It's Saturday Night (in the hot tub.)Kinky is my middle name.I want my contraception.I want my 'morning after pill.' In case I need an abortion that is a sexual right I demand.I want safety in my life as a women free of oppression of my gender for complete and absolute expression entitled to me by the USA Constitution and all the brave women that have gone before me. We didn't burn our bras so our children would be slaves to impoverishment and lack of opportunity !
My Guy by Diana RossNothing you could say could tear me away from my guy (my guy)Nothing you could do, 'cause I'm stuck like glue to my guy (myguy)I'm sticking to my guy like a stamp to a letterLike birds of a feather, we stick togetherI'm tellin' you from the start I can't be torn apart from my guyNothing you could do could make me untrue to my guy (my guy)Nothing you could buy could make me tell a lie to my guy (my guy) I gave my guy my word of honour to be faithful, and I'm gonnaYou best be believing I won't be deceiving my guyAs a matter of opinion I think he's topsMy opinion is he's the cream of the cropAs a matter of taste, to be exactHe's my ideal, as a matter of factNo muscle bound man could take my hand from my guy (my guy)No handsome face could ever take the place of my guy (my guy)He may not be a movie star, but when it comes to bein' happy, we areThere's not a man today who could take me away from my guyNo muscle bound man could take my hand from my guy (my guy)No handsome face could ever take the place of my guy (my guy)He may not be a movie star, but when it comes to bein' happy, we areThere's not a man today who could take me away from my guy(What you say ?)There's not a man today who could take me away from my guy(One more time)There's not a man today who could take me away from my guy
It's Saturday Night with the former couple, Tom and Nichole. They do not corrupt our society. They would not be successful if they were adverse to our culture. Britney Spears in the 'click on' article in "People Magazine" is financially privileged, but, also a career woman. She was 24 years old when she had her first child and after she established a blockbuster career in entertainment.
It's Saturday Night
Robert F. Stahman, quote from above address given at the Bob Jones University Families Under Fire conference, 2004, "A loving and joyful marriage is one in which both partners are intimate with each other and are both nonsexually and sexually fulfilled and nurtured."e-mail :: conferences@byu.edu The Families Under Fire conference is an annual event designed to give specific hands-on information and hope to families and church leaders who are struggling or dealing with real and often tragic problems attacking our society, families, and individuals today. This conference features speakers who are experts in the fields of therapy, counseling, and family issues. 
It's Saturday Night
Research exploring the psychological importance of closeness with others has been hampered by the absence of a reliable and valid measure of this variable. The development of the Miller Social Intimacy Scale (MSIS), a 17-item measure of the maximum level of intimacy currently experienced, is presented. Evidence for internal consistency and test–retest reliability as well as for convergent, discriminant and construct validity is discussed in the context of the need for further scientific exploration of this important phenomenon. 
It's Saturday Night.
It's Saturday NightLow Income adults without health insurance cannot afford contraception in some cases. At times the cost of condoms are out of the question. Are they never allowed to rise above the poverty level ? What kind of a society is this ? Currently, sexual health, choice and reproductive freedom in America are for those that can afford it. The Lower Classes including the Lower Middle Class find comfort in religious boundaries in defined large families and pregnancy as virtue. It is all they have. Any responsible religious leader will never advocate poverty for their flock nor adverse health in the reality of that poverty. Bush's priorities for a ? moral ? America are cruel and contrived but taken seriously by those that seek life without quality as a means of definition. It is not their fault. Religion's acceptance however is their comfort. Giving every opportunity to a well conceived and well loved child is more moral than any aspect of 'enforced pregnancy abuse' of women and their spouses. Socioeconomic disparities have been documented for children and adults in access to and use of health care, and in health outcomes (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2003). Socioeconomic disparities may also exist in the financial burden of illness, particularly since low-income individuals are more likely to lack the protection of health insurance (Holl et al. 1995; Institute of Medicine Committee on the Consequences of Uninsurance 2001). Even with insurance, cost is still reported as a large barrier to receiving needed care for those with lower incomes (Davidoff 2004).
She went on to further criticize the two Senators, noting they had voted for anti-choice on another bill last year and ended the letter by stating the two had “ducked the responsibility to help prevent unwanted pregnancies.”On the surface it looked like a legitimate letter. However, when I saw she was from south Oklahoma City the first question that popped into my mind was why is she sending me this letter, other than the fact Susan Paddack is mentioned in it? Wanda lives in Leftwich’s Senate District, but why send the letter to us if she isn’t a constituent of Paddack’s?I decided to check into the matter before giving the letter the green light. As it turned out, the letter stretched the truth a bit.Sen. Cain told me he never polled any of the senators on his committee, therefore Leftwich and Paddack didn’t even know Cain was even considering the bills.“I did not place SB 426 or SB 1907 on the agenda, because I felt neither bill would pass in the Senate or House this year,” Cain said.“I never polled Senator Paddack or Senator Leftwich about their votes, but I knew they had previously supported the pro-life position.”Cain added that a pro-life group at the Capitol would “use this vote for contraception to punish both Senators, and I felt that it would be unfair to ask them to make a tough vote when the bill had no chance of passage.”Cain’s decision to not add the two bills on his committee’s agenda was because he knew they wouldn’t pass in the Senate or House, not because of some lack of support from Leftwich or Paddack.Furthermore, both Senators never were told about the bills.“He never discussed either bill with me that is mentioned in the letter to the editor. Nor did any other constituent or lobbyist discuss these bills,” Paddack said.It wasn’t until she received my inquiry into the matter that she was made aware of the bills.“It is very unfortunate that we live in a time when some people no longer value taking the time to find out the truth. When a person sends information to a newspaper that is not true, you immediately question their intent. It is clear that this is meant to confuse the wonderful people in this district,” Paddack added.
