THE WILLIS UNIVERSITY

Welcome to the Willis University. This is a site dedicated mostly to the world's natural disasters. Also some random inserts of global news from credible sources and also a mixture of opinion. Some of the opinions are not suitable for all. Please remember this is my opinion only. Thanks to all for the guidance I've been given.

July 30, 2006

Tropical Storm Henry

A TROPICAL depression dumped heavy rains in the northern Philippines on Monday, prompting authorities to warn of possible landslides and floods in a region still reeling from two back-to-back storms. Tropical Depression Henry, packing winds of up to 55 kilometers (34 miles) per hour and gusts of 70 kph (43 mph), was expected to make landfall later Monday in northeastern Aurora province before crossing northern Luzon and intensifying over the South China Sea, forecasters said. About 17 provinces were placed under a storm alert and ships ordered to stay in ports. Authorities told residents living along river banks, steep mountain slopes and low-lying areas to watch out for flash floods and mudslides. Earlier in the day, floods stranded thousands of commuters in the province of Cavite, as traffic was at a standstill for at least 12 kilometers of the Emilio Aguinaldo Highway going to Metro Manila. Traffic was not moving from Talaba in Bacoor to Anabu-Coastal in Imus, near Dasmarinas, according to jeepney drivers plying these routes. Landslides left about 1,400 people dead in the same region two years ago, and in February, more than 1,000 were killed when a single village was buried in mud in the central Philippines. Read More Here Bicol Peninsula

July 29, 2006

Death Toll in California Heat Wave Reaches 130

Officials are blaming a heat wave in California for the deaths of some 130 residents. Sweltering temperatures and high humidity gripped the state for 12 days before temperatures dipped slightly Friday. Weather forecasters Saturday say the break in the searing temperatures will continue for the next few days. In the hardest-hit Central Valley, temperatures are expected to reach 38 degrees celsius, down from highs in the mid 40s. Officials say most people who died from heat-related causes were elderly. Aid workers are going door-to-door to check on older residents. The heat wave is also harming the state's agriculture industry. Cattle are dying, reducing milk supplies. State officials have waived regulations on the disposal of dead animals to help farmers deal with the high number of carcasses. Agriculture experts say peach, plum, nectarine and walnut crops have been destroyed this year. California farm losses could drive up national food prices in coming months. The heat generated an increased demand on the state's electrical grid, causing power outages at a time when air conditioning is most important. More than one million people have been left without power at some point during the heat wave. http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-07-29-voa14.cfm

Moderate quake shakes Mexico's southern Baja California region

MEXICO CITY (AP) - A moderate earthquake shook a rural, southern corner of Mexico's Baja California peninsula not far from the resort of Loreto, but there were no reports of injuries or damage. The 5.8-magnitude temblor late Saturday was centered in the Sea of Cortes, which separates the peninsula from Mexico's western coast, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) north of Loreto and 860 kilometers (535 miles) southeast of Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, California, according to the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colorado. Authorities in Baja California Sur state, where Loreto is located, said they had not received any reports of damage or injuries. Dale Grant, a geophysicist at the U.S. National Earthquake Information Center, said the quake was not powerful enough to trigger any threats of a tsunami. "This is very common in that area,'' he said. "There are often moderate quakes.''-AP

July 28, 2006

Magnitude 6.1 - Taiwan Earthquake Breaking News

Taipei -An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale jolted Taiwan Friday, but there was no immediate reports of casualties. The epicentre of the quake, which struck about 3:40 p.m. (0740 GMT), was 82.1 kilometres off Ilan on the north-eastern coast and five kilometres under the sea, the Seismological Observation Centre said. The quake was felt throughout Taiwan. In Taipei, tall buildings swayed, and some office workers and residents ran into the street. http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=111851 Magnitude 6.1 (Strong) Date-Time Friday, July 28, 2006 at 07:40:10 (UTC)= Coordinated Universal Time Friday, July 28, 2006 at 3:40:10 PM = local time at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 24.141°N, 122.547°E Depth 21.2 km (13.2 miles) Region TAIWAN REGION Distances 85 km (55 miles) SE of Su-ao, Taiwan100 km (60 miles) ENE of Hua-lien, Taiwan145 km (90 miles) SE of T'AI-PEI, Taiwan170 km (105 miles) W of Ishigaki-jima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 7.7 km (4.8 miles); depth +/- 8 km (5.0 miles) Parameters Nst=125, Nph=125, Dmin=141.5 km, Rmss=1.13 sec, Gp= 94°,M-type=body magnitude (Mb), Version=7 Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D) Event ID usqsal

Typhoon 'Glenda' Beats Heavy Rains On The Philippines

Josephine Roque - All Headline News Staff Writer Manila (AFP) - Typhoon 'Glenda' pummeled a torrent of heavy rains and strong winds on the northern Philippines on its way to Taiwan. Business establishments, the stock exchange, government offices and schools were forced to suspend operations. Parts of the capital, Manila were submerged under several inches of water. No immediate reports of casualties were reported. The government called for the cancellation of school classes in the capital and affected provinces in the main island of Luzon. The Philippine Stock Exchange followed suit and also suspended trading. Typhoon 'Glenda', whipped the country with winds of 130 kilometers an hour and gusts of up to 160 kilometers per hour. It is expected to reach Taiwan by Tuesday according to the state weather bureau. 'Glenda' follows Tropical Storm Florita that passed through the country two weeks ago. It left at least nine dead or missing by flash floods in the Philippines. It then caused chaos in China, where at it left 530 people dead. http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004322284

July 27, 2006

Laotan officials confirm bird flu case

Lao Foreign Ministry spokesman Yong Chanthalansy confirmed a report on the Web site of the Vientiane Times newspaper that the Lao government's National Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Committee on July 18 had confirmed that the chickens died of bird flu, the AP reports. The results of laboratory tests to determine whether it was the virulent H5N1 virus were expected in a week or two, he told The Associated Press by phone. The committee's statement said 2,580 chickens were found dead at the farm in Xaythany district, 25 kilometers (15 miles) south of Vientiane, according to the newspaper. It said the same farm experienced a bird flu outbreak in 2004. http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/27-07-2006/83585-Bird_flu-0

Strong quake hits offshore Indonesia's Sumatra

JAKARTA, Indonesia - A strong earthquake rocked parts of Indonesia's North and West Sumatra provinces Wednesday. There were no immediate reports of a tsunami. The 6.1-magnitude earthquake occurred at 6:16 p.m. and was centered under the Indian Ocean about 60 miles northwest off Nias island, said Lukito, an official at the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency. He said the quake was felt in Gunung Sitoli, the main town on Nias island, in the North Sumatra towns of Porsea and Sibolga, and in Padang, the capital of West Sumatra. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14057739/

More than 80 dead or missing in China from Kaemi floods

BEIJING (AFP) - Torrential rains from Typhoon Kaemi have left more than 80 people dead or missing in China, with a military barracks swept away, landslides wiping out thousands of homes and rivers bursting their banks. Six people were confirmed killed and another 38 soldiers and their relatives were missing after floods destroyed the military barracks in the eastern province of Jiangxi on Wednesday, the state flood control headquarters said. President Hu Jintao called for "prompt and all out efforts" to find those missing from the barracks, it said in a report on its website. Jiangxi was one of the areas worst hit by Kaemi, which struck mainland China on Tuesday night before weakening into a tropical storm, with officials reporting nearly 10,000 homes had been destroyed by floods in the province. More on this story

July 26, 2006

GlaxoSmithKline: Human Bird-Flu Vaccine May Be Ready in 2007

LONDON — A British company reported Wednesday it had achieved the best results ever seen on an experimental human vaccine for bird flu and said mass production might be possible by 2007. A global health official called GlaxoSmithKline's early results "an exciting piece of science." If future tests are as promising, it would be a major step in the frustrating campaign to protect people from a possible deadly flu pandemic. The U.S. government's chief infectious disease scientist also was very optimistic. "The data are really very impressive," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "It changes the whole complexion of the issue that we have to face of getting enough vaccine for people who might need it in a pandemic." Glaxo's results came from tests on 400 people in Belgium, most of whom developed strong immune responses from very low doses of the prototype vaccine. Success from wider tests of the vaccine could intensify competition with Sanofi-Aventis SA, whose vaccine unit, Sanofi Pasteur, reported disappointing results in March on its experimental product. It protected only about half of those who got two shots with a very high dose -- 90 micrograms of the key ingredient. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205685,00.html

FUCKING WIRELESS INTERNET

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting Well so last night I was in the process of competing in "survivor BlogExplosion style". The object of the challenge was for each contestant to find all 50 US capital of each state, place them in alphabetical order and then "instant message" them to Dark Marcy the leader of the game. Well as I was almost half way done cutting and pasting all the states and their capitals my computer decides to FUCK all up! It wasn't just oh I got kicked out of the chat room and had to log back in. NOOO it was my fucking wireless internet started searching for the net. It took atleast 5 minutes to get back in and as soon as I did get to log back in everyone was done. What kinda fucking luck is that shit. Now after all of the screaming I did at the computer (woke up this morning with a god damned bad sore throat) , a broken computer desk, and kids waking up (now the mrs wilis U is really pissed) some how I was not voted off. How did I get so lucky?? Now this always seems to happen to me anytime I have a deadline to meet or crunched for time it never fails I can always count on my dumb ass computer to fuck that shit all up. Has this ever happened to you? It does to me all the fucking time. Piece of shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. I was so mad last night I couldn't go to sleep and now to top it off I have to go to work fucking tired as shit. Well this ought to be one fucked up day.

