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.

February 28, 2007

Tokyo had 1st winter without snow on record

(Kyodo) _ Tokyo experienced the first winter without snowfall on record since 1876, the Japan Meteorological Agency said Thursday.

The agency's observatory point in Otemachi, central Tokyo, did not record any snowfall from December to February, the period defined as winter in Japan.

Tokyo is more inclined to have heavy snow in early spring than in midwinter but it is not certain if the area will have such weather in March or later because temperatures are expected to remain higher than usual, the agency said.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/28/D8NIPNHO3.html

February 23, 2007

Indonesia Hit by Magnitude 6.5 Earthquake, U.S. Says (Update3)

Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Eastern Indonesia was hit by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The tremor struck at 5:04 p.m. local time 213 kilometers (132 miles) south-southwest of Ternate, and 326 kilometers north-northwest of Ambon, both in the Moluccas islands, the group said in an e-mailed report. Aftershocks measuring 5 and 5.8 struck later, the group said on its Web site.

The larger quake initially prompted concerns that it could be followed by a tsunami, said Yudo Patriabekti, a seismologist at the meteorology and geophysics agency's national office in Jakarta.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aNAS_hz6PYJI&refer=asia

Peacocks spread flu at Pakistan zoo

Islamabad (dpa) - A fresh outbreak of bird flu has struck at the zoo in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, where a gift batch of infected peacocks is blamed for decimating bird displays.

The Marghazar Zoo has been temporarily closed after test results this week confirmed the deaths of ducks and geese from the H5N1 strain of bird flu that is also lethal to humans.

"We took emergency action by culling five peacocks and vaccinated the rest of the flocks. The entire premises has also been fumigated," zoo director Raja Javed said as his 84 staff members underwent daily medical checks for any sign of the virus.

Two dozen of around 200 birds died after the zoo received a gift of seven peacocks on February 12. Health inspectors had only just given the collections a clean bill of health when the new birds arrived.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=117013

February 21, 2007

Earthquake Auckland

Auckland was rocked by three earthquakes last night, the strongest measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale. The tremors, which are unusual for Auckland, were described as shallow quakes and were felt as far afield as Te Atatu and Kawau Island.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/feature/story.cfm?c_id=1501154&objectid=10425139

H5N1 bird flu found in poultry in eastern Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan: Afghan authorities were culling poultry after an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in chicken in an eastern Afghan city, a U.N. official said Wednesday.

Bird flu was reported in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar, said Serge Verniau, the country representative of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization in Afghanistan.

Samples of chicken in the Nangarhar provincial capital of Jalalabad were found to have the H5N1 strain, while the exact type of the outbreak in Kunar has yet to be confirmed, Verniau said.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/21/asia/AS-GEN-Afghan-Bird-Flu.php

23

The other day at work the UW received and email asking to look up the importance/signifigance of the number "23".

So here you go...developing.....

Like other numbers that have long been linked to unusual coincidences, 13 and 17 also being favorites, the 23 Enigma can be seen as no more than an example of apophenia. Skeptics point out the fact that 23, being a fairly low number, occurs often in the media, current events, and daily life, concluding that it appears probably no more often in conjunction with catastrophe or coincidence than 22 or 24. In interviews, Wilson has acknowledged the self-fulfilling nature of the 23 enigma, implying that the real value of the Laws of Fives and Twenty-threes lies in their demonstration of the mind's power to perceive "truth" in nearly anything.

As a number with which to associate things, 23 has several helpful properties. It is a prime number, and therefore more likely to be associated with coincidences because events associated with composite numbers would be divided by a factor to arrive at it or some other prime. In addition, it enjoys the boon of having the two lowest primes as digits; 2 and 3 are small and therefore can be included in complex calculations that arrive at numbers only remotely related, which can then become coincidental with significant events. Two and three are also the most frequent factors (excluding 1) of a given range of whole numbers. 23 less the numeric base is 13, which has many phobias attached to it.

Many of these cultural references are deliberate, by artists who were fully aware of the mythical status of the number 23.