It's Saturday Night
THIS IS CARROT AND STICK TACTICS AGAINST YOUNG WOMEN at a time in their lives when they need guidance and not lectures.Clients who go through parenting programs are eligible to earn "mommy bucks" they use to buy baby items donated to the center. The center also goes into 13 of the 16 area high schools to present its Straight Talk program encouraging teens not to have sex until they are married, she said. "We try to get kids to see the positive choices they have. Being pregnant at the age of 17 isn't a positive choice," she said. Its Pregnancy Loss Recovery program offers "Forgiven and Set Free" Bible studies for women who have had abortions, according to the center's 501(c)(3) Internal Revenue Service records at www.guidestar.org on the Web. "Most of the women who come to us are between the ages of 16 and 22. They are older high school and college-age students," she said.
As religious organizations committed to protecting women’s health, we are dissatisfied with the Food and Drug Administration’s continued tactics to delay approving the emergency contraceptive Plan B as an over-the-counter medication. We believe that the FDA has an obligation to make decisions that promote public health and are based on sound science. FDA’s drug center, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) reviewed the application for Plan B and concluded that “the available scientific data are sufficient to support the safe use of Plan B as an over the counter product, but only for women who are 17 years of age or older.” By over-ruling the Agency’s own scientific panels, the FDA leadership has both compromised its mission and raised serious questions about inappropriate political influence. The current 60-day comment period regarding packaging and marketing issues sidesteps the FDA’s mission to promote public health. Suitable packaging and proper distribution of the product will best be determined by Plan B’s manufacturers, Barr Laboratories, and appropriate FDA officials.IS THE PROBLEM that ministers aren't good at ministering the church morals and they need help from Bush and his crony Supreme Court? 
It's Saturday NightPharmacy refusals to fill scripts sets debate State rift centers on Plan B contraceptiveBy JULIE DAVIDOWP-I REPORTERThe Washington State Board of Pharmacy is considering a policy that would outline if and when pharmacists could refuse to fill prescriptions due to moral, religious or ethical objections.The discussion is clearly aimed at clarifying whether pharmacists can turn away prescriptions for Plan B, the emergency contraceptive that has caused controversy nationwide, although such a conscience clause could pertain to other areas as well.Pharmacists should have the right to decline work that conflicts with their beliefs as long as they respect the patient, said Rod Shafer, executive director of the Washington State Pharmacy Association, a professional organization for pharmacists."We are not dispensing machines," Shafer said. "We are professionals who have as many rights as anybody else."The question is, how do you make sure that that ability (to refuse to dispense) is in place while still maintaining the patient is able to get what they desire if it's legally and medically appropriate?"But reproductive-rights advocates say pharmacists are bound by state laws to dispense prescribed medications regardless of their personal convictions. The only legal alternative would be if another pharmacist at the same facility could take over, said Nancy Sapiro, with the Northwest Women's Law Center.
It's Saturday Night Those that seek abortions stretch across the socio-economic spectrum. The most relief obtained from abortion law falls among the poorest of us knowing that welfare is not the place to raise children. The Lower Middle Class and Poor in the USA are dominated by American Blacks. I don't want to hear about stereotypes, it is the failure of government for the disparity in Black Poverty and Incarceration ! This administration has attacked solidly opportunities in education, equal opportunity and the offices of Civil Rights.
Ann Richards' daughter says foes 'going for broke'By ROBIN FINNNew York Times
NEW YORK - Cecile Richards, the new and instantly embattled president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, would like those retro "folks" — her word — intent on knocking her organization, and the entire abortion rights movement, off the map to know she takes after her maternal grandmother.That would be the tall, whip-thin woman who, nine-months pregnant and bedridden, took a timeout from home-birthing a future governor of Texas — Richards' mother, Ann — to wring the neck of the chicken her family was having for dinner. Plucky."I love the idea of that story, and I'm sure it's true," says Richards, a 5-foot-10-inch antithesis of a shrinking violet.Her arrival at her office in Planned Parenthood's New York City headquarters has coincided with a law in South Dakota that makes it a felony to perform an abortion unless a pregnant woman's life is in danger......
It's Saturday Night WOMEN are NOT baby factories ! We want a quality of life never afforded our mothers or grandmothers. The gender abuse of women will stop !
A pregnant single woman (Roe) brought a class action challenging the constitutionality of the Texas criminal abortion laws, which proscribe procuring or attempting an abortion except on medical advice for the purpose of saving the mother's life. A licensed physician (Hallford), who had two state abortion prosecutions pending against him, was permitted to intervene. A childless married couple (the Does), the wife not being pregnant, separately attacked the laws, basing alleged injury on the future possibilities of contraceptive failure, pregnancy, unpreparedness for parenthood, and impairment of the wife's health. A three-judge District Court, which consolidated the actions, held that Roe and Hallford, and members of their classes, had standing to sue and presented justiciable controversies. Ruling that declaratory, though not injunctive, relief was warranted, the court declared the abortion statutes void as vague and overbroadly infringing those plaintiffs' Ninth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The court ruled the Does' complaint not justiciable. Appellants directly appealed to this Court on the injunctive rulings, and appellee cross-appealed from the District Court's grant of declaratory relief to Roe and Hallford. Held:
It's Saturday Night
Hey there, Georgy girl
Swingin' down the street so fancy-free
Nobody you meet could ever see the loneliness there - inside you
Hey there, Georgy girl
Why do all the boys just pass you by?
Could it be you just don't try or is it the clothes you wear?
You're always window shopping but never stopping to buy
So shed those dowdy feathers and fly - a little bit
Hey there, Georgy girl
There's another Georgy deep inside
Bring out all the love you hide and, oh, what a change there'd be
The world would see a new Georgy girl
[Instrumental Interlude]
Hey there, Georgy girl
Dreamin'; of the someone you could be
Life is a reality, you can't always run away
Don't be so scared of changing and rearranging yourself
It's time for jumping down from the shelf - a little bit
Hey there, Georgy girl
There's another Georgy deep inside
Bring out all the love you hide and, oh, what a change there'd be
The world would see a new Georgy girl
(Hey there, Georgy girl)
Wake up, Georgy girl
(Hey there, Georgy girl)
Come on, Georgy girl
[Fade]
(Hey there, Georgy girl)
Wake up, Georgy girl
The Rooster "Cock-A-Doodle-Do""Okeydoke"
Global Warming/Climate Change
Thunderstorms To Continue Into Friday
SACRAMENTO It looks like more thunderstorms are heading to Northern California.
