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.

November 30, 2007

MRSA cases on the rise, study says

The number of people hospitalized with the dangerous superbug MRSA has doubled in recent years, according to a study released today.

Between 1999 to 2005, MRSA infections nationwide resulting in hospitalizations increased to nearly 280,000 from 127,000, according to a report in the December issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Researchers report they also have seen a dramatic spike in hospitalizations of patients with general staph infections, which increased 62 percent during the same time period.

MRSA, which stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is more difficult to treat than other infections because it has developed resistance to most commonly used antibiotics.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/11/the_number_of_people_hospitali.html MRSA Fact Sheet

Researchers found hospital visits for Staph infections rose 62% between 1999 and 2005. Cases of MRSA, a "Superbug" resistant to many antibiotics more than doubled.

"MRSA is out of control - its a large problem and its growing rapidly," says Staph Infection Study Author Ramanan Laxminarayan, PH.D., M.P.H.

The problem is not only in hospitals but also in the community. Schools across the country have closed recently after students like 11-year-old Shae Kiernan died.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/health/news-article.aspx?storyid=96859

Bird flu spreads to 60 countries, pandemic risk still high: UN

UNITED NATIONS - Bird flu in poultry and wild birds spread to 60 countries but is entrenched only in six because of improved and faster responses, experts said.

Despite those strides, the risk of a worldwide human-to-human pandemic remains as great today as it was when the hard-to-treat H5N1 flu strain first gained intense attention in mid-2005, said a new report by Dr. David Nabarro, the UN official co-ordinating the global fight against avian influenza, and World Bank officials.

"We think it will happen sometime but we don't know when or where," Nabarro said Thursday.

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gcH2a_3US5WIGaTgFXE-tCJg7jyQ

November 28, 2007

Sick Rams Used as Ancient Bioweapons

Nov. 28, 2007 -- Infected rams and donkeys were the earliest bioweapons, according to a new study which dates the use of biological warfare back more than 3,300 years .

According to a review published in the Journal of Medical Hypotheses, two ancient populations, the Arzawans and the Hittites, engaged "in mutual use of contaminated animals" during the 1320-1318 B.C. Anatolian war.

"The animals were carriers of Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia," author Siro Trevisanato, a molecular biologist based in Oakville, Ontario, Canada told Discovery News. Also known as "rabbit fever," tularemia is a devastating disease which even today can be fatal, if not treated with antibiotics. Its symptoms range from skin ulcers, swollen and painful lymph glands, pneumonia, fever, chills, progressive weakness and respiratory failure.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/11/28/biological-warfare-rams.html

Basic Barriers Might be Most Effective Against Pandemic Flu

GOLD COAST, Australia, Nov. 28 -- The best weapons to contain a pandemic avian flu, if one develops, might be the simplest, according to a systematic review.

Inexpensive physical barriers, such as regular hand-washing and wearing masks, gloves, and gowns, may be more effective than reliance on antivirals or vaccines in preventing the spread of the virus, Chris Del Mar, M.D., of Bond University here, and colleagues, reported in BMJ Online.

They reviewed 51 studies over four decades culled from the Cochrane Central Register (2006), Medline (1966 through 2006), OldMedline (1950 through 1965), Embase (1990 through 2006), and other databanks on the effect of simple physical means of preventing the spread of respiratory infections.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/tb/7510

Bird flu outbreak confirmed in Danube Delta

BUCHAREST, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- A bird flu outbreak was confirmed on Wednesday in a household based at Murighiol of Tulcea County, southeastern Romania.

According to the National Sanitary Veterinary Authority, the Romanian Institute for Animal Diagnosis and Health has confirmed the bird flu outbreak, the H5N1 virus strain, after a laboratory testing of samples taken from dead poultry in a household at Murighiol.

The virus strain, after being isolated, will be dispatched to the EU Reference Laboratory for Avian Flu based in Weybridge, the United Kingdom, in order to be recorded in the European Union's virus bank.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/29/content_7164181.htm

Typhoon Mitag death toll rises to 22 in Philippines

MANILA, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Waves caused by Typhoon Mitag capsized two small passenger ferries in a lake overnight, killing at least three people and raising the overall death toll to 22 in the Philippines, local media reported on Wednesday.

The ferries were crossing Taal Lake, south of the country's capital of Manila when strong winds brought about by the typhoon triggered huge waves, Philippine television network ABS-CBN citing rescuers reported.

Three people were confirmed drowned, while about 30 others were rescued. Six others remain missing.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/28/content_7161834.htm

November 27, 2007

Strong quake shakes Philippines capital

A strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake shook the Philippine capital on Tuesday, sending some office workers fleeing into the streets, seismologists and witnesses said.

The quake struck at 12:27 pm (0427 GMT) and was centred 195 kilometres (120 miles) northwest of Manila at a depth of depth 62.5 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.

