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MyPNW: The Update for 2007.12.21 |
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< Back to Update 2007 |
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Greetings!
Well, I hope everyone enjoys the last weekend before
Christmas! Seems the weather is going to "set the
mood", if you will, in some places
It snowed here in North Bend yesterday! It was a
very nice surprise! We ended up getting about 1 1/2 -
2 inches or so... not a lot, but enough to really set the
mood for the holidays, you know? We're also getting a
light dusting this morning, too... its barely coming down,
but its enough to really look nice.
Happy Friday, everyone! Have a great day, and try
to have a fun weekend!
This picture was taken this morning, from my front door.
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A Look at The Mountain |
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The latest update from the USGS |
The Lava-dome building eruption of Mount St. Helens, which
is now in its 3rd year, continues - but at a slower rate
than in previous years. Over the past year, the rate of lava
extrusion declined from 0.6 cubic yards per second in
December 2006 to 0.4 cubic yards per second in April 2007.
This volume of extrusion is equivalent to emplacement of a
small pickup-truck load every three seconds, or a dump truck
load every 20 seconds! At the current rate of eruption
(0.4 cubic yards per second), it will take a couple hundred
years for the volcano to rebuild itself to its former
volume. Approximately 7% or more of the volume of the
pre-1980 volcanic cone has been replaced; approximately 11%
of the present horseshoe-shaped crater has been refilled. Maps
from aerial photographs taken on April 20, 2007, indicate
that the volume of lava dome erupted since October 2004 is
121 million cubic yards, an amount sufficient to fill
approximately 163 Rose Garden Arenas (Portland, Oregon).
Dimensions of the dome are 1,740 feet north to south, and
3,480 feet east to west. The high point of the present lava
dome is 1,290 feet above the 1986 crater floor, and 7,569
feet above sea level.
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Current Update |
Monitoring instruments on the volcano remain operational
despite recent heavy snowfall. Photographs from a remote
surveillance camera taken earlier in the month show what
appears to be a new rock spine emerging through the ruble
pile. Ongoing ground deformation, occasional small
earthquakes, and rock falls are consistent with continued
slow growth of the lava dome.
Guacamole Cam Views from December 2005 (left) and December 2007
 
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The PNW, Back then |
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Tidbits of History that concerned my home town and the
surrounding area that happened generally "on this date" |
From HistoryLink.org
On or about a Today Ago...
On December 21, 1891, the so-called "whaleback" freighter Charles W.
Wetmore arrives to great fanfare in the budding town of Everett on Port
Gardner Bay in Snohomish County. The design of the steel-hulled vessel is a
major maritime innovation, and her arrival marks the intense industrial boom
overtaking the Everett Peninsula. Her captain and designer, Alexander McDougall,
backed by East Coast money, will set up The Pacific Steel Barge Company with
plans to employ 100 men.
The opening of a post office is an important marker of the beginning of a
community. On December 21, 1901, the Ravensdale Post Office opens. William C.
Jones is appointed postmaster. Ravensdale is a coal town located in east King
County four miles northeast of Black Diamond.
On December 21, 1917, a ship flying the Russian flag unexpectedly steams into
Elliott Bay. The steamer enters the Seattle harbor in
the midst of World War I, in which Russia and the United States are allies, a
month after the Bolshevik Revolution, which threw war alignments into confusion.
Seattleites react to the Russian steamer with both hysteria and interest.
On December 21, 1965, Washington State Highway Commissioners empower Highway
Director Charles Prahl to award a $22.3 million contract to National Steel and
Shipbuilding Company of San Diego, the low bidder for the construction of four
vessels. Although hopes were high that the money would be spent in Washington,
the state is left with no choice.
On December 21, 2004, Washington Secretary of Transportation Doug MacDonald
and Governor Gary Locke announce that the Washington State Department of
Transportation (WSDOT) is ending construction of a massive graving dock at Ediz
Hook in Port Angeles. The dock, on which WSDOT has already spent $58 million, is
intended to build replacement sections for the Hood Canal Bridge. The project is
cancelled at the request of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe after it becomes
apparent that it is located on the site of Tse-whit-zen, an important Klallam
village containing at least several hundred intact burials.
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Biggie for the Month |
Boxley Burst destroys the
logging community of Edgewick on December 23, 1918.
