A chick is seen at the tip of the beak of parent white stork in a nest at Toyooka, western Japan. An endangered white stork egg laid in the wild has hatched naturally in western Japan for the first time in more than 40 years, a local stork museum announced Sunday. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) (May 20, 2007)

A two-toed sloth sits on a tree at the London Zoo. Sloths' natural habitats are tropical rainforests of South America.

An elephant enjoys a ball game with a zoo keeper at the Munich Zoo, Germany.

A worker from Rome's Biopark zoo holds a Testudo Kleinmanni hatchling, an endangered species also known as an Egyptian tortoise, Italy. Photo / Reuters

Four white lions born in French zoo

Read my lips, "No shared environmental standards !"

This was Georgie at his cabinet meeting this morning, pointing a finger at every other nation on Earth for causing Human Induced Global Warming. Interesting to watch him have a hissy fit, isn't it? After all, he is "The Decider" and he has decided everyone in the world besides himself needs to 'shape up' or 'else.'

The most ludicrous cronyism came from NASA itself today. Who do these people think they are?

NASA Chief Questions Urgency of Global Warming (click here)

...To assume that it is a problem is to assume that the state of Earth's climate today is the optimal climate, the best climate that we could have or ever have had and that we need to take steps to make sure that it doesn't change....

The people 'answering to' Bush and the Bush administration are soulless and highly immoral ! End of Discussion ! Their words mean nothing ! Impeach Bush and Cheney and fire that jerk at NASA! This is the United States of America. The Benevolent Leader of the Free World. The USA is in dire need of leadership and soon.

Warming as dangerous as war, U.N. chief says (click here)
Upheaval from droughts, floods 'likely to become a major driver of war'
UNITED NATIONS - Human-induced global warming poses as much danger to the world as war, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday as he urged the United States to take the lead in the fight against global warming.
In his first address on the subject at the U.N. General Assembly hall, Ban said he would emphasize the climate crisis with the leaders at a June meeting in Germany of the Group of Eight industrialized nations — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, the United States and Russia.
“The majority of the United Nations work still focuses on preventing and ending conflict,” Ban told an international U.N. school conference on global warming. “But the danger posed by war to all of humanity and to our planet is at least matched by the climate crisis and global warming.”

The statement from Michael Griffin is nothing but personal views that lack moral character. There is absolutely no scientific basis for the 'attitude' or 'ideas' he holds as loftier than life. End this already. Impeach Bush and Cheney.

We love you, Rosie.

Kelli O'Donnell and Rosie O'Donnell host a group of gay parents and their children on a cruise ship in the HBO special 'All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise.'

Rosie's Broadway Kids (click here)

Her detractors are morally corrupt people. One is Donald Trump whom has some profound personal, deep seated problems. Does 'The Don' have a child's program? No. He has a Miss Universe Program. Hello?

Traverse Film Festival is a permanent fixture on the American Reality. Go, Michael, Go !!

Michael Moore Down With Love PremiereTribeca Film Festival, 5/6/2003Photo: RJ Capak, Wireimage.com

Dear Friends of the Traverse City Film Festival,

I have some very good news for you. Yesterday at 10 a.m., I signed thepapers that make the Traverse City Film Festival the new owner of thehistoric State Theatre in downtown Traverse City! That's right -- the filmfestival not only now has a permanent home, we are going to re-open theState Theatre as a year-round, state-of-the-art film theater showing thebest of American independent, classic, and foreign cinema.

This resurrection of the State has been made possible through the generosityof Rotary Charities of Traverse City -- until Tuesday, the owner of thebuilding. They have "sold" it to us for a performance-based mortgage whichstates that the $600,000 "cost" of the theater is forgiven if we keep itopen a certain number of days for at least five years. If we do, themortgage is torn up and the theater is ours for free.

In order to bring the State back to life, it will take the activeinvolvement of our area's very large group of movie lovers -- namely, you!Those of you who live in the Traverse City area know about the long historyof a variety of groups trying to re-open the State. Each group attempted amajor fundraising campaign to restore the theater. Sadly, their goals werenot met, and the darkened theater changed hands a number of times.

