Now You Know -Why Puerto Rico Can't Get Energy Quickly /and calls San Juan Mayor "Nasty"

If you, like us, have been wondering why the estimates to restore power to the entire island of Puerto Rico are as crazy as 6 months' time, this article points out why. Basically, Puerto Rico gets just 2 percent of its power from renewable sources, and the rest from fossil fuels. That's a Lesson for the rest of the U.S. and the world.
   MEANWHILE, PRES. TRUMP SAYS "PUERTO RICO WANTS EVERYTHING DONE FOR THEM"  -And Trump has now called the mayor of San Juan "Nasty."

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump launched an attack on San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz on Saturday for criticizing the White House's hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico, accusing her of "poor leadership" and suggesting that the island's residents are not doing enough to help themselves. "The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump," the President tweeted from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he is spending the weekend. "... Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help. They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort."

Here's the article about the Power situation: 

PUERTO RICO’S COLONIAL LEGACY DOOMED IT TO DIRTY ELECTRICITY — AND NOW DARKNESS

The Suomi NPP satellite generated this "before/after" image of visible lights in #PuertoRico early this morning (9/25/17) vs. (7/24/17)

The storm-ravaged island gets just 2 percent of its power from renewable sources, and that may not change anytime soon. 

Forty-seven percent of the power the troubled Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority generates is from burning oil ― one of the most polluting and least efficient sources of electricity. An additional 51 percent of Puerto Rico’s energy blend comes from a mix of coal and natural gas. Just 2 percent was drawn from renewable sources last year.

The utility’s dependence on imported fossil fuels has devoured funding that could have been spent on upgrading the island’s grid and building cleaner infrastructure, a sign of years of mismanagement and incompetence. But it also stems from a colonial history in which Puerto Rico’s development was put in the hands of a few mainland corporate interests seeking tax breaks.

Now the debt-strangled island finds itself in the grip of Wall Street creditors who hold much of the $74 billion in municipal debt racked up over the past few decades. And under the Trump administration, which denies climate change is a concern and has dismissed the need for clean energy, Puerto Rico’s hopes for a greener grid after power is restored seem dim.

PREPA declared bankruptcy in July, but its problems began years earlier. Puerto Rico suffers four to five times more blackouts than an average U.S. state, despite paying the country’s second-highest electricity rates after Hawaii, at nearly 20 cents per kilowatt hour. The utility operates in what Slate called a “permanent state of triage.”

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/puerto-rico-history-debt-electricity_us_59cc14f8e4b05063fe0ee086?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=__TheMorningEmail__092817&utm_content=__TheMorningEmail__092817+CID_04b2483878d7397c12da8732e58d1199&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=HuffPost&ncid=newsltushpmgnews__TheMorningEmail__092817

Interesting Looking Tour: New Breakers tour plumbs the depths below famous mansion

If we can get to Newport, Rhode Island, there's a tour we'd like to take. A new tour at the Breakers Mansion takes people underground to see how the heat, hot water and more come together.

New Breakers tour plumbs the depths below famous mansion

By MICHELLE R. SMITH  AP,

September 4, 2017

NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Visitors to the spectacular Gilded Age mansion The Breakers now have the chance to explore its depths with a new tour that shows off the domestic technology that helped make the 70-room building state of the art when it was completed in 1895.
    The hour long “Beneath The Breakers” tour takes place almost entirely underground, from the boiler room built hundreds of yards from the house, through a tunnel as wide as a carriage, and into the mansion’s basement, where visitors can see original parts of its elevator, electrical system and plumbing — which used three kinds of water.

The Breakers mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. –Steven Senne / AP, File

   It’s a weekend handyman’s dream tour and a completely different way to look at the opulent house built by railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt II. The Preservation Society of Newport County, which owns The Breakers and several other mansions in Newport, developed the tour based on journals kept by a resident house engineer, as well as other documents.

