IN THE NEWS: NASA, NOAA Find 2014 Warmest Year in Modern Record

This press release issued by NASA and NOAA yesterday states the findings that 2014 was Warmest Year in Modern Record. There are two videos associated with this release that will help explain the findings (see below).

January 16, 2015

NASA RELEASE 15-010

NASA, NOAA Find 2014 Warmest Year in Modern Record

Source:  http://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/january/nasa-determines-2014-warmest-year-in-modern-record/#.VLpoxy5dtD4

The year 2014 ranks as Earth’s warmest since 1880, according to two separate analyses by NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists.

The 10 warmest years in the instrumental record, with the exception of 1998, have now occurred since 2000. This trend continues a long-term warming of the planet, according to an analysis of surface temperature measurements by scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS) in New York.

In an independent analysis of the raw data, also released Friday, NOAA scientists also found 2014 to be the warmest on record.

“NASA is at the forefront of the scientific investigation of the dynamics of the Earth’s climate on a global scale,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The observed long-term warming trend and the ranking of 2014 as the warmest year on record reinforces the importance for NASA to study Earth as a complete system, and particularly to understand the role and impacts of human activity.”


Since 1880, Earth’s average surface temperature has warmed by about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius), a trend that is largely driven by the increase in carbon dioxide and other human emissions into the planet’s atmosphere. The majority of that warming has occurred in the past three decades.

“This is the latest in a series of warm years, in a series of warm decades. While the ranking of individual years can be affected by chaotic weather patterns, the long-term trends are attributable to drivers of climate change that right now are dominated by human emissions of greenhouse gases,” said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt.
While 2014 temperatures continue the planet’s long-term warming trend, scientists still expect to see year-to-year fluctuations in average global temperature caused by phenomena such as El Niño or La Niña. These phenomena warm or cool the tropical Pacific and are thought to have played a role in the flattening of the long-term warming trend over the past 15 years. However, 2014’s record warmth occurred during an El Niño-neutral year.

“NOAA provides decision makers with timely and trusted science-based information about our changing world,” said Richard Spinrad, NOAA chief scientist. “As we monitor changes in our climate, demand for the environmental intelligence NOAA provides is only growing. It's critical that we continue to work with our partners, like NASA, to observe these changes and to provide the information communities need to build resiliency.”

Regional differences in temperature are more strongly affected by weather dynamics than the global mean. For example, in the U.S. in 2014, parts of the Midwest and East Coast were unusually cool, while Alaska and three western states – California, Arizona and Nevada – experienced their warmest year on record, according to NOAA.

The GISS analysis incorporates surface temperature measurements from 6,300 weather stations, ship- and buoy-based observations of sea surface temperatures, and temperature measurements from Antarctic research stations. This raw data is analyzed using an algorithm that takes into account the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and urban heating effects that could skew the calculation. The result is an estimate of the global average temperature difference from a baseline period of 1951 to 1980.

NOAA scientists used much of the same raw temperature data, but a different baseline period. They also employ their own methods to estimate global temperatures.

GISS is a NASA laboratory managed by the Earth Sciences Division of the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Maryland. The laboratory is affiliated with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York.

NASA monitors Earth's vital signs from land, air and space with a fleet of satellites, as well as airborne and ground-based observation campaigns. NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth's interconnected natural systems with long-term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing. The agency shares this unique knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet.

The data set of 2014 surface temperature measurements is available at:

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/

The methodology used to make the temperature calculation is available at:

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/sources_v3/

For more information about NASA's Earth science activities, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/earthrightnow

-end-

 VIDEO 1 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ilg75uJZZU
 2014 Joins the ranks as the warmest year on record.



VIDEO2: http://youtu.be/WtPkFBbJLMg

This video shows a time series of five-year global temperature averages, mapped from 1880 to 2014, as estimated by scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York.

