Discovery! 'Extremely rare' fossilized dinosaur voice box suggests they sounded birdlike

 Here's another cool dinosaur finding. This time, paleontologists have discovered a dinosaur's voicebox, which gives a hint to how they would have sounded!!  Here's the article

(Image: An artist's illustration of the ankylosaur, Pinacosaurus grangeri. The voice box is shown in color below its jaw. (Image credit: Tatsuya Shinmura))_ 

'Extremely rare' fossilized dinosaur voice box suggests they sounded birdlike 

By Ben Turner LIVESCIENCE, March 15, 2023

A fossilized ankylosaur voice box reveals that these beasts may have sported a far more sophisticated vocal range than scientists originally thought.

The "extremely rare" discovery of an 80 million-year-old fossilized voice box that belonged to an armored dinosaur reveals that the ancient beast may have sounded more birdlike than experts previously thought, new research suggests.

Pinacosaurus grangeri — a squat, armor-plated and club-tailed ankylosaur unearthed in Mongolia in 2005 — was discovered with the first fossilized voice box (larynx) found in a non-avian dinosaur.

Now, a new analysis, published Feb. 15 in the journal Communications Biology, suggests that the creature's vocalizations may have been far more subtle and melodious than its previously assumed crocodilian grunts, hisses, rumbles and roars.

"Our study finds the larynx of Pinacosaurus is kinetic and large, similar to birds that make a variety of sounds," study first author Junki Yoshida, a paleontologist at the Fukushima Museum in Japan, told Live Science. Dinosaurs are archosaurs, a group whose living members include crocodilians and birds. These animals use sound for a variety of purposes, including courtship, parental behavior, defense against predators and territorial calls. "So, these are the candidates for its acoustic behavior," Yoshida said.

At the beginning of the Triassic period roughly 250 million years ago, archosaurs split into two broad groups: a birdlike group that later evolved into dinosaurs, birds and pterosaurs, and a second group that later branched out into crocodiles, alligators and a number of extinct relatives.

Most animals that produce sounds do so through specially adapted organs connected to the lungs by the windpipe. In crocodiles, mammals and amphibians, the larynx — a hollow tube located at the top of the windpipe and crammed with folds of resonating tissues — is adapted to produce sounds. But in birds, the syrinx — a two-piped structure resting near the lungs, at the bottom of the windpipe — creates the foundations for complex melodies.

HOW THEY FIGURED IT OUT:   To assess the range of sounds P. grangeri might have made, the researchers studied two parts of the fossilized larynx that would have worked with muscles to elongate the airway and alter its shape, comparing them with structures in the voice boxes of living birds and reptiles. They found that P. grangeri had a very large cricoid (a ring-shaped piece of cartilage involved in opening and closing the airway) and two long bones that were used to adjust its size — a layout that turned the P. grangeri voice box into a vocal modifier. This anatomical setup likely meant that the ancient herbivore was capable of making a large array of sounds — including rumbles, grunts, roars and possibly even chirps — while also bellowing them out across vast distances, the researchers said.

Oklahoma Legislators Cite Bible to Allow Corporal Punishment on Disabled Students

If the headline of this blog made you sick, and it should, you need to find out what's happening in states like Oklahoma. Today's blog is about a group of state Republican legislators who think it's perfectly fine to have teachers use physical violence on learning disabled kids, and they cite that Christianty says so.  Unbelievable. What kind of Stone Age does Oklahoma live in?  The Bible also says slavery is acceptable. Is that next? Cruelty toward others should NEVER be allowed in a civilized society. If your religion says it should, it's a Bad religion. Here's the shocking vote.

Bill to ban corporal punishment for students with disabilities fails in the Oklahoma House 

KFOR-TV, Oklahoma (CLICK FOR LINK TO STORY) y: Nick Camper/KFOR Posted: Mar 14, 2023 / 07:42 PM CDT

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Whether to ban corporal punishment use for students with disabilities was debated on the House floor and ultimately failed to pass onto the Senate.