   Tour guide Raymond Roy describes the tour as focusing on “the guts and the glory” of the house, as opposed to the “glitz and glamor” upstairs.
   “The systems we talk about are commonplace today,” Roy said.
    But at the time The Breakers and other famous Newport mansions were built, amenities such as electricity were available to only a few.
    The tour begins in the caretaker’s cottage, which sits at the gate to the 13-acre estate and was built to camouflage a massive chimney that runs from the boiler room, dug below it by hand.

Tour guide Raymond Roy conducts tour in tunnel at The Breakers. Stephan Savoia / AP

The boiler was intentionally placed far from the main house. The first Breakers mansion was made of wood and burned down in 1892 in a boiler explosion.
   The architect, Richard Morris Hunt, designed an innovative indirect hot water system powered by coal to heat the 138,000-square-foot house. Two boilers now on display in the room heated a school until 2016 but are the same as what was originally installed here, Roy said.

 Source: https://www.boston.com/news/new-england-travel/2017/09/04/new-breakers-tour-plumbs-the-depths-below-famous-mansion?s_campaign=Email:BComToday

A-Mazed in the Corn Maze!

Rob, Tom, Craig, "Ted- man in yellow hat"

Have you ever driven past a place for years and kept saying how you'd love to go there? Well, that's what we've done for the last 12 years with a corn maze!  Finally, however, we made it happen and it was so much fun!  - Last Saturday, our friend Craig joined us for  what turned out to be 1 1/2 hours going through 2 corn mazes! 

Ted and Curious George

DIFFERENT MAZES ANNUALLY -   We learned that every year, this local corn field does themed mazes. This year it was based on the 75th year of the children's character Curious George (the monkey) and his friend Ted, the man in the yellow hat. 

Craig, Tom and Rob working through the maze

MAZE MAPS - They provide a map of both mazes. The first maze took about 20 minutes. The second maze was so long and twisting that it took about an hour!  

Tom and Craig

OUR TASKS - Tom led us through and read the map superbly, Craig answered all the questions about Curious George that gave clues, and I (Rob) took pictures and held the orange "help" flag if we got lost (which we didn't). 
 

Rob ready with rescue flag

posing for a pic in the corn!

Entrance to the complex maze

FLAG IT FOR RESCUES - For those who worry about getting lost, they give every party a flag that can be held over the 8 foot corn stalks and a guy in a watch tower (in the center of the maze) tells you how to get out!

Tom and Rob at the first check-in at the big maze

  We highly recommend Corn Mazes!! Now, we can't wait to do it next year!
 

A maze of 8 foot high corn!

 

Why Do Some Criticize Others then Do the Same Thing?

   We all know people that do this: Tell someone they're wrong to do something and then the person does it themselves: It's okay for the person who criticizes others to do something, but not everyone else. Doesn't it drive you CRAZY?
   Well, in the news this week was another blatant example of just that. As you know, during the 2016 election, the Trump campaign and all Congressional Republicans highly criticized and had hearings and investigations into Hillary Clinton for using a private email server (although Colin Powell and Condalezza Rice did, too). NOW, Trump's son-in-law has been doing it. BUT THAT'S OKAY.
   It's funny how there is not a peep from Congress.  Aaarrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhh!!!!!!

AND - Reports have surfaced that at least six of Trump's closest advisers sometimes deal with White House matters on personal accounts.  -But, hey, that's okay, because, well, they're Republicans.  NOT. 

In the news: Kushner used private email to conduct White House business
BBC News: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41382495

   Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner used a private email account to carry out official White House business, his lawyer said.

   Mr Kushner is a senior presidential adviser and is married to Ivanka Trump.His lawyer confirmed the existence of the personal email account in a statement on Sunday. During his campaign, Mr Trump repeatedly criticized rival Hillary Clinton for using a personal email account while secretary of state.
Dozens of emails were exchanged between Mr Kushner and other White House officials on topics including media coverage and event planning, according to Politico, which first published the story.
   The president frequently encouraged crowds at rallies to chant "lock her up", and vowed to imprison Mrs Clinton over concerns she may have mishandled classified information. An investigation into the matter was closed without charges.