Image Credit:  NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

New Article From Women's Day: Dolly Parton on Seeing the Good in People

Dolly Parton is truly my favorite singer and entertainer as I've said many times before. She inspired me to change my outlook on life to an optimistic one, and that's made me a happy person. I always like sharing articles about her in hopes that it will get others to change their view on things, too. This one just came out in Women's Day magazine.  -Rob 

Dolly Parton on Seeing the Good in People

"When I was a girl growing up in the 1950s in the Smoky Mountains, there were plenty of people who didn't know what to make of me, Dolly said. "I had 11 brothers and sisters and no electricity in my home, yet I knew I was gonna be a star. I had a big, outgoing personality and even then I dressed a little bit trashy—my grandfather, who was a Pentecostal preacher, told me I looked like Jezebel! Some people thought I was a freak, and I was sensitive. But I was always myself—they couldn't beat it out of me, they couldn't scare it out of me, they couldn't scold it out of me. I just couldn't help it! I didn't know how else to be. Still don't.

RELATED: 3 Lies About Dolly Parton That Dolly Parton Thinks Are Hilarious

I think that's why I try to be accepting of other people just the way they are. I like being myself and I feel everyone should have that right. My mother was a lot like that. She always said, when someone judges you, you ask, "Hey, did you forget that passage that said, 'Judge not, lest ye be judged'?" I just think judging is God's business. He made us all and we're supposed to be who we are. I think that's why all different kinds of people feel comfortable with me, because they know I really believe that.

It's not always easy, of course. They say your first impression of someone is always right, but I've found that that's not true. You just don't know. It can be as simple as how a person dresses. You make a judgment about that person, but if you spend a little time, you find that they're different from what you thought, and you forget how they look. I know I look totally artificial, but I'd like to think I'm real where it really counts. It's how people treat one another and what they do and the way they do it—that's what should matter. And that takes some time to figure out—you don't know right away.

RELATED: 8 Ways to Make a Lasting Impression

We don't always take the time, though. I've found a way of getting a read on a person. When I meet someone, I look at their eyes and their smile and seek out the good first—it's easy to find when you're looking for it. You let a person shine with their own light and try to connect it to yours. As soon as I say hello, I go right to that light and I don't care who you are! I know we're all pieces of the same thing—I go for that common light because I know it's in all of us.

What Matters to Dolly
A lot of the things I see in this world aren't right, and I set about trying to make as many things right as I can. My daddy was very smart and funny, but he couldn't read or write, so I started Imagination Library. We send children a free book each month from birth until kindergarten. Of all my accomplishments, my daddy was most proud of me for being the "Book Lady," which is what the kids call me."
To donate, go to ImaginationLibrary.com.

SOURCE: WOMEN'S DAY:

http://www.womansday.com/life/personal-stories/dolly-parton-seeing-the-good?src=spr_FBPAGE&spr_id=1446_12991785 

My 3 stories: Never Let Anyone Tell You "You'll Fail" (and a singer who proved them wrong)

    Earlier this week I watched a video of a singer who was scared to sing on the Australian TV show "X-Factor" because people told him he would embarrass himself and he didn't have a voice. He was almost crippled in fear because of these harsh criticisms he endured throughout his life.   There's a lesson here, and I'll share THREE instances in my life where people told me I would fail and I was happy to prove them wrong.
   Anyway, this 34 year old man made his way through his version of Bette Midler's "The Rose" bringing tears to people in the audience (and me) and getting a rousing standing ovation (that was well-deserved). He said he sang it for his "Nan" (Grandmother) who was standing backstage, because he had sang at his grandfather's funeral.   The video is below (Thanks to our friend Derek for sharing it.

