Archive - Jun 2009

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The State Parks use less than 1/10th of 1% of the budget, yet return $2.35 for every dollar spent in revenues from surrounding communities whose economies are boosted by (or based on) proximity to the parks.

Proposed state parks closure list is not for the faint of heart

"This morning, I glimpsed the list of California state parks earmarked for closure if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger successfully cuts funding, and I became sickened and angry. There are 220 parks, reserves and beaches on the list. That would leave a mere 59 parks for our continued enjoyment." (Comment posted by Maggie Wolfe Riley: "The State Parks use less than 1/10th of 1% of the budget, yet return $2.35 for every dollar spent in revenues from surrounding communities whose economies are boosted by (or based on) proximity to the parks.")

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*update*
Pig to Person
Person to Pig
FLU CAN SPREAD BETWEEN PIGS AND PEOPLE for people exposed to pigs

The 2009 H1N1 virus (known as swine flu), ended in August 2010

US swine flu cases grow to nearly 18,000

ATLANTA (AP) - Nearly 5,000 new U.S. swine flu cases have been reported in the last week, due partly to its continuing spread in the Northeast. The number of deaths rose from 27 to 45. That's according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which released new figures Friday. There are nearly 18,000 probable and confirmed cases now, found in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The pandemic seems to be waning in many parts of the country. However, cases continue to spread in New England, New York and New Jersey.  read more »

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It is in 1752, Benjamin Franklin conducted an experiment in connection with electricity charged clouds. He flew a homemade kite during a thunderstorm. The kite was made of a silk cloth mounted on a wooden cross, with about one foot of iron wire protruding above the kite. A key was tied to the end of metal string connected with the kite and the other end of the key was tied to a silken ribbon which Benjamin held while flying the kite. A bolt of lightning struck the kite wire and traveled down to the key causing a spark. This proved that lightning is electricity from charged clouds that can be brought to earth. There was a time when high-rise buildings were destroyed quite frequently by lightning. Benjamin Franklin invented lightning rod for the safety of buildings.

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An F/A-18F Super Hornet hits the speed of sound. As the plane pushes air away, the temperature drops and water vapor in the air forms a ring cloud around it.

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Photos courtesy of Christopher Pasatieri / Reuters

Original Source: Reuters, Time, and F-18 SUPER HORNET BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER

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D-Day veterans: 'we wear medals in tribute to men who never lived to receive theirs'

World leaders and veterans gathered along the beach Saturday in Normandy, France, to commemorate D-Day. For the veterans of the Normandy Landings, almost all now in their mid eighties, this was not a moment to acknowledge their own ailments. Instead, they stood proudly in the blazing sunshine to honor the comrades who lost their lives amid the shelling and the terror and the bloodshed that were the D Day landings. To pay tribute to the men with whom they will forever have an unbreakable bond: the servicemen who gave their lives in the battle that marked the beginning of the end of the War.

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A horse racing trainer loves to trot to the pub for a glass of Red Stripe lager - on his zebra. Dad-of-two Bill Turner bought 14-month-old Zebedee for £4,500 from a Dutch game reserve. Bill, 61, said: "He loves being ridden and it means I don't have to worry about being breathalysed."

Zebras are notoriously difficult to break in but the former jump jockey soon coaxed Zebedee to accept a bridle and saddle. In less than three weeks Bill was riding his new mount round his farm. Now Mr Turner rides Zebedee to his local, the King's Arms, for a pint after work.

Bill, who saddled 600 winners in 30 years as a trainer, said: "It's a mile and a half to the pub and Zebedee pricks up his ears every time we go. "The RSPCA says its OK to ride him." Bill's wife Tracy, 61, followed in a lorry on the first pub outing in case Zebedee tired and had to be driven back. But ten-stone Bill said: "He had no trouble and even cantered for a bit. The regulars got an incredible shock when I rode up."

It was the trainer's lifelong ambition to break and ride a zebra. Bill said: "I've broken hundreds of horses and wanted to try my luck with a zebra. "Very few are ridden in Africa - usually the only way to mount one is to put it in a river." Finally a livestock agent who Bill deals with in Belgium found the zebra for him. Bill said: "They say zebras are so hard to train because they don't have any brains and panic easily. Zebedee gave me a hard time at first, coming at me with his front feet and also biting.  read more »