Irene Baron's Blog, page 5

COMET LEONARD 2021

COMET LEONARD 2021 
by Irene Baron 5 March 2021

Whoever believes they have discovered a new comet should send by email or fax the celestial location of the comet to the United States Naval Observatory. 

[image error]The person sending the first received notification will be considered to be the official discoverer of the comet. That person is always given the option to name the comet.  This comet was discovered by Greg Leonard (Greg Leonard | Catalina Sky Survey (arizona.edu)) on 3 January, 2021 at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona. 

The tail of the comet will become more visible as the comet approaches Earth and the Sun.

Right now the comet is between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. As it moves, it will reach its closest point to the Sun about 3 January 2022.  That means we will get to watch this comet grow bigger and brighter for almost a whole year as the heat of the Sun causes the material in the comet to sublimate from ice to gas. As the comet’s ice changes to gas, the power of the Sun’s solar wind will push the growing tail away from the Sun.

 Comet Leonard will be at its closest point to earth about noon EST on 12 December 2021, an early Christmas gift. Its distance will be about 21,690,493 miles from Earth, as distance which is quite safe for Earthlings.. Six days later, on 18 December 2021, the comet will pass close to Venus missing that planet by about three million miles.    

Comet Leonard will be close to the horizon. It’s magnitude or brightness will be near 4 or 5. The lower the number, the brighter the object. During its closest approach to Earth in early December, with binoculars or a monocular, you will see it well. If we’re lucky, we will be able to see it without magnification. 

[image error]Visible first in the Northern Hemisphere, skywatchers below the equator will begin to see it in December 2021. Even though Comet Leonard is a  fast moving comet. Because of the great distances in space, it will be very slow moving to our eye. You will be able to distinguish its motion after 10-30 minutes when seen against the background stars of our galazy, the Milky Way. 

According to EarthSky, the newly found Comet Leonard might become 2021's brightest one of the year. On the first day of December 2021, if you face east about an hour before sunrise, you will see Comet Leonard between the constellation Ursa Major (Big Dipper) and the star Arcturus. See diagram to the left for a mid-December location.

Children will love trying to see this comet.  This will be a good time to teach them how to use a telescope or binoculars to see a star, comet, planet, or the Moon. With binoculars, it is best to anchor the binoculars to a tripod.  If a tripod is not available, have the child anchor their main binocular holding arm against a tree, fence post, porch pole, or another sturdy point.  This will help them hold the binoculars steady. 

When viewing will be good, the Zanesville Astronomy Club will open the LEWIS TELESCOPE in the Lewis Observatory for observations.  A newsletter will be sent out to all members.  If you wish to be put on the mailing list, no matter where you live on this beautiful planet, let Irene Baron know. Send an email to irenebaron@irenebaron.com and put COMET LEONARD as the subject matter. 

If you take any pictures of the comet and would like to have them posted here, send them to the same email address.
Comets are fun.  Look forward to Leonard appearing in our morning and evening skies.
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Check out the references below for additional information.


REFERENCES & IMAGE SOURCES

Greg Leonard | Catalina Sky Survey (arizona.edu) 

Newly found Comet Leonard might become 2021's brightest | Astronomy Essentials | EarthSky 

Should We Get Ready For Another Naked-Eye ‘Comet Of The Century?’ ‘Comet Leonard’ Just Appeared From Nowhere (forbes.com) 

Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) - Interactive Sky Chart | TheSkyLive.com 

comet leonard c/2021 a1 - Bing images 

C/2021 A1 (Leonard) - Wikipedia 

COMPONENTS OF COMETS DIAGRAM 
diagblrg.gif (286×356) (scholastic.com) 

COMET TAIL DIAGRAM 
Comet Tail - Bing images

 

SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME MAY BE CAUSED BY VACCINES!

SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME MAY BE CAUSED BY VACCINES!!      
Reprinted with permission by Catherine Frompovitch (1938-2020) 

“The Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines needs to hear about the unfortunate miscarriage of justice against parents whose children suffer brain swelling vaccine damage and are legally prosecuted by authorities with such charges as Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). Munchausen by Proxy (MSBP), Fictitious Induced Illness (FII), Non-Accidental Injury (NAI), Physical Abuse, Failure to Protect, and Child Abuse.”   
Catherine Frompovitch 

The Non-Disclosed and Hyper-Allergenic Vaccine Adjuvant 
BY CATHERINE FROMPOVICH   July 15, 2010

What do peanuts and vaccines have in common? Well, you’re probably thinking that some people have allergic reactions to both, and you are correct. Peanuts cause the most common severe food allergy reactions. Vaccines, on the other hand, that are grown on chicken eggs (MMR and influenza vaccines in particular) cause allergic reactions for which pharmaceutical and vaccine makers willingly provide cautionary notices on vaccine package inserts. It’s important to note that technically there can be two responses: a reaction, e.g., immediate allergic response (anaphylaxis), and a side effect, e.g., fever, rash, or localized swelling later on. 

[image error]As an aside, vaccine makers would like to get away from growing vaccines on eggs for several reasons. In the April 11, 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) the article “Safety and Immunogenicity of a Baculovirus-Expressed Hemagglutinin Influenza Vaccine” by John J. Treanor, MD, et al, stated: 

In this study, we evaluated an experimental influenza vaccine consisting of recombinant HA expressed in insect cells by a recombinant baculovirus (rHA0). This alternative avoids dependence on eggs and is very efficient because of the high levels of protein expression under the control of the baculovirus polyhedrin promoter. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/297/14/1577 

In essence, researchers produced vaccines grown on insect cells. If that vaccine production technology will be used or substituted for fertile egg mediums in the future, what cautionary information will appear on vaccine package inserts about bugs? 

Allergic reactions to vaccines used to be of prime concern to pharmaceutical and vaccine makers. That changed after the passage of the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2006 [PREP Act 42USC 247(d)-6d)] that, basically, exonerates vaccine makers of any damages from vaccines and/or vaccinations. A special vaccine court has been established from which harmed individuals must seek permission to bring legal charges. Common tort law no longer applies to vaccine/vaccination injury/damage. 

What peanuts have in common with vaccines is something that very few healthcare consumers and medical doctors may be aware of: Peanut oil is a hidden and non-stated ingredient in the manufacture of children’s vaccines. 

This was brought to light in a 2010 court case wherein parents were accused of Shaken Baby Syndrome; had their child taken from them and placed in foster care for almost eight months; and Harold E. Buttram, MD, presented corroborating medical information to the court regarding the anaphylactic reaction the six-month old baby boy experienced resulting in tremendous swelling and pressure of the brain. 

In Doctor Buttram’s paper presented for publication, “Subdural Hemorrhages Occurring in an Infant Immediately Following Vaccination,” he methodically charts the infant’s anamnestic allergic response to vaccines at four months of age. An anamnestic allergic response is a secondary immune response resulting from exposure to a previously encountered antigen. Such responses should preclude further administration of all vaccines. 

Immediately following routine 6-month vaccines Pentacel [DTaP-IPV/Hib vaccine], Prevnar7 [Pneumococcal 7-valent Conjugate Vaccine], and Rotateq [Rotavirus Vaccine], the infant suffered an explosive rupturing of a facial hemangioma [abnormal buildup of blood vessels] and traumatic brain injury confirmed by a brain MRI [Magnetic Resonance Imaging]. 

Let’s consider the components that make up the Pentacel vaccine: Aluminum phosphate, bovine serum albumin, formaldehyde, glutaraldhyde, MRC-5, DNA and cellular protein, neomycin, polymyxin b sulfate, polysorbate 80, 2-phenoxyethanol. [1] 

The two other vaccines administered simultaneously to the infant had equally remarkable ingredients. In the hopes of keeping this article as brief as possible, I’ve elected not to include their makeup. 

Two days after the above-administered vaccines, a brain MRI showed extensive bilateral subdural hematomas [collection of blood outside blood vessels in both sides of the brain], something often thought to be due to trauma associated with Shaken Baby Syndrome. 

