Saturday, July 17, 2021
Hobbled Hubble Telescope Springs Back To Life On Its Backup System
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| NASA |
The Hubble Space Telescope is returning to operation more than a month after its original payload computer shut down. NASA said it has successfully switched over to its backup computer — and while the process of bringing the system back online is slow, the agency has started to bring science instruments out of "safe mode."
"There was cheering in the control center" on Thursday night when word came that NASA had managed to restore the payload computer, James Jeletic, Hubble's deputy project manager, told NPR.
Hubble will likely resume science work this weekend
"There's a big sense of relief," Jeletic said.
"We believed that this all would work, but, you know, you're dealing with the space business and all kinds of surprises can come your way. But we didn't get any surprises."
As for when the telescope will beam its first breathtaking images back to Earth since the restart, the wait should be a short one.
"The first observations will hopefully be done over the weekend," Jeletic said. Accounting for the time it takes to receive and process the data, he predicted, "you probably would see the first images come out sometime in the beginning of next week."
Greenland halts new oil exploration to combat climate change and focus on sustainable development
Greenland has suspended all new oil and gas exploration, the country's government announced Thursday. Government officials said they believe the "price of oil extraction is too high," citing both economic considerations and the fight against climate change.
"This step has been taken for the sake of our nature, for the sake of our fisheries, for the sake of our tourism industry, and to focus our business on sustainable potentials," the government, called Naalakkersuisut, said in a statement.
Greenland is believed to have massive amounts of unexplored oil deposits. One study cited in the statement estimated that there were billions of barrels worth of oil along the country's west coast and large deposits under the east coast's seabed.
Greenland has four active exploration licenses, owned by two small companies, that the government will still be required to respect as long as licensees are still exploring, The Associated Press reported.
Kalistat Lund, the country's minister for agriculture, self-sufficiency, energy and environment, said that the government "takes climate change seriously."
"We can see the consequences in our country every day, and we are ready to contribute to global solutions to counter climate change," Lund said. "Naalakkersuisut is working to attract new investments for the large hydropower potential that we cannot exploit ourselves. The decision to stop new exploration for oil will contribute to place Greenland as the country where sustainable investments are taken seriously."
The government also announced that it has sent out a draft bill for consultation that would ban preliminary investigation, exploration and extraction of uranium.
Uranium, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is a widely-used radioactive element that is now primarily used as fuel for nuclear energy. There are several ways to extract uranium, but all of them, according to the EPA, produce radioactive waste.
"The Greenlandic population has based its livelihood on the country's natural resources for centuries, and the ban on uranium mining is rooted in a profound belief that business activities must take nature and the environment into account," Naalakkersuisut said in a statement.
O&H Danish Bakery to open new storefront in Racine next week
Racine-based O&H Danish Bakery is upgrading its longtime retail store on Racine’s north side to a newly constructed storefront, set to open July 21, the company announced Friday.
The new store is located at 4917 Douglas Ave., about three miles north of the bakery’s existing Douglas Avenue store, which will close to the public on July 17. The relocation signifies its re-investment in the community where O&H Danish Bakery — best known for its kringle pastries — got its start in 1949, the company said in a news release.
The original Douglas Avenue store was the bakery’s first store location and now its operations include four additional store locations in Racine, Sturtevent and Oak Creek, as well as a production facility on Washington Avenue in Racine, with product availability in Trader Joe’s and nationwide delivery.
“My grandfather broke the norm for a Danish bakery in Racine and made Douglas Avenue the place where we first planted our roots 72 years ago,” said Eric Olesen, third-generation co-owner of O&H Danish Bakery. “Our growth and ability to make great bakery to this day is due to the history of support our neighbors, customers and friends, provided us for years and years on Douglas Avenue. We’re thrilled to be continuing our investment with an all-new store experience still on Douglas Ave.”
The storefront’s design pays homage to the company’s Danish Viking heritage, with a 14-foot by 17-foot wooden tree installation symbolizing the legend of the Norse tree of life. The check-out counter is made to represent a runestone, which is a tradition used by Vikings to memorialize great stories or sagas from history, the company said.
Its newest storefront is part of a recently completed commercial development by Mount Pleasant-based Northterra Real Estate Group. O&H shares the building with a Starbucks cafe and drive-thru. Retail Fixture and Absolute Construction, both based in the Racine area, headed the build-out and design of the space.
