Bring the troops home now. There is a reason the Iraq Study Group stated "...we have days, weeks not months..."

The attacks within the Green Zone began long ago. They have progressed to the point whereby the 'Unity Government' is now vulnerable to their abilities. It's over in Iraq, it has been for a long time (click link above).

The circumstances in Iraq are taking on the 'infrastructure' that Bush surplanted to facilitate nation building as he wanted it. The attacks at the parliament were possible because they were allowed or conducted by the security forces that were supposed to stop such an assault. The Unity Government is a puppet of the Bush White House and the Iraqi people are stopping it's ability to meet and conduct business they see as adverse to their priorities.


Two MPs killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD -- A suicide bomber blew himself up in the Iraqi parliament canteen inside Baghdad's Green Zone Thursday, killing two MPs in a major breach of security in the country's most heavily guarded site.

The bombing, which wounded about 20 people including MPs, occurred despite a massive joint US-Iraqi security crackdown launched in the capital two months ago and came just hours after an attack on a Baghdad bridge that left 10 dead.

Attacks in the Green Zone are relatively rare although seven were people were killed in a bombing there in 2004 claimed by Al Qaeda in Iraq.

A security official said that Thursday's attack was carried out by a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt, adding that blood and pieces of flesh were scattered across the cafeteria.

A security source named one of the dead MPs as Mohammed Awad, a member of the National Dialogue Front, a Sunni Arab party that has 11 seats in the 275-member parliament.

The second killed was a member of the Kurdish Alliance, the second biggest grouping in parliament after the main Shiite Muslim alliance, the source said.

About 10 security officials and 10 lawmakers were also wounded in the explosion that ripped through the canteen toward the end of lunch.

About seven hours earlier, a suicide bomber blew up a truck on a major bridge across the Tigris River in Baghdad, killing 10 people and sending cars plunging from the wrecked structure into the waters below.

Access to the Green Zone - also home to the Iraqi government and foreign embassies - is strictly controlled with access restricted to visitors carrying picture identity cards and required to pass through multiple checkpoints and metal detectors.

Insurgents have, however, managed to fire projectiles such as rockets and mortar rounds into the compound from outside its heavily guarded walls.

In October 2004, at least seven people were killed including two American civilians in bomb attacks in the Green Zone claimed by the then leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq Abu Mussab Al Zarqawi who was slain in June last year.

Although American and Iraqi officials have reported a reduction in execution-style killings since launching a huge security crackdown in Baghdad two months ago, they have admitted that car bombings remain a curse.

"Regardless of the numbers of those who have been unfortunately killed or injured, [the latest casualties] do reflect the gravity of the problems that Iraq is facing," former Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi told Al Jazeera television's international channel.

Another 10 people were killed and 26 wounded in Thursday's truck bombing on Sarafiyah bridge, one of the oldest in the Iraqi capital, which collapsed under the force of the blast, a security official said.

River police were seen racing to the scene on patrol boats and divers donned oxygen cylinders to search the murky waters for survivors.

Officials said that four cars tumbled off the bridge that connects the Shiite Atafiyah neighborhood on the western bank of the Tigris to the Sunni district of Waziriyah on the east.

A witness, who gave his name only as Jawad, said that he was on the bridge trying to fix a puncture to his vehicle loaded with cooking gas when he saw a man park a truck nearby and run off.

"I saw the man get out of the vehicle and run away toward Waziriyah. I was astonished and told an army patrol," he said.

The witness said that Iraqi soldiers sealed off the bridge before the truck exploded, perhaps explaining why the death toll was not higher. Security officials, however, said that it was a suicide truck bomb.

On Wednesday, US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell admitted that the overall Iraqi death toll had risen by 10 percent between February and March.

According to Iraqi security officials, more than 2,000 Iraqis were killed in March alone, 15 percent more than in February.

And in a sign that the American military is straining to meet its commitments, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that soldiers will see their tours of duty in Iraq extended by three months.

Gates acknowledged that US forces are stretched with the foreign deployments, however. "There's no question about that."

The new measure allows the army to maintain the surge in Iraq "probably at least" until April 2008, he said.

On Wednesday, the US military also charged that Shiite Iran was supporting Sunni extremist groups known to trigger high-profile vehicle bombs against civilians and security forces.

Washington has regularly charged that Shiite Iran was funding and training Iraq's Shiite militias but Wednesday's accusation that the former foe of Iraq was also aiding Sunni groups was a first.

continued below

The infrastructure in Iraq doesn't exist whereby a society can rebuild. Bush has no purpose to his endless war.

Emergency services look for survivors next to a collapsed bridge in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, April 12, 2007. A suicide truck bomb exploded on a major al-Sarafiya bridge in Baghdad early Thursday, collapsing the steel structure and sending cars toppling into the Tigris river below, police and witnesses said.

The media is reporting the Defense Department is extending troop deployments by three months in Iraq. To begin there isn't enough money in the military budget for that, additionally, the military personnel are hopping mad. What I heard in Jacksonville, North Carolina is that the actual plan is for an 18 month deployment and not 15.

Bush isn't intersted in competent government, he is only interested in government spending to support the priorities of his party. So far, he states he will veto the measures passed in the House and Senate to bring the USA involvement to a close in Iraq as well as a bill that would liberate Stem Cell Research.

When are the Democrats going to learn, in order to do the country's business the way the country wants it done they first have to impeach a man and his vice president whom facilitated his party to use the White House Staff under Rove to advance party directives in firing US Attorneys?

What effect does genetic research have for women? Bush's priorities are mired in party rhetoric and electon strategies and not the best interest of the citizens of the USA.

Genes control chemotherapy impact

Scientists have identified key genes which appear to control the impact of chemotherapy on cancer cells.

Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre systematically blocked the function of individual genes to test their effect.

The Nature study found in 87 cases blocking the gene seemed to boost the impact of chemotherapy.

This could be useful to allow lower chemotherapy doses to be used to reduce side effects for patients.

The researchers used small molecules, called small interfering RNAs, to block the activity of individual genes.

RNA plays a crucial role in converting the genetic DNA code into proteins - but interfering sabotages the process.

After each gene was blocked the researchers tested the survival rate of cancer cells cultured with the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel.

Genome-wide screen

The advantage of the technique is that huge numbers of genes can be tested quickly, as no prior knowledge of the genes involved is required.

3 o'clock and all is weeeelllll......