Witnesses and radio reports said some office buildings in Manila emptied as people rushed outside when the structures began to sway. The city's light railway system also stopped briefly, they added.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=f2a6779e-8fc8-498d-856a-1233efbee292&ParentID=72dc63b8-a6bf-4b0c-8c0b-c2bd7af71b24&&Headline=Strong+quake+shakes+Philippines+capital

19 dead, eight missing after typhoon Mitag

 MANILA, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- A total of 19 people have been confirmed dead while eight others were missing due to typhoon Mitag's onslaught, the Philippine National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said Wednesday morning.

The report said that according to the Department of Public Works and Highways, a total of 162,017,000 pesos (3.79 million U.S. dollars) worth of infrastructure were damaged by the storm while the Department of Agriculture estimated the storm's damage to crops at 109,648,281 pesos (2.56 million dollars).

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/28/content_7159983.htm

Bird Flu Spreading Across Europe

Bird flu may become entrenched throughout parts of Europe, the United Nations recently reported. The statement came after German scientists discovered the fatal h5n1 strain of the avian influenza virus in seemingly healthy ducks and geese. The fact that German waterfowl may be acting as transmitters of the disease without showing symptoms presents an increased threat to human health, the Food and Agriculture Organization (fao) of the UN reported Oct. 25, 2007.

The spread of avian influenza by birds resistant to the disease has already caused it to become entrenched in some Southeast Asian nations. If the birds do not show symptoms of the disease, infected birds are almost impossible to isolate or eradicate. Because of this, the fao has warned that Europe should prepare for more outbreaks.

http://www.thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=4494.0.100.0

November 26, 2007

Death toll from Philippines typhoon rises to 12

THE death toll from Typhoon Mitag has risen to 12 in the Philippines, as a search continued for a missing air force jet and a fishing vessel with 27 aboard.

The number of people displaced also jumped to nearly half a million from 19 provinces ravaged by flash floods and landslides triggered by the storm, the Office of Civil Defence said.

Mitag has weakened as it exited the Philippines towards the southern islands of Japan, but provinces in the north of Luzon island continued to be battered by strong winds and rains.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22829917-663,00.html

2 storms squeeze Luzon

MANILA, Philippines – Like two dancers swirling around each other, Typhoon “Mina” Monday slammed into Isabela and Aurora provinces -- as Tropical Storm “Lando” turned around and headed back toward the Philippines, aiming for the Southern Tagalog region.

"Lando" (international codename: Hagibis) weakened as it moved closer to northwest Palawan and Mindoro Island on Tuesday morning, after reentering the country's area of responsibility, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=103310

6.2 Earthquake Rocks Japan

The Japanese city of Iwaki was hit by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The USGS said the center of the tremor was located 45 miles northeast of Iwaki, Honshu, registering a depth of 24.2 miles.

The earthquake in Japan followed a deadly tremblor in eastern Indonesia that killed at least three people and injured 45 others on Sunday.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7009270420 Chile hit by 5.7 magnitude quake-USGS

Indonesia rocked by major earthquake, three people killed

A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumbawa island yesterday, killing three, injuring 55 and damaging hundreds of homes as repeated aftershocks rattled nerves, officials said.

Buildings collapsed in Dompu and Bima districts and officials rushed to reach remote areas as frightened residents gathered outdoors, with some fleeing to higher ground in fear of potential tsunamis.

Health ministry spokesman Rustam Pakaya said that three people had died, including a five-year-old boy, while 55 people had been injured. He did not provide further details on the fatalities.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2007/11/27/2003390050

Death toll from cyclone in Bangladesh rises to 3,243

DHAKA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the cyclone Sidr that battered Bangladesh's coastal belts on Nov. 15 rose to 3,243 till Monday morning, an official of the Food and Disaster Management Ministry said.

According to the ministry, nearly 6.9 million people in 30 out of the country's 64 districts were affected by the nature's fury that also left 34,508 people injured and 1,180 others missing.

It said 12 districts were hit worst by the terrible storm that left a trail of destruction, especially to standing crops, in the areas.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/26/content_7148905.htm

Typhoon Mina changes course

MANILA — Typhoon Mina changed course early yesterday morning and is now heading towards the provinces of Aurora and Quezon.

But National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) spokesman and Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator Anthony Golez said the worse wasn't over yet for the Bicol region where President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had ordered the "preemptive evacuation" of tens of thousands of residents on the coast and areas around Mayon Volcano as the typhoon menaced the region on Friday.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/news/view_article.php?article_id=102981

Powerful typhoon slams into northeastern Philippines, killing 10

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Typhoon Mitag slammed into the northeastern Philippines after killing at least 10 people elsewhere in the country, while another deadly storm that had blown away days earlier headed back Monday, complicating emergency preparations.

A Philippine air force jet with two pilots also went missing in the foul weather while searching for 26 Filipinos whose fishing boat sank last week near the Spratly islands in the South China Sea, the air force said.

Two villagers were also reported missing when raging river currents swept away their house in the northern mountain province of Apayao, officials said.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/26/apworld/20071126190230&sec=apworld

South Korea Confirms Bird Flu Outbreak

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea's first bird flu outbreak in eight months forced the slaughter of thousands of ducks in the country's south Saturday, although the deadly H5N1 virus was not involved, the government said.

