15 minutes. A quarter of an hour. 900 seconds. One half inch of water. Fell from the sky. NORMALLY. Inches per month are measured.

July 16, 2007
Louisa, Virginia
Photographer states :: I couldn't respond to the firehouse for a fire call because of the downed trees. Taken on Ellisville Drive (Rt.669)just after the hardest portion of the storm passed.

This is a darn shame. Trees are like Americans, they bend to stress until they break. This tree is dead. The part of the tree remaining as living is now exposed to insects, disease, stress including loss of sap. It was a gorgeous tree with many years of life to achieve such a status. The wind that causes this is incredibly strong and powerful. It's immediate. Frequently in storms older trees, weaker trees are knocked over and that is why it is better to remove old and weak trees from any property where it is obvious if when they topple a house will be hit and ultimately it's inhabitants.

The wind that causes this is taking down/out/destroying very healthy trees. That is real worry. There is no immunity for any tree stand from this level of disaster. I sometimes wonder how some of our precious national tree-stands are doing. I'll have to get out there and see sometime soon, hopefully. I just never know. Very often my life is not my own to inspect the areas of 'concern' I would like, so I 'check out' the internet when I can.

But.

This tree is making me upset. If one looks at the remaining 'stump' in this picture, it is jagged and coarse. It yielded NOT to direct impact or a lightning strike. This tree had it's cellulose 'sheered' in a tortuous event. In other words, the wind was causing the tree to 'whip' in directions that put the trunk in a bending circle. The cellulose of that trunk could not withstand the tortuous movement of the trunk to prevent it from breaking. The size of that trunk is not any easy one to break. That means the wind that caused the tortuous 'tearing' of the cellulose had incredibly high energy. Dangerous, very. I wouldn't be venturing out into these storms when they occur.

People need to have 'safe rooms' to retreat to when these storms occur. Sometimes that can be a basement but keep in mind a basement floods and no one wants to be trapped in a rising water level. There are areas of the country where basements are not a reality. If a household wants to designate a 'safe area' within a home where there is little to no chance of glass shattering and perferably where there are strong beams it can be made into a small entertainment area where emergency radio can be turned on with batteries and a small public band radio can call for help if necessary. Children can be educated to this 'special safe place' and be allowed to spend time in it even if there is no severe weather. The room needs to be 'child proof' with storage areas for radios and batteries as well as plenty of favorite books and crayons. Right? Parents know what makes their children happy. Bottled water, snacks and short term safety plans until help arrives. Okay? Okay.

Now this picture above. There is a lot of water in the ditch to the left. There is actually two streams of water. A lot of water, a severe storm. Severe downpour. In these 'running' streams are lines of white bubbles. Those bubbles are 'aeration' of the water. They occur because there are 'currents' in those small streams of water. That is very fast running water with conflicting movement. It isn't safe for a child to step into without being knocked over. The water is moving at a very high velocity on nearly a level road. That tells me how much water was dumpd in this event. There is a 'piling up' of the water on the available 'gully' surface. Water always takes the path of least resistance. Always. So does anything in it's path.

In the picture below, if there was warm air in the vacinity and the reality is that the ice 'should be' melting, it could be that the air mass delivering the hail was frozen at very high altitudes. If that is the case then this was a high altitude supercell and explains the torturous winds that destroyed that beautiful tree.


July 16, 2007
Louisa, Virginia
Photographer states :: Representative size of the two inches deep hail from storm on 7/16/07.

That is a very cold looking hand. That is not just a hail storm affiliated with a tornado although it probably came very close to that level of turbulence. The hail on the ground is not melting quickly. This hail came from an infusion of Arctic Air that belongs over The Arctic Ocean. Long way from home. It has to be because if the air wasn't as cold as the ice there would be nearly immediate melting and this photographers hand would not be showing signs of 'cold exposure.' Flushed fingertips, wrinkled skin at the palms which tend to be blanched. Has to be cold air from the Arctic. I haven't looked at a satellite to know for sure so maybe I'm getting it wrong, but, I like to test my observational skills.