 On
December 23, 1918, heavy rain causes a blowout in the
glacial moraine along the Cedar River Watershed, sending
hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, mixed with
gravel and detritus, down small Boxley Creek. Later
known by some as the “Boxley Burst,†the disaster
destroys the logging community of Edgewick, but spares
the lives of every resident therein.
A River Ran Through It
Cedar Lake (now Chester Morse Lake), three miles east of
Rattlesnake Lake and several hundred feet higher, feeds
Rattlesnake Lake, which in turn feeds Boxley Creek. The
Cedar River watershed feeds Rattlesnake Lake
specifically from seepage through the glacial moraine
beneath Cedar Lake.
In 1914, the City of Seattle began building a masonry
dam on the Cedar River between Cedar Lake and
Rattlesnake Lake. The dam was needed to impound water to
generate electric power for City Light. During the
four-year construction, a 12-foot diameter opening was
left in the foot of the dam to allow the river to flow
freely during construction. In October 1918, the project
was completed and the hole was plugged.
For the next two months, water gradually rose behind the
dam. As a small lake filled the valley between the dam
and Cedar Lake, more water seeped into the ground and
through the moraine. Below the dam, Rattlesnake Lake
swelled, causing more runoff into Boxley Creek. In
December, the rains came, and with them, disaster.
Down in the Valley
By the morning of December 23, 1918, there was too much
rain. Before sunrise, a landslide and washout occurred
near the masonry dam. A surge of water sluiced half a
million cubic yards of earth and gravel away from the
hillside. The churning mass roared down the small valley
leading to Boxley Creek. Within minutes the little
stream turned into a 150-foot wide river. Directly in
its path was the little community of Edgewick.
Edgewick was a company town built for the North Bend
Lumber Company (NBLC) by owners Robert Vinnedge and
William C. Weeks. The name of the town came from
combining their names -- the last syllable of Vinnedge
followed by “Wick,†a popular pronunciation of Weeks.
The first sawmill at Edgewick was built in 1906, and by
1918, the little community consisted of 18 identical row
houses for families, a bunkhouse for single workers, a
kitchen, a dining room, and a company store. The mill
and the town were located at the foot of Boxley Creek as
it drained into the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River.
Run for the Hills
Standing in torrential rain, NBLC night watchman Charles
Moore had been keeping a close eye on the creek as it
pushed up against a dam built for the millpond.
Throughout the night, the water had been slowly rising,
but then the creek began swelling by a foot or more
every two minutes.
Moore realized that a break had occurred upstream, and
that he had to immediately warn the townspeople sleeping
in their homes below. Acting quickly, he tied down the
whistle with a length of cord. As the whistle shrieked
out over the falling rain, he ran through the town,
battering on every door. “Out of your beds!†he
screamed. “The dam is going to go!â€
There was no time to waste. Some folks dressed quickly,
but many ran from their homes in nightclothes, clutching
a hastily grabbed shirt, blouse, or pair of pants. As
the community gathered outside in the downpour, they
heard a sickening crunch upstream, followed by a
deafening roar. Their dam had just given way, and they
were right in the floodpath.
Men, women, and children frantically rushed for high
ground, fearing the worst. Fortunately, circumstances
gave them a few extra seconds that probably saved their
lives. Before the swell could reach them, it crashed
into the main mill, which acted as a barrier, if only
temporarily. Ankle-deep water quickly rose to
waist-deep. As the last folks climbed out of the way,
the water was almost up to their necks. The mill buckled
and collapsed. Everyone on the dark hillside caught
their breath, as they heard the remains of their town
carom through the raging current below.
Swept Away
As quickly as the flood had begun, it ended. Once the
surge of water joined with the Snoqualmie River, the
levels at Boxley Creek began to drop. The 60 or so
ex-residents of Edgewick built a small fire on the
hillside and huddled around it in shock. Tomorrow would
be a cheerless Christmas Eve, but at least they were
alive.
As morning broke, they peered into the valley at what
had once been their home. Almost every building was
destroyed, some completely obliterated. The company
owned the houses, but everyone’s personal belongings
were now strewn amidst mud, rock, and timber. Some
families lost all that they owned.
Downstream, North Bend officials saw the mill debris in
the Snoqualmie River and sent a train to Edgewick to
help with the recovery. Four families rode the train
back to North Bend, but everyone else stayed, hoping to
find things that were once theirs. For now, all they had
were the clothes on their backs.
