Mount Shasta | TalesOfSendingCards.com

They Know It’s Wrong, But What Can They Do…

By on Thursday, August 7th, 2008 | No Comments

Mount Shasta back in the Spring of 2008— photo by Chris Tatro

Snow…Snow…my kingdom for some snow.

The smoke (not snow) is back, Folks. It’s close to the ground this time, hugging every little crevice and cranny like there’s a temperature inversion. I don’t have to run to the Siskiyou County Pollution to confirm what I smell and see. Nor do I need the WunderMap. That black plume of smoke may look like it’s headed straight up the coast, but it breathes like it’s directly overhead. I can’t help but feel some kinship with the Olympians who are in need of oxygen.

Speaking of which, here are pictures of the roofless Bird’s Nest from Wired Science. They pretty much say it all. The Chinese have tried everything, but the air is subject to the whims of the weather, and there’s nothing the Olympic authorities can do, except give it the OK, of course.

On Wednesday, the IOC issued a statement from Arne Ljungqvis, the chairman of the committee’s medical commission: “The Olympic Committee and the Beijing government are successfully managing the quality of the air in the city. Air quality at Games time will be adequate for Olympic sports events.”

And now for something completely different—this time from Tini Tran of the Associated Press: “The wall of gray haze around the National Stadium and across the city cut visibility down to a mile. On the eve of opening ceremonies, Beijing’s polluted air took center stage Thursday as the most visibly pressing problem for Olympic organizers who had promised to clean up the Chinese capital.”

To the left, is the new China Central Television (CCTV) headquarters building as seen through haze in Beijing Thursday Aug. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Greg Baker)

I don’t know, Folks. Athletes are not invincible creatures from the planet Krypton. They are living breathing organisms sucking down a ton more air than your average person. Sad to say, Pollution kills. The ‘noxious cocktail’ of athletes pushing themselves to the limit in a dirty atmosphere could trigger a serious -potentially lethal – asthma attack, Murdoch University Associate Professor Peter Dingle said.

It’s too bad the Chinese didn’t put a roof on their Olympic Stadium, I say.

Laura signing off.

p.s. For more information about SendOutCards, Chris is the man. He can fill you in on all the opportunities and fun. I have a free sendoutcard of Mount Shasta or any other picture your heart desires—just waiting to have your name inscribed on the envelope by the Great Printer in Salt Lake.

I’ve Looked At Clouds From Both Sides Now

By on Wednesday, August 6th, 2008 | 2 Comments

Sunrise over Mount Eddy by Chris Tatro www.sendoutcards.com/site

So much rests on the weather. It always has and always will—unless we grow our food indoors and build structures that are impervious to climate changes, that is. Better yet, maybe we should start tunneling underground like a new species of Human Bug.

Coming from the experience of one who just spent all of July behind closed doors to keep out the smoke, I would rather live in harmony with nature than bury myself in a climate-controlled environment.

Speaking of climate control, I wonder if the Chinese officials are going to attempt to milk their clouds—drain them of typhoon moisture before the Olympic Opening Ceremonies (8/8/08). Cloud-seeding sounds so scary to me, especially in light of what happened back in 1952 when the Royal Brit Flyboys triggered a biblical deluge with their secret experimental fiasco. An estimated ninety million tons raged through Lynmouth, England in just one day, sweeping folks out to sea. That’s T O N S, TONS—2000lbs times 90,000,000 (million)!! Unfathomable!

China Daily reports that Friday’s Opening Ceremony at the futuristic Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing could take place under smoggy overcast skies — and might even see a shower or thunderstorm. Judging from the potential beauty in this rehearsal picture, that would be a crying shame! I can see why Chinese officials are tempted to fool around with the weather. Plus, the rainwater would dispel some of the nasty pollution everyone is buzzing about.

Joel, a blogger at China Hope Live, snapped some telling pictures back in November of 2007 which contrast clear days with smoggy days in Tianjin, location of the Olympic football games.