July 15, 2007
Licking, Missouri
Photographer states :: THIS IS THE HAIL WE GOT HERE AT 5 PM SUNDAY EVENING LASTED ABOUT 8 MINS AND GOT .50 INCHES OF RAIN IN ABOUT 15 MINS


AmerenUE Announces $1 Billion 'Project Power On' Reliability and Environmental Improvement Program (click here)
Customers in 62 Missouri counties will benefit from improved reliability,
upgraded delivery system, and enhanced environmental performance
ST. LOUIS, July 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AmerenUE, a utility
operating company of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), plans to invest $1
billion over the next three years to improve reliability, upgrade delivery
systems, and enhance the environmental performance of its power plants.
"With the severe weather patterns of the past few years and a focus on
improving air quality, we are working even harder to ensure reliability for
our customers of today and tomorrow," said Thomas R. Voss, president and
chief executive officer of AmerenUE. "We've been working closely with
community officials and leaders across our system to determine the best
approach for improving our delivery system, while ensuring that we meet the
growing demand for energy."
Named "Project Power On," this three-year initiative involves a
commitment over and above the $500 million per year the company has been
spending on efforts to upgrade and maintain the system....

The weather at Glacier Bay National Park (crystal wind chime) is:

Elevation :: 33 ft / 10 m

Temperature :: 55 °F / 13 °C

Conditions :: Overcast

Humidity :: 82%

Dew Point :: 50 °F / 10 °C

Wind :: Calm

Pressure :: 29.88 in / 1012 hPa (Falling)

Visibility :: 4.0 miles / 6.4 kilometers

UV :: 0 out of 16

Clouds :: Overcast 300 ft / 91 m
(Above Ground Level)

Raw METAR
Aviation

Flight Rule :: LIFR (PAGS)

Wind Speed :: 0 mph / 0 km/h / 0.0 m/s

Wind Dir :: N/A

Ceiling :: 300 ft / 91 m

The link to the title is a video of a couple with a 'corn' burning stove that appeared in The Washington Post. While that is interesting, The Washington Post has the wrong focus. Their focus is on the economics, "Climate Change Debate Hinges On Economics Lawmakers Doubt Voters Would Fund Big Carbon Cuts. (click here)"

That is not correct.

Climate Change is happening.

There is no more debate.

This is no joke.

Economics has nothing to do with Climate Change.

Climate Change is a product of Human Induced Global Warming. GREED. There is no reason for it. Funding 'Corporate Friendly Carbon Cuts' has absolutely NOTHING to do with Climate Change. That won't do a darn thing. The reversal of Human Induced Global Warming is having leadership in a country ready to do what is right. If corporations survive it is because they found a way WITHOUT exploiting the naivety of an electorate and it's representative government while the scientists responsible for 'correct' information delivers this country from it's current path of demise.

The Washington Post has gotten use to 'misinformation' in Washington, DC. It has gotten used to looking to the Executive Branch for answers to it's problems. This administration will never deliver this country from it's own demise. Legislators cannot succeed without the guidance of scientists such as Dr. James E. Hanson (click here). In the years to come, when the USA has sufficient leadership to guide it out of it's own destructive path, competent and trustworthy scientists, void of corruption or false agenda, will be known around the American dinner table. There is no other way.

As a nation we have 'lolly-gagged' in addressing this issue and now the recovery is so very, very late and getting exponentially worse by the moment that scientists have to take the helm and lead. You are all used to daily weather reports. Moment to moment on the mobile devises. That's going to change because it will be replaced with daily reports on the progress or lack thereof of Earth to recapture it's vigor, biotic diversity and health for the generations of Americans yet to be born.