Dozens of Republicans voted against the bill, with some citing scripture.

“It is plain that it is the will of the Lord wants us to use God’s word and God’s counsel as we make laws for the State,” said Rep. Jim Olsen (R-Roland), arguing against the bill and in favor of corporal punishment.

House Bill 1028 would ban spankings and paddling on students with disabilities.

It was authored by Rep. John Talley (R-Stillwater). “Accountability and grace go hand in hand,” said Talley.

Olsen disagreed with the idea that students with disabilities should be exempt from spankings and paddling. “Many of them understand right and wrong, many of them understand good and bad behavior,” said Olsen. The Republican from Roland called on God’s word to guide his decision Tuesday. “If you will not use the rod on a disobedient child, you do not love that child. That’s what the book said,” argued Olsen.

Democrats were not impressed with Olsen’s arguments. Forrest Bennet (D-OKC) took to Twitter, calling out Olsen and Randy Randleman (R-Eufaula). “It’s 2023 outside; it’s 1880 in here,” said Forrest.

Randleman supported corporal punishment because it keeps kids on the right life track. “If you don’t balance out nurturing and discipline, you will have many people in prison,” said Randleman.

A personal argument came from Democrat Floor Leader Cyndi Munson who shared a story from her past. “My mother used chopsticks to slap my back so that I would listen to her,” said Munson. “She’d pull my hair. So I would listen to her.” Munson said school was always a safe place for her and it also should be a safe place for students with disabilities.

“I knew that was where I could be my full self. I can make mistakes. I could say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing. But my teachers would always have my back,” said the Democrat leader.

The vote on the bill was 45-43 in favor of its passage, meaning most lawmakers present today voted to ban the punishment.

But in the House, they need a majority of all lawmakers – which is 51 votes – in order to pass a bill, so it ultimately failed.

Talley did ask for the bill to be brought up again sometimes next week when more representatives are on the floor.

PODCAST! Casual Interrogations Podcast asks Rob Random Questions!

 A Fun, Engaging, Fun, Interview with Random Questions about anything! - Alex and Cherlene of Casual Interrogations Podcast asked me some good and crazy questions.

to LISTEN: https://casualinterrogations.com/listen-1

Scroll down the list to find "ROB"

Discovery! Roman shrine found under Leicester, U.K. Cathedral

 If you know a little about British History, or the Roman Empire, you know that the early Roman Empire extended into what is now the United Kingdom. In fact, all throughout the U.K. ancient Roman ruins have been found and continue to be found. In 2013, when we visited Sudeley Castle, there were uncovered ancient Roman ruins uncovered near the front entrance of the castle (Click link to see that story and photos). Now an ancient Roman Shrine has been uncovered near a Cathedral in Leicester, U.K. Here's the story from the UK Telegraph;

(Photo: Excavation of the Roman shrine outside of Leicester Cathedral. Credit UK Telegraph)

Legend may be true as Roman shrine found under Leicester Cathedral

Sarah Knapton, UK Telegraph, Tue, March 7, 2023

For centuries rumors have abounded that Leicester Cathedral was built on the site of a Roman temple. Now, the source of the folklore may have been uncovered.

Archaeologists working at the cathedral have discovered evidence of a Roman shrine hidden beneath the structure, which may have been used by worshippers of a fertility or mystery cult.

The small chamber, 13ft by 13ft, was painted and contained an altar stone where sacrifices to the pantheon of Roman gods may have taken place.

It means that the Christian site may have been chosen because it was already a sacred location for pagans, and that worship has been happening at the spot for 1,800 years.

Mathew Morris, project officer at University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) who led the excavations, said: “Given the combination of a subterranean structure with painted walls and the altar we have found, one interpretation, which seemed to grow in strength as we excavated more, could be that this was a room linked with the worship of a god or gods.