FILM

-A 2007 film titled The Number 23 starring Jim Carrey is about the subject. -23 humans were killed by androids in the movie "Blade Runner" -Cell 23 was used in "A Clockwork Orange" -Lane 23 was the lane favoured by the Dude in "The big Lebowski" -Princess Leia was in cellblock AA-23 cell 2187

Other Occurences

-Twin Towers attacked on 9/11/2001 (9+11+2+0+0+1=23) -Two Twin Towers attacked... 2 on 9/11/01 (2+9+11+1=23) -Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player to ever play the sport, wore the number 23 -A human baby recieves 23 chromosomes from each parent -Jim Carrey's production company is called JC23 (long before he got the script) -The 23rd letter of the alphabet is W, a letter whose shape suggests two horns pointing down and three points up, like the devil-horns hand-sign thrown up at rock concerts. -On a keyboard, W lies directly below the two and three. -Mayans believed the world will end on December 23rd, 2012(2+0=2 1+2=3) -The human biorhythm cycle is generally 23 days -It takes 23 seconds for blood to circulate through the human body -Julius Ceasar was born on Sept. 23 and stabbed 23 times -Geosynchronous orbit occurs at 23,000 miles above Earth's surface. -The tilt of Earth's axis is roughly 23o accounting for the changing seasons and the procession of the Zodiac -The United States set off 23 atomic bombs at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific -The first prime number in which both digits are prime and add up to make another prime is 23. -There are 23 letters in the names Franklin Delano Roosevelt, William Jefferson -Clinton and George Herbert Walker Bush -The Oklahoma bombing and the Waco tragedy were both on April 19 (4th month plus 19th day equals 23) -The Air India flight was bombed on June 23, 1985 (one plus nine plus eight plus five equals 23) -Hurricane Katrina formed over the Bahamas on Aug. 23. -The Titanic sank the morning of April 15th, 1912 (4 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 9 + 1 + 2 = 23) 230 people died on TWA Flight 800. -Charles Manson was born on November 12th (11 + 12 = 23) -A full turn of the DNA helix occurs every 23 angstroms. -The number of joints in the human arm is 23. -There are 23 vertebrae in the human body. -Alexander the Great was 23 when he cut the Gordian Knot -The Knights Templar had 23 Grand Masters. Devin Hester, whose jersey number is 23, becomes the first person to return the opening kickoff for a touchdown in a Super Bowl ( XLI ).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23_(numerology)

http://www.number23movie.com/

February 20, 2007

Mozambique braced for cyclone

Flood-ravaged Mozambique has been warned to brace for a tropical cyclone.

Cyclone Flavio is located in the Indian Ocean less than 125 miles from the Mozambican Channel and was intensifying, with winds forecast to strengthen to 100 miles an hour.

"We call upon authorities in the provinces of Sofala, Inhambane and Gaza to take preventive measures," said Acadio Tembe, a spokesman for the national meteorology agency.

Mozambique has already seen almost 90,000 people displaced and 40 killed by serious flooding in the Zambezi river valley, straining disaster relief efforts as officials battle to get food and clean water to people in evacuation shelters.

http://www.itv.com/news/world_8f172884e6399526f08bd6a648ce9493.html

Cyclone brings new flood threat to Mozambique

MAPUTO, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Officials warned flood-ravaged Mozambique on Tuesday to brace for a tropical cyclone bearing down on the country, threatening high winds and heavy rains in a region already struggling with disastrous flooding.

Cyclone Flavio was located in the Indian Ocean less than 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the Mozambican Channel and was intensifying, with winds forecast to strengthen to 160 kph (100 mph), the national meteorology agency INAM said.

"We call upon authorities in the provinces of Sofala, Inhambane and Gaza to take preventive measures," INAM spokesman Acadio Tembe told Radio Mozambique on Tuesday.

Mozambique has already seen more than 100,000 people displaced and 40 killed by serious flooding in the Zambezi river valley, straining disaster relief efforts as officials battle to get food and clean water to people in evacuation shelters.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L20430395.htm

Indonesia Quake Triggers Tsunami Warning

MANADO, Indonesia — A powerful earthquake in northeastern Indonesia on Tuesday caused panicked residents to flee shaking buildings on islands in the Maluku Sea and briefly triggered a tsunami warning, officials said.

The 6.5-magnitude quake struck 130 miles from Ternate, the capital of Maluku island, and 233 miles from Manado, the northernmost city on Sulawesi island, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,252898,00.html

Russian Bird Flu Outbreak Reaches Outskirts of Moscow

MOSCOW — Russian officials traced dead poultry in several suburban Moscow districts to a single market Sunday as experts reported new outbreaks and tightened quarantines following confirmation of the presence of the H5N1 bird flu strain.

The presence of H5N1, confirmed by tests late Saturday, was the first such outbreak to be recorded so close to the Russian capital.