  ROB'S THREE "YOU'LL FAIL" THINGS:
"You'll Never Write a Book" -  When I was getting my English degree I remember someone (I believe it was a professor) saying "you'll never write well enough to author a book."  Twenty years later I wrote three of them and have 2 more in progress and some have helped people overcome their grief of losing a loved one.
  "You'll Never Get in Shape" - As a kid, I was always skinny. I felt like a "bone rack." But I admired superheroes and wanted to look that way. In the late 1970s I bought that Charles Atlas workout book and it inspired me. I also bought men's fitness magazines and put together 1 to 1 1/2 hour workouts that I did every night. I learned how to build muscle though isometric exercises and toned up. I never  dated while I lived at my parents' house through college because I knew I was gay and my parents couldn't deal with it - so I concentrated on exercise. Today, I still work out, and I'm still 140 pounds - the same weight I was in college. What's even more special for me is that I can go to Comic-cons dressed as The Green Lantern and be told that I have a superheroes' build.
   *You'll Never be a Meteorologist" - In 1991 when I started working for the USDA in Washington, DC, I would walk down a hallway and study the atmospheric maps posted daily by the USDA Weather Office (there was a weather office in the USDA that worked with agricultural agencies). One day, a young meteorologist who worked at the USDA stopped in front of the maps I was looking at and said "Hah! You'll never be a meteorologist!"  - Well, I went back to school, got a degree in meteorology, worked for the Weather Channel as a broadcast meteorologist, a private weather company, and now manage the hurricane page at NASA.
   Bottom line - NEVER BE DISCOURAGED. NEVER let anyone tell you "you can't." Believe in yourself and do what you want.
 
 Here's the video of that Australian Singer:
 

Post by 92.9.

Post your Dog's pics on Facebook's "Photos for Anthony"

A friend of a woman whose son has cancer loves dogs, and she created a facebook page to bring the dogs (or photos of them) to cheer him while he's in the hospital battling cancer. What an awesome thing to do.   
   We posted pics of our kids on it, and please post pictures of yours,too!  - Rob and Tom

Here's what the page is about:  

In December 2014, links to a Facebook event page titled "Photo Doggies for Anthony" began to spread via social media. According to the page, 16-year-old Anthony Lyons was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in July 2014 and is receiving treatment at Phoenix Children's Hospital where, during inpatient stays, he is visited twice weekly by therapy dogs.

One of the page's creators explained the purpose of the page was simply to collect images of dogs to cheer up Lyons during his stays, nothing more. The description included language requesting participants post images of dogs only, with their locations included: Read more at http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/medical/lyons.asp#cMfmPhEEOdvDMmRO.99

 

   Hi all, my friend Kristen Lyons has her son Anthony at Phoenix Childrens hospital. Some days he gets doggy visits and some he does not. They make him smile. I thought if I create this event, you can post a picture of your dog to help make him smile. His mom shows them to him and he smiles.
REMEMBER: THIS IS NOT AN ACTUAL EVENT, ONLY TO POST YOUR PHOTO OF YOUR DOG FOR ANTHONY....AND....PLEASE PLEASE NOTE WHERE YOU ARE FROM. This event has gone viral and Anthony and his mom Kristen are smiling happily. Me too.
 
TO FIND THE PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/events/1005474049479538/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

Doug Gutro announces he's running for Mayor of Quincy

My (Rob) younger brother Doug, who has successfully served as a city councilor in Quincy, Mass. has announced that he's running for Mayor!   I've never seen a more compassionate, intelligent, caring, hands on, honest person in any political race (and I'm not just showing favoritism here). Doug has always been there for me throughout my life, when others were not. He's optimistic, positive, knowledgeable, and he gets things done. As I know he will bring Quincy back to greatness.  - Rob
  His website  http://www.douggutro.com/
Here's his video of the announcement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvPfB25Mmes