In taking ownership of the theater (after a negotiation process that took 20months), we have decided not to conduct such a major fundraising campaign.We decided that we just needed to open the theater once and for all. At lastyear's founders party, I announced that I would personally be responsiblefor the $150,000 worth of projection and sound equipment needed to make theState a world-class theater. I then asked for one "angel" in the communityto step forward and match me. Within 10 minutes, Buzz Wilson, one of thefestival's chief film sponsors, said he would pay for the improvements to building up to code -- and a big new popcorn popper. Between what Buzz and I\u003cbr /\>will do, the State can open this year.the roof, a new handicap restroom, various other repairs to bring thebuilding up to code -- and a big new popcorn popper. Between what Buzz and Iwill do, the State can open this year.

But for the State to stay open -- and to serve as the anchor of our belovedfilm festival -- it will require the active participation of our friendsgroup and anyone else who would love to see the State's lights stay on forgood.

In the coming weeks, we will announce the grand re-opening date and what wewill need to sustain this wonderful, old movie palace. It will be staffed byvolunteers and it will be supported by the small donations from what we hopewill be the thousands of the State Theater's new "members." And if there isanother angel or two who can help us repair the marquee or put airconditioning in the lobby, then please let us know who you are!

We'll have much more to share with you next month as we get closer to thefestival. For now, I and my fellow festival board members -- John RobertWilliams, Doug Stanton, Terry George and Larry Charles -- and our festivalmanager, Deb Lake, wanted to let you hear the good news before it hits themedia in a few hours. All of you, through your hard work and financialsupport, have made the festival what it has become -- and you have broughtus to this day where we now have a permanent home for all of those who lovethis art form we call the movies.

Thank you again for being part of something special.

Yours,

Michael Moore

President, Traverse City Film Festival

PS. If you're free at 9:30 this morning (Wednesday), come on down to the State for the big announcement.

New York Times Review - I wish Al would reclaim his stolen presidency. Please.

Hail Piles Up 4 Inches Deep in Denver

Upto 4 inches in of hail in Denver, Colorado. Regardless of all the 'happy-slappy' commercial television media, life ain't all that for most Americans.

May 28, 2007

Round Rock, Texas

Photographer states :: More flash flooding - The Memorial Day holiday brought sustained heavy rains to Central Texas, bringing more flooding and flash flooding to the area. At least six Texans lost their lives over this period of sustained rainfall, most if not all from attempting to cross flooded roadways. These photos show water cresting the low water bridge at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock. The Round Rock Police were notified before these photos were taken and the gates to this crossing were then locked, preventing any problems as the water continued to rise. Remember, when faced with water over the roadway, "turn around, don't drown."

Hailstorm Batters Denver (click here)
Heavy Rain Also Soaks Plains States

DENVER -- A strong cold front nosed into northern Colorado early Tuesday, bringing with it much cooler temperatures, gusty north winds, rain, hail and tornado warnings.
Residents in Denver were startled by grape-sized hail on Tuesday.
Small, pea-sized hail fell so fast in places that storm drains became clogged, prompting minor street-flooding. The hail made it seem as if a fresh blanket of snow had fallen in the area.
Brazil Redd was outside when the rain and hail began to fall. She said, "It hurt. I probably got bruises. It was huge."
Motorists scurried under bridges or into garages and pedestrians scrambled for cover to avoid being pelted. Up to 4 inches of hail fell at an area amusement park.
Heavy rain also soaked the Plains states from Colorado up to Minnesota on Tuesday, causing minor flooding in some places.
The National Weather Service has issued tornado warnings for areas southeast of Denver and for parts of Nebraska.

They're back. Click here for 12 hour loop. The 'chronic' vortices that were noted at lower latitudes a week or so ago are back in 'maximum.'

May 30, 2007
0030z
UNISYS water vapor 'north' and 'east' hemisphere satellite



May 30, 2007
1130z
UNISYS water vapor 'north' and 'west' hemisphere satellite

The sun is traversing north and the 'air dynamics' of the troposphere is somewhat 'fixed.' The small vortices that were 'fixed' in the lower latitudes in small diameter circulation are reaching maximum with higher heat content. The 'weather' pattern is somewhat the same only worse over North America. Noted are small vortices over the Atlantic, east of the Carribean, these may manifest into hurricanes. That potential is matched with systems within the equatorial air over the Pacific. THAT combination always spelled hurricane potential in the past three years.

So much for Homeland Security ! (click here for WHO link)

The administration in DC is again scrambling to 'find a way' to handle an exposure issue with Multi-Drug Resistant TB. It's amazing.

The airlines don't have contact information on the people on the flights?

Yeah they do.