The North Carolina State Attorney General's office forgot one thing. The young lady involved in these circumstances was waltzed through charges she believed constituted at the very least 'bad behavior' at a Frat Party while a former prosecutor ran for office.

The young lady whom offered her services for entertainment and income to support herself through college never expected "The Duke Angels" to be verbally abusive or ridiculing of her and that is also a part of this issue.

While North Carolina doesn't see a 'stripper' as someone who should complain at 'bad behavior' or ethnic or gender slurs, the reality is there, and the women that strip for a living WHILE ENTERTAINING men such as these have their own right to self esteem and appreciation. I am confident at the center of this issue lies the question, "But will it hold up in court?" The answer was obviously, no.

But, what remains to be appreciated is that she was regarded as an object and not an entertainer. The Duke Angels may wash up well but they ain't angels by any stretch of the imagination.

When it comes to having women come forward to report mistreatment by others when it results in a sexual nature is nearly impossible and now that the victim of this fiasco is pushed aside to make way for the victory, once again, of the media that protects male virginity the thought that rape victims will come forward and be believed is getting more impossible. At least when it makes headlines.

In knowing women of rape that have seen their attacker found 'innocent' there is always this 'after effect' to that innocence. Left behind after the charges are dropped or by some chance it actually made it to court is the reality of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For a lifetime after the rape, which actually did happen, is a victim that suffers with relived scenarios, sleeplessness, psychotic fears and a medical regime to chock a horse. On more than one occassion in life, I have meet women whom were sincerely raped, left with the permanent scars while their attackers were never charged or found innocent. There is something very wrong with the way evidence in rape cases are weighted to lead to conviction and something extremely wrong in the way the media vindicates the most guilty of men to exonerate the rest when charged 'as a big mistake.'

Women don't realize how compromised they are in a day to day basis when issues like this manifest. We are all sexual creatures and enjoy that aspect of our lives. When by some chance the 'innocense' of that sexuality is violated and exploited in what some might believe are subtle ways we all suffer at the hand of the truly innocent. The truly innocent are the women never recognized as the most damaged in our society. The truly raped, abused and assaulted whereby their attackers walk away laughing.

American society has among it the victims of rape that battle everyday with a syndrome that permanently affects their lives. That should be enough to realize even after decades of suffering they are carrying the 'real evidence' if only someone had listened.

The Endangered Florida Manatee faces Human Induced Global Warming

The link above takes you to a 'new' reality for the Florida Manatee.

There needs to be a new 'survival' profile for all species and not just the Manatee. The impacts of Human Induced Global Warming will impact species in ways not previously noted on Earth. I noted an editorial yesterday at The New York Times, so while the Florida Manatee has the attention of the nation, now is a good time to discuss the reality of species survival and the impacts of Human Induced Global Warming.

The Manatee and the Bureaucrats

Officials in the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Interior Department appear to believe that the time has come to reclassify the Florida manatee to “threatened” from “endangered.” That “downlisting” would give the manatee — the vulnerable, slow-moving sea cow, which is an environmental icon in Florida — a lower level of protection from its principal enemies, including boats and developers.

Senior Interior Department officials insist, however, that reclassification is far from a done deal. They say that a routine five-year review of the manatee’s status convinced some officials that this mammal was ready for downlisting. While those views were incorporated into an internal memorandum, they say, no formal proposal is on the table.

Let’s hope things stay that way. By all accounts, laws governing boat speed and waterfront development have led to manatee population increases in the last 30 years. But the creatures remain greatly at risk. Last year, the most dismal since recordkeeping began, 416 manatees died out of a total population of 3,200, many of them in propeller collisions.

Moreover, manatees now face one new and unexpected risk. In an unfortunate and ironic environmental twist, the laws that have closed coastal power plants have also deprived the manatees of the artificial refuges created by warm-water discharges from these plants.
This is just one more piece of evidence that the manatee’s future, however promising the short-term numbers, remains full of perils that should not be compounded by regulatory rollbacks.

Here is the latest reality of the Florida Manatee.

26 Manatee Deaths In Lee County Investigated

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Red tide may be to blame for 26 manatee deaths in Lee County in the past two weeks.

State wildlife officials are waiting for test results from toxin analyses to determine for certain whether red tide caused the deaths. But they said at least one sea cow died from exposure to red tide.

Red tide is formed when a microscopic algae reproduces at an explosive rate. The algae produces a neurotoxin that kills sea life and makes breathing difficult for humans.
Florida was hammered by a record red tide bloom in 2005 that expanded at one point to cover 25,000 square miles in the Gulf of Mexico.

THE THING IS THIS, no matter whom I speak to the concensus is the same. No species should be removed from any Endangered list and if anything the government agenices that monitor these issues should be putting a moratorium on removing any species from any Endangered or Threatened list with anticipation of adding many.

Why?

Because the paradigm we measured all species survival has shifted drastically. These are not extremist views and are shared by some of the best scientists in the USA, if not the world.

The Florida Manatee is very important in that it provides tourist dollars to the state. It's a known fact. Americans love to protect those among us less able to protect themselves. We are moral people and seek that morality at all levels within our country and beyond our borders. That statement excludes the illegal wars of leaders far less moral than the majority of the nation. At any rate, Florida waters are known to have algae blooms, many are benign. In this case, it is not. This is a harmful algal species that has manifested 'a new' along the east coast of the country.

Species Profile: West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus)

The Florida Manatee is unique and found primarily in the waters of the Gulf Coast. It is known to have a minor migration to Chesepeake Bay in recent years. The reason for this migration is more than likely an expanding range north due to hotter ocean waters.

The algae involved in this 'episode' of dead Manatee ususally is found in tropical waters and mostly latent. It has a cyst stage and can 'winter' over in waters that are colder at times or when adverse circumstances exist for it to thrive. The waters have gotten warmer and we are seeing blooms of species once believed to be harmful and troublesome but mostly an annoyance from time to time changing. Not only that but in the coming months of publication of "Phycologia" there will be grossly proven evidence of a new species of harmful algae discovered in the Chesepeake Bay that has a unique pigment. The species was discovered in response to a fish die off by a scientists whom is extremely well credentialed and highly respected by his piers.

Basically, Earth is not static anymore. The oceans are heating and with that reality comes entirely new challenges for understanding the world we live in. As we look at the Manatee of Florida to realize it's new range and challenge to survive in the face of harmful algae blooms; we realize all to clearly the challenge of the USA to reduce it's carbon footprint as ever more present and urgent.