Buttram noted that the scheduled and administered 4-month vaccines contained aluminum and unlabeled peanut oil. Furthermore, the infant’s mother observed noticeable enlargement and puffiness of the right strawberry-shaped facial hemangioma. Additionally, during 52 days of hospitalization, the infant was vaccinated further with the Hepatitis B vaccine. Medical records indicate tremendous head enlargement in a 30-day period, which could indicate hydrocephalus and/or brain hemorrhage. 

Since Doctor Buttram was the expert witness for the defense (the child’s parents, who had the child taken away from them by civil authorities contending Shaken Baby Syndrome), he investigated and prepared a time line and inventory of the various vaccines 

administered along with the infant’s reactions and attending medical personnel witness statements as to the explosive rupturing of the facial hemangioma immediately after the injection while the infant was screaming dramatically. 

Buttram found that yeast protein, a potent allergen, and peanut oil were used as adjuvants but not listed on the vaccine inserts. It was Doctor Buttram’s contention that both these adjuvants caused the hemangioma’s explosive reaction. 

As part of his researched testimony, Doctor Buttram chronicled the use of peanut oil in vaccines, which proves rather interesting. After penicillin was invented (1945) researchers found that the kidneys excreted it within 3 hours thereby rendering it ineffective. In order to prolong penicillin’s action it was mixed with 4 to 4.8 percent beeswax and peanut oil. As a result, penicillin was slowly released as the body metabolized the oil. 

To further extend penicillin’s effects, penicillin with aluminum monostearate was added to make a solution suspended in peanut oil that kept blood levels of penicillin up to 24 to 26 hours. In 1964 Merck produced the adjuvant 65-4 that contained up to 65 percent peanut oil plus Arlasel A, aluminum stearate, and other ingredients with 13-fold higher levels of antibodies than previous vaccines. During the 1970s and 1980s peanut oil became a common practice and ingredient in vaccines. Coincidentally, peanut allergies began rising exponentially in children as more vaccines were administered. Heather Fraser in her 2010 book, The History of the Peanut Allergy Epidemic, documents this. 

Concomitantly, hospital records indicate anaphylaxis reactions to vaccines. In the USA there were rising incidences of food anaphylaxis in children under five years of age. Hospital records in the USA further indicate that Emergency Room records indicated an increase of anaphylaxis from 671 per 100,000 during 1992-94 to 876 per 100,000 in 1995. More than 90 percent of all food allergy fatalities were documented as due to ingestion of peanuts and tree nuts, a 1991 study revealed. Nevertheless, in 2009 the prevalence of peanut allergy in children under 18 years of age amounted to more than 2 percent in both the United States and Britain. Additionally, in the U.S. during 2009, about 4.5 million people were allergic to peanuts, or about 1.5 percent of the population. 

Interestingly, Romy Fischer, et al, in the American Journal of Pathology [2005; 167:1621-1630] said :

“We compared the oral and nasal routes of peanut sensitization for the development of a mouse model of allergy. Mice were sensitized by administration of peanut proteins in the presence of cholera toxin as adjuvant. Antibody and cytokine responses were characterized, as well as airway reactivity to nasal challenge with peanut or unrelated antigens. Oral sensitization promoted higher levels of IgE, but lower IgG responses, than nasal sensitization. Both orally and nasally sensitized mice experienced airway hyperreactivity on nasal peanut challenge.” http://ajp.amjpathol.org/cgi/content/... 

Their research basically demonstrates that inhalation of peanut protein/antigens is cause for concern. 

Aside from the above information, aflatoxin, a toxic fungus produced by Aspergillus flavus, often is found on peanuts and causes anaphylaxis. 

Surely one important aspect about allergic response that needs to be highlighted is this: According to the doctor who “found” alimentary anaphylaxis, Dr. Charles Richter (1913), food anaphylaxis resulted from proteins that had not been properly broken down or avoided modification by the digestive system. In today’s medical practice many physicians recognize what is termed “Leaky Gut Syndrome,” which acts similarly insofar as some undigested proteins cross the intestinal lumen and contribute to much health-related problems. 

Perhaps now is an excellent opportunity to point out that many proteins used in the manufacture of vaccines or that “result” from the manufacturing process, e.g., not filtered out completely are injected directly into the blood stream and thereby avoid modification by the digestive system, another apparent factor in the etiology of vaccine adverse reactions in addition to the numerous toxic adjuvants included in each vaccine for boosted immune response, which most often are too strong for an infant’s immature immune system to cope with thereby precipitating “blown circuits” such as neurological damage. 

Maybe because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers refined peanut oil as GRAS (generally recognized as safe), vaccine manufacturers think it safe to use as a vaccine adjuvant while not recognizing the differences in physiology and function between food protein sources that are gut-digested from those syringed directly into the bloodstream. That issue could wind up becoming a critical learning for much of medicine, pharmaceutical and vaccine makers. 

Further validation of peanut oil in a vaccine appeared in The New York Times, Business Financial Section page 31, September 19, 1964, under the headline: 

“Peanut Oil Use In A New Vaccine.” It labeled peanut oil the key ingredient in Adjuvant 65 that was patented by Merck & Co., Inc. in September 1964. Ironically that article by Stacy V. Jones began with “A pharmaceutical manufacturer has developed a vaccine that it predicts will considerably lengthen immunity from influenza and other virus infections, thereby requiring fewer ‘shots’.” So much for their crystal ball gazing about fewer shots. If anything, they have manufactured and been influential in mandating more vaccinations than ever. Incidentally, Adjuvant 65, as a stand-alone product, supposedly is no longer used in the manufacture of vaccines in the United States. 

Let’s review vaccinations that are mandated for infants and children: 

Hepatitis B Vaccine: First dose at birth to 2 months; Second dose at 1 to 4 months; Third dose at 6 to 18 months 
Hib vaccine: First dose at 2 months; Second dose at 4 months; Third dose at 6 months; Fourth dose at 12 to 15 months 
Polio vaccine: First dose at 2 months; Second dose at 4 months; Third dose at 6 to 18 months; Fourth dose at 4 to 6 years 
DTaP vaccine: First dose at 2 months; Second dose at 4 months; Third dose at 6 months; Fourth dose at 15 to 18 months; Fifth dose at 4 to 6 years; DTaP is recommended at 11 years 
Pneumococcal vaccine: First dose at 2 months; Second dose at 4 months; Third dose at 6 months; Fourth dose at 12 to 18 months 
Rotavirusvaccine: First dose at 2 months; Second dose at 4 months; Third dose at 6 months 
Hepatitis A vaccine: First dose at 12 months; Second dose at 18 months 
Influenza vaccine:First dose at 6 months (requires a booster one month after initial vaccine); Annually until 5 years (then yearly if indicated or desired, according to risks) 
MMR vaccine: First dose at 12 to 15 months; Second dose at 4 to 6 years 
Varicella vaccine: First dose at 12 to 15 months; Second dose at 4 to 6 years 
Meningococcal vaccine: Single dose at 11 years 
Human papillomavirusvaccine (adolescent girls only): First dose at 11 years; Second dose two months after first dose; Third dose six months after first dose 

http://www.medicinenet.com/childhood_vaccination_schedule/article.htm 

So, by the above schedule one easily can ascertain that infants, in particular, are being subjected to numerous adjuvants, the least of which is non-disclosed emulsified peanut oil. There are several articles about peanut use in vaccines in the literature. Furthermore, President George W. Bush’s government set in place in 1991 the goal of raising national vaccination levels among preschool children to 90 percent by the year 2000. [2] 

Other oils used in the manufacture of vaccines can include mineral oil (paraffin), squalene (shark liver oil, which probably is the most dangerous of any oil), and at one time in the 1930s and 1940s, cottonseed oil. For more information on adverse effects of adjuvants in vaccines, visit this web site http://www.whale.to/vaccine/adjuvants... 