Now you see it

..Now you don’t.

I truly hate smog! That’s one of the reasons I live in Northern California. To me, it’s totally understandable why those Olympic Cyclists from the United States got off their plane wearing Michael Jackson masks, which were given to them by their coaches, by the way. The silly, self-absorbed six have agreed to apologize, though, so this is old news.

Oh me….so many international incidents and so little time!

I sure hope everything goes smoothly. China is baring everything to the World, including its soul. Here is an ancient culture of very proud folks with as many dreams of a prosperous future as everyone else. This country has shyly opened a window to the other nations of the World, hoping to pass inspection in a sea fraught with free internet access. It’s too easy to find fault with a soul that’s laid bare these days. I pass. No more jabs.

Let the country that is without genocide, pollution, racism and illegally imprisoned human beings cast the first stone.

Laura signing off.

Let the Games Begin!

By on Wednesday, August 6th, 2008 | No Comments

Mount Eddy sunset before the storm, August 2008

Here in our Northern California tinder box, we are giving thanks this morning. Lightning was going off all around us last night, but no thunder, so the storm must have been too far away for sound. To tell the truth, there was mostly wind, but the rain clouds did drop a little moisture; the smell reminds me of a wet ashtray.

News on the web puts the storm track more to the south of us, moving northeast, but I could see strikes in the Northwest, so I’m hoping there’s no new fires lurking that have yet to be discovered.

Happy, to say, our air quality is good today, not because Unit # 93 says so, because the sky has real, rain-filled, honest-to-goodness clouds in it instead of smoke. Check out a sunrise pic of storm clouds over Mount Shasta that Chris took this morning. If it isn’t perfect for a custom sendoutcard, I don’t know what is.

But what of our friends in Beijing? You know, those ones trying to breathe. One picture of a masked U.S Olympian (compliments of the New York Times) is worth a thousand words, I figure. [Yves Herman/Reuters]

Actually, folks, this picture was, and still is, worth a gazillion words. Everyone, from the U.S.O.C. (United States Olympic Committee) to the Chinese government, has criticized the U.S. Cyclists for wearing masks that the U.S.O.C. gave them. According to these Olympic hopefuls, however, the lead U.S. exercise physiologist advised the whole team to put them on before they stepped off the plane.

(Oops, his bad.)

And how did our Olympic Cyclists react to all this hullabaloo? Answer: With sadness, disappointment and surprise. “They told us that the Chinese were mad and that this is a politically charged issue, but we didn’t mean to offend anybody,” Mike Friedman (Cyclist) said. “When they handed us these masks, they never said, ‘Here they are, but don’t wear them. Why we wore the masks is simple: pollution. When you train your whole life for something, dot all your i’s and cross all your t’s, why wouldn’t you be better safe than sorry?”

Friedman went on to say that he would have worn a mask in Los Angeles, too, but it was too late, the damage had been done—broadcast far and wide as a matter of fact.

The People’s Daily Online is strangely silent.

Laura, signing off

Butterfly Effect

By on Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 | No Comments

Windswept Mount Shasta, August 2008

Fragile Strength

If two or three typhoons are churning their way towards Beijing, how many butterflies have been flapping their wings way out in the middle of the China Sea?

Don’t mind me, folks, I’m just pondering the Butterfly Effect—how something as imperciptible as a butterfly’s wings can set into motion such a huge turbulence, that, by the time it moves through the atmosphere and reaches the shore, it’s a full blown typhoon. The phenomenon is also known as the Ripple Effect.

Speaking of ripples, as you can see by the cloud patterns, we got a windy day here on the western slopes of Mount Shasta. I’m feeling mighty good—breathing clean air and enjoying the views. Why not have a free greeting card on me? Just click for Chris, your friendly, neighborhood expert on SendOutCards. One little click could set into motion the best butterfly effect of your life. And I’m not kidding, either.