I don't see an obligation to corporations in creating Carbon Cuts. It's futile. It's immoral. It is like saying these corporations that ONLY do the right thing when forced to by law are actually equivalent to the people of this nation whom are devoted to do absolutely the right thing. The people of the USA, like this couple in this video, are taking on the challenge of saving Earth for their children. The citizens of the USA don't have to be told how important this is or how to seek innovative ways to find solutions. To compare corporations in the same breath with citizens while they do NOTHING but pander to government for tax breaks and grants while they are the ones that could not care less about the quality of the environmental inheritance of our children is ludicrous.

Corporations need to find solutions or go out of business. Just that simple. The limits on their lack of leadership is coming. Survive or die. They get real or they get out of the way.

end

I can't let this pass by. CNN is a global corporation. They are attempting to destory an Independant Filmmaker. CNN needs to apologize.

They completely 'diss' Michael and I am not about to put up with their trashing of a much needed reform to American Healthcare.

They posted a response regarding the 'corrections' to the record made of Sanjay Gupta's report which tried to overshadow SICKO with innuendos and suppositions. They dug themselves deep while trying to be slick.

This is what CNN said of Michael. You have to know that that angel of all angels works at CNN. Always above the frey. "It's ironic that someone who has made a career out of holding powerful interests accountable is so sensitive to having his own work held up to the light by impartial journalists, as we did in our examination of 'SiCKO,' " the spokesperson said.
"In our original report, we made one mistake...

STOP RIGHT THERE. There are grossly MORE than one mistake. The 'corporate suit alone' makes two. All you need to do is apologize to Michael Moore profusely because CNN's response to Michael's postings on his website is more spin on top of the Gupta Spin. I could go point by point and spend a better part of my day 'setting it straight' on behalf of Michael Moore for the hero he is, but, it's a waste of my time. CNN is being manipulative and attempting to undermine SICKO. That'll never happen. Too many people have been hurt and we thought the deaths at Abu Ghraib were terrible. The deaths right here in the USA go unnoticed. Something is very, very "W"rong here and CNN is attempting to defend it!

Not.

On.

My.

Time.


POINT NO. 11:

FROM MOORE'S WEB SITE:

GUPTA: (On the lone expert shown in the original piece, Paul Keckley). "His only affiliation is with Vanderbilt University. We checked it, Michael. We checked his conflict of interest. We do ask those questions."

"The Truth" (from Michael Moore's Web site):

Keckley left Vanderbilt in October 2006 to become the executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. The chyron on CNN even notes his new position ("Vandy administrator to head Deloitte research center," Nashville Business Journal. November 1, 2006).
The independent chairman of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions is Tommy Thompson, who was George W. Bush's Health and Human Services Secretary from 2001 to 2005 and is currently running for president as a Republican ("Meet Tommy G. Thompson," Deloitte Center for Health Solutions).
Keckley has made large contributions to Republican candidates and organizations. He gave $1,000 to GOP Senator Bob Corker in 2006, $1,000 to the Tennessee GOP in 2002, along with $1,500 to two GOP congressional candidates and $1,000 to the Tennessee GOP in 2000 (www.fecinfo.com).
Keckley was also the CEO and Founder of EBM Solutions Inc., of Nashville, Tennessee, which counted among its customers Blue Cross of Tennessee, the drug company Aventis and others. Considering Keckley makes his living in the for-profit health care world -- a world "SiCKO" argues should be abolished -- viewers should have been told exactly where Keckley was coming from.

CNN RESPONSE:

Moore is correct. End of discussion because the rest of this mess simply tries to 'take issue' where there is none. Sanjay Gupta stated Keckley was ONLY affiliated with Vanderbilt University. He stated it on an international global corporate network news channel to 'save face.' Additionally, Gupta was emphatic that CNN checks all the 'conflict of interest.' Gupta's LACK OF KNOWLEDGE regarding the 'many affiliations' of Keckley and the ability or willingness to verbalize them is completely offending. Gupta picked the most benign of the affiliations of Keckley and made a huge issue of the fact there are taxes affiliated with 'single payer' healthcare.

NO CLUE !