Interestingly, Ms. Fraser points out in her book that Charles Janeway, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and Yale University School of Medicine professor in 1989, revealed that adjuvants were the “immunologists’ dirty little secret”. The secret was really a poorly understood puzzle regarding the body’s response to them. Janeway suggested that there are cross-reactive combinations of which researchers are unaware but which the body recognizes. [3] 

Before I leave adjuvants, Doctor Buttram’s article mentioned Arlacel A, something I’d not heard of before. So I checked on it and found that it is a mono-oleate of manitol with the following information, which seems intriguing: 

Dianhydro mannitol mono-oleate, a surfactant used in the preparation of water-in-oil injectable pharmaceutical preparations was found to autoxidize on storing, with the formation of free acidity and labile peroxides. The autoxidized substance was found to cause peritoneal adhesions when injected intraperitoneally in mice. The autoxidized material could be reclaimed by chromatography through alumina. The eluate was comparable to normal saline in toxicity and the adsorbate was found to be more toxic. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/113435337/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 

An issue that, perhaps, has exacerbated infants’ adverse reactions to vaccines is the practice of their being injected with multiple immune-challenging vaccines at one time for convenience sake although no longitudinal studies have been undertaken for that type of protocol. Consider that, that is what happened to the six month old baby boy in this article. 

As pointed out so succinctly in Fraser’s book, and with which I totally agree, “One of the side effects engendered by vaccine ingredients is the production of IgE antibodies.” [4] Doctor Buttram, who is a medical expert in environmental medicine, certainly is in his element when discussing such responses. 

Fraser points out what Doctor Buttram has observed in his practice: “Doctors knew that as the number and potency of vaccines increased, so too would the risk of side effects that included soaring IgE and atopy [genetic tendency to develop classic allergy diseases, e.g., asthma, rhinitis, dermatitis, food sensitivities, especially in autistic children]. Anaphylaxis immediately following vaccination had finally become an ‘obstacle’ to the routine jab, doctors observed.” [5] 

What all this seems to come down to is the fact that since the advent of the practice to administer numerous vaccines at one visit, there has been a rise in anaphylaxis something not seen as dramatically or in such prolific numbers, as is attested to in the literature, plus the Autism Spectrum Disorder that effects male children predominately because of the supposed interaction with testosterone. 

Shortly before Christmas 2009, Dr. Catherine Rice, PhD, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the rate of autism for U.S. children is one in every 110 children  as of 2006!   http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/12/17/autism.new.numbers/index.html 

One glaring, if not gnawing, question all health consumers ought to be asking is: Why is the human infant brain affected by vaccines? According to Doctor Buttram’s paper, the brain has the highest fat content of any organ in the human body and, therefore, is susceptible to lipid peroxidation, The process whereby free radicals “steal” electrons from the lipids in our cell membranes, resulting in cell damage and increased production of free radicals. http://www.biochem.northwestern.edu/holmgren/Glossary/Definitions/Def-L/lipid_peroxidation.html 

Furthermore, the Pourcyrous et al study out of the University of Tennessee with results published in the Journal Pediatrics, 2007; 151:167-172, indicates more answers to that question: 

Brain inflammation, as indicated by elevations of C-Reactive proteins. 
Brain edema, which can be assumed as one of the cardinal manifestations of inflammation. 
Potentially lethal cardiorespiratory events. 
Intraventricular brain hemorrhages  -just what happened to the little fellow in this article. 
  
Renowned brain surgeon Russell Blaylock’s research indicates over-stimulation for prolonged periods of time by vaccine adjuvants precipitates chronic inflammation, which, of course, is very destructive to the brain. 

How convenient it would be to place the blame on Shaken Baby Syndrome and innocent parents whose lives are traumatized in numerous ways because of what their darling innocent infants and children are suffering through. Any parent knows the heartbreak and heartache of having a sick child. But when a child is permanently damaged because of medical procedures, as was indicated by the court in this case as probable vaccine damage and not Shaken Baby Syndrome, it’s time to demand answers from everyone: oversight health agencies at federal level, e.g., FDA, CDC, HHS; the medical profession, e.g., American Medical Association (AMA); pharmaceutical and vaccine makers both U.S. based and international; and from the U.S. Congress and its oversight powers. 

Representative Carolyn B. Malloney (D-NY-14) introduced the Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act of 2007 that went nowhere in 110th Congress. Any bills that are not voted upon and passed as each two year congress ends, automatically become sine die or “dead.” They must be reintroduced into the next congress, as they don’t carry over. However, Congresswoman Malloney introduced a similar bill in the 109th Congress and was supposed to do so in the 111th, but apparently has not as of this late date in the waning half of the 111th Congress. 

As a consumer healthcare researcher, I cannot believe that members of the U.S. Congress would not want to investigate what’s going on with our children’s health and the relationship to vaccines. I can only conjecture that because of the heavy duty lobbying by vaccine makers with their deep pockets and gifting, that it is easier to believe in Shaken Baby Syndrome. Shame on anyone who believes vaccines cannot cause inflammation/swelling and damage the brain. 

Note: The legal citation for the adjudication is Case No. JVJV002265 (Iowa Dist. Ct. June 1, 2010), for which I thank the defendants and their attorney. 

References 

1 Heather Fraser, The History of the Peanut Allergy Epidemic, (Hamilton, Canada: Expresso Book Machine, 2010) 141 

2 Heather Fraser, The History of the Peanut Allergy Epidemic, (Hamilton, Canada: Expresso Book Machine, 2010) 131 

3 Ibid, 127 

4 Heather Fraser, The History of the Peanut Allergy Epidemic, (Hamilton, Canada: Expresso Book Machine, 2010) 142 

5 Ibid, 156 

*Correction – Dr. Harold Buttram’s paper presented for publication, “Subdural Hemorrhages Occurring in an Infant Immediately Following Vaccination,” methodically charted the infant’s anamnestic allergic response to vaccines at six months of age, not four as mentioned in the above article. 

  

READ ALSO: 

The Non-Disclosed and Hyper-Allergenic Vaccine Adjuvant ⋆ VacTruth.com 

Brain Swelling and Damage Associated With Vaccines ⋆ VacTruth.com 

The Possible Role of Vaccines in Causing Retrogressive Changes ⋆ VacTruth.com 

Frompovich, Catherine J. VACCINATION VOODOO-What YOU Don’t Know About Vaccines.Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. 2013. 

Home Page ⋆ VacTruth.com 
Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV) | Official web site of the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (hrsa.gov) 

Catherine Frompovitch (1938-2020) encouraged others to copy and quote her articles, books and research in exposing the dangers of vaccinations in babies and children. Catherine was a dear friend with whom many environmental issues were discussed. She edited my books and became one of my  dearest friends. She is greatly missed.

 

HOME CARE FOR COVID-19

HOME CARE for COVID-19
compiled by irenebaron.com January 2021 

When you have a mild case of this corona virus, you will want to take good care of your self as you isolate within your home. Wash hands with soap and water often for at least 20-seconds. The soap and water knocks the protrusions off the virus and makes it harmless. Once they are harmless, you need to rinse them off your hands.

[image error]The hospital teams love you but don't want to see you with COVID-19. They hope you follow all necessary procedures, including masking up if going out and often washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

How do you shop for necessities and groceries?

Call your usual grocer and learn the process they recommend.

If you have a smart phone or computer, you can shop like my adult daughter. For under $13.00 per month, she uses an online order application with a modern general store like Walmart. She is allowed to order free deliveries as many times a month as needed from any area of the store. There may be a minimum purchase of $35 +- [image error]orders. If she did not use the monthly fee, she would have to pay a delivery charge each time something is delivered to our home. The service tip is created during the ordering process. 

The order application will inquire if you will accept a substitute for any items on your order. They may also limit the quantity of any items you order. 

My daughter selects the order deliver day and time. The delivery people follow her online instructions to leave the order at our front door to be brought inside after they leave our property. They will have taken a picture of the order by our door to verify it was delivered. 

[image error]The application will ask if you will accept a substitute for any item if it is not available in the store.  They may also limit the quantity of items you order.  

My daughter selects the order deliver day and time. The delivery people follow her online instructions to leave the order at our front door to be brought inside after they leave our property. They will have taken a picture of the order by our door to verify it was delivered. Their service tip is created when she places her order.

Note, frozen foods are received hard frozen. No worries about ordering frozen food.

Dispose of the plastic bags in which your products were placed for delivery. After disposing of the bags in your trash container, WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER. Then put the items away. Wash your hands after putting everything away.