Today, one storm cell went crazy, dropping rain, and hail all the way from Mather to Shingle Springs, then into the high country. The cell even spun off a funnel cloud in Rancho Cordova. It was hard to miss. Plenty of viewers from Citrus Heights to Folsom spotted the cloud.
Currently, a storm cell in and around Jackson is moving ESE, moving to 7700 feet.
Heavy snowfall continues in the high country, with a winter snow advisory issued for that region.
Blue Canyon reopened about 45 minutes ago following a crash involving four big rigs and five cars. CHP officers site high speed on the snow-covered roads for the mishap that reduced the freeway to something resembling a parking lot.
Once the road reopened after the crash, a chain control was issued, forcing those who were caught in the traffic jam without chains to pull off the road or get towed to their destination.
The CHP reminds all motorists traveling on I-80 to have chains with them even if the weather is sunny.
Earlier in the day, Shingle Springs was hit with hail. The track at Shingle Springs High School was covered with around a full inch.
http://cbs13.com/topstories/local_story_069013410.html
Cold Weather Will Follow Wet Storm
Seattle-like drizzle, chilly temperatures and some snow are expected this weekend.
By Jill Leovy, Times Staff Writer
March 10, 2006
A nippy, wet Alaskan Gulf storm — so vast it covers the entire width of California — is predicted to reel across the Southland tonight, bringing dismal, Seattle-style rain to the basin and snow to ski areas.
The big, cold storm might even spin off some surprises, such as thunderstorms and snowfall in strange places. The Antelope Valley, for example, has a small chance of being swathed in a rare, thin blanket of white, said meteorologist Jamie Smith of the National Weather Service. As much as 2 inches of snow could fall there, she said.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-storm10mar10,1,5623799.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california
Siren System Alerts Residents to Potential Hazards
http://www.purdueexponent.com/index.php/module/Issue/action/Article/article_id/3254
A third of emergency sirens fail
Indy officials: Test underscores need to revamp system
By Robert King and Kevin O'Neal
robert.king@indystar.comAbout a third of Marion County's emergency sirens failed a pre-tornado season test this week, underscoring why the system is about to get a makeover.
The number of silent sirens has nearly tripled in the past two years, largely because of age. Some date to the duck-and-cover warning systems of the 1950s.
"We do know that we have an antiquated system," said Randal Collins, director of operations for the Marion County Emergency Management Division. "Going into the test, we had a list of sirens that we knew were going to fail."
A Wednesday morning drill revealed that 48 of the 139 sirens failed. After some repairs, the failure number dropped to 43 by a second test that night.
Collins, however, said there is enough overlap in the system that most Marion County residents still should hear a siren if they are outside during an emergency.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060310/NEWS01/603100527
Weather precautions blow through town: Tornado drills help to prepare campus for future emergencies
by JENNIFER RIOS Copy Editor
March 10, 2006
Texas is the highest ranking state in terms of tornados, averaging 110 a year. Texas Severe Weather Week began Feb. 26 and will run through Saturday. In preparation for tornado season, the city of San Angelo had its 7th Annual Tornado Warning Drill, put on by the National Weather Service.
Texas Severe Weather Week began Feb. 26 and will through Saturday. The hot spot for such storms, known as “Tornado Alley” stretches from West Texas through Kansas and ends in Nebraska. Since 1950, Texas has suffered from almost 5500 tornadoes; that is an average of 110 each year.
http://www.asurampage.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/03/10/44109e85a4c58
Statewide severe weather drill planned for March 14
By ANGIE HUTSCHREIDER
Democrat Staff
The National Weather Service and the State Emergency Management Agency have declared March 13 through 17 as severe weather awareness week.
The goal of the week is to help save lives by preparing the public for what to do in case of severe weather. In case of a weather related emergency it is important to have a plan just as many citizens do for other emergency situations. The best way to prepare for an emergency is to practice and discuss plans. The annual Missouri Severe Weather Drill will be held on Tuesday, March 14, at about 1:30 p.m.
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) will be working with Missouri broadcasters to help Weather Tone Alert Radios and the EAS broadcast the tornado drill message over radios and television stations in hopes of involving as many citizens as possible.
The drill should take no longer than 15 to 20 minutes. Once the alarm sounds stating the start of the drill citizens should seek shelter just as if it were a real emergency, by going to the lowest level in their homes or an interior room away from windows. Schools and large office buildings are encouraged to seek shelter in hallways, basements or under staircases. The drill also hopes to emphasize an evacuation plan for all emergency situations and effective ways of keeping track of everyone in the building.
The drill will not be canceled due to rain, cloudy conditions or snow. However, if there is a possibility of severe weather on March 14, then the test will be rescheduled for Thursday, March 16, also at about 1:30 p.m.
http://www.californiademocrat.com/articles/2006/03/09/news/299news54.txt
Tornado hits Sardis
"I'm just thankful to God nobody got hurt" - Mayor Rusty Dye
Sardis residents, busy today mopping up following Thursday's tornado, will see a sharp contrast in weather conditions through the weekend with sunshine and warm temperatures.A line of heavy thunderstorms that raced through the state Thursday afternoon produced a little more than an inch of rain and heavy winds, gusting in places in excess of 60 mph.The storm also generated at least one tornado, which damaged portions of the Sardis business district as well as residential sections of this town of 2,400 people, said Mayor Rusty Dye."I'm just thankful to God nobody got hurt," he said.The Jackson metro area largely was spared, except for isolated reports of roof damage. Winds, officially clocked at 44 mph at Jackson-Evers International Airport, were believed to have reached 50-60 mph in some areas, according the National Weather Service office in Jackson.
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060310/NEWS/603100359
Storms clip Northeast Mississippi
3/10/2006 5:18:51 AM
Daily Journal
Daily Journal reports
TUPELO - Schools let out early. Traffic on West Main Street was visibly light. But the ominous, low-hanging clouds rolling over Lee County Thursday afternoon foreshadowed what was to come - Southern spring thunderstorms.
But the invisible bubble that seems to block extreme weather - like snow, ice, hail and tornadoes - from infiltrating the county this year must have worked again as Lee County sustained no major damage from Thursday's severe thunderstorms, which had prompted early school closings and severe thunderstorm warnings.
