Halloween, contraction of All Hallows’ Eve, a holiday observed on October 31, the evening before All Saints’ (or All Hallows’) Day.
The celebration marks the day before the Western Christian feast of All Saints and initiates the season of Allhallowtide, which lasts three days and concludes with All Souls’ Day. In much of Europe and most of North America, observance of Halloween is largely nonreligious.
Halloween is celebrated on October 31.
When carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed by seawater, chemical reactions occur that reduce seawater pH, carbonate ion concentration, and saturation states of biologically important calcium carbonate minerals. These chemical reactions are termed “ocean acidification” or “OA” for short. Calcium carbonate minerals are the building blocks for the skeletons and shells of many marine organisms. In areas where most life now congregates in the ocean, the seawater is supersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate minerals. This means there are abundant building blocks for calcifying organisms to build their skeletons and shells. However, continued ocean acidification is causing many parts of the ocean to become undersaturated with these minerals, which is likely to affect the ability of some organisms to produce and maintain their shells.
Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the pH of surface ocean waters has fallen by 0.1 pH units. Since the pH scale, like the Richter scale, is logarithmic, this change represents approximately a 30 percent increase in acidity. Future predictions indicate that the oceans will continue to absorb carbon dioxide and become even more acidic. Estimates of future carbon dioxide levels, based on business as usual emission scenarios, indicate that by the end of this century the surface waters of the ocean could be nearly 150 percent more acidic, resulting in a pH that the oceans haven’t experienced for more than 20 million years.
Ocean acidification is expected to impact ocean species to varying degrees. Photosynthetic algae and seagrasses may benefit from higher CO2 conditions in the ocean, as they require CO2 to live just like plants on land. On the other hand, studies have shown that a more acidic environment has a dramatic effect on some calcifying species, including oysters, clams, sea urchins, shallow water corals, deep sea corals, and calcareous plankton. When shelled organisms are at risk, the entire food web may also be at risk. Today, more than a billion people worldwide rely on food from the ocean as their primary source of protein. Many jobs and economies in the U.S. and around the world depend on the fish and shellfish in our oceans.
The pteropod, or “sea butterfly”, is a tiny sea creature about the size of a small pea. Pteropods are eaten by organisms ranging in size from tiny krill to whales and are a major food source for North Pacific juvenile salmon. The photos below show what happens to a pteropod’s shell when placed in sea water with pH and carbonate levels projected for the year 2100. The shell slowly dissolves after 45 days. Photo credit: David Liittschwager/National Geographic Stock. Used with permission. All rights reserved. National Geographic Images.
In recent years, there have been near total failures of developing oysters in both aquaculture facilities and natural ecosystems on the West Coast. These larval oyster failures appear to be correlated with naturally occurring upwelling events that bring low pH waters undersaturated in aragonite as well as other water quality changes to nearshore environments. Lower pH values occur naturally on the West Coast during upwelling events, but a recent observations indicate that anthropogenic CO2 is contributing to seasonal undersaturation. Low pH may be a factor in the current oyster reproductive failure; however, more research is needed to disentangle potential acidification effects from other risk factors, such as episodic freshwater inflow, pathogen increases, or low dissolved oxygen. It is premature to conclude that acidification is responsible for the recent oyster failures, but acidification is a potential factor in the current crisis to this $100 million a year industry, prompting new collaborations and accelerated research on ocean acidification and potential biological impacts.
Photo: Freshly harvested oysters from Yaquina Bay, Oregon (Credit: NOAA)
Many marine organisms that produce calcium carbonate shells or skeletons are negatively impacted by increasing CO2 levels and decreasing pH in seawater. For example, increasing ocean acidification has been shown to significantly reduce the ability of reef-building corals to produce their skeletons. In a recent paper, coral biologists reported that ocean acidification could compromise the successful fertilization, larval settlement and survivorship of Elkhorn coral, an endangered species. These research results suggest that ocean acidification could severely impact the ability of coral reefs to recover from disturbance. Other research indicates that, by the end of this century, coral reefs may erode faster than they can be rebuilt. This could compromise the long-term viability of these ecosystems and perhaps impact the estimated one million species that depend on coral reef habitat. For more information on the impact of ocean acidification on coral, see NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch website.
