Gigantic luminous spiral formed in the northern sky. "We are used to seeing lots of auroras here in Norway, but this was different," says Nick Banbury of Harstad who witnessed the phenomenon on his way to work "between 7:50 and 8:00 a.m. local time."
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
CaveNews YouTube | December 9, 2009 Norway Spiral video
Gigantic luminous spiral formed in the northern sky. "We are used to seeing lots of auroras here in Norway, but this was different," says Nick Banbury of Harstad who witnessed the phenomenon on his way to work "between 7:50 and 8:00 a.m. local time."
McClatchyDC.com | Iranian nuclear scientist goes missing in Saudi Arabia
Wednesday, December 9, 2009The mysterious disappearnace of Shahram Amiri, an award-winning Iranian nuclear scientists who vanished while on a religious pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, has turned into a Middle Eastern whodunit.
Iran charges that Saudi Arabia and the United States conspired to abduct Amiri. The U.S. won't comment.
READ MORE:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/80348.html
BrazzilMag.com | Brazil's President Lula Signs Bill Making Corruption Heinous Crime
Lula told reporters he intends to take to the G20 [group of 20 developing countries] the bill signed today. In his view, measures like this are difficult to be implemented because they attack mainly fraud in the financial system that causes millionaire losses to several countries.
December 9, 2009 - Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said this Wednesday, December 9, during a ceremony commemorating the International Day Against Corruption, that is necessary to encourage people to report acts of corruption and provide protection so that citizens feel safe to report them. He signed the bill, to be sent to Congress, which makes the practice of corruption a heinous crime.For Lula, the country has to act against corruption as a person who always visits his doctor for regular physical exams. "Corruption is like a drug. Sometimes it's inside the house and people don't know. That's why we need to act as when we do a medical check up. We must be ever more efficient to control public money. The other way is the reporting process, people must be assured they will be protected," he said.
The president also said that fighting corruption is a hard task because the corrupt person almost always has an angel face. "I think the work we are doing is like a check up. The face of the corrupt is that of an angel's face, he is the one who most speaks out against corruption, who most denounces it, because he thinks he will not be caught, that somebody else will always be blamed for it. But once in a while, the trap gets the bird. And we owe it to the institutions we create."
READ MORE
http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/11520/1/
AP | McDonald's sales take hit from US joblessness
McDonald's US sales decline deepens as joblessness, competition catch up to burger chain
CHICAGO (AP) -- The supersized recession that was a boon for business last year caught up further with McDonald's Corp. in November, as high unemployment ate into sales ...
READ MORE:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/McDonalds-sales-take-hit-from-apf-3524063237.html?x=0
Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has captured its deepest view of the Universe, producing images of galaxies that have never been seen before
Every one of those blobs is a galaxy!
See More Photographs:
http://www.utahskies.org/HST/Archives/galaxies.html
MOSNEWS.comRussian geneticists suggest breeding mammoths to fight crisis
... In times of financial crisis, mammoth farms could be a real blessing, scientists say, as they would produce cheap meat, skins and precious mammoth ivory.
One average-sized mammoth of four or five tons would provide enough meat for a hundred people for a whole year.
Researchers also think the mammoth meat should have an excellent taste, as prehistoric people took pains to hunt the dangerous animals instead of opting for easier prey ...
READ MORE:
http://mosnews.com/weird/2009/07/30/breedingmammoths/
Santa Clara County, California - leading provider of homeless services - held a Memorial for the 67 Men and Women that died on the streets this year
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA (KGO) -- December 9, 2009 - Santa Clara County's leading provider of homeless services held a memorial Wednesday for the 67 men and women it says have died on the county's streets this year.EHC Lifebuilders says about half the homeless were killed by harsh weather. The rest are victims of cruel fate.
"We have folks who die by being hit by cars, murder... It's a wide variety of reasons, certainly folks who are homeless have compromised health," said Jenny Nicklaus.
