"POINTING TOWARD SUCCESS"
>-------------->>
Pocket print on front of T-Shirt for the Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) Native American Organization in 1997
*************
Printed on back of the T-Shirt
"Limited Knowledge is Limited Wisdom"
[image of Native American shield]
"Humbleness And Respect For All Native Nations Through Our Faith And Traditional Education"
*************
These sayings are special for me because I helped design the T-Shirt. I was an honorary member of the SWOSU Native American Organization and attended all their meetings and events during the 1997-1998 school year.
My Native American Organization honorary membership was a result of taking the SWOSU "History of American Indians" class given by Dr. Roger Bromert, Associate Professor of History. Dr. Bromert grew up on a farm near Sioux Nation land in South Dakota. And I consider Dr. Bromert's "History of American Indians" class very thorough and challenging.
Note that from an academic history point of view the term "American Indian" is used rather than the "Native American", the term that is currently more acceptable for general use.
August 24, 2002
Epilogue for My "Bumbling" with BloggerPro "Draft" Mode
As you all can tell, I am in a learning process with BloggerPro being only in my sixth day of using the software.
After reading more carefully the intended purpose of the "Draft" mode, I think direct posting of a draft document is not "Kosher." :-)
More reading makes me think the "Draft" mode is meant for quick entering of ideas that come to mind, quick transcription of magazine items, etc., without waiting and maybe forgetting the items. Then these draft items, if desired, can be copied and pasted to documents in the "Current" mode from which a final document is edited and posted.
I appreciate you readers bearing with me while I learn the software.
As you all can tell, I am in a learning process with BloggerPro being only in my sixth day of using the software.
After reading more carefully the intended purpose of the "Draft" mode, I think direct posting of a draft document is not "Kosher." :-)
More reading makes me think the "Draft" mode is meant for quick entering of ideas that come to mind, quick transcription of magazine items, etc., without waiting and maybe forgetting the items. Then these draft items, if desired, can be copied and pasted to documents in the "Current" mode from which a final document is edited and posted.
I appreciate you readers bearing with me while I learn the software.
Reposting with hyperlinks included
August 8, 2002
News Item - New Method Said to Solve Key Problem in Math
My morning ritual reading news websites usually includes going to New York Times on the Web. In early August I was excited to see a story by Sarah Robinson in the Times science section: "New Method Said to Solve Key Problem in Math".
The young school kid comes out in me and I am thrilled when I read about breakthroughs in solving mathematical problems, proving mathematical theorems, and so on. This story didn't disappoint me.
The story leading sentence is: "Three Indian computer scientists have solved a longstanding mathematics problem by devising a way for a computer to tell quickly and definitively whether a number is prime — that is, whether it is evenly divisible only by itself and 1."
[click Here for full story]
My interest was perked and I went to the website posted by the researchers named PRIMES is in P . Their website is great. I especially enjoy the claim "that the proof is neither too complex nor too long (their preprint paper is only 9 pages long!)." In my years spent solving problems in the chemical industry, my greatest enjoyment came from finding simple, low cost and easily implemented solutions.
[The URL for PRIMES is in P is <http://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/news/primality.html>.]
Discussion and links from the website are included here and bioraphical information for the researchers is given.
Website posted by the researchers :
PRIMES is in P
Prof. Manindra Agarwal and two of his students, Nitin Saxena and Neeraj Kayal (both BTech from CSE/IITK who have just joined as Ph.D. students), have discovered a polynomial time deterministic algorithm to test if an input number is prime or not. Lots of people over (literally!) centuries have been looking for a polynomial time test for primality, and this result is a major breakthrough, likened by some to the P-time solution to Linear Programming announced in the 70s.
One of the main features of this result is that the proof is neither too complex nor too long (their preprint paper is only 9 pages long!), and relies on very innovative and insightful use of results from number theory.
Download full paper ( PDF , Postscript )
[go to PRIMES is in P ]
FAQ on Primes is in P (compiled by Anton Stiglic)
[go to PRIMES is in P ]
[Note by Jack: on 8/24/02 I could not get the FAQ Web page]
Media Reports:
New York Times
Times of India
Rediff
Australian Broadcasting Corpn.