Mystery: "Mardi Gras Murders" by Philip Scott

"Mardi Gras Murders" by Philip Scott is interesting to read a murder mystery that revolves around gay sleuths, and this novel, written from an Australian author did that. Phillip Scott wrote three books in the "Marc and Paul Mysteries" series of a 50 year old gay man named Marc and his flamboyant friend and local Australian TV personality Paul. Together they try to solve 2 murders of gay men they know.
  The book was well done, and the characters were likeable. The story moved along well, and it was a good mystery.  It kept me guessing until the last 10 pages! 
 
ABOUT THE BOOK:

Against the backdrop of state elections, Phillip Scott’s likable but unlikely amateur sleuths from down under, Marc and Paul, find themselves investigating a series of bizarre murders. But the investigation is hampered when Paul finds unexpected fame on television, and Marc must cope with a sexy new neighbor and a weepy ex-boyfriend.
Phillip Scott is the author of three other Marc and Paul mysteries: One Dead Diva, Gay Resort Murder Shock and Get Over It!

Capsulitis is a Pain in my Foot (Wanted to use another word)

If you don't know what Capsulitis is, it's a painful condition of joints. I apparently set it off when I  bought sneakers that were a bit too narrow and wore them for a month before getting a wider pair. I wound up getting an MRI to confirm it.
  I've had the pain for 3 months... and couldn't even go to comic-con in superhero boots this year. :(  - Rob
  
WHAT IS IT?  Capsulitis is inflammation of a joint capsule. Ligaments surround your joints, including your toe joints, and help form a capsule. Joint capsules help your joints to function properly. Capsulitis is a common problem in certain parts of your body, especially your shoulders and toes.
 

Rob's new shoe inserts w/side pads

HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOU?   The pain in the joint of the 2nd and 3rd toes goes all the way to the base of the toes, and along the muscle that is in the front of your foot (called the Plantar Plate). Feels like stepping on a sharp rock under the front center part of your foot - and makes every step hurt! 

OTHER CAUSES - It is generally believed that capsulitis of the second toe is a result of abnormal foot mechanics, where the ball of the foot beneath the toe joint takes an excessive amount of weightbearing pressure.
  
TREATMENT - Don't go barefoot! It puts extra pressure on that area. WHAT TO DO - Instead in shoes, sneakers and slippers put in a "plantar fascititis support" (you can get them at any drugstore), and put two pads under the left and right front part of it. That way, the middle part, where your toes, inflammation and pain is, are not touching the ground.


YEAH, AN AGE THING -  Capsulitis is most common in men and women ages 30-60 years of age.

OTHER TREATMENTS
( From https://www.foothealthfacts.org/conditions/capsulitis-of-the-second-toe )
The foot and ankle surgeon may select one or more of the following options for early treatment of capsulitis:

• Rest and ice. Staying off the foot and applying ice packs help reduce the swelling and pain. Apply an ice pack, placing a thin towel between the ice and the skin. Use ice for 20 minutes and then wait at least 40 minutes before icing again.
• Oral medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may help relieve the pain and inflammation.
• Taping/splinting. It may be necessary to tape the toe so that it will stay in the correct position. This helps relieve the pain and prevent further drifting of the toe.
• Stretching. Stretching exercises may be prescribed for patients who have tight calf muscles.
• Shoe modifications. Supportive shoes with stiff soles are recommended because they control the motion and lessen the amount of pressure on the ball of the foot.
• Orthotic devices. Custom shoe inserts are often very beneficial. These include arch supports or a metatarsal pad that distributes the weight away from the joint.

An observation about the 3 Recent Destructive U.S. Hurricanes

Just an observation about the 3 Recent Destructive U.S. Hurricanes:   When Texas was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey, and when Florida was devastated by Hurricane Irma, the President said "You voted for me, we'll send as much relief as we can." 
   When Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria, there wasn't a peep from the WH, because Puerto Rico usually votes democratic. Does anyone else find that odd?
  However, someone is busy attacking the National Football League, because, well, that's more important than 3.4 million people in Puerto Rico, right?  Arrggh.