They don't have police force across the USA that can locate the folks that may have been exposed?

Yeah they do.

I suppose announcing it over the airwaves is marginally effective, but, I would think there would be a far more EFFECTIVE Homeland Security mechanism for an exposure such as this. What would prevent a jihadist from entering the USA with a highly contageous disease such as this and expose the nation to that danger?

NOTHING.

Is there? NO !

Bush wants one hundred billion dollars (US) for war but has absolutely no way of protecting the USA from a simple exposure of a seriously significant disease.

People are actually voting Republican?

WHY?

The year was 1993. I was an Registered Nurse at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. I was the 'Union Rep' to the unit I-Blue. I reported on to work and began to receive 'report' from an off going RN. We had received a female patient, age 45 years old. Nice lady. The diagnosis was new to me, but, that was never unusual at UMDNJ. We received all kinds of disease issues on this cutting edge cardiac telemetry/step-down/medical/surgical floor. We received the first two cases of that Mouse Virus in New Jersey, it was a retrovirus. The virus was so virulent it was killing people in NYC and this was a man with a high rate tachycardia due to the virus and fever. We got him through it. His daughter was on Peds and she survived it as well. He stated, there was a mouse in the apartment the day before and it must have been in the kitchen.

But, that day in 1993, the patient was a woman and the diagnosis was Multi-Drug Resistant TB. I looked at the reporting nurse and said, what? MTB he said. Multi-Drug Resistance TB. She was in a room without negative pressure and the diagnosis alone required a 'stand' by the floor's Union Rep. Evidently, the admitting physicians saw no reason to place her in an Anti-Room where there were several layers of isolation. I didn't waste time and called the Vice President of Nursing and simply stated, we had a serious TB case and there was insufficient mechanism to protect the staff. She personally got up from her desk as this was the hospital's first extremely resistant TB case, and went to Unit H-Yellow taking one of their 'micro' filtration machines. It was a large square unit that provided a filtration of viruses as well as a negative pressure. She gowned and gloved and put it in the room herself and started the filtrations. It was her responsiblity to protect the staff and it was my place to make sure it happened. That's all.
This bacteria is well known to the medical profession. It is a serious form of TB, very difficult to treat but it is somewhat treatable if the patient takes all their medications, but, in some instances the medicines are as bad as the bacteria if there are co-morbid issues. I remember assessing this woman's lungs. There were irreversible cavities in her lungs because of the bacteria. She sounded cavernous when she breathed.

Yep.

1993. This bacteria is NOT that unknown to the USA. Rare? Depends the city you live. It was not that rare in Newark after we discovered the first case. Oh, well, that is the Bush World of the Culture of Fear.

I guess Bush is trying to prove he knows more about 'health threats' to the American people than those revealed in "Sicko." Ah, but, Georgie, what do you care?

Our Peace Rose - We look forward to her future influence...

... while healing her own wounds.

Gold Star Families for Peace lives on (click here). The speech by Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey spoke well for the peace movers and shakers. Her support is hardly a defeat to the movement.

The Antarctica Ice Chime

May 29, 2007 at 0121 gmt, West Pacific Satellite. The heat intensity here is diminished from past weeks because of the sun's northern traverse. The transfer is still divided between north and south hemispheres.







May 29, 2007 at 0033 gmt, Pacific Global Satellite. Heat transfer from the Equator noted with diminished intensity.

















May 29, 2007, 0109 gmt, South Pole Satellite. Heat transfer systems at 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock and 11:30 o'clock.

May 28, 2007

1800 gmt

Jet stream. Turbulence compared to last week. There is still some distribution of heat but with the shortening daylight the temperatures are still cold.

24 hour loop - the only views are 3PM on May 26 and 6AM on May 25, 2007. I'll probably revisit it tomorrow.

Casey on May 28, 2007 at 9:40 AM at -12.9 C with wind at 17 km/h



Casey on May 29,2007 at 9:40 AM with -5.7 C with wind of 56 km/h ENE. 56, that was 56 km/h. 56. At Casey today. It was 17 yesterday.




Mawson Station May 28, 2007 at 7:36 PM with -11.g C and wind 39 km/h SE

It's cold in every area of Antartica today. Not as cold as it has been, but, cold just the same. The 24 hour loop is somewhat more interesting than this view, but, it reveals a continent that is cold in all areas in at least two views.