Thailand Confirms HN51 Outbreak in Chickens

BANGKOK (XFN-ASIA) - Thailand has confirmed that the H5N1 bird flu virus has been found in chickens in a northern province, in the country's first outbreak of the disease in eight months. 'I can confirm that it's H5N1,' Deputy Agriculture Minister Charan Trinvuthipong told Agence France-Presse. The agriculture authorities were already on high alert, he said, because the disease tends to spread in Thailand during the month of July. 'We have to be very vigilant in July but it's occurred only in one place,' he said. Government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee told reporters that the small outbreak occurred in Pichit province on a farm that had not registered its poultry operations. Pichit has suffered outbreaks before, and officials said safety precautions are already in place. Some 260 chickens had been slaughtered in the area and the movement of poultry was banned within a 10-kilometer radius. Fourteen people have died in Thailand after being infected with the H5N1 virus. http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2006/07/25/afx2901426.html

700,000 Evacuated as Typhoon Kaemi Strikes China

Typhoon Kaemi struck the southeast coast of China, sparking the evacuation of more than 700,000 people in an area still reeling from a tropical storm that claimed over 600 lives. The typhoon -- which first passed over Taiwan, causing widespread disruption to daily life but not enormous damage -- struck mainland's Fujian province at 3:50 pm (0750 GMT), the Xinhua news agency said. State television showed footage of torrential rains lashing Fuzhou, a major city in Fujian, as workers struggled to fasten power cables and make other preparations for the onslaught of the typhoon. With the storm packing winds of up to 120 kilometers (74 miles) per hour as it approached, more than 643,000 people were evacuated from Fujian, Xinhua said, while another 80,000 were moved from their homes in neighboring Zhejiang province. A total of 435,000 people were evacuated in Fujian, including those working in fish farms on the sea, other fishermen and residents in low-lying areas, Xinhua news agency said. About 44,000 fishing boats were ordered to return to harbor by Tuesday, while flights from Xiamen city have been postponed or cancelled. Around 3,000 armed police equipped with speedboats were also deployed to conduct rescue and relief operations if necessary, Xinhua said. Local authorities were advised to monitor the safety of people living in makeshift shelters at coal mines and in mountainous areas and to boost patrols along reservoirs and dams in preparation for flooding. So far, Fujian province has prepared 12,000 tents, 50,000 quilts, 80,000 items of clothing and a five-day supply of food for 300,000 people, Xinhua said. Fujian was still trying to cope with the impact of Bilis, which struck mainland China on July 14, killing at least 43 people in the province. Zhejiang, which did not suffer too badly from Bilis, was preparing for a much tougher time with Kaemi, Xinhua said. Neighboring Guangdong province to the south, where 106 people were killed in Bilis, was also making preparations for strong winds and heavy rain, even though it was not expected to be directly hit by Kaemi. Kaemi, which means "ant" in Korean, pounded Taiwan with strong winds and heavy rain after making landfall there late Monday, leaving four people slightly injured when the bus they were in was hit by falling rocks. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-07/26/content_649920.htm

July 25, 2006

Tropical Storm Daniel Update

Tropical Storm Daniel, the first of the season to enter Hawaiian waters, is on track to batter all the Islands from Thursday night through midday Saturday. Emergency managers statewide urged residents to update their family emergency plans and to stay alert to the storm's progress. "It could help save your family if it does hit," said Jim Weyman, director of the National Weather Service's Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Daniel, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph at 11 p.m. yesterday, was downgraded yesterday from a hurricane to a tropical storm. Its predicted track takes it directly over the Big Island, which weather forecaster Norman Hui said could see a maximum of 10 inches of rain starting after midnight Friday morning and sustained winds at close to 60 mph. That might be enough to cause flooding or damage property. "It's a little too soon to know what effect this will have on our island, but this is the first storm of the season, and we really need to get people on board on emergency preparedness," said Troy Kindred, Hawai'i County civil defense administrator. Big Island stores reported no runs on emergency supplies yesterday, but Civil Defense officials statewide urged residents to update their emergency supplies and review family disaster plans. Hui said the center of the storm is now expected to pass south of the other islands, but even at the fringe of the tropical storm, O'ahu could experience sustained winds of 45 mph with gusts to as much as 50 or 60 mph late Friday. If a rain band crosses the island, Honolulu could have 4 to 6 inches of rain, and up to as much as 10 inches, he said. "This is coming right at us. I'm an eternal optimist — I'm hoping this thing will not materialize — but we're actively planning for it," said Bill Balfour, O'ahu Civil Defense acting administrator. http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060725/NEWS12/607250342 Disaster preparedness — Are we ready?A six-part special report examines how well Hawai'iis prepared for a hurricane and other natural disasters.

System to drench Acadiana

Just what we need in Texas a little rain. Jim Bradshaw jbradshaw@theadvertiser.com Coastal Texas and southwest Louisiana braced for potentially drenching rain as a sprawling, slow-moving tropical wave dawdled north from Mexico. The system is not expected to develop into a tropical storm, but still could spell trouble because it is moving slowly and dropping a lot of water when it stalls over one place. Monday, but sustained winds were substantially lower. A buoy 60 miles south of Freeport, Texas, recorded sustained winds of 12 mph or less throughout the day Monday. Forecaster Donovan Landreneau of the Lake Charles office of the National Weather Service warns that the system could bring five to eight inches of rain in some places in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana during the next several days. Landreneau said the largest part of the widespread system appeared to be headed toward the vicinity of Tampico, Mexico, but that, because of the area covered by the thunderstorms, Texas and Louisiana will still likely get "two or three days of much-needed rainfall." "We will definitely be on the wet side of this system," he said. The system is expected to move out of South Louisiana by Thursday, but the forecast will continue to include the afternoon thunderstorms that have become a part of the recent weather pattern here. The coastal city of Veracruz, Mexico, received more than 13 inches of rain during the weekend as the storm lingered there. A weather bulletin from Corpus Christi, Texas, warns residents that "copious tropical moisture" in the system could bring flooding if the storm should move through more slowly than anticipated. In Galveston and Houston, scene of heavy rainfall and flooding in mid-June, the forecast warns, "the biggest concern is a possible flood threat Tuesday and Wednesday." The Daily Advertiser