The virus that caused the latest outbreak was a "low pathogenic" H7 strain that has not been known to spread to humans, said an official at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Natural disasters have quadrupled in two decades: study

More than four times the number of natural disasters are occurring now than did two decades ago, British charity Oxfam said in a study Sunday that largely blamed global warming.

"Oxfam... says that rising green house gas emissions are the major cause of weather-related disasters and must be tackled," the organisation said, adding that the world's poorest people were being hit the hardest.

The world suffered about 120 natural disasters per year in the early 1980s, which compared with the current figure of about 500 per year, according to the report.

"This year we have seen floods in South Asia, across the breadth of Africa and Mexico that have affected more than 250 million people," noted Oxfam director Barbara Stocking.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=071125143308.tk2ewf60&show_article=1

November 24, 2007

Burma Detects New Outbreak of Bird Flu

Officials in Burma say a new outbreak of bird flu has been detected among chickens in an eastern district near the Chinese border.

The state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Saturday that the outbreak was found at a farm in Kentung township in eastern Shan state on November 18, after a farmer reported an unusual number of deaths in his chickens.

Officials culled an unknown number of birds at the farm.

A statement from the Myanmar Livestock and Veterinary Department urged people to prevent the entry of poultry and birds from neighboring countries into Burma.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-11-24-voa18.cfm

Home > Nation > Top Stories Double whammy? 'Lando' might return to RP amid typhoon 'Mina'

The country could face a double weather whammy this week as the government weather agency said on Sunday that storm “Lando" (Hagibis) might return to the Philippines.

Nathaniel Cruz, weather specialist of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said “Lando is still very much alive."

“Buhay na buhay pa si Lando. Posibleng bumalik si Lando sa Philippine area of responsibility (Lando is still very much alive, and it can still return to the Philippine area of responsibility)," Cruz said in an interview on dzXL radio.

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70032/Double-whammy-Lando-might-return-to-RP-amid-typhoon-Mina

Typhoon toll rises in the Philippines

Officials in the Philippines say seven people have been killed in two provinces in flooding ahead of typhoon Migat.

Shirley Escalante reports the typhoon is expected to hit land in the northern Philippines later today.

Officials say most of the people killed in the onslaught of the typhoon was due to drowning in overflowed rivers in eastern provinces. Disaster management officials, upon orders of President Gloriai Arroyo, have been conducting pre-emptive measures in the past days to mitigate the effects of the typhoon. 100,000 people in coastal villages and flood-prone areas in the northeastern parts are being evacuated to safer ground. Power failure in some northern provinces have been reported, while more than three-thousand passengers have been stranded in ports due to suspension of sea travel. The Philippine military has declared a unilateral suspension of military operations against communist rebels in affected areas to allow soldiers to focus on disaster-response operations.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s2100550.htm

Mild quake jolts central Israel just days after Dead Sea tremor

A mild earthquake registering 4.1 on the Richter scale was felt in central Israel shortly after midnight between Friday and Saturday, days after a 4.2 tremor struck the northern Dead Sea earlier this week.

Police said they had received no reports of injuries or damage.

Reports of the quake were recorded, among other places, in Ra'anana, Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Rehovot and Jerusalem, Army Radio reported.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/927478.html

November 23, 2007

Cold weather should help eliminate bluetongue disease

Sheep producers in the Big Horn Basin and surrounding areas are urged to closely monitor their flocks for bluetongue, an infectious disease due to a potentially fatal virus. An outbreak of bluetongue this fall has killed more than 300 sheep in the Worland, Otto, Basin and Greybull areas of the Big Horn Basin and led to sickness in hundreds of other sheep.

The virus also killed pronghorn antelope, white-tailed deer and mule deer in the Big Horn Basin as well as antelope and mule deer in the Cody, Sinclair and Douglas areas. The disease is also present in southern Montana.

http://www.theprairiestar.com/articles/2007/11/23/ag_news/livestock/cattle15.txt http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/fsheet_faq_notice/fs_ahbluetongue.html

Insect-borne disease affecting deer worries Vermont

MONTPELIER, Vt.—A deer disease that has spread to neighboring New York state has a Vermont bioligist worried.

more stories like this Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, which causes hemorrhaging around the heart and can be fatal to the animals, was found in upstate New York this week. Transmitted by small, biting insects called midges, the disease doesn't affect humans but is still cause for concern, according to Shawn Haskell, state deer project leader.

Vermont, which takes about 400 samples a year from deer, should prepare to monitor the spread of the disease, should it be found in Vermont, Haskell said.

"We need to come up with a protocol for our biologists and wardens to sample deer we believe may have succumbed to EHD," Haskell said. "We are going to have to look out for it."

Bigfoot in Texas??

