Yesterday, 12 were killed and 48 were wounded by a smart young man who went into a movie theater and started shooting with an AK 47 (MACHINE GUN) with 100 round magazines for it.  He also had 3 other guns.
 http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/piers-morgan-day-debate-gun-control-would-ha

The guns laws we have are stupid and a total result of the NRA making sure that every person can get any gun they want.  The young man who killed and hurt so many bought 6000 rounds of ammunition and 4 guns within weeks - THIS IS CRAZY!!  He also bought full body balistics covering so he could not be shot - THIS IS VERY CRAZY!

My conservative friend of course says, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people."  He then says that really it is President Obama who is at fault - of course.

I think the Conservative thought of more guns is the answer is stupid.  MACHINE GUNS (AK 47) and the like should only be used by police and military!!!  ALL PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE SERIOUS TRAINING BEFORE THEY GET A CONCEALED PERMIT!!  I was in the military and I had training before I could shoot.  THE ARIZONA LAW WHICH ALLOWS ANY 18 YEAR OLD WITH A DRIVERS LICENSE TO CARRY A CONCEALED GUN IS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. In AZ, anyone can buy 100 Machine Guns legally - WHY!!!!  THE POLICE CANNOT EVEN ASK THE PERSON WHY THEY NEED 100 AK 47s!!!  THIS IS CRAZY!!!

Stupidity:  I had a self confessed Conservative tell me that Scientists are no more than Psychics and he laughs at me believing in the facts they use.  He says I should use the Bible because GOD is the one who is making Jesus Warming.  If I read the Bible, I would understand.  Knowing this person, I can guarantee you that I have read the Bible as much as this person.

He scoffs at the Affordable Care Act and blames President Obama for all that is wrong with the world. If President Obama is for it, he is against it.  He also is upset that President Obama has not stopped the two wars started by GW Bush.  He also says, Any Budget Deficit is President Obama's problem and I am not to mention the TWO GW BUSH WARS, THE TAX CUT FOR THE WEALTHIEST a Billion or the Prescription Drug benefit started by GW Bush and put on a credit card.

My Question is simple:  If Tax Cuts to Job Creators to the tune of a TRILLION DOLLARS creates jobs = WHERE ARE THOSE JOBS?  The Corporations and wealthiest have fat Bank Accounts but they are not using it to hire Americans.  They are also putting their cash in the Cayman Islands and other places where they do not have to pay US taxes.

Facts:  The rich are richer and poor are poorer than ever before.  The health care system is a mess and The ACA will help get people health care and keep people from going into bankruptcy for medical expenses.  The American Medical Association even came out for the ACA.  It is not perfect but it is certainly better than what we had.

I also want to say that saying that a scientist who has spent 30 years traveling by snowmobile in the winter -20 to -60 below zero weather studying permafrost loss on the Yukon River is not a pyschic.  It is stupidity to bring up the psychic claim actually.  30 years ago there was 95 percent of the Yukon River in AK was permafrost.  Now, there is less than 5 percent permafrost.  The decrease in permafrost is much faster than any projection.  The consequences are enormous and affect the entire world.

it is going to be a long political season where Billionaires are selling snake oil and have made many Millions of Dollars available to sell lies to elect Romney.  If you are a millionaire or Billionaire, you will make money off of Romney - if you are middle class or poor - Romney wants to make your life more difficult.  Rich get Richer and Poor get Poorer with Romney.

I am in Portland, OR today and it is sunny.  I am still working on stuff for the house I am buying.  I think my stuff is pretty much done.  I have to call this week to find out where things are and to get a closing date.  

Pictures:  The top one is from my window in my apartment during the winter of 2012.  The other pictures are of Tracey Arm Glacier.  Notice the seals on the ice - they were everywhere.  We did see and hear some large chunks of ice fall off the glacier and into the bay.

I am in Las Vegas.  It has been 108 and yesterday it was 110 - super hot.  I was walking around in the heat and it makes me want to get back to cool Alaska.

Global Warming:  I just read where in 2080, given the fact that the last 16 of 17 years have shown an increase in average temperatures and to project forward with the trend of temperatures, we can expect VERMONT TO HAVE A CLIMATE LIKE GEORGIA IN THE YEAR 2080.  Fact:  97% of scientists who study climate feel Global Warming is real and it is caused by the use of Coal, Oil and Pollution by industry.  The 3% who are saying there is no Global warming are funded by the Coal, Oil and Dirty Industries who make money off Global Warming.

100 years from now - WHAT KIND OF WORLD ARE WE CREATING?  We can make a few bucks destroying the environment but our grandchildren and great grand children will pay a big price WHEN THE WATERS ARE SPOILED BY FRACKING AND THE AIR IS UNBREATHABLE because we allowed Billionaires Profits to be more important than caring for our environment.  By the Way:  Germany, France and China are making more and more energy with Wind and Solar while the US industries and Billionaires (Koch Brothers and friends) are spending 400 Million + pushing dirty Coal and oil.  We might push higher gas milage cars, solar, wind other alternative energy sources.

Pictures:  The first two are in Northern Nevada and the last pictures are from Alaska.  Makes me cooler just looking at them.

Enjoy your day.

I went to the DR yesterday and I am officially on a cholesterol medicine.  They also took some blood to test for various stuff.  While there, I got a call from my daughter saying she was on her way to the same hospital.  She is pregnant and due in Sept.  The baby has been trying to come out for a month and did again last night.  She was admitted and they gave her medications to stop the contractions.  They decided to keep her until Thursday.  They are giving the baby steroids to help develop the lungs and organs.  I got to listen to the Docs explain the situation.  She and baby are in good hands.