Tech News - CNET.com
About the researchers:
Manindra Agrawal completed his BTech in 1986 and PhD in 1991, both from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur. He was then a Fellow at Chennai Mathematical Institute till 1995, and Humboldt Fellow at University of Ulm during 1995-96. Since August 1996, he is at Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur.
Neeraj Kayal and Nitin Saxena both completed their BTech from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur in May 2002. Currently, they are PhD students in the department.
August 8, 2002
News Item - New Method Said to Solve Key Problem in Math
My morning ritual reading news websites usually includes going to New York Times on the Web. In early August I was excited to see a story by Sarah Robinson in the Times science section: "New Method Said to Solve Key Problem in Math".
The young school kid comes out in me and I am thrilled when I read about breakthroughs in solving mathematical problems, proving mathematical theorems, and so on. This story didn't disappoint me.
The story leading sentence is: "Three Indian computer scientists have solved a longstanding mathematics problem by devising a way for a computer to tell quickly and definitively whether a number is prime — that is, whether it is evenly divisible only by itself and 1."
[click Here for full story]
My interest was perked and I went to the website posted by the researchers named PRIMES is in P . Their website is great. I especially enjoy the claim "that the proof is neither too complex nor too long (their preprint paper is only 9 pages long!)." In my years spent solving problems in the chemical industry, my greatest enjoyment came from finding simple, low cost and easily implemented solutions.
[The URL for PRIMES is in P is <http://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/news/primality.html>.]
Discussion and links from the website are included here and bioraphical information for the researchers is given.
Website posted by the researchers :
PRIMES is in P
Prof. Manindra Agarwal and two of his students, Nitin Saxena and Neeraj Kayal (both BTech from CSE/IITK who have just joined as Ph.D. students), have discovered a polynomial time deterministic algorithm to test if an input number is prime or not. Lots of people over (literally!) centuries have been looking for a polynomial time test for primality, and this result is a major breakthrough, likened by some to the P-time solution to Linear Programming announced in the 70s.
One of the main features of this result is that the proof is neither too complex nor too long (their preprint paper is only 9 pages long!), and relies on very innovative and insightful use of results from number theory.
Download full paper ( PDF , Postscript )
[go to PRIMES is in P ]
FAQ on Primes is in P (compiled by Anton Stiglic)
[go to PRIMES is in P ]
[Note by Jack: on 8/24/02 I could not get the FAQ Web page]
Media Reports:
New York Times
Times of India
Rediff
Australian Broadcasting Corpn.
Tech News - CNET.com
About the researchers:
Manindra Agrawal completed his BTech in 1986 and PhD in 1991, both from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur. He was then a Fellow at Chennai Mathematical Institute till 1995, and Humboldt Fellow at University of Ulm during 1995-96. Since August 1996, he is at Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur.
Neeraj Kayal and Nitin Saxena both completed their BTech from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur in May 2002. Currently, they are PhD students in the department.
Will Repost "News Item - New Method Said to Solve Key Problem in Math"
On this post I tried the "Draft" feature of BloggerPro and then had trouble figuring out how to post the "draft." I did some "try this, try that" (and looked at "Help" :)) But I bumbled an the post appeared without any of the hyperlinks. So I am working on reposting with the hyperlinks included. Bear with me.
On this post I tried the "Draft" feature of BloggerPro and then had trouble figuring out how to post the "draft." I did some "try this, try that" (and looked at "Help" :)) But I bumbled an the post appeared without any of the hyperlinks. So I am working on reposting with the hyperlinks included. Bear with me.
News Item - New Method Said to Solve Key Problem in Math
My morning ritual reading news websites usually includes going to New York Times on the Web. In early August I was excited to see a story by Sarah Robinson in the Times science section: "New Method Said to Solve Key Problem in Math."
The young school kid comes out in me and I am thrilled when I read about breakthroughs in solving mathematical problems, proving mathematical theorems, and so on. This story didn't disappoint me.
The story leading sentence is: "Three Indian computer scientists have solved a longstanding mathematics problem by devising a way for a computer to tell quickly and definitively whether a number is prime — that is, whether it is evenly divisible only by itself and 1."
[click Here for full story]
My interest was perked and I went to the website posted by the researchers named PRIMES is in P . Their website is great. I especially enjoy the claim "that the proof is neither too complex nor too long (their preprint paper is only 9 pages long!)." In my years spent solving problems in the chemical industry, my greatest enjoyment came from finding simple, low cost and easily implemented solutions.