Moving on. There are as many as three typhoons headed towards Beijing. According to Guo Hu, director of the Beijing Meteorological Observatory, an official weather forecast for Opening Ceremonies will be provided August 6th. The good news is, rain could clean up the air. But here’s the real question, folks: Is that air in need of one, two or three typhoons?

Two views on clear and smoggy day Check-out the same view in Beijing on a clear day and a smoggy day: Just like I said awhile back, there could be a burning mountain behind that layer of gray crud.

Independent sensor readings and photographs taken in Beijing tell us that efforts to clean up the city’s air just aren’t working, at least as of yesterday they weren’t. Today, there are some reports that the air is better, hopefully enough better that the Bird’s Nest (Chinese Olympic Stadium) in this gray picture will shine like it’s supposed to.

Actually, you can check out the ongoing pollution for yourself. There is a real-time, alien’s-eye-view of Beijing (WunderMap) complements of Beijing Airblog. See what you think.

I’ll tell you what I think, though. It’s going to be very difficult to clean up Beijing’s air, especially with all the recent Olympic construction and 2006 dust storms.

Plus it’s Summer there—stinky hot and wet as a dish rag—a very nasty combo that often gives rise to temperature inversions. Being from the South, I’m very familiar with late Summer temperature inversions. We call ‘em the ‘Dog Days‘; and we mope around with hang-dog expressions. We do not, I repeat do not go outside until the sun goes down, much less exercise in the heat of the day. That’s just pure suicide!

Laura signing off.

p.s. Here’s a scientific illustration of temp inversions. Oh yea, did I mention how they trap automobile exhaust.

Treading Water—the Newest Olympic Sport?

By on Monday, August 4th, 2008 | 1 Comment

Greetings from Mount Shasta! If you would like a real greeting card, the kind that you can hold in your hand, just say the word and I’ll get the Great Printer of SendOutCards right on it. Yesterday’s clear sunset (above) has set the tone for today. We are so grateful for clean air!

Speaking of which, it is time to check-in on our friendly, neighborhood pollution monitoring station in Weed: WOW! I’m excited! There’s a new kid on the block and it offers real-time info! Hourly Air Quality Data (unit 92 in Fort Jones, unit 93 in Weed)

What about our friends in Beijing, though? Has James Reynolds of the BBC updated his pollution readings? Answer: No, today’s thoughts from James are more concerned with freedom in China or the lack thereof. Not that this isn’t a worthy subject. It’s just that I am still intent on finding out how the Olympic athletes are simmering in that wet stir fry of Nitrogen Oxides, ozone and small particle pollution.

Not so good, if you ask Erin Smart, a fencer on the U.S. Olympic Team. Fine, if you ask U.S. weightlifter, Carissa Gump. Both have asthma but will be thankfully competing indoors. The I.O.C. (International Olympic Committee) has promised to postpone outdoor endurance competitions if the pollution levels get too bad.

Bad is an oh-so-relative term. Just whose Bad will the Olympic Committee be using? Beijing monitoring stations that don’t measure Nitrogen Oxide levels? Beijing levels that back in ‘06 dropped the two lowest scores from their data collecting?

In my mind, folks, it pretty much comes down to this: Will the I.O.C. let the Chinese save face at the expense of the athletes? Speaking of which, the athletes are packing some serious heat—everything from specially designed filter masks to air purifiers, asthma puffers, eye drops, nasal sprays and throat lozenges. I guess all the efforts to spin air quality are not fazing participants overly much.

The fact is, U.S. runners are training at the seaside; ‘Ruskies’ are staying indoors; Japanese Olympians have been fitted with industrial grade face masks; ‘Ausies’ are flying in at the last minute and at least half are skipping Friday’s auspicious opening ceremonies (8/8/08).

To make everything more interesting, Beijing forecasters are predicting rain for the next few days. Moisture from the heavens is expected to do one of two things—either clean the air nicely, or rain-out the opening ceremony entirely:

“We estimate two or three typhoons will hit China’s coastal areas during the Games,” said Qiao Lin , a senior weather official at the China Meteorological Administration. “They might have Olympic Village, Hong Kong and Shanghai in their paths. We will closely monitor and issue early warnings if they do develop into a substantial threat.”