While you are recovering from a flu or COVID infection or dismissed from a hospital to take care of yourself, use the guidelines listed below.  If you don't have one of the products listed, have a family member or friends buy it to deliver or order online. Your doctor or the hospital may prescribe medications as listed or similar ones.

 

HOME CARE FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS 
AS RECOMMENDED BY HEALTH CARE WORKERS

1. Dr. Prescriptions Axithromycin 250mg &a Dexamthason 6mg  

2. Sleep on your stomach or side at all times. To keep your lungs inflated well, do NOT lie on your back. Health care workers state the lungs may collapse and/or fluid may flow into the lungs.   

3. Every 2-hours walk 15-30 minutes while moving your arms around to help open the lungs.  

4. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth tobuild up your lungs. Start each day with 10 deep breaths like this to initiate your healing system with the vagus nerve.  

5. If in a recliner, sit up straight. While watching TV get up and walk during every commercial  

6. Eat 1-2 eggs a day minimum. Eat bananas, avocado & asparagus for Potassium.  

7. Drink Pedialyte, Gatorade Zero, Powerade Zero or water with electrolytes to hydrate yourself. Drink at room temperature or warm.  

8. Drink water with lemon & honey, peppermint tea, apple cider. Do not drink dairy products. 

9. Have Vitamins D3, C, B, Zinc, Probiotic One-Day.  

10. Tylenol for fever (never ibuprofen)  

11. Mucinex or Mucinex DM for drainage and/or cough.  

12. For cramps in legs, Irene Baron uses the Walgreens purchased  "Hyland's Leg Cramps" medication which is a homeopathic medication. The container holds 40 quick-acting caplets, one or two of which are taken when needed with water. It is used for

     stiffness
     pain in limbs, joints or legs
     cramps in calves, feet or legs

Warnings: As with any drug, ask a doctor before use if pregnant or breast-feeding. Consult a physician if the symptoms persist more than 7 days or worsen. Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children.       

13. One baby aspirin every day to help prevent blood clots from low activity.  

14. Drink a smoothie a day of blueberries, strawberries, bananas, honey, tea and a spoon or two of peanut butter.  

15. Since you are isolated, when you call family or friends on a smart phone, use FACETIME or similar application to see them.  It will lift your spirits and make the phone visit more personal. You won't feel so isolated.

This post is adapted from suggestions by health care workers..

 PRINT THIS LIST AND KEEP IN YOUR HOME

This map showing USA COVID infections is from April 2020 to January 2021

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REFERENCES: 

Tracking the virus:   Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak | Georgia Public Broadcasting (gpb.org)

The virus overwhelmes even as the vaccine is rolled out: Virus Overwhelms U.S. and Europe Even as Vaccines Roll Out - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

 

 

BEST HOLSTER IN UNITED STATES ?

BEST HOLSTERS IN USA? 
www.irenebaron.com 8 December 2020 

Two different gun manufacturer representatives told me that 3iHOLSTERS were known in the gun industry as making the best holsters in the United States! What a recommendation! 

[image error]I mentioned this to Scott Frank, owner of 3iHOLSTERS in Zanesville, Ohio and he laughed. I repeated what I was told about his accolades and who, when and were they were said. To have the nation’s top ranked firearm holster manufacturing company in my home town of Zanesville, Ohio is quite an honor. 

A while ago, I mentioned on my personal Facebook page that I needed experience shooting a SigSauer P226 firearm to finish the first book in my thriller MINDREACHER series. Devan Phillis, a former high school science student of mine, offered to take me to a nearby firing range, Briar Rabbit, and practice with that Sig. He would provide the pistol and ammunition.  I jumped at the chance. Devan is the 3iHOLSTERS Webmaster and "IT Guru". He sometimes works there in sales and customer service. 

When I showed up at Briar Rabbit shooting range, Devan and his gracious wife had a 15 firearm display of different pistols for me to try. The Glock he had borrowed from Frank. It was Devan who originally told me about 3iHOLSTERS and part owner, Josh Weaver. Josh has been in charge of marketing and sales. That's how I learned about the local holster business.
[image error]Scott Frank apprenticed holster making with the original owner before buying the  business. After enlarging the manufacturing of quality designed and hand built holsters, within a few years his company became one of the most recognized holster manufacturer names nationally. Some of his orders are international, but most originate within the United States. Scott is an honorably discharged member of the U.S. Marine Corps. 

With his professional team of holster craftsmen, Scott now builds customer orders for the Navy Seals Support Group of retired SEALs for their private fundraising for warrior & family support of SEALS. One of his specialties is to construct memorial holsters. For example, citizens and law enforcement professions from Westerville, Ohio continue to order memorial holsters to commemorate and honor the two policemen who were ambushed and murdered in 2018. Called to a domestic disturbance, the canine officer left the dog in his car, not thinking he'd need the dog. When he and another officer  were murdered, his dog nearly tore up the inside of the car trying to get to him. The officer numbers, 467 and 509 are included on the commemorative holsters.  

His wall rack of leather and composite supplies include colors and patterns. Ladies and gentlemen wanting concealed carry holsters will find multiple styles to choose from. Ladies will appreciate the different locations in which to wear their holsters. Female friends of mine use shoulder holsters,between/under breast, around ankle, hip and thigh.  Scott will walk customers through the different types of holsters and discuss the advantages of each. You can special order or purchase ready made. He has hard mock ups of many firearms to let you practice using the holster. He keeps no firearms on the premises.  

His store has the manufacturing rooms in the side and back of the building. He also sells gear related to firearms, appropriate clothing, straps, firearm carrying apparatus, patches of all types and various associated products.

When in his facility this week, while masked up, I watched Scott work on an AR Magazine carrier. Several of his team were busy producing product.  All products are signed by the craftsman. Scott stated one out of state customer complained when the craftsman forgot to sign the holster. It was sent back for the signature.  That hasn't happened since. Buyers love the signatures on a great product.

Scott has not changed the name of the company from the original owner. The “3i” in the company name stands for Integration, Improve, and Instruct. The integration is to adapt & integrate new ideas into holsters. Scott stated he may soon change the "integration" to "integrity."

EXAMPLES OF 3iHOLSTERS

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3i HOLSTERS 
Telephone: 1-740-297-7331 
URL:   www.3iholsters.com 
Email: sfrank@3iholsters.com 
Facebook: 
923 Putnam Avenue, Zanesville, OH 43701

CHRISTMAS STAR

 

CHRISTMAS STAR     
  by IreneBaron.com

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This essay was written for an October 2020 internet interview concerning the first nonfiction book I wrote, Unraveling the Christmas Star Mystery. 

Unraveling the Christmas Star Mystery was awarded the Gold Medal and First Place as the exemplary Christian Education Book of 2013.

JERRY GODINHO PROMPT : 

Unraveling the Christmas Star Mystery is a fascinating book where 68 NASA astronomy computers looked at 15 years of ancient skies and found the Christmas Star was at the exact place. Help me understand this process as it is mind blowing? 

 

RESPONSE FROM IRENE: 

Albert Einstein stated, “To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks a real advance in science.” 
I use his philosophy. 

Thank you, Jerry, for realizing that the process that was involved in discovering the Christmas star IS mind-blowing, especially to those who have no conception of astronomy. 

My undergraduate background included classes in every science with a General Science major and Chemistry minor. Astronomy 101 is a class I took my senior year with Professor Emeritus, Dr. Clarke. He was considered the 13th top mathematician in the world at that time. To be enrolled in his class was an honor.  Not many people think of studying astronomy at the college level for few colleges or universities offer the field of study. 

[image error]I taught astronomy for many years. When NASA originated, I was busy collecting their lithographs, data newsletters, photographs, slides, and information about every level of their research, especially enjoying the thick SpinOff journals which informed the business world how the NASA discoveries could be used in commerce. I had a 4-drawer file cabinet filled with information about NASA and astronomy which I utilized in teaching and later in writing the Christmas Star book. The display walls of my classrooms were changed daily or weekly with materials based on the subject of astronomy being taught. 

[image error]When I received a small packet in the mail from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratories which contained over 30 of their astronomy programs, I was surprised. The next day I received another packet of 38 more programs.  They were fascinating and I used them in my classrooms. My students would come in during study hall to quietly use them during my other classes. At lunch time I would be on my classroom computer to investigate the mathematical astronomy programs.  It was during one of those days I questioned if the programs could locate the Christmas star. 

