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There is nothing worse than a summer cold.  It's 100 degrees in the valley and your nose feels like it is a faucet.  This is my life today.  I took my daughter to Disneyland for the first time on Wednesday.  She was sneezing the entire time...so the happiest place on earth became my own little petry dish...Whoo Hooo.  The latest Vlog entry is a backstage look at the MDA telethon.  You've got Shotgun Tom Kelly from Kearth 101...you've got the might Dave Gonzales...Vera Jiminez...and the lovely and talented Lisa Sigell.  Good times had by all...and it was for a good cause.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question

 

Quantitative Precipitation Forecast

 

Weather Question of The Day

 

Which of these is the most hail prone city?

 

a.       Tulsa, Oklahoma

b.      Denver, Colorado

c.       Shreveport, Louisiana

d.      Bismark, North Dakota

 

City of the Day

Hansen Dam-Built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1940.  It’s located near the northern edge of the San Fernando Valley.  Named by US District Engineer’s Office after Hansen Hill.  The name had been used locally because Dr. Homer Hansen had his home on the top of the hill.

 

It’s Easy Being Green

 

Using the computer-When you are gone for an extended period of time…shut down the computer…Otherwise be sure your power saving settings are working.  Make sure to set your screen only as bright as you absolutely need.  Animated screen savers use more electricity.  When buying peripherals choose devices that are packaged responsibly.  Before buying a new computer…see if you can’t resurrect your current computer.

I've started my CERT training...this is the Community Emergency Response Team.  I am actually on my fourth week of classes.   This program is fantastic.  Basically it gives you the tools to take care of your family and your neighborhood in a disaster.  The city of Los Angeles Fire Dept. puts on the training.  We go through all kinds of topics... from Terrorism to actually puting out fires.  I'll give you some more info on the program as I move further...but last night I learned how to do a head to toe assessment on someone who is injured.  Last week we learned how to Triage a disaster scene.  And guess what the class is totally FREE!

 

Answer to Yesterday’s Question

 

CA moves horizontally (slides)

 

Weather Question of The Day

 

Which temperature is not the temp of boiling water?

a.       100 C

b.      212 F

c.       373 K

d.      121 D

 

City of the Day

Point Fermin-named in 1793…it is at the tip of San Pedro and the southern most point of Los Angeles.  The point was given its name by British Explorer George Vancouver…who named it after his friend Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen.  One of the few places the monarch butterflies spends its winters.

 

It’s Easy Being Green

 

Washing Machines-You can be clean and green…purchase a front loading machine that uses 10 gallons of water…top loaders use 40 gallons.  Try using cold water on most clothes unless they are greasy and filthy.  Top loaders are actually easier on your clothes.  

 

I haven't had a posting in a while because we were puting our new HD weather system in place.  It is fantastic the system looks beautiful 1080p...and we have a host of new tools at our disposal.  We now have access to live Doppler Radar in Southern Calfiornia...at least is near live delayed by 30 seconds or so.  I am excited to use it every day.  Go ahead and tell me what you think of it.  Nevertheless here are some of my weather tidbits from the last few days.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question

 

Denver, Colorado

 

Weather Question of The Day

In which month can there not possibly be a full moon?

 

1. February
2. May
3. July
4. October

 

City of the Day

Burbank- The city incorporated in 1887.  Dr. David Burbank a Los Angeles dentist purchased the land in 1867 and used it to raise sheep..  Burbank eventually sold a right of way contract to the Southern Pacific Railroad…to go through his land.  He eventually sold property to a group of speculators, who developed the land.

 

It’s Easy Being Green

 

Grocery bags-it takes 1 15 to 20 year old tree to produce just 700 paper bags.  Plastic bags are made from petroleum and are not bio-degradable.  Bring your own cloth bags.  There are several companies that design them just for the market.

 

 

Answer to Yesterday’s Question

 

February

 

Weather Question of The Day

About how much snow equals one inch of rain?

 

a.       3”

b.      7”

c.       10”

d.      12”

 

City of the Day

Acton-Founded in 1887 by gold miners.  They were working the Red Rover Mine.  It was named after Acton Massachusetts…one of the miners home towns.  California Gov. Henry T. Gage actually made a pitch to move the state capital to Acton.  He owned the Red Rover Mine…but that bid failed…the capital stayed in Sacramento.  In 1889 the first hotel and saloon opened…the 49er bar and grill…it’s still open for business today.