The coldest areas:

Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica

Time :: 6:00 AM NZST

Elevation :: 9285 ft / 2830 m

Temperature :: -67 °F / -55 °C

Conditions :: Snow

Wind :: 20 mph / 32 km/h / from the NNE

Wind Gust :: -

Pressure :: in / hPa (Rising)

Visibility :: 1.0 miles / 1.2 kilometers

UV :: 0 out of 16

Clouds :: Overcast 6890 ft / 2100 m
(Above Ground Level)

Flight Rule :: IFR ()
Wind Speed :: 20 mph / 32 km/h /
Wind Dir :: 20° (NNE)
Ceiling :: 6900 ft / 2100 m



Vostok, Antarctica

Time :: 12:00 AM VOST

Elevation :: 11220 ft / 3420 m

Temperature :: -66 °F / -55 °C

Conditions :: Clear

Humidity :: 43%

Dew Point :: -73 °F / -58 °C

Wind :: 12 mph / 18 km/h / from the South

Wind Gust :: -

Pressure :: in / hPa (Rising)

Visibility :: 12.0 miles / 20.0 kilometers
Flight Rule :: VFR ()
Wind Speed :: 12 mph / 18 km/h /
Wind Dir :: 170° (South)
Ceiling :: 100000 ft / 100000 m



The warmest area:

Base San Martin, Antarctica

9:00 PM GMT

Elevation :: 13 ft / 4 m

Temperature :: 32 °F / 0 °C

Conditions :: Overcast

Humidity :: 87%

Dew Point :: 30 °F / -1 °C

Wind :: Calm

Wind Gust :: -

Pressure :: 29.81 in / 1009 hPa (Falling)

Visibility :: 12.0 miles / 20.0 kilometers

UV :: 0 out of 16

Clouds :: Overcast 1969 ft / 600 m
(Above Ground Level)

The weather at Scott Base, Antarctica (Crystal Ice Chime) is:

Scott Base Webcam (click here)

The weather at Glacier Bay National Park (Crystal Wind Chime) is:

Meso-tornadic clouds over what's left of Glacier Bay National Park.

The last Sea Otter Study (click on title) available on the internet was 2001. Why?

Elevation :: 33 ft / 10 m

Temperature :: 52 °F / 11 °C

Conditions :: Mostly Cloudy

Humidity :: 54%

Dew Point :: 36 °F / 2 °C

Wind :: 6 mph / 9 km/h / 2.6 m/s from the ESE

Pressure :: 30.20 in / 1023 hPa (Steady)

Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers

UV :: 4 out of 16

Clouds:
Mostly Cloudy 3800 ft / 1158 m
Mostly Cloudy 4700 ft / 1432 m
(Above Ground Level)

Americus, Georgia suffered a tornado three months ago.

Eye Clinic across the street from Sumter Regional Hospital after three months

May 27, 2007
Americus, Georgia
Photographer states :: Closed Emergency Room on NorthEastern corner of Sumter Regional Hospital shows damage that occurred nearly three months ago


"AMERICUS, Ga., March 2 — The tornado that ripped through this southwest Georgia town Thursday not only left a trail of death and devastation, it also stripped bare the only major medical facilities for thousands of people in a sprawling rural community.
The storm, which killed two people here, tore apart buildings and unearthed 100-year-old oak trees, left this town of nearly 17,000 and the outlying area without a hospital or clinic that could handle emergencies...."



TORNADO 5...UPDATED (click here)
TRACKED ACROSS WEBSTER...SUMTER...AND MACON COUNTIES...FROMCHAMBLISS TO ABOUT 17 MILES NORTHEAST OF AMERICUS. RATED EF3. PATHLENGTH APPROXIMATELY 38 MILES AND MAXIMUM WIDTH OF ONE MILE INAMERICUS. HEAVIEST DAMAGE WAS IN THE CITY OF AMERICUS AROUND THESUMTER REGIONAL HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL WAS EVACUATED AND IS NOTBEING USED. HUNDREDS OF HOMES...BUSINESSES AND VEHICLES WEREAFFECTED WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OR TOTALLY DESTROYED. TWO CONFIRMEDDEATHS AND NUMEROUS INJURIES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM INAMERICUS. THREE INJURIES ALSO OCCURRED NORTHEAST OF CHAMBLISS ONEAST CENTERPOINT ROAD WHEN A CONCRETE BLOCK HOUSE AND TWO MACHINESHOPS WERE TOTALLY DESTROYED. THE ROAD IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE HAD 25FEET OF ASPHALT RIPPED OUT. FIVE COWS WERE KILLED IN THE SAME AREA.A TRACTOR TRAILER WAS OVERTURNED AND BURNED AT THE INTERSECTION OFHIGHWAY 520 AND TV TOWER ROAD IN SOUTH WEBSTER COUNTY. ONE PERSONWAS INJURED. THE 1096 FOOT GEORGIA PUBLIC TELEVISION TOWER IN THESAME AREA WAS SNAPPED OFF WITH ONLY 150 FEET STILL STANDING.

