This Blog is on Hiatus

This blog is inactive and on hiatus indefinitely for a number of varying reasons. It will return at some point in the coming months.

Recent News Articles of Interest

Strong Hostile Economic Winds Are Blowing In

http://www.truthdig.com/report/print/20090614_the_american_empire_is_bankrupt


The Future is Not Very Pretty

http://theautomaticearth.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-17-2009-40-ways-to-lose-your.html


Author Jack London Saw It All Coming Over a Century Ago

http://professorsmartass.blogspot.com/2009/06/author-jack-london-made-financial-elite.html


Canadian Health Care System is the Model to Pursue

http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_12523427


The Brain Chemistry of Love

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-love22-2009jun22,0,6897401.column


Fuel Efficient Motor Vehicles

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12600344?source=most_viewed

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bestworst.shtml


Hawaii Beset by Economic Turbulence

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/20/opinion/20sat4.html?_r=1


Austin TX and New Age "Green" Toilets

http://www.statesman.com/green/content/news/stories/local/2009/06/18/0618humanure.html


Three More Banks Fail

http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/19/news/companies/bank_failure/index.htm?postversion=200906191

http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/finance/banks----nc-georgia----fail/


Denver Economic Performance Now in Middle of the Pack

http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/06/15/daily44.html?surround=lfn&ana=test


Continuing Income Inequality Fuels Economic Collapse

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/05/boom-bust-and-inequality.php


Facing Death

http://www.hcn.org/issues/41.10/natural-comfort


Being Frugile

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=7823657&page=1


The Wonders of Red Yeast Rice

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/MedicineCuttingEdge/story?id=7846751&page=1&nwltr=WN_mostviewedstories_hed3


Greenland Ice Sheet Melting Much Faster Than Anticipated

http://www.grist.org/article/greenland-ice-sheet-could-raise-east-coast-sea-levels-an-extra-20-inches-by/


Major Climate Change Looming Much Sooner For Pacific Northwest

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-16-pacific-nw-climate-report/


Building a New Fair, Just, Equal Capitalism

http://www.alternet.org/workplace/140681/the_ideology_of_unfettered_capitalism_is_crumbling_--_it%27s_a_huge_opportunity_for_alternative_economics/


Best American Mass Transit Systems

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-12-best-u.s.-transit-systems/

http://rockymountainrail.org/

http://www.rideuta.com/projects/frontlines2015/default.aspx


Bob Bogle, 1934 - 2009

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2009342986_bogleobit16.html

http://www.theventures.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ventures

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Bogle


Fixing the Dastardly and Corrupt Financial System

http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2009/06/reich-and-soros-steps-to-financial-market-reform.html


James "Dusty" Rhodes, 1927 - 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/sports/baseball/19rhodes.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2009/06/18/2009-06-18_dusty_rhodes_hero_of_1954_series_dies.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-dusty-rhodes19-2009jun19,0,5154499.story

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusty_Rhodes_(baseball_player)


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Summer Solstice 2009 Facts and Trivia

The word solstice comes from the Latin solstitium or sol (the sun) + -stit-, -stes (standing).

The summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, which is located at 23.5° latitude North, and runs through Mexico, the Bahamas, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, and southern China. Because of the Earth's tilt, the sun will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 1145 pm MDT on June 20, 2009. For every place north of the Tropic of Cancer, the sun is at its highest point in the sky and this is the longest day of the year.

The winter solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, which is located at 23.5° latitude South of the equator and runs through Australia, Chile, southern Brazil (Brazil is the only country that passes through both the equator and a tropic), and northern South Africa. The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and will occur at 1047 am MST on December 21, 2009.

We all know that the Earth makes a complete revolution around the sun once every 365 days, following an orbit that is elliptical in shape. This means that the distance between the Earth and Sun, which is 93 million miles on average, varies throughout the year. During the first week in January, the Earth is about 1.6 million miles closer to the sun. This is referred to as the perihelion. The aphelion, or the point at which the Earth is about 1.6 million miles farther away from the sun, occurs during the first week in July. This fact may sound counter to what we know about seasons in the Northern Hemisphere, but actually the difference is not significant in terms of climate and is NOT the reason why we have seasons. Seasons are caused by the fact that the Earth is tilted on its axis by 23.5°.

The summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, which is located at 23.5° North, and runs through Mexico, the Bahamas, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, and southern China. Because of the Earth's tilt, the sun will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 1145 pm MDT on June 20, 2009. For every place north of the Tropic of Cancer, the sun is at its highest point in the sky and this is the longest day of the year. As stated above, the winter solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, which is located at 23.5° south of the equator.