Ocean acidification is an emerging global problem. Over the last decade, there has been much focus in the ocean science community on studying the potential impacts of ocean acidification. Since sustained efforts to monitor ocean acidification worldwide are only beginning, it is currently impossible to predict exactly how ocean acidification impacts will cascade throughout the marine food chain and affect the overall structure of marine ecosystems. With the pace of ocean acidification accelerating, scientists, resource managers, and policymakers recognize the urgent need to strengthen the science as a basis for sound decision making and action.
~ NOAA
1735 – John Adams, the second President of the United States, was born in Braintree, MA. His son became the sixth President of the U.S.
1817 – The independent government of Venezuela was established by Simon Bolivar.
1831 – Escaped slave Nat Turner was apprehended in Southampton County, VA, several weeks after leading the bloodiest slave uprising in American history.
1875 – The constitution of Missouri was ratified by popular vote.
1893 – The U.S. Senate gave final approval to repeal the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890.
1894 – The time clock was patented by Daniel M. Cooper of Rochester, NY.
1938 – Orson Welles’ “The War of the Worlds” aired on CBS radio. The belief that the realistic radio dramatization was a live news event about a Martian invasion caused panic among listeners.
1943 – In Moscow, a declaration was signed by the Governments of the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and China called for an early establishment of an international organization to maintain peace and security. The goal was supported on December 1, 1943, at a meeting in Teheran.
1854 – Defense Department announced elimination of all segregated regiments in the armed forces. blackfacts.com
1944 – Martha Graham’s ballet “Appalachian Spring” premiered at the Library of Congress.
1945 – The U.S. government announced the end of shoe rationing.
1953 – General George C. Marshall was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1961 – The Soviet Union tested a hydrogen bomb with a force of approximately 58 megatons.
1961 – The Soviet Party Congress unanimously approved an order to remove Joseph Stalin’s body from Lenin’s tomb.
1972 – U.S. President Richard Nixon approved legislation to increase Social Security spending by $5.3 billion.
1972 – In Illinois, 45 people were killed when two trains collided on Chicago’s south side.
1975 – Prince Juan Carlos assumed power in Spain as dictator Francisco Franco was near death.
1975 – The New York Daily News ran the headline “Ford to City: Drop Dead.” The headline came a day after U.S. President Gerald R. Ford said he would veto any proposed federal bailout of New York City.
1982 – Portugal’s constitution was revised for the first time since it was ratified on April 25, 1976.
1984 – In Poland, police found the body of kidnapped pro-Solidarity priest Father Jerry Popieluszko. His death was blamed on four security officers.
1989 – Mitsubishi Estate Company announced it would buy 51 percent of Rockefeller Group Inc. of New York.
1993 – Martin Fettman, America’s first veterinarian in space, performed the world’s first animal dissections in space, while aboard the space shuttle Columbia.
1993 – The United Nations deadline concerning ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide passed with country’s military still in control.
1995 – Federalist prevailed over separatists in Quebec in a referendum concerning secession from the federation of Canada.
1998 – The terrorist who hijacked a Turkish Airlines plane and the 39 people on board was killed when anti-terrorist squads raided the plane.
2001 – Michael Jordan returned to the NBA with the Washington Wizards after a 3 1/2 year retirement. The Wizards lost 93-91 to the New York Knicks.
just another rant …
So, is anyone else finding it almost amusing to see how easily folks seem to throw out labels to describe the actions, comments, and stances of candidates from the Democratic Party at a time when this government is seemingly in a kleptocracy moment while existing in a kakistocracy with wannabe autocratic tendencies? We see the media report poll numbers, and Trump is NOT popular. The plan to change America was set a while back, and it appears that McConnell and other Republicans, like Paul Ryan, were waiting for their chance. If you remember Ryan’s comments, he mentioned how he had been waiting for a “unified Republican government.” Thing is, no one really wanted that acting gig until the birther grabbed us by the… bleep, setting all our government agencies on fire; the rule of law, regular order, and norms were replaced with dictator-wannabe behavior. We need to trust the Democratic Party because our morality seems at risk in the hands of Republicans! This should make you think back to at least POTUS 41… but not too long, because you’ll get sick.