It is true that astronomy is primarily mathematics.  The movements of moons and planets follow mathematical patterns which are the same, year after year.  Sumerian, Akkadian and Babylonian astronomers, over 5,000 years ago, learned they could accurately predict where our Sun, Moon, stars and planets would be located at any time of the year for years in advance. Our computers can do this now for thousands of years forward and backward in time. 

These astronomers were also called mathematicians, Wisemen, magicians, magi and alchemists. It is important to know they studied the dark skies in the predawn hours. In their studies, they assigned symbols and symbolism to everything that happened in the sky. Those were the symbols and symbolism which astronomers used for thousands of years. 

I brought the computer programs home and began to investigate.  The exact date of Christ’s birth was unknown. However, the calendar in use began dating time at the time of Christ’s birth. There has been much argument concerning the accuracy of that date. Since the date was off, I stretched my search years to include 15 ears total AD and BC. I was looking for significant events that took place at dawn. I set the search time for 6:00 am Bethlehem local time in every instance. 

[image error]I set the location of the birth with the GPS position of Bethlehem using latitude and longitude.  Extend those lines into space and you have right ascension (latitude) and declination (longitude) which become measuring lines for astronomical positions. 

It is interesting to note that the majority of present day astronomers, since they make their observations after sunset, assumed that was the time when ancient astronomers studied the skies. This is why they would never find the Christmas star. It was a dawn event. They were off by 12 hours. 

I used a printer which had the connected sheets. I used the “Print It” program. When my computer found data it would print whatever was on the screen. The first time I set a search for that long ago, the computer did nothing. I worried that the program/s or my computer were not working correctly.  To alleviate suspicion, I set the computer to find the predawn dark sky within the time frame of 100 years. Within a few hours I heard the printer start. 

The programs were not set by year, but by hours. To go back in time with any of the NASA programs, I had to figure out how many hours were involved. That took a little time. 

I quickly realized to understand what the ancient astronomers thought, I had to know their symbols and symbolism for everything that happened in the sky between the planets, Moon and Sun. More research using the public library. At that time, my local reference librarians could access books from libraries across the United States using interlibrary loan. They kindly found almost 100 books I read and used to glean the information I needed. I studied the bibliographies and references at the back of each one to find books that might help me. It was a long and tedious study. 

What I found was fantastic. Before the Christmas star appeared exactly over Bethlehem at 6:00 am one predawn morning, there were nine previous and significant signs in the sky referring to Christ’s birth.  The Christmas star was a minor event. It only told the exact location. The previous 9 announcements told who was being born, how important that God was, and all about His significance in the known universe.  Those previous events were not important to Herod or scribes of that time. All they were concerned with was the star telling the location of the birth. 

If any writing is not in the Bible, pastors and ministers are not allowed to use the material, from what I understand.  Since the other events which occurred within a few months of Christ’s birth were not listed in the Bible, they could not be used in church services.  Don’t expect my data to be used by ordained pastors. They aren’t allowed to use it. 

The information about Christ’s birth is mind-blowing! Astounding! It actually happened. 

What is a blessing is that I was led to find it. So many events in my life led me to that time where everything came together.  My astronomy training, my love of research, my reading skills, my understanding, patience, gained wisdom, the availability of computers and printers, and the NASA programs. These were each little miracles which enabled the information to be found and understood by someone who was a Christian and understood astronomy. By someone who desired to learn what happened with a zeal of excitement. By someone who had the patience to spend every night for several years to set up computer searches for significant events relating to the birth of the God, Jesus Christ. 

The book, Unraveling the Christmas Star Mystery, includes basic astronomy to allow the reader to understand what happened. I have had readers 12 to 90 years old tell me how much they loved the book. They express surprise at being able to understand the astronomy presented in the book. The astronomy is written in a way that readers easily grasp the concepts. One middle school student in the state of Delaware let me know she overheard 2 teachers agreeing about the best book they ever read. She stopped to ask what book they were talking about. She said both teachers held up my book. I appreciated her telling me about that. It made me feel good to have provided information about Christ’s birth. 

During one radio interview I had, the interviewer stated he always wondered why God only had one “dinky” star announcing the birth of Christ. He was relieved to know there were additional celestial announcements much more significant than the position marker star. Had Herod known that, he would have had the child found and killed immediately and not waited for the Wisemen to give him information later. It was a blessing of God that Herod and his priests were ignorant of the other announcements. Their ignorance was planned in the fullness of time. 

Each of the ten events is illustrated in the book and explained. I state what happened, where the celestial bodies were, what the symbolism meant to the Wisemen, and how that affected their understanding of the greatest God to be born in the universe. 

The original book had no illustrations of the individual events. Illustrations were requested by many scholars and readers. The example here shows one illustration showing degrees from the north used to pinpoint the direction/azimuth of a celestial object. 

I didn’t realize that all fantastic 5 star reviews and comments made by readers would disappear with the revised edition.  What a shock. I should have made a copy of them all to use with the updated version.  My error. 

The book is nonfiction and will not go out of date.  It is one which should b read by persons of every religion. Those who are not Christian will, most likely, begin to question their religion. This book validates the Bible. 

Buy Book Now: 

Https://cutt.loy/we5mqvt 

Additional information: 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/q-a-unraveling-the-christmas-star-mystery

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/star-of-bethlehem-proven 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/angelic-encounter 

https://irenebaron.com/press-release-irene-baron 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/reader-comments-unraveling-the-christmas-star-mystery 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/christmas-star-beginnings 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/nasa-computer-programs-used-to-research-the-christmas-star 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/how-did-the-wisemen-know-the-meaning-of-the-christmas-star-part-i 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/how-did-the-wisemen-know-the-meaning-of-the-christmas-star-part-ii-the-second-event 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/how-did-the-wisemen-know-who-was-being-born-in-bethlehem 

https://irenebaron.com/press-kit-radio-christmas-star

https://irenebaron.com/press-kit-unraveling-the-christmas-star-mystery 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/christmas-star-blog-women-connect-online 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/christmas-star-events-interpreted 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/moon-meets-morning-star 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-blog/blog/the-scientific-method 

https://irenebaron.com/irene-baron-writing-history 

  

  

CINNAMON HELPS STOP INFLUENZA

CINNAMON HELPS STOP INFLUENZA 
 IreneBaron.com
 

[image error]There is a news item from Indonesia which related the story of cinnamon factory workers. Although Indonesia had a horrible killing flu one year, NOT ONE OF 278 EMPLOYEES IN THE CINNAMON FACTORY CONTRACTED THE FLU. That opened my eyes.  I am reposting as it is important during COVID-19.
 

WHAT IS CINNAMON? 

Cinnamon, from the bark of plants in the Laurel family, has been used for thousands of years and was once a gift for kings. The highest quality of the spice is Ceylon cinnamon.  Cinnamomum zeylanicum   Cinnamon Lauraceae  

[image error]You can tell the difference between Ceylon cinnamon and other varieties when you look at the inside of the quills. Ceylon cinnamon looks like layers of paper. Other cinnamons are empty on the inside as shown to the left.  

Ceylon cinnamon is grown in the Spice Islands, often called Indonesia. It is located south of Malaysia. The group of islands making up Indonesia is pictured on the CIA map to the left.  

I visited the Spice Islands during my honeymoon. Staying in Penang for over a week, my husband and I  toured the island to see the different regions of growing spices. Our driver explained each spice and how it was treated for export as we stopped to view and handle the raw products. It was a fascinating excursion.[image error]
  

PROPERTIES OF CINNAMON 

Cinnamon contains ‘cinnamaldehyde’ which may be responsible for the health benefits. 

 Fox News reported, "Researchers evaluated the extracts against Phi X, a virus that infects bacteria and shares various similarities to viruses that infect animals and humans. After 24 hours of incubation, an extract with 10 percent cinnamon deactivated 99.9 percent to 100 percent of the virus following only 10 minutes of intermittent mixing, according to the news release.  

Schiffenbauer said in the news release that his colleagues’ findings suggest that cinnamon extract has the power to damage the structure of the PhiX virus.  