That’s enough from the weather-woman. Could we hear from Zhang Qiang, the Beijing weather manipulation official? How about draining those typhoons with a little sexy cloud seeding, baby? Not to worry, Zhang Qiang assures us; her team is quite prepared to intervene in the weather for the opening ceremony with cloud seeding if necessary.

Cloud Seeding? Typhoons? Holy Deluge times three! Me thinks the athletes should have brought inner tubes, blow up rafts and life-jackets in their carry-ons, instead of all that breathing gear.

In the meantime, monitoring is still an ugly word: Beijing’s air-pollution index for this Monday rose above the World Health Organization recommended maximum for the first time in four days. (Bernardo De Niz/Bloomberg News)

Having breathed a lot of awful air lately, it all looks rather glum to me. Sad to say, everything might boil down to an unbiased reading of convoluted pollution levels or three of your ordinary typhoons. Nothing much can be done about acts of god/Buddha etc., but, as for air quality, perhaps we should have loaned the Chinese one of our three state-of-the-art air monitors.

Here’s an example of real time data from Pollution monitoring station #93, more affectionately known as Weed, California. Happy to say, that anyone with free internet access can get a reading at any time, compliments of Homeland Security.

Air Quality Index – Current Conditions
µg/m³	0		40.0		80.0		175.0		300.0		500.0
1 HR	4.0 µg/m³
		Good		Moderate		Unhealthy Sensitive		Unhealthy		Very Unhealthy		Hazardous
24 HR	8.0 µg/m³
µg/m³	0		15.4		40.4		65.4		150.4		250.4

Excuse Me, While I Kiss the Sky!

By on Sunday, August 3rd, 2008 | No Comments

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

Chris and I are trumpeting a clear sunrise here on the western slopes of Mount Shasta. Irrational Exuberance is definitely the flavor of the day!

This morning we were awakened at daybreak by many joyful cries of the migrating bicyclists. Once a year seven hundred or so of this pedaling species of bipeds converge on our area to participate in a choice of scenic races. Upon reaching the top of the last ridge before the Shasta Valley (where we live), they like to yell into the quietude. “Wow, look at the view! Oh god! What could be more perfect! It’s so peaceful! …” And did I mention that all this happens around 6 A.M.?

Don’t get me wrong now. Chris and I humbly appreciate their enthusiasm for our neck of the woods. We probably even matched it on this particular morning, as it feels mighty fine to be breathing smoke-free air, gazing at smoke-free views and absorbing the vibrancy of colors that only live in a smoke-free atmosphere.

The first thing I did was rev up the camera and head for the great outdoors. The sun was barely touching Mount Shasta, and Chris got the best shot by just pointing his lens out the window. He left most of the fun close-ups to me, except for a portrait of this huge, indolent, wing-ed, yellow and brown striped bug. He wanted me to put it in my hand, but I wasn’t irrationally exuberant enough to ignore the large pincer-looking things. Ive sent this picture to the bugman in the hopes that he will let me know if I had a close brush with death or not.

I’m thinking it might be nothing more than a “June Bug”. As I recall, they live in the ground. My daddy use to stick a long blade of grass down their holes and twiddle it like he was fishing. When one bit he’d jerk it up and fly it around his head like a miniature airplane, complete with sound. That was in Mississippi, though, and I didn’t know we had any “June Bugs” in Northern California.

I’m going to have to make him a card of this creature. Seriously folks, who gets a picture of a “June Bug” on a greeting card! Answer: People who design their own SendOutCards, and their lucky friends. That’s what I love about this company! The possibilities are as endless as your imagination; plus you make folks happy. I just know my daddy will get a kick out of a “June Bug” card.