There are two times of the year when the Earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in an equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes. These events are referred to as equinoxes and occur near March 21 (Vernal Equinox) and near September 21 (Autumnal Equinox). At the equator, the sun is directly overhead at noon on the two equinoxes. The Vernal Equinox occurred at 544 am MDT on March 20, 2009. The Autumnal Equinox will occur at 318 pm MDT on September 22, 2009.

For a complete listing of the dates of the winter and summer solstice's and spring and fall equinox's through 2020, check out this site from the U.S. Naval Observatory.

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Monday 15 June Links

World Wheat Crop Strongly Imperiled

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-wheat-rust14-2009jun14,0,1661589.story


The Story of the Demise of Montana's Exclusive Yellowstone Club

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/business/14yellow.html?_r=1&hpw=&pagewanted=all


The Giant Debt Bomb is Ticking

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/06/36-trillion-leveraged-loan-wall-of-debt.html


Will Mankind Ever Return to the Moon ?

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/06/14/20090614moon-debate.html


Creating Imaginary Controversy with Medicare

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/business/economy/14view.html?hpw


The Forgotten Poor, Eternally in Pain and Hardship

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/opinion/14ehrenreich.html?pagewanted=all


The Tragedy of Jaguars in Arizona

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/297000

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/296994.php


Eastern Utah Getting Hammered by Economic Collapse

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_12578192


Much Ado About Nothing by PETA

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-flying-fish13-2009jun13,0,7652933.story


Battle Just Beginning Over SoCal - Vegas Train Choice

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jun/14/maglev-or-desertxpress-could-be-your-new-ride/

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jun/14/public-or-private-rail-line-will-need-major-subsid/

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jun/14/trade-offs-between-technologies-include-speed-cost/

The Full Story Behind the Demise of The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.5280.com/issues/2009/0906/feature.php?pageID=1740


The Story of Taxation in Oregon

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/businesses_taxed_more_people_s.html


Navahos Oppose Long Walk Trail Concept

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/For-many-Navajo--painful-history-best-left-in-past


Major Tragic Crime Issues Beset Albuquerque

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DESERT_BODIES_CHIEF_NMOL-?SITE=NMSAN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


America's Most Fit Cities

http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100239135&OCID=eml_msnnl_6005.11.2.11&REFCD=emmsnnl_6005.11.2.11



The Looming End of Glacier National Park's Ice and Glaciers

http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/06/14/news/state/21-glacier.txt

http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/06/14/features/magazine/18-glacier.txt


Dust Bowl Exodus Now in Reverse in Today's Woes Stricken California

http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1944947.html


Heart Warming Story

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jun/14/lz1n14vet22533-vietnam-vet-and-his-long-lost-frien/?military&zIndex=116348


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The Mountain Time Zone Perspective Blog has made it to the mid - morning of Sunday 14 July and the internet connection is still up and running, but for how much longer is unknown.

Generally this writer is trying to provide a list of critical, interesting, and sometimes light hearted links on a daily basis on weekdays. In the coming several days to week and beyond, if two to three days go by without any columns with these links information, or another column, one can assume the internet connection is no longer available and maybe for an extended period of time due my personal financial circumstances becoming even more grievous.

One caveat, however: whem this writer once again begins his mindless and inane employment on MON 15 June and continues with in the coming days to weeks, the workday may be of enough a length and result in fatigue which will prevent postings from occurring regularly. If this does become the case, this writer will place a note on this blog informing its readers of just such that case.

At this time, this blogger is hoping and planning to relocate from Cheyenne WY to Colorado Springs CO sometime in either September or October 2009, the earlier the better. The thought of another Wyoming winter is simply too much to contemplate bearing again, but the relocation will be strongly dependent on one's financial standing, and physical health in actually getting the move done as he will be doing it almost entirely on his own, with repeatedly going up and down a flight of stairs a large obstacle to overcome in the process.

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Saturday 13 June Links

Excellent Public Hands Up Program in Oregon

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/06/oregon_helps_laidoff_workers_s.html


The Vicious Unjust Downward Slope Continues

http://existentialistcowboy.blogspot.com/2009/06/feast-of-unrepentant-wingnuts.html


Single Payer is Simply the Only Answer

http://www.theyoungturks.com/story/2009/6/11/142559/991/Diary/Four-Reasons-Why-the-Public-Health-Care-Option-is-Irrefutable


Arizona State Government Readies for Shutdown

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2009/06/13/20090613budgetcrisis.html


Cubicles vs. Factories: Both Have Drawbacks and Plusses

http://www.alternet.org/workplace/140437/let%E2%80%99s_get_physical%3A_what%27s_so_great_about_working_in_a_cubicle/?page=entire


Mercury the Wild Card in Our Solar System

http://news.aol.com/article/earth-collision/522850?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fearth-collision%2F522850


Climate Change is Happening and Will Continue to Happen Far More and Worse

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/06/11-7


Obama Adminstration to Reinstate Coal Capture Project Plant in Illinois

http://www.casperstartribune.com/articles/2009/06/13/homepage_lead/doc4a330aee99c34338038149.txt



The Better Democrats We Can Look To

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/06/13-2


Sirota on Politics and Change

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090611_all_politics_and_change_is_still_local/


The Price of the Great Economic Collapse

http://www.blueoregon.com/2009/06/when-workers-lose-the-great-recessions-casualties-of-employment-.html


Nader: Is Televison Really Worth Anything ?