Quincy Sun: Gutro, Mahoney Challenging Koch For Mayor

Mayor Thomas Koch – who is expected to seek a fifth term this fall – will have at least two challengers as City Councillor Doug Gutro and School Committeewoman Anne Mahoney said Monday that they will run for mayor this fall.
Gutro will officially announce his entrance into the race Tuesday at 5 p.m. He has served on the Quincy City Council for 13 years, 10 of those representing Wollaston and Quincy Center as the Ward 5 councillor.
Mahoney – who was re-elected to a third term on the school committee in 2013 – challenged Koch for mayor in 2011.
Koch was uncontested for a fourth term in 2013.
Gutro and Mahoney’s entrance into the race could trigger a political scramble not seen at the local level for years. School Committeeman Dave McCarthy is expected to run for Gutro’s open at large seat. That would create an open School Committee seat since McCarthy’s term is up this fall.
A Koch-Gutro-Mahoney race will create a preliminary election that is tentatively set for Tuesday, Sept. 22. The final election is Nov. 3. This will also mark the first city election voters cast ballots for mayor who will serve a four-year term.
This is a developing story. More coverage in this week’s Quincy Sun.

In the News: K-9 Tracks, Apprehends Suspect Fleeing From Merrimac Police

 We love good dog stories, especially ones about police dogs that corner thugs- just like this one from New Hampshire!

K-9 Tracks, Apprehends Suspect Fleeing From Merrimac Police

By Hannah Sparks @Hannah_M_Sparks

Boston.com Staff | 01.06.15 | 6:05 PM

A New Hampshire man arrested Monday night ran from police, but couldn’t quite escape an intrepid K-9 named Herc.

During a routine patrol, Merrimac police officer Robert Coppola ran the license plate of a Jeep Grand Cherokee that turned out to be registered to Jason Thompson, 38, of Newton, N.H.—who was wanted on five felony warrants out of Massachusetts. 

    The car pulled into a random driveway on Bear Hill Road, where a male passenger told Coppola that Thompson, who had been driving, was his brother. Thompson had parked the Jeep and taken off into the woods when he saw the cruiser.

An Amesbury police officer and the Salisbury K-9 unit responded to Coppola’s call for backup. Coppola and the K-9 unit pursued Thompson, who had climbed up a pine tree, but fell out of it when Herc spotted him and began to bark.

Police say Thompson then “unwisely tried to outrun Herc and was quickly apprehended by him.” He was treated by EMTs but refused additional medical attention.

     Of the arrest, Merrimac Police Chief Eric M. Shears said, “It was an excellent all-around effort.”

Thompson, who was held without bail at the Middleton House of Corrections on Monday night, faced the following warrants, according to Merrimac Police:

• Possession of class A and C drugs (Boston)

• Receiving stolen property (motor vehicle) and possession of class C and E drugs (Boston)

• Operating with a suspended license and marked lanes violations (Reading Police/Woburn District Court)

• Larceny over $250 and trespassing (Reading Police/Woburn District Court)

• Operator of a motor vehicle refusing to identify self, operating with a suspended license, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle (Natick Police/Natick District Court)

Merrimac police also charged Thompson with operating with a suspended license, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct stemming from Monday night’s incident.

Two Days in the Life of Many Dog Rescuers

The 14 yr old blind senior needing a home

Volunteering with dog rescues brings challenges, deadlines and rewards. Last week in two days, I  networked with many people trying to ensure that 74 Dachshunds were in rescues and safe. It's all about networking and sometimes it takes a lot of time. We have the pleasure of working with such incredible people as Donna Gerhauser, Corinne Zoscak, Shelley Sehnert, Janet Sailor Tobin, Melinda Wharton, Whitney Packard Jaeger, Karin Bakin, Tera Cunningham, Melissa Ball, Kristen Sparkman, April Lindsey, Katie Wehner, Fabre Sanders (whom I met through the Boston save) and many others (who were not on these particular rescue activities). These folks are superheroes to us. NOW, onto the rescue stories.

