Before my topic of today, a bit about those Southern California wildfires. These fires are usually caused by Santa Ana winds that can come from October through March. Of course, you also need certain environmental conditions, like drought and global warming, plus some ignition source.  Power grids are especially of concern.  And lightning.   Human causes, like campfire accidents and arson.  In fact, here is what Google AI says: Santa Ana wildfires are not typically caused by a single natural weather trigger; rather, Santa Ana winds act as the dangerous weather accelerant that spreads fires, while nearly all the actual ignitions (90% to 95%) are human-caused . [ 1 , 2 ]. I had a posting last year about them . Apparently, those fires now in Southern California have peaked. Of course other areas in California will remain vulnerable. Certainly, this is not only a California problem, for the Global Fire Dashboard today shows 6926 hotspots around the world. Glo...

But first, the  latest Winter Olympics medal count: 1. Norway: 24 Total (11 Gold, 6 Silver, 7 Bronze) 2. Italy: 22 Total (8 Gold, 4 Silver, 10 Bronze) 3. United States: 17 Total (5 Gold, 8 Silver, 4 Bronze) 4. Japan: 17 Total (3 Gold, 5 Silver, 9 Bronze) 5. France: 15 Total (4 Gold, 7 Silver, 4 Bronze) 5. Germany: 15 Total (4 Gold, 6 Silver, 5 Bronze) 7. Austria: 13 Total (4 Gold, 6 Silver, 3 Bronze) 8. Sweden: 11 Total (5 Gold, 5 Silver, 1 Bronze) 8. Netherlands: 11 Total (5 Gold, 5 Silver, 1 Bronze) 10. Switzerland: 9 Total (4 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze) 10. Canada: 9 Total (1 Gold, 3 Silver, 5 Bronze) 12. South Korea: 5 Total (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze) 12. Australia: 5 Total (3 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) 14. Czech Republic: 4 Total (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 0 Bronze) 14. China: 4 Total (0 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze) 16. Great Britain: 3 Total (3 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze) 16. Slovenia: 3 Total (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze) 16. Poland: 3 Total (0 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) 16. Finland: 3 Tota...

Did you know that both Mother's and Father's Days are national holidays?  Of course they are always celebrated on Sundays, so they are not a federal holiday.  President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914 designating  Mother's Day  as the second Sunday in May.  Of course motherhood has long been cherished, and the ancient Greeks and Romans held festivals in honor of mother godesses Rhea and Cybele. Mind you, the Greeks and Romans also honored fathers, and in Catholic Europe, St. Joseph's Day ( March 19 ) is a feast day dedicated to Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus.  But Father's Day in the USA had a rather startling beginning that few know. First, Father's Day did not become a national holiday until 1972. The reason why has everything to do with civil rights movements in the 1960s. The story starts in 1964 when a middle-aged father and mid-level federal appointee, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, dreamt a solution to America's racial conflict in his sle...