From: https://biztimes.com/oh-danish-bakery-to-open-new-storefront-in-racine-next-week/
Racine man accused, brought cocaine into jail officials say
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| Rashad Lewis |
RACINE, Wis. - Rashad Lewis, 31, of Racine, is charged with multiple counts after prosecutors say he brought cocaine into the Racine County Jail upon intake.
According to a criminal complaint, Racine County Jail corrections staff were alerted to a fight the morning of July 10. Staff responded and arrived back at intake with Lewis, who was allegedly involved in the altercation with another inmate.
As staff began to walk Lewis to intake, the complaint states, he got agitated and began to yell for a supervisor – not wanting to walk to the cell. Eventually, though, he complied.
At that time, a deputy picked up an item from the floor directly behind Lewis, according to the complaint, who was the only inmate in that area at the time. Upon inspection, it was determined the item was a jail-issued deli sandwich bag containing a white substance. It later tested positive for cocaine.
Further inspection revealed the bag contained smaller individual bags with powder inside them. In total, the complaint states, the deputy counted 12 bags. In total, everything weighed 4.9 grams.
A review of intake camera footage showed the bag fall from Lewis' pant leg onto the floor. A review of body scan pictures showed that Lewis had the baggie concealed near his genitals upon arrival to the jail.
The complaint states that staff then searched Lewis' cell and found a lighter concealed in a styrofoam lunch tray. Lewis said he concealed the lighter in his rectum after he found it; it was confirmed by jail staff after reviewing a July 10 body scan.
In total, Lewis is charged with:
- Possession with intent to deliver cocaine, possession with intent to deliver/distribute a controlled substance on or near a jail
- Felony bail jumping (4 counts)
A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for July 21.
From: https://www.fox6now.com/news/racine-man-accused-brought-cocaine-into-jail
Teen girl shot by owner after stealing car at Kenosha gas station: Police
KENOSHA — A teen girl stole an unattended car at a Kenosha gas station and was then shot by the car's owner Friday evening.
A Flight for Life helicopter brought the injured teen to Children's Hospital, according to Kenosha police. The condition of the teen was not released.
The incident happened at the Mobil gas station at 50th Street and Sheridan Road around 5:30 p.m. Friday, police said in tweets.
The car's owner left the car unattended and running when the teen jumped in and tried to drive away, police said. The owner then fired gunshots at the car, striking the girl.
KPD adds a suspect is in custody, and that the scene of the incident remains closed to the public.
Friday, July 16, 2021
Los Angeles County reinstates mask mandate indoors amid outbreak
Here it comes, the latest surge in covid cases, fueled by the Delta-variant. Most people don't have the discipline to follow guidelines just a little bit longer, thereby endangering all of us. Summer is here! Hooray! Throw caution to the wind and party, party, party! Dumb fucks.
Woman filing suit against Walmart after she says she was viciously attacked by an employee
MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. (CBS58) -- A 70-year-old woman is seeking justice by filing a lawsuit against Walmart and a former employee.
P.K. Shader, the victim, says 17-year-old Jazareia Velasquez brutally beat her in the middle of the store.
Velasquez appeared in court Thursday, July 15.
"She's lost confidence to go shopping in a store," said Carl Ricciardi, attorney for the victim. "It wasn't just a slap, she was punched multiple times in the face."
Shader says she's more disturbed no one came to her rescue.
"No one called the police, including the manager who came rushing over to do an incident report," Shader said.
The incident happened Wednesday, July 7.
Shader had a bad encounter with Velasquez and asked to speak to a manager. The criminal complaint says Velasquez's name tag was not visible so Shader took out her phone to take a picture of Velasquez to send to corporate. Shader says that set Velasquez off.
"She went crazy. She flew and punched me, fist right here, over and over again," Shader said.
Ricciardi and Shader want compensation for all of her injuries.
"Look at pictures of Shader's face and they will come to reasonable decision as to what that kind of conduct is worth," Ricciardi said.
Shader says her bruised face should be enough to fight her case.
"How do you expect that from a store employee," she said.
Walmart has fired Velasquez. She appeared in court Thursday, July 7, for a preliminary hearing. However, it was postponed so Velasquez can hire a private attorney. She's due back in court Wednesday, August 11.
