartbeat away from being President of the United States of America. ” For more photos….

Enough of this bold nonsence, folks! Back to my favorite no-nonsence Chinese newspaper. As you can see, I am shouting the finale of today’s blog, ’cause I don’t know how to get rid of this bold type. Here, therefore, in the bold italics of their own words is how the People’s Daily decided to play out the closing ceremony of the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

“On Aug. 28, 1963, U.S. civil right activist Martin Luther King Jr. brought Americans into a dreamland with the resounding “I Have A Dream” speech in Washington D.C. As Dr. King foresaw before he was assassinated in 1968, the country now has accepted a person of color to be the presidential nominee. The son of a Kenyan man and Kansas white woman is fighting for his way.

On his journey to the White House, the Illinois senator kept appealing to Americans, in rural cottages or in urban stadiums. It did not take too much time to convince young people inspired by his underdog stories and upbeat speech.

Now, Obama is supposed to become more fearless since Joe Biden joined his fight for the White House.

There could not be a better time for Republicans to flex their muscles in foreign and national security areas.

Despite a national convention that was filled with calls for party unity, it remains an unfinished mission to Obama to woo those voters who used to support Hillary Rodham Clinton but now are considering helping McCain.

And just what pic was chosen by the People’s Daily to represent Obama in his glory moment? Hmmm…Can those foreigners possibly be insinuating that Barack has two sides of his mouth from which to speak? I don’t think they like him much. But you be the judge.

People's Daily: English version---Obama talking out one side of his mouth

Happy tales,

Laura signing off

p.s. Chris Tatro For President!!! A SendOutCard in every mailbox!

When it comes to clean air around Mount Shasta we’ve been very lucky. The smoke has been hanging somewhere else lately, and I’ve been too lazy to visit my Wundermap to find out exactly where.

Can you see how clean the lines are around the pine needles of last night’s sunset, though? I’m having the Great Printer of sendoutcards make a greeting card of this one. Sad to say, the colors were intensified by dirty air coming from the direction of Happy Camp. For the latest posted update on the Panther and N. Ukonom Fire , click here.

Or, check out this paragraph I lifted from the actual report: “Friday, (August 23rd) observed fire behavior on the Panther and North Ukonom Fires was moderate with isolated torching. All fire growth occurred in the wilderness. Firefighters began construction on a segment of line in the wilderness south of Ukonom Lake to check the eastward progression of the fire. Crews continued to make good progress repairing fireline elsewhere outside of the wilderness. Today, crews will continue the line construction in the wilderness. Other crews will repair, mop up and patrol fireline on the rest of the fire.”

I really like that word “torching”. There’s plenty of dead and dried-out trees ready to explode, so I can just imagine what they’re talking about. It’s kind of scary, though. But “Wilderness” is the key word, don’t you think? It provides some very telling info on how the fire is viewed by those in command.

Speaking of viewing, Chris and I flew over the burning zone on the way to Salt Lake because of our convoluted flight path. We couldn’t see any crews, though. We could see many tendrils of smoke from separate blazes, rising up out of the remote mountains on the west side of the plane.

I understand why the Forest Service sometimes follows the let-it-burn policy, but I wonder when all the Northern California Lightning Fires will burn themselves out—you know, run out of fuel jackpots. Here’s what the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has to say:

2008 Lightning Series Overview

On June 20, 2008, a thunderstorm system moved over California striking over two thousand lightning sparked fires. California has recieved ( i before e except after c, folks) assistance from state, local, federal and even national agencies to help combat these fires. More…

Estimation for containment of the Panther Fire, just south of Happy Camp, is August 28th. But like I said before, folks, containment only means someone draws a line around all the blazes, and everybody gets to work trying to make that a reality. Basically, it’s just where firefighters have chosen to make a stand. There are no guarantees.

For a full update on all the Northern California fires, click here. You can get exposed to some real fire-speak. Again, I like their descriptive terms: “creeping and smoldering within interior islands, fuel jackpots, potential for roll-out, smokejumpers…..”