July 24, 2006

Hurricane Daniel: Season's First Tropical Storm

Hurricane Daniel is the first major storm of the season to cross into the Central Pacific and could hit the Big Island as early as Friday with tropical-storm force wind. At 5 a.m. today Daniel, a category 1 storm, was about 970 miles east-southeast of Hilo and about 1,170 miles east-southeast of Honolulu, according to Norman Hiu, National Weather Service forecaster. Hiu said Daniel had sustained wind of nearly 90 mph with higher gusts. “The current track has Daniel moving west-northwest at 14 miles per hour,” Hiu said. “Under the current projection it will be over the Big Island on Friday,” Hiu added. “But that track is subject to change.” The National Weather Service Central Pacific Hurricane Center bulletin said hurricane force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center of Daniel and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 90 miles. Weather service officials said the storm is expected to start weakening over the next day. Tropical storm force winds range from 39 mph to 73 mph. The National Weather Service Web site says that atmospheric conditions around the Hawaiian islands mean Daniel could approach the islands as a relatively strong tropical storm later in the week. Hiu said Daniel is expected to start slowing down tonight. State Civil Defense officials are urging residents to make themselves “Storm Ready” in case Daniel hits the islands. Information on disaster preparedness is available in the Hawaiian Telcom and Paradise telephone directories. A news release from Civil Defense officials advises residents to have disaster kits that they can take to shelters, to stock up on non-perishable food and water in case utilities are not available in the wake of a storm and have fresh batteries for portable radios. Earlier this year the National Weather Service predicted two-to-three tropical cyclones in the central Pacific this season, slightly below average. In a typical year four to five tropical cyclones will affect the region. Daniel formed off the Pacific coast of Mexico and tracked west into the central Pacific. Storms that form in the central Pacific are given Hawaiian names. The first storm that forms in the central Pacific this season will be named Akoni, according to the National Hurricane Center Web site. http://starbulletin.com/breaking/breaking.php?id=4695 Central Pacific Hurricane Center

Typhoon Kaemi soaks Philippines

TYPHOON Kaemi dumped heavy rains on the Philippines, shutting schools and the stock exchange before barrelling toward Taiwan and China, where hundreds died in a storm earlier this month.In the Philippines capital Manila, trading was suspended on the stock exchange, government offices closed and classes were cancelled as torrential downpours left some areas under several inches of water. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Kaemi, packing maximum sustained winds of 139km/hh, was due to make landfall in southeast Taiwan tomorrow, according to the Hong Kong observatory. At 10pm (AEST) last night, Kaemi - meaning 'ant' in Korean - was centred about 200km east of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, moving toward the island at about 20km/h, the observatory said. The typhoon was then expected to head for mainland China, with southeastern Fujian province deploying some 3000 armed police as it braced for more devastation after Tropical Storm Bilis, which struck just 10 days ago. Taiwan was already starting to feel the effects of the massive storm, with shipping traffic suspended in the southeast and airlines cancelling flights to eastern destinations, authorities said. Hundreds of villagers were evacuated from a mountainous area in southeastern Taitung county as a precautionary measure amid fears of landslides triggered by heavy downpours, emergency personnel said. Fishermen sought shelter in protected harbours, as the weather bureau warned residents in low-lying areas to take precautions against torrential rains and heavy winds generated by Kaemi, which has a radius of 200km. Residents in mountainous regions were told to watch out for mudslides, while those on the coastlines were asked to avoid beaches. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19904140-23109,00.html

Massive Blackout Continues in St. Louis...

Ameren Corp. officials said Monday morning 235,000 of its customers remain without power from last week's storms, including 185,000 in the metro St. Louis region. The majority of Ameren's customers should have power by Tuesday night, said Richard Mark, Ameren's senior vice president of energy delivery in Missouri. The remaining customers should have power sometime on Wednesday, Mark said at a press conference. Mild weather this past weekend allowed the utility company to restore power to about 330,000 customers, Ameren officials said. Nearly 600,000 customers were without power after a storm Wednesday night raked both sides of the Mississippi River -- causing the worst service outage in Ameren's history of more than 100 years. One of the hardest hit areas was Spanish Lake. Work crews compared the damage there to what they saw while helping clean up Hurricane Katrina. "That's where most of our work will be at the end," said Ron Zdellar, Ameren's vice president of energy delivery. St. Louis Blackouts

Mayon Volcano is on the Verge...

Lava continues to flow down Mayon’s slopes Mayon volcano, which is in the verge of a major eruption, has spewed close to 10 million cubic meters of lava since last week. On Sunday Mayon continued to send lava cascading down the slopes facing the Bonga gully. Authorities have warned residents of Mabinit, Bonga, Matanag and Buyuan all in Legazpi City, and Miisi in Daraga town to stay alert for flying rocks and pyroclastic explosions. The volcano has already emitted about 10 million cubic meters of lava and pyroclastic materials onto the Bonga gully, adding up to the estimated 50 million cubic meters of volcanic ashes ejected in the 1993, 2000 and 2001 eruptions. As the hot molten rocks continued to tumble down, disaster officials in Santo Domingo town reported that more villagers have sought refuge in evacuation centers. Authorities said 2,335 people, or 495 families have fled their homes since Mayon began to get restive. Mayor Herbie Aguas of Santo Domingo said the evacuees from the villages of Santa Misericordia, Fidel Surtica, San Isidro, Lidong and San Fernando are housed at the San Andres Resettlement Site and the Bicol evacuation center. These villagers fled their homes due to ashfall. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) in Legazpi said the bulk of the lava and molten rocks that tumbled down through the Bonga gully in the southeast came from the volcano’s crater. Ed Laguerta, resident volcanologist, said sulfur dioxide emitted by Mayon has reached a staggering 3,514 tons a day, indicating that the volcano has a sustained high level of seismic unrest. PHIVOLCS detected 400 tremors caused by the continuous lava flow and rock falls. Scientist, however, noted that no volcanic earthquakes have been detected for the past 24 hours observation period. Alert Level 3 remains hoisted over Mayon, meaning residents are warned to stay away from the six-kilometer permanent danger zone and the seven-km extended PDZ in the southeast flank facing the Bonga gully. Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism in Bicol has made a list of designated viewing areas to give local and foreign visitors a guide where to go and view Mount Mayon exhibiting its phenomenal beauty and fury. These areas are Cagsawa ruins, Maharlika Highway along lower Malabog, Daraga Church, Lignon hill, all in Daraga town; Boulevard, Mayon International Hotel (MIH) at barangay Taysan, Tahao Road, Kapuntuka hill, all in this city. Due to the influx of local and foreign visitors the tourism department coordinated and advised hotel and restaurant owners to improve their facilities specially the security of their hotel occupants. The volcano towers 2,462 meters over the Legazpi landscape and covers an area of 250 square kilometers. It is the most active volcano in the Philippines with 47 recorded eruption since 1616. PNA/The Manila Times http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=45276

Survivor of flu-stricken family goes home

BY MARGIE MASON ASSOCIATED PRESS MEDAN, Indonesia -- Jones Ginting can't remember much of his battle with bird flu, and it's probably for the best. For the first two weeks, he slipped in and out of consciousness at Adam Malik Hospital. His skin stuck to the sweaty sheets as a fever raged. When he did come to, he was delirious and agitated, fighting nurses who were trying to give him the antiviral drug Tamiflu. Looking back, Ginting might have remembered how his family gathered in late April, laughing and chatting, eating chicken curry and grilled pork as the children played. Then, one by one, they started falling sick and dying. First his sister, then nephews, a niece and two other siblings. Suddenly, world attention focused on the family in a tiny Christian farming village on Indonesia's Sumatra island. Seven of the eight sickened relatives tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, the World Health Organization said. And though specimens were not taken from Ginting's sister before burial, she is considered part of the world's largest reported cluster. The WHO later said she likely got infected from contact with poultry, then passed the virus on to other relatives through limited human-to-human transmission. Until then, most bird flu cases were linked to contact with infected birds. Bird flu has killed at least 133 people since it began ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003. Ginting, 24, was scared and confused initially, refusing to believe that bird flu was to blame. His head pounded and it "felt like a hammer was hitting my hips again and again." Blood gushed out of his nose and he had two-hour coughing fits that left him exhausted. Ginting began feeling better in late June and was released from the hospital last week. He says the experience helped him stop drinking and smoking, but there's one thing he refuses to give up. "I do eat chicken," he said. Detroit Free Press

July 23, 2006

Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes Sulawesi Island

JAKARTA, Indonesia — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 struck off Indonesia's Sulawesi island on Sunday, causing residents to flee coastal areas in fear of a tsunami.
Indonesian officials -- who have been under fire for failing to warn people ahead of last week's deadly tsunami on Java island -- recorded the quake at 6.6 and said it had the potential to trigger destructive waves.
They later said no tsunami was generated and told residents to return home.
The magnitude 6.1 quake struck 67 miles south of Gorontalo in northern Sulawesi, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was felt across parts of Sulawesi, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.
Fauzi, an official at Indonesia's geological agency, said officials there gave the quake an initial strength of 6.6. Different agencies often give different magnitudes for quakes and revise the figure later after analyzing more seismographical data.