 

It’s Easy Being Green

 

Seafood-Choose seafood wisely…more than 75 percent of the world’s fish are are fully or overfished.  About 30 million tons of fish, sea turtles, sharks, and seabirds die each year because they are caught in fishing nets.  There is plenty of eco-friendly fish you can order at the restaurant or cook at home.  Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium website for a guide to good fish choices.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question

 

10”

 

Weather Question of The Day

Which country has the most violent weather?

1. India
2. Mexico
3. United States
4. China

 

City of the Day

Badwater-Located in Death Valley National Park at 282’ below sea level.  2000 years ago there was actually water running through Death Valley...30’ in some places. As the climate warmed and the water dried up…all that was left were briny soupy pools of mineral and salt water at the very lowest parts of Death Valley.  Locals called it Badwater Basin…because the water was not potable.

 

It’s Easy Being Green

 

Seafood-Choose seafood wisely…more than 75 percent of the world’s fish are are fully or overfished.  About 30 million tons of fish, sea turtles, sharks, and seabirds die each year because they are caught in fishing nets.  There is plenty of eco-friendly fish you can order at the restaurant or cook at home.  Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium website for a guide to good fish choices.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question

 

United States

 

Weather Question of The Day

Which kills more people every year

 

a.       Lightning

b.      Floods

c.       Tornadoes

d.      Hurricanes

 

City of the Day

Camarillo-Juan Camarillo held the land grant for Camarillo.  His sons Adolfo and Juan developed the area.  Before the 101 freeway the land was mainly agricultural.  But, the freeway and the Conejo grade brought a population boom.  Camarillo became a city in 1964.

 

It’s Easy Being Green

 

The “morning joe” – Drinking coffee can actually be a green experience.  Brew the coffee yourself…try to avoid going out for a cup.  Purchase a reusable filter.  If you must go to a store…bring your own cup to the store.  Look for shade grown organic coffee.  Bring a mug to work.  Encourage your employer to use paper cups instead of Styrofoam.

 

So here are some cities that broke records yesterday...look for some more today!

  A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 88 DEGREES WAS SET AT WFO OXNARD
TODAY. THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 88 SET IN 1957.

  A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 109 DEGREES WAS SET AT WOODLAND HILLS
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 105 SET IN 1989.

  A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 103 DEGREES WAS SET AT AN LUIS OBISPO
CAL POLY TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 99 SET IN 1981.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question

 

Cumulonimbus

 

Weather Question of The Day

What is the cloudiest city in the U.S.

 

1. Spokane, WA
2. Cold Bay, AK
3. Maui, HI
4. Baltimore, MD

 

City of the Day

Beaumont-A group of capatlists bought the town in 1887.  They gave it the French name for beautiful mountain.  The original name of the town was Edgar Station for a physician who came to town in the 1850’s…then it was changed to Summit in 1875…the a few years later the name was San Gorgonio for the mountains nearby…and finally its present name.

 

It’s Easy Being Green

 

Soy-soybeans are an incredibly versatile crop…the food is an essential component for most vegetarian’s diets.  It’s considered a spectacular source of protein  It can grow in a wide range of soils…it helps restore the nitrogen levels on our planet.  Soy is a natural alternative for some environmentally unfriendly products…like ink, soap, cooking oil, plastics, and cosmetics.  But with the good there is bad…the growing soy industry is destroying our rainforests…farmers take out the forest to grow the bean for cattle feed.  If you’re a meat eater…it’s a double whammy.

 

So the "dog days" of summer arrived a little early.  You can expect the sweating to continue into the weekend...maybe some relief on Monday!

Answer to Yesterday’s Question

 

35 mph

 

Weather Question of The Day

 

From Which type of cloud do thunderstorms & tornadoes come from?

 

1. Towering Cumulus
2. Cumulonimbus
3. Nimbostratus
4. Stratocumulus

 

City of the Day

Owens Lake, John C. Fremont named the lake in 1845 for Richard Owens…a guide in his third expedition.  The first Japanese internment camp was in the Owens Valley…Manzanar.  Mulholland diverted water from the Owens valley into the Los Angeles Aqueduct.