Speaking of which, Chris is on a cortex thickening kick. After reading somewhere that meditation thickens the frontal area of the brain, he’s a regular. Don’t get me wrong, now, ’cause I’m all for it. The thicker the cortex, the better the focus, so I’ve heard. Besides, cortex thinning is linked with all sorts of unbalanced states—everything from schizoid behavior to alzheimers to ADD.

Oh yea, have I mentioned what a great day it is here in Northern California. We can’t even tell that our state is burning. I finally found more info about how the Yosemite Fire started. News sources in the States weren’t that forthcoming, oddly enough. But the People’s Daily Online (Chinese internet news service) reports that”two men and two women went into remote woods to shoot rocks with a rifle”. Now there’s some frontal lobes that could do with some serious thickening… rifle, live ammo, drought, sparks, hello!#@?

Laura singing off.

p.s. Do you like this close-up I took of an ehcinacea? I can send you a real card of it. For more information about SendOutCards and all the fun opportunities it can open up, click for your friendly cortex-thickener, Chris Tatro (Om Mani Padme Hum)

echinacea enjoying the sunrise…photo by Chris Tatro

Power To The People Right On

By on Saturday, August 2nd, 2008 | No Comments

No, this is not today’s picture of a Mount Shasta sunrise. I was just nostalgic for the good ole days is all.

Moving on. What do Beijing and Northern California have in common? Answer: Polluted air. While our bad air stems from wildfires, Beijing’s is the result of automobile and factory emissions mixed with construction dust.

The Chinese government is racing like hell to get Beijing’s air under control, though, or, at least all information concerning the data under control. Meanwhile, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) holds its neutral stance: The Olympics is a sports event, they say, and clean air is political. (cough cough)

But many are criticizing the IOC for such a lackadaisical approach to the health of athletes. Seven years ago when China won the bid to host the 2008 Olympics, the People’s Republic made at least two promises—clean air and full internet access to foreign journalists. Have they lived up to either?

Since the IOC is biting its wimpy tongue, the only accurate reorting of Beijing’s pollution levels hails from the Brits. Naturally, China is not allowing any contrary info to penetrate its Great Firewall, and this includes any BBC websites that mention poor Beijing’s poor air quality. Wonder of all wonders! In one fell swoop, China has reneged on two promises—clean air and free internet access!

How do they do it…those inscrutable Chinese officials? How do they block free internet access to their millions of online citizens, not to mention 23,000 foreign journalists? Answer: They treat their citizens like children.

Government filters work pretty much the same as home filters that stop children from accessing porn. And do these watchful parent-figures ground their naughty citizens for sneaking past filters? Yes, in a manner of speaking they do: Two to four years in a state prison, where, if the bad boys and girls happen to die, their bodies can be harvested for spare parts. Ugh, ugh ugh not a happy thought.

In his article The Great Firewall of China, Stephen Hutcheon reports that The Great Firewall of China - or the Golden Shield Project is solely aimed at keeping criticism of the Chinese Government out of print. Not as difficult as you might imagine, though, since almost all internet traffic between China and the outside world squeezes through one of three points near Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Hutcheon goes on to say that content filtering technologies primarily rely on lists of banned sites identified by their unique internet protocol (IP) addresses. Plus Chinese offiicials are hip to the use of keywords. Can’t you just see all those millions of Websites biting the delete dust at the border?

In the “Atlantic Monthly” (February 2008 issue), James Fallows, reported that the Chinese have also installed a device called a “tapper”, or “network sniffer”, which copies every single bit of data that comes in through these three gateways, shunting it through the surveillance computers for inspection. “If the data fails to pass muster, the censor’s computer interrupts the process of connecting the user’s computer to the website, resulting in what is known as a 404 error: “site not found”.

And it all happens in a split second, Folks.

With this in mind, I am offering the accurate pollution levels for the city of Beijing, as collected by James Reynolds of the BBC . I can just see our hero roaming Beijing with his trusty handheld device taking air samples. Carry on, James. We of the free world are watching.