In the News: Congregation Tells Pastor he's not racist enough to lead NC church

This is what's wrong with some churches, especially in the south. The Washington Post reported that the congregation of the Bethany United CHurch of Christ in Winston-Salem, NC told their Pastor he's not racist enough to lead their church. Since it's in the south, unfortunately it makes sense, as sickening as it is.


Robert E. Lee ‘descendant’ — and denouncer — quits N.C. pastor post over ‘hurtful’ reaction to VMAs speech

He was the great-great-great-great-nephew of Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee, and he felt it was his moral duty to speak out against his ancestor, “an idol of white supremacy, racism and hate.” He said as much when he took the microphone near the end of the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, when he introduced himself by a familiar-sounding name: Robert Lee IV.

Lee’s speech at the VMAs on Aug. 27 followed the glitz and glam of red carpets and all-star performances by the likes of Lorde and Ed Sheeran. But his appearance quickly caught Internet fame as among the night’s most memorable. As he appeared before the cameras, Lee stood in stark contrast to the sleek, geometric set behind him, dressed simply in a black cleric’s shirt and collar. Soon he would introduce Susan Bro, whose daughter Heather Heyer had been killed 15 days before, after being mowed down by a car as she protested white supremacy in Charlottesville.

“My name is Robert Lee IV, I’m a descendant of Robert E. Lee, the Civil War general whose statue was at the center of violence in Charlottesville,” he said. “We have made my ancestor an idol of white supremacy, racism, and hate. As a pastor, it is my moral duty to speak out against racism, America’s original sin.

“Today, I call on all of us with privilege and power to answer God’s call to confront racism and white supremacy head-on.

“We can find inspiration in the Black Lives Matter movement, the women who marched in the Women’s March in January, and, especially, Heather Heyer, who died fighting for her beliefs.”

On Monday, Lee announced he would be leaving his church — Bethany United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem, N.C. In his statement, published on the website of the Auburn Theological Seminary, Lee wrote that while he did have congregants who supported his freedom of speech, many resented the attention the church received after the VMAs.

“A faction of church members were concerned about my speech and that I lifted up Black Lives Matter movement, the Women’s March, and Heather Heyer as examples of racial justice work,” he wrote, adding that his “church’s reaction was deeply hurtful.” Lee wrote that he never sought the kind of attention that has followed him since the protests in Charlottesville last month, even while his visibility as a religious leader and staunch opponent of Confederate memorials garnered international recognition, a turn of events no doubt fueled by his namesake. (Technically, he’s an “indirect” rather than a “direct” descendant.)

Bethany United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Google Maps)

Lee did not describe specific responses he received from congregants. But the comments section on an article about his VMA speech in the Winston-Salem Journal gives some sense of the backlash. One commenter wrote that there was “no way” Lee was a Christian and that “it seems anybody that wants to protect our country is a racist, or white supremacist. … It’s a sin to use your position to name-call and judge.”

Another commenter wrote that rather than appear on television, Lee should devote his time to ministering: “You have how many faithful members? Maybe if you spent more time around the church that number would increase.”

[Gen. Robert E. Lee is his namesake ancestor. On Sunday, he’ll preach about the evils of racism.]

In an Aug. 18 interview with BBC News, Lee argued that statues of his ancestor honor white supremacy and endorse a system in which it is acceptable to be racist in America. He pointed to the complete lack of markers to fascists in Europe following World War II as evidence that there is a way to “remember your history and not commemorate it.” Lee talked of how he had spoken with a descendant of a slave owned by the Lee family, describing his heartbreak over hearing the firsthand experiences of those “hurt and oppressed by statues.”

Lee has spoken openly about how he arrived at his own conclusions about his lineage, saying he has at once felt pride in the fact that Lee family members signed the Declaration of Independence and shame over Robert E. Lee’s leadership over the Confederacy. In one NPR interview, he spoke of how he was often given mixed messages on whether the elder Lee was a proponent of slavery or states’ rights.