 

It’s Easy Being Green

 

Swimming Pools-1 in 5 in ground pools leak.  A small leak can make up for 700 gallons of lost water each day.  If you’re losing a quarter of an inch of water every 24 hours you may have a leak.  Get it repaired.  Get a pool cover or blanket…it reduces the need for chemicals by 50%.  Only heat your pool when absolutely necessary…there are blankets you can buy that will retain the heat in the pool.

 

I did!  It was mostly a day of running around completing my honey do list.  However, I got two great gifts...one was an imprinting kit so I could make a cement paver of my daughter's hand prints.  You take the paver and put it out in the yard...fantastic!  And, equally fantastic...I got a wii....my arm is sore already.  If any of you have a good game suggestion...email me.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question

 

Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit

 

Weather Question of The Day

 

How fast does the wind have to blow to be considered a blizzard?

 

1. 25 mph
2. 35 mph
3. 45 mph
4. 55 mph

 

City of the Day

Charter Oak-The community was developed in the late 1890’s.  It was named after a large oak tree…that probably reminded the founder of the Charter Oak in Hartford Connecticut.  The legend goes…Capt. Joseph Wadsworth hid a royal charter in the trunk of an oak tree…it gave the residents claim to a strip of land extending west to the Pacific.

 

It’s Easy Being Green

 

Keep the Coins Coming-  I am guilty of this…hoarding change…it’s in several mugs on my desk.  I’m sure some of you have jars filled with loose change in a closet or on a shelf…waiting for that rainy day to cash in.  Or maybe your holding the coins for so long they will eventually be considered rare…but you are hurting the environment.  The metals used to make the coins are difficult to harvest and fabricate.  For every ton of nickel or copper mined…nearly 600 tons of waist material is produced.  So dig in the sofa…and use that change.

 

Here is an email I just got from viewer Rick in Burbank:

"Quiz: "If" you could fold a standard sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 paper 50 times. How high would it be?

Answer: the distance to the sun, approx 93 million miles.

and if you folded it "51 times", it would reach the sun and back to earth."

I'll have to consult some experts on this one...but thanks for the email Rick!

Here are the last couple days of weather stuff

Answer to Yesterday’s Question

 

c. Farmers

 

Weather Question of The Day

What institution is responsible for measuring and distributing the correct time in the United States

 

a.       The U.S. Naval Observatory

b.      NASA

c.       The Griffith Observatory

d.      The United States Army Command

 

City of the Day

Patch-Located in unincorporated Kern County…south of Bakersfield.  The place was originally known as weed patch…because of the weeds that grew there.  The Santa Fe shortened the name so as not to confuse it with a settlement to the north called weed patch.  Location in John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath…used during the Great Depression.

 

It’s Easy Being Green

Reading Books-You can be green and still feed your brain.  First and foremost get a library card.  This is the best place to read as many books  as you want and not contribute to deforestation.  Exchange books with friends.  Read books online….or read books on your cell phone or pda.  Try independent used book stores.

 

 

 

Answer to Yesterday’s Question

 

The U.S. Naval Observatory

 

Weather Question of The Day

What state has the most tornadoes annually?

Oklahoma

Nebraska

Iowa

Texas

 

Slightly below average temps as we make our way through the mid-week!

Answer to Yesterday’s Question

 

Clockwise.

 

Weather Question of The Day

The greatest number of people killed by lighting are?

1. Golfers
2. Fishermen
3. Farmers
4. Joggers

 

City of the Day

Sherman Oaks-One of the first San Fernando Valley communities to experience intensive development.  General Moses Hazeltine Sherman purchased 1000 acres for himself…in 1927 he subdivided the property and sold the land for 780 dollars an acre.  One of the shortest streets in Los Angeles is in Sherman Oaks…Fium Walk.

 

It’s Easy Being Green

Olive Oil-Olive oil is so much more than a healthy alternative to butter.  Here are just a few things you can do with olive oil…It can be used as a stainless steel cleaner.  Rub olive oil into a cutting board to prevent cracking.  Remove paint from hair or skin by dabbing a little on the affected area.  It can be used as massage oil.  Makeup remover…and it can relieve chapped lips.