Discussion and links from the website are included here and bioraphical information for the mathematicians is given.
Website posted by the researchers :
PRIMES is in P
Prof. Manindra Agarwal and two of his students, Nitin Saxena and Neeraj Kayal (both BTech from CSE/IITK who have just joined as Ph.D. students), have discovered a polynomial time deterministic algorithm to test if an input number is prime or not. Lots of people over (literally!) centuries have been looking for a polynomial time test for primality, and this result is a major breakthrough, likened by some to the P-time solution to Linear Programming announced in the 70s.
One of the main features of this result is that the proof is neither too complex nor too long (their preprint paper is only 9 pages long!), and relies on very innovative and insightful use of results from number theory.
Download full paper ( PDF , Postscript )
[go to PRIMES is in P ]
FAQ on Primes is in P (compiled by Anton Stiglic)
[go to PRIMES is in P ]
[Note by Jack: on 8/24/02 I could not get the FAQ Web page]
Media Reports:
New York Times
Times of India
Rediff
Australian Broadcasting Corpn.
Tech News - CNET.com
About the researchers:
Manindra Agrawal completed his BTech in 1986 and PhD in 1991, both from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur. He was then a Fellow at Chennai Mathematical Institute till 1995, and Humboldt Fellow at University of Ulm during 1995-96. Since August 1996, he is at Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur.
Neeraj Kayal and Nitin Saxena both completed their BTech from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur in May 2002. Currently, they are PhD students in the department.
My morning ritual reading news websites usually includes going to New York Times on the Web. In early August I was excited to see a story by Sarah Robinson in the Times science section: "New Method Said to Solve Key Problem in Math."
The young school kid comes out in me and I am thrilled when I read about breakthroughs in solving mathematical problems, proving mathematical theorems, and so on. This story didn't disappoint me.
The story leading sentence is: "Three Indian computer scientists have solved a longstanding mathematics problem by devising a way for a computer to tell quickly and definitively whether a number is prime — that is, whether it is evenly divisible only by itself and 1."
[click Here for full story]
My interest was perked and I went to the website posted by the researchers named PRIMES is in P . Their website is great. I especially enjoy the claim "that the proof is neither too complex nor too long (their preprint paper is only 9 pages long!)." In my years spent solving problems in the chemical industry, my greatest enjoyment came from finding simple, low cost and easily implemented solutions.
Discussion and links from the website are included here and bioraphical information for the mathematicians is given.
Website posted by the researchers :
PRIMES is in P
Prof. Manindra Agarwal and two of his students, Nitin Saxena and Neeraj Kayal (both BTech from CSE/IITK who have just joined as Ph.D. students), have discovered a polynomial time deterministic algorithm to test if an input number is prime or not. Lots of people over (literally!) centuries have been looking for a polynomial time test for primality, and this result is a major breakthrough, likened by some to the P-time solution to Linear Programming announced in the 70s.
One of the main features of this result is that the proof is neither too complex nor too long (their preprint paper is only 9 pages long!), and relies on very innovative and insightful use of results from number theory.
Download full paper ( PDF , Postscript )
[go to PRIMES is in P ]
FAQ on Primes is in P (compiled by Anton Stiglic)
[go to PRIMES is in P ]
[Note by Jack: on 8/24/02 I could not get the FAQ Web page]
Media Reports:
New York Times
Times of India
Rediff
Australian Broadcasting Corpn.
Tech News - CNET.com
About the researchers:
Manindra Agrawal completed his BTech in 1986 and PhD in 1991, both from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur. He was then a Fellow at Chennai Mathematical Institute till 1995, and Humboldt Fellow at University of Ulm during 1995-96. Since August 1996, he is at Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur.
Neeraj Kayal and Nitin Saxena both completed their BTech from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Kanpur in May 2002. Currently, they are PhD students in the department.
August 23, 2002
Hi Fellow Bloggers,
I just started the Yahoo group jackinoklahoma@yahoogroups.com to automatically send Jack in Oklahoma blog posts by e-mail.
Initial invitations have been sent to family and friends. I expect to invite several more people when I get a chance to think about who might be interested.
I have one response so far -- so the group has a membership of two at this point!