ONE SENIOR DOG IN TEXAS - Our friend Shelley, who works with Dachshund Rescue of North America and helps every
other rescue around, sent me an email notification about a 14 year old red Dachshund that was in a county pound. The dog is blind, and was apparently dumped because he's old and blind (working rescue really makes you hate a lot of people that mistreat animals).  Fortunately, Kim L. who lives near  the Montgomery County Animal Shelter in Conroe Texas and usually gets dogs out of shelters and gets them transported north to rescues, decided to foster the scared senior.
  Meanwhile, Donna G. of Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue posted information about the dog on social media to find him a foster home through her network.

TWO 5 YEAR OLD DOGS IN A SOUTH CAROLINA SHELTER - Shelley S. emailed me Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue and find them foster homes. I immediately emailed the shelter to get details in hopes of getting them foster homes.

One of the 2 dogs in So. Carolina

on Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. EST about 2 other dogs that came into a shelter in South Carolina, so I could work with Donna G. in New Jersey of
  WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: Age, sex, neutered or spayed, heartworm positive or negative, teeth condition (most come in with rotted teeth), mange, fleas, aggressive or passive behavior, other medical issues.
   I learned that these 2 young long-haired dachshunds were found outside in a pontoon boat in South Carolina with a third dog (that was adopted directly from the shelter that day). (AGAIN- Some people make me furious!) **I contacted our friend April, who is currently without a foster dog and she let me know she could take one of the two.
  Meanwhile, Donna contacted a potential foster home in NJ, and got the okay from them to take a dog. Donna then contacted the shelter person I was working with, emailed them the rescue paperwork and got confirmation that the two dogs would be transported to Maryland and New Jersey, where they would get medical attention in their foster homes.

   RESCUES COVER MEDICAL EXPENSES FOR FOSTER DOGS! - Foster parents just need to feed, love and care for the dog, and pay for food, and take them to the vet. 

    WE NEED MORE FOSTER HOMES! - PLEASE consider opening your home to foster a dog. It's not a permanent thing.

 
COVERING THE BIG GROUP - 
    71 of the Dachshunds came from a hoarding home in Massachusetts, that several friends sent me articles about from my home state. I immediately posted a group message about them to see if any of the Dachshund Rescues Tom and I work with could help.    My message to several rescue friends:Today, I saw this article about 71 dachshunds now at a shelter in Massachusetts from a hoarder. Please reach out the the shelter if you can help. -
   FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE: Here's a video report on them from today's Boston Globe: http://bcove.me/qsm97gsu **60 of the 71 dachshunds were temporarily taken in by MSPCA-Angell’s adoption centers in Boston and Methuen.

The majority of the dogs were found underweight with matted fur. Others were coated in urine and feces.

    CORRINE MAKES CONTACT - Corinne manages the Dachshund Rescue called Sophia's Grace Foundation, and she has a connection in Mass. She checked with her  friend Fabre who  lives in MA and is on the Board of another wonderful dachshund rescue. *Thanks to Fabre and Corinne, all of the Dachshund Rescues connected on the Facebook message learned "The MSPCA is not willing to release any to rescue -they have hundreds of applications. They are a no-kill shelter and will handle the adoption of these dogs."  The shelter representative said that they already had over one hundred applications for the dachshunds that they needed to go through- to ensure the dogs go in loving homes. 
  For more information about the MSPCA Shelter in Boston: Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center350 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130; Phone (617) 522-5055
 

Tonight's Mid-Atlantic Freezing Rain: Kids Suited Up!

Tyler says "Freezing Rain Overnight means a Yucky Monday commute"

It's Sunday, January 11th and temperatures from Philadelphia to Baltimore-Washington DC /Northern Virginia area woke up to temperatures in the low teens. 
FORECAST:  Today in ALL of those cities/areas, temperatures will actually rise to the mid-30s today, which is a nice change of pace out of the 20s. However, all of those areas will see FREEZING RAIN overnight and until the morning commute ends tomorrow.   The low temperature is expected to drop to 31 overnight, making roads extremely slick and dangerous for the Monday Morning Commute. **So leave later in the morning (after 9am) or Telework if possible.