“The results validates (sic) our belief that a diet that includes a tablespoon of cinnamon once or twice a day can be effective in eliminating or preventing viruses from infecting humans and causing sickness, such as colds, flu, and even herpes,” he said." https://www.foxnews.com/health/cinnamon-may-protect-against-infection-study-findsPublished: Jan./Jun., 1999 

Joe Leech, MS, included in a HEALTHLINE ARTICLE some properties of cinnamon as a health spice. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-cinnamon#section6  His information included: 

Anti-diabetic effects  
Anti-inflammatory  
Antioxidant    
Antiseptic  
Antiviral  
Astringent  
Decreases blood pressure in animals  
Decreases blood sugar levels  
Decreases cholesterol  
Decreases insulin resistance  
Increases “good” HDL cholesterol levels  
Inhibits buildup of tau protein in the brain (hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease)  
In mice helped protect neurons & improved motor function  
In mice reduced growth of cancer cells, the formation of blood vessels in tumors,  
In mice, appears to be toxic to cancer cells, causing cell death  
Relieves diarrhea  
Relieves flatulence  
Relieves nausea  
Stimulant  
Used to treat circulation (may lower risk of heart disease)  
Used to treat coughs  
Used to treat digestion  
Used to treat exhaustion  
Warming agent  

In a study of 26 spices, “…cinnamon wound up as the clear winner, even outranking “superfoods” like garlic and oregano. In fact, it is so powerful that cinnamon can be used as a natural food preservative.” https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/... Â 

CINNAMONS I USE 

As mentioned, the Ceylon cinnamon is the only one you should purchase. I have these bottles in my kitchen cupboard. I keep the Ceylon cinnamon on the same shelf as my coffees. That way I remember to add a shake or two to my beverage.  

Ceylon Cinnamon, grown in Ceylon and India, is from a fir tree that grows over 50-feet tall. The cultivated ones have many shoots coming up from the base of a short trunk pruned to 8-feet tall. The bark is removed from the shoots during the monsoon season. The rain keeps the bark pliable and easy to work with. If you cannot find the higher quality Ceylon cinnamon in the grocery, it can be purchased online.  

The Batavia Cassia is grown in Indonesia. These are the ones usually sold as Cinnamon sticks you find in the stores. It is cheaper and therefore more popular. 

Saigon Cassia, originally found in China, has what the Spice Islands cookbook calls a “warm, bitter-sweet and aromatic taste.”  Cassia has been found to cause health problems in large doses due to the coumarin content.  

Selective uses of Cinnamon include it in baked cookies and sweets, puddings, cooked fruit, fish, honey, meats, mulled red wine, pickling liquids and punch drinks. Seeds are used in potpourri and seed oils in perfumes.
  

DANGERS OF CINNAMON USE  

NOTE: Like many spices, INHALED DRY CINNAMON CAN BE DANGEROUS. If inhaled, dry cinnamon can cause choking or gagging, irritate your throat, and can permanently damage your lungs. Lungs cannot break down spice fibers. Keep all spices safe from children.  

Dangers of cinnamon use are discussed by Ryan Raman, MS, RD in his article, “6 Side Effects of Too Much Cinnamon,” found in the online Healthline. He states it is safe to eat, but too much of the spice can damage your liver, cause mouth sores or cancer and lower blood sugar. As mentioned earlier, Raman states if inhaled, it can cause damage to your lungs and breathing problems.  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/side-effects-of-cinnamon#1  

__________________ 
REFERENCES: 

Bremness. Lesley. The Complete Book of HERBS; A practical guide to growing & using herbs. Viking Studio Books. Penguin Books. Hudson Street. New York. 1988.  

Leech.Joe.MS. 10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Cinnamon. HEALTHLINE. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-cinnamon#section6. 5 July 2018. Used 13 March 2020.  

Raman.Ryan.MS.RD. 5 Side Effects of Too Much Cinnamon. HEALTHLINE. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/side-effects-of-cinnamon#1. 26 September 2019. Accessed 13 March 2020.  

Spice Islands Home Economics Staff, The Spice Islands Cook Book: How to cook with Spices, Herbs and Seasoning., Lane Books. Menlo Park. CA.1965.  

ADDITIONAL LINKS FOR INFORMATION  

Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/how-deadly-is-a-spoonful-of-cinnamon/275191/  
KFOR TV: https://kfor.com/health/fda-cooking-spices-could-be-making-you-sick/amp/  
LiveStrong.com: https://www.livestrong.com/article/445647-is-too-much-cinnamon-bad-for-you/  
MindBodyGreenFood: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/cinnamon-uses-health-benefits-and-side-effects  
WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/diet/supplement-g 

_____________________________________ 

CINNAMON RECIPE 

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VERY Easy- Sour Cream Apple Pie 
Makes its own crust!  
This takes about 15-20 minutes to prepare and cooks 35-40-minutes. 
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. 

2 thinly sliced medium apples. If used unpeeled, clean and dry the outside of the apples before slicing. 
            ( I use a slicer which cores and cuts an apple into 8-pieces. Then I slice each piece.) 
1/2 C  raisins 
1/2 C  sugar 
1 tsp   ground cinnamon 
1/2 C  Bisquick mix 
1/2 C  sour cream 
1/2 C  half-and-half 
2 TB   melted butter 
2         large eggs 
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 

Butter or spray 9" pie plate or 9"square glass dish. 
Stir together apples, raisins, sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Pour into pie dish. 
Except for the 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon, mix/whisk remaining ingredients until well blended. Spoon or pour gently over the apple mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon. Bake 40-45 minutes. When a knife inserted into the mixture comes out clean, the pie has finished cooking. When cooled, store covered in the refrigerator. (I use Press & Seal) 

This is a recipe I have in my one of my two recipe file boxes and has been used often. I don't know the original recipe source but suspect one of the Bisquick company advertisements or books.

MINDREACHER II - AUTHOR NOTES FOR SCIENCE LOVERS

MINDREACHER II, Author Notes for Science Lovers
www. irenebaron.com   

Readers of the Mindreacher novels don’t have to know or understand science. It’s the author who creates adventures, thrills, and excitement while making the information easy to read and easy to understand.   

I thought lovers of science may wish to learn a few details about research for the second Mindreacher novel, especially concerning volcanoes. 

Writing the second book in the mindreacher thriller series, “Mindreacher – The Galapagos Incident,” involves knowing and understanding the geology of the volatile plume of liquid rock (magma) under the surface of the earth moving up under the Galapagos Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. See chart below left.

A 2004 government study proved the Galapagos area IS above a deep mass of high-temperature magma. It is deeper than the Yellowstone Park magma. I used the data to create a fictional and dangerous situation. 

[image error]My ideas included cracks in the earth linking this dangerous magma mass to volcanic Tower Island in the Galapagos. Releasing pressure at the top of the plume would result in the destruction of not only one volcano, but perhaps many in the Galapagos area. 

The main sinister terrorist in this Mindreacher sequel is trying to become known as a top international al-Qaeda terrorist within all the proliferating amoebic al-Qaeda cells on Earth. His reprehensible scheme to change the leading countries around the globe with one act requires him to have a geology background. He is not dumb.  Intelligent and conniving, his goal is to have Muslims to rule the world. 

He wants to set off that plume of super-hot magma. Because of extenuating circumstances, if he is successful the global relations will change forever. Intriguing side stories help make this novel excitingly refreshing and new.

Readers learning of situations never before conceived by authors will be intrigued by the novel concepts. This is the type of story they have been looking for since they first learned to read. 

I wrote into the novel a US Navy Spearhead class ship and crew assigned to help Ana Masterson and Major Jon Coulter, USMC, who are on a secret assignment for the President of the United States. Another ship in the novel is a private humanitarian yacht manned primarily by Australian LGBT men volunteering to monitor international environmental ocean conditions. They volunteer in this life-threatening situation to help the United States. There is also a unique catamaran terrorist vessel similar to the MAR Proteus vessel pictured below right. This ship was designed by Ugo Conti and built by the Marine Advanced Robotics (FKA Marine Advanced Research) in Seattle, Washington.  In the story, these ships congregate in the Galapagos area. 

