Hurricane Earl Faces Challenges, Still Major Threat to US East Coast August 31, 2010

CLICK HERE FOR MORE RECENT UPDATE CONCERNING HURRICANE EARL, HURRICANE WARNINGS AND WATCHES ALONG THE US EAST COAST AS FAR NORTH AS MASSACHUSETTS Hurricane Earl has been behaving like a well developed hurricane as during the day on Tuesday it has been going through an eyewall replacement cycle.   Typically, the old eyewall collapses and a [...]

Major Hurricane Earl Posing Real Threat to US East Coast August 30, 2010

CLICK HERE FOR MORE RECENT UPDATE Hurricane Earl will pose a threat to residents along much of the eastern coast of the United States later this week.  If you recall, last week we had Hurricane Danielle that became a powerful hurricane but turned north from the tropical regions into the Central North Atlantic and really [...]

Hurricane Katrina Should Not Have Been A Surprise August 29, 2010

On This Date in History:  When a category 4 hurricane approached the Southeast Coast of Louisiana, residents who did not leave the city of New Orleans were urged to stock up on food that did not have to be cooked as well as plenty of water.    They were urged to have an emergency radio and flashlights with fully charged batteries and [...]

When The President Tried to Change the Way Americans Spell August 27, 2010

On This Date In History: Back in 1906, Andrew Carnegie thought that if English was made more simple, it could become the dominant language in the world.   In an effort to try and simplify the spelling and writing of English, he funded the Simplified Spelling Board which was made up of a group of intellectuals who [...]

When a Hurricane Saved Washington DC and helped Win a War August 25, 2010

On This Date in History:  The war of 1812 began June 18, 1812 when Congress declared war on Great Britain and President James Madison signed the measure into law. Why we call it the War of 1812 is lost on me because it wasn’t over until Christmas of 1814 and the biggest victory for the United States [...]

Permanent Evidence of Life And Death in Pompeii 79 AD August 24, 2010

On This Date in History:  Italy is in some regard the cradle of Western Civilization, though the roots of modern Western culture can be traced to many regions around the Mediterreanean Sea.   Mixed in with the history of Italy and the Roman Empire are episodes of tragedy that were largely man-made.  However, some disasters were [...]

When the State of Franklin Tried To Become America’s 14th State August 23, 2010

On This Date In History: In Colonial times, the Crown made the rules and in 1763, England decreed that no settlements be made west of the Appalachian mountains.   This decree was known as the Proclamation of 1763 and the intent was to prevent an escalation of fighting between English settlers and Native Americans.  After the [...]

Some US Currency Was Once Worth Just a Fraction of a Dollar August 21, 2010

On This Date In History: Many people think that the economy is just terrible. I recall the one in the late 70′s and early 80′s with unemployment at about 8%, Inflation at about 11% and interest rates at about 16%…or maybe higher. Perhaps your grandparents, or maybe even Steve Burgin, can tell you tales about [...]

Women’s Right To Vote Hinged On A Boy Listening to His Mother August 19, 2010

On This Date in History: We’ve had the health care debate  and people were complaining that one side or the other may have an organized or orchestrated effort.   Now, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is suggesting that opponents to the mosque in New York City should be investigated to determine from whom their organized funding [...]

Hurricane Camille A Powerful But Forgotten Lesson August 17, 2010

On This Date in History:  Hurricane is the name given for tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic.  Tropical Cyclones  form in various parts of the globe but are most frequent in the Western Pacific, where they gain the moniker of Typhoon.  While the annual frequency in the North Atlantic is well below the number expected [...]