Instead, it was Oktibbeha and Lafayette counties that appeared to be two of the hardest-hit areas in the region.
"They got about a quarter-inch of hail on the Mississippi State campus," said Ashley Wester, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson. "There was roof damage at the county courthouse, as well as throughout the county - especially at the University Commons Apartments, which suffered significant roof damage."
The high winds, clocked at more than 70 mph in Starkville, left about 1,500 Four County Electric Power Association customers in the dark Thursday afternoon in Oktibbeha County. Service should be restored by this morning. The storm also caused outages in the city of Starkville, but all power had been restored by 9 p.m., officials said. No serious injuries were reported.
About a half-dozen homes in Lafayette County sustained significant damage from the storms shortly before 2 p.m. when high winds toppled trees onto the residences, authorities said. No injuries were reported, but one family called for rescuers when they were trapped in their crushed mobile home.
Trees were downed all over the county, blocking traffic on city streets, county roads and state highways, Sheriff Buddy East said. State Highway 30 was temporarily closed by falling trees in the county and some residents lost power, according to The Associated Press.
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=214643&pub=1&div=News
METRO BIRMINGHAM Storms down trees, cause power outages:
Severe storms that passed through Alabama did little damage in the Birmingham area Thursday night despite winds with speeds up to 60 mph. Police in Adamsville, Gardendale, and Homewood reported downed trees but no property damage. There were reports of fallen power lines in Bessemer and the western part of unincorporated Jefferson County. Alabama Power spokeswoman Alice Gordon said at its worst, the storm caused about 23,000 power outages statewide. At 6 p.m., about 2,800 houses in the Birmingham area were without power. Jeremy Gray and Toraine Norris --
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1141985987286240.xml&coll=2
Strong storms knock down trees, power lines in area
By Charlie White
cwhite@courier-journal.comThe Courier-Journal
Severe storms blew through Kentucky and Southern Indiana yesterday afternoon and evening, causing tree and property damage with winds up to 70 mph.
Storms that hit the Louisville area about 10:30 p.m. knocked down electrical lines, leaving some residents without power.
Chris Whelan, a spokeswoman for Louisville Gas & Electric, said about midnight that the utility would not have an estimate on the number of homes and businesses that lost power until early in the morning.
The first wave of storms hit mostly in south-central Indiana in Dubois, Crawford and Orange counties, said Ted Funk, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Louisville. A barn was destroyed in Dubois County, he said.
From 5 to 7 p.m., the weather service issued several severe-weather warnings in south-central Kentucky counties, including Hardin, Grayson, Hart, Edmonson and Warren. Those storms knocked down trees and power lines, Funk said.
The line of storms that blew through the Louisville area just before 11 p.m. had wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph.
Strong winds were reported in Pleasure Ridge Park and Valley Station, said Vince Luney, communications supervisor at the Louisville dispatch center.
A tree fell on a house in the 4800 block of Cofer Avenue off Dixie Highway, he said. PRP firefighters rescued one person from the house, but there were no injuries. Another tree was reported on a house in the 2800 block of Taylor Boulevard.
LG&E crews were fixing transformers and downed wires across the city, Luney said. Flooding was reported under some viaducts, Luney said.
The late storms moved on to Oldham County, where trees were reported down on U.S. 42 and La Grange was without power, the weather service said.
Reporter Charlie White can be reached at (502) 582-4653.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060310/NEWS01/60310008/1008/NEWS01
Several Louisville neighborhoods hit by storm
07:10 AM EST on Friday, March 10, 2006
Some trees are down along with other problems after high winds tore through Kentuckiana late last night. Those high winds and heavy rain caused lots of damage. Just about 4:00 this morning the last of the flood warnings expired. We may be in the clear but for some residents, this storm will have a lasting impact.
One family says they were in bed when they heard noises that sounded like someone was breaking in. When they got up to investigate they say it looked more like a tornado had hit their home. Last night's heavy rains soaked the ground in their backyard making it easy for those winds of more than 30 miles an hour to push over a massive tree.
Residents had to leave an apartment building at Southside Drive and Meadowood Court after a tree came crashing down onto the roof there. Everyone made it out okay.
There was a similar situation on Woodford Place in the Highlands where a large tree and some limbs are resting on the porch of a home there this morning.
Like those residents, the Penicks on Settle Boulevard will be spending some time talking with their insurance company. Then the work on removing the tree and repairing their property begins.
We received reports of damage, mostly from those high winds, from all over the area. There was a frightening moment at the airport where the winds pushed a baggage cart into a plane. There were no injuries.
Residents in Oldham and Bullitt County reported damage to property there.
Hardin County officials say there were numerous power outages there.
Eon U.S. says a total of about 17,000 customers were without power this morning. That's 7,000 LG&E customers And 10,000 Kentucky Utility customers. Nearly 350 Cinergy customers in southern Indiana have no power.
http://www.whas11.com/topstories/stories/WHAS11_TOP_storm.f03a61c.html
First Alert StormTeam GMK forecast
06:55 AM EST on Friday, March 10, 2006
Jamie Martin / First Alert StormTeam
Our Friday is looking a whole lot better than our Thursday. We will see a mix of sun and clouds and mild temperatures. Clouds will start increasing again tonight. Overnight lows only dropping to around 50.
The weekend will be wet at times as low-pressure systems move over the area. Some of those storms will be on the strong to severe side.
Another strong disturbance will move in by Monday with organized rain and thunderstorms. We will see some lingering showers on Tuesday then clearing and cooler. Highs will drop back to the seasonable range through the midweek.
http://www.whas11.com/news/local/stories/WHAS11_LOCAL_0910gmkwx.ef6538f.html
Severe storms miss Coast, slam the state
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
South Mississippi was spared the worst of severe thunderstorms that rocked most of the state on Thursday, but rain is still in the forecast today.
The Weather Channel's Web site is calling for a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms today, with the high near 74. Winds will be from the southeast at 10 to 20 mph. That chance of rain continues into tonight.
On Thursday, an apparent tornado touched down at Lockard Elementary School in Sunflower County on Thursday, ripping away parts of the roof and shattering windows, a school official said.