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/06/13-1


Single Payer is the Absolute Best We Can Strive For

http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2009/06/apparently_were_not_getting_mu.html

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2009/061109.html


Naomi Klein on Obama Adminstration Policy

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/06/13


Things Are Not Going to Return as They Were In the Past

http://www.theweekbehind.com/2009/06/10/lower-expectations/


The Means Exist for Public Care in Federal Health Care Legislation

http://newmexicoindependent.com/29436/its-been-a-long-hard-comedown-since-fdr-on-taxes-and-health-care


Where House Prices Have Crashed Unbelievably Hard

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/06/medium-home-prices-in-detroit-fall-to.html


Bulldoze Empty Parts of Rustbelt Cities ?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/5516536/US-cities-may-have-to-be-bulldozed-in-order-to-survive.html


The State of The Rockies 2009

http://www.headwatersnews.org/p.SOTR2009061109.html


Obama Administration May Restore Some of Controversial Utah Oil and Gas Leases

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-leases12-2009jun12,0,5467237.story


The Worst Public Education Very Well May Be in Nevada

http://www.lvrj.com/news/47510187.html


Stiglitz: Capitalism Failures Modeled in US to Rumble Across Globe

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/07/third-world-debt200907?printable=true&currentPage=all


Mamia Abu-Jamal Writes from Prison

http://www.phillyimc.org/en/journalism-hell


A New National Anthem to Replace The Star Spangled Banner ?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/11/AR2009061103039.html?hpid=opinionsbox1


A Wonderful Great Idea

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/all-for-good-a-new-craigs_b_208407.html


Restaurant Chains on the Brink

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/12/sbarros-krispy-kreme-amon_n_214931.html


The Numbers are Still Going to Be All Bad

http://www.mybudget360.com/the-economic-recovery-decoy-bank-refuge-and-auto-and-home-sales-plummet-two-largest-purchases-for-americans-still-treading-water-number-of-renters-increases-by-748000-in-one-quarter/

What Businesses to Be Entrepreneural In

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/soundeconomywithjontalton/2009331797_what_kind_of_businesses_will_t.html


Its All Due to Debt

http://theautomaticearth.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-10-2009-one-simple-four-letter.html


The Doomsday Scenario

http://theaffordablemortgagedepression.com/2009/06/11/doomsday-scenarios-could-the-net-home-equity-value-of-the-entire-us-housing-stock-fall-to-zero.aspx


Kristoff on the Necessity of a Public Option in Health Care Reform

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/opinion/11kristof.html


Light Speed Computing

http://www.gizmag.com/manipulating-light-on-a-chip-quantum-computer/11948/


Remembering the '80's Country Group Highway 101

http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/drivin_and_drinkin_highway_101_and_whiskey/C564/L564/


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Ten Fastest, Ten Slowest Cities to Come out of Economic Downturn

From Forbes Magazine:

Ten Slowest

-1] Flint MI
-2] Fresno
-3] Detroit - Warren - Livonia
-4] Modesto CA
-5] Salinas CA
-6] Bakersfield
-7] New York - No. New Jersey - Long Island
-8] Stockton CA
-9] Youngstown - Warren - Boardman OH
10] Los Angeles - Long Beach - Santa Ana

Ten Fastest

-1] Austin - Round Rock
-2] Fayetteville - Springville - Rogers AR
-3] Boulder
-4] Huntsville AL
-5] San Antonio
-6] Mobile
-7] Dallass - Fort Worth - Arlington
-8] Washington - Arlington - Alexandria
-9] McAllen - Edinburgh - Mission TX
10] Seattle - Tacoma - Bellevue

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Friday 12 June Links

Big Showdown Now Underway on Public Health Care Legislation This Writer is Depending on in Coming Years to Keep Him Healthy and Alive


http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2009/06/healthcare-war-is-now-official.html


South Korea Masses Troops at DMZ on North Korean Border to Face Rising Threat

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.1b6599410a650557dad3d729d3f62a37.391&show_article=1


Danger of China and US Resuming Pre-Economic Collapse Irresponsibility and Recklessness

http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2009/06/rogoff-rebalancing-the-uschina-economic-relationship.html