July 22, 2006

Tsunami death toll jumps to 659 in Indonesia

PANGANDARAN, Indonesia (AP) — The death toll from the Indonesian tsunami earlier this week rose to 659 after emergency workers reached a previously inaccessible area along Java island's southern coast, the government said Saturday. Drajat Santosa, an official at the government's National Disaster Management Coordinating Board, said nearly 100 bodies were found in a part of Ciamis district that had been cut off by a broken bridge. The toll climbed to 659 with 330 others missing, he said. Previously, the government said 547 had been killed. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-07-22-indonesia-tsunami_x.htm

Quake Hits Southwestern China, Kills 19

A magnitude-5.1 earthquake hit a mountainous area in southwestern China on Saturday, killing at least 19 people and injuring 60 as it toppled homes and set off landslides. The earthquake struck at 9:10 a.m. in Yanjin county in Yunnan province, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Chinese television showed roads in Yanjin blocked by landslides, a car crushed under fallen rocks and several single-story homes with tiled roofs that had completely collapsed. Villagers were huddled under umbrellas and makeshift tents to keep away from the sun. Liu Tengfei, a high school student from the Yanjin town of Dousha, was at a friend's house when the temblor hit. "The house was shaking and then a clock on the wall fell down and broke, so we ran out," Liu said by telephone. He said many buildings were badly cracked and officials had ordered people to sleep outdoors Saturday night. A Dousha official, Chen Hua, said at least five aftershocks followed the earthquake. A Yanjin county official who would only give his surname, Xiao, said rescuers had confirmed 16 dead and 60 injured in Yanjin. Xiao said 100 houses were destroyed in the county and about 1,000 damaged. Xinhua said 500 tents, 1,000 quilts and 500 blankets had been sent to the area. A man named Shen with the Zhaotong Seismological Bureau said three people were reported dead in nearby Daguan county. He had no figure for the number of injured. Yanjin is 1,100 miles southwest of Beijing and has a population of 350,000. http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/ap/2006/07/22/ap2897144.html

July 21, 2006

Heat Wave Blamed for 28 Deaths Nationwide

ST. LOUIS — National Guard troops stepped up their search for people in hot homes without power to run air conditioning Friday as heavy rains and tree-toppling winds added to the misery of the worst power outage in the city's history. "We have 55 percent of the residents without power. Our biggest fear is that the number will go up," said Jeff Rainford, spokesman for Mayor Francis Slay. A heat wave that has baked much of the nation this week has been blamed for at least 28 deaths, three of them in Missouri. A heat wave that has baked much of the nation this week has been blamed for at least 28 deaths, three of them in Missouri. The death toll in Oklahoma alone rose to seven. The state medical examiner's office said the heat causd the deaths of four elderly people on Thursday, including one in Oklahoma City, where the high that day was 107. Oklahoma City was so hot that a portion of Interstate 44 buckled, forcing the temporary closure of two lanes. In St. Louis, the weather has flip-flopped between sweltering heat and violent storms. As many as 500,000 Ameren Corp. customers in the area lost power Wednesday, making Thursday's heat that much more unbearable http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,204880,00.html

Thousands of S Cape ostriches to be culled

By Brett Adkins Garden Route Bureau Chief MORE than 3 000 ostriches are being culled on the Garden Route – and more could follow – after a strain of bird flu which was earlier detected in the area was found to have infected birds on another farm near Mossel Bay. The latest cullings are an attempt to ensure the outbreak of bird flu, which was confirmed late last month, is isolated and does not threaten the ostrich industry any further. It is also hoped the culling will prevent the European Union (EU) – which has already slapped a ban on the export of ostrich meat from two districts in the region – from taking drastic action. The latest culling operation follows an extensive surveillance programme carried out by government veterinary authorities after an outbreak of the H5N2 strain of bird flu was detected on a farm north-west of Mossel Bay leading to the culling of 60 ostrich chicks late in June. It had been hoped the outbreak was limited to a single farm. http://www.theherald.co.za/herald/news/n05_20072006.htm

Tropical Storm Lands on Massachusetts Coast

BOSTON — Tropical Storm Beryl made landfall on Nantucket early Friday, bringing a steady, driving rain to coastal Massachusetts. The storm's center hit around 3 a.m., said Jack Beven, hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The wind and rain started to pick up just after midnight, said Rocky Fox, owner of the Chicken Box bar there. But he wasn't scared: "It's the kind that puddles quick," he said. "To us it's just a big old Nor'easter."Officials said the region was faring well. The Coast Guard said they hadn't heard of problems, and no power outages were reported. Forecasters extended a tropical storm warning extended from Plymouth south and west to Woods Hole, including Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Forecasters said the storm may bring in tides of 1 to 3 feet above normal. "You don't go outside and watch the winds. You don't go and watch the waves," said Eric Blake, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center. At 2 a.m. EDT, the storm had maximum sustained winds of about 50 mph. The storm was expected to weaken over the next 24 hours and lose tropical characteristics by Saturday morning. The Coast Guard was monitoring about 50 commercial fishing vessels still on the New England waters near the storm's path late Thursday night, but had no reports of vessels in trouble, said Chief Petty Officer Scott Carr. Seas were expected to build to 15 feet southeast of Cape Cod and Nantucket overnight. Blake said forecasters expect heavy rainfall of about 2 inches on the southeast Massachusetts coast and islands through midday Friday, with tropical storm force winds over 40 mph. A tropical storm watch was issued for eastern Long Island and parts of Connecticut, but was discontinued early Friday as the storm moved northeast. Workers at Nantucket Moorings on Thursday were making sure their customers' boats were tied down securely, but they weren't panicking. "That's all we can do for now — make sure lines are secure and people know that the storm is approaching," said Leigh Van Hoven, office manager of the company, which rents and sells moorings. A record 28 named storms and 15 hurricanes, including destructive Katrina, occurred during last year's June-November Atlantic hurricane season. The first named storm of the 2006 season, Tropical Storm Alberto, swept over Florida in mid-June, then plowed northward along the coast past the Outer Banks. It was blamed for one drowning. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,204858,00.html

July 20, 2006

Moderate Magnitude 5.1 - SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA

Indonesia has had another earthquake rate of 5.1 on the richter scale. Magnitude 5.1 (Moderate) Date-Time Thursday, July 20, 2006 at 15:38:28 (UTC)= Coordinated Universal Time Thursday, July 20, 2006 at 10:38:28 PM = local time at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 9.979°S, 108.740°E Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program Region SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA Distances 295 km (185 miles) S of Tasikmalaya, Java, Indonesia300 km (190 miles) SW of Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia340 km (210 miles) E of Christmas Island480 km (295 miles) SSE of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 10.2 km (6.3 miles); depth fixed by location program Parameters Nst= 51, Nph= 51, Dmin=>999 km, Rmss=0.97 sec, Gp= 65°,M-type=body magnitude (Mb), Version=7 Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D) Event ID usqjav http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/usqjav.php

New earthquake sways buildings in Jakarta

JAKARTA, Indonesia — A strong earthquake caused tall buildings to sway in the Indonesian capital today, sending panicked residents fleeing to the streets just days after a deadly tsunami struck main island of Java. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The 6.0-magnitude quake was centered 25 miles beneath the Sunda strait, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site, and struck 90 miles southwest of Jakarta. Suharjono, head of the earthquake division at Jakarta's meteorological agency, told Metro TV that based on the initial estimate of Wednesday's quake strength, it was not strong enough to trigger a tsunami. But he urged people to be on guard. On Monday, a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 7.7-earthquake slammed into Java's southern coast, killing more than 530 people. A series of strong aftershocks have rattled the region since then. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003137854_webjakarta19.html

July 19, 2006

Tropical Storm Watch Issued for Mass.

KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. (AP) -- Tropical Storm Beryl gained strength Wednesday as it pulled away from the North Carolina coast and headed toward New England. The National Hurricane Center in Miami issued a tropical storm watch for southeastern Massachusetts, from Plymouth south and west to Woods Hole, including Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. Colin McAdie, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said offshore areas of Massachusetts could get some wind as the storm passes by. "This would be probably early morning hours Friday," McAdie said. At about 8 p.m. EDT, maximum sustained winds were about 60 mph, above the 39 mph threshold for a named storm but below hurricane strength of 74 mph. The storm was centered about 290 miles south of New York City, or about 365 miles south-southwest of Nantucket. It was moving north-northeast at about 9 mph, and that direction was expected to continue for the next 24 hours. Meteorologists canceled a watch for North Carolina's northern coast as Beryl passed about 100 miles offshore. McAdie said Beryl could strengthen in the next 36 hours, but would weaken after moving over cooler waters. Initial warnings about the second tropical storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season did little to deter golfers, boaters or fishermen in North Carolina. Click here for more information Tropical Beryl Tracker

Magnitude 5.0 - OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Magnitude 5.0 (Moderate) Date-Time Wednesday, July 19, 2006 at 11:41:43 (UTC)= Coordinated Universal Time Wednesday, July 19, 2006 at 4:41:43 AM = local time at epicenter Location 40.281°N, 124.426°W Depth 20.8 km (12.9 miles) Region OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Distances 13 km (8 miles) WSW (248°) from Petrolia, CA 36 km (22 miles) SSW (203°) from Ferndale, CA 36 km (23 miles) SW (228°) from Rio Dell, CA 61 km (38 miles) SSW (202°) from Eureka, CA 318 km (198 miles) NW (308°) from Sacramento, CA Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 0.5 km (0.3 miles); depth +/- 0.3 km (0.2 miles) Parameters Nst=250, Nph=250, Dmin=23 km, Rmss=0.08 sec, Gp=223°,M-type=regional moment magnitude (Mw), Version=3 Source California Integrated Seismic Net USGS/ Caltech/ CGS/ UCB/ UCSD/ UNR Event ID nc51172658 http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/nc51172658.php#details

6.2 Earthquake in the West New Britain Region

Earthquake Details

Magnitude6.2 (Strong)
Date-Time
  • Wednesday, July 19, 2006 at 11:48:58 (UTC) = Coordinated Universal Time
  • Wednesday, July 19, 2006 at 9:48:58 PM = local time at epicenter
  • Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
    Location5.468°S, 150.675°E
    Depth25.2 km (15.7 miles) set by location program
    RegionNEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
    Distances60 km (35 miles) E of Kimbe, New Britain, PNG 150 km (95 miles) ENE of Kandrian, New Britain, PNG 585 km (365 miles) NE of PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea 2445 km (1520 miles) N of BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia
    Location Uncertaintyhorizontal +/- 10.5 km (6.5 miles); depth fixed by location program
    ParametersNst= 69, Nph= 69, Dmin=582.7 km, Rmss=1.35 sec, Gp= 47°, M-type=moment magnitude (Mw), Version=7
    SourceUSGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
    Event IDusqia8
    • This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.
    • Did you feel it? Report shaking and damage at your location. You can also view a map displaying accumulated data from your report and others.

    http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/usqia8.php

    Over 100 feared dead after Thai floods

    'PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE': Rescue teams were pulling bodies from the wreckage of villages after unseasonally early rains caused mudslides and floods in the north Relief teams yesterday pulled more corpses from receding floodwaters in northern Thailand, where officials fear about 100 people were killed in floods and mudslides. "One hundred dead is our preliminary estimate, but we are still receiving reports of missing people," Suksan Wanaputi, acting governor of the hardest-hit province of Uttaradit, said. Mudslides blocked roads to Lab Lae district, where many of the victims are believed to have been swept away by the flood-waters or buried in the mud after the mudslides in the mountainous region, he said. Up to 2m of water still covered the streets in parts of the province, he added. So far about 30 bodies had been pulled from the mud and water that covered roads and homes, while 77 people were reported missing and feared dead, the disaster management agency said. "We think that the number of dead and missing are likely to rise," a disaster official said. The nearby provinces of Nan, Phrae, Lampang and Sukhothai were also hit by the floods after unusually early monsoon rains drenched northern Thailand at the weekend. Some 1,200 people have been evacuated, while more than 75,000 have suffered damage either to their homes or their farms, the disaster agency said. At least 168 homes were destroyed in the floods, while 25 schools, temples or government buildings were damaged, it added. Some 1,000 people who had been stranded at the Den Chai train station in Phrae Province were rescued late on Tuesday and brought to Bangkok, the State Railway of Thailand said. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2006/05/25/2003309988

    Magnitude 3.6 earthquake shakes Mount St. Helens

    MOUNT ST. HELENS, Wash. (AP) - A magnitude 3.6 earthquake has shaken Mount St. Helens, one of the largest earthquakes recorded during the ongoing eruption. The U.S. Geological Survey says the 9:56 a.m. quake triggered significant rock falls from the lava dome and crater walls, sending plumes of dust to the rim. Lava has continued to push into the crater - most recently forming a sheer rock fin - since the mountain reawakened with a drumfire of low-level seismic activity in September 2004. The crater was formed by the volcano's deadly May 18, 1980, eruption that killed 57 people and blasted about 400 metres off the then-2,950-metre peak. The volcano reopens to climbers on Friday. Climbing the volcano has been banned since September 2004. The National Volcanic Monument limits the number of climbers to 100 a day and requires a permit available online through the Mount St. Helens Institute. Canada Press

    July 18, 2006

    Tropical Depression Forms Off North Carolina

    MIAMI — The second tropical depression of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season formed off the North Carolina coast Tuesday, and a tropical storm watch was issued for the eastern part of the state. Meteorologists said the depression could strengthen into a tropical storm as early as Tuesday evening. Its top sustained wind speed late Tuesday morning was 35 mph. If that reached 39 mph, the depression would become tropical storm Beryl. At 2 p.m. EDT, the depression was centered about 210 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras and was moving toward the north at about 5 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. A slow turn toward the north-northwest or northwest was expected later Tuesday or Wednesday. A hurricane hunter aircraft flew into the storm Tuesday to acquire detailed information for forecasters, hurricane specialist Jamie Rhome said. However, early indications were that the system's sustained wind wouldn't reach 74 mph, the threshold for a hurricane. "We're certainly not expecting anything major, a major hurricane or anything like that," Rhome said. The early forecast track indicated that the system could drift toward the west and be near the North Carolina coast by the middle or later part of the week, Rhome said. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,204158,00.html TRACK MAP......,Computer Models...

    Spectacular lightning

    A spectacular blot of lightning strikes above the Luxor Hotel and casino during a thunderstorm in Las Vegas.

    Death Toll From Indonesia Tsunami Still Climbing.

    PANGANDARAN, Indonesia - Tearful parents searched for missing children Tuesday, and soldiers dug through the debris of homes flattened by the second tsunami to hit Indonesia in as many years. Well over 300 people were killed and more than 160 others were missing. The waves tossed fishing boats 100 yards inland and turned the resort's main street into a tangled junkyard of busted buildings, cars and furniture. Bodies were piled in temporary morgues. "I don't mind losing any of my property, but please God return my son," said Basril, a villager who goes by one name, as he and his wife searched though the debris piled up on Java island's southern coast. The area hit by Monday's disaster was spared by the devastating 2004 Asian tsunami, and many residents said they did not even feel the 7.7-magnitude undersea quake that unleashed the 6-foot-high wall of water. But some recognized the danger when they saw the ocean recede and fled to higher ground, screaming "Tsunami! Tsunami!" A black wave shot to shore a half hour later, witnesses said, sending boats, cars and motorbikes crashing into resorts and fishing villages. The water reached 300 yards inland. The death toll rose to at least 327, and it was expected to go higher. Play video,Deadly quake rocks Indonesia Click here for more -----------Update----------- Indonesia — Corpses were recovered Tuesday from beaches, homes and hotels ravaged by Indonesia 's second tsunami in as many years, pushing the death toll to at least 463. Nearly 280 people were missing. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,204075,00.html

    July 17, 2006

    7.2-Magnitude Earthquake Spawns Tsunami in Indonesia

    JAKARTA, Indonesia — A powerful earthquake sent a two-meter high tsunami crashing into a beach resort on Indonesia's Java island Monday, killing at least three people and causing extensive damage to hotels and houses, a witness and a government official said. People fled to a local hill to escape the wave on Pangandaran beach in west Java, a woman who identified herself only as Teti told el-Shinta radio station. "All the houses are destroyed along the beach," she said, adding that at least three people were killed and four others missing. The tsunami followed a 7.2-magnitude quake that struck deep beneath the Indian Ocean 150 miles southwest of Java's western coast at 3:24 p.m., causing tall buildings to sway as far off as the capital Jakarta. It was followed by a 6.1-magnitude aftershock two hours later. Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa said he had heard reports about a tsunami striking two seaside towns, and urged people living on Java's southern coast to move inland in an orderly fashion. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203914,00.html