Today will be a hospital day again.

I am now in Wells, NV.  I was in Portland, OR for  a week and will be going back there this weekend. We are starting to move things from the Wells House to Washington State.  I have a Dr. appointment next Monday as well.  It is 90 degrees in Wells and that is hot for me.  I like the cooler weather of Oregon, Washington and Alaska.  I have sold the Wells house to my daughter and her husband for the amount owing.  I am buying a house in Gresham, OR and will have daughter 2 and her family living it it.  The pictures are just miscellaneous shots from this past year.

Pictures:  Reno - The Truckee River.  I went for a quick swim.  It is downtown Reno.

Angel Lake and my Grandson catching a fish.  He caught 3 but 2 fell just as he was bringing them over the wall.  The last picture is of Shad - the birthday boy.    

Doctor stuff:  I had a blood test and talked to the Doc.  He says I need to get on a cholesterol medicine.  My numbers for cholesterol did not go down, so I will be taking my first daily drug ever in my life - such is life.

I was borderline diabetic 125 and 126 is diabetic but Doc did not mention my glucose number so I am thinking the glucose may have gone down and there is less concern.

He did mention another number of 1.4 and 1.2 is the top end of normal.  People who get 1.6 or 1.8 turn yellow.  I guess it means the pancreas and/or kidneys are not working as great.  He asked if I was feeling well and asked if I look yellow.  I said No,  I actually feel great.  He said it is just a number to watch at this point.

Today, I am doing an all day fast because I have a colonoscopy tomorrow morning.  this afternoon I get to down 1/2 gallon of stuff to clean out my system.  I have to drink the other half gallon tomorrow morning before going in for the colonoscopy.    BTW:  I expect a clean bill of health with the colonoscopy.  If it shows something, I will be very surprised.

My Grandson says this morning:  "Pappi, I get to eat today"  What a little smart ass.  I got him an apple to eat and watched a bit of Cars 2 with him.  I then had to explain to him why I can't eat today because he asked.  Tomorrow his Kindergarten class goes to the Zoo.

Today, I deliver food for Loaves and Fishes,  I delivered Monday too.  My daughter arranges the drivers and she is running short of drivers this week.  So, I can't eat food but I deliver food - makes sense.

Wisconsin - Billionaires bought an election.  I have little interest in visiting that state.

I am back in Portland and my vacation has started.  The flight from AK to WA was great.  I took a 6 AM flight and there were empty seats.  There are never empty seats in or out of AK.  I even had an empty seat next to me so I could stretch my legs.  That never happens.

The flight was amazing:  There was sun so I could see many of the snow topped mountains and glaciers beneath me.  I was quite tired and wanted to sleep but the mountains and glaciers kept me entertained instead.

I got to Portland and my truck is running great.  It sure is an ugly pile of junk but I like the way it runs.
I got something to eat, rested a bit and woke up 3 hours later.  Tomorrow, I have 2 bikes to fix tires on and then my Medical Student Daughter who is studying 12 hours a day for the boards, is allowing me to bring her lunch.  I was told I cannot interfere with the studying so I had to bring lunch.  She is doing well.

Pictures:  The goat:  I went around a big rock and the goat was staring at me.  We both paused and checked each other out.  He gradually walked off and climbed some serious rocks.  He would walk away and then come back to the top of the ridge to see if I was following him.

June 1

School is basically over for the school year.  I have to go in to finish up but really, I am done.  We have a brunch provided by our Parent Group today.  My room is GONE!  I was told yesterday that my room had to be marked and I had to have things marked as to where things go.  My desk went to the trash. It has been kicked and tortured by mad kids.  Next year, I get a new desk and teacher chair.  This year has been a lot of work.  I have had new, very intensive, students and then some staff stuff which impacted me.  I feel so fortunate that the staff issues will be resolved next year.

Next year, I am getting 3 new kids that I know of.  From the word so far, they do not sound too bad.  Last year, the word I was getting on a child was super difficult and dangerous.  That child is doing so much better.  The reason I like my job is that I see a lot of progress.  I must admit that there were some very stressful episodes of screaming, yelling, and name calling by the child in the process.  My old room still has a hole in the wall where a child kicked a hole.  When I requested it be fixed in Jan, I was told NO because that wall is being torn down in June.  It is now June.  BTW:  After the incident that caused the hole was over, I asked, "How do we fix that" to the child.  The child got paper and taped paper over the hole.  I have had paper over the hole since the incident.  Every now and again, the same child gets mad and kicks paper.  The child puts up new paper.

I hiked up to Mendenhall Glacier. I was climbing a rock wall and a Mountain Goat was about 25 feet away. I took his picture. I then hiked to the Glacier and saw 3 rock climbers. I was on the Glacier but it was raining slightly and I just had hiking boots and not crampons or ice axe so I hiked up to where I last saw the mtn goat. I walked around a rock and he was 20 yards away - staring at me. I took a few more pictures. The Glacier is beautiful. The middle of the glacier is crumbling. There is a picture of an ice cave. I believe there was a big one in the middle but it caved in and flattened the glacier in the middle. That is speculation from what I saw. There used to be enormous ice caves where I was hiking but it is now just rock. Watching the ice climbers makes me think I need to buy some crampons and an ice axe or two. Great day to hike - light rain only. The last picture was fresh bear poop. I did not see the bear. I saw where it was digging up ground looking for roots and grubs though.

I hiked up Mt Roberts last weekend but I took no pictures. We had a bit of rain and snow up on top. I leave the camera when it is raining. Crappy weather this week. We even had snow on the ground. This video is of other staff and myself at an end of the year party. I have blue hair.

Mendenhall Glacier last weekend.