The Florida Manatee cannot be removed from the Endangered List and in fact may be facing a threat no one has counted on before.

The East India Dugong

This is an article about the differences in species found in limited environments in the world. The Dugong or Manatee are found in only a few places in the world.

Zoos


Bear cub - apple of everyone's eye

A four-month-old polar bear cub walks unsteadily in the enclosure at a Berlin's zoo, April 8, 2007. As the only bear born of artifical breeding in 30 years in Germany's zoos, it becomes the apple of everyone's eye.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)


http://english.people.com.cn/200704/09/eng20070409_364919.html



Salton Sea Experiment Is for the Birds

The Press-Enterprise04 Apr 2007J BowlesArea: California USAFour seemingly innocuous ponds near the Salton Sea could ensure that California's largest but ailing lake remains a key stopover for millions of migrating birds and one of the nation's most biologically rich areas. State agency officials trying to prevent the saltwater lake from shrinking and becoming too salty for fish and birds are gambling that the test ponds will be a successful substitute and that larger-scale versions can be built into the seabed as the water recedes. California Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman is expected to recommend a roughly $6 billion restoration plan for the lake to the state Legislature by the end of this month. It's likely to call for the construction of 62,000 acres of shallow lakes that, like the test ponds, are dotted with islands and other features to attract birds. "This is my baby," said Doug Barnum, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, as he gazed across the ponds. Built a little more than a year ago on the edge of Niland, a small farming town south of the Riverside County line, the ponds today are teeming with wildlife. Ruddy ducks thud across the surface, swarms of tiny brown swallows flit above, and sandpipers dance on the water's edge.


http://wdin.blogspot.com/2007/04/salton-sea-experiment-is-for-birds.html



Why keeping 2 elephants at Phila. Zoo makes sense
By Carolyn Davis
The Philadelphia Zoo should keep two of its elephants, even if they are bored, even if they cannot roam the savannas, woodlands and forests of Africa or Asia, even if captivity means a shortened life.
It's worth the trade-off if Kallie, Bette or Petal stay to fire the imagination of children and educate young and old about wildlife and the importance of conservation.
Zoo officials are closing one of the most popular attractions: the elephant exhibit. The space for these behemoths is too small - most zoos' space for elephants is too small, according to animal-rights activists.
The lone Asian elephant among her three zoo-mates, Dulary, is set to go to the Elephant Sanctuary in rural Tennessee.
The three others were supposed to move to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, a reasonable day trip. But recently that zoo decided it didn't have enough money to expand its own elephant habitat.
So Philadelphia is looking for another home for Kallie, Bette and Petal. Bette is the baby of the four at 23 years old. Petal is the 50-year-old grande dame. But they are home right now - and two ought to stay.


http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20070410_Why_keeping_2_elephants_at_Phila__Zoo_makes_sense.html



Bollywood stars line-up to stop animal cruelty
By Nita Bhalla
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - From being chained or caged, to posing with cheetahs and being painted in stripes, Bollywood stars are increasingly lending their time and energy to highlight cruelty faced by India's animals.


http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=557492007



All uphill for rare wolves
2 pups debut at zoo as breeding program overcomes obstacle
By Tom Buckham NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Updated: 04/11/07 6:31 AM

When it comes to mothering, Olive, a maned wolf at the Buffalo Zoo, is a slow learner. Her first pup, Flint, born in 2005, was hand-raised by keepers after she showed little maternal interest.
It has been the same story with Olive’s second male offspring, Echo, who weighed just 14 ounces at birth Dec. 24. Mom again appeared clueless, so Echo was pulled from the maned wolf exhibit to be bottle-fed by keeper Chris Kieber.
This time Olive’s indifference will benefit zoo visitors, because Echo has a playmate to romp with — Kev, a male who arrived last week from the Louisville Zoo.


http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/51232.html



Rethinking the zoo


The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is endangered.
Plagued by declining attendance, reduced funding, high ticket prices and facilities in disrepair, the zoo seems more a candidate for closure than expansion.
But some Baltimoreans are reluctant to give up on it, largely because of a sense of history and tradition that has endeared it to them.
"Every year we looked forward to going to the zoo," said Sarah David, a Johns Hopkins senior raised in Pikesville. "When I speak to other people who grew up in Baltimore, we remember the zoo as a part of growing up. It unites people, and in that respect, it's a very important aspect of the city."


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-ed.notebook07apr07,0,7708157.story?coll=bal-opinion-headlines



SF: ORPHANED SEAL PUPS ARRIVE AT SAN FRANCISCO ZOO
04/06/07 10:10 PDT


Rescued northern elephant seal pups will be arriving at the San Francisco Zoo to complete rehabilitation before they are returned to the wild.
The pups from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito will start arriving at the zoo next week, according to Marine Mammal Center spokeswoman Jessica Hsu. The first four will arrive at 10:15 a.m. on April 9th, reported zoo spokesman Paul Garcia.
The seals will remain at the zoo for three to four weeks. During that time the seals will be fed lots of herring in order to gain enough weight to survive in the wild, Hsu reported. The extra weeks at the zoo pools will also allow the pups to continue their muscular development and motor coordination.
The Marine Mammal Center started a renovation project in 2006, which caused a shortage of pool and pen space for the rescued seals, Hsu reported. The center and the zoo collaborated to move rehabilitated seals to the zoo for an interim before they are returned to the ocean. This way the seals are given more time to prepare for the waters of the Pacific, and the center has more space to take care of seals that are in critical condition, according to Hsu.
Zoo goers can see the newcomers at the seal pool, which is located between the polar bear exhibit and the South American tropical forest building.


http://cbs5.com/localwire/localfsnews/bcn/2007/04/06/n/HeadlineNews/SEAL-PUPS/resources_bcn_html


Video:


http://www.nbc11.com/news/11592477/detail.html



Chilly weather greets Scovill Zoo on opening day


DECATUR - The zoo season opened with a shiver, not a roar.With a cold wind blowing in off the lake and temperatures in the 30s, just a few hardy souls trickled in Friday to visit the animals at Scovill Zoo.Sarah Reining, the zoo's education director, said this is the coldest opening day in decades. Last year, it was so warm on opening weekend that the chocolate eggs at the egg hunt were melting."This year, it will be more like 'Boo at the Zoo,' " Reining said, referring to the nighttime event during the Halloween season.


http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2007/04/07/news/local_news/1022539.txt


New Species of Leopard arrives at the Kow Keow Zoo.