    July 16, 2006

    4.0 Quake Hits Southeast Idaho

    A 4.0 magnitude earthquake shook southeastern Idaho on Friday, the University of Utah Earthquake Center said. The light quake occurred at 11:06 a.m. local time, said Walter Arabasz, director of the university's seismograph stations. The epicenter was 11 miles west-southwest of Georgetown and 15 miles south of Soda Springs. People reported feeling the quake in the Idaho towns of Grace, Lava Hot Springs, Downey, Soda Springs, Bancroft and Pocatello, he said. A magnitude 4.3 earthquake occurred in the same area June 30. Since 1962, 30 quakes of magnitude 3.0 or larger have occurred within 15 miles of Friday's quake. http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4055706 http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/186347/

    China Says 115 Killed, Hundreds Injured by Tropical Storm Bilis

    BEIJING — Tropical storm Bilis killed at least 115 people as it pounded China's southeast, toppling houses and forcing the evacuation of a prison and thousands of villagers, news reports said Sunday. High water stranded thousands of people after Bilis slammed into the coast Friday and churned inland, flooding villages and farms and damaging roads and power supplies. Part of China's main north-south railway line was reportedly submerged, delaying thousands of travelers. Coastal Fujian province in the southeast was hit hardest, with 43 deaths, the official Xinhua News Agency said. It said 39 people were killed in inland Hunan and 33 in crowded Guangdong, an economic center that borders Hong Kong in the south. Scores of others were reported missing. Earlier reports said 349 people were hurt in Hunan and 12,000 stranded, while 31,400 houses had collapsed and 91,200 acres of crops were ruined. In Lechang, a city in Hunan, waters were 10 feet deep in places, forcing authorities to move 1,663 inmates from a prison to higher ground, Xinhua said. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203853,00.html

    July 15, 2006

    Medical Chips Implanted in 280 Patients

    NEW YORK (AP)—In a new test program, Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey plans to implant patients suffering from chronic diseases with a microchip that will give emergency room staff access to their medical information and help avoid costly or serious medical errors, the insurer said on Friday. Horizon plans to announce on Monday that it is teaming up with Hackensack University Medical Center in a pilot program where 280 patients regularly treated at the hospital will be implanted with a chip containing a code. The chip would allow emergency room personnel to retrieve a patient's medical record if the individual can't communicate. The rice-sized microchip is implanted in a patient's right arm above the elbow and can be detected using equipment at the hospital. The hope is that the chips will help doctors avoid medical errors like duplicating medical tests, dangerous drug interactions and bad diagnoses. Within the next 30 days, Horizon will start sending letters to patients with chronic diseases explaining the new program and inviting them to participate. The program is voluntary and won't cost the patient any money to participate. Patients with chronic conditions are the program's target because they are more likely to have serious medical problems that could leave them unable to communicate when they are at the emergency room, said Dr. Richard Popiel, vice president and chief medical officer at Horizon. For example, diabetics with low blood sugar may become confused or unconscious. He said Horizon will test the program for two years to see if it warrants expansion. VeriChip Corp. makes the chips and detection equipment. Hackensack already had the equipment because it was part of VeriChip's development program. http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060715_ap_chip_implants.html

    Numerous new web addresses added

    340,282,366,920,938,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 new web addresses created by internet chiefs . . . so we won’t run out of space soon, then TO THE lay observer it seems like an infinite network of computers, servers and cables stretching around the globe. But the worldwide web is filling up. So quickly, it turns out, that programmers have had to devise a new one. NI_MPU('middle'); Of the internet addresses available, more than three quarters are already in use, and the remainder are expected to be assigned by 2009. So, what will happen as more people in developing countries come online? The answer is IPv6, a new internet protocol that has more spaces than the old one: 340,282,366,920,938,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000 spaces, in fact. “Currently there’s four billion addresses available and there are six billion humans on Earth, so there’s obviously an issue there,” said David Kessens, chairman of the IPv6 working group at RIPE, one of five regional internet registries in charge of rolling it out. Every device that is connected to the internet — websites, computers and mobile phones — needs an “internet address” to locate it on the network. When the internet was developed in the 1980s, programmers had no idea how big it would become. They gave each address a “16-bit” number, which meant that the total number of available addresses worked out at about four billion (2 to the power of 32). Please click link for more on this crazy story.... http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2270472,00.html

    More than 500,000 evacuated

    More than half-a-million people have been evacuated as severe tropical storm Bilis hit south-east China, after killing 14 people in the northern Philippines, state media says. The storm landed around midday local time in Fujian province's Xiapu county, Xinhua news agency said, citing sources with Fujian's meteorological observatory. Over 256,000 evacuees, many of whom are seafood farmers and fishermen, were moved from their coastal homes in Fujian early Thursday, the Fujian water resources department website said. Some 42,000 fishing boats were also directed back to harbour, Xinhua said. Another 260,000 people were evacuated from dangerous areas of neighbouring Zhejiang province, the Zhejiang water resources department's website said. The storm was heading north-west at around 15-20 kilometres per hour and packing winds of up to 108 kilometres per hour near its centre, Xinhua said. Fujian's education bureau ordered schools to suspend classes and cancel outdoor activities. All parks also were closed. Passenger liners in the province had suspended services, and flights to Hong Kong and elsewhere have been cancelled while those to Beijing have been delayed, state television CCTV said. Fifteen rescue teams have been mobilised to rescue people who might be stranded, CCTV said. Television footage showed large waves crashing on coastlines. In urban areas, residents continued to ride their bicycles and walk through flooded streets. The storm brought heavy rain to Fujian, with the provincial capital Fuzhou getting as much as 25 centimetres of rain from Thursday night, Xinhua said. Meanwhile, workers were checking reservoirs in preparation for flooding due to the rain, Xinhua said. Nearby provinces were also bracing for the storm. In Zhejiang, in addition to evacuating 260,000 residents, officials called 22,540 boats and ships back to shore as of Friday morning, the water department said. Bilis lashed the northern Philippines on Thursday. The 14 victims were killed by falling trees, flash floods and landslides, officials said. The storm also hit Taiwan after moving from the Philippines and before heading to mainland China. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1687283.htm

    July 14, 2006

    Typhoon Bilis reaches Chinese mainland

    BEIJING (CNN) -- Typhoon Bilis lost its "super" status on Wednesday as it made landfall on the southeastern coast of China, but not before the devastating storm had swept across the island of Taiwan, leaving 11 people dead, 10 missing and 80 injured. Play video Half of the dead were buried by mudslides and the others were hit by falling debris. Chinese weather officials said winds and rain from the typhoon began to hit the Chinese mainland at 10 a.m. Wednesday (0200 GMT) in the city of Jin Jiang. At 7 p.m. local time (1100 GMT), the storm center was located 175 kilometers (108 miles) southwest of Fu Chun, China, packing winds of 167 km/h (103 mph). CNN weather forecaster Guillermo Arduino said southern China was expected to receive 125 millimeters (five inches) of rain by late Thursday, and that could cause mudslides and flooding. He said, however, that the storm -- which had packed winds up to 260 km/h (156 mph) when it devastated Taiwan late Tuesday and early Wednesday -- would not regain its strength because it was interacting with land. Interaction with land, or friction, weakens typhoons, which are fueled in part by the warmth off ocean waters, Arduino said. A storm is considered a typhoon if it has winds of 120 km/h (75 mph). A super typhoon is defined as a storm with sustained winds of 240 km/h (150 mph). Massive Damage in Taiwan In Taiwan, authorities said about 440,000 households were without electrical power after the then-super typhoon moved through. Reporters said that concrete buildings shook as the 260 km/h (161 mph) winds moved across the island. All domestic airline flights were canceled and train traffic was halted. Two villages in the southern part of the country had to be evacuated because of the threat of mudslides. In one mountainous village, nine people were trapped when a mudslide covered their house. An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale hit eastern Taiwan in the afternoon, causing more landslides. http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ASIANOW/weather/08/23/asia.typhoon.03/

    West Nile found in Abilene, Texas

    July 14, 2006 Abilene - Evidence of West Nile virus has now been confirmed in the Abilene mosquitopopulation. Mosquitoes captured around July 5th on Grand Avenue in south Abilene were discovered to be carrying the virus. West Nile can cause flu like symptoms, but for children, people over 50, and those with a weakened immune system, the virus can cause severe illness and on rare occasions..even death. Health officials are warning people to take the necessary precautions. The City of Abilene is spraying neighborhoods for mosquitoes on a request basis. Call 437-4590 to have your neighborhood sprayed. Watch our story… www.ktxs.com

    Mayon Volcano Erupts in the Philippines

    MANILA, Philippines — The Mayon volcano erupted Friday, a day after ejecting ash amid swarms of earthquakes, the Philippines' chief volcanologist said. "It is a quiet eruption as of now," said Renato Solidum, chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, who ordered the alert level raised after observers saw "lava trickles" flowing down the slopes of the 8,118-foot volcano. "A hazardous eruption is possible. We don't know when, maybe within weeks," Solidum said. He said scientists had expected lava flows after ash shot out of the volcano Thursday, and earthquakes were recorded for two days. The government maintains a 3 3/4-mile "permanent danger zone" around the volcano's crater, but many residents still live or farm on its slopes. There was no immediate word on evacuations. Mayon, one of the country's 22 active volcanos, last came to life in a series of eruptions in 2001, forcing the evacuation of about 50,000 people. It has erupted about 50 times since 1616. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203546,00.html Indonesia's Mount Merapi Continues to Pose Threat to Villagers

    July 13, 2006

    Are Enron Bankers/Witnesses Being Murdered?

