The Statue of Robert E. Lee, revered in history, now history?

The Statue of Robert E. Lee,

A symbol of South history:

FDR praised his name.

All the Democrats fame;

They try to erase memory.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt is considered an enduring hero of the left, particularly for the New Deal. Few would say he was an avatar of white supremacy. Yet, he spoke at the dedication of the  Robert E. Lee statue in Dallas back in 1936 — and what he said about the general then is something that liberals everywhere would like to erase.

“I am very happy to take part in this unveiling of the statue of General Robert E. Lee,” FDR said at the dedication ceremony, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

“All over the United States, we recognize him as a great leader of men, as a great general. But, also, all over the United States I believe that we recognize him as something much more important than that. We recognize Robert E. Lee as one of our greatest American Christians and one of our greatest American gentlemen.”

Things change. What once was the proud symbol of the Democratic South is now considered repugnant by people wanting to erase history, and in so doing repeat it.

Reaching the North Pole in a sailboat? Pen Hadow got to be kidding!

British explorer Pen Hadow and his crew have set sail from Alaska, in an attempt to become the first people ever to sail to the North Pole.

“With Arctic ice melting at an unprecedented rate, previously inaccessible waters are opening up, creating the potential for their planned 5,500 km (3,500 mile) journey for the first time in human history.”

How is the Arctic ice melting? Let us count the ways

  1. Arctic ice minimum volume will be reached in a couple of weeks at more than 6000 km3, which is 1000 km3 more than 2015 and 1500 km3 more than 2016.

It was very warm in the Arctic above the 80th latitude last winter. Late summer two hurricane strength storms broke up a lot of ice up and transported it south to areas where it was bound to melt. The ice area reached a new low, except for the year 2012, but the ice volume hit a new all time low on Sep 9 2016.

https://i0.wp.com/polarportal.dk/fileadmin/polarportal/sea/CICE_curve_thick_LA_EN_20170815.png

2. Northern Greenland ice has already started growing

3 The ice mass on Greenland has grown more than 150 km3 above normal this season.

 

4. The average Arctic temperature above 80 degree latitude has already dipped below freezing.

5. The Arctic ice area will still decrease for another month or so since sea ice does not start forming until temperatures are -4 degree C, but the ice volume is near its minimum since snow season in the Arctic has already started, and new snow on ice stays, and fresh snow has a higher albedo than old, tired ice.

The North East Passage choke point Cape Chelyuskin is still blocked. That is one week later than last year and three weeks later than 2015

https://i0.wp.com/polarportal.dk/fileadmin/polarportal/sea/CICE_map_thick_LA_EN_20170815.png

Pen Hadow and crew set sail out of Nome 0300 GMT Aug 15. My prediction: They will reach the 80 th latitude, a full 600 nautical miles short of their goal.

 

Genesis28, Jacob’s ladder and God’s promise at Bethel.

Esau’s wives so far were Hittites. That explains why Rebekah in chapter 27:46  “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.” It was not prejudice, it was the friction between mother-in-law and daughters-in-law.

Jesus repeats this phrase when he first met Nathaniel

And who has ever sung this Sunday School song?

 

 

Genesis 27, Jacob gets Isaac’s blessing, Jacob flees to Laban.

Rebekah: Let the curse fall on me. She didn’t have it easy after that.

Rebekah was the original inventor of the plot for Isaac to give Jacob the blessing rather than Esau after Jacob had extorted Esau’s birthright. By deceit they fulfilled God’s will. The Bible shows how sinful man can still fulfill God’s purpose.

 

 

The great Arctic ice recovery of 2017.

It was very warm in the Arctic above the 80th latitude last winter. Late summer two hurricane strength storms broke up a lot of ice up and transported it south to areas where it was bound to melt. The ice area reached a new low, except for the year 2012, but the ice volume hit a new all time low on Sep 9 2016.

Since then the ice volume has recovered to equal the  previous all time winter low around April 20, 2017, but the ice area hit an all time low maximum as early as March 5.

What happened?

The unusually warm temperatures averaging 7 degrees C above normal with a spike as high as 20 degrees C above normal and no days below was not because of increased CO2, but because it snowed. Anyone that has shoveled snow knows that while it snows it is usually not that cold, especially if the winds are calm. Then, when the snowing stops it gets cold indeed. Nowhere is that shown better than what happened on Greenland this winter.  It snowed and snowed from one winter storm after another starting in the Philippines, raining and snowing over California, regaining strength from the Mexican Gulf and then racing up the Eastern Seaboard snowing out over Greenland.

Then on May 5 it all changed. From having been warmer than normal the Arctic became colder than normal, in fact there has been no day since then that temperatures has been above normal. Today, Aug 13 it even dipped below freezing for the first time since summer max, five days before normal.

The ice area will still decrease for another month or so since sea ice does not start forming until temperatures are -4 degree C, but the ice volume is near its minimum since snow season in the Arctic has already started, and new snow on ice stays, and fresh snow has a higher albedo than old, tired ice.

How much more ice? As of today the sea ice volume is 500 to 1000 km3 larger than last two years, not much, but enough to make a trend. In addition the ice on Greenland has increased by 150 km3, reversing many years of decline.

The prediction that the Arctic ice would be melted by 2016 was foolish extrapolation, but the chart looked good at the time.

This year’s minimum will be about 6,000 km3.

The moral of this story. Beware of extrapolations. Don’t trust models, go with observations.

And one more thing. In 2016 the sailboat Polar Ocean Challenge managed to sail through both the North East Passage and the North West Passage in the same season. In 2015 it would have been no problem The North East Passage choke point Cape Chelyuskin was ice free late July. In 2016 it was still ice covered Aug 5, but the first summer storm cleared out the ice plug. This year Cape Chelyuskin is still full of ice

This year they could not have made the journey. There is not enough time left until the North West Passage freezes over.

 

Genesis 26, Isaac and Abimelech, their oath and the well at Rehoboth.

Abimelech means “Father-King” and is a the title for many leaders in the land of Caanan,

Gerar is at the Southwest part of the promised land, inland from Gaza.

That is the same lie that Abraham used, but while Sarah was half-sister of Abraham, Terah was Isaac’s grandfather but Rebekah’s great grandfather.

The war of water is still going on. In all of the Middle East water is the limiting factor.

And so it is that towns are established where there is plenty of water,

And the size of the promised land is sometimes referred to as: “From Dan to Beersheba.” More about the fate of Dan can be found in Judges.

 

 

Genesis 25, The death of Abraham, his family tree, Esau and Jacob born.

After Sarah’s death Abraham married one of his concubines. Keturah already had six sons with Abraham, according to first Chronicles 1:32-34

 

Ishmael was there at Abraham’s death, and helped bury Abraham. Thus he had not moved far away yet.

Of particular interest is Ishmael’s second son, Kedar. His name is closely associated with Arabia. But Kedar lived much closer to Jerusalem than what the Muslims suggest. They claim he moved to what is now Mecca, but according to Isaiah 60:7 he must have lived much closer.

All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you,
    the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings on my altar,
    and I will adorn my glorious temple.

The lambs and other animals used for sacrifices were raised much nearer Jerusalem so they could more easily be driven as herds.

 

And this is the reason God said: Esau have I hated.  Esau did not consider the spiritual dimension of his birthright.