Last Month, Scientists claimed that the clouded leopard found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra is an entirely new species of cat. One such example of this new species is now on show at the Kow Keow Zoo, 45kms outside of Pattaya. This press conference presented the Leopard to the gathered media and it was announced that in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the cat has been renamed the ASEAN Leopard, to celebrate the 40th Year of ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations. The Leopard will be on display at the Zoo accompanied by a small Exhibition of the history of ASEAN and its importance in this region of the World.


http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_07_04_50_3.htm



Director wants zoo to appeal year-round


Steve Trebilcock just got a new pair of snowy owls for the David Traylor Zoo. They’re not easy to get these days and he’s glad to have them.
For a few months out of the year, Trebilcock also has a snowy zoo, or at least a cold one. And that needs a little work, he said, to keep the public’s interest year-round.
“If we’re going to have animals in the zoo and the public is paying to have a zoo, the public should be able to see the animals,” said Trebilcock, the zoo director. “And right now, there’s a lot of the year when the public can’t see the animals.”
What’s needed are indoor exhibit areas for some of the more temperature-sensitive animals. And that project may get moved to the front burner in the fairly near future, along with a few other new touches from the zoo’s master plan.


http://www.emporiagazette.com/news/2007/apr/07/director_wants_zoo_appeal_yearround/



Al Ain Zoo shines once again


After more than 30 years since its establishment, Al Ain Zoo is shining once again as an example in the Gulf region for animal management, conservation practices and visitor comfort.
Over the past year, Al Ain Zoo has been undergoing transformations into a 21st Century attraction that not only addresses wildlife conservation but also supports Abu Dhabi's environmental education efforts and its future tourism aspirations. Today, the Zoo has taken steps to promote an emotional bond between the visitor and the wildlife living in the Zoo by conjuring a memorable experience.


http://www.ameinfo.com/115975.html



Educational Talk on Mexican Wolves at the National Zoo


This Washington, DC National Zoo speaker gives an interesting talk on Mexican wolves and the zoo's attempt at breeding them for reintroduction into the wild. This presentation is geared towards children, but is interesting for adults, too.


http://www.dcguide.com/articles/attractions/educational-talk-on-mexican-wolves-at-the-national-zoo.html


Booming deer population crams
Dhaka zoo
Wahida Mitu
The Dhaka Zoo is facing problem in accommodating its deer population. At present the zoo has 150 deer against the accommodation capacity of 50.
The zoo has a scheme of selling deer but despite the regular sale the zoo authorities now find it difficult to accommodate the increasing number of the animals.
The sale of deer decreased this year as the Department of Forest raised the fee of possession certificate to Tk 10,000 for a pair of deer from Tk 1,000 earlier, said Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmed, Wildlife conservator of the DoF. The annual renewal fee of the certificate is Tk 5,000.
The zoo authorities started the deer selling scheme in 1986. They sell mainly spotted deer with the permission of the Department of Forest.
Since 1986 Dhaka Zoo has sold more than 300 deer. A deer usually gives birth to two cubs a year.


http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/04/08/d704082503116.htm



Orangutan born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs is sending out baby announcements. Their ten year old Bornean Orangutan, Hadiah, gave birth to a boy on Wednesday. He doesn't have a name yet.

So far, Hadiah is not interested in caring for the baby, so zookeepers are doing bottle duty. They're hoping that Hadiah will change her mind. She, herself, was raised by humans at the zoo.

Animal area supervisor Dina Bredah may try introducing the baby to another female orangutan in hopes she can be a surrogate mother.

Just last year, Cheyenne Mountain zookeepers had to be surrogates to a gorilla named Umande. He was transferred to zoo in Cleveland last October, where he was adopted by another gorilla.


http://www.koaa.com/news/view.asp?ID=7288



Zoo Attracts Thousands of Egg-Collecting Children

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Chilly weather Saturday afternoon didn't stop one of Nashville's biggest Easter traditions.
The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere hosted their ninth annual Easter celebration, Eggstravaganzoo.
An estimated 4,000 people came out to get their share of more than 30,000 plastic eggs.
The event features separate egg hunts for children ages 2 to 10.
Ten golden eggs were hidden throughout the zoo for a grand prize, but the zoo made sure that all children who attended walked away with some sort of prize.
To add to the excitement, many animals participated in egg hunts of their own.


http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=6340121



Pueblo Zoo ready to welcome visitors to Islands of Life
Ring-tailed lemurs will enjoy outdoor access to Monkey Island, which is adjacent to the Animal House at Pueblo Zoo. The island and the building have been restored over the last four years.
By AMY MATTHEWTHE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Pistachio is eager to get a look at you. That's good, because a whole lot of eyes soon will be looking back at her.
Pistachio is one of five squirrel monkeys now residing at the Pueblo Zoo. They're part of the zoo's new Islands of Life exhibit that opens at 10 a.m. Saturday.


http://www.chieftain.com/life/1176033601/1


SAN FRANCISCO
Zoo's poster child for hand-rearing
3 staffers caring for baby ape -- a practice criticized by some animal lovers -- until adults of her own species found to accept her
Sungai is only 7 months old, but she's already had enough rejection to qualify for a lifetime of therapy. Born in Albuquerque, she was instantly cast aside by her mother. Sent to Houston, she fared no better. Now she's in San Francisco, clinging to three foster parents who tend to her needs 24 hours a day.
There's only one problem: They're human and Sungai is a siamang.
In the next few weeks, San Francisco Zoo officials will discover whether adult siamangs Mindy and Storm will accept the baby ape. If they do, Sungai will finally have a family. If not, she might have to hit the road again.
Her plight is not uncommon.
"It happens more often than not," said Gail Hedberg, a veterinary technician at the zoo who in 27 years has hand-reared many animals, including a snow leopard, black rhino and bobcat.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/09/SIAMANG.TMP


Zoo's treatment of python is cruel
Cramming a 24-foot-long snake into a 25-foot aquarium is cruel ("Columbus Zoo to display 24-foot python," March 20). Bragging that the new cage is "better" than the one she's normally in is reprehensible.
How does seeing a snake stuffed into a tiny cage promote respect or foster appreciation for animals? This python, Fluffy, is being marketed like she's on the old carny circuit, where people could fork over a buck to see the "world's largest rat" or a "cow with two heads." Visitors may walk away titillated, but they won't learn anything meaningful.
Pythons are normally docile and would rather flee than fight. They are nocturnal and prefer darkness for sleeping. Keeping pythons on display during daylight hours and using them as marketing props is cruel and unnatural. Doing so also encourages a susceptible public to go out and purchase these animals as pets - resulting in many being dumped like trash when the novelty wears off. Jack Hanna has been courting celebrity off the backs of animals for years but his shameless self-promotion has reached a new low.
Lisa WathneCaptive Exotic Animals SpecialistPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals


http://www.coshoctontribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070409/OPINION03/704090320/1014/OPINION