    With the latest revelation that a body discovered in North-east London is that of a banker intimately connected with the Enron fraud case, one has to begin to ask why are there so many "unexplained" deaths linked to this case? The BBC is reporting that London Police are treating the death of Neil Coulbeck, who worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland until 2004, as "unexplained". Coulbeck had been interviewed by the FBI as a potential witness. The fraud case centres on a NatWest transaction under which it sold off part of its Enron unit. Three other Natwest bankers wanted by the US for involvement in the fraud are facing extradition from the UK under laws designed for cases of terrorism that were passed after 9/11. Is this becoming a case of too many "unexplained deaths" spoil a good cover up? in 2002 Enron vice chairman J. Clifford Baxter was found shot to death in his Mercedes Benz in the early hours of Friday morning, January 25, near his home in Sugar Land. The death was officially reported as a suicide, yet Local Justice of the Peace Jim Richard initially declared that Baxter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound but then reversed himself, citing the intense public interest in the death. There were many suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, including the moving of evidence and tampering with the body prior to the immediate investigation at the scene. CBS also reported: The experts found several things highly unusual. First the peculiar ammunition: not regular bullets but something called "rat-shot". Rat shot is a type of ammunition that cannot be easily traced back to the weapon that fired it. It is used specifically for firing at snakes or small pests and is not found readily. Furthermore, according to the New York Times, an unnamed associate added that Baxter “was talking about perhaps needing a bodyguard" just days before his "suicide". The case remained open for months after the death. Why would a very successful businessman one day be talking about needing someone to guard his life and then the next day decide to end it? Enron Vice President Sherron Watkins, who warned top company officials that the energy trading giant might “implode in a wave of accounting scandals,” said she feared for her own life during the crisis that culminated in Enron’s filing for bankruptcy. Then of course there is the timely death by heart attack of Enron Founder Ken Lay earlier this month. Lay was facing a lengthy jail sentence for conspiracy and fraud. His death has erupted a firestorm of rumours. Even the Miami Herald is questioning whether Lay has faked his own death. Some have intimated that Lay's death, whether it be natural, faked or terminated, will ensure that his convictions be erased, leaving his family fortunes and assets untainted and untouchable. Other Enron executives and witnesses involved in the case have gone on record as saying they are "scared to death" of being intimately caught up in the case. Here is another link of interest. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/04/10/eveningnews/main505845.shtml

    Destructive Weather Strikes Greenwich

    GREENWICH, Conn. (1010 WINS) -- A severe storm slammed into Greenwich Wednesday afternoon, taking down power lines and tree limbs and prompting a tornado warning. Police say they are not sure if a tornado actually touched down anywhere. The storm was expected to move out into Long Island Sound, taking the heavy rains and winds with it. As of 9:15pm, 1,400 Greenwich residents had no electricity. An additional 400 homes are said to be in the dark across Connecticut. http://www.1010wins.com/pages/55991.php?

    Hurricane, Tropical Storm near Mexico

    MEXICO CITY – Bud, the first hurricane this year to form in the eastern Pacific, and Tropical Storm Carlotta, the third Pacific tropical storm of the season, swirled far off the coast of Baja California state on Wednesday, posing no threat to land as they drifted farther out to sea, forecasters said. “There is absolutely no threat to land” from either Bud or Carlotta, said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Silver Springs, Maryland. Bud, which became a hurricane on Tuesday afternoon, was located about 600 miles (965 kilometers) southwest of Baja's southernmost tip early Wednesday and was traveling at 13 mph (20 kph) in a northwesterly direction, Feltgen said. The hurricane had wind speeds of about 85 knots (98 mph/160 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. It was expected to peak at 105 mph (170 kph) later Wednesday and overnight as it travels farther out into the Pacific, Feltgen said. Tropical Storm Carlotta was located about 320 miles (510 kilometers) southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, and was moving away from the Mexican coast at 13 mph (20 kph) in a northwesterly direction, the Hurricane Center said. The storm had maximum sustained winds of about 45 mph (75 kph) with higher gusts, with tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 50 miles (85 kms) from the center. Carlotta was expected to become a hurricane within 24 hours and reach its peak intensity in about 48 hours, or by Friday afternoon, the Hurricane Center said. Rains dumped on Mexico's coast due to the storm were diminishing as Carlotta moved farther offshore, the center said. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20060712-0905-mexico-tropicalweather.html

    Multiple mutations in Indonesian bird flu strain

    LONDON (Reuters) - Multiple mutations have been found in the H5N1 bird flu virus that killed seven family members in Indonesia although scientists are unsure of their significance, a leading science journal said on Thursday. But researchers believe the findings reinforce the need for bird flu data to be more widely available to improve understanding of the deadly virus. "The functional significance of the mutations isn't clear -- most of them seem unimportant," the journal Nature said in a report in the latest issue on Thursday. An analysis of virus samples from six of the eight members of the family showed 32 mutations accumulated as it spread, according to the confidential research obtained by Nature. More Bird Flu News

    The moment lightning shared the sky with a rainbow

    When a rainbow formed in the sky people stopped and stared at the natural wonder. But then lightning sparked across the evening panorama as two of nature's most spectacular phenomenon created an unusual alliance. The clash of weather was seen above the affluent city of Fort Smith, in the Southern state Arkansas. One onlooker said: "It was awe inspiring. The lightning made a huge rumbling sound and when you looked up there was also this incredible rainbow forming on the horizon." The intracloud lightning, known as an anvil crawler, is the most common form of lightning, with the electrical charge contained within a single cumulonimbus cloud. Lightning often occurs during heavy storms while rainbows are generally formed after the rain has stopped, making an appearance of both simultaneously relatively rare. The actual electric charge in a flash of lightning comes from particles from the sun sent out in the solar wind which gather in the outer atmospheric layers before creating a strike. Scientists are still divided by what actually causes lightning, with one theory suggesting falling droplets of ice and rain become electrically polarised as they fall through the natural electric field in the Earth's atmosphere. Click here for more

    Storm kills 4 in Philippines

    TAIPEI, July 12 (Reuters) - A tropical storm killed four people in the Philippines and was churning its way towards Taiwan where authorities on Wednesday issued sea and land warnings for strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical Storm Bilis, which is expected to strengthen into a typhoon, will likely make a direct hit on Taiwan on Thursday, Taiwan and Hong Kong weather authorities said. By 0900 GMT, the centre of the storm was about 420 km (260 miles) east of Taiwan and travelling northwest at 19 kph, with sustained winds of up to 90 kph and maximum gusts of 119 kph, Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said. Storm

    Tornado touches down in Ohio

    Severe storms across southwest Ohio brought powerful winds and at least one tornado that toppled gravestones, damaged roofs and scattered debris across parts of four counties. In parts of northern Ohio, a flash flood watch was extended into Wednesday night as a new round of storms threatened to dump several inches of rain on areas already saturated from earlier storms. The National Weather Service on Wednesday confirmed at least one tornado touched down at the Dayton Mall near Interstate 75 in Montgomery County, and investigated funnel-cloud sightings Tuesday night elsewhere in Montgomery, Butler, Clermont, Clinton and Warren counties. The storms knocked down trees and power lines, but reports of structural damage were relatively minor -- from damage to roofs of homes and stores to a freestanding sign at a Dayton comedy club being blown over. No serious injuries were reported in the storms, which also knocked over grave markers in a cemetery near Goshen in Clermont County, east of Cincinnati.