From his pulpit, Lee implored his parishioners to condemn the racism swirling around them, insisting they would be doing the church wrong if they remained silent.

“It’s not the message that we’re used to hearing from our pulpits. But maybe now is the time to start having those messages,” Lee said in the NPR interview.

(Photo: Bethany United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Google Maps)


In his first appointment out of seminary, Lee has been the pastor of Bethany Church since April, according to the church’s website. The church was founded in a log meeting house around 1789 and is one of the oldest Reformed churches in North Carolina, having been originally founded as a “union effort of persons of Reformed and Lutheran faith.” The church’s website still listed Lee as its pastor as of early Tuesday.

The United Church of Christ has been known for its liberal views, given its support for social justice issues. For instance, it has called on the Washington Redskins to change its name.

A graduate of Appalachian State University and Duke University Divinity School, Lee is the author of “Stained-Glass Millennials”— a book about the relationship between millennials and institutional church — and is a regular columnist for the Statesville Record & Landmark, which has covered Iredell County, N.C., for more than a century. Lee did not return requests for an interview Monday night.

In an Aug. 31 column for the newspaper, Lee emphasized the “cost of discipleship,” particularly when condemning hate.

“I wish I could say it was easy to speak up and speak out in God’s name,” Lee wrote in the column. “But it wasn’t.”
SOURCE: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/09/05/robert-e-lee-descendant-and-denouncer-quits-n-c-pastor-post-over-hurtful-reaction-to-vma-speech/?utm_term=.3ef80f931c05#comments

Amazing Dog Helps Clean Beaches with her Dad

Lil and her dad Alex clean beaches

A friend of mine (Rob's) in India sent me a link to a story and this video about a dog (Labrador Retriever) in the U.S. who dives into the ocean and scours the beaches to pick up trash (left behind from thoughtless people).  The video came out last year, and the dog is amazing. Of course, we think his dad is pretty hot, too.

That lobster diving dog named Lila in South Florida has now been trained by her dad, Alex Schulz trained her to help clean up the oceans. Alex and Lila work for a group called 4Ocean. 4Ocean offers bracelets made from 100% recycled materials. Every bracelet purchased funds the removal of one pound of trash from the Ocean. 4 Ocean has 5 clean up vessels that clean the oceans 7 days a week. But they pay for it through fundraising efforts. To learn more:   https://4ocean.com/

Video: https://youtu.be/g4VeqP8GoFk

Current Pup-u-lar UK TV Commercial "Wiener Stampede" (and BEST UK B&B to stay at)

If you're wondering what TV commercials are very popular in the United Kingdom right now, our friends Paul and Sonja who manage the great Langton House Bed & Breakfast in Windsor, UK told us that they see the HEINZ Ketchup Game Day 2016 Hot Dog Commercial | "Wiener Stampede"
all the time!
   ***AND if you're planning a trip to England you need to stay with them!  They are at the :
 Langton House Bed & Breakfast,  46, Alma Road, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 3HA England  Telephone/Fax: +44 (0) 1753 858299  Email: bookings@langtonhouse.co.uk Web: www.langtonhouse.co.uk

 Meanwhile, to see the most popular TV Spot with LOTS of Dachshunds...
 VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/aNN9nL2vppM

A Fun Movie: Despicable Me 2! (and our favorite scene)

"I did not see you there... or there!" Our fav scene.

A couple of weekends ago we were looking for something to watch to wind down a Saturday night and found "Despicable Me 2" as a free movie on our cable provider, so we gave it a shot. It was really funny!  We've not seen the first movie, and just learned there's a third animated movie now out. 
  We love the minions (the little yellow characters) and the lead character is super-funny. One of Tom's favorite scenes is when he douses an irritating neighbor who keeps trying to set him up on a date and she suggests another newly widowed neighbor. The 11 second video is below. 

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/Xbvh6XLQcJc 


If you haven't seen the movie, RENT IT!!