There were no reports of injuries.
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/14066529.htm
Drenched: Heavy rain, storms cause floods, damage in region
Friday, March 10, 2006
KYLE W. MORRISON ~ Southeast Missourian
Heavy rains Thursday kept emergency workers busy responding to flooded roads, stalled vehicles and accidents.
Cape Girardeau was hit by a deluge shortly after 7 a.m., reducing visibility almost to zero and drenching downtown. Another heavy round of showers struck shortly before noon, filling Broadway and spilling onto sidewalks east of Lorimier Street.
Shaun Weaver, of Chaffee, Mo., attempted to drive down through pooled water on Aquamsi Street near the Missouri Dry Dock when his car stalled. Weaver climbed onto the roof of his car before fire and police rescue workers threw him a line. He waded to higher ground through the knee-deep water.
Cape Girardeau police spokesman Jason Selzer said several city streets were temporarily closed with barricades due to floodwater that had not yet receded. Some motorists attempted to drive around the barricades and became stranded. No citations were issued, he said.
http://www.semissourian.com/story/1143279.html
Governor Warner states opposition to rollback of national forest'Roadless Rule'
Richmond - Several governors, including Governor Mark Warner ofVirginia, have sent President Bush letters opposing the administration'splan to allow states to opt out of the national forest Roadless AreaConservation Rule, which provides permanent protection for 58.5 millionacres of public land in the U.S., including some 400,000 acres inVirginia. The letters released today come as the White House ispreparing to make a final announcement on its June proposal to providestate exemptions from the rule and to exclude Alaska's National Forestsaltogether.
The federal rule protecting 'roadless areas' on the national forestsfrom roadbuilding and commercial logging was adopted in January 2001.Since then it has been subject to numerous industry lawsuits andattempts by the administration to weaken the protections."Virginia's national forests are a critical asset for our tourism andoutdoor recreation industries," said Gov. Warner. "Our national forestwildlands provide the scenic backdrop, clean water, and recreationopportunities that make the mountains of Virginia so attractive tosportsmen and naturalists alike. Their protection is central to theconservation of our natural heritage for present and futuregenerations."
Gov. Warner was joined by Governor John Baldacci of Maine and GovernorBill Richardson of New Mexico in sending letters objecting to therollback of this landmark conservation initiative. All three governorscited economic reasons, as well as environmental concerns, forprotecting roadless areas.
>> See www.SouthernEnvironment.org for text of governors' letters and
background on Virginia's roadless areas <<
David Carr, head of SELC's Public Lands Project, said that hunting,
fishing and wildlife viewing in the George Washington and Jefferson
National Forests brought $337 million to Virginia annually in the
mid-1990's. "With tourism and recreation booming, these pristine public
lands are far more valuable left intact than carved up by logging and
roadbuilding," Carr said.
A 2002 survey by the U.S. Forest Service found that residents of western
Virginia value the national forests most for passing a natural heritage
to future generations, and for protecting sources of clean water,
wildlife and habitat, and scenic landscapes. Over 40% of those surveyed
visited primitive areas such as roadless areas.
Senator John Warner of Virginia has also been a strong proponent of
roadless-area protection, having co-sponsored bipartisan bills both this
year and in 2002 to turn the rule into law. Virginia congressmen Rick
Boucher, Bobby Scott and Jim Moran have sponsored similar bills in the
House of Representatives.
More than 45,000 Virginians submitted written comments supporting the
rule in 1999 and 2000. Adopted in January 2001 after years of scientific
study and 600 public meeting across the country, the roadless rule
safeguards the remaining unprotected wild lands on our national forests
(approximately one-third of the national forest system) from most
commercial development and roadbuilding. Exceptions are made for forest
health and public safety. To date, the Forest Service has received 2.5
million public comments on the rule - 10 times greater than any other
federal rulemaking in history.
Despite a pledge by Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman in May 2001 to
uphold the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, the Bush administration has
proposed sweeping changes, including a proposal to exempt Alaska's
Chugach and Tongass National Forests from the rule, and announced its
intention to introduce another proposal allowing state exemptions for
the lower 48.
"With the American people, major businesses, members of Congress, and
now key Governors calling for federal roadless protection, it's time to
put the public interest before the special interests," said Robert
Vandermark of the Heritage Forests Campaign in Washington DC.
The Forest Service estimates that $8.4 billion is needed to address the
backlog of maintenance on existing roads in the national forests.
"Curbing the agency's ability to build new roads in these last remote
places is sound conservation and sound taxpayer policy," said Carr.
Commonwealth of Virginia
Office of the Governor
August 22, 2003
Secretary Ann Veneman
Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20250
Re: National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Rule
Dear Secretary Veneman:
We are writing to express our support for conserving the roadless areas
of our national forests in Virginia and across the nation. The Roadless
Area Conservation Rule was adopted in 2001 protecting nearly 400,000
acres of roadless areas in Virginia. More than 45,000 comments in
support
of the rule were submitted by citizens of the Commonwealth, an
unprecedented outpouring of public support.
The balanced rule protects the status quo by generally restricting road
building and commercial logging. However, the rule allows for new roads
needed to protect public health and safety in cases of fire or flood and
for accessing private property or existing oil and gas leases. The
rule does not close any existing roads or limit access for hunting,
fishing, camping and other recreational activities.
In June, Senator John Warner of Virginia and Senator Cantwell of
Washington introduced the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2003. We
support this legislation that would codify this important conservation
measure. The legislation, like the rule, provides a balanced approach
Assuring
conservation of roadless areas while still allowing exemptions for
necessary road building or harvesting activities.
We understand the administration is planning to propose state-by-state
exemptions to the National Roadless Area Conservation Rule. We believe
that approach is unnecessary given the current rule's reasonable
exemptions. Such an approach would undermine the important national rule
necessary to insure the conservation of roadless areas for the use of
present and future generations.
We thank you for your careful consideration of our position on this matter.
Sincerely,Mark R. Warner
The Washington Post
Vanity Fair: Bush Had Ties to Abramoff
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 8, 2006; 10:35 PM
WASHINGTON -- Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff says President Bush knew him well enough to joke with him about weightlifting. "What are you benching, buff guy?" Abramoff said Bush asked him. The president has said he doesn't know Abramoff.