Last night Thursday November 22, 2007 we here at the U recieved a tremendous amout of snowfall. It started around 8 AM in the morning and stopped somtime after 10PM.
This morning as I went to check on our animals and get some firewood I noticed something very unusual as the snow was beginning to melt. Could it be that Bigfoot it was some kind of bigfoot? It was truly interesting because we do not live in an area where there are animals such as bears.

There were 3 sets of footprints. First I took a pic of one up close. Second is in our play yard approx. 5 foot from the house. Second is in the backyard approx. 30 feet from the house. Last is the footprints fading toward our goat and chicken pen. The footprints are difficult to see but they are there.

November 22, 2007

Thanksgiving at the U...

Thanksgiving Dinner Desert #1: Turkey Cookies Desert #2: Corn on the cob...made with a table spoon of crisco melted with white choclate chips, and then spread over 3 marshmellow on a skewer stick. Make sure to let in cool in the fridge.Then the snow came...
And it snowed well into the evening...at the very least it had to be 3-4 inches.

Another snow picture..

And the kids Thanksgiving crafts. Of course there was football on all day.

Happy Thanksgiving 2007 everyone.

What is this??

I noticed this on the stove as my wife was cooking Thanksgiving dinner....Looks to me like someone made her mad....

Moderate quake strikes Indonesia's Aceh

Jakarta - A 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the western coast of Indonesia's province of Aceh Friday morning, but there were no reports of injuries or structural damage, seismologists said. The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 6:02 am (23029 GMT Thursday), was located about 113 kilometres south-west of the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, at a depth of 16 kilometres, said Indonesia's National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency.

On December 2004, Aceh province, about 1,350 kilometres north-west of Jakarta, was hit by a massive 9.0-magnitude quake, triggering a tsunami that destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings, and leaving more than 170,000 people dead or missing.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/146552.html

UPDATE) Typhoon Mina gains strength

Typhoon Mina (international codename Mitag) has gained more strength and continues to threaten the Bicol Region.

The 11 p.m. weather bulletin issued by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Mina was eyed 320 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes as of 10 p.m..

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=100083

November 21, 2007

Moderate earthquake rocks eastern Indonesia

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.4 magnitude struck eastern part of Indonesia on Thursday, but damages or casualties were reported, Meteorology and Geophysics Agency here said.

The quake hit at 03:30 local time (2030 GMT) with epicenter at 109 kilometers southwest Ternate of North Maluku province and at 10 kilometers in depth, an official of the agency said.

In December 2004, over 170,000 people were killed in the Aceh province in northern tip of Sumatra island after a tsunami triggered by a strong quake devastated coastal areas of the province and other countries in the Southeast Asia.

Indonesia sits on a vulnerable quake-hit zone called "the Pacific Ring of Fire," where two continental plates meet that cause frequent seismic and volcanic movement. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6307144.html

Typhoon 'Mina' strengthens; 'Lando' exiting country

Tropical storm Mina continues to gain strength as it approaches the Bicol region.

In its 5 a.m. weather report, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that Mina was last seen at 660 kms East of Virac, Catanduanes with maximum winds of 115 kph near the center and gustiness of 145 kph.

Signal no. 2 has been raised in Catanduanes.

Signal no. 1, meanwhile, is up in Sorsogon, Albay, Camarines Provinces, Southern Quezon and Polillo Island.

Meanwhile, tropical storm Lando also continues to strengthen as it heads toward Vietnam.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Local%20News&p=54&type=2&sec=2&aid=200711221

Super typhoon approaches

The government has started evacuating thousands of people in Bicol ahead of tropical storm “Mina” (international code name Mitag) which is expected to hit the region tomorrow.

State weather forecasters said Mina is expected to intensify into a super typhoon as it moves closer to the country in the next days.

Albay Gov. Jose Salceda has already ordered the suspension of classes in all levels in the province to facilitate the relocation of some 40,000 people living in areas prone to landslides, lahar flows and storm surges.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20071121131

It’s more than just a common cold

A deadly strain of the cold virus that’s killing people in the U.S. hasn’t breached the border into Alberta yet.

But health officials monitoring the disease are reminding Albertans to take precautions.

“Getting the flu shot, hand washing and maintaining proper hygiene are the most important things you can do to keep from getting the cold,” said Alberta Health and Wellness spokesman Shannon Haggarty.

“We haven’t had any reported cases of the U.S. strain here but we’re monitoring its progress (south of the border) very closely.”

http://www.cochranetimes.com/News/356264.html

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD)

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is an acute, infectious, often fatal viral disease of some wild ruminants. This malady, characterized by extensive hemorrhages, has been responsible for significant epizootics in deer in the northern United States and southern Canada.

A similar hemorrhagic disease called bluetongue also occurs throughout the U.S. and Canada. The two diseases are antigenically different.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-26647--,00.html

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (VDACS) Office of Veterinary Services has received confirmation from the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa that samples from cattle in Orange County are positive for Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD).

VDACS had gotten reports from veterinarians and cattle producers of ulcers, sore mouths, reluctance to eat and lameness in cattle, all of which indicate the possibility of EHD.