Lifebuilders also says that because of an increase in shelter space, there was a 20 percent decrease in the number of homeless deaths in Santa Clara County in 2009, 66, compared to 82 in 2008.
Source:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=7162344
BlackListedNews.com | Headlines - December 9, 2009
| $2 million US dollar verdict against Bayer confirms company's liability for an uncontrollable technology | |
| Cloud Computing, Virtualization, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Open Source Software (OSS) and Geospatial technologies are poised for increased U.S. federal government adoption over the next five years as cost-saving initiatives drive investment in these solutions | |
| Part of the problem with the climate change issue is that it isn’t seen as an ongoing review of scientific models and theories about human impact on planetary warmth. It has taken on a political and religious tone which makes any attempt to peer review the consensus subject to ridicule. | |
| A mysterious light display appearing over Norway last night has left thousands of residents in the north of the country baffled | |
| ArcelorMittal has over 14 million emissions permits that it does not need in 2008, a figure which Sandbag estimates will rise to 80 million by 2012 making it by far the biggest beneficiary of the scheme across the EU. | |
| U.S. homeowners have lost about $5.9 trillion in value since the housing market’s peak in March 2006 as mounting foreclosures and the recession weighed on prices, according to Zillow.com. | |
| Half-baked Homeland Security is spending millions to develop sensors capable of detecting a person's level of 'malintent' as a counterterrorism tool. | |
| The Obama administration extended the $700 billion financial-rescue program until October, arguing that the U.S. must hold on to the money in case of new financial | |
| These derivatives were a bad idea the first time around, but now Bloomberg reports that the carbon trading scheme will be largely centered around derivatives: | |
| Eric Schmidt suggests you alter your scandalous behavior before you complain about his company invading your privacy. That's what the Google CEO told Maria Bartiromo during CNBC's big Google special last night, an extraordinary pronouncement for such a secretive guy. | |
Rutgers.edu | First successful underwater crossing of the Atlantic by an unmanned vehicle
The Scarlet Knight, named for sponsoring Rutgers University's mascot, is a cruise-missile-shaped autonomous ROV that was launched off the New Jersey coastline on April 27. If all goes according to plan, the Rutgers team will recover it off the westernmost coast of Spain right around Christmas day. That happy event would mark the first successful underwater crossing of the Atlantic by an unmanned vehicle. At the mission website, you can track the robot's position using Google Earth, monitor her battery status, and follow the team's navigation blog.
The yellow glider, which resembles a rocket with wings on its sides, traveled the 7,400 kilometres (4,600 miles) between New Jersey on the US east coast and Galicia in Spain's northwestern coast in 225 days using only a battery and aided ocean currents. It was brought ashore on Friday at Baiona, the town where Christopher Columbus landed in 1493 during the return journey from his initial trip to the Americas.
Spanish Transport Minister Jose Blanco handed the robot to Jerry Miller of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy at a ceremony held in Baiona. "We are going to continue to cooperate in initiatives like this," he said.
The robot -- which can reach depths of 200 metres (650 feet) and survive storms -- gathered information on ocean currents and salt levels as well as temperature during its voyage.
It will now be put on display at the Smithsonian museum in Washington while a replica of the glider will be on view in Baiona.
READ MORE:
http://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/atlantic/index.html
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Robot_completes_first_underwater_crossing_of_Atlantic_Ocean_999.html
TVNZ.co.nz | 5.9 Magnitude Quake shakes Indonesia near 2004 tsunami site
| MAP | 5.9 | 2009/12/09 21:29:05 | 2.745 | 95.968 | 35.0 | SIMEULUE, INDONESIA |
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook Simeulue Island in northwestern Indonesia on Thursday, the US Geological Survey reported.
The quake, quite shallow at a depth of 35 km, was centred on Simeulue, a small island west of Sumatra in the area that was devastated by the 2004 tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people.
The epicentre was 310 km west of Medan in Sumatra.
Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a rim of intense seismic activity around the Pacific Ocean.