Abramoff said he finds it hard to believe Bush doesn't remember the 10 or so photos he and members of his family had snapped with the president and first lady.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/08/AR2006030801807.html
Cambodia Steps Slowly Toward a Genocide Trial
Skepticism Clouds Quest for Accountability
By Ellen NakashimaWashington Post Foreign Service
Friday, March 10, 2006; Page A01
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Taing Kim Sam was raped by three Khmer Rouge soldiers when she was 18. Now 49, she has been waiting more than half her life for justice. She has deep reservations about whether her government can deliver, but it is finally about to try.
On a recent Sunday, she strode into a spacious, air-conditioned courtroom built in an arid military field on the capital's outskirts. Vinyl covers still protected the new upholstered seats, and the smell of fresh paint and sawdust wafted in the cool air.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/09/AR2006030902424.html?sub=AR
In an Election Year, GOP Wary of Following Bush
By Peter BakerWashington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 10, 2006; Page A06
When President Bush and senior adviser Karl Rove mapped out plans for a political comeback in 2006, this was nowhere on the script. Suddenly, the collapse of a port-management deal neither even knew about a month ago has devastated the White House and raised questions about its ability to lead even fellow Republicans.
The bipartisan uprising in Congress in the face of a veto threat represented a singular defeat for Bush, who when it came to national security grew accustomed during his first five years in office to leading as he chose and having loyal lawmakers fall in line. Now, with his poll numbers in a political ditch, the port debacle has contributed to a perception of weakness that has liberated Republicans who once would never have dared cross Bush.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/09/AR2006030902288.html
Dubai Firm to Sell U.S. Port Operations
Move to End Three-Week Dispute Comes After GOP Lawmakers, Defying Bush, Vowed to Kill Deal
By Jonathan Weisman and Bradley GrahamWashington Post Staff Writers
Friday, March 10, 2006; Page A01
A United Arab Emirates-based maritime company at the center of a furious controversy over port security bowed to pressure from Congress yesterday and announced that it will sell off its U.S. operations to an American owner.
The announcement, issued by Dubai Ports World Chief Operating Officer Edward H. Bilkey, came hours after House and Senate GOP leaders bluntly told President Bush that Congress would kill the U.S. portions of the company's $6.8 billion acquisition of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. (P&O), which has operations at six major U.S. ports, including New York and Baltimore.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/09/AR2006030901124.html
GWU Suit Prompts Questions Of Liability
School Barred Depressed Student
By Susan KinzieWashington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 10, 2006; Page A01
About 2 a.m. one sleepless night, sophomore Jordan Nott checked himself into George Washington University Hospital.
He was depressed, he said, and thinking about suicide.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/09/AR2006030902550.html
Contractor Bilked U.S. on Iraq Work, Federal Jury Rules
Custer Battles Is Told It Should Pay More Than $10 Million in Damages
By Charles R. BabcockWashington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 10, 2006; Page A14
Two Army veterans and their company cheated the U.S. government on a contract to furnish Iraq with a new currency in 2003 and should pay more than $10 million in assorted damages, a federal jury in Alexandria ruled yesterday.
In the first civil fraud verdict arising from the war effort, the eight-member panel decided, after two days of deliberation, in favor of two former workers who claimed in a lawsuit that Custer Battles LLC created phony Cayman Island companies to overcharge the Coalition Provisional Authority that ran Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/09/AR2006030902150.html
Better Review Urged For Medicare Complaints
By Gilbert M. GaulWashington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 10, 2006; Page A04
Private contractors hired by Medicare to improve quality and investigate complaints have failed to promote patients' rights, and face conflicts of interest that may lead them to favor doctors and hospitals over beneficiaries, a federal advisory group reported yesterday.
The Institute of Medicine, which is the government's key consultant on health care policy, concluded that while Quality Improvement Organizations play an important role in health care, responsibility for investigating patient complaints should be removed from them and shifted to other organizations.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/09/AR2006030901999.html
'Tsotsi': The Broken Heart of South Africa
By Desson ThomsonWashington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 10, 2006; Page C01
For the 19-year-old man-child they call Tsotsi -- Johannesburg street slang for "thug" -- it has come down to this: He has burst into an apartment, pulled out a gun and forced the woman inside to breast-feed an infant -- the one he's carrying around in a shopping bag.
How this intimidating hoodlum stumbled into this situation is the white-knuckle business of "Tsotsi," the South African film that was named Best Foreign Language Film at last weekend's Oscars. A mixture of thrilling documentary-style realism and Hollywood hokum, "Tsotsi" leaves you all but tasting the orange dust of Joburg's shantytowns and moved by the harrowing journey Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae) is forced to take.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/09/AR2006030902461.html
Some SAT Scores Mistakenly Raised
Few Students Are Affected, And Results Won't Change, College Board Official Says
By Valerie StraussWashington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 10, 2006; Page B03
A top official with the College Board acknowledged yesterday that a processing error that left 4,000 students with lower SAT scores also left "a small" but undetermined number of students with higher scores than they had earned.
Jennifer Topiel, executive director of communications and public affairs at the College Board, which administers the college admissions test, said the actual scores of the students with mistakenly higher ones will not be changed, and students and colleges will not be notified of the discrepancy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/09/AR2006030902169.html
BBC
MP shown around tornado-hit areas
Ms Spelman has attacked the government for not doing enough
Civic leaders are going on a tour of Birmingham's tornado-hit areas to see what still needs to be done.
Birmingham City Council is still waiting for the government to provide it with funding for regeneration work.
Council leader Mike Whitby will be showing Meridian MP Caroline Spelman what the council has already achieved and what still needs work.
About 100 families had to leave their homes and 1,000 buildings were damaged during last July's tornado.
The city council has spent £5m but some residents say they still feel progress has been too slow.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/4791674.stm
Doctors attack US over Guantanamo
Detainees have told of being force-fed through nasal tubes
More than 250 medical experts have signed a letter condemning the US for force-feeding prisoners on hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The experts, from seven nations, said physicians at the prison had to respect inmates' right to refuse treatment.