I am not impressed. Bush is demented. Has to be or he is playing politics with lives. Seriously. Playing politics with lives.

This is today in Iraq. The president of the USA needs to see a doctor. No doubt. His statements about Americans agreeing with him is dangerously demented. He is currently Commander and Chief, putting troops in harm ways, causing escalations in the conflict without end and he states he is 'actually' supported in his focus of Iraq by the American people. Not from what I can note.



Above
Iraqis inspect the area surrounding Abdul-Qadir al-Gailani mosque, the biggest Sunni mosque in Iraq, after a suicide car bomber blew himself up in the busy commercial district in central Baghdad on Monday, May 28, 2007, killing at least 21 people and wounding 66, police and hospital officials said.


I wanted to read the account of this rescue mission from "The Army Times." I simply cannot believe how ludicrous the military describes the 'loyalty' of the civilians within this incident.


42 captives freed from al-Qaida hide-out (click here)
By Ravi Nessman - The Associated PressPosted : Monday May 28, 2007 13:56:26 EDT

BAGHDAD — American forces freed 42 kidnapped Iraqis — some of whom had been hung from ceilings and tortured for months — in a raid Sunday on an al-Qaida hideout north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
Military officials said the operation, launched on tips from residents, showed that Iraqis in the turbulent Diyala province were turning against Sunni insurgents and beginning to trust U.S. troops.

“The people in Diyala are speaking up against al-Qaida,” said Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, the top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq.


That is a lie. The general, as Bush, is playing politics with lives. The USA is reporting this 'camp' was there for months. You mean to tell me that the USA gets a phone call AFTER THE FACT. After the people have been tortured by some 'entity' the USA is calling al Qaeda. After this 'group' extracted their information from this hostages. And I am to believe this was a 'good thing?' All of a sudden "The people of Diyala are speaking up against al-Qaida,"


The general must believe the American people are brainless idiots without the ability to discern 'nonsense' over fact. The people of that village didn't dare speak up against the hostage takers. They called the USA military because they knew they would come to free the hostages whom might even be sabotaged with trip wires and bombs ready to explode when attempts were made to free them. The people of the neighborhood wanted the hostages saved but were unable to carry out their rescue for of untold dangers.


That is NOT '...speaking up against al Qaeda...." That is simply survival and knowing whom would carry out the rescue. That is all that is. This is NOT a trend. This is just another day in Iraq. That's all it is. The rescue of 42 captives is not PROOF of a change in the direction of the war.


This incident proves the USA is completely outside 'the loop.' I suppose this is another learning experience, huh? I found it completely horrifying to hear a retired general state we have to 'keep at it in Iraq' because we learn more and more everyday about the fighting tactics we use against this enemy. THIS IS NOT A TRAINING GROUND !!!!! Bush invaded that country illegally. GET OUT OF IRAQ ! Now ! The reality of this 'dicotomy regarding the difference in views by the gross majority of the people of the USA and the USA military institution is scary. Completely. There is no 'reality' in the belief system of the USA military leadership. Amazing.

If the citizens called the USA military while the hostage takers were still at the camp those citizens and the hostages would have been killed. Either due to the fight between the soldiers and hostage takers or out of revenge for calling the USA military in the first place. There is 'no confidence' in the USA military in Iraq. Everyone takes their chances with the militias. At least with the militias, if people behave they are still alive. A better chance that they will be alive when the militias are around rather than the USA miltiary.


Elsewhere in Diyala, a U.S. soldier was killed when an explosion hit his vehicle and a second soldier was killed in an explosion in Baghdad, the military said. The deaths brought the number of troops killed this month to at least 102, putting May on pace to become the deadliest month for Americans here in more than 2½ years.
In other violence, a barrage of mortar rounds struck houses in a Shiite village just northeast of Baghdad, killing three women and a child and wounding seven other children, Baghdad police said.