“For centuries there has been a tradition that a Roman temple once stood on the site of the present Cathedral. This folktale gained wide acceptance in the late 19th century when a Roman building was discovered during the rebuilding of the church tower.

“The origins of this story have always been unclear but given that we’ve found a potential Roman shrine, along with burials deliberately interred into the top of it after it’s been demolished, and then the church and its burial ground on top of that, are we seeing a memory of this site being special in the Roman period that has survived to the present day?"

The archaeologists believe the room was a private place of worship of either a family, or a cult room where a small group would meet together.

Similarly, underground chambers like this have often been linked with fertility and mystery cults and the worship of gods such as Mithras, Cybele, Bacchus, Dionysius and the Egyptian goddess Isis.

(Photo: During our visit to Sudeley Castle in 2013, this re-creation of discovered Roman tiled floor was on display. Credit: R.Gutro)

No evidence of an inscription survived on the altar, so it is unclear which gods were being honored. Excavations have been ongoing ahead of the construction of a new heritage center in the Cathedral Gardens.

In the final stages of the dig, when the team was ten feet down, they uncovered evidence of a well-made semi-subterranean structure with painted stone walls and a concrete floor.

The sunken room was probably built in the 2nd century AD, when Leicester was the roman town Ratae Corieltavorum and was deliberately dismantled and infilled, probably in the late 3rd or 4th century.

Within that space, lying broken and face down amidst the rubble, they also found the base to an altar stone, carved from local Dane Hills sandstone and measuring approximately ten inches by six inches, with decorative mouldings on three sides.

The back is plain, showing that it would have been placed against a wall. Archaeologists believe it would have originally stood around 2ft tall but it is broken mid-shaft and the upper part of the pedestal and the capital are missing.

Their excavations also uncovered over 1,100 burials ranging in date from the 11th century through to the mid-19th century.

John Thomas, deputy director at ULAS, said: “This excavation has produced a remarkable amount of archaeological evidence from a modestly sized area. The project allowed us to venture into an area of Leicester that we rarely have the opportunity to investigate, and it certainly did not disappoint.

“Fortunately, the archaeology was very well-preserved and whilst there is still a lot of analysis work still to do, we are confident that we’ll be able to address all of our questions and more.

“We’ll have a much clearer idea of what was happening on the site in the Roman period, when the parish church of St. Martins was founded, and a unique insight into the story of Leicester through its residents who were buried here for over 800 years.”

What is the Psychology behind False Accusations?

Did you know there's a psychology behind those who falsely blame others? I looked it up, because someone who has made a lifetime of never taking responsibility continued to do so last week. You know the bloated, orange-tinted excuse for a human... and if you don't see below. Meanwhile, today's blog is about the psychology... read on!

What is the psychology behind false accusations? 

Why do narcissist blame others? To protect themselves from feelings of inferiority and shame, narcissists must always deny their shortcomings, cruelties, and mistakes. Often, they will do so by projecting their own faults on to others.

(One of the 5 main habits of a narcissist) Five of the most common characteristics of a narcissist in order to create awareness. *Inflated Ego. Those who suffer from narcissism usually seem themselves as superior to others. ... *Lack of Empathy. ... *Need for Attention. ... *Repressed Insecurities. ... *Few Boundaries.

TRUMP, WHO BRAGGED ABOUT GUTTING DODD-FRANK, CLAIMS 'WOKENESS' KILLED BANK 

 Within days of taking office, Donald Trump promised to do "a big number" on the Dodd-Frank Act, which forced banks to be more conservative in investing depositors’ money, and the following year boasted of having kept that pledge. Despite this, he now blames corporate “wokeness” for the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank rather than the law he signed. Critics, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), warned at the time that Congress would be inviting another banking crisis if it passed the bill, which was also supported by some Democrats. [HuffPost]