However, then reality steps in as people of color continue to be targeted; the police seem triggered more than ever. The problem of a certain group of males continues to gain access to guns, hurting others and, in most cases, themselves, and that is a shame. We have more kids, babies, and seniors, as well as people of color, massacred at malls; kids in school lockdowns have nowhere to hide, and we must never forget all the babies who have died. There are lockdown drills; some states have given teachers guns, but mass shootings continue to occur, and nothing changes. Most teachers do not want to play the role of police in a classroom because they have enough to do, but there was a case of a teacher threatening to shoot her students after having just had training… Sadly, it makes you wonder what could go wrong as more unarmed Black men and women are dying or are already dead! We have been living through so much chaos; thoughts and prayers are NOT enough anymore. The idea that an activist is actually run over and some states decide to pass red flag laws but can’t improve background checks for gun buyers is amazingly offensive. We should all know that folks who belong to the NRA think better background checks are reasonable, but they continue to insist that the gun industry is very strong. So when its favorite organization says to jump, many Republicans and most do jump… There have been many instances of violence in this era of Trump, and hopefully, we can correct what has been broken because this will be a timeline few will want to remember in the new year of 2027. We have to remember that the Bush timeline, aside from the obvious, is sad; the guy acted impetuously and literally drove our economy into a ditch while Wall Street’s “creative accounting procedures” finally came to an ugly head.
There was an epic documentary called *House of Cards* by David Faber on CNBC. It was a cruel reminder or an awakening of how greed affects the mind; it was a truthful documentation of the nasty journey our economy took… for whom, by whom, and how they brought all of us down with them, knowing the government would pay for it all along. Unfortunately, the current Trump unreality potus show doesn’t resemble the docu-drama we watched shortly after our financial system collapsed because this is a moment in time when the question below isn’t so far-fetched… or worse, a dystopian society?
**Are You Having an Existential Crisis?** An existential crisis is something many people may face at some point in their lives when the world seems to become less meaningful and purposeful. People may question the inner logic of social systems, their religion, and everything they have once held true, while becoming more conscious of the brevity of life.
What is an existential issue?
Quite simply, these are issues that pertain to the plight of human existence, the meaning of life, and what meaning, if any, our lives hold. Trump has definitely set off a cause-and-effect due to certain behaviors of human nature. Is anyone else questioning their inner selves? I hope Trump supporters are; it is important to reflect on what it means to affirm your own individual choices and the consequences of such choices. In this current hostile environment, living an authentic life is crucial, but at risk. If we have to subscribe to labels, call me a Marxist who believes in Socialism at this time, lol. I also believe in capitalism, but only with a lowercase “c.” We need someone who cares, is socially responsible, and who believes the gap between the haves and have-nots needs to shrink.
School me, what is wrong with caring for all the people of the United States, not just the one percent? Especially since that one percent has been wheeling and dealing, and that attitude about prosperity trickling down to Main Street is still BS.
Obama was not a socialist or a Marxist. He was a centrist—whose politics and opinions didn’t seem extreme, and who had a strong belief in humanity as POTUS
The question is, what do trump supporters call him now?
Nativegrl77
Voters need to demand that this contract be investigated, since Tacoma and the surrounding area could have used that $ 1.5Bil for city infrastructure, and while members of our state congress and city council whine about this problem, as reported, it has been around for a decade… what took so long to get upset? ALL Detention Facilities need Oversight, yo
Bottom line:
The federal government has renewed GEO Group’s contract for the Tacoma ICE detention center for another decade at a multi‑billion‑dollar cost, despite ongoing criticism over conditions and oversight issues
FACTS:
Source: Yahoo, KUOW,
Lawmakers’ concerns: U.S. Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Emily Randall visited the facility and called for an investigation, citing lack of transparency, a reported single‑bid process, and potential limits on state oversight
GEO Group has run the Northwest ICE Processing Center since 2005
The renewal follows the expiration of its previous 10‑year contract last year – Yahoo Finance
The deal comes amid ongoing scrutiny over detainee conditions, including reports of poor food quality, inadequate medical care, water quality issues, and delayed prescription access – KUOW
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