Krugman on Right-Wing Extremists, Terrorists, and Their Roots in Talk Radio

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/opinion/12krugman.html?_r=1


Ospreys Return to Next in Great Britain

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/ospreys-nest-again-after-two-centuries-1702160.html


The End of the Television Era

http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2009/06/its-end-of-tv-as-we-know-it-and-i-feel.html


Tobacco Legislation Gets Through Senate In Spite of Corruption

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/69925.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124474789599707175.html


Federal Reserve a Hidden Disaster Filled with Deep Problems

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/06/lack-of-transparency-in-fed-balance.html


McDonalds Includes Custer as Happy Meal Toy in Sioux Country

http://rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/06/12/news/top/doc4a32923a69ee5375792066.txt


Declining Optimism on Obama Administration Policy Building

http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-are-odds-obama-will-win-his-bet-on.html


Ten Most Costly Natural Disasters in Texas

http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2009/06/what_are_the_10_costliest_hurricanes_to_strike_tex.html


Down With the Snake and Columbia River Dam System

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/business/energy-environment/12bonneville.html?hpw=&pagewanted=all


More Lies, Damn Lies, and Government Statistics

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/8651/

http://www.shadowstats.com/

http://www.shadowstats.com/imgs/sgs-emp.gif


Brooks: The Age of The Great Unwinding

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/opinion/12brooks.html


Large Solar Energy Project Development Announced for Southern New Mexico

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_12574651


Full Time Work Largely Disappearing

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2009-06-11-workweek_N.htm


Attempting To Rid Oneself of Their Motor Vehicle Lease

http://www.denverpost.com/theeconomy/ci_12565042


The Sad Perpetual Turnover of Friendships

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/friend-turnover/

http://www.narcis.info/publication/RecordID/oaidspacelibraryuunl187433616/Language/NL/repository_id/uu_bibonly/


Price Gouging on HDMI Video Cables

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2009/06/the-mysterious-hdmi-cable-ripoff.html

http://reviews.cnet.com/hdmi-cable/?tag=rb_content;rb_mtx


Back to the Past in the Future for Residential Developments Here Today in NW Denver

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2009/06/not-so-new-urbanism_highlands.php#more


A Trip Worth Making

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/07/SPRS180D85.DTL&type=travel


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Thursday 11 June Links

State and Local Governmetn Financial Woes Grow

http://tigerhawk.blogspot.com/2009/06/crumbling-municipal-finance.html


Rapidly Rising Oil Prices Cause Grave Concerns and Fears

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jun/10/oil-market-reserves


The American Economy as It Stands in June '08

http://www.newgeography.com/content/00843-state-economy-june-2009


Senator Jim Webb on Criminal Justice Reform

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-jim-webb/why-we-must-reform-our-cr_b_214130.html


A Sign of Things to Come Nationally with Housing Prices ?

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cheaphomes10-2009jun10,0,4802553.story


The Good and Bad of the Internet and World Wide Web

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-moore/the-inelegant-internet_b_214047.html


Hopes for EFCA Enactment Remain Alive

http://www.seiu.org/2009/05/colorado-needs-the-employee-free-choice-act.php


The Benefits of the Proposed Climate Change Legislation

http://climateprogress.org/2009/06/09/waxman-markey-energy-efficiency-savings-jobs/


Controls on Excessive Corporate Executive Pay Sought

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-executive-pay11-2009jun11,0,4081733.story


Rating the Best Cities Globally to Live and Work In

http://www.mercer.com/referencecontent.htm?idContent=1128060#Top50_qol


The Ranally Economic Indexing of Cities and Metros

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranally_city_rating_system


More on Quality of Life Ratings of Cities

http://www.eiu.com/index.asp?rf=0


Info on Digital Television Signal Change Coming Friday 12 June

http://tech.msn.com/news/articlepcw.aspx?cp-documentid=20271195&gt1=40000


Make it Single Payer Says Health Professionals

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/06/10-9


New American Industrial Policy Urged

http://www.suntimes.com/news/jackson/1612977,CST-EDT-jesse09.article


Most Comprehensive Recycling Policy Enacted in San Francisco

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/10/MN09183NV8.DTL


Emissions from China Overwhelms Any Anti-Global Warming Efforts Elsewhere

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jun/09/china-sandalow-stern-emissions


Tent Cities Increasing Nationwide

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090622/ehrenreich/single


Upbeat Forecast by Economic Analysts Working for Gannett Media

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/economic-outlook.htm



But This is More the Likely Scenario Economically to Eventuate

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/king-report-not-a-real-recovery/


Greider: The Eternal Greed of Wall Street Has Yet to be Reined In

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090622/greider2


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