TRUMP BLAMES MIKE PENCE FOR JAN. 6 VIOLENCE 

 Trump, whose coup attempt on Jan. 6, 2021, put his vice president’s life at risk as a mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol, blamed Mike Pence for the violence that day because he didn’t go along with the scheme to undo now-President Joe Biden's win

Idiot(s) of the Week: Telling his Cheating Scheme on Audio

When you're an idiot, you likely don't realize that stupid or even criminal things you say and do on Audio or video recordings can be used against you in a court of law, to prove you're an idiot and criminal. Such is the case in recently uncovered audio recordings of Andrew Iverson, the now Midwest regional director for the Republican National Committee.  This idiot stated on a RECORDING that he and his team were going to "fan the flame" of the Big election lie.  I hope he finds an uncomfortable room in prison in Wisconsin (where he's from). Here's the idiot's story. 

(photo: Andrew Iverson, the Trump Victory Wisconsin state director, starts in his role Monday. credit: RNC) 

Trump campaign staff on 2020 election lies: ‘fan the flame’

The audio from Nov. 5, 2020, two days after the election, is surfacing as Trump again seeks the White House while still lying about the results of the election.

MADISON, Wis. — A newly released audio recording offers a behind-the-scenes look at how former President Donald Trump’s campaign team in a pivotal battleground state knew they had been outflanked by Democrats in the 2020 presidential election. But even as they acknowledged defeat, they pivoted to allegations of widespread fraud that were ultimately debunked — repeatedly — by elections officials and the courts. The audio from Nov. 5, 2020, two days after the election, is surfacing as Trump again seeks the White House while continuing to lie about the legitimacy of the outcome and Democrat Joe Biden's win.

The Wisconsin political operatives in the strategy session even praised Democratic turnout efforts in the state's largest counties and appeared to joke about their efforts to engage Black voters, according to the recording obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. The audio centers on Andrew Iverson, who was the head of Trump's campaign in the state.

“Here’s the deal: Comms is going to continue to fan the flame and get the word out about Democrats trying to steal this election. We’ll do whatever they need. Just be on standby if there’s any stunts we need to pull,” Iverson said.

Iverson is now the Midwest regional director for the Republican National Committee. He deferred questions about the meeting to the RNC, whose spokesperson, Keith Schipper, declined comment.

The former campaign official and Republican operative who provided a copy of the recording to the AP was in the meeting and recorded it. The operative is not authorized to speak publicly about what was discussed and did not want to be identified out of concern for personal and professional retaliation, but said they came forward because Trump is mounting a third attempt for the White House.

In response to questions about the audio, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said: “The 2024 campaign is focused on competing in every state and winning in a dominating fashion. That is why President Trump is leading by wide margins in poll after poll.”

Wisconsin was a big part of Trump's victory in 2016, when he smashed through the Democrats' so-called “Blue Wall” in the upper Midwest, and his campaign fought hard to keep the swing state in his column four years later before his loss to Biden.

Biden defeated Trump by nearly 21,000 votes in Wisconsin in 2020, a result that has withstood independent and partisan audits and reviews, as well as lawsuits and recounts in the state's two largest and Democratic-leaning counties.

FOR THE REST OF THE ARTICLE, CLICK HERE 

Hero of the Week: Turkish firefighter rescues cat trapped in rubble; adopts

 This week's hero is a fireman in Turkey who responded to the devastation caused by the powerful earthquakes that rocked that country last month. He rescued a cat, who was so thankful, he refused to leave the fireman's side, so the fireman adopted him. Here's the story.

(Photo:  Ali Cakas, Turkish  firefighter rescues and adopts cat from rubble after earthquake. Credit; ABC 7)

Turkish firefighter rescues cat trapped in rubble; adopts it after animal refused to leave his side

ABC 7 News, Los Angeles,CA , Feb 18, 2023

TURKEY (KABC) -- A Turkish firefighter helped rescue a cat from the rubble of a collapsed building following a recent massive earthquake that rocked both Turkey and Syria and killed thousands of people, and the animal hasn't left his side since.

