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HERMANN MISSOURI OKTOBERFEST 2010
HERMANN MISSOURI OKTOBERFEST 2010 - CLICK ON PHOTO FOR THIS YEARS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
_________________________________________________________________________ Remedy - From the album The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (1992)
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. Chris Robinson (Singer/Songwriter) - The Black Crows - December 20, 1966 (44 years old)
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'Net neutrality' sounds nice, but the Web is working fine now. The new rules will inhibit investment, deter innovation and create a billable-hours bonanza for lawyers.
Tomorrow morning the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will mark the winter solstice by taking an unprecedented step to expand government's reach into the Internet by attempting to regulate its inner workings. In doing so, the agency will circumvent Congress and disregard a recent court ruling.
How did the FCC get here?
For years, proponents of so-called "net neutrality" have been calling for strong regulation of broadband "on-ramps" to the Internet, like those provided by your local cable or phone companies. Rules are needed, the argument goes, to ensure that the Internet remains open and free, and to discourage broadband providers from thwarting consumer demand. That sounds good if you say it fast.
Nothing is broken and needs fixing, however. The Internet has been open and freedom-enhancing since it was spun off from a government research project in the early 1990s. Its nature as a diffuse and dynamic global network of networks defies top-down authority. Ample laws to protect consumers already exist.
Furthermore, the Obama Justice Department and the European Commission both decided this year that net-neutrality regulation was unnecessary and might deter investment in next-generation Internet technology and infrastructure.
Analysts and broadband companies of all sizes have told the FCC that new rules are likely to have the perverse effect of inhibiting capital investment, deterring innovation, raising operating costs, and ultimately increasing consumer prices. Others maintain that the new rules will kill jobs. By moving forward with Internet rules anyway, the FCC is not living up to its promise of being "data driven" in its pursuit of mandates—i.e., listening to the needs of the market.
It wasn't long ago that bipartisan and international consensus centered on insulating the Internet from regulation. This policy was a bright hallmark of the Clinton administration, which oversaw the Internet's privatization. Over time, however, the call for more Internet regulation became imbedded into a 2008 presidential campaign promise by then-Sen. Barack Obama. So here we are.
Last year, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski started to fulfill this promise by proposing rules using a legal theory from an earlier commission decision (from which I had dissented in 2008) that was under court review. So confident were they in their case, FCC lawyers told the federal court of appeals in Washington, D.C., that their theory gave the agency the authority to regulate broadband rates, even though Congress has never given the FCC the power to regulate the Internet. FCC leaders seemed caught off guard by the extent of the court's April 6 rebuke of the commission's regulatory overreach. . Click Here for more info.
After more than a year of waffling on Net Neutrality, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski just announced plans to issue weak regulations that give just about everything to giant phone and cable companies, and leave Internet users with almost nothing.
___________________________________________________________________________ December 19, 2010 -- Rams quarterback Sam Bradford on the bench in fourth quarter action during a game between the St. Louis Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Mo. (Chris Lee)
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With the Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers all losing this week, the NFC West title will not be decided until the season's final week. The Rams finish their season with games against both divisional foes. Here's a look at the remaining games for the contenders:
RAMS (6-8) Sunday: lost to Kansas City 27-13 12/26: vs. 49ers (5-9) 1/2: at Seattle (6-8)
SEAHAWKS (6-8): Sunday: lost to Atlanta 34-18 12/26: at Tampa Bay (8-6) 1/2: vs. Rams (6-8)
49ERS: Thursday: lost to San Diego 34-7 12/26: at Rams (6-8) 1/2: vs. Cardinals (4-10)
St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Matt Cassel completed 15-of-29 for 184 yards and a touchdown in his return to the lineup to guide Kansas City to a 27-13 triumph over St. Louis at the Edward Jones Dome.
Sam Bradford connected on 21-of-43 throws for 181 yards and joined Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan as the only rookies in NFL history to throw for 3,000 yards in their rookie campaign as the Rams (6-8) temporarily fell a half-game behind Seattle for the lead in the NFC West. . Click Here for more info.
During the past few decades, scientists have become increasingly persuaded that people who suffer brain injuries benefit from what is called cognitive rehabilitation therapy — a lengthy, painstaking process in which patients relearn basic life tasks such as counting, cooking or remembering directions to get home.