Picking up the Pieces
The disaster was devastating for Vinnedge and Weeks,
beyond their business concerns. Vinnedge and his wife
had just lost a daughter to a spinal disorder, and were
recovering in California at their doctor’s behest. They
returned after receiving word that their home in
Edgewick had been destroyed. Weeks was dealing with his
own personal tragedy: His wife had died days before in
the worldwide flu epidemic, leaving him to raise their
three small children on his own.
The NBLC began salvaging in the spring, but there was no
hope of rebuilding and resuming operations. They sold
what little equipment was still usable, trying to cover
their losses. They also fought with the City of Seattle
for damage compensation, but litigation dragged on for
almost 10 years. After seemingly endless lawsuits and
appeals, in April 1928, the courts awarded NBLC
$361,867.81.
By this time, the town of Edgewick was mostly a memory,
and although it was never formally renamed, many locals
now referred to the stream as Christmas Creek.
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The Trivia Challenge |
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Back by popular demand! :-) |
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And the winner was... BradyS |
Josh Groban sets a new record on The Billboard 200 with
"Noel," becoming the first Christmas album to top the chart
for four straight weeks. The 143/Reprise set moved 669,000
copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, a 15%
increase from last week's sum. Elvis Presley's "Elvis'
Christmas Album" also sat on top for four weeks, but
non-consecutively.
With total sales at 2.77 million, "Noel" has now surpassed
the "High School Musical 2" soundtrack as this year's top
selling album.
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Today's Challenge
ANSWER THE CHALLENGE |
What NFL team has the distinction of having the most wins in
a single season?
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Interesting News Tidbits |
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Sometimes, a story is too interesting NOT to share... |
Jailers serve Hash-laced
cake to pot-growing suspect
AP RSS Feed
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - A man being held in a Dutch
police cell on suspicion of growing cannabis got an
unintended treat in his lunch — a piece of hashish-laced
cake, a spokesman said Thursday.
"It was an accident," said Alwin Don, police spokesman in
the southern province of Zeeland.
The hash cake had earlier been seized by police in an
unrelated investigation and stored in a refrigerator — close
to lunch packets served to suspects being held in cells at
the police station in Goes, 110 miles south of Amsterdam.
"Clearly it looked a lot like the other lunch packets,"
Don said of the hash cake, which was served with a cup of
coffee on Sunday.
"Officers returned to the cell a half hour later and the
suspect told them: 'I think you've given me something you
weren't supposed to,'" Don said.
The man had only nibbled at the cake and a doctor who was
called to examine him said he suffered no ill effects.
"It was pure coincidence that this man got the cake," Don
said of the fact that a suspected drug grower had been given
the cake. "What was in the cake had nothing to do with his
case."
Slaver Husband gets bail,
wife goes to jail
Original Article:
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/facing-jail-for-slavery-nri-couple-to-lose-house-too/54485-2-7.html
 Held
guilty of modern day slavery and awaiting sentences,
Mahender and Varsha Sabhnani, a wealthy business couple are
set to lose their million-dollar house in Long Island near
here.
India born Mahender, 51, and Indonesia-born Varsha, 45, are
naturalized US citizens, who face around 20 years in prison
after both were convicted for imprisoning and torturing two
Indonesian maids in their house over a period of five years.
Federal court jurors in Central Islip unanimously decided
Tuesday that the Sabhnanis' property in Muttontown was used
in the commission of a crime and must be forfeited to the
government.
The Sabhnanis operate a successful worldwide perfume
business out of their Muttontown home.
The allegations against the couple included forcing the
maids, identified only as Samirah and Enung, to work over 18
hours a day, beatings with brooms and umbrellas, slashings
with knives and being made to repeatedly climb stairs and
take freezing showers.
The same jury Monday had convicted the couple of imprisoning
and torturing the two maids.
The Sabhnanis' case had received wide publicity in the US as
well as abroad because prosecutors called it a rare instance
of modern day slavery.
Their lawyers said the jury was taken with the histrionics
of the maids, and plan to appeal.
Modern day Mr Potter
AP RSS Feed
VAIL, Colo. - A 60-year-old man is taking an 8-year-old
boy and his dad to court, claiming the boy caused a
ski-slope collision that left the older man with a shoulder
injury.