While NVSL performed blood tests that confirmed the cattle had been exposed to the virus, that does not mean they actually have contracted the disease. Many people believe that cattle can get a disease similar to EHD in deer, but science has yet to prove that.

VDACS is taking precautions, however, by advising cattle owners to report symptoms that may appear to be EHD to their local veterinarian just to reduce the possibility of overlooking other more serious diseases and to be on the safe side of animal health.

Cattle infected with EHD may experience weight loss or decreased milk production while symptoms are present. The disease is rarely fatal in cattle and poses no known threat to human health.

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, a disease common to white-tailed deer, comes from a virus carried by biting gnats and it typically occurs in warm, dry conditions. The first hard frost will usually kill the disease-carrying gnats. In the meantime, to prevent EHD in cattle, VDACS recommends keeping them away from deer and using external parasite control.

For more information on EHD in cattle, check with your veterinarian, or contact VDACS’ Division of Animal and Food Industry Services at 804-692-0601. For information about EHD in deer, contact the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries at 804-367-1000.

http://southeastfarmpress.com/news/112107-cattle-disease/

Vietnam seeks regional help as Storm Hagibis nears

HANOI, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Vietnam has asked nearby countries to give shelter to thousands of its fishermen from a tropical storm now nearing the Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea, the government said on Wednesday.

Nearly 74,000 fishermen were working off Vietnam's coast in the path of Storm Hagibis as of early Wednesday, 58 of them have sought permission to take shelter at a Philippine island, the government said in a disaster report.

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSMAN122790

November 20, 2007

‘Boot Camp Flu’ has killed 10 in 18 months

A viral offshoot of the common cold with recurring flare-ups at the Air Force’s Basic Military Training has led to 10 U.S. deaths in the last 18 months, according to a federal report.

A rare viral strain commonly called “Boot Camp Flu” has struck at least 140 people in New York, Oregon and Texas, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Twice this year, it swept through Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, putting hundreds on bed rest and hospitalizing dozens in basic training.

In August, the virus contributed to the death of Airman Paige Villers, a 19-year-old recruit and mother. More than 100 at Lackland contracted the same strain. Five were sent to intensive care. These viral strains have long been associated with boot camp-style conditions, where exhausted recruits from across the nation bunk in cramped quarters.

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/11/airforce_boot_camp_flu_brief_071120/

6.3 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Chile

Santiago, Chile (AHN) - A powerful 6.3 magnitude temblor struck offshore northern Chile on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The tremor comes a week after the region was shaken by a major 7.7 magnitude earthquake, which killed two and injured 15,000.

The quake struck at 93 miles north of Antofagasta city of Chile in the same vicinity where last Wednesday's temblor hit.

There were no casualties immediately reported.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7009221107

Minor earthquake felt across Israel, none hurt

A minor earthquake was felt throughout Israel at approximately 11:20 a.m. Tuesday.

The quake, which lasted only a few seconds, was measured at 4.2 on the Richter scale and its epicenter was in the Dead Sea, Israel Radio reported. There were no reports of injured or damage.

"The whole house shook. Some things fell from their place," a caller told Israel Radio. A Magen David Adom ambulance driver who was in the northern Dead Sea area when the earthquake took place said that the quake had not been felt too strongly, even near its epicenter. "I was on shift with the ambulance. At first there was a small quake and then a larger quake came. It wasn't very strong but it was enough to be a bit frightening," he said.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1195546678523&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Floods displace 2,000 in Malawi

CHIKWAWA, Malawi (Reuters) - Three days of heavy rains have triggered flash flooding and displaced more than 2,000 people in southern Malawi, authorities said on Monday.

Lawford Palani, Chikwawa district commissioner, told Reuters that about 20 villages have been destroyed following persistent rains and hailstorms in the area, about 50 kilometres west of the country's commercial capital Blantyre.

"We are yet to establish whether the floods have caused any deaths and how much crop has been destroyed," Pelani said.

http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN023276.html

Cyclone Mitag Approaches The Philippines (Cat 1)

Barely a day after Tropical Storm Lando struck the Philippines, killing at least 11, Cyclone Mitag is set to make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

Now a tropical storm with 40 mph winds, the storm is forecast to double in strength before making landfall with Category 1 hurricane strength in about a day's time.

Meanwhile, Cyclone Hagibis is forecast to strike southern Vietnam with winds of about 60 mph, making it a strong tropical storm.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/cyclone-mitag-47112016

Killer Cold Virus: Questions, Answers

Nov. 20, 2007 -- It's been deadly for 10 Americans -- but most people who catch the new strain of Ad14 "killer cold virus" get only a mild illness, the CDC says.

Here's the main thing the federal health agency wants you to know: The new strain of Ad14 certainly can cause very serious disease. But it's not nearly as deadly as other bugs that circulate every winter.

Nobody knows how many more people will die from Ad14 this year -- if any. But the number is sure to be vastly smaller than the average year's toll of 36,000 deaths from flu and 11,000 deaths from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

What do we need to know about the new virus this winter? WebMD spoke with the CDC's Larry J. Anderson, MD, chief of the division of viral and rickettsial diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases.