It was the most astounding revelation I thought I ever heard when Gupta/Keckley stated, "...but, it's not free, there are taxes." Something tells me that is one of those 'common knowledge' things that people figure out when discussing such a large paradigm shift in an ESSENTIAL SERVICE. I did. I didn't think for one minute that what Michael was putting forth was ABSOLUTELY FREE. You want to know something, the 'Crap' the health insurance companies put forth as 'policies' ain't free either, but, it sometimes seems that way because it is taken out of one's paycheck BEFORE you get it, JUST - LIKE - TAXES. So, let's get real here, Gutpa and his corporate suit, Keckley are making something out of nothing because every American that has health insurance pays for it. Not only that but they pay deductibles amounting to thousands of dollars minimally per year ON TOP of their WEEKLY/BI-WEEKLY enrollment fees. There, of course, are the Co-Pays. When one adds all that up at the end of the year, it ain't peanuts.

What makes the 'single payer system' so attractive is that we CAN COUNT ON IT. We can, our children can, their children can, our seniors can (...and let's not BEGIN to go down the road of how our Seniors are gouged for their healthcare. Don't even start that. Minimally, a hospital admission can have an initial deductible PER ADMISSION of nearly $1000. So don't even go there.), our veterans can (...and we all know what a mess the VA system has been without any improvment in decades) and etc, etc, etc.

While Gupta and 'what's his name?'...oh, yeah...Keckley criticize the issue of taxes, those they defend (and they are defending the very health care systems that have abandoned Americans causing them hardship and death) ain't cheap either and we don't even get services we need from them.

This is the rest of CNN's Spin regarding Keckley. Tell me it matters.

Paul Keckley left Vanderbilt in late 2006. That is the affiliation Gupta referenced on "Larry King Live." In addition, CNN obtained the following details about Paul Keckley from his current employer, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions:
"The original CNN report accurately described Paul Keckley's role as a Deloitte health care expert. Keckley is executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. He left Vanderbilt University in October 2006 to take this new position.
"The comments by Keckley in the CNN interview were factual, neutral and descriptive. The accuracy of his balanced comments in the broadcast has not been challenged.
"Neither the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions nor Paul Keckley has a political or ideological agenda. The center's mission is to develop innovative, practical and workable solutions to systemic issues of the U.S. health system. As such, it embraces a diversity of viewpoints that transcend easy labels.
"Keckley as an individual and Deloitte as an organization operate under rigorous rules, government regulations and professional standards designed to ensure his and our independence.
"The center has been an active participant in the national dialogue about the critical challenge America faces to preserve the best that our health care system delivers -- while at the same time seeking ways to provide coverage for the uninsured, promote wellness and prevention, deploy more effective information technology to improve patient outcomes, and reduce soaring health care costs.
"One example of how the Deloitte Center's approach is a report issued in late 2006 titled, 'The Catalyst for Health Care Reform: Providing More Choices and Innovation to Heal the U.S. Health Care Financing System.' In addition to providing a thoughtful and comprehensive overview of the key issues, it presented one possible, innovative approach to solving health care coverage for America's [46] million uninsured citizens. It reflects the serious, thoughtful and independent nature of the Deloitte Center.
'Keckley does not maintain any professional or financial ties to Aventis or Blue Cross. From 1998-2002, Keckley did serve as CEO of EBM Solutions, a private company formed by researchers from Vanderbilt, Duke, Emory, Washington University and Oregon Health Sciences University. EBM developed and licensed evidence-based guidelines to 32 hospitals, medical groups, insurance companies and drug companies during this period. Among those licensing these guidelines were Aventis and Blue Cross of Tennessee.

Maybe I'll be forced to do one point everyday, but, that will take another ten days and like CNN stated, the initial mess started six days BEFORE Mike's appearance and the rebuttal began. So, I guess we are looking at dragging this out weeks yet. That is nothing but a bore !

Mike is right.

Mike is always right.

And with every documentary there are always 'corporate spin machines' that try to 'spin dry' their dirty laundry.

NOT

THIS

TIME.

NOT AGAIN.