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The easy to understand bathymetric charts mentioned in the novel are referring to those distributed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These special maps are used by ship navigators to determine ocean depth. 

The colored one below shows a rift area discovered in 2002 in the Galapagos. A rift is where the ocean crustal edges are splitting, merging, or moving past one another. This one has been colored for immediate recognition of high and low areas. The dark blue are deepest areas. White is the highest. Submarines use these maps to keep them from crashing into undersea mountains or hills. Official maps are not all accurate in secret areas of heavy submarine use. Such map sites are void of some data. 

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When teaching my high school students how to make and read maps, I enlarged black and white USGS contour maps of our local area.  I found the address of each student and enlarged the map centered around their house on an 8 1/2" X 11" paper.  They were assigned to color the different elevations to end up with a map similar to the one shown above.  

It was special to them because it was of their own property. It also gave them the determination to understand the contour land chart. While they colored, I helped them as needed and lectured about the field of cartography, the making of maps.  It took more than one day to do the coloring. 

A second part of that laboratory project was for each student to receive a copy of their original topographic map. They were to cut out the different elevations as patterns to make a 3D map of the same site.

In step three, the newly cut patterns were used to cut foam board or tagboard.  The different elevations were glued together. Using poster board paints in whatever color they desired, the resulting 3D projects were painted with each elevation having a different color, similar to the colorful map above. 

The colorful and educational resulting projects were displayed. What a display! They all did a great job and ended with a fantastic product. Parents were surprised and pleased to have several maps of their property.

I also used such projects when teaching astronomy. The contour maps students used in astronomy were geological features of Mars, like Hellas Crater.I used Planetary Geology lab books from the University of Arizona. I had the best students! Their results were spectacular!

Nolet, G., Hello, Y., Lee, S.v.d. et al. Imaging the Galápagos mantle plume with an unconventional application of floating seismometers. Sci Rep 9, 1326 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-36835-w 

https://www.nsf.gov/ 

Villagómez, D., Toomey, D., Geist, D. et al. Mantle flow and multistage melting beneath the Galápagos hotspot revealed by seismic imaging. Nature Geosci 7, 151–156 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2062 

NOTE: I have been blessed to have been a recipient of the National Science Foundation’s (NFS) graduate study programs which enriched my knowledge and resulted in my becoming an award-winning science teacher. At Texas A&M University in College Station, my graduate classes included Geology, Mineralogy, Oceanography and Meteorology. At Portland State University, the program involved transporting us to almost every volcano in the Cascade range from Shasta in northern California through the state of Washington. Earthquakes were studied at Missouri State University in Columbia.   

It was through National Science Foundation graduate studies I gained valuable knowledge. Every minute of opportunity and experience helped me become an award-winning teacher and author.

CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PAST

CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PAST        
       www,irenebaron.com  11 August 2020 
 

THE ICE AGE

Our perception of the earth is like that of a mite on a tree. The mite isn't aware of changes in tree growth during its life.  Climate change is something humans rarely witness in their lifetime.   

[image error]I grew up in Ohio where the one or two-mile thick ice of the last Ice Age began to retreat about 10,000 years ago.  The weight of the ice pushing on Ohio applied pressure to the crust of the Earth. Since the ice melted over 10,000 years ago, the ground is still rebounding which causes most earthquakes in Ohio. 

We have found Ice Age records on the earth as the ice sheets scraped over rock. Boulders embedded within the ice scoured bedrock and left deep grooves in the Earth’s surface. That told us the direction the ice was moving. The ice also picked up diamonds from Canada. It dropped them in Ohio as it melted and retreated. These changes evolved over tens of thousands of years. Our perception is primarily within our lifetime. We are like the mite on the tree. We don’t see it change much in our lifetime. 

Over millions of years, as the continents shifted to different latitudes, their climates changed. Some changed drastically. Antarctica, for example, used to be a tropical paradise. It has moved to its current position where the surface has been covered by ice for longer than we could remember. In Earth time, it has been like the blink of an eye.
 

ANTARCTICA: PIRI REIS MAP & MOA VIEWS 

Proof of that change is the Piri Reis map. Piri Reis was a famous admiral of the Turkish fleet in the 1500s with a love of cartography.

[image error]Sailing men found maps necessary so they could ply the oceans more accurately. Admiral Reis compiled one map from the ancient ones he accessed. Many he located within the Imperial Library of Constantinople. Some of the maps dated back over four hundred years before the birth of Christ. Perhaps some were older than that.   What is astounding on his final map is that Antarctica had no ice. 

Images in 1997 of Antarctica using radar to see under the ice were compiled by the NASA Earth Observatory. In 2001, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites was used by researchers at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado and the University of New Hampshire. They assembled a map called the Mosaic of Antarctica (MOA). The MOA shows Antarctica with detail never before seen. What is astounding is that it verified the Antarctic coastline as drawn in the Piri Reis Map. 

These MOA views illustrate that the original maps from which the Piri Reis Map was constructed were made correctly. The coastline of Antarctica the ancients drew when it had no ice was over 95% correct. Those of you alive at this time in history with no knowledge of the Piri Reis map have had no idea what the surface of that continent was like under the ice or at the coast until the MOA satellite data was received. It confirmed the Piri Reis Map.

That confirmation astounded the map world of cartographers who couldn’t imagine anyone mapping Antarctica without the myriad forms of electronic equipment we have in this century. The ancient Babylonians were not only [image error]brilliant in mathematics and astronomy, but also in their Tarshish and Phoenician ship maps of the world as they knew it. Thousands of years ago, mapping was just imperative to sail the seas as it is now. 

Is this something easy for scientists and laymen to understand?

With evidence, they try to figure out the patterns of continuing continental drift and repercussions of same. Much of their explanations began as theory. Trying to refute the theory of continental drift, they proved it. Because the patterns of climate changes due to this shifting has taken so long to occur, many scientists don’t associate them with the continental motions or precession of the Earth’s axis as the poles move in their circular 25,000 year rounded path. 

[image error]Antarctica was without ice when the maps were drawn. The climate at the South Pole changed to be colder as the temperate regions warmed. North America was in an Ice Age much earlier and has warmed. It is during this last warming period that melting has also occurred on the south polar continent. It is a recent rapid increase in temperatures that has alarmed environmentalists who foresee a very hot earth. 

SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES

At one time, the southwestern states of the United States formed a desert bigger than the Sahara. That’s why topsoil is only an inch thick in much of that region, if at all.

The warm continental/dry air from Mexico and air flowing over the Cascades and Rocky Mountains evaporating moisture east of those mountains are keeping that area in desert conditions. With climate warming, that area will eventually return to a vast desert. 

The largest biological event awaited by the world is the harvest in the United States. With climate warming, the Corn Belt and life-giving crops will have to move north. If you want to buy agricultural land for generations a few hundred years in the future, buy land in Canada. 

The climate continually changes as the oceans heat and cool. Ocean variations initiate many changes on land. A major volcanic eruption spewing out ash more than Krakatoa could cool the Earth. This is an active planet. Change is expected. It’s controversial diseases like COVID-10 which knock us for a loop. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Worrying about changing climate won't help. However, you can be prudent by promoting and following practices to reduce the output of heat energy.

MY BIGGEST CONCERN

My personal rant is about clean water. The Clean Water Act was a big step forward that industry wants to change. They continue to lobby and influence legislators to make changes affecting clean water laws. Beware of such changes.

You can promote conservation of clean water by using more manufactured chemicals. We need to slow the massive production and use of chemicals that end up in the groundwater, streams, rivers, and ocean. 

Every chemical that goes on or in humans and animals, or that is used large scale such as pesticides and fertilizers on plants, will end up in the oceans which are already contaminated by nuclear radiation from Japan. Our Earth is becoming more chemically dangerous. Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) will increasingly ruin water in every country. Do some research on your own and use more organic products.

Sorry, climate change advocates, but to me, immediate action to have clean water for humans is more important than climate change. If you destroy our clean water, there will be no one left to care about the climate.
 

REFERENCES  

Haran, T., J. Bohlander, T. Scambos, and M. Fahnestock compilers. 2005. MODIS Mosaic of Antarctica (MOA) Image Map. Boulder, CO, USA: National Snow and Ice Data Center. Digital media. 