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20071120/killer-cold-virus-questions-answers

More about Turducken

A Turducken is a partially de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. The name is a portmanteau of those ingredients, turkey, duck, and chicken. The cavity of the chicken and the rest of the gaps are filled with, at the very least, a highly seasoned breadcrumb mixture or sausage meat, although some versions have a different stuffing for each bird. Some recipes call for the turkey to be stuffed with a chicken which is then stuffed with a duckling. It is also called a chuckey.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken

http://whatscookinggoodlooking3.blogspot.com/2007/07/delicious-stuffed-shrimp-turducken.html

Turducken Recipies

http://www.chefpaul.com/turducken.html http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_32327,00.html http://homecooking.about.com/od/turkeyrecipes/r/blturkey13.htm

Order Turducken Online

http://www.cajungrocer.com/fresh-foods-holiday-dishes-turducken-c-1_15_24.html http://www.shopping.com/xDN-food_and_drinks-turducken

Landslides kill 9 in Philippines as storm leaves

MANILA (Reuters) - Landslides caused by a tropical storm have killed nine people in the central and southern Philippines in the last two days, disaster and weather bureau officials said on Tuesday.

The tropical storm, known as 23W, dumped heavy rain before moving out to sea, causing landslides and flooding, cutting power supplies, closing schools and offices and forcing smaller carriers to cancel several flights.

"Most of the fatalities were buried in landslides in Surigao del Norte and swept by floods on Cebu and Lanao del Norte provinces," Glenn Rabonza, head of the office of civil defence, told reporters, adding five people were injured and two missing.

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-30592320071120

Pie in the Sky

A CORNFIELD EAST OF BRIDGEVILLE, Del. — If you did not know a machine such as the Yankee Siege existed, you would have no reason to believe it would.

The 52,000-pound trebuchet made of steel and red oak traveled here, to the First State, on the bed of a tractor trailer. Its wheels, weighing more than a ton apiece, are cut from an oil drum 10 feet in diameter. Hanging above its base is a swinging counterweight freighted with several tons of railroad track.

When the machine is ready, and that mass drops, the throwing arm — a spike reaching some 60 feet into the air — goes from horizontal to vertical, and the sling fastened to its tip can launch a 250-pound object several hundred feet.

Steve Seigars, the owner of this elegant monstrosity, patterned it after the siege machines armies in the Dark Ages built to hurl boulders against castle walls, safely out of bow-and-arrow range.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/general/news/story?id=3107378

(UPDATE) ‘Lando’ maintains strength, kills nine

The death toll from tropical storm Lando rose to nine Tuesday as it continues to cross the Sulu Sea toward Northern Palawan, officials said Tuesday.

As of 12 p.m., the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said nine people were killed, five were injured and two people were still missing in Central Visayas and Caraga Administrative Region due to landslides and flashfloods.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=99771

November 19, 2007

Bird Flu Arrives in the Heart of Riyadh

RIYADH, 20 November 2007 — A poultry market in the Aziziyah district of Riyadh was cordoned off after inspectors identified four cases of bird flu there yesterday during a random inspection. An emergency team, assigned by the Ministry of Agriculture to control the deadly virus, cordoned the market off. The team comprises officials from the police, the municipality, the ministries of health and agriculture and the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWD).

New cold virus spreads fast in US...Adenovirus 14

A killer virus is spreading fast in America and has already been registered in four major cities. The virus is an adenovirus type 14 or Ad14. This is a new strain of an old virus and different to the one that spread in 1955. It has so far has been reported in Oregon, Washington, New York City and Texas. 10 deaths have been registered out of the 140 cases registered.

"This particular [adenovirus] is unusual in that it can cause very severe illness in healthy young adults with no other medical condition. That is why this adenovirus stands out from the crowd," says John Su, who is CDC epidemic intelligence officer. Thus, this virus is proving to be a quite a bit of challenge.

Speculations about the spread of this virus to other states are being made. But Su was reluctant to comment on that. At the same time he suggested doctors across U.S. should take proper notice of severe cold problems if any.

http://www.themoneytimes.com/articles/20071119/virulent_virus_spreads_fast_in_us-id-1013398.html

For more information please check out the following link: http://www.worldvieww.blogspot.com/

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=85520

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20071115/killer-cold-virus-ad14-appears-in-us

7 dead as tropical storm "Lando" sweeps Philippines

MANILA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed in the heavy rains and landslide in central and southern Philippines brought by tropical storm "Lando", local newspaper the Philippine Daily Inquirer said Tuesday.

According to National Disaster Coordinating Council, five other people were injured while two others were still missing. Floods and landslides also displaced 3,310 people, prompting officials in certain central Philippine provinces to declare a state of calamity, the report said.

"Lando", which packs winds of 65 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 85 kilometers per hour, entered the Philippines on Monday and kept moving west at 19 kilometers per hour.