Video of the rescue has gone viral, which shows the firefighter wearing a bicycle helmet and goggles with the black and white cat on his shoulder.

Eyewitness News learned the firefighter is named Ali Cakas, who is also a world-class mountain biker.

The 33-year-old is one of many Turkish firefighters still trying to find people and animals who are trapped underneath the rubble but are still alive.

The cat was reportedly trapped for 10 days and nights and has not left Cakas' side since the rescue.

Cakas is also a coach for the Turkish national mountain bike team. Since the cat would not leave his side, Cakas took the animal home and has since adopted it.

According to social media, he's named it Enkas, which means "rubble" in Turkish. "Rubble" the cat has now become the mascot of Cakas' fire department.

A Great Classic Comic book: Gold Key Comics: Duke of the K-9 Patrol (1963)

As an avid comic book reader, I love going to comic book shops that have a lot of back issues, and I really enjoy going through the dollar bins. That's where I found this really delightful comic book from 1963, about the introduction of German Shepherds as police dogs in the U.S. The comic book, created by Gold Key Comics, is called "Duke of the K-9 Patrol," and has short adventures of a police officer and his K-9. If you can get a copy, it's well worth it!

Here are some of the statistics: Gold Key Comics: Duke of the K-9 Patrol (1963)

Stories include: Duke Pits His Keen Senses Against the Cunning of the Masquerade Bandits! Characters: Duke (first appearance); Sgt. Danny Nolan (first appearance) Pages: 14;  Pencils, Inks: Dan Spiegle

Discovery! Oldest reference to Norse god Odin found in Danish treasure

Yesterday's blog was about the discovery of an ancient Roman Shrine found in Leicester, United Kingdom, outside of a Cathedral. Today's blog is about a Viking coin found that gives the oldest known reference to the Norse God, Odin!  Here's the story from the Associated Press.

(Image: A golden bracteate — a kind of thin, ornamental pendant — carried an inscription that read, “He is Odin’s man,” likely referring to an unknown king or overlord. Credit: National Museum of Demark) 

Oldest reference to Norse god Odin found in Danish treasure 

By JAMES BROOKS, March 9, 2023  Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Scandinavian scientists said Wednesday that they have identified the oldest-known inscription referencing the Norse god Odin on part of a gold disc unearthed in western Denmark in 2020.

Lisbeth Imer, a runologist with the National Museum in Copenhagen, said the inscription represented the first solid evidence of Odin being worshipped as early as the 5th century — at least 150 years earlier than the previous oldest known reference, which was on a brooch found in southern Germany and dated to the second half of the 6th century.

The disc discovered in Denmark was part of a trove containing about a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of gold, including large medallions the size of saucers and Roman coins made into jewelry. It was unearthed in the village of Vindelev, central Jutland, and dubbed the Vindelev Hoard.

Experts think the cache was buried 1,500 years ago, either to hide it from enemies or as a tribute to appease the gods. A golden bracteate — a kind of thin, ornamental pendant — carried an inscription that read, “He is Odin’s man,” likely referring to an unknown king or overlord.

“It’s one of the best executed runic inscriptions that I have ever seen,” Imer said. Runes are symbols that early tribes in northern Europe used to communicate in writing.

Odin was one of the main gods in Norse mythology and was frequently associated with war as well as poetry.

(Image: Odin as a comic book character. Odin as appeared on the cover of  MArvel Comics' Journey Into Mystery #122 (November 1962) . Art by Jack Kirby.)

More than 1,000 bracteates have been found in northern Europe, according to the National Museum in Copenhagen, where the trove discovered in 2020 is on display.

Krister Vasshus, an ancient language specialist, said that because runic inscriptions are rare, “every runic inscription (is) vital to how we understand the past.”