Smokejumpers are exactly what comes to mind, though: Heroic types who jump from the sky into remote inaccessible ares that are smoking. For a more detailed description, follow the Wikipedia link. If you have a yearning to be one, click for their home page, but you might want to read this next line first: “Smokejumpers completed work in Division L (South of Ukonom Lake) and were extracted.

That word “extracted” kind of scares me. Just imagine being extracted from this:

Current Fire Information

When CAL FIRE responds to a major incident the Department will create a web site. Major emergency incidents could include large, extended-day fires, floods, earthquakes, hazardous material spills, etc. More…

Happy Tales,

Laura signing off

p.s. no p.s.

Yesterday was a doozy. The power, as in electrical, personal and corporate, went on the rampage. My body feels slammed, spirit included.

Waves of electrical Surges (compliments of Pacific Power) came and went every two minutes for a couple of hours. Before I could get a handle on what was happening, our garage door had fried its brains out, along with the main computer. To tell the truth, I’m afraid to test anything else.

That was only the beginning, though. Before yesterday was over, corporations got into the power act too: The domain name, talesofsendoutcards, violates company policy, Chris was told. So now I’m trying to get into the swing of transfering all my old posts to a new blog with a new name—talesofsendingcards.com. To tell the truth, I like that name better.

Also on the up side, Chris put out an invitation on elance for ‘tech-heads’ from all over the world to bid on the project. Wow! Ain’t the web grand! Offers are pouring in—from India, Pakistan, Great Britain, Borneo (a Joke).

And the last unpowerful thing that happened yesterday needs a little background to be fully appreciated, so here goes: We are all sensitive, most of us more than we like to admit; but here in the New Age Vortex of Mount Shasta, people pride themselves on their high levels of sensitivity. They go on for hours.

I guess it’s partially true, though: Human Beings are composed of molecules and molecules vibrate to all the different beats of the universe. Heck, we’re mostly water and look what the earth’s gravity does to the ocean.

All of which pulls me to this point: Depending on where you live, your body vibrates differently. For an obvious comparison, there’s the hustle-bustle city life and the quiet country life. Take me, for example: I live in the shadow of an active volcano (Mount Shasta). Click the link and take a 3-D tour. You’ll see how there’s some barely contained stuff happening underground day and night. This movement is definitely different from the dynamic pulsing of the ocean, or the competitive energy of a sparse dessert where all plants and animals vie with each other for water and food.

Now I’m getting bored. To make a long story short…yesterday, I spoke with an energy counselor on the phone for half an hour. Her intention was to travel to the source of all my human weaknesses (a tall order) and make me “stand in my own power”. OK, I admit, I’m not much for New Age metaphors, so maybe that’s why everything kind of backfired on me—instead of standing, I pretty much sat down and stewed in my own powerlessness and that’s where I’ve been ever since.

Mostly I’m angry at myself, but I’m discouraged over what she told me, too. According to this energy person, who shall remain nameless, I’m on the wrong track, with the wrong guy, pursuing the wrong career that’s a total waste of my time.

Unless discouraged is a powerful state, I’m not feeling that powerful, folks; not to mention the fate of my hard drive is still in question. To tell the truth, I’ve been obsessing all morning: Am I on the wrong track? Am I really with the wrong guy. We’ve been together over twenty years. It’s true we’ve had some deep valleys, but the peaks have been good. And besides, the best is yet to come. Isn’t it? At least it is in my opinion—a humble one, I admit from where I’m sitting.

Then I remembered how this past weekend at the sendoutcards convention, Thurl Bailey spoke. For those who don’t know about Thurl, he was a successful NBA Basketball star for many years (7th overall in the Draft). But he started his career with some pretty impressive failures. Thurl Bailey told us a sad story about him as an impressionable adolescent not making the basketball team two years in a row. One coach even told this 6’7″ guy that he should give it up entirely, that he would never would be basketball material. Thurl was devastated but didn’t listen. And the rest is history.