I'm looking forward to hearing from more of you.
This post will be the first blog entry sent to the list.
I'm excited! :-)
I just started the Yahoo group jackinoklahoma@yahoogroups.com to automatically send Jack in Oklahoma blog posts by e-mail.
Initial invitations have been sent to family and friends. I expect to invite several more people when I get a chance to think about who might be interested.
I have one response so far -- so the group has a membership of two at this point!
I'm looking forward to hearing from more of you.
This post will be the first blog entry sent to the list.
I'm excited! :-)
Jack in Oklahoma
Yiddish Words and Straws, Leaves and Pebbles in Amber
From the "All Purpose Yiddish Calendar for 2002"
Aidem
"Aidem means son-in-law. This comes from an archaic German term meaning a son by oath (eid)."
"As the Jewish people moved from the Rhineland toward Poland and Russia, they availed themselves of the smorgasboard of languages they encountered along the way. Although a great deal of Yiddish is intelligible to a German speaker, many dialectal, vernacular, and archaic German words survive only in Yiddish, enshrined in Jewish memory like straws, leaves, and pebbles in amber. Part of the richness of Yiddish comes from this process of wide-ranging selection."
Yiddish Words and Straws, Leaves and Pebbles in Amber
From the "All Purpose Yiddish Calendar for 2002"
Aidem
"Aidem means son-in-law. This comes from an archaic German term meaning a son by oath (eid)."
"As the Jewish people moved from the Rhineland toward Poland and Russia, they availed themselves of the smorgasboard of languages they encountered along the way. Although a great deal of Yiddish is intelligible to a German speaker, many dialectal, vernacular, and archaic German words survive only in Yiddish, enshrined in Jewish memory like straws, leaves, and pebbles in amber. Part of the richness of Yiddish comes from this process of wide-ranging selection."
Concerning Possible E-mail List for the Jack in Oklahoma blog
After experimenting with e-mailing copies of Jack in Oklahoma blog posts, I am considering starting a Yahoo list for those that wish to sign up to automatically receive e-mails of posts.
This will save e-mails being sent where they are not wanted and anyone can go to blog archives if they want to read posts at their leisure.
This blog is currently open to the public and I have been posting for five days now with much enjoyment for me. I don't know who other than close family and friends is reading the posts. But I am interested to hear from readers whether the Yahoo list idea for receiving blog posts sounds worthwhile or not.
Contact Jack Schwartz by going to website
http://www.geocities.com/jackinwestok/
After experimenting with e-mailing copies of Jack in Oklahoma blog posts, I am considering starting a Yahoo list for those that wish to sign up to automatically receive e-mails of posts.
This will save e-mails being sent where they are not wanted and anyone can go to blog archives if they want to read posts at their leisure.
This blog is currently open to the public and I have been posting for five days now with much enjoyment for me. I don't know who other than close family and friends is reading the posts. But I am interested to hear from readers whether the Yahoo list idea for receiving blog posts sounds worthwhile or not.
Contact Jack Schwartz by going to website
http://www.geocities.com/jackinwestok/
Deutsche Welle DW-World.de "Today in Pictures" - Shoe-Bill Bird
Since taking a university History of Germany class a couple of years ago, I've become a fan of the Deutsche Welle German radio news service which I follow by its English daily e-mail newsletter and website DW-World.de.
Today at DW-World.de the "Today in Pictures" features a picture of a shoe-bill bird that resides in the Frankfurt Zoo. The picture startled me! For me it is among the most fascinating birds I have ever seen and I'm seeing it for the first time.
I have no way of knowing, but I figure the creators of the Sesame Street character "Big Bird" must have had some inspiration from seeing a shoe-bill. :-) In fact Deutsche-Welle refers to the bird as "Big Bird" in the picture caption.
The picture is seen by going to the English DW-World.de link <http://dw-world.de/english/> and clicking on "Today in Pictures" at the screen upper right.
The caption has detailed infomation about the shoe-bird.
"'Chillin' with Big Bird"
"A fly rests on the end of the giant beak of a shoe-bill at the Frankfurt Zoo. The unusual creature has the largest beak of any living bird and can grow as tall as nearly five feet. The shoe-bill is found mostly in the papyrus swamps of eastern Africa. The patient creature sometimes waits for hours at a time in shallow water waiting for fish or frogs, which it then, quick as lightning, catches and devours."