David J. Pfahler of Allentown, Pa., sued in federal court
in Denver, claiming Scott Swimm, then 7, was skiing fast and
recklessly when they collided in January, the Vail Daily
reported Thursday.
The suit claims Pfahler suffered a torn shoulder tendon and
seeks compensation for physical therapy, vacation time,
nursing and medical services provided by Pfahler's wife, and
other expenses. It estimates the couple's losses at more
than $75,000.
Scott's father, Robb Swimm, said that he saw the crash and
that Scott was skiing slowly and in control.
"It wasn't a violent collision or anything; Scott just kind
of tapped his ski boots," he said this week.
Scott's mother, Susan Swimm, said her son weighs 48 pounds
and couldn't have been going more than 10 mph.
"Who in the world sues a child?" she said. "It just boggles
my mind every day."
Pfahler's Denver attorney, Jim Chalat, declined to comment
on specifics but says Pfahler, who works for Reader's
Digest, wants to go back to work.
Microsoft opens door to
open source
Original Article:
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_7776956?nclick_check=1
Microsoft, whose software powers about 95 percent of the
world's personal computers, reached an agreement on
licensing terms that will allow open-source products to
connect to the Windows operating system.
Microsoft will license proprietary information on how
Windows shares files and printers with the non-profit
Protocol Freedom Information Foundation, which will make the
data available to open-source developers working on a file
and printing system called Samba.
The agreement will "allow Samba to create, use and
distribute implementations of all the protocols" to allow
so- called workgroup servers to connect with Windows,
Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft said in a statement Thursday.
The accord furthers Microsoft's bid to resolve legal
disputes worldwide that have been weighing on its shares.
The company in October gave in to European Union demands to
license the protocol data.
In the past, Microsoft refused to license its technology
to open-source software makers. Programs such as the free
operating system Linux and the Samba system are distributed
under terms requiring access to the source code, or
underlying operating instructions.
Samba said in a statement that the agreement involves a
one-time fee of 10,000 euros ($14,350). The protocol data
will be held "in confidence" by Samba. The agreement allows
source code to be published "without further restrictions,"
Samba said.
The case of Apple vs the Kid
ends
Original Article:
http://news.digitaltrends.com/news/story/15201/apple_settlement_shutters_think_secret
 Back
in 2005, one particular action by Apple—then called Apple
Computer—set the blogosphere and the online journalism
community into a snit-fit: the famously secretive company
sued three online sites—O'Grady's PowerPage, Apple Insider,
and Think Secret—for publishing stolen trade secrets related
to an unreleased audio interface codenamed "Asteroid."
Apple sued the three sites (and their ISPs) in an effort to
get information on who leaked insider information to the
sites. Apple won the suits, but the non-profit Electronic
Frontier Foundation defended the sites on appeal, arguing
they were entitled to the same protection afforded to
journalists's sources under so-called "shield laws."
Asteriod never saw the light of day, but the legal wrangling
is only now coming to an end: in a brief statement today,
Think Secret announced it has reached a settlement with
Apple and, while no sources were revealed, the site will
cease publication. "I'm pleased to have reached this
amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward
with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits,"
wrote Think Secret's publisher Nick Ciarelli, a.k.a. Nick
DePlume.
Think Secret had remained a popular Apple fan site.
Financial terms of the settlement, if any, were not
disclosed
UFO Debate enters Japanese
Politics
AP RSS Feed
 TOKYO
(Reuters) - A debate over flying saucers has kept Japanese
politicians occupied for much of this week, ensnaring top
officials and drawing a promise from the defence minister to
send out the army if Godzilla goes on a rampage.
"There are debates over what makes UFOs fly, but it would be
difficult to say it's an encroachment of air space," Defence
Minister Shigeru Ishiba told a news conference on Thursday.
"If Godzilla were to show up, it would be a dispatch
for disaster relief."
His remarks came after the top government spokesman was
asked on Tuesday about an opposition politician's demand
that the government confirm the existence of unidentified
flying objects.
"Personally, I definitely believe they exist," chief
cabinet secretary Nobutaka Machimura said, drawing
laughter from reporters.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda took a more guarded stance later
in the day, saying he has yet to confirm their existence.