How one routine cancer screening saved the life of a Racine woman
RACINE — Jo Anne Potter scheduled a routine doctor's appointment right before the pandemic with her primary care doctor. She brought her daughter, Lori Booth, in with her because she had concerns about her mother's history as a smoker.
Potter was hesitant to share, but Booth spoke up to explain Potter's medical history to her doctor and expressed concern. Both mother and daughter had seen several members in their family battle cancer, and wanted this to be known.
"I said, 'is there any kind of test we can do, like a scan or anything? And she said, 'you know there is.'"
The doctor recommended a CT lung scan for Potter, and she was a bit hesitant.
"I’m like, 'one test can make a difference. If it’s nothing, then it’s nothing. But if it's something, it could save your life,'" said Booth.
And it did. After a series of appointments, the lung CT scan showed something suspicious and later a biopsy confirmed that Potter had early stages of lung cancer.
"Just so thankful that we had this test done because, once we found out that this was indeed cancer, it was in the early stages. Had we not had the test done, it could have been very late stages before she even had symptoms," said Booth.
According to Dr. Bill Tisol, the Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, he believes early detection is key.
"A lot of people don't know this, but when you're dealing with early-stage lung cancer, many times the only thing you'll need is surgery. You will not need chemotherapy or radiation," said Tisol.
This was luckily the case for Potter. She went through surgery and is now cancer-free.
"Man, was I lucky," said Potter.
Dr. Bill Tisol is encourages all to speak with their primary care doctor if they have any concerns in order to get a CT lung scan.
Authorities: Racine Co. gas station shooter killed himself after attempted carjackings
FRANKSVILLE — The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation released new details on a gas station shooting that left two people dead, including a suspect, and an officer hospitalized.
They say around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, a man at the Pilot Gas Station on Highway K in Franksville shot and killed a man who was pumping his gas at the station.
The victim was identified Wednesday as Anthony Griger, 22, of Elkhorn. Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling called it a "vicious execution" at a press briefing Tuesday afternoon.
The suspect, later identified as John R. McCarthy, 32, then attempted to leave the gas station in Griger's vehicle, but couldn't operate it. The DOJ says he tried to carjack another patron's vehicle, but they drove away. McCarthy fired several rounds into the car, but the patron was not hit.
McCarthy then got into his own vehicle and drove to the Mobil gas station on Highway K. Once he arrived, he got out of his vehicle and approached a man filling his gas tank and attempted to carjack it.
The man he approached was a Racine County Sheriff's deputy in plain clothes and an unmarked police car.
The deputy and McCarthy exchanged gunfire, and both were hit.
The DOJ says McCarthy then shot himself in the head.
Both of the men were taken to a local hospital for treatment. McCarthy was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
The deputy is receiving treatment but is expected to survive. He has been placed on medical leave.
DCI is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting of the carjacking and homicide suspect, and the Racine County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation into the carjacking homicide at the Pilot Gas Station.
They say all involved law enforcement is fully cooperating with the DCI during the investigation.
Once the investigation is concluded the DCI will turn over the investigative records to the Racine County District Attorney.
A Better Mt. Pleasant
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Racine County gas station shooter identified
RACINE, Wis. —
The Racine County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday identified the man who shot and killed a man at a Caledonia gas station and then shot an undercover deputy.
He is 32-year-old John R. McCarthy, of Hartland.
Authorities said he shot and killed a 22-year-old Anthony F. Griger, of Elkhorn, at the Pilot Travel Center in Caledonia. McCarthy also fired at another vehicle, not injuring anyone, Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said.
McCarthy then drove to the Mobil in Franksville and approached an undercover Racine County deputy in an unmarked vehicle.
The gunman and the deputy opened fire. McCarthy was killed.
The deputy is in the hospital recovering from multiple gunshot wounds, which fractured several bones in the area of his pelvis, the sheriff's office said.
WISN 12 News cameras captured the scene Tuesday night as investigators searched McCarthy's Hartland home.
WISN 12 News learned that about an hour before the Tuesday morning shooting spree, fire alarms sent neighbors scrambling out of the building.
"We were trying to figure out what was going on, and he was the only person we couldn't account for in the building," Hartland resident, Jamie Hansen said.