Many neurologists, several major insurance companies and even some medical facilities run by the Pentagon agree that the therapy can help people whose functioning has been diminished by blows to the head.
But despite pressure from Congress and the recommendations of military and civilian experts, the Pentagon’s health plan for troops and many veterans refuses to cover the treatment — a decision that could affect the tens of thousands of service members who have suffered brain damage while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Tricare, an insurance-style program covering nearly 4 million active-duty military and retirees, says the scientific evidence does not justify providing comprehensive cognitive rehabilitation. Tricare officials say an assessment of the available research that they commissioned last year shows that the therapy is not well proven.
But an investigation by NPR and ProPublica found that internal and external reviewers of the Tricare-funded assessment criticized it as fundamentally misguided. Confidential documents obtained by NPR and ProPublica show that reviewers called the Tricare study "deeply flawed," "unacceptable" and "dismaying." One top scientist called the assessment a "misuse" of science designed to deny treatment for service members.
The Battle For Care Of The Wars' Signature Injuries
Tricare’s stance is also at odds with some medical groups, years of research and even other branches of the Pentagon. Last year, a panel of 50 civilian and military brain specialists convened by the Pentagon unanimously concluded that cognitive therapy was an effective treatment that would help many brain-damaged troops. More than a decade ago, a similar panel convened by the National Institutes of Health reached a similar consensus. Several peer-reviewed studies in the past few years have also endorsed cognitive therapy as a treatment for brain injury.
Tricare officials said their decisions are based on regulations requiring scientific proof of the efficacy and quality of treatment. But our investigation found that Tricare officials have worried in private meetings about the high cost of cognitive rehabilitation, which can cost $15,000 to $50,000 per soldier.
With so many troops and veterans suffering long-term symptoms from head injuries, treatment costs could quickly soar into the hundreds of millions, or even billions of dollars — a crippling burden to the military's already overtaxed medical system.
The battle over science and money has made it difficult for wounded troops to get a treatment recommended by many doctors for one of the wars' signature injuries, according to the NPR and ProPublica investigation. The six-month investigation was based on scores of interviews with military and civilian doctors and researchers, troops and their families, visits to treatment centers across the country, confidential scientific reviews and documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. . Click HereTo Read More...
Well everytime that I come home nobody wants to let me be
It seems that all the friends I got just got to come interrogate me
Well, I appreciate your feelings and I don't want to pass you by
But I don't ask you about your business, don't ask me about mine
Well its true I love the money and I love my brand new car
I like drinkin' the best of whiskey and playing in a honky tonk bar
But when I come off the road, well I just got to have my time
'Cause I got to find a break in this action, else I'm gonna lose my mind
(Chorus)
So, don't ask me no questions
And I won't tell you no lies
So, don't ask me about my business
And I won't tell you goodbye
That's right
Well, "what's your favorite color and do you dig the brothers," is drivin' me up a wall
And everytime I think I can sleep, some fool has got to call
Well don't you think that when I come home, I just want a little peace of mind
If you want to talk about the business buddy, you're just wastin' time
(Chorus)
I said don't ask no stupid questions and I won't send you away If you want to talk fishin, well I guess that'll be OK
Weather permitting, sky gazers in North and Central America and a tiny sliver of South America will boast the best seats to this year's only total eclipse of the moon.
______________________________________________________ North and Central America should be able to view the entire show, which is expected to last 3 1/2 hours if skies are clear. Total eclipse in Missouri begins at 1:41 a.m. CST Tuesday. The totality phase - when the moon is entirely inside Earth's shadow - will last a little over an hour.
Unlike solar eclipses which require protective glasses, lunar eclipses are safe to watch with the naked eye.
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NEW 2010 Videos
Total Lunar Eclipse on Winter Solstice 2010
by: Sorena007 December 21, 2010
A total lunar eclipse was visible from 12:27 a.m. to 6:06 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (5:27--11:06 UTC) on December 21 in North and South America. In the Central Standard Timezone and west, the eclipse began the night of December 20. It was the first total lunar eclipse to occur on the day of the Northern Winter Solstice (Southern Summer Solstice) since 1638, and only the second in the Common Era.