The storm was expected to cross the Sulu Sea, heading towards the South China Sea, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration said.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/20/content_7110349.htm

Second case of deadly bird flu confirmed in UK

LONDON: A second case of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been discovered in eastern England, the government said Monday.

The case was found among about 9,000 turkeys that had just been culled at a farm on the border of Norfolk and Suffolk counties, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.

The farm was one of several with turkeys, ducks and geese where culls were taking place because of fears of "dangerous contact" with the farm in the area where an initial case of H5NI was discovered last week, the department said.

All the farms where the culling was taking place are connected to the Gressingham Foods company, and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was investigating whether H5N1 had spread between them.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/19/europe/EU-GEN-Britain-Bird-Flu.php

10,000 feared dead in cyclone

DHAKA, Nov. 19: Up to 10,000 people are feared dead and millions homeless in cyclone-hit Bangladesh, officials said yesterday, as the army and aid workers battled to reach the country's devastated coast. Three days after Cyclone Sidr tore into one of the world’s poorest nations from the Bay of Bengal, rescue workers were still fighting their way through a landscape of flattened villages and traumatised crowds.

"We have already identified 2,750 bodies. Based on our experience in the past and reports from the scene, I would suggest the death toll may be as high as 10,000," said Prof M Abdur Rob, chairman of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, told the press in city yesterday.Shell-shocked survivors and rescuers yesterday picked through the cyclone ruins in the worst-hit southern districts as thousands of victims awaited relief amid their wrecked homes, crops, livestock and fields.

They sobbed in agony, suffered in hunger, thirst and diarrhoea. They buried dear ones and searched in vain for the answer why fate conspired against them.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=8&theme=&usrsess=1&id=177092

November 17, 2007

9-11 Predicted on X-files

Cyclone Guba weakens off Qld coast

Tropical Cyclone Guba is continuing to weaken as it hovers over the Coral Sea off the Far North Queensland coast.

The weather bureau says the category 2 cyclone is about 400 kilometres east-north-east of Lockhart River and moving very slowly.

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/18/2093936.htm?section=justin

Nearly 2,000 Killed in Bangladesh Cyclone

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Hundreds of thousands of survivors were stuck Saturday behind roads blocked by fallen trees, iron roofs and thick sludge as rescue workers fought to reach towns along Bangladesh's coast that were ravaged by a powerful cyclone that killed at least 1,723 people.

Tropical Cyclone Sidr, the deadliest storm to hit the country in a decade, destroyed tens of thousands of homes in southwest Bangladesh on Thursday and ruined much-needed crops just before harvest season in this impoverished, low-lying South Asian country. More than a million coastal villagers were forced to evacuate to government shelters.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312057,00.html

November 16, 2007

NUCLEAR WAR ALERT

Ken-Welch.Com raised its Alert Status to RED at 11 PM CST November 14, 2007, reflecting that U.S. plans for a nuclear attack on the Republic of Iran have been recycled, and a false-flag nuclear detonation in the United States is planned. The weapon to be used here has been officially released for deployment and could be used at any time.

This Alert is posted at http://www.ken-welch.com/Central.htmlInformation supporting the alert is contained in the new report:

Iran Invasion Recycled - http://www.ken-welch.com/Reports/Iran2.html

1) Although the objective of the attack is to seize Iranian oil reserves (second largest in the world), the entire country will be attacked and tremendous loss of life is anticipated.

2) At this time all persons currently inside Iran should be making urgent preparations to leave using any pretext available, with the strong possibility of not returning. Those who cannot leave should be locating underground shelter, and gathering supplies that will allow them to stay in that shelter for as long as possible.

3) U.S. plans also include one or more nuclear strikes on Anbar Province in Iraq, to be blamed on Iran. The objective is to destroy sharply increased Iraqi resistance that is barring access to Iraqi oil fields, and threatening to force a disastrous U.S. withdrawal under fire from that country. Some U.S. forces currently in Anbar may be sacrificed.

4) All people in the Middle East and adjoining areas in western Asia should be reviewing safety procedures related to radioactive contamination carried on the wind.

5) U.S. residents should be aware that a relatively small nuclear detonation on U.S. soil is planned, and will provide the justification for the Iran invasion.

6) The location for the false-flag event is not known, but the oil terminal at the Port of Texas City, Texas, has been a repeated target in previous plans.

7) The date of the false flag attack is not known, but virtually all necessary elements are in place. In three of the four previous attempts to make this happen planners have shown a strong desire to link the false flag attack to a date with religious significance, suggesting that the U.S. is involved in a religious war, rather than a quest for oil at taxpayer expense. The Thanksgiving holiday would meet this standard, but it must be stressed that the attack could come at any time.

8) A massive shut-down of oil shipments from the Persian Gulf will lead to astronomic prices for crude oil and petroleum products of all kinds, leading to equally extraordinary profits for the Houston-based Oil Cartel that controls the White House.

http://www.ken-welch.com/Central.html

Cyclone Death Toll Rises in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh — A cyclone that slammed into Bangladesh's coast with 150 mph winds killed at least 242 people, leveled homes and forced the evacuation of 650,000 villagers before heading inland and losing power Friday, officials said.