So that’s the only thing I’m trying to do today, folks—keep going in spite of how discouraged I feel. Maybe later I’ll post a proper blog.

Happy tales,

Laura signing off from the vortex

“A vortex is a mass of energy that moves in a rotary or whirling motion, causing a depression or vacuum at the center…. These powerful eddies of pure Earth power manifest as spiral-like coagulations of energy that are either electric, magnetic, or electromagnetic qualities of life force.” Page Bryant, Terravision: A Traveler’s Guide to the Living Planet Earth

One World, One Dream...SendOutCards! photo by Chris Tatro

Lately I feel like life is just a whirlwind. In other words, there’s barely enough time to breathe, much less keep in touch with the people I love. The fact is, though, I miss my family so much that talking about ‘em makes me teary-eyed.

You see, folks, I grew up as the oldest of five kids in Memphis, Tennessee, plus there were five first-cousins right across the street. We all rode our bikes to grade school together, went to Sunday Church together, even spent our vacations tent-camping together. Basically we were just one, humongous southern clan of ten kids, two mamas, two daddies and two refrigerators.

Sad to say, though, it’s been thirty-eight years and counting since I moved away from home. All my intentions to stay in touch never panned out. For one reason or another, they just never did—never did untill recently, that is. Are you still with me? ‘Cause this is where the SendOutCards part comes in.

SendOutCards is the most creative and exciting way to stay in touch with loved ones that I’ve ever found. I just wish it had come along sooner is all. Chris uses it more for his business, while I get to make all our relatives feel special and loved. ‘Cause the good thing is, Sendoutcards can do both—help you grow your business and keep you connected to the people that matter most in your life. I actually feel like my life is clicking in the right direction. In plain language, work and play are the same thing these days.

The SendOutCards memory bank is gigantic. It can keep track of as many names, addresses, birthdays, anniversaries as you want, thereby allowing you to send real ‘paper and ink’ greeting cards from your computer with just a click of the mouse. Are you following what I’m saying? ‘Cause I’m now talking about real cards, sealed in real handwritten envelopes, sporting your own handwriting and signature—delivered by the good ole U.S. Postal Service! (Let’s hear it for the mailman and mailwoman!)

But what I truly love about SendoutCards, is how easy it is to create a totally custom card with any picture I choose. And, oh yea, did I mention that I can do this at any time of the day or night?

OK, here goes: Just see yourself lounging on the undulating sands of a tropical Island paradise drinking the juice of fresh mangoes and coconut. What do you see around you? … the bluest blues…the greenest greens…the most scintillating colors of flora and fauna every created, all sparkling in the joy of sunlight. Everywhere you look there’s a picture postcard! So go ahead—point your camera and click.

And the fact is, folks, all you need to do is keep on clicking: one click uploads any picture from your computer, another puts it on the front of your greeting-card or postcard, the last little click flies it anywhere in the world. Happy to say, the ‘Great Printer’ in Salt Lake City will print your card, put a real stamp on the envelope, and mail it out for you … all for the price of one dollar and thirty-five cents or less, postage included.

No more driving to the store, no more hunting around for the perfect card, no more searching for your address book/rolodex. And, oh yea, did I mention there’s no need to buy stamps or envelopes?

The first time I heard Chris tell me about SendOutCArds, I couldn’t get a handle on what he was saying. Right away, he lost me. Everything sounded like too much fun to be true. But it is true, foks, and now I send a ton of my own beautiful, custom made cards.

Speaking of sending cards— when was the last time you sent somebody a surprise card—one that wasn’t expected? I probably don’t have to tell you this, but there’s something extra special about that out-of-the-blue card that just shows up in your mailbox. Maybe it triggers a memory from childhood when your favorite Aunt sent you a birthday card with a couple bucks inside. I don’t know exactly how memory works… But if you just stop a second, I’m sure you can remember how it feels to take in the day’s mail and spot a real envelope amidst that pile of junk. Right off the bat you feel the love that can only come from someone who cares about you.