• Tonight Freezing rain likely before 3am, then rain or freezing rain. Low around 31. 
• Monday   freezing rain becoming all rain after 9am (and continuing as rain through the day). High 40.
• Monday Night A Rain ending, and temperatures falling- so Water will FREEZE on roads overnight. Low.  29
  

  

  Franklin, Tyler, Dolly and Mopar ready to face the cold.

1st Full Look at Ant-Man - Marvel's Ant-Man Teaser

Marvel Comic's "ANTMAN" movie trailer released (and although I'm (Rob) a big superhero fan, I think I'll wait for this to come on DVD. I've never been a fan of the character, and the movie trailer doesn't sell me on it either.

Here's the story about this character from the 1960s -
The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Marvel’s “Ant-Man” stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket, Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, Michael Peña as Luis, Judy Greer as Maggie, Tip “Ti” Harris as Dave, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Wood Harris as Gale, Jordi Mollà as Castillo and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym. Directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s “Ant-Man” delivers a high-stakes, tension-filled adventure on July 17, 2015.
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xInh3VhAWs8
 

My 1st Book: Now Retired: Ghosts and Spirits

On Dec. 18, 2014 I contacted my publisher, CreateSpace and officially retired my first book "Ghosts and Spirits: Insights from a Medium."  
  I published the first edition of this book 5 years ago this month - in Dec. 2009. It was my very first book. 
  It was a very personal book to me, because it contained all of the amazing ways that my dad communicated to me and my family to prove his spirit was still around us the week of his passing.  It also includes my experiences in detail with the spirit of my first dog, Buzz-Wyatt, who passed in 2005.
  Since I published the book,  I've learned a lot about the paranormal and the book needs some updating. 
 So, although there will always be some copies floating around on Amazon.com, the book will no longer be available.  - My newer books, "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead," and "Pets and the Afterlife" are more up-to-date, and I hope you enjoy those. 
Rob 
 

GHOSTS and SPIRITS BOOK DESCRIPTION: 
 Ghost or Spirit? Learn the difference between Earth-bound ghosts and spirits who cross over in medium Rob Gutro's first book.
      Rob is a meteorologist who uses science to explain their existence and communications. He wrote this book to give hope to others who lost people or pets.
In this very personal book, read about how his father passed and gave messages during his funeral to prove he was still there.
     Share in Rob's adventures with the dead as he explores his abilities and gives proof they still exist. Read how spirits watch over and guide us.
     Rob was inspired to write this book after a puppy he had was tragically killed in an accident. The puppy's spirit returned many times, as many pets do. Rob explains and gives examples of messages from pets who have passed on.
Walk in historic places, on ghost walks and in various locations where ghosts or spirits were encountered.
Read about ghostly or spirit encounters from others around the U.S. and learn how to recognize signs yourself.
Rob takes you on a detailed journey inside a haunted house where he resided, and shows you the ghostly face of a cruel southern General on a building in Savannah, who was responsible for his own daughter's death.
Learn some ways people and pets can give you signs: from a heart of flowers, to music, electricity, apports, appearances, temperature changes and more.
      Rob wrote this book to offer comfort for anyone who lost someone dear to them, and provide proof that our departed loved ones are still around us, guiding. influencing, protecting us and helping teach us lessons.

•  Print Length: 181 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace; 2 edition (January 11, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00B0FJ59G
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,743 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews

Insightful and enjoyable

By Samantha Realynn Deshong on January 15, 2010

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

I've read plenty of books dealing with spirits, ghosts and the like while experimenting and exploring my own gifts. I have to say that none of them ever really delved into the detail and personal level that this books does. It offers a more distinctual look at the supernatural elements around us and how they work. The scientific aspect of it was insightful and answered a lot of questions that I had that other books could not. I give this one 5 stars! A must-read for budding mediums and other psychics, or even if you just want a good source of info about the supernatural!

