This is Friday’s Severe Threat. The idea is that the front is moving across the northern plains. There is a lot of energy to the north. Tornadic activity is most likely from say Iowa through Minnesota. As the storms move along ahead of the front, the should weaken a bit. Then as the front comes through here on Saturday afternoon, then there will be a regeneration. The only discussion as of this writing is from Wednesday morning and can be found here on Saturday Potential. Thursday will be hot and humid with scattered to isolated t’storms. We’re not in the slight risk but just recognize that if you are under a t’storm, it will have the potential to be strong with small hail, gusty winds and plenty of lightning. I’ll have more midday on Thursday.
Typhoon Fengshen made landfall fairly close to Hong Kong….just barely to the East. I think it may even be in the same province. It was a wind and rain maker for the area with some flooding. My guess is that the mudslides and flooding stated in the following story probably was on the eastern side of the huge city. Nevertheless, it’s China’s wealthiest province and they already had flooding earlier this month. Here’s a story.
Here’s the story from the English version of the Russian Pravda, which I think was the former state controlled news service. What’s maybe more interesting than the story, which is just a short AP story, are the side stories on the page. They are under “Breaking News”! One calls Sen. McCain “Anti-Russian Sen. John McCain” another says that racism is one of the USA’s biggest problems and another that Senators Clinton and Obama are “fighting to change US history. We thought the “Breaking News” in the US was over the top. We should put this in our newspapers. “Breaking News: Former Communists still in Russia.” You can decide for yourself who Pravda is hoping wins.
The photos from this blogger from Hong Kong don’t seem to match the headlines. Again, my guess is that much of the main part of Hong Kong probably didn’t fair all that badly…but I’m not there I am here and I am going by what is typical of tropical systems. Here’s the blogger’s photos.
On This Date in History: These days, with the government induced and short sighted push toward ethanol, corn is becoming a bigger and bigger part of the agricultural market. That is actually a trend toward the past. Before wheat became a large part of the Midwestern scene, corn was king. But, a group of outcasts came and changed all of that. The Mennonites had over time been run out of numerous countries before they came to the United States by way of the Ukraine. Like other peoples from other parts of the world that arrived in the land of the free and the home of the brave, they brought a little something to add to our melting pot. On this date in 1873, the first Russian Mennonites purchased land in Kansas. They had actually been lobbied by the state to come because it was desirable to develop a population that could farm efficiently. Not only did the Ukrainians bring efficiency, but also hearty winter wheat. When they arrived, there was a plague of locusts and then a drought. But these were hard working, determined people who had an ace up their sleeve. The locusts got the corn and the soft spring wheat but the winter wheat had been planted the winter before and harvested before the insects came. The Mennonites turned a profit. At first the Kansans had made fun of their new neighbors because of their different clothing and way of life. Quickly any jeers faded as the smilers watched the immigrants settle their accounts in gold and their business activity refill the depleted state accounts. Everyone got the drift and winter wheat became the main crop in Kansas. Funny thing was.. by the late 20th century, it was largely Kansas wheat that eventually became an export back from whence it came; Russia.
The most prolific President of all time got back in the saddle on this date in 1844 when President John Tyler wed his twenty-four year old second wife. The 54 year-old widower had lost his wife several months prior. She had lost her father in a cannon accident just two months prior to the wedding. You can read about the whole incident and other details on my previous account regarding John Tyler. Bottom line is that President Tyler is the only President to be married while in office. They wed in secret to avoid the 19th century of the Paparazzi and because she was supposed to be in mourning over her father’s death and most people don’t think marrying the President of the United States as being a good exhibition of mourning. The Tylers didn’t have much time left in office as his term was up in 8 months. But that didn’t mean that John couldn’t still get it done. He had 7 children by is first wife of 29 years. He had 8 more by his second wife. In all, he had 15 children. One was 5 years older than his 2nd wife and 45 years older than the youngest. Who says Jimmy Carter is the most accomplished former President?
Symon Sez 