National Zoo Performs Artificial Inseminations On Its Female Giant Panda
Scientists and veterinarians at Smithsonian's National Zoo performed two artificial inseminations on female giant panda, Mei Xiang (may-SHONG). The first procedure took place yesterday early evening and lasted for one hour and the second this morning at 6:16 a.m. for 35 minutes. Under general anesthesia, she was inseminated with thawed semen from Gao Gao (GOW-GOW), a male giant panda residing at the San Diego Zoo.


http://newsblaze.com/story/20070409123550tsop.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.html


Orphaned pumas find new home at Chicago zoo
April 9, 2007 - Last year, in the wilds of Wyoming, two female pumas died unexpectedly. They left behind two small kittens that, fortunately, were discovered by Wyoming's Department of Fish and Wildlife. Those two kittens are now in Chicago at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Next time you're wandering through the Lincoln Park Zoo, plan to stop by the lion house, where two young female pumas -- 6 and 10 months old -- are on exhibit. They were born in the wild in the mountains of Wyoming. Both lost their mothers.


http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5192283



Join the zoo team by becoming a volunteer
Submitted by Binder Park Zoo
Binder Park Zoo's 2007 season is about to begin. Help be a vital part in preserving wildlife by offering donated time through volunteering. Zoo volunteers help with all aspects of the Zoo's operations and are key elements to the Zoo's success. Zoo volunteers enjoy flexible schedules, social interactions and a wonderful environment to be a part of. New volunteer orientation will take place on April 26 from 9am - 1pm. Call the Zoo at (269) 979-1351 for more information.
"I've enjoyed volunteering for Binder Park Zoo for 10 years," said Karen-Westlake-Chase. "Volunteering gives me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in knowing that I am a part of conservation on a global level."


http://battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070410/LIFESTYLE08/704100309



Rare oryx born at Greater Vancouver Zoo
Matthew Claxton, Langley Advance
Published: Tuesday, April 10, 2007
LANGLEY - They're all but extinct in the wild, but a new member of the scimitar horned oryx species has been born at the Greater Vancouver Zoo in Aldergrove.
The male oryx was born on March 28, to Oasis, one of three adult female oryx living at the zoo, said keeper Jamie Dorgan.
A name for the new arrival hasn't been chosen yet.


http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=27b06592-a964-4e66-9de7-266faf8eb902



3 baby lions at N.C. Zoo need names
Submitted by WWAY on 10 April 2007 - 8:41pm.
Filed in: Story body
ASHEBORO -- Three baby lions at the North Carolina Zoo still don't have a name. So, zoo officials are holding a contest to give kids a chance to come up with names for the cubs. Participants must be 18 or younger and should submit two female names and one male name, along with a brief explanation for their choices. The entries should show creativity and originality and the winner gets some great prizes.
For details visit www.nczoo.org.


http://www.wwaytv3.com/node/1218



Zoo animals to taste test road salt
STOCKHOLM, April 10 (UPI) -- The elk and reindeer at a Swedish zoo are being used as taste-testers to determine whether animals prefer straight salt or salt mixed with sugar.
If the animals display a preference for one, the other will be used on icy roads in Sweden, The Local reports. That's because road officials are trying to figure out ways to reduce collisions between cars and wildlife.
Frida Hedin of the Swedish National Roads Administration said that five elk and five reindeer at the Skansen wildlife park in Stockholm will be the subjects of the experiment. Blocks of both straight salt and sweetened salt will be placed in their enclosure until June, and then weighed to determine if one has been licked more than the other.
Officials hope that animals prefer salt on its own because that would allow them to reduce the amount of salt
© Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.United Press International, UPI, the UPI logo, and other trademarks and service marks, are registered or unregistered trademarks of United Press International, Inc. in the United States and in other countries.


http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2007/04/10/zoo_animals_to_taste_test_road_salt/



Satisfying wild appetites at the zoo
Nutritionists plan healthy, tasty menus
10:23 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 10, 2007
By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News kmenzer@dallasnews.com
A monkey's biscuits aren't monkey business.
Kerri Slifka should know since she's had to taste-test the vitamin-fortified treats designed for primates.
"Yes, I have tried monkey biscuits," said the Dallas Zoo's first curator of nutrition. "Sometimes, we nutritionists do weird things. The apple ones, they have real apple in them, but they don't taste like apple – ugh.
"If they made a chocolate-flavored monkey biscuit, I would be good."
As one of only about 15 nutritionists at zoos nationwide, it's Ms. Slifka's job to make sure the carnivorous cats are eating low carb, Boris the lion has had his five-pound rabbit and the often-constipated spider monkeys are getting plenty of fiber.
Ms. Slifka and her staff are responsible for preparing 188 specialized diets for the thousands of animals at the zoo every day of the year, as no one wants to be around the day after the zoo animals aren't fed, they joke.


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/041107dnmetzoogoodeats.3488dcb.html



Wallabies back at Detroit Zoo

First time in 20 years tasmanian natives on display

By Jerry Wolffe
Journal Register News Service

ROYAL OAK -- Three young wallabies are bouncing around with kangaroos at the Detroit Zoo's Australian Outback Adventure exhibit.
"People love it," said Scott Carter, director of conservation and animal welfare at the 125-acre zoo. "They love to be able to walk into the exhibit with the kangaroos and wallabies."
It's the first time in 20 years that wallabies have been on exhibit at the Detroit Zoo, he said.
The Bennett wallabies -- Rufus, a 4-year-old male, his sister, Scarlet, 2, and his half-sister, Ruby, 2 -- are natives of Tasmania, an island off the coast of Australia. They came to the facility in Royal Oak after the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro closed its exhibit.


http://www.dailytribune.com/stories/041107/loc_zoo001.shtml



Arnold Schwarzenegger Teams Up With Rapper Xzibit On An Earth Saving 'Pimp My Ride' Show