Authorities traced the birds that died in four separate incidences to a market located just outside the Moscow city limits, said Alexei Alexeyenko, spokesman for the federal agricultural oversight agency Rosselkhoznadzor.

Since it began ravaging Asian poultry farms in late 2003, the H5N1 strain has killed at least 167 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,252904,00.html

February 14, 2007

Can the real Mookie please stand up?

Can you please let me know if you can find this man? In reports I've read he's been rumored to be sleeping in different places each night. Could he have slept in Anna Nicole Smith's bed...could he be her baby's daddy??

Another Mookie that can be found! Here is a picture of Mookie Blaylock.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/mookie_blaylock/index.html

February 07, 2007

Indonesia's flood of misery

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- In a low-lying riverside district of the capital, dead chickens floated in the same filthy flood waters in which women used to bathe children and wash clothes.

Men sitting on rooftops or balconies dangled hooks in the debris-filled water for fish amid the stench of raw sewage. An elderly woman called out to rescuers for food and water from her second-floor balcony.

Boys scavenged plastic bags and other recyclable waste to sell for a few pennies.

A boat ride with emergency workers yesterday revealed the hardships residents are suffering five days after torrential rains unleashed flood waters that have killed 44 people and chased hundreds of thousands from their homes in this city of 12 million.

While some parts of Jakarta began drying out under grey skies, water is still metres deep in low-lying areas along river banks where tens of thousands of the city's poorest live in cluttered allies.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/World/2007/02/07/3549209-sun.html

Bird flu reappears in Pakistan

Islamabad (dpa) - A fresh outbreak of avian flu was confirmed in the Pakistani cities of Rawalpindi and Mansehra, a year after thousands of birds were culled to contain the disease, news reports said Wednesday.

Forty chickens at a farm in Islamabad's twin city Rawalpindi died of the H5N1 strain or were killed while infected, according to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock. Other cases in peacocks were detected in Mansehra, which is located in the North-West Frontier Province.

The region was where authorities started a preventive cull of some 40,000 birds in February 2006, costing poultry farmers and related industries almost 200 million dollars. Experts fear the disease could mutate and infect the human population, causing a global pandemic that would wipe out hundreds of millions of people.

According to latest figures released by the World Health Organization, the H5N1 strain has claimed the lives of 163 people, mainly in Asian countries.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=116638

February 04, 2007

Floods kill 20, displace 340,000 in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Boats ferried supplies to desperate residents of Indonesia’s flood-stricken capital on Sunday as rivers burst their banks following days of rain. At least 20 people have been killed and almost 340,000 forced from their homes, officials said.

Hundreds of people scrambled to the second floors of their houses to escape the rising waters. Some found themselves trapped, while others refused to leave despite warnings that the muddy flood waters — running over 13 feet deep in places — may rise further in the coming days.

“Jakarta is now on the highest alert level,” said Sihar Simanjuntak, an official who monitors the many rivers that crisscross this city of 12 million people. “The floods are getting worse.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16953369/

February 03, 2007

Deadly Bird Flu Virus Found in Britain

LONDON (AP) - Officials confirmed Saturday that the H5N1 strain of bird flu had been found in turkeys on a commercial farm - Britain's first mass outbreak of the disease that has ravaged Asia's poultry stocks and killed more than 160 people worldwide.

The virus strain that killed about 2,500 turkeys on the British poultry farm was identified as the highly pathogenic Asian strain, similar to a virus found in Hungary in January, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.

It was the first time the deadly H5N1 strain was found on a British farm.

Also on Saturday, the World Heath Organization confirmed Nigeria's first human death from the strain. Nigerian health officials on Wednesday said several people had apparently contracted the virus, including a young woman who later died.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070203/D8N2G1I80.html

February 02, 2007

U.S. Issues Guidelines in Case of Flu Pandemic

ATLANTA, Feb. 1 — Cities should close schools for up to three months in the event of a severe flu outbreak, ball games and movies should be canceled and working hours staggered so subways and buses are less crowded, the federal government advised today in issuing new pandemic flu guidelines to states and cities.

Health officials acknowledged that such measures would hugely disrupt public life, but they argued that these measure would buy the time needed to produce vaccines and would save lives because flu viruses attack in waves lasting about two months.