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Total Lunar Eclipse of the Moon December 21st 2010
by: DalesSales December 21, 2010
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Lunar Eclipse December 21, 2010 Wichita, KS
Video and picture of the lunar eclipse on the winter solstice in Wichita, Kansas
Lunar Eclipse December 21, 2010 Wichita, KS
by 14peyton December 21, 2010
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Dec 21st 2010 Lunar Eclipse
by:Xarmy187 December 21, 2010
Video and pictures I shot with my Canon SX10IS and a tripod of this very rare event.
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Full moon December, 21st 2010
by: JamesBeason8 December 21, 2010
I thought the eclipse was at 3:13am. I was wrong. 3:13am was the peek of the fullness but 10:30 was the eclipse. I seen a bit of the eclipse around 12:00am but was not recordable due to the clouds. The part I seen was the ending, I thought it was the beginning. I got a really good zoom on the Moon, even threw the clouds.
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Just after 3:20 AM EST (or the peak of the eclipse), clouds covered up the sky :(
by Shizukadamare
21 Dec 2010: Lunar Eclipse
Time lapse - one picture every three minutes.
Olympus E-620, 70-300 @ 300, f/5.6, 1s, ISO 400
(Noise Ninja used)
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by fgocinski December 21, 2010
Two different webcam recording
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LUNAR ECLIPSE, DECEMBER 21, 2010, TORONTO (ORIGINAL VIDEO & STILL PHOTOS) #1.WMV
by: supermushmouse December 21, 2010
Here is a video of My pictures of the Eclipse last night. Before and after there are a couple of different things but all the photos are in order and from my camera.
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Total Lunar Eclipse December 2010 Winter Solstice
by: punkrockgoddess77 December 21, 2010
the eclipse fell on the same date as the year's winter solstice.
the moon appeared very high in the night sky,
as the solstice marks the time when the earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun.
the moon takes on this color because indirect sunlight is still able to pass through earth's atmosphere and cast a glow on the moon. our atmosphere filters out most of the blue colored light, leaving the red and orange hues that we see during a lunar eclipse.
unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are perfectly safe to view without any special glasses or equipment.
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ECLIPSE SOLAR NO BRASIL 2010
by: 957wgk2z December 21, 2010
OTTAWA — This year's winter solstice — an event that will occur next Tuesday and only one in 2010 — will coincide with a full lunar eclipse in a union that hasn't been seen in 456 years.
Holiday Treat: December's Total Lunar Eclipse Is Best One Until 2014
Parts of four continents will be treated to a view of a total eclipse of the moon during the overnight hours of Dec. 20 to Dec. 21. This spectacle of celestial shadows will be the best of its kind residents of North America will see until the year 2014.
December's total lunar eclipse is the only total eclipse of the moon of this year. For the Western Hemisphere, the eclipse will "officially" begin on Dec. 21 at 11:29 p.m. CST (9:29 p.m. PST on Dec. 20) as the moon begins to enter Earth's outer, or penumbral, shadow.
But even in clear weather, skywatchers will not notice any changes in the moon's appearance until about 45 minutes later when a slight "smudge" or shading begins to become evident on the upper left portion of the moon's disk.
This NASA lunar eclipse chart shows the visibility of the eclipse from different regions around the world.
While it can be seen in its entirety from North and Central America, parts of the eclipse can also be seen from Europe, northwestern Africa and parts of Australia. It will not be visible from southern and eastern Africa and India.
Unlike an eclipse of the sun, an eclipse of the moon presents no hazards to the observer. No precautions to protect the eyes are needed. [Amazing Total Lunar Eclipse Photos]
Moon's holiday treat
Lunar eclipses occur when the moon passes through a point in its orbit in which the Earth is directly between it and the sun. When the moon enters the shadow of Earth, it creates a lunar eclipse.
A total lunar eclipse is when the entire moon is completely inside the Earth's shadow. Since the sun's rays are bent by Earth's atmosphere so that some still reach the moon, the moon is still visible in an eclipse.
For December's lunar eclipse, the first definitive change in the moon's appearance will come on the moon's upper left edge. At 12:33 a.m. CST (10:33 p.m. PST), the partial phase of the eclipse will begin as the Earth's dark shadow – called the umbra – starts to slowly creep over the face of the full moon.
At 1:41 a.m. CST (11:41 p.m. PST) the eclipse will reach totality, but sunlight bent by our atmosphere around the curvature of the Earth should produce a coppery glow on the moon.
At this time, the moon, if viewed with binoculars or a small telescope, will present the illusion of seemingly glowing from within by its own light.