Source:
http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/quake-shakes-indonesia-near-2004-tsunami-site-3248091
Major midwest snow storm dumps 17 inches on Madison, Wisconsin
December 9, 2009: Madison, Wisconsin and the surrounding area has been hit with about 15-18 inches of snow with more snow expected to come.
MADISON, WI - DECEMBER 9: Fritz Lutze works on removing snow from his driveway December 9, 2009, in Madison, Wisconsin. Madison and the surrounding area has been hit with about 15-18 inches of snow with more snow expected to come. (Photo by Andy Manis/Getty Images)
Source:
http://www.kmox.com/pages/5856743.php?imageGalleryXRefId=1569935#imgXR
Source:
http://www.kmox.com/pages/5856743.php?imageGalleryXRefId=1569935#imgXR
Stratfor.com | Mexico: The War with the Cartels in 2009
December 9, 2009
Editor’s Note: This week’s Global Security & Intelligence Report is an abridged version of STRATFOR’s annual report on Mexico’s drug cartels. The full report, which includes extensive diagrams depicting the leadership of each cartel, will be available to our members next week.
There are two cartel wars currently raging in Mexico that have combined to produce record levels of violence in 2009. The first war is the struggle between the government of Mexico and the drug cartels. The second, a parallel war, is the fight among the various cartels as they compete for control of lucrative supply routes. Shortly after his inauguration in December 2006, President Felipe Calderon launched an all-out effort to target the cartels, which he viewed as a major threat to Mexico’s security and stability. Over the past three years, the government’s effort has weakened and fragmented some of the major cartels (namely the Gulf and Sinaloa cartels), but this government progress has upset the balance of power among the cartels, which has resulted in increased violence. Former cartel allies have been pitted against each other in bloody battles of attrition as rival cartels have tried to take advantage of their weakened competitors and seize control of smuggling routes ...
READ MORE:
http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20091209_mexico_war_cartels_2009
Chinese Navy’s Type 054A Frigates visit South-east Asia
December.09 (China Military News re-edited from Chinamil.com.cn) — On the morning of December 6, the Type 054A “Xuzhou” guided-missile frigate of the Navy of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army which just accomplished its escort task in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off the Somali coast, arrived in Port Kelang, Malaysia to kick off a 3-day-long goodwill visit to Malaysia. This is the first planned stopover visit of the third Chinese naval escort taskforce on its homeward voyage.
READ MORE
http://www.china-defense-mashup.com/?p=5527
SpaceWeather.com | STRANGE LIGHTS OVER NORWAY
STRANGE LIGHTS OVER NORWAY: This morning in arctic Norway, onlookers were stunned when a gigantic luminous spiral formed in the northern sky. "We are used to seeing lots of auroras here in Norway, but this was different," says Nick Banbury of Harstad who witnessed the phenomenon on his way to work "between 7:50 and 8:00 a.m. local time."
The first reaction of many readers when they see this picture is Photoshop! Surely this must be a fake. But no, many independent observers witnessed and phtotographed the apparition. It is real.
Banbury continues: "It consisted initially of a green beam of light similar in color to the aurora with a mysterious rotating spiral at one end. This spiral then got bigger and bigger until it turned into a huge halo in the sky with the green beam extending down to Earth. According to press reports, this could be seen all over northern Norway and must therefore have been very high up in the atmosphere to be seen hundreds of km apart."
Many suggestions have been made to explain the phenomenon. The most popular (and plausible) so far is a botched rocket launch from a Russian submarine in the White Sea. Indeed, a rocket motor spinning out of control could explain the spiral pattern, but so far there is no confirmation that such a launch actually took place. Stay tuned for updates.
More reports and videos: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5.