 

Insightful, Encouraging, Educational Read!

By Louis Charles on January 2, 2011

Format: Paperback

Have you ever wondered how we can tune-in to the other side of the grave or why people who have died want to bother with the living?

Rob Gutro, author of 'Ghost and Spirits: Insights From a Medium,' takes his readers on a personal journey of discovery, sharing his own experiences with ghosts and spirits. By taking us on a tour of haunted sites, revealing his own accounts of family haunting, and telling story after story of how deceased people attempt to grasp our attention, Rob's work encourages us to re-examine what many of us have written off to mere coincidence: People in spirit are very near and communicate with us regularly.

Rob truly knows the power and importance of love and forgiveness -- all lessons we can take away from his book. I know you'll be encouraged by 'Ghosts and Spirits,' and I highly recommend it! - Louis
Helping Ghosts: A Guide to Understanding Lost Spirits from Angels & Ghosts

 

 

Very Informative and Personal Book

By Jeannie P on October 31, 2013

Format: Kindle Edition

First and foremost I have to say I met this author and had a very interesting conversation with him. He was very articulate and was well informed on the paranormal. He offered me a proof copy of his book if i would read and give my honest opinion on his book. I want to let you all know I do believe in Ghosts, I have seen Ghosts/Spirits if you believe me or not that is your opinion, I will now give my opinion on this book.

Rob Gutro gives you a insightful break down of paranormal activity, ghosts and haunts in the first few chapters which answer a lot of questions that are normally asked about how,what, where and why paranormal activity happens. The experiences that are written in this book are not only from Rob Gutro's personal experiences and that of his family but also of many other people and historical sites. This book is full of experiences that make you go wow and look at things in a different light. This book is not one of those typical haunting books that you can pick up in gift shop which gives historical "ghost" facts, this is something more real and personal. I truly enjoyed this book and for those looking for answers or just wanting something a little different I recommend this book to you.

y 

Pamela Charlton - See all my reviews

Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Ghosts and Spirits - Insights from a Medium (Paperback)

Great book

TOO FUNNY - In the News: Maryland Lawmaker Thinks Press Needs His OK To Use His Name, Which Is 'Kirby Delauter'

I've never heard of anyone in politics (city councilors are non-partisan) telling reporters they can't use their name in articles. They're PUBLIC figures! This is really so dumb, it's funny (and sad). Again, how do people like this get elected?  

(AND... what's worse is that ANOTHER politician supports this guy and told him to sue the newspaper- his name is below, too. So, that's 2, 2, two idiots for one.)  Article below from the Huffington Post

You can read the FUNNY response article from the Frederick Post  (local paper that posted the original article) here (NOTE THE Article's title): http://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/politics_and_government/kirby-delauter-kirby-delauter-kirby-delauter/article_da85d6f4-fa3c-524f-bbf6-8e5ddc0d1c0a.html

 

Jason Linkins , Huffington Post 

Maryland Lawmaker Thinks Press Needs His OK To Use His Name, Which Is 'Kirby Delauter'