Saved

And now for something completely different supplied courtesy of the “People’s Daily Online”. I would like to close with this opinion of our very own Nancy Pelosi.

“ Once in a long while in History you get an anti Chinese Like Pelosi who have never experience spritual beings and culture. So, when she met the Delai Lama her feet got sweep off and she is drowned by an usual human beings in saffron robes. She went under her magical spell and is not in her usual sanity. A person of her standing suddenly became an illiterate and no history of what the Delai Lama came from. To her from heaven. So, to her just look down on her as a piece of shit garbage.”

To ameliorate the hate of that last image, I offer for your delight this beautiful dahlia that reminds me of a Chinese Chrysanthemum. Chris brought it home for me Friday in a bouquet. How would you like a SendOutCard of this blossom to arrive in your snail-mailbox? It can be arranged. I have contacts with The Great Printer in Salt Lake City.

Laura signing off.

p.s. with this internet post, I have probably sacrificed all visits to China. Now there’s a strange thought…

Beathe Deep, While You Sleep Breathe Deep

By on Friday, August 1st, 2008 | No Comments

Just another orange sunset in Northern California, 7/31/08

Hip hip hooray! I’m breathing the sweetest natural perfume in the free world—unlimited internet access suffused with gardenia. My little potted plant just bloomed today. This courageous life form has elected to flower in spite of all the bad air it’s been breathing lately. Speaking of which, our pollution level for Friday morning is under 100! We’ve got a Beijing Blue Sky Day!

Sad to say, the rest of Siskiyou County is not so lucky. Reported levels are choking in at 176 (Yreka) and 179 (Fort Jones), or, well above Chinese safe.

Yesterday, I asked two people in Mount Shasta how they were coping with all the smoke? The first said nothing could be done, so she was ignoring it. The second said toxic vibrations from psychic sources were of more concern.

I figure both of these answers ring true enough. It’s just that on bad air days I have trouble ignoring what I’m breathing or even noticing the vibrations from psychic sources. When the Siskiyou County Air Pollution people advise me to lay low and quit taking deep breaths, I tend to get depressed. That’s why I’ve decided to go on an internet pilgrimage to collect some hope and enlightenment. See what you think:

Blue sky does not mean clean air. Our friends at Greenify Earth (who also like to breathe) define ozone as a colorless gas that can irritate the respiratory tract, produce impaired lung function and cause throat irritation, chest pain, cough, and lung inflammation. They also say that it is the most injurious pollutant to plant life.

Particulate matter, like that caused by wildfires, industrial processes, smelters, automobiles, woodsmoke, construction, road dust, agricultural ground breaking etc., hangs out in the air a long time. It’s the smaller particles that are more hazardous, because they are easily absorbed into the lungs and into the blood stream where they can cause premature death.

In general, though, any form of toxic air pollution damages our natural environment and jeopardizes public health. Air toxins accumulate in the air we breathe and work their way up the food chain, eventually winding up in the food we eat. Eating contaminated food, like fish, and breathing contaminated air from wildfires, traffic, factories and construction, can cause cancer, birth defects and other serious health problems—or, so says The Sierra Club.

After struggling to find something hopeful about this gloomy information, I have arrived at an uplifting thought: At least we have free access to gloomy information. In China, for example, they don’t. And neither do foreign journalists covering the international Olympics. How can the Chinese government be so irreverent when it comes to promises!

Just like its promise to clean up the Olympic air in time for festivities, China had also promised the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to lift its censorship of the internet, or the Great Firewall. But guess what, Folks–they are going back on that promise, too. I know there are those who do not wish to follow links, so I have lifted information about China’s internet ban from the guardian.co.uk.

Journalists at the press centre for the Beijing Olympics. Photograph: Guang Niu/Getty Images

China has reneged on a pledge to provide journalists covering the Beijing Games with unrestricted internet access, Olympic officials have admitted.

Kevan Gosper, a senior member of the International Olympics Committee (IOC) who is overseeing the games, said yesterday that the only uncensored websites journalists at the event would have access to were those related to “Olympic competitions”.