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up with rapper Xzibit to "pimp" a '65 Chevy Impala on an upcoming episode of MTV's hit show Pimp My Ride.
(PRLog.Org) – Schwarzenegger, Mad Mike and the crew of Pimp My Ride give the Impala an ecological make over on the show's season premiere, which takes place on Earth Day (Apr. 22)."I would like to thank MTV and the entire Pimp My Ride crew for shining the spotlight on the importance of alternative fuels and the fight against global warming," Governor Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "I am very encouraged by the great potential in converting vehicles to run on biodiesel as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "I am pleased that the power of MTV's message will reach an audience throughout California and the nation to reinforce the benefits of alternative-fuel vehicles and protecting our environment."The special edition features the Impala getting an 800 horsepower Duramax diesel engine that will run on biodiesel fuel, educating viewers during the show about the benefits of ecological friendly cars.


http://www.prlog.org/10012918-arnold-schwarzenegger-teams-up-with-rapper-xzibit-on-an-earth-saving-pimp-my-ride-show.html



Earth Day celebrated with movie, panel discussion
Advertiser Staff
The final events in the Windward Community College Common Book speaker series will include two showings of Al Gore's Academy Award-winning "An Inconvenient Truth," a presentation on "The Climate Crisis and a panel discussion on "Global Warming and Globalization."
The events are being held in conjunction with Earth Day and are free and open to the public.
Today and tomorrow, Gore's independent, insightful movie will be shown from 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. at the Hale Akoakoa, Room 105 on the Windward campus.


http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Apr/11/br/br8639725410.html


Earth Day celebrationWild needs protection
By MIRIAM MOELLER, Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE — Red rock canyons, buttes and plateaus dominate a wilderness area in Utah that activist and author Clayton Daughenbaugh has been trying to protect for many years.In celebration of Earth Day — coming up on April 22 — Daughenbaugh spoke on this topic to a small crowd of students and community members at Northern Michigan University Tuesday night.“It’s a very remote part of the country,” he said. “It’s important to protect those kind of places in a larger context.”Daughenbaugh is chairman of the Sierra Club National Wildlands Committee and is involved with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. He is an advocate of “America’s Redrock Wilderness Act,” which aims to protect more than 9 million acres of wilderness in Utah. He recruited Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin to be the lead sponsor of the act. The act will be reintroduced to Congress, and Daughenbaugh is looking for more support throughout the country.


http://www.miningjournal.net/stories/articles.asp?articleID=13545



Accor Showcases Its Sustainable Development Commitments for Earth Guest Day
PARIS, April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunday, April 22 is Earth Day, and Accor employees across all its businesses, brands and divisions will take advantage of the week leading up to the event to showcase their commitment to the principles of sustainable development. The culmination of campaigns pursued by employees throughout the year, the day -- called Earth Guest day at Accor -- highlights the Earth Guest program introduced by the Group in 2006 to federate its social and environmental responsibility initiatives.
In nearly 60 countries around the world, Accor teams support sustainable development programs that are organized around both people ("EGO" projects to protect children, support local development, promote balanced nutrition and eliminate epidemics) and the environment ("ECO" projects to control energy use, limit water consumption, manage waste and preserve biodiversity).


http://sev.prnewswire.com/environmental-services/20070410/NYTU11210042007-1.html


continued …

Slave and Lion Sets Record High at HK Auction

Slave and Lion, a painting by famous Chinese artist Xu Beihong, was auctioned in Hong Kong Sunday at HK$53.9 million (US$6.9 million), a record high price compared with prices fetched by Chinese artists' paintings worldwide.

The price far exceeded the HK$32 million (US$4.1 million) estimate by Christie's Hong Kong in October.

According to the auction company, Slave and Lion is one of Xu's early works, painted with realistic technique combining a Western sense of form and a Chinese lines.

The painting depicts the story of a slave and a lion in the Roman Empire. The slave having brought succor to a lion with a thorn in its paw later meets the same lion in the bloody surrounds of a Roman amphitheater. The emperor was moved by the touching reunion and thus gave the slave his freedom.

New York Times Message Boards Close

This was the final entry to the message board where I spend considerable time. I had been answering editorials for years at The New York Times and the only offense I take at the closing of this communication venue is the lack of explanation by The New York Times.


Any of us that subsribe to the newspaper realize it is a business, but, in all honesty The New York Times is an institution and one sadly lost if that occurs. Subscription is not only worthwhile to stay in touch with your world but from the standpoint that so much of American life and history is recorded there and shaped by the Freedom of Speech offered in print. As a subscriber there also an awareness of the 'family fued' that exists within it's corproate structure. So, from that perspective, in my opinion, the subscribers are the largest shareholders for the fiscal investment they have made in this institution. It wasn't right there wasn't a better explanation of the 'reason' behind the closure of the message boards, although, everyone believes the 'extremism' of some participants was interrupting 'the community' anyway.


Group Urges Investors Not to Back Times Co. Board


By JEREMY W. PETERS
Published: April 6, 2007


An independent corporate advisory group is urging shareholders of The New York Times Company to withhold their support for board members to pressure the company over dissatisfaction with its performance and ownership structure.


The recommendation, from Institutional Shareholder Services, raised the possibility that the Times Company could face another rebuke from shareholders at its annual meeting on April 24. At last year’s meeting, investors including Morgan Stanley Investment Management withheld roughly 30 percent of the votes for company directors.


At issue is the dual structure of stock ownership, which gives members of the Ochs-Sulzberger family control of the company. The family, whose patriarch, Adolph S. Ochs, acquired The Times in 1896, holds 89 percent of Class B stock. Class B shareholders elect nine members of the board, while holders of Class A shares — the stock owned by the public and institutional investors like Morgan Stanley — elect the remaining four.



National Security


This is the place to discuss security measures, civil liberties and other national security issues.

driveby_media - 9:05 AM ET

April 10, 2007

(#222509 of 222509)

Allawi: "...Bush's monumental ignorance and arrogant swaggering..." 4 bloody years of bungling, 3,300 GI lives wasted: 48,000 wounded GI lives devastated: 250,000 dead Iraqis, $500 billion wasted in a sea of corruption -

_______________________________

Is the surge working?

....the slaughter continues...

