SATURDAY MUSIC, LIGHTHOUSE, JIGSAW AND THE DOORS

By Debbie Bulloch





















From Canada, the land of wide-open, rugged spaces ...

LIGHTHOUSE – One Fine Morning



From the U.K., the land of Shakespeare ...

JIGSAW – Sky High



And from my beloved Los Angeles, the City of Angels, the immortal Jim Morrison..

THE DOORS – Touch Me




Enjoy!

STORY UPDATES: KILLER PLEADS GUILTY AND VOLCANO CONTINUES TO CAUSE MISERY

By Debbie Bulloch



ICELANDIC VOLCANO CONTINUES TO CAUSE MISERY IN EUROPE AND BEYOND

A lingering volcanic ash plume forced extended no-fly restrictions over much of Europe on Saturday. Meanwhile, scientists in Iceland warned that volcanic activity had increased and showed no sign of abating.

Scientists say that because the volcano is situated below a glacial ice cap, the magma is being cooled quickly; causing explosions and plumes of grit that can be catastrophic to plane engines if prevailing winds are right.

Stranded passengers reported the delays were causing financial hardships. Some had to check out of hotels and sleep in the airports. Others, desperate to return home or get to meetings, rushed to book a ride on ferries or taxis.

Europeans have been warned that continued flight bans could spark shortages of imported fresh fruit and vegetables.

In Iceland, torrents of water have carried away chunks of ice the size of small houses. Sections of the country's main road were wiped out by the flash floods. More floods from melting waters are expected as long as the volcano keeps erupting. In 1821, the same volcano managed to erupt for more than a year.

Iceland, a nation of 320,000 people, sits on a large volcanic hot spot in the Atlantic's mid-oceanic ridge; there is a long history of devastating eruptions. One of the worst eruptions was the 1783 eruption of the Laki volcano, which spewed a toxic cloud over Europe, killing tens of thousands. Historians believe that the 1783 eruption of the Laki volcano set the stage for the events that eventually led to the French Revolution.

KILLER OF CHELSEA KING AND AMBER DUBOIS PLEADS GUILTY – WILL SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN PRISON

This is an update to previous stories about Chelsea King and Amber Dubois. [ New Details About Killer and Help Find Chelsea and Amber ]

On Friday, April 16, accused killer John Gardner pled guilty to murdering teenagers Chelsea King and Amber Dubois.

Gardner entered into a plea deal with the San Diego District Attorney. In exchange for the guilty pleas, Gardner will be sentenced to two consecutive life in prison terms, without the possibility of parole.

Chelsea, 17, disappeared Feb. 25 after heading out for a jog near Lake Hodges. Her body was found just days later in a shallow grave near the lake. Gardner’s DNA was found on Chelsea’s underwear.

Amber, 14, vanished in Feb. 2009 while walking to school. Her skeletal remains were found in early March—just miles from where Chelsea was discovered.

Gardner also faces 33 years to life in prison for attacking a woman in December 2009.

Gardner has a history of violence against underage girls. In 2000 he was sentenced to six years behind bars after pleading guilty to assaulting a 13-year-old girl. He ultimately served just five years.

Society needs to do more to remove monsters like John Gardner from our midst.

Our heart-felt condolences go to the families and friends of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois. May they find comfort in the years to come. God bless you.

ICELAND'S VOLCANO AFFECTS ALL OF EUROPE

By Debbie Bulloch



The Eyjafjallajokull volcano, one of Iceland’s largest, had been dormant for nearly two centuries before returning to life in the late evening of March 20. The first sign that the volcano was coming back to life was the angry, red cloud glowing above the vast glacier that covers the volcano.

In the following days, fire fountains jetted from a dozen vents on the volcano, reaching as high as 100 meters, according to the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland. After a few day of spectacular volcanic activity the volcano seemed to return to sleep. Then on Wednesday, the volcano roared back to life sending clouds of ash soaring as high as 11,000 meter and molten lava down the mountain.

The latest eruption caused massive flooding as molten lava ate away at a 200-foot-thick cap of ice that covered some sections of the volcanic fissure. As much as a third of the glacial ice above the crater has melted — it had been up to 250 meters thick in spots — raising the level of a nearby river by nearly a meter and covering some roads. Three large holes have opened in the ice as a result of the eruption. The Red Cross evacuated residents of Hvolsvollur, a town approximately 65 miles from Reykjavik.

The latest eruption is the fourth by Eyjafjallajokull in 1,100 years, volcanologists say. The last one, in 1821, which began with days of explosive eruptions, left deep layers of dark-gray ash through vast areas of southern Iceland — some of it nearly reached Reykjavik — and it caused the Markarfljot and the Holtsa rivers to flood.