The admission contradicts China’s promise to grant the international media “complete freedom to report” at the games, which it made seven years ago when bidding to host the Olympics.

The blocks on internet sites in the main press centre, which will house about 5,000 journalists, and other Olympic venues will make it difficult to retrieve information, particularly on political and human rights stories the government dislikes. Journalists at the main press centre yesterday found they were unable to access sites such as Amnesty International or any site with Tibet in the URL.

Speaking of Tibet, if you want to get the People’s Republic of China’s perspective, click on the banner across the top of the People’s Daily Online:

Appropriately enough, this link is provided at the top of an article touting their clean air.

And now we have come full circle— back to the subject of “air” and my delicious smelling gardenia! Here is a picture from Wikipedia, large on the page but brave and small against the pollution. I think it will make an inspiring sendoutgreetingcard.

Laura signing off.

p.s. Information about SendOutCards, along with all the opportunities therein, is one click away. It really is easy to design your own sendoutcard, complete with a personal message.

Our Summer of the Orange Sun

By on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 | 1 Comment

SendOutCards with Chris is a click away. I promise he has all the information about opportunities and more. He can even help you create your own sendoutcard with a personalized greeting.

Speaking of which, greetings from Laura in Mount Shasta. Way way up in Northern California, we know how we feel, but let’s see what the experts are telling us. As of 8:30 A.M., AQI (AIr Quality Index) levels for Siskiyou County are as follows: unhealthy, unhealthy, unhealthy and unreported: Weed 137, Yreka 192, Fort Jones 193 with Happy Camp a blank. Happy Camp (in the midst of many fires) is often not reported. I don’t know if that means the little town has broken its pollution meter or is too busy to bother.

Next we have the statewide fire map. It’s kind of boring, though.

For color, smoke and flames with an interactive punch, I always head for the WunderMap. After moving the satellite across the U.S. to the State of Jefferson, I click on the options: Map, Satellite, Hybrid and Terrain to get a good view of the fires in relation to highways, byways, land formations and cities. All that smoke over our area today looks black and thick, which it is. Chris’s brother flew over Mount Shasta when the smoke was blowing our way and said that’s exactly how everything looked at three thousand feet—horribly horribly black.

I am so grateful that I don’t have to work outdoors. The poor Olympic athletes! Let’s check in on the air they are sucking down their lungs. Our friends at the Wall Street Journal sum everything up quite nicely: China is encouraging the arriving athletes not to believe their own stinging eyes. Here is a strange analogy from Du Shaozhong, the deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Environment Protection Bureau: “It is quite natural,” he told reporters. “For example, when you are taking a bath in the bathroom, you are unable to see the one opposite us. It does not mean there is pollution.”

In other words, soupy skies and stinging eyes are not proof of pollution. The Chinese deputy director goes on to say that we should base our judgments on Chinese collected data, instead of the color of the sky. For some reason (cough cough), there is very little trustworthy data. Could it be that the government has manipulated the sacred data by moving polling stations to less-polluted areas and changing the way it measures pollutants? (cough cough?)

The Chinese officials promised the air would be good way back when they bid for the Olympic Games, but it doesn’t look like they are going to be able to keep their promise. According to BBC weather forecaster Dan Corbett, meteorological patterns in Beijing over the summer are not conducive to dispersing pollution, with high pressure and inversion layers common.

“It is like taking a pan of soup off the hob. It steams, but put a lid on it and everything just sits under the lid.”

Here’s the thing in a nutshell, Folks: Beijing is used to telling people that gray is blue, but this is not going to work as well as it used to. For the Chinese officials, though, it’s business as usual. I’m wondering if they’ve forgotten about the 20,000 foreign reporters in Beijing, the 11,000 Olympic athletes and their trainers, the million or so attendees, not to mention the gazillions who are watching on tube. How many of these folks can be coerced into saying or believing those blue sky day fairy tales?