Putting it simply, staying connected is what the SendOutCards Company is all about. Whether you choose to send one of the gazillion cards already in the Great Printer’s memory bank or create your own, the important thing is this: You are letting someone know that you care about them. This happens whether you use the system for business or personal use. Anyone who opens your card will remember you as someone who values him/her enough to send a personal greeting. In this day and age of trashed emails and general disconnect, you will stand out, gain respect and be remembered.

While this system can be used by anyone, many are also taking advantage of the SendOutCards business opportunity. Simply by sharing it with others, you can build yourself a highly profitable home business.

For more information on SendOutCards income opportunities, call Chris Tatro at 530-925-2845 or email him at info@opportunityreviewer.com

Plus, you can try the whole SendOutCards system for free!

Chris has set up some accounts for my readers, so just go to www.thecardprogram.com and click on the banner that says “Send a Free Card”.

Happy Tales,

Laura

p.s. Chris and I are visiting the SendOutCard “Great Printer” in Salt Lake City for the weekend. I’ve got some great pics, but they’ll have to wait ’cause we forgot the cable to download them into the computer.

Guess what, folks—1 is our pollution level reading for August 12. ONE! Yes, 1, sometimes known as the loneliest number. See, it even looks lonely in Chinese:

Where oh where has all the smoke gone? Perhaps I will check with esteemed authorities.

Weighing in hot and heavy in the authority department is the Sisikiyou County Agriculture Pollution Conrol Division: But let me say right off the bat, you’re doing a heck of a job, fellas—I’m feeling the control!

Come to find out, though, it’s just the wind doing the controlling: a stable, high pressure air mass has plunked itself over Northern California, killing the North wind and keeping smoke close to the fires.

In other words, the black smoke is only choking a few thousand folks in places here and there, like Happy Camp, California, nearest town to the Panther Fire. But, but, but, Camp weather officials are reporting “fog and mist”. ( Sounds like our weather officials have been taking tips from Beijing’s, or vice versa. )

Just how happy is Happy Camp on non-smoky days, though? Not overly, I guess. The town of about one thousand probably stands to lose at least half of its 195 sunny days this year due to fires. It has a -10.4% population growth and a -19.4% future job growth in the good times, though.

Good news, folks, there are jobs in Happy Camp! Right this very minute, you could sign up to be a firefighter, a locksmith in a correctional facility, or a National Guardsman in thirty capacities. A real go-getter, for example, could become a land combat electronic missile system repairer, a field artillery tactical data system specialist or even a multi-channel transmission systems operator-maintainer. If you’re looking for something easier to pronounce, there’s still the old standards: plumber, electrician, water-treatment specialist and indirect fire infantryman.

That last one really gives pause. Does it mean you stand in indirect fire? I wonder who chooses to be a plain ole direct fire infantryman these days?

Speaking of direct fire, I wonder how Beijing is fairing today under the watchful eyes of the free internet. Is the Capital of China foggy and misty today like Happy Camp, California?

Uh Oh! Official reports on Beijing’s air have people confused and muttering, too: What is that weird stuff blocking all my ancient views? Why is that nasty mist burning my lungs? Making my eyes itch? Is that gray stuff fog, haze or mist?

Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, reports in as usual: “It does not mean”, he explained, “that this fog is the same as pollution. It can be pollution, but the fog doesn’t necessarily mean that it is pollution.” Thank you, Jacques, now could you be a little clearer than smog, please?

Here’s what I think, folks: What’s so bad about getting scientific? What say we pull out those particulate matter counters like the one we use here in progressive Weed, California. Or, how about we employ some drone airplanes to go into the clouds and get a little accurate data?

According to Eoin O’Carroll (“What happens when you turn off Beijing’s pollution?”), that’s exactly what some folks are trying to do. A few scientists are realizing that a major urban center has suddenly put the brakes on its industrial emissions (factories, construction, vehicle emissions, spray can usage). Some are referring to Beijing’s monumental efforts to halt the man-made causes of pollution as the “great shutdown.”