Cyclone Sidr roared across the country's southwestern coast late Thursday with driving rain and high waves. The storm left about 242 villagers dead from falling debris, said Nahid Sultana, an official at a cyclone control room in Dhaka.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,311901,00.html

November 15, 2007

Tropical Cyclone Batters Bangladesh

KHULNA, Bangladesh —
A powerful cyclone packing 149-mph winds slammed into Bangladesh on Thursday night, tearing down flimsy houses, toppling trees and power poles, and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in the low-lying nation.
Tropical Cyclone Sidr swept in from the Bay of Bengal, buffeting southwestern coastal areas within a 155-mile radius of its eye with heavy rain and storm surges predicted to reach 20 feet high.
Sidr's eye crossed the Khulna-Barisal coast near the Sundarbans mangrove forests around 9:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. EST), the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said. It was centered over the Baleshwar River in Barguna district.
In the coastal districts of Bagerhat, Barisal and Bhola, residents said the storm flattened thousands of flimsy straw and mud huts, and uprooted trees and electric poles.
"We sitting out the storm by candlelight," resident Bishnu Prashad said by phone from Bagerhat. At least 620,000 people had moved into official shelters and 3.2 million people were expected to be evacuated in all, said Ali Imam Majumder, a senior government official in Dhaka.
No casualties were immediately reported, but rescue teams were on standby, forest official Mozharul Islam said in Khulna. Communications with remote forest areas and offshore islands were temporarily cut off. "We have taken all precautions," Majumder said.
Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation, is prone to seasonal cyclones and floods that cause huge losses of life and property. The coastal area bordering eastern India is famous for the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, a world heritage site that is home to rare Royal Bengal Tigers.
The Meteorological Department had put the country's three major maritime ports -- Chittagong, Mongla and Cox's Bazar -- on the highest level of alert.
Ferry service and flights were halted across the coastal region.
Ships were warned to return to shore. Volunteers helped evacuate villagers to cyclone shelters, built of concrete on raised pilings. Some took refuge in "mud forts" built along the coast to resist tidal surges.
Schools, mosques and other public buildings were also turned into makeshift shelters. Many of the fishing boats in the region's coastal waters put down anchor at nearby shoals and islets that dot the South Asian country's shoreline.
The sea resort of Cox's Bazar was deserted after Wednesday's warning. Dozens of tourists were stranded in the offshore coral atoll of St. Martins as rough seas forced cruise boats and ships to stay ashore.

November 14, 2007

Major Earthquake Strikes Northern Chile

SANTIAGO, Chile — A major earthquake crushed cars, damaged hundreds of houses and terrified people for hundreds of miles around Wednesday. Authorities reported at least two deaths and more than 100 injuries.

The quake, which struck at 12:40 p.m., shook the Chilean capital 780 miles to the south of the epicenter, and was felt as far away as the other side of the continent — in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1,400 miles to the east.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,311703,00.html

November 13, 2007

Thousands of turkeys slaughtered on farm in Norfolk as bird flu strikes again

Thousands of turkeys, geese and ducks were being slaughtered last night after bird flu was found at a farm in Norfolk.

Emergency protection zones were immediately set up around the site of the outbreak.

If the disease spreads it is feared it could devastate the industry in the run-up to Christmas. Tests confirmed yesterday that a turkey at the farm in Redgrave near Diss had died from the H5 strain of bird flu.

Further tests overnight are expected to reveal whether it had the especially dangerous H5N1 subtype which has killed millions of birds worldwide.

The farm is operated by Gressingham Foods, whose operations director Geoffrey Buchanan said: "We believe the outbreak has been contained and that the measures are in place to allow us to continue to serve our customers.

"Turkey meat continues to be safe to eat."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=493245&in_page_id=1774

November 08, 2007

Massive Wall of Water Expected to Slam East Coast of England

LONDON — Thousands of people along the the eastern coast of England were told to evacuate their homes and move to higher ground Thursday ahead of a potentially devasting 10-foot wall of sea water predicted to slam the island nation Friday morning.

More than 10,000 homes and businesses are affected by the order, according to the British Environment Agency, which has issued seven severe flood warnings for people living on the Norfolk and Suffolk coast near Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,309758,00.html

November 06, 2007

Blog of the Day

Every once in awhile I find a blog that I totally love and would like to share it...please take a look it will brighten your day.

November 03, 2007

Thousands Depart Mexico Flood Zone Amid Disease Fears, Reported Looting

VILLAHERMOSA, Mexico — Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans fled devastating floods along the swampy Gulf coast, with many leaving for other parts of the country amid reports of looting and warnings of a possible health crisis.

President Felipe Calderon, who surveyed the disaster zone from the air on Friday, called the flooding one of Mexico's worst recent natural disasters.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,307840,00.html

November 02, 2007

The Little U and LOTW