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Still Fighting for Clean Air Today
“People would come to the town, and they would say, ‘What’s that smell?’ And people who lived here would say, ‘What smell?’ And my grandpa would say, ‘Well, it smells like money.'”
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Where I’ve Been and Where I Probably Will Never Go
Create Your Own Visited States MapThe map above shows all the states I’ve visited for one reason or another. Most of the reasons involved healthcare conferences I attended or exhibited at. In those states I had my favorite cities… San Francisco Chicago Charlotte Portland Seattle Louisville Alexandria Boston Breckenridge New Orleans …and my not so…
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Donora: The Birthplace of Clean Air
Donora, a riverside mill town in southwest Pennsylvania, suffered a prolonged bout of concentrated, toxic smog in late October 1948, during which at least 20 people died and thousands more became ill.
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My Best Little Poop Watcher
Our littlest doggie, Georgie, has a detestable little habit of defecating in the dining room. She was a rescue that had been picked off the streets of Philadelphia, which is what we blame this particular nuisance on. IT’S NOT OUR FAULT!
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Temperature Inversions and Deadly Smog
Common to all three tragedies were two key elements. First, large factories in each area had been spewing enormous amounts of pollutants into the air, the most deadly being sulfur dioxide. And second, Mother Nature came calling in the form of something called a temperature inversion.
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Donora’s Field of Dreams
Probably the most famous player to ever sprint down this field was the legendary Joseph “Joe Cool” Montana. Montana was unequivocally one of the greatest quarterbacks in history and a Hall of Fame pick in his first year of eligibility. And he played here, right here in Donora, on Legion Field, where all Ringgold games were played.
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The 5th Street Stairs: A Sweet Story
On 5th Street now, between Prospect and Murray Avenues, there is a street-wide swath of grass with a set of stairs on either side. The stairs on the right, looking upward, are replacement stairs installed a number of years ago. The stairs on the left, however, are original and tell an interesting story.
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When to Use Special Typographic Symbols
Following up on another post, I’d like to provide some information on when special typographic symbols should be used. Ampersand (&) — Used informally to denote “and” Ampersat (@) — Commonly used in email address but also used informally to denote “at” or, in healthcare, “before” Asterisk (*) — Denotes a footnote; also used to…
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Typographic Symbols and Their Names
Reprinting a popular post from an old blog of mine. Ever see an odd little symbol and wonder to yourself, Self, what do you suppose that odd little symbol is called? Wonder no more. Here’s a handy little list of odd little typographic symbols and their names.
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Death in Donora
On Tuesday October 26, the air over Donora became foggy from cool air being trapped beneath warmer air above in what meteorologists term a temperature inversion. Normally inversions last less than a day, but this one lasted a devastating five days. Within two days the fog had turned into a stinging, yellowish-gray shroud so thick…