Posted: 01/06/2015 1:59 pm EST Updated: 01/06/2015 3:59 pm EST

    Got a little story this morning about the Streisand Effect -- which, if you're unfamiliar with the term, is that thing where an inept attempt to censor information leads to that information being disseminated far more widely than it otherwise would have been had the person who wanted the information censored just let it go ... let it goooooo!
    (The Streisand Effect got its name when Barbra Streisand attempted to sue a photographer, who while documenting California coastal erosion also snapped her beachfront domicile -- which the singer-actress viewed as a breach of privacy. Ironically, it was her lawsuit, and not the photographer's compendium of visual research, that ended up drawing attention to the photos of Streisand's home, as well as getting this "effect" named after her. See also: Dan Snyder.)
      Today's story of the Streisand Effect and its discontents takes place in Frederick County, Maryland, where a man named Kirby Delauter is the county councilman elected to represent District 5. Seems that Delauter took umbrage at a story that appeared in the Frederick News-Post on Jan. 3, concerning -- of all things! -- the assignment and availability of parking spaces to county council members.
     Delauter is actually just a bit player in this story, which largely concerns the parking space grievances aired by another councilman named Billy Shreve, with whom Delauter agrees. But Delauter apparently has nursed a grudge with the reporter of the parking space story, Bethany Rodgers, and he decided that the time was ripe for him to flip his lid on Facebook, in full view of the world.
     In so doing, Delauter made one of the most idiotic demands I have ever heard in my life: "Shame on Bethany Rodgers for an unauthorized use of my name and my reference in her article today. She contacted me by phone yesterday, I did not return her call and did not authorize any use of my name or reference in her article."
Nah, son, that's not how this works. Let me kick it to UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh for a brief legal explanation, because he's making the best fun for all of us with his comment: "Uh, Council Member: In our country, newspapers are actually allowed to write about elected officials (and others) without their permission. It’s an avantgarde experiment, to be sure, but we've had some success with it."
     Rodgers jumped into this Facebook thread to attempt to explain journalism to this poor, lost, parking-space bereft lamb and earned this response from Delauter: "Use my name again unauthorized and you'll be paying for an Attorney. Your rights stop where mine start."
     On Tuesday, Rodgers' paper responded with an article about this Facebook thread, in which the name "Delauter" appears 13 times. The story quotes the paper's managing editor, Terry Headlee, like so:

"Kirby Delauter can certainly decline to comment on any story," Headlee said. "But to threaten to sue a reporter for publishing his name is so ridiculously stupid that I'm speechless. It's just a pointless, misguided attempt to intimidate and bully the press and shows an astonishing lack of understanding of the role of a public servant."

The article then goes on to document some sort of localized outbreak of stupidity among area county council members, with Billy Shreve making a cameo appearance:

Shreve, R-at large, told The News-Post in a phone interview he supported Delauter taking legal actions.
"I did not see his post, but I think The News-Post is extremely biased and someone should sue them," Shreve said.

Forget parking spaces -- I'm not sure these men have the intellectual depth to handle driving.
At any rate, the news about Delauter's bizarre Facebook meltdown is now trending on Digg and being shared on Twitter, and the Frederick News-Post story about it is outperforming the original, anodyne story about the parking spaces. And thus did the Streisand Effect yield unto the world one more cautionary tale.
UPDATE, 2:33pm: The editorial board of the Frederick News-Post ups the ante and published an editorial response to the news, titled "Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter," in which the name "Kirby Delauter" appears 28 more times. "Legally," the editors write, "Kirby Delauter has no case." Eagle-eyed readers will spot an Easter egg in the first letter of each paragraph!  SOURCE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/06/kirby-delauter-name-reporters_n_6424252.html?1420570788

The Oddities of Being in the Public Eye

   Because I've (Rob) written three books (about the paranormal), and have facebook and twitter pages, people from all

over the world connect to me and can write me.
   For the most part, I love getting questions. However recently someone I didn't know wrote and asked for money. Someone I didn't know. When I wrote back and suggested that the person approach family and friends for money to help with their business, I received a "blocked" notice. So, I let it go.
  Then I received an apology of sorts and a plea to travel there to assist with a family matter. It's just strange what some would ask of complete strangers. Anyone that knows me, knows that I would help people any way I can. However, this was too strange.
   I didn't respond to the apology and second request in several hours because I was running errands and then found a somewhat hostile note saying "I will forever ban you and disconnect from you."  Whew. I really feel for this person who is experiencing emotional trauma and wanted to provide encouragement, but the swings of mood from "thanks" to "you will be forever blocked" are disconcerting. So, I've had to block the person, hoping that they heed my advice and seek support and help locally.
  We may have good intentions with trying to help people, but we also need to be careful. That's a lesson I learned again this week.