They soon discovered the alarm in McCarthy's unit had been pulled, and he was gone, apparently in a hurry.
Neighbors said McCarthy had the locks changed on his apartment the day before, and one neighbor who asked not to be identified, said he saw McCarthy in his words, looking panicked as he left.
"He was really jittery, man," the neighbor said. "Running around like he was crazy. I was wondering what in the hell he was doing. And then all of a sudden, he got into the car and away he went."
WISN 12 News tried to reach out to McCarthy's parents, but they had a sign on their door saying they were not commenting at this time.
"I don't know what would have made him do that, but it's terrifying to think that there's people out there like that," Hansen said.
From: https://www.wisn.com/article/racine-county-gas-station-shooter-identified/37027607
FCC to require 10-digit dialing code for Wisconsin residents starting Oct. 24
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Copyright Getty Images Photo by: Mireya Acierto |
Starting Oct. 24, some Wisconsin residents will be required to type in a 10-digit dialing code in order to connect to local and long-distance calls.
The FCC said the change comes as the new 988 dialing code to contact the National Suicide Prevention Line will go into effect July 16.
All customers with area codes 262, 414, 608, and 920 will need to dial the area code and telephone number to connect to local and long-distance calls. This applies to all calls that are currently dialed with seven digits.
The FCC says to ensure that 988 calls reach the suicide prevention hotline, 36 states, including Wisconsin, must transition to 10-digit dialing systems.
Calls made on or after Oct. 24 without the 10-digit dialing code will not go through.
Nothing changes for those residents (543 and 715) who are already using the 10 digit system.
According to the FCC, the 10-digit dialing requirement will not change:
- A customer’s telephone number, including current area code;
- The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services;
- A local call will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed;
- Customers will continue to dial 1+ the area code + telephone number for all long-distance calls;
- Customers will continue to dial a prefix (such as “9”) when dialing from a multi-line telephone system (e.g., in a hotel, office building, etc.) as required;
- Customers can still dial three digits to reach 711 (relay services) and 911 (emergency services);
- If 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, or 811 are currently available in a community, customers can continue to dial these codes with just three digits; and
- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can still be reached by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255) even after the ‘988’ code is in effect.
For more information, click here.
22-year-old Elkhorn man killed during Pilot Travel Center shooting identified
The 22-year-old Elkhorn man who was shot and killed during an incident at a Pilot Travel Center in Racine County has been identified.
The Racine County Sheriff's Office identified the man as Anthony Griger.
Griger was putting gas into his vehicle just after 7:30 a.m. Tuesday when another man approached and "brutally executed" him.
- Previous coverage: Undercover officer shoots, kills suspect accused of gunning down victim at Racine Co. gas station
After the suspect killed Griger, investigators say he shot at another person driving in the parking lot of the Pilot Travel Center. Luckily, that person was not hit. The suspect then took off, heading eastbound on Highway K. Sheriff Schmaling says the suspect made it about three miles, before going on another shooting spree at the Mobil gas station located at the corner of Highways H and K.
“The suspect had no idea, but there was an undercover investigator with 21 years of experience in the Racine Sheriff’s Office who was there, just beginning his shift and putting gas into his unmarked squad car,” Sheriff Schmaling said. “The suspect approached that investigator and began to shoot at him at a close distance. The investigator and suspect both exchanged gunfire. “
Both were hit by bullets. The suspect died from his injuries. The undercover officer was rushed to Ascension Racine and will survive. Sheriff Schmaling says he spoke to that officer hours after the shooting, and he was alert and conscious.
The investigator is now in the hospital recovering from multiple gunshot wounds, which fractured several bones in the area of his pelvis, the sheriff's office said Wednesday. The investigator’s injuries are non-life threatening.
Authorities also identified the suspect as John R. McCarthy, 32.
Boomer Suicide
Inspired, of course, by the greatest movie in the history of moving pictures.
Feel the peace of your vaccines
Your body crawls with spike proteins
Your doctor swears it won't do harm
Just stick that jab into your arm
Boomer suicide, just do it
Boomer suicide, they knew it
Boomer suicide, jump to it
Boomer suicide, just do it
You don't believe they'd lie to you
It's getting hard to breathe
So lay your weary head to rest
You failed the final Darwin test
Boomer suicide, just do it
Boomer suicide, they knew it
Boomer suicide, jump to it
Boomer suicide, just do it
In the event that you happen to find this amusing to some degree, please note that it is not an invitation to tell the same joke again.