“When an inscription of this length appears, that in itself is amazing,” Vasshus said. “It gives us some quite interesting information about religion in the past, which also tells us something about society in the past.”

During the Viking Age, considered to be from 793 to 1066, Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest and trading throughout Europe. They also reached North America.

The Norsemen worshipped many gods and each of them had various characteristics, weaknesses and attributes. Based on sagas and some rune stones, details have emerged that the gods possessed many human traits and could behave like humans.

Would You Allow Your 16 Year Old OR YOUNGER Daughter to Marry Someone?

In a vote 2 weeks ago, the Republican Party in West Virginia endorsed the idea that it's okay for kids 16 or even younger to marry in that state. That's child abuse. No wonder Florida Legislator Matt Gaetz who had sex with minors (under 18) isn't in prison. According to AP, West Virginia had the highest rate of child marriages among the states in 2014, when the state’s five-year average was 7.1 marriages for every 1,000 children ages 15 to 17. Imagine today being married at 15 years old and trying to support a family. When are voters going to get rid of these people who allow for child abuse?  Here's the story from the Associated Press (nonpartisan):

Bill to ban child marriage Defeated by Republicans in West Virginia 

 By JOHN RABY, AP March 1, 2023

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A bill that would have prohibited minors from getting married in West Virginia was defeated Wednesday night in a legislative committee. The Republican-dominated Senate Judiciary Committee rejected the bill on a 9-8 vote, a week after it passed the House of Delegates.

The vote came shortly after the bill’s main sponsor, Democratic Del. Kayla Young of Kanawha County, testified briefly before the committee. She said that since 2000 there have been more than 3,600 marriages in the state involving one or more children.

Currently, children can marry as young as 16 in West Virginia with parental consent. Anyone younger than that also must get a judge’s waiver.

“For now, there will be no floor for the age of marriage in WV, endangering our kids,” Young wrote on Twitter after the vote.

In a rebuke, Cabell County Democratic Sen. Mike Woelfel reminded the committee after the vote that Wednesday was International Women’s Day.

Some of the bill’s opponents have argued that teenage marriages are a part of life in West Virginia.

Kanawha County Republican Sen. Mike Stuart, a former federal prosecutor who sided with the majority, said his vote “wasn’t a vote against women.” He said his mother was married when she was 16, and “six months later, I came along. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

The bill would have established that 18 is the age of consent and removed the ability of a minor to obtain consent through their parents, legal guardians, or by court petition. Existing legal marriages, including those done in other states, would have been unaffected.

According to the nonprofit group Unchained At Last, which seeks to end forced and child marriage, seven states have set the minimum age for marriage at 18, all since 2018. Supporters of such legislation say it reduces domestic violence, unwanted pregnancies and improves the lives of teens.

Although recent figures are unavailable, according to the Pew Research Center, West Virginia had the highest rate of child marriages among the states in 2014, when the state’s five-year average was 7.1 marriages for every 1,000 children ages 15 to 17.

After 1 1/2 Years, La Nina is Finally Ending!

The La Nina climate pattern is finally ending, and that spells changes to weather in the Northern Hemisphere. What is La Nina? La Nina refers to the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific. Typically, La Nina events occur every 3 to 5 years or so, but on occasion can occur over successive years - like the one we've been experiencing for the last year and a half!  So, now, what's next? Here's the update from NOAA (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who houses the National Weather Service and National Climatic Data Center, and more):

(Caption: Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean from early January through early March 2023 compared to the long-term average. East of the International Dateline (180˚), waters remained cooler than average, a sign of La Niña. Graphic by Climate.gov, based on data from NOAA’s Environmental Visualization Lab. Description of historical baseline period. Credit: NOAA)

March 2023 ENSO update: no more La Niña!