Since taking a university History of Germany class a couple of years ago, I've become a fan of the Deutsche Welle German radio news service which I follow by its English daily e-mail newsletter and website DW-World.de.
Today at DW-World.de the "Today in Pictures" features a picture of a shoe-bill bird that resides in the Frankfurt Zoo. The picture startled me! For me it is among the most fascinating birds I have ever seen and I'm seeing it for the first time.
I have no way of knowing, but I figure the creators of the Sesame Street character "Big Bird" must have had some inspiration from seeing a shoe-bill. :-) In fact Deutsche-Welle refers to the bird as "Big Bird" in the picture caption.
The picture is seen by going to the English DW-World.de link <http://dw-world.de/english/> and clicking on "Today in Pictures" at the screen upper right.
The caption has detailed infomation about the shoe-bird.
"'Chillin' with Big Bird"
"A fly rests on the end of the giant beak of a shoe-bill at the Frankfurt Zoo. The unusual creature has the largest beak of any living bird and can grow as tall as nearly five feet. The shoe-bill is found mostly in the papyrus swamps of eastern Africa. The patient creature sometimes waits for hours at a time in shallow water waiting for fish or frogs, which it then, quick as lightning, catches and devours."
August 22, 2002
The largest human gathering ever has been photographed from space by a high resolution imaging satellite.
Kumbh Mela
NewScientist.com
18:03 25 January 1, 2002
[Two satellite photographs accompany the article]
"Over 70 million people are expected to attend a Hindu spiritual event in northern India called the Maha Kumbh Mela. The pilgrims gather at a sacred location on the Ganges River, 15 kilometres from Allahabad, for more than a month of bathing rituals. The activities are intended to wash away their sins and hasten the Hindu people's progress toward nirvana.
The one-metre resolution image was collected by Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite, travelling at over 6 kilometres per second, 677 kilometres above the Earth. It shows red-robed bathers at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers."
Damian Carrington
This story is from NewScientist.com's news service
Reading DNA Like a Movie Reel
In the period of 1956 to 1994 bracketing my days from being an undergraduate student in chemistry to my retirement as a senior chemical engineer for FMC Corporation, I saw dramatic increases in speed and also increases in sensitivity of chemical analysis.
For example, a wet precipitation analysis for calcium taking hours with sensitivity to parts per thousand was displaced by atomic absorption spectrographic analysis with sensitivity to parts per million.
And rapid, sensitive calcium analysis is just one example. Quick instrumental methods for a wide range of chemical species are commonplace nowadays, in large part driven by the need for ultra-trace analysis of environmental contaminants. Measurements with sensitivities to parts per trillion or higher are commonplace. An example area of study is water analysis from various sources that provide drinking water.
And then there is the field of genomics where dramatically quicker and quicker methods of analyzing DNA sequence are in use and development of even quicker methods continues.
Which brings me to an item of high interest for me. On August 15, the New York Times reports that Dr. J. Craig Venter," who raced government-financed researchers to decode the human genome then was ousted from the company he made famous, plans to create a huge laboratory that would rival efforts by his former company and his public competitors."
The article reports that Dr. Venter is intrigued by technology being developed by U. S. Genomics, a startup company in Woburn, Mass. "The company's technology uncoils the double helix of DNA and feeds it through a machine that reads it, like a movie reel going through a projector. The machine cannot read individual DNA letters but rather markers attached to the DNA. But that might be enough to get information on how one person differs genetically from the reference human genome sequence."
"You can analyze an entire chromosome in like a fraction of a second," Dr. Venter said.
To me this possible DNA "movie reel method" means DNA analysis of a blood specimen for chromosomal information is approaching the routine status of say analysis of glucose level, iron concentration, cholesterol content, etc.
So my closing thought is that someday patients are likely to discuss chromosome information like they talk about blood pressure or other medical tests routinely run during or soon after a doctor visit -- and considering treatment options based on the chromosome information.
In the period of 1956 to 1994 bracketing my days from being an undergraduate student in chemistry to my retirement as a senior chemical engineer for FMC Corporation, I saw dramatic increases in speed and also increases in sensitivity of chemical analysis.
For example, a wet precipitation analysis for calcium taking hours with sensitivity to parts per thousand was displaced by atomic absorption spectrographic analysis with sensitivity to parts per million.