It’s true that there is very little independent monitoring of Beijing’s air quality, but the BBC has been conducting air tests with a handheld device over the past three weeks, and so far only six of 21 days have met the World Health Organization’s standard for particulate matter. Where, on where are the test results conducted by the International Olympic Committee? (cough cough cough)

Beijing air quality

Alexander F. Yuan / Associated Pre

Poison Oak and Sumac Stew—that’s what we’re simmering in, Folks

By on Tuesday, July 29th, 2008 | No Comments

Happy to say, the first annual reunion of the Tatro boys (Chris, Kevin and Scott) was a huge success. Much golf was enjoyed by all. Only one club (Chris’ Taylor-Made driver) sustained lasting injuries (accidental) when it fell out of the bag that fell off the golf cart that Scott was driving. We have enthroned the head on our sacred mantle. The image will make a wonderfully appropriate SendOutCard to commemorate this family event. It’s no trouble. The Great Printer in Salt Lake City does all the work. For more information about SendOutCards, just click for Chris. I’d rather go back to blogging about the reunion.

The only thing that was sorely missing was an environmentally friendly atmosphere—or,in other words, clean air to breathe. Who would have thought that Los Angeles or New York would have been a better destination for breathing purposes than our beloved Mount Shasta? But it was and I was mortified.

Yesterday, the air was finally cleaner, relatively speaking. Before the brothers hopped on their respective planes, they got to see some pseudo-clear daytime views.

Sad to say, though, today we woke up with puffy smoke-eyes. Gray crud was hugging the ground, leaving the sky directly overhead an off-blue. Maybe this is one of those Beijing blue sky days.

Forget Beijing! How are those California wildfires doing? I smell burning trees and plants in my own backyard. There are disturbing reports about the contents of this smoke—how it’s carrying toxins from burning poison oak and sumac.

Now here’s something everyone agrees on: Never burn poison oak or sumac. When inhaled, it can cause skin and respiratory problems. Poisonous resins in smoke-form become airborne, traveling long distances to find residence in the lungs of unsuspecting folks. This is one of the problems of the fire near Happy Camp, California.

Speaking of fires near Happy Camp…we got two relatively new incidents: Panther Fire (two firefighters dead) threatening thirty homes west of Mount Shasta (41.3582 Longitude: -122.347); and Telegraph Fire east of Yosemite, threatening four thousand homes. The latter was started Friday by someone who was target-shooting. Holy Burning Crap!!! What was he using? A flame thrower? A rocket launcher? (Fox news released a picture of the suspects. (Sorry, bad joke)

This next image isn’t a joke. Firefighter Jeremy Ward photographs a helicopter dropping fire retardant on flames of the out-of-control Telegraph Fire. Chronicle photo by Lacy Atkins

Moving on. Chinese officials are still struggling with their blue sky day quotas. According to a Canadian source, globeandmailcom (Jully 29, 2008), the haze in Beijing was so bad yesterday that visibility was reduced to just a few hundred meters. Olympic stadiums were barely visible behind the smog. Here’s a telling video, folks. The very latest reports, however, say there is more hope, as cloud-seeding efforts have paid off with some sky clearing moisture.

Speaking of which, I wish we could get some pollution clearing moisture here. The smoke is blowing right over us today according to our friendly neighborhood smoke map. If you’ve got special glasses, though, you can get a three dimensional tour of Mount Shasta without the smoke. How neat is that!!!!

Here’s our not-so-neat pollution readings for the morning of July 29, 2008.

Weed

132

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

People with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should limit prolonged exertion.

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Categories

They Know It’s Wrong, But What Can They Do…

I’ve Looked At Clouds From Both Sides Now

Let the Games Begin!

Butterfly Effect

Excuse Me, While I Kiss the Sky!

Power To The People Right On

Beathe Deep, While You Sleep Breathe Deep

Our Summer of the Orange Sun

Poison Oak and Sumac Stew—that’s what we’re simmering in, Folks

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