One, like V. Ramanathan, a climate and atmospheric sciences professor at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography is taking advantage of this singular opportunity. “He and his team are sending unmanned aerial vehicles into the pollution clouds that spread from Beijing and other Chinese cities. The flights take off from South Korea’s Cheju Island, about 725 miles southeast of Beijing, and fly directly into the smog plumes. The unmanned aircraft (drones) are equipped with micro- and nano-sensors that will gather information about the sun’s energy and the interactions between various pollutants and clouds.”

But, please, Mr. Ramanathan, while you’re at it, could you send a couple drones our way to find out about the Chem-Trails over Mount Shasta? I haven’t seen many since the lightning fires started, but there were quite a few back in May.

Happy ChemTrails,

Laura signing off.

p.s. Mount Shasta topped by chemtrails makes a nice sendoutcard for all those conspiracy buffs out there. Contact Chris for more information about sendoutcards and the opportunities therein. He’s the man!

Mount Shasta with real clouds photo by Chris Tatro www.sendoutcards.com/site

It’s very clear and still this Monday morning. Our pollution levels are almost non-existent, but lack of wind is supposed to change all that any minute now.

Sometimes we get these awful smoke burps. They blow in, smother us, shoot our particulate matter levels off the charts then dissipate. It’s weird.

Today’s WunderMap has the black smoke plume headed up and inland into Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Idaho, miraculously circumventing Mount Shasta. I don’t know why.

Stats for the fires closest to Mount Shasta are still pretty grim: As of 8/8/08, the Panther Fire (15 miles south of Happy Camp) which began July 22nd has added another 3500 acres to its tally, bringing the total to about 18,000 scorched acres. According to a U.S. Forest Service press release, the fire is 15% contained.

By the way, folks, containment does not mean a fire is out. It just means firefighters have drawn an imaginary line around all the flames and are working their asses off to make it stay in there.

Word of mouth around these parts says the Panther Fire will be burning well into October. November…who knows?

As always, there are plans to fight fire with fire. Check-out this official Overall Strategy: Direct line and indirect line with low-intensity burnouts backed with contingency lines are designed to create a defensible box around the Blue 2 and Siskiyou fires (including the two fires in one “big box” by connecting firelines). These three approaches have been used on the Ukonom fire to connect it with the Panther Fire to the north. Firefighters work closely together to coordinate the indirect fireline construction plans for both “boxes.” Fire growth within the containment line is expected to continue throughout the summer as the fires run their natural course and burn out or are extinguished by fall rains.

Hmm, fall rains—will we even get our Fall rains this year? That is the question. Back in early June, our governor declared California to be precipitation challenged.

Lack of rain isn’t the state’s only water worry, though. Pumping restrictions aimed at protecting an endangered fish affectionately known as the Delta Smelt are also making things difficult. Folks are beginning to talk about a new “conveyance facility that would divert Sierra mountain water from the Sacramento River north of the Delta and route it around the fragile Sacramento River Delta.”

But what about the here and now? So many fires are still burning in our neck of the woods—about twenty-five, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. They put the total charred acreage at 1,131,655 and counting. Check out the WunderMap to see what I mean. Fires from Northern California are polluting the afore mentioned five states, as we speak.

Speaking of pollution, lucky Beijing got some rain for its bad air; Tennis, Archery and Rowing events had to be postponed. On Monday, city levels dropped by more than half, registering a 38—by whose standards, I’m not sure. The Associted Press swears that its independent readings of Olympic air log in about three times worse than Chinese official readings. For a full pelting on the rain, athletes and pollution readings, try MSNBC. I’m getting bored with all this pollution talk.

It’s so easy to talk about and so hard to fix.

Happy Tales,

Laura signing off.

p.s. As always, SendOutCard information is just a click away. Chris has his own blog now, too. It’s not as neat as mine, but let’s give him time, folks. He knows way more about sendoutcards than I do and that counts for a lot.