From: http://voxday.blogspot.com/2021/07/boomer-suicide.html
The trends aren't all bad
A Federal court overturns a gun ban dating back to 1968:
A US appeals court has ruled against a longstanding federal restriction that prohibits sales of handguns to adults younger than 21, finding that the age-based ban is unconstitutional.
“We refuse to relegate either the Second Amendment or 18- to 20-year-olds to a second-class status,” Judge Julius Richardson wrote in Tuesday's ruling by the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia.
The 2-1 decision by a three-judge panel found that Congress failed to show sufficient public interest to justify precluding 18- to 20-year-olds from enjoying their full Second Amendment rights when it passed the law in question in 1968. Congress used “disproportionate” crime rates to craft the legislation, restricting the rights of “overwhelmingly law-abiding citizens,” and it failed to show that licensed dealers were the source of guns used by young adults to commit crimes, the court ruled.
There is still a long way to go. And it doesn't help that the globalist governments of the West are trying to force discrimination against anyone smart enough to avoid injecting the spike proteins. But there are silver linings among the growing clouds.
No one said it would be easy. In fact, they repeatedly warned you that it wouldn't be.
Fron: http://voxday.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-trends-arent-all-bad.html
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
The LGBT lobby’s apparent obsession with influencing children could spark an American cultural backlash nobody wants to see
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| People take part in the Queer Liberation March in New York © Reuters |
Isaac Newton’s third law of motion holds that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Though this does apply to physics, it can also apply to culture and society. Back in the early 2000s, the religious right in America pushed for the government to canonize traditional marriage and institute several state bans on same-sex unions. They were met with a large amount of pushback from the LGBT lobby. Ultimately, those bans were deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and the rainbow flag waved proudly over the cultural battlefield.
As time has gone on, the LGBT political lobby has continued to push into the culture with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer hitting a glass table. Recently, the San Francisco Gay Men’s choir put out a video it has since deleted stating that they were “coming for your kids.” Though they claimed it was satirical, I doubt any parent who worries about the safety of his or her child thought it was very funny.
Read more: https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/preview/514457884876261588/1192920014358861474
Police it or lose it
Country music has been converged:
MEAWW reported that one-half of the Grammy-winning country duo “Big & Rich” recently dished on the disconnect between the country music industry and its fans.
Rich says that while most country music fans are conservatives, those who actually run the industry are mostly liberal. He says its this conflict that leaves conservative leaning country artists in a difficult situation.
“The industry of country [music] is, I would say, I can’t give you a percentage but let’s just say the majority is very liberal,” Rich said. “They’ve been that way for a long time. It’s interesting that the industry that puts out country music doesn’t really align with a lot of the audience.”
“A lot of folks that listen to country [music], and again I can’t give you a percentage but I can tell you a majority of the audience probably leans conservative,” he continued. “So you’ve got this gulf, kind of, between the two.”
Rich went on to say that he has seen things change in the industry to swing even further left over the past few months.
“Over the years, the industry has never really come out really strongly about their liberal edge that they’ve got until recently, maybe in the past six to 12 months,” he said. “They’ve started coming out more and more and the problem you get is if you’ve got artists that are conservative but their record label, their publicist, their manager, a lot of the radio stations are being overseen by liberals.”
Conservatives and everyone else to their right have to learn to stop taking the money bait and stop working with those who hate them, particularly when those who hate them are in the stronger, more defensible position. Nothing good is going to come of any such collaborations in the long run even if you are strong enough to refuse to sacrifice your principles.
I was told that I'd never be signed by Tor Books, but that was irrelevant because I never made any attempt to be signed by Tor Books. And when Thomas Nelson, a supposedly Christian, right-wing publisher tried to convince me to change what I was writing, I refused, and declined every subsequent approach from their editors.
It's hard for young artists with stars in their eyes to understand that compromising at the start, even if it is a reasonable compromise, is going to lead to being controlled, if not owned outright. But you can't sell just a piece of your soul.
From: http://voxday.blogspot.com/2021/07/police-it-or-lose-it.html