The debate started on Tuesday when the cabinet issued a
statement in response to the opposition lawmaker's question,
saying it could not confirm any cases of UFO sightings.
Not all lawmakers are enthralled.
"Give me a break," ruling party lawmaker Toshihiro Nikai was
quoted as saying by the Yomiuri newspaper. "There are many
(other) things politics has to respond to."
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Humor is always a good thing |
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Jokes and funny stuff, plus my favorite comics from Comics.com |
Today's Christmas Humor
Office MemoEffective immediately, employees
should keep in mind the following guidelines
in compliance with FROLIC (the Federal Revelry Office and
Leisure Industry Council).
1. Running aluminum foil through the paper shredder to make
tinsel is discouraged.
2. Playing Jingle Bells on the push-button phone is forbidden
(it runs up an incredible long distance bill)
3. Work requests are not to be filed under "Bah humbug."
4. Company cars are not to be used to go over the river and
through
the woods to Grandma's house.
5. All fruitcake is to be eaten BEFORE July 25.
6. Egg nog will NOT be dispensed in vending machines.
In spite of all this, the staff is encouraged to have a Happy
Holiday.
Bubba Claus
ELF MEMORANDUM
To: Elves of the North Pole
From: Santa
It is with some regret that I have to inform you that I am
too sick to ride the sleigh,
and will be replaced this year by his third cousin, Bubba Claus.
As you know, his side of the Family is from the South Pole.
While he shares my goal of
delivering toys to all the good boys and girls, there are
distinct differences you will notice this year.
Such as:
1. There is no danger of a Grinch stealing your presents from
Bubba Claus.
He has a gun rack on his sleigh and a bumper sticker
that reads: "These toys insured by Smith & Wesson."
2. Instead of milk and cookies, Bubba Claus prefers that
children leave
a RC Cola and pork rinds (or a moon pie) on the fireplace.
And Bubba doesn't smoke a pipe. He dips a little snuff though,
so please put
out the word to have an empty spit can handy.
3. Bubba Claus' sleigh is pulled by floppy-eared, flyin' coon
dogs instead of reindeer.
I made the mistake of loaning him a couple of my reindeer
one time, and Blitzen's head now overlooks Bubba's fireplace.
4. You won't hear "On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen..."
when Bubba Claus arrives.
Instead you'll hear, "On Earnhardt, on Wallace, on Martin and LaBonte.
On Rudd, on Jarrett, on Elliot and Petty."
5. "Ho, ho, ho!" has been replaced by "Yee Haw!"
And you also are likely to hear Bubba's elves reply, "I her'd
dat!"
6. As required by Southern highway laws, Bubba Claus' sleigh
does have a Yosemite Sam
safety triangle on the back with the words, "Back Off!"
The last I heard it also had other decorations on the sleigh
back as well.
One is Ford or Chevy logo with lights that race through the
letters
and the other is a caricature of me (Santa Claus) peeing on the
Tooth Fairy.
7. The usual Christmas movie classics such as "Miracle on
34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life"
will not be shown in your negotiated viewing area. Instead, you
will see
"Boss Hogg Saves Christmas" and "Smokey and the Bandit IV"
featuring Burt Reynolds
as Bubba Claus and dozens of State Patrol cars crashing into
each other.
8. Bubba Claus doesn't wear a belt. If I were you, I'd make
sure you, the wife, and the kids
turn the other way when he bends over to put presents under the
tree.
9. And finally, lovely Christmas songs have been sung about
me like "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer"
and Bing Crosby's "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". This year,
songs about Bubba Claus
will be played on all the AM radio stations - especially in the
South.
These song titles will be Mark Chesnutt's "Bubba Claus shot the
jukebox";
Cledus T. Judd's, "All I want for Christmas is my Woman and a
Six-opack",
and Hank Williams Jr's "If You Don't Like Bubba Claus, then
Shove It."
Sincerely Yours, Santa Claus(Member of North American Fairies
and Elves Local 209)
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< Back to Update 2007 |
Whaleback freighter Charles W. Wetmore arrives in Everett on December 21,
1891.
Ravensdale beginnings: Ravensdale Post Office opens on December 21, 1901.
Washington Highway Director forced to go out of state to build four new ferries
on December 21, 1965.
WSDOT abandons Hood Canal bridge graving dock project located on site of Klallam
Indian village and cemetery on December 21, 2004.