And rapid, sensitive calcium analysis is just one example. Quick instrumental methods for a wide range of chemical species are commonplace nowadays, in large part driven by the need for ultra-trace analysis of environmental contaminants. Measurements with sensitivities to parts per trillion or higher are commonplace. An example area of study is water analysis from various sources that provide drinking water.
And then there is the field of genomics where dramatically quicker and quicker methods of analyzing DNA sequence are in use and development of even quicker methods continues.
Which brings me to an item of high interest for me. On August 15, the New York Times reports that Dr. J. Craig Venter," who raced government-financed researchers to decode the human genome then was ousted from the company he made famous, plans to create a huge laboratory that would rival efforts by his former company and his public competitors."
The article reports that Dr. Venter is intrigued by technology being developed by U. S. Genomics, a startup company in Woburn, Mass. "The company's technology uncoils the double helix of DNA and feeds it through a machine that reads it, like a movie reel going through a projector. The machine cannot read individual DNA letters but rather markers attached to the DNA. But that might be enough to get information on how one person differs genetically from the reference human genome sequence."
"You can analyze an entire chromosome in like a fraction of a second," Dr. Venter said.
To me this possible DNA "movie reel method" means DNA analysis of a blood specimen for chromosomal information is approaching the routine status of say analysis of glucose level, iron concentration, cholesterol content, etc.
So my closing thought is that someday patients are likely to discuss chromosome information like they talk about blood pressure or other medical tests routinely run during or soon after a doctor visit -- and considering treatment options based on the chromosome information.
August 21, 2002
A Chinook is an Indian is an Indian. But are the Chinooks a Tribe?
The Chinook Indians ancestral home is in the Northwest along the banks of the Columbia River and the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Chinooks are legendary for providing food for the Lewis and Clark expedition as it proceeded down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean in 1805. This role is chronicled on a PBS series about the Lewis and Clark "Corps of Discovery."
In recognition of the importance of the Chinooks for the Lewis and Clark expedition, members of the Chinook tribe were invited to the White House for a kick-off to the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. They came bearing gifts - a hand-carved dugout canoe and beads - for the Bush family. "Two days later the descendants of those who saved Lewis and Clark from starvation in 1805 received a phone call from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) informing them they weren't a tribe." [High Country News, August 19,2002. pg. 5]
It seems the Chinooks do not meet the seven requirements under law for official recognition as an Indian tribe that qualifies for federal money for various BIA social and educational programs.
The Chinooks are nothing if not persistent. They are continuing their battle for tribal recognition started in 1978 by tribal leaders who have now passed on.
My personal feeling is that I hope the U. S. Congress acts to bypass BIA red tape and grant tribal recognition to the Chinooks. This action seems modest to me ... and Chinook tribal recognition would put a unique and sensible historical connection from the actual Lewis and Clark "Corps of Discovery" to the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial presently being celebrated.
The Chinook Indians ancestral home is in the Northwest along the banks of the Columbia River and the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Chinooks are legendary for providing food for the Lewis and Clark expedition as it proceeded down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean in 1805. This role is chronicled on a PBS series about the Lewis and Clark "Corps of Discovery."
In recognition of the importance of the Chinooks for the Lewis and Clark expedition, members of the Chinook tribe were invited to the White House for a kick-off to the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. They came bearing gifts - a hand-carved dugout canoe and beads - for the Bush family. "Two days later the descendants of those who saved Lewis and Clark from starvation in 1805 received a phone call from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) informing them they weren't a tribe." [High Country News, August 19,2002. pg. 5]
It seems the Chinooks do not meet the seven requirements under law for official recognition as an Indian tribe that qualifies for federal money for various BIA social and educational programs.
The Chinooks are nothing if not persistent. They are continuing their battle for tribal recognition started in 1978 by tribal leaders who have now passed on.
My personal feeling is that I hope the U. S. Congress acts to bypass BIA red tape and grant tribal recognition to the Chinooks. This action seems modest to me ... and Chinook tribal recognition would put a unique and sensible historical connection from the actual Lewis and Clark "Corps of Discovery" to the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial presently being celebrated.
Watch Out for Pigs That Bite! :-)
Found in the WEIRD BUT TRUE section of today's New York Post.