In an interesting historical twist, historians believe that the explosion of another Icelandic volcano helped trigger the French Revolution. The Laki volcanic fissure in southern Iceland erupted over an eight-month period from June 1783 to February 1784, spewing lava and poisonous gases that devastated the island's agriculture, killing much of the livestock. It is estimated that perhaps quarter of Iceland's population died through the ensuing famine. The disruption to farming and the death of large numbers of livestock throughout most of Europe caused widespread hunger and much misery.

In France a sequence of extreme events included a surplus harvest in 1785 that caused poverty for rural workers, accompanied by droughts, bad winters and summers, including a violent hailstorm in 1788 that destroyed crops. This in turn contributed significantly to the build up of poverty and famine that triggered the French Revolution in 1789.

European health authorities warned people Thursday to beware of possible health problems from ash falling to the ground. Persons in European countries directly in the path of the ash flow are being encouraged to take precautions, including staying indoors and avoiding all outdoor physical activities.

It seems that the world has entered a cycle of heightened seismic and volcanic activity. Large earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, China, Indonesia and Mexico /Southern California plus the Iceland volcano are indicators of a period of possible future instability. Whether this activity is a presage of more serious trouble to come, or simply a hiccup in the life of the Earth remains to be seen.

Stay tuned and be safe!

THURSDAY MUSIC - THE EAGLES

By Debbie Bulloch



Tomorrow (Friday) night I will go and see The Eagles in concert. They will be playing at the world-famous
Hollywood Bowl.

The Eagles is one of my all-time favorite bands. The Eagles were formed in Los Angeles, California in the year 1971 – the same year that the Sylmar Earthquake rocked Los Angeles. Since that time, and in spite of some bitter in-fighting that kept the band apart for several years, the band has become one of the most successful rock bands in history.

By the end of the 20th century, two of the band’s albums, “Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)” and “Hotel California,” are ranked among the 20 best-selling albums in the U.S. The album “Hotel California” is ranked 37th in Rolling Stone's “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”

Here then, for your listening pleasure are some of my favorite hits from The Eagles.

Enjoy!

The Eagles – Hotel California



The Eagles – Take it Easy



The Eagles - Peaceful Feeling



The Eagles – One of These Nights

TINA TURNER - "PRIVATE DANCER"

By Debbie Bulloch




For all the women (and guys) who work hard earning a living as private dancers in Second Life (SL) this song is for you.

Enjoy!













TINA TUNER – Private Dancer



NOTE: Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock, November 26, 1939) is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She is better known as "The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".” Turner was named "one of the greatest singers of all time" by Rolling Stone magazine. Her records have sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide. In 2008, Turner left semi-retirement to embark on her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour.

MORE MOVING AND SHAKING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

By Debbie Bulloch



According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the number of earthquakes greater than magnitude 4.0 (measured in the Richter magnitude scale ) in the Southern California and Baja California area has increased significantly in 2010.

The article notes that there have already been 70 such quakes so far this year, the most of any year in the last decade. There were only 30 magnitude 4.0 or greater in 2009 and 29 such quakes in 2008.

Seismologists said they are studying the increase in seismic activity but cannot fully explain it. Major earthquakes tend to occur in cycles, and experts have said the region in recent years has been in a quiet cycle when it comes to sizable temblors.

The string of quakes this year raises the possibility that Southern California might again be entering a more active seismic period. Scientists said the increase does not mean the Big One is imminent, but it could mean more significant quakes are on the way.

Just last night I watched the movie “2012.” Could it be that all of this recent quake activity means that Los Angeles is going to slip away into the Pacific?

To read the full story, please go here: More Moving and Shaking in Southern California.

Shango – Day After Day

A GARDEN RAILWAY COMES BACK TO LIFE

By Debbie Bulloch



The man from whom I bought my current home was an avid train fan. Like my Father, the previous owner had a collection of trains made by the German train maker LGB

When I bought my home, one of the selling points was the outdoor, garden railway layout that the owner had built years earlier. Garden railways originated in Europe but have now become very popular in the U.S. The garden railway in the home I bought is built on a raised planter bed and it features tunnels, a waterfall and a small pond.









At his death, my Father left me his collection of large scale trains but other than Christmas time, when I set up the trains around the Christmas tree, I did not have a regular place to run the trains. With an outdoor, garden railway already built, I now had the opportunity to once again play with my Dad’s trains.





Unfortunately, however, the previous owner had been ill and so he did not have the time and energy to keep the outdoor layout in running shape. Like a real railway, a garden railway requires regular maintenance. The tracks need to be kept clear and in shape, plants need to be trimmed and weeds have to be cleared.

The first year after I bought my home I was too busy with other matters, so the outdoor layout laid in a messy state of disrepair. Every time that I saw the little train cars sitting on the track, I would promise myself that I was going to clear the layout and bring it back to life. Alas, life’s other obligations kept me from spending time rebuilding the train.

This year, the coming of spring has awakened my train-building ambitions. I hope that by the time summer arrives the little trains will be running in my garden. Stay tuned and watch the rebuilding process unfold!

Choo…chooo…!!!