The letter, in the medical journal The Lancet said doctors who used restraints and force-feeding should be punished by their professional bodies.
Some 500 terror suspects are being held without trial at Guantanamo Bay.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4790742.stm
Pakistan mine hits wedding guests
Clashes in Dera Bugti have carried on for months
At least 26 people have been killed after their vehicle hit a landmine in the south-western Pakistan province of Balochistan, officials say.
Several people were also injured in the explosion in Dera Bugti, about 300 km (180 miles) from Quetta.
Officials say the mine was planted by tribal rebels. The vehicle was carrying people to a wedding party.
Gas-rich Balochistan has seen months of violence as tribal groups push for greater political and economic rights.
Tribal separatists have attacked gas plants, electricity lines and railway tracks.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4792116.stm
Japan 'suicide pacts' claim nine
Police in Japan have found the bodies of nine people in what they suspect were two group suicides.
The asphyxiated bodies of five men and a woman were found in a car at Chichibu, near Tokyo, while three more bodies were found near Hirosaki.
Police are investigating whether the Chichibu six met via the internet.
Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, and internet pacts are thought to appeal to those who are scared to die alone.
Police were reportedly alerted to the Chichibu incident by a passer-by on Friday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4792104.stm
New air travel clot risk theory
Long-haul travel may increase the risk
Sitting still for long periods cannot alone explain why air passengers are at higher risk of potentially deadly blood clots, research suggests.
The risk of developing deep vein thrombosis is thought to be raised by air travel - particularly long flights.
But a Lancet study by Dutch researchers found chemicals indicating clotting in 71 volunteers were higher during eight hours on a flight than in the cinema.
It suggests low air pressure and oxygen levels on a flight may play a role.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4788774.stm
You mean Cheney didn't hit the top 10? I guess that takes talent.
Forbes reports billionaire boom
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett take the top places
A worldwide economic boom has yielded a record number of dollar billionaires in the past year, according to Forbes.
Their number rose by 15% to 793 with India taking the lead in Asia and new Russians lining up to fill the gap left by jailed Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Microsoft's Bill Gates tops the list for the 12th year running, with a net worth of $50bn (£29bn).
The combined net worth of the 793 is $2.6 trillion and US billionaires account for just under half the amount.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4791848.stm
Africa to decide on Darfur force
Government supporters are opposed to UN peacekeepers
The African Union is due to take the controversial decision on whether to ask the United Nations to take over its peace mission in Sudan's Darfur region.
Sudan is strongly opposed to any switch. Thousands have marched through the capital's streets, threatening "Holy war" against "recolonisation".
But the 7,000-strong AU force has not ended the conflict and is running short of money to continue its work.
More than 2m people have fled their homes in what the US calls "genocide".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4792726.stm
Italy bid for PM corruption trial
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the husband of a UK minister could face trial in Italy, following a request from prosecutors.
A judge has been asked to indict Mr Berlusconi and lawyer David Mills on corruption charges, say reports.
It is alleged Mr Mills, who is married to UK Culture Minister Tessa Jowell, was paid a bribe by Mr Berlusconi after giving helpful testimony in two trials.
Both men deny the allegations, which come weeks before Italian elections.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4793070.stm
Nigeria militants fight military
Militant attacks have led to a 20% drop in Nigeria's oil exports
The Nigerian military says it has fought a fierce gun battle with heavily armed militants in the Niger Delta.
Thirty speed boats each carrying 15 militants attacked a petrol tanker demanding fuel, an army source says.
The group, which is demanding a greater share of the region's oil wealth, says the military initiated the attack.
Wednesday's incident took place in an area known as a militant stronghold and near where it is suspected three foreign hostages are being held.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4789274.stm
Peru president gives poll warning
Mr Toledo (L) has better ties with the US than some neighbours
Peru's president has warned against damaging the country's stability, ahead of presidential elections in April.
"If you are not interested in building economic, political, legal stability then we will not have investment," Alejandro Toledo told the BBC.
His warning came amid polls showing rising support for nationalist former army officer Ollanta Humala.
In January Peru withdrew its ambassador to Venezuela after "interference" by President Hugo Chavez in its election.
Peruvian authorities were outraged when Mr Chavez praised Mr Humala and hit out at the conservative front-runner in the poll, Lourdes Flores, who he said was the candidate of the Peruvian oligarchy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4791876.stm
Dalai Lama 'wants to visit China'
The Dalai Lama stressed he wants self-rule for Tibet, not separation
Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has repeated his wish to visit China, on the anniversary of the 1959 uprising against China's takeover.
The Dalai Lama has made several such calls before, but China has always refused, accusing him of separatism.
The Dalai Lama said he wanted to see for himself China's development and visit Buddhist pilgrimage sites.
In a speech to mark the anniversary, he also stressed his desire for Tibetan autonomy, not independence.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4792708.stm
Progress sought on global trade
By David Loyn
BBC developing world correspondent
Critics say the poorest countries are being excluded from talks
Trade ministers from some of the world's biggest economies are meeting in London to try to save faltering world trade talks.
A new trade round designed to open up the global economy and make conditions better for poor countries was launched in Doha more than four years ago
But little progress was made at the World Trade Organization's crucial summit in Hong Kong in December.
It was hoped the summit would agree a framework for a new global treaty.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4792224.stm
Global measles deaths fall by 48%
Measles deaths in Africa have fallen as child vaccination rates have risen
The number of people dying of measles across the world has fallen by almost half, the latest figures show.
The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund revealed deaths fell from 871,000 in 1999 to 454,000 in 2004.
The largest reduction occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, which had been hardest hit by the disease, where cases and deaths dropped by 60%.
Vaccination has been cited as the reason for the fall in cases.
The organisations made a pledge in 2001 to cut deaths in measles by half by 2005.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4792756.stm
Serbs reject independent Kosovo
Mediators hope a settlement on Kosovo can be reached this year
Serbia's foreign minister has said his country can never accept a fully independent Kosovo, ahead of a meeting of European Union foreign ministers.
The province is still legally part of Serbia and Montenegro - but it has been under UN protection since 1999.