04/12/07 Icasualties.org: 45 American soldiers killed in April

04/10/07 Reuters: 3 bodies found in Mosul, 2 in Rashad

04/10/07 NPR: Fighting Shia-on-Shia Violence in Diwaniyah

04/10/07 AFP: Five die in blast near Iraq university

04/10/07 BBC: 'Woman' bomber hits Iraq police

04/10/07 MNF: Roadside bomb targets MND-B patrol - 3 killed, 1 wounded 04/09/07 Reuters: Tribal leader assassinated in Khalis

04/09/07 Reuters: 17 bodies found in Baghdad

04/09/07 AFP: Baghdad bans cars in Baghdad

04/08/07 Reuters: 5 bodies found in Baquba, 6 in Kerbala

04/07/07 Reuters: Five Iraqi soldiers killed in Samarra

04/07/07 Reuters: Eleven bodies found across Baghdad

04/06/07 VOA: Suicide Car Bombing in Ramadi Kills 20

04/06/07 Reuters: Sniper kills 2 people in southwestern Baghdad

04/06/07 Reuters: 11 bodies found in Baghdad, 4 in Tal Afar

04/05/07 dpa: Abducted TV presenter found dead, 10 Baghdad TV employees wounded

04/05/07 Reuters: Two roadside bombs kill 2 in northern Baghdad

04/05/07 Reuters: 2 Policemen wounded by roadside bomb in southern Baghdad

04/05/07 Reuters: Gunmen kill 2 Iraqi contractors

04/05/07 Reuters: Gunmen set fire to houses abandoned by Sunni owners

04/05/07 Reuters: Iraq PM defends media curbs, praises journalists

04/05/07 Xinhua: Explosion targeting Baghdad TV station wounds six

04/05/07 dailymail: Celebrating Iraqis parade macabre souvenirs

04/05/07 MoD: Four British soldiers killed in Iraq roadside bomb attack

04/04/07 Reuters: 11 employees of power station killed near Hawija

04/04/07 Reuters: Roadside bomb kills police major in Mosul

04/04/07 Reuters: Roadside bomb targets head of police in Mosul - 2 wounded

04/04/07 Reuters: 10 Bodies found in baghdad

04/04/07 Reuters: Roadside bomb kills 2 Iraqi soldiers in Kut

04/04/07 Reuters: Roadside bomb wounds 9 civilians in Kirkuk

04/04/07 AP: Gunmen Kill 5 in Iraq Ambush

04/03/07 VOI: The bodies of five policemen found in Diala province

04/03/07 Reuters: 14 bodies found in Baghdad, 3 in Mosul

04/03/07 Reuters: Seven bodies found in Baquba

04/03/07 Reuters: Body of 14 year boy found with throat slit

04/02/07 AFP: Children massacred, Shiites executed in Iraq bloodshed

04/02/07 AP: Truck bomber levels Iraqi police station in Kirkuk, killing 15

04/02/07 Reuters: Suicide bomber kills 3, wounds 20 in Khalis

04/02/07 VOA: IrTruck Bomb in Northern Iraq Kills 11

04/02/07 AP: 3 Dead As Car Explodes in Baghdad

04/02/07 Reuters: Bodies of 19 Kidnapped Men Found in Iraq

04/01/07 Reuters: Gunmen kidnap 19 civilians near Baquba

04/01/07 Reuters: In Baghdad - 10 bodies found Saturday, 16 found Sunday.

04/01/07 KUNA: Violence overwhelms Mosul city -- security source

04/01/07 LATImes: Five killed in hospital blast in Baghdad

03/31/07 Reuters; Iraqi Tal Afar bomb killed 152, deadliest of war

03/31/07 Reuters: 5 bodies found in Suwayra, 13 found in Baghdad

03/31/07 VOA: Car Bombings in Iraq Kill 11

03/31/07 IWPR : Victims pile up at Mosul city morgue

03/30/07 timesonline: 45 bound and shot dead in revenge attack

03/30/07 Xinhua: Over 20 people killed, wounded in U.S. shellfire on Iraqi village

03/30/07 Reuters: 25 bodies found in Mosul

03/29/07 NPR: Violence Escalates in Iraq's Tal Afar

03/29/07 Reuters: 25 Bodies found in Baghdad

03/29/07 Reuters: 62 killed in Baghdad by suicide bomber

03/29/07 Reuters: 53 killed in Khalis by suicide bombers

03/29/07 AP: Multiple suicide bombings of Shiite areas kill at least 104

One of the last entries I made to the closing message board was one I felt was rather important. I firmly believe there is every reason to leave Iraq and not just as a peace process.


I have from the start realized the presence of the USA military was never desired. I also realized before Bush's illegal invasion that it was indeed illegal and while the invasion alone presented a peculiar set of circumstances that Bush took ownership of by stating "You broke it, you bought it.;" it was not about establishing order in Iraq, but, establishing through nation building an entity the USA's profiteers could exploit for it's own use.


All too often nation building by The West has resulted in tragedy for the people of a nation in places such as Africa, where villagers were slaughtered in standing opposition to Big Oil. The 'established' authorities worked with USA companies for personal wealth but the countries themselves never saw any result of the treasuries of the nation.

So, to believe "You broke it, you bought it.' was to believe all that transpired before the illegal invasion in every nation building priority before was valid and correct and would result in a better quality of life. That was a completely invalid conclusion and one I never adhered to.


As I have entered here on multiple occassion, the illega invasion into Iraq sent in pursuit of 'the truth' of the people of Iraq and the reasons they suffered global consent to Saddam Hussein for so long. The conclusion that screamed at me was the victimization of the Shia through the policies of the USA and the willingness of the USA to conduct profiteering in the face of bigoted religious attitudes of the region and the radicalization of the Shia. A radicalization, that if it did not occur could result in their genocide. It seemed to me no one was taking global head count of Shia and their plight and struggle including the integrity of their religious lineage.

So the 'Power to the People' march of the Shia in southern Iraq was more than welcome to my reality and a real sigh of relief.

conti2005 - 9:12 AM ET April 9, 2007 (#222248 of 222509)


Impeach Bush and Cheney. Rove is their front man.


The Shi'ites across the region want change for their people


The USA is headed for a rude awakening. Bush likes to 'victimize' the Shi'ite Holy Men as his enemy.


Iraqis Protest U.S. Occupation of Iraq


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/09/world/middleeas [...]


The Shi'ites aren't the Pope's enemy and he stated he is tired of the slaughter in Iraq. I happen to agree. The 'Unity Government' is NOT making progress in good relations with other countries in the region. Oddly the one with the most in protest of the Unity Government is Iran.