Photo taken on Aug. 8, 2008 shows the fireworks of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games held in the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, in north Beijing, China. (Xinhua/Chen Kai)

Photo: Wu Hong/EPA

I’ve tried, Folks, but I can’t imagine how important the Olympics must be to Beijing and the rest of the Chinese people. I mean, how important is it for any proud, developing nation to present a clean and harmonious face to the World? The only thing comparable we have in Mount Shasta is our Fourth of July Walk/Run event, complete with parade and ‘fireworks’.

Oddly enough, we also had to contend with dirty air this year because of the Northern California Lightning Fires. The same questions loomed large as the ‘big’ day was drawing near: Should the organizers (Mountain Runners) cancel the yearly outdoor athletic event and lose out on all that revenue because of the pollution danger? Should the Veterans against the Iraq War be allowed to march in the annual Independence Day Parade down main street?

For me, the last question was a no-brainer. I’ve always thought our nation was founded on the basic principals of mindful dissent and free speech. And If those who served our country in battle can’t speak their minds, then aren’t we lost as a nation? The first question was more difficult, though, and I was mighty pleased not to be involved in the final decision ( to run or not to run?…). Almost miraculously, though, the air cleared enough for that fateful commemoration of a fateful day.

ba

Speaking of fateful, 8/08/08 is one of the most auspicous days imaginable in Chinese culture, not because it kicks off the International Olympics, though. The number 8 (ba) logs in as one of the most revered in Chinese Numerology. When drawn, it finishes with an upward curve, symbolizing continuous progress. When spoken aloud, I’m told that 888 in Cantonese sounds like ‘business will easily prosper’ or ‘thrice prosperous’. Hence the reason that many Chinese businesses flocked to the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California, the area code in that vicinity being 818 or “prosperity guaranteed prosperity!”

All in all, It’s pretty easy to see why Chinese Olympic organizers chose this numeric combination for Opening Day. For them, it was just a ‘no-brainer’. As Westerners, however, we still might wonder why anyone would choose a time of the year famous for its horrible pollution and temperature inversions, especially since athletic events thrive on clean air. The answer is still the same, though: The Chinese believe in the power of three eights and they were willing to bet the bank on it.

Even mothers of newborn children got into the act. By Chinese estimates, 500 “Olympic babies” will be born in Beijing on Aug. 8, as many as two thirds by cesarean section. I have to wonder, folks, if that much good fortune extends to babies who are cut out with a knife. As I understand it, a sharp instrument in plain view changes the Feng Shui of auspicious moments. I’m no expert, but it seems like babies who come out on their own are more apt to get the thrice blessings.

Now here’s a silly thought: Turn the clock back nine months; can’t you just envision thousands of young, Chinese women, all with a mad driving desire to copulate. I bet thousands of lucky husbands were counting their many blessings too. It’s interesting to me, though, that so many women would knowingly use-up their one-time government sanctioned right to procreate, as China only approves of one child per family. For good or ill, taxes are levied on families who break the one-child rule, though there are ways around the law if one is resourceful enough.

Speaking of resourceful, a 32-year-old Chinese woman named Zhang Lingyun one-upped all the other new mothers by naming her newborn daughter “Olympic” in Chinese. Zhang Yuanping (the Haidian Maternal and Child Care Hospital president in Beijing) said ” ‘rationality must not give way to Olympic enthusiasm’, but no one had asked to undergo a caesarean section at 8:08 p.m. tonight, he added.

Chinese officials reported similar enthusiasm at the marriage registrars office. Many young couples wanted to stamp their union with the Olympic or 8/8/08 seal of approval. More than 1,500 new couples applied to be married on Friday, almost three times the daily August average. “To cope with the influx, the staff was able to reduce registration time from seven minutes to three.”

WOW! Seven minutes to three minutes! Those workers deserve a big round of applause for shaving so much time off an already concise registration procedure. I can’t imagine any of our government workers being able to do that in a crunch. Didn’t I tell you the Chinese were resourceful?

Laura signing off.

p.s. Click for Chris if you want information on sendoutcards or you’d like to make your own. So many images and so little time!

pre-show pic by Robert Deutsch, USA Today