Ministers from Balkan states aspiring to EU membership are at the two-day talks in the Austrian city of Salzburg.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4792372.stm
Rain leaves Test heading for draw
Second Test, Mohali, day two (stumps):
England 200-5 v India
Kumble made Collingwood Test victim number 498
A draw between England and India looked likely after rain ended day two of the second Test with just 87 balls bowled.
In the first hour, England moved from their overnight 163-4 to 200-5, with Andrew Flintoff reaching 26 not out.
India spinner Anil Kumble took his 498th Test wicket when he dismissed Paul Collingwood for the first time in the series, bowling him for 25.
Geraint Jones had 20 deliveries to make an unbeaten seven with a boundary off the veteran spinner.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/4792092.stm
Welcome to the Great British Design Quest ...where we celebrate the very best of British design and ask you to vote for your favourite icon since 1900. You can watch films about the Quest each week on The Culture Show and read more about them here by going to the Vote page and clicking on the individual icons.
To discover how the shortlist was selected and to find out how you can join in, click on the FAQs link below.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/cultureshow/designquest/continued …
March 8, 2006. Phoenix, Arizona.A spinkle resulted in this amont of water on the ground. The storm is noted below. This article appeared in The New York Times yesterday.
In Phoenix, Even Cactuses Wilt in Clutches of Record Drought
By MICHAEL WILSONPHOENIX, March 9 — Thursday began like the 141 days before it, sunny and crisp, dust settling everywhere except on the record — set again — for the number of days without rain.
Phoenix knows all about dry weather. It is a place where children are drilled throughout elementary school to conserve water, where hotels boast of covered parking areas not to protect from rain, but to offer a bit of shade. Grown men spread lotion all over their bodies every morning. Noses bleed. Newcomers watch in horror as their hands seem to age right in front of them.
But even the desert suffers droughts, and this winter has brought a strong one, the fickle air currents pushing approaching storm clouds to the east. Until this year, the record for days without recorded rainfall was set in 2000, a measly 101 days. The recording instrument for rainfall is at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, referred to as "the bucket" by meteorologists, and drier than a Sunday morning during Prohibition.
"People are sort of losing their grip," said Gary Woodard, who, as associate director of the University of Arizona Center for Sustainability of Semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas, is an expert on the region's water. " 'Did you hear it's going to rain tomorrow?' Well, actually, there's an 80 percent chance it's not going to rain. People are getting very excited about very slim chances of rain."
The drought has wreaked havoc on wildlife, which depend on the scant seven inches of rain that Phoenix gets in an average year, most of it in the three or four winter months.
"We have cactus dying from lack of water," Mr. Woodard said. "We have well-established mesquite trees that are in a lot of trouble."
Small animals are too dried out to do what comes naturally.
"None of the animals, none of the birds are having offspring this spring. No baby quail, no baby bunnies," Mr. Woodard said.
An alarming result of the drought is the condition of the air. On Thursday, Arizona's Department of Environmental Quality posted its 25th pollution advisory of the winter, a remarkable number. Last winter — the opposite of this one, with abundant rainfall — there were no such days. There is no rain to knock the dust and particles out of the air and wash them away.
"We've just had this large, dry, stagnant air mass hanging over the area since November," said Steve Owens, director of the environmental agency. "It used to be, you'd come to Arizona if you had breathing problems because of the air quality. Now, I think you'd have physicians who would say, 'Don't come to Arizona.' "
The drought seems to promise a harsh fire season. Last year, relatively heavy rains fell all winter, prompting fast growth in trees and shrubs that now sit dry and cracked. "I don't think I could have planned a better fire season," said Tom Pagano, a forecaster with the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service. "A lot of people in that business are quite worried."
The drought has not hurt the skin-care industry.
"You have to use lotion right when you're out of the shower, when your skin is still moist," said Mary Low, services manager at Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa. "People wear sandals, so the skin on the heels of your feet get exposed to the dry air. The skin on the feet gets dry and cracked. You have to use a pumice stone and put lotion on your feet."
Another high-end refuge, Spa du Soleil in suburban Scottsdale, uses "medical grade oxygen" to infuse 87 vitamins straight into a customer's face, said the spa's director, Irene Kelly. "It really does keep your skin nice and smooth and plump and supple and hydrated," Ms. Kelly said.
Tourists love the sunshine and high temperatures in the 60's and 70's. Local residents shrug, and click on the humidifier at night.
"You get used to it, and pray every day that it rains," said Justin Hoiby, 27, an event planner overseeing a Western-themed company picnic — Pennsylvania executives racing in little covered wagons — in Scottsdale. It was Wednesday, and to the north, a huge, fat, gray-black rain cloud hung over the mountains, like a blimp over a sold-out stadium.
"I think it's going to stay to the north," Mr. Hoiby said, as the executives competed in a Wild West Olympics. "I've been watching it."
And yet, closer it came, the cloud blocking the sun and kicking up a little dust, irritating some tourists like Mary Green, 67, visiting from Chicago. "Nice for them," she said, looking over her shoulder at the grayness. "Not nice for a visitor who wants sunshine. It's not going to last, that's the nice thing."
But did it ever arrive? A few raindrops hit a forehead and a windshield. A nearby gas station attendant, Robert Roe, saw it: "It came down pretty good for about two seconds."
Jeff Grenfell, 41, a sommelier and chef, was hiking at the time. "I got a few drops," he said later.
Rain!
Not quite. None hit the bucket at the airport, according to the National Weather Service. The dry streak did not end, and a record-setting 142nd day continued, with no precipitation in the 24-hour forecast.
The record number of days in Phoenix with nothing more than trace amounts of rain (defined as less than 1/100th of an inch, but more than a drop on the forehead) is 160.
Whether that record will be broken in 19 days is unclear. Forecasters are calling for a relatively high chance — 50 percent — of rain this weekend.
March 8, 2006. Phoenix, Arizona. This was taken by the same photographer as above. Photographer states :: Finally 'rained' in Phoenix area at 4:40 PM MST today, 8 March 2006. Ok, I don't know what happened at the airport KPHX yet, but 5 mi east in Tempe, I got a sprinkle. As proven Here.I hope we get 8 more of these...