    Tornado hits north of Manhattan

    NEW YORK (CNN) -- A tornado struck about 20 miles north of New York City during rush hour Wednesday, causing heavy damage to a Westchester County store, the National Weather Service and a store spokesman said. No one was seriously injured when the twister skipped along a highway and hit a California Closets store in Hawthorne, New York. A supervisor for the company said employees and shoppers got out of the building before the roof collapsed. Two people suffered minor injuries, the supervisor said. Nearby, guests huddled in the lobby of a Comfort Inn as the tornado passed, causing minor damage to the building, a hotel employee said. Mount Pleasant police said wind damage forced the closing of Saw Mill Parkway just as the afternoon rush hour was beginning. Police also responded to reports of flash flooding, and trees and power lines knocked down by the high winds, according to a Westchester County spokeswoman. The county opened its emergency operations center in response, she said. Though rare, tornadoes have struck near New York City. Most recently, a tornado touched down on Staten Island on October 27, 2003, according to the New York City Office of Emergency Management. It uprooted trees and caused minor property damage. There were no injuries. http://www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/07/12/ny.tornado/index.html

    July 12, 2006

    California Wildfire Rages Through Desert

    YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. — Firefighters evacuated dozens more people from their homes early Wednesday as a wildfire raced across the desert and destroyed several homes in an area where dozens of Hollywood Westerns were filmed. Wind exceeding 40 mph fanned the flames, and officials said they didn't expect the weather to change anytime soon. The fire had covered more than 17,000 acres. Dozens were evacuated from communities in Little Morongo Canyon and Burns Canyon. Up to 1,000 fled the flames Tuesday, authorities said. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203102,00.html

    Tropical Storm Bilis Update

    TAIPEI, July 12 (Reuters) - A tropical storm killed four people in the Philippines and was churning its way towards Taiwan where authorities on Wednesday issued sea and land warnings for strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical Storm Bilis, which is expected to strengthen into a typhoon, will likely make a direct hit on Taiwan on Thursday, Taiwan and Hong Kong weather authorities said. By 0900 GMT, the centre of the storm was about 420 km (260 miles) east of Taiwan and travelling northwest at 19 kph, with sustained winds of up to 90 kph and maximum gusts of 119 kph, Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said. "The public should avoid entering mountainous areas and stay away from rivers and beaches," the bureau said in a statement. Four people were killed and two injured in Olongapo City northwest of the Philippine capital of Manila on Tuesday night when their house was crushed by a falling tree, police said. Bilis is the sixth biggest storm to hit the Philippines this year. Bilis Update

    July 11, 2006

    Tropical Storm Florita

    A NEW tropical storm, codenamed "Florita," has entered the Philippine area,the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Monday. According to Pagasa, Florita, first sighted over the Pacific Ocean, “has accelerated and entered the Philippine area,” and was 1,140 kilometers east of Central Luzon as of 10 a.m. The storm was moving west northwest at 19 kilometers per hour, packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kph near the center with gustiness of up to 90 kph. No public storm signals have been raised but Pagasa said the weather disturbance will “continue to enhance the southwest monsoon, which may bring moderate to heavy rains over Central and Southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.” The weather bureau said sea conditions on the northern seaboards of Luzon will be rough to very rough while the western seaboards of Luzon and the Visayas will be moderate to rough. It warned fishing boats and other small sea craft in these areas from venturing out and alerted larger vessels against moderate to high waves. On Tuesday, Pagasa predicted Florita to be 820 kilometers east southeast of Aparri, Cagayan, moving to 540 kilometers east northeast of Aparri or 490 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes on Wednesday. http://newsinfo.inq7.net/breakingnews/metroregions/view_article.php?article_id=9042

    Tropical Storm Bilis

    FUZHOU, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Tropical storm Bilis will turn into the fourth typhoon to threaten China this year in 48 hours, as it heads toward the offshore area of southeast China's Fujian Province, the provincial observatory forecast on Tuesday. The storm formed in the west Pacific Ocean on July 9 and is moving in a northwest direction at 15 km per hour to the east of the Philippines. The observatory issued the typhoon warning saying that Bilis is gathering strength as it approaches the province. The typhoon is expected to land on July 14 bringing downpours. Enditem

    July 10, 2006

    Pirates 2 Debut

    This past weekend my family and I went to the drive-in movie theatre to see Pirates of the Carribean 2 : Dead Man's Chest. This was a great movie. I loved the first one but actually thought the sequel was better. Johnny Depp did a great job as Captain Jack Sparrow. This movie alone has surpased Spiderman for best debut. If you get a chance you will not regret spending any money on this movie. I will see it again before it leaves the movie theatre. LOS ANGELES — Johnny Depp's boozy, woozy buccaneer Jack Sparrow has plundered the box office, with "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" taking in a record $132 million in its first three days, according to studio estimates Sunday. Disney's swashbuckling sequel sailed past the previous all-time best debut, 2002's "Spider-Man," which took in $114.8 million in its first weekend. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,202666,00.html

    July 09, 2006

    Evacuations underway for Typhoon Ewiniar

    HANGZHOU, July 8 (Xinhua) -- More than 7,600 people have been evacuated from their homes near the city of Ningbo in coastal province of Zhejiang as Typhoon Ewiniar remains hundreds of kilometers offshore. By 6 p.m. Saturday, 7,634 people have been moved to school rooms or temporary shelters in Ningbo, a coastal city of Zhejiang, said the provincial flood control headquarters Saturday. Evacuations are also under way in other coastal cities of the province, including Taizhou, Zhoushan and Wenzhou, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters. Xinhua reporters were unable to obtain the numbers of people affected by these evacuations. More than 8,000 ships have returned to harbors in Ningbo and coastal Zhoushan City, said the headquarters. The eye of Typhoon Ewiniar was about 780 km southeast of Dinghai, an isle of the Zhoushan Archipelago in the East China Sea, at 2 p.m. Saturday, said the Zhejiang Provincial Meteorological Observatory. The storm is tracking in a north-northwest direction at 10 to 15 km per hour, packing winds of about 162 km an hour, and is expected to approach the offshore areas of Zhejiang Saturday night, according to the provincial observatory. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-07/09/content_4809066.htm

    FBI plans new Net-tapping push

    The FBI has drafted sweeping legislation that would require Internet service providers to create wiretapping hubs for police surveillance and force makers of networking gear to build in backdoors for eavesdropping, CNET News.com has learned. FBI Agent Barry Smith distributed the proposal at a private meeting last Friday with industry representatives and indicated it would be introduced by Sen. Mike DeWine, an Ohio Republican, according to two sources familiar with the meeting. The draft bill would place the FBI's Net-surveillance push on solid legal footing. At the moment, it's ensnared in a legal challenge from universities and some technology companies that claim the Federal Communications Commission's broadband surveillance directives exceed what Congress has authorized. The FBI claims that expanding the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act is necessary to thwart criminals and terrorists who have turned to technologies like voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. "The complexity and variety of communications technologies have dramatically increased in recent years, and the lawful intercept capabilities of the federal, state and local law enforcement community have been under continual stress, and in many cases have decreased or become impossible," according to a summary accompanying the draft bill. http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-6091942.html

    Cats That Look Like Hitler.

    This post is proudly brought to you by C2C.comDo you think this cat (pictured) looks like Adolf Hitler? Check out catsthatlooklikehitler.com for even more felines that resemble the infamous German dictator.

    July 08, 2006

    Spain Reports First Case of Bird Flu

    MADRID, Spain — Spain has recorded its first case of H5N1 bird flu, discovered in a wild fowl in a marshland area near a northern city, the government said Friday. Officials are working to determine where the sick bird came from and whether the virus is similar to the strain that has proven lethal to humans in Asia and elsewhere, Agriculture Minister Elena Espinosa said. A sample was sent to a British laboratory for DNA analysis, and a two-mile protected zone has been declared around the area outside the city of Vitoria where the bird — a great crested grebe — was found. As bird flu spread to several European countries late last year, officials said it was only a matter of time before the disease made it to Spain, which is on the route of birds migrating north from Africa. — The Associated Press http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/nation/14992740.htm