THE USA LIVES IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE for the LACK of information I find in the Arab press. Iran denies airspace entry to Iraqi PM


http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iraq/10117051.html


BUSH NEVER accepted some of the priorities of a people full of fear for decades of genocide. He victimized the Shi'ites and turned them into opposition leaders rather than allies.


Insider: Missteps soured Iraqis on U.S.


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107AP_Iraq_Insiders_Account.html


NEW YORK -- In a rueful reflection on what might have been, an Iraqi government insider details in 500 pages the U.S. occupation's "shocking" mismanagement of his country - a performance so bad, he writes, that by 2007 Iraqis had "turned their backs on their would-be liberators."


"The corroded and corrupt state of Saddam was replaced by the corroded, inefficient, incompetent and corrupt state of the new order," Ali A. Allawi concludes in "The Occupation of Iraq," newly published by Yale University Press.


BUSH DID IT ALL "W"rong as only a Bush could.


The Shi'ites are uniting in the Middle East and the result is unrest throughout the region.


Deadlock in Lebanon crisis


http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411319/1054481


Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah has given up hope of reaching a compromise deal with Lebanon's Western-backed majority coalition...


...with Lebanon's Western-backed majority coalition...


...with Lebanon's Western-backed majority coalition...


...to end the country's political crisis, the group's leader said on Sunday.


Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Hezbollah would not be dragged into civil war despite the failure of last month's Saudi-backed talks between the majority and the opposition to resolve the five-month-old standoff.


The Shia of the Middle East aren't going to be viewed as the troublemakers anymore. A new global reality has emerged with the USA invasion of Iraq. That reality is that the Shia aren't as radical as eveyone believes GIVEN THE FACT their religous minority is being attacked as 'extremists' when in fact their are the verge of genocide because the world has been so blind to foreign policy that has adversely affected them.


In my opinion, the plight of the Shia is proof of the lack of cultural understanding by foreign ministers globally and especially in The West. There is this monocromatic view of what is 'good and evil' that lends to huge misjudgements regarding peoples that the Neocons of the USA like to parlay into profiteering wars.


Israel is at stake and there needs to be a comprehensive understanding between the Sunnis, Shia and Israelis about a regional peace that will sustain it no matter the gross mismanagement of understanding cultural isolation to date by every diplomatic entity including the UN.


I hope the new UN Secretary General will bring a more vigorous campaign of diplomacy globally that we witnessed recently between North and South Korea. A good dose of 'the truth' tends to set Bush on his Butt when the transparency of his deceit to lead to war becomes all too obvious.


We don't belong in Iraq.


We never did.


Oppose the draft.


Bring the troops home now.


And Carl Levin can take a hike !


DEFUND THE WAR !!!

Earth primarily has a balance today at it's equator

April 9, 2007

1827 gmt

Western Hemisphere Satellite

Equatorial air north of 'normal' over Pacific, returning to equator over South America with significant air disturbance in Southern Atlantic. No doubt some heat off southern South American continent to Antarctica Peninsula.

The air distrubance 'off the equator' is due to the heat of the Sahara Desert.

Significant air disturbance at the equator diverting air masses north and south.

April 9, 2007

1805 gmt

Africa - Europe Satellite

The hot spot today. Vortex near/over America Samoa Islands. Minor heat transfer starts east of Australia

April 9, 2007

1806 gmt

Western Pacific Satellite

Northern variation of equatorial air mass. Noted vortices in Southern Pacific.

April 9, 2007

1833 gmt

Pacific Global Satellite

Minimal heat transfer to the Antarctica Continent.

Report of the Tornado Outbreak of March 1 -2, 2007. F4. Public assessment (click on)

Damage sustained by the Enterprise High School from the deadly tornado that struck on Thursday, March 1, 2007.

Tornado Outbreak (click here) (WHERE is Homeland Preparedness when you need them?)

Beginning midday Thursday, March 1, and continuing into the early morning hours of Friday, March 2, 2007, the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Tallahassee issued 57 warnings. These included 35 tornado, 19 severe thunderstorm, and 4 special marine warnings. During this time, warnings were issued for two deadly tornadoes, which caused the loss of 15 lives, nine in Enterprise, AL, and six just north of Newton, GA.

Water vapor satellite from UNISYS - 12 hour loop click on

April 9, 2007

1630 z

Anyone feeling a little chilly?

There is a vortex street forming west of states of Oregon and Washington in case anyone is interested. I don't anticipate seeing it develope to the degree one would see one over the Arctic Circle but it's interesting. It from frigid air masses that 'pile up' due to collisions with denser air masses. The Pacific air is starting to push the Arctic air east. These are not normal conditions.

Babe, it's cold outside - click on for animation

March 9, 2007

3 PM

There is less and less temperate areas today as the daylight grows shorter.

Coldest Reporting Station:

Vostok, Antarctica

Local Time :: 11:56 PM VOST

Elevation:11220 ft / 3420 m

Temperature :: -76 °F / -60 °C

Conditions :: Clear

Humidity :: 41%

Dew Point :: -82 °F / -64 °C

Wind :: 14 mph / 22 km/h / from the SSW


Visibility :: 12.0 miles / 20.0 kilometers


Aviation

Flight Rule :: VFR ()

Wind Speed :: 14 mph / 22 km/h /

Wind Dir :: 200° (SSW)

Ceiling :: 100000 ft / 100000 m

Warmest Reporting Station:

Base Orcadas, Antarctica


Local Time ;; 3:52 PM GST

Lat/Lon ;; 60.8° S 44.7° W


Updated: 2 hr 52 min 21 sec ago

Observed at :: Base Orcadas, Antarctica

Elevation :: 20 ft / 6 m

Temperature :: 32 °F / 0 °C

Conditions :: Light Snow

Humidity :: 95%

Dew Point :: 31 °F / 0 °C

Wind :: 9 mph / 15 km/h from the NW

Pressure :: 29.30 in / 992 hPa (Rising)

Visibility :: 1.0 miles / 1.5 kilometers
UV :: 1 out of 16

Clouds :: Scattered Clouds 492 ft / 150 m Mostly Cloudy 2953 ft / 900 m
(Above Ground Level)


Aviation

Flight Rule :: IFR ()

Wind Speed :: 9 mph / 15 km/h /

Wind Dir :: 320° (NW)

Ceiling :: 3000 ft / 900 m

The webcams are dark at Scott Base. This is reported by Willy Burden to be an ice cave near the base, December 7, 1975.

It would be interesting to discover whether it's still there or not. My guess is not, now thirty years later.