At 2:18 a.m. CST (12:18 a.m. PST), the sun, Earth and moon will be almost exactly in line and the light of the moon – assuming clear skies – will appear at its dimmest.
Totality ends at 2:53 a.m. CST (12:53 a.m. PST) and the moon will completely emerge from the umbra at 4:01 a.m. CST (2:01 a.m. PST). About 15 or 20 minutes later, the last vestige of the fainter penumbral shadow will disappear from the moon's upper right edge and it will return to its normal brilliance.
A sight for the billions
The entire 72 minutes of the total lunar eclipse will be visible from all of North and South America, the northern and western part of Europe, and a small part of northeast Asia including Korea and much of Japan. Totality will also be visible in its entirety from the North Island of New Zealand and Hawaii.
In all, an estimated 1.5 billion people will have an opportunity to enjoy the best part of this lunar show.
In other parts of the world, either only the partial stages of the eclipse will be visible or the eclipse will occur when it's daytime and the moon is not above their local horizon.
Portions of western Africa and central Europe can catch the opening stages of the eclipse before the moon sets below their horizon during the morning hours of Dec. 21, while the eastern third of Asia and central and eastern Australia can catch the closing stages just after moonrise on the evening of Dec. 21.
Generally speaking, about half of the world's population – about 3 billion people – will be able to view at least a part of this eclipse.
For any one location, total lunar eclipses occur at an average frequency of four or five times per decade. The last total eclipse of the moon occurred on Feb. 20, 2008.
There will be two total lunar eclipses in 2011. The first will occur on June 15 and will be visible from most of the Eastern Hemisphere. Then on Dec. 10, those living in the western half of North America will be able to catch totality just before moonset.
Not until April 14, 2014 will a total lunar eclipse again be visible in its entirety from North America.
Shadowy tale of eclipsed moon's color
Although astronomers do not expect to gain new astronomical insights from the eclipse, lunar eclipses vividly reflect the overall state of the Earth's atmosphere.
Under normal weather and atmospheric conditions, as the moon slides into the shadow of the Earth, its normal yellow-white color changes into a still-visible but dull coppery-red at the height of the eclipse.
However, because of the recent eruptions of the Mount Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland last spring and the Mount Merapi volcano in Indonesia in October, one and possibly two clouds of ash and dust might be currently floating high above the Earth. As a result, the moon may appear darker than usual during this eclipse; during totality, parts of the moon might even become black and invisible.
There's also another possibility for the upcoming lunar eclipse.
The moon might wear its normal eclipse cloak of a deep red or a coppery-hue or take on still other colors (orange, chocolate brown or gray). Color possibilities are unpredictable and that it is impossible to tell exactly how much light the earth's atmosphere will refract as its shadow creeps across the moon.
Cloud cover and other atmospheric conditions may also affect the visibility and coloration of the moon.
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(Original Hermann MO News - Story from Dec. 10, 2010 LINK HERE) Gasconade County Missouri Commissioners Take Care of Their Own EmployeesDec.10, 2010 HERMANN MO NEWS
The Gasconade County Commissioners decided (Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010) to pay all of $79,488 in higher heath care benefits, which is a better deal than paying for Lawyer fees of an ex-commissioner, like they decided to do in their last meeting!
UPDATE Dec.19, 2010: The December 15th edition of The Hermann Advertiser-Courier reported, as follows, on Dec. 15, 2010 (Full Story available at your News Stand) County approves medical premiums for employees
In what they expect will be another year without a pay increase, the Gasconade County Commission voted 2-0 last Thursday to pay full medical and dental premiums for its employees.
The commissioners debated the county's health care insurance issue before Matt Penning made a motion to approve paying the full premium for employees. He said since they haven't received a pay raise in several years, they deserved this benefit.
Commissioner Jerry Lairmore said he couldn't make a second to Penning's motion because of his concerns with a tight budget, and couldn't commit to paying the full amount of the premium. "If this revenue is not where you said it is going to be, we are in trouble," said Lairmore.
Ron Jost, presiding commissioner, then made a second to Penning's motion, and Lairmore said he would abstain from the voting.
HERMANN MO NEWS - ALERT - PLEASE NOTE: Attorney fees for Commissioner Jerry Lairmore have recently been paid for by the county.
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The FCC's Threat to Internet Freedom 
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