BY EMILY BECKER, NOAA PUBLISHED MARCH 9, 2023

La Niña—the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern—has left the building! After a year and half of non-stop La Niña, the tropical Pacific ocean-atmosphere system has transitioned to neutral, allowing NOAA to issue its “Final La Niña Advisory.” What can we expect for ENSO through the summer and into next fall and winter? I’ll get to that!

First, though, let’s bid La Niña adieu. The most recent weekly measurement of the sea surface temperature in the Niño-3.4 region (our primary monitoring region for La Niña and El Niño) was a mere -0.2°Celsius (-0.4˚ Fahrenheit) compared to the long-term average.  Also, the latest monthly value from a NOAA dataset was -0.4°C (-0.7˚ F) for this same region. The threshold for La Niña is cooler than -0.5 °Celsius, so we can say the ocean surface has moved away from La Niña.

Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean from early January through early March 2023 compared to the long-term average. East of the International Dateline (180˚), waters remained cooler than average, a sign of La Niña.  

The atmosphere is a little more complicated, as it tends to be! 

We still see some indications of a La Niña-like strengthened Walker circulation, with more rain and clouds than average over Indonesia, less over the central Pacific, and enhanced trade winds. 

WHY WILL LA NINA DIMINISH?  Without the cooler sea surface characteristic of La Niña, it’s likely this pattern will diminish in the coming weeks.

(Image: the Walker Circulation during a La Nina event. Credit: NOAA) 

WHAT IS THE WALKER CIRCULATION?  It is an atmospheric system of air flow in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The trade winds across the tropical Pacific flow from east to west: air rises above the warm waters of the western Pacific, flows eastward at high altitudes, and descends over the eastern Pacific.

(Image: A second way we describe the air pressure anomalies over the tropical Pacific is the Equatorial Southern Oscillation Index (EQSOI). The EQSOI is based on pressure differences between two regions located on the equator (Figure 3). The SOI is monitored because it has a very long record available, stretching back to the 19th century; the EQSOI depends on satellite observations, which means it is a shorter record, but it gives a better picture of what’s happening right along the equator.) 

ANOTHER FACTOR INDICATING WEAKENING OF LA NINA - The EQSOI 

One measure of the atmospheric component of ENSO is the Equatorial Southern Oscillation Index (EQSOI), which measures the relationship between surface air pressure in the western and eastern Pacific. When this index is positive, it indicates that the Walker circulation is amped up. In February, after nearly a year at or above 1.0, the EQSOI was just 0.1 This tells us that at least one element of the atmospheric La Niña response has weakened.

WHAT ABOUT NEUTRAL CONDITIONS?  We’re often going on and on here at the NOAA ENSO Blog about how ENSO is a seasonal phenomenon, meaning the ocean and atmosphere criteria must be met for several consecutive months in order to qualify as La Niña or El Niño. The same is not true for neutral conditions, however. Once the tropical Pacific ocean-atmosphere system is showing signs of decoupling, such as a monthly Niño-3.4 index value warmer than -0.5 °C, we can say that neutral conditions have likely arrived.

FOR MORE of the article: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/march-2023-enso-update-no-more-la-ni%C3%B1a

New Podcast &YouTube: A Fine Time for Healing talks w/Rob about Pet Spirits

 Last week I had the pleasure of joining a podcast about healing to talk about my "Pets and the Afterlife" series of books. The host, Randi Fine, read my first Pets and the Afterlife book, and had lots of questions. It was an enjoyable discussion, and Randi also shared a story about "inheriting" a friend of a friend's dog's ashes... It's on YOUTUBE and a PODCAST, so you can listen to either place! 

New Podcast &YouTube: A Fine Time for Healing talks Pet Spirits

Watch or Listen! YouTube OR Podcast: Rob guested on "A Fine Time for Healing" with host Randi Fine, as they discussed Pets and the Afterlife. 

Audio Only

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/randi-fine/2023/03/17/pets-and-the-afterlife-with-rob-gutro

YouTube

https://youtu.be/ZUIIbU07_qA