"A Louisiana man says a vicious pink pig stormed into his sister’s house and attacked him.
Boston Kyles, 20, of Pineville, told deputies he was cleaning fish in the front room when the porker barged in, charged him and bit his leg and hand.
Cops, who unsuccessfully searched for the beast, said pigs sometimes go after people in the woods but an assault inside a residence is rare. "
Found in the WEIRD BUT TRUE section of today's New York Post.
"A Louisiana man says a vicious pink pig stormed into his sister’s house and attacked him.
Boston Kyles, 20, of Pineville, told deputies he was cleaning fish in the front room when the porker barged in, charged him and bit his leg and hand.
Cops, who unsuccessfully searched for the beast, said pigs sometimes go after people in the woods but an assault inside a residence is rare. "
August 20, 2002
About Dodo Birds
Back in March I found iteresting reading in the New York Times Science Section about the long-extinct Dodo bird.
The article is "A New Look at the Long-Lost Dodo and Its Family Tree" by Natalie Angier.
The subject interests me because Dodo birds have a fascination for me since childhood.
This is an excerpt.
New York Times March 13, 2002
Science Section
..... [excerpt] .....
"In real life, of course, not everybody wins, least of all the poor Dodo. A large flightless bird native to Mauritius Island, east of Madagascar, the dodo was first encountered by Europeans toward the end of the 1500's. A mere half century later, the guileless dodo was extinct, the victim of human hunters and the pigs and rats that accompanied them. ….. It seems that the dodo and the closely related solitaire bird — another flightless giant native to neighboring islands in the Mascarene chain — are nothing but overgrown, landlubbing pigeons."
..... [end excerpt] .....
Back in March I found iteresting reading in the New York Times Science Section about the long-extinct Dodo bird.
The article is "A New Look at the Long-Lost Dodo and Its Family Tree" by Natalie Angier.
The subject interests me because Dodo birds have a fascination for me since childhood.
This is an excerpt.
New York Times March 13, 2002
Science Section
..... [excerpt] .....
"In real life, of course, not everybody wins, least of all the poor Dodo. A large flightless bird native to Mauritius Island, east of Madagascar, the dodo was first encountered by Europeans toward the end of the 1500's. A mere half century later, the guileless dodo was extinct, the victim of human hunters and the pigs and rats that accompanied them. ….. It seems that the dodo and the closely related solitaire bird — another flightless giant native to neighboring islands in the Mascarene chain — are nothing but overgrown, landlubbing pigeons."
..... [end excerpt] .....
I am interested in Civil War trivia. I found out today the Civil War was "over" more than one year after I previously thought - on August 20, 1866.
THIS DATE IN HISTORY (Found in Newsday)
On this date: In 1866, President Andrew Johnson formally declared the Civil War over, months after the fighting had stopped.
THIS DATE IN HISTORY (Found in Newsday)
On this date: In 1866, President Andrew Johnson formally declared the Civil War over, months after the fighting had stopped.
August 19, 2002
Today I made a breakthrough in my diabetes therapy!
A fax came with my latest "Hemoglobin A1c" measurement on a blood specimen. The HgA1c represents average blood glucose level for past three months. The result is 5.8% and the goal of my therapy is <6.5%. My HgA1c has dropped about 1% since starting therapy two years ago.
My doctor has future plans to use single-use, disposable Hemoglobin A1c tests that give results during office visits.
A fax came with my latest "Hemoglobin A1c" measurement on a blood specimen. The HgA1c represents average blood glucose level for past three months. The result is 5.8% and the goal of my therapy is <6.5%. My HgA1c has dropped about 1% since starting therapy two years ago.
My doctor has future plans to use single-use, disposable Hemoglobin A1c tests that give results during office visits.
Good Monday morning to you all from Jack in Oklahoma,
This is my starting entry in a discourse with no specific subject - I plan to post a potpourri of brief quotes, news items, personal observations, etc., that come to my attention and have interest of some kind for me.
My random pick for a first entry is a quote of Shakespeare:
"There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. . . ."
This is my starting entry in a discourse with no specific subject - I plan to post a potpourri of brief quotes, news items, personal observations, etc., that come to my attention and have interest of some kind for me.
My random pick for a first entry is a quote of Shakespeare:
"There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. . . ."