“We have to be prepared for a Category 5 pandemic,” said Dr. Martin Cetron, director of global migration and quarantine for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in releasing the guidelines. “It’s not easy. The only thing that’s harder is facing the consequences. That will be intolerable.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/01/health/01cnd-flu.html?ei=5065&en=cdb820c97dd329e6&ex=1170997200&adxnnl=1&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print&adxnnlx=1170433623-vUgiq6uM6YeRmivm9aWbsA

Deaths Reported as Storm Moves Across Central Florida

TAVARES, Fla. — At least seven people were killed in early morning storms that ripped through central Florida, damaging homes and cutting out power as people reported of tornadoes touching down.

Sgt. John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff's Office confirmed seven people died in the Lake Mack area of DeLand. He describes the area as "complete and total devastation" and said search and rescue teams were on the scene.

The storms moved across Sumter and Lake counties around 3:15 a.m., then moved to Volusia County, said Peggy Glitto, a weather service meteorologist.

"You could just hear the wind just take everything," said DeLand resident Dot Owens, whose daughter is disabled and unable to walk.

"I can’t get my car out, I can’t get my daughter’s wheelchair out, and she can’t walk. She’s still in the house. The roofs off, the walls gone, everything’s wet, of course," Owens said.

Aerial shots from local news stations showed mass damage, with homes and buildings flattened and debris strewn across roads.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,249758,00.html

February 01, 2007

1.5 lakh buildings in Delhi highly vulnerable to earthquake

New Delhi, Feb. 1 (PTI): There could be a disaster just waiting to happen in seismically-sensitive Delhi, with the capital's more than 1.5 lakh residential buildings being highly vulnerable to earthquake. "Delhi falls under Seismic Zone IV. It has more than 1.5 lakh residential buildings that are vulnerable to earthquake. Tremors of magnitude six to eight on the Richter scale would leave them in shambles," National Seismic Adviser to Government of India, Prof A S Arya said at a workshop on making buildings quake-resistant here today.

In all, there are 34 lakh residential buildings in the capital, of which 1.23 lakh are `kutccha' or not made of concrete and over 23 thousand are made of stone, both of which are highly vulnerable to earthquake, Arya said. "The important thing is the know-how of earthquake safety measures. People should know how they can check their houses for earthquake safety and how they can get it done very economically," he said.

The figures released by the Central Power Works Department show that retrofitting costs between five to ten per cent of the actual building cost. Arya said retrofitting is the process to upgrade the seismic resistance of an existing building. "The Delhi Government has already taken the earthquake safety initiative for five lifeline buildings with financial support from USAID and technical help from Geohazards International," said Dhar Chakorbarty, Executive Director, National Institute of Disaster Management.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200702011616.htm

New bird flu outbreak in Ang Thong

Thailand Thursday confirmed its third bird flu outbreak this year among household chickens in the central province of Ang Thong, near the ancient capital of Ayutthaya.

Bureau of Livestock Disease Control Director Nirandorn Uangtrakulsuk said lab tests had confirmed the H5N1 strain of avian influenza among the free range chickens, six of which had recently died.The bureau ordered the remaining ten chickens in the household compound and all poultry within a 200-metre radius of the house to be culled on Wednesday.

It was the third case of bird flu detected in Thailand this year. The two former outbreaks were also at small free range chicken farms.So far there have been no reports of an H5N1 outbreak at a commercial-scale chicken or duck farm in Thailand this year.The two other outbreaks were reported at a farm in Nong Khai, 480 kilometres north-east of Bangkok, and among domesticated ducks in Phitsanulok province, northern Thailand, last month.

The official Thai News Agency reported that Thailand, Laos and Cambodia held talks in Bangkok on how to implement more efficient monitoring of avian influenza, as well as other communicable diseases.Their "Joint Action Programmes on Communicable Disease Control on the Thai-Cambodian and Thai-Lao Borders" reviewed the current procedures along common borders.

Officials sat in from the World Health Organisation, the Kenan Institute Asia, Japan International Cooperation Agency and the United Nations Aids programme.Thailand, where 17 people have died after contracting the H5N1 virus from domesticated fowl since the epidemic was first detected in the kingdom in 2003, is one of the few H5N1-affected countries to have refused to introduce a vaccination program among its commercial chickens farms.The government recently announced plans to use vaccinations among poultry should the kingdom suffer another major outbreak of the poultry virus.The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is generally in favour of vaccination programs as a means of containing the poultry plague, although experts admit an anti-avian influenza programs can work without vaccinating if handled correctly.

The first wave of avian influenza swept Asia in 2003 and 2004, then spread to Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 2005 to 2006.This year new outbreaks of bird flu in Asia have been reported in China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

Outside of Asia, avian influenza outbreaks have only been detected in Egypt and Nigeria so far this year.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=116476