1997 Radar images of Antarctica 
https://asf.alaska.edu/data-sets/derived-data-sets/radarsat-antarctic-mapping-project-ramp/ 

MOA mapping project 
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/MOA 

Imagery and download of NSIDC data 
https://nsidc.org/data/moa

HUMMINGBIRDS

HUMMINGBIRDS      
www.irenebaron.com 

I love to see and hear hummingbirds and have fed them many summers. I enjoy their shy antics. If you measure intelligence by the “encephalization quotient,” The brain-to-body ratio, the hummingbird appears to be the most intelligent of all animals, including us!

[image error]Hummingbirds are in the biological family of Trochilidae. They rank as the smallest birds with an average length of 3-5 inches. The smallest is the bee hummingbird that weighs 2 grams, the equivalent of two paperclips. The largest hummingbird is the giant hummingbird which weighs about 24 grams. 

When they hover in the air, the wings of a large hummingbird are beating 12 times per second. The smaller hummingbird wings are beating more than 80 times per second. The high frequency of the beating wings makes sound humans can hear. It sounds like a hum. Wings of hummingbirds can move in a figure-eight pattern. That allows them to hover or fly backward. That makes them a marvel to watch in acrobatic flight.   

When fighting over food rights, they can whiz by you at almost 50 miles per hour. Imagine the amount of food they need to feed the amount of energy expended to go that fast? To survive normal hummingbird life, they must eat up to five times its own weight in nectar every day. There are some people who have multiple feeders in their yard to feed them all. 

[image error]To conserve energy when food is scarce or when sleeping, they go into what is called a torpor where their metabolic rate drops to 1/15th of their normal rate. It is similar to going into hibernation. At the torpor stage, their heart only beats about 50 times per minute. At normal rest, the hummingbird heart beats about 250 times per minute. When in normal flight, their heart beats about 1,260 times per minute. I have no idea how fast their heart beats when flying at high speeds. It must be phenomenally fast. 

The hummingbird songs go into the ultrasonic range or very high-frequency range, similar to dolphins.  Much of what is sung by them is not in the audible range humans can hear. When you do hear a hummingbird, could it perhaps be meant for you to hear, such as when the feeder needs replenished or to warn you of their presence or pleasure? 

Studies of hummingbirds show they may visit up to 1000 flowers per day. They know how long the nectar takes to replenish in each flower. They revisit flowers when the nectar has returned to it. That they keep that data in their mind shows how intelligent they are. 

This little bird is known to have a hot temper when it comes to territorial rights, especially near a food supply. The fights may be fast and furious and decided within seconds. It is believed their thoughts are lightning-swift, much faster than human minds. They could out-think us in a millisecond of awareness. 

Hummingbird feeders often have red on them as the birds are attracted to red. Do NOT use red dye as it is dangerous for the birds.  A leaking feeder will attract bees and wasps. Wasps will often build nests near your feeders. Keep an eye out for wasp nests. The last one I had in August 2020 was in my kitchen stove vent pipe. The exterminator put in a powder of some kind that eliminated them.  I closed and sealed the vent on the outside until the next can be removed. 

Store-bought hummingbird food often has red dye or preservatives which could harm the birds. 

You can easily make hummingbird nectar with two ingredients, sugar and water. If you make too much, store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator to later refill the feeder. The ratio is usually 4:1. Four cups of water to 1 cup of sugar. You can break that down into smaller amounts. Four half cups of water (2 cups) to one-half cup of sugar. 

I heat the water in the microwave and add the sugar after it boils. Stir to dissolve the sugar and let cool.  Often, I will use less water and when cooling, add ice cubes to make up the missing water.  When the hummingbirds are getting ready to migrate, they will need more energy. It is advised by bird lovers to change the ratio to 3:1 in late August or early September. 

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​​​​​​​Hummingbird feeders are sold at many hardware or general stores in the spring and summer. I have had experience of several types.  I learned not to use hot water when cleaning the ones with a red film over the glass. They have a clear red synthetic material covering the glass to make them red, be aware that it disintegrates in hot water to a soft film and comes off the glass. 

Hummingbird feeders must be cleaned between each feeding. There is a dark fungus that grows on the inside of the feeders.  It is recommended to NOT use soap, but just cool water and a brush. I purchased some washable straws this year. The package had a brush with which to wash the inside of the straws.  I found that brush so soft on the thin wire that it would penetrate the miniature holes on the hummingbird Feeders. That effectively cleaned away any fungus inside the feeder holes. Another brush and cloth cleaned the rest of the feeders. 

If you fed the hummingbirds last year, they will expect you to feed them again and will show up to be fed the next spring. They will undoubtedly be disappointed if you don’t follow through each year after the first one. 

They are beautiful and iridescent. They are intelligent and may interact with you when the feeder is in need of nectar. They are a delight to watch. Enjoy the many YouTube videos about hummingbirds on the internet. A pair of binoculars as you sit watching them makes it much more fun. 

 

 

http://www.birdminds.com/Hummingbird.php 

http://bit.ly/BirdFunFacts. 

https://birdcast.info/live-migration-maps/

PERSEID METEOR SHOWER

THE PERSEID METEOR SHOWER

The Perseid meteor shower is the most exciting astronomy event of the year.

It can be viewed the nights of 17 July through 24 August 2020. The peak night when you will see the most meteors will be Wednesday, 12 August. 

[image error]Expect light pollution from the Moon this year. 

Due to COVID-19, the Zanesville Astronomy Club will not host a Perseids Meteor Shower event.

The best viewing time is from eleven pm and later.  After midnight, expect to see at least one meteor or shooting star per minute 11-12 August.  During that peak you may see up to 100-per hour. One never knows what to expect. Some years it's more than that.

The map image to the left is from the Rocky Mt. National park. It illustrates where to look to see the most meteors. 

Comet Swift-Tuttle, in its revolution around the Sun, left a stream of debris. The debris the comet leaves behind is what creates the meteor show. If the rock or debris flies through our atmosphere, it is called a meteor. The comet orbits the Earth once every 133-years.

If the debris hits the ground, it is called a meteorite. The rocks that remain in space and do not enter our atmosphere are called meteoroids.   

[image error]If you take time exposure pictures, the streaks of light against the background stars may be spectacular.  A guide for photographing meteors with an iPhone is at:  https://www.nightcapcamera.com/meteor-showers/

If you don’t attend a community or park viewing event, take a lawn chair out into your back yard or area where you can see the sky.  Sit facing the northeast.  The meteors will come primarily from that direction.  Many families make popcorn or snacks to be served with beverages to create a festive affair. 

If you have a telephone or iPad that takes apps, load the free Meteor Counter application.  It will always give you the latest news and allows you to enter whether you are a beginner, intermediate or expert astronomer with meteors.  You can aid astronomers by providing data about the meteors you see. 

A NASA  Facebook page for meteors is: https://www.facebook.com/NasaMeteorWatch/

An excellent NASA notation and video about the smoke left from meteors causing noctilucent clouds is at:  http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/07aug_meteorsmoke/ 

The Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) guide to past photos of this shower can be found at: https://apod.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search.  Be sure to check this site daily during and after the meteor shower to see the spectacular pictures captured from around the world.  If this APOD site is not one of your daily excursions into astronomy, make it a “favorite” or a “bookmark” and begin to enjoy the delights it offers. 

To learn about future meteor showers, the meteor calendar can be found at:https://www.imo.net/news/https://www.imo.net/news/ 

The American Meteor Society guide for now through 17 August can be found at: https://www.amsmeteors.org/articles/ 

Images not sited are from NASA.

When in grade school and quite ignorant about astronomy, I thought the “shooting stars” were space ships traveling from star to star. They were a great curiosity to me and perhaps began my life-long love of studying the night sky and teaching astronomy. I remember sitting on the grass as a child in the early summer evenings to watch the meteors, the moon and constellations.  The sky was always dark and the stars bright back then.  My family loved seeing the Milky Way which is now barely visible due to light pollution. I can still visualize the beauty of the Milky Way of my youth without even closing my eyes.  For that I feel blessed.