RELATED:
On another board someone posted about this and below is what was seen:
I live in Tromsø, which is a rather small town in the north of Norway. About an hour and a half ago this morning, at 07:45, I was awoken by my flatmate raving on about something "you just have to see!". Dizzy and confused I walked to the door, and peeking out at the sky I saw one of the most spectacular things I've ever been witness to. Now keep in mind that this far north, we barely have any sunlight at all this time of year, so it was still pitch dark outside. There was a spiral of light in the sky, expanding like some kind of green laser.
Now, in my town we see the Aurora Borealis every winter, so green lights in the sky is not a new phenomenon. Never the less, in my 20 years here I've never seen anything like this, and for a second I thought it looked like a huge explosion in the distance.
We returned inside with much speculation as to what this could be, and I scoured the internet for explanations. Now, at 09:00 the phenomenon has started popping up in articles on local northern news-sites, and appears to just have gone national.
Additional pics.
Deadly rainstorms paralyzes Brazil's biggest city of Sao Paulo - 6 Dead
A truck driver waits to cross under a flooded bridge at Marginal Tiete highway, northern Sao Paulo, Brazil. Heavy rain brought Brazil's biggest city of Sao Paulo grinding to a halt on Tuesday and reportedly claimed the lives of six people in landslides. (AFP/Mauricio Lima)
SAO PAULO (AFP) – Heavy rain brought Brazil's biggest city of Sao Paulo grinding to a halt on Tuesday and reportedly claimed the lives of six people in landslides.
The bodies of four brothers aged five to 20 were recovered by firemen from a house that crumbled apart in one landslide in a northwestern suburb, CBN radio, Globo Television and the Terra news website all said.
Reports also said two more people died in other parts of the city, while authorities evacuated 22 homes in an eastern suburb because of fear the ground there could shift too.
The persistent rain brought traffic on key cross-city highways to a standstill as the adjacent Tiete and Pinheiros rivers broke their banks.
Television images showed trucks and motorbikes driving through long stretches of water-covered roads, while vehicles piled up for kilometers (miles) on other impassable routes.
Access to the city's international airport of Guarulhos was difficult, with the main road to the facility cut off.
The Climatempo weather service said it was the heaviest 24-hour period of rainfall Sao Paulo had seen all year. Overnight alone, the city received half of its total average December precipitation.
The state Emergency Administration Center declared an alert, saying the rain would continue with "light to moderate intensity," creating the "potential for new flooding."
Sao Paulo mayor Gilberto Kassab assured reporters that his services were prepared to handle the consequences of the bad weather, and he denied repeated accusations that lack of investment in water canalization was to blame.
Farther south, 161 towns in the state of Rio Grande do Sul bordering Uruguay declared a state of emergency because of the rain. The region had already been lashed by storms over the past few weeks that killed eight people and forced 14,000 from their homes.
The bodies of four brothers aged five to 20 were recovered by firemen from a house that crumbled apart in one landslide in a northwestern suburb, CBN radio, Globo Television and the Terra news website all said.
Reports also said two more people died in other parts of the city, while authorities evacuated 22 homes in an eastern suburb because of fear the ground there could shift too.
The persistent rain brought traffic on key cross-city highways to a standstill as the adjacent Tiete and Pinheiros rivers broke their banks.
Television images showed trucks and motorbikes driving through long stretches of water-covered roads, while vehicles piled up for kilometers (miles) on other impassable routes.
Access to the city's international airport of Guarulhos was difficult, with the main road to the facility cut off.
The Climatempo weather service said it was the heaviest 24-hour period of rainfall Sao Paulo had seen all year. Overnight alone, the city received half of its total average December precipitation.
The state Emergency Administration Center declared an alert, saying the rain would continue with "light to moderate intensity," creating the "potential for new flooding."
Sao Paulo mayor Gilberto Kassab assured reporters that his services were prepared to handle the consequences of the bad weather, and he denied repeated accusations that lack of investment in water canalization was to blame.
Farther south, 161 towns in the state of Rio Grande do Sul bordering Uruguay declared a state of emergency because of the rain. The region had already been lashed by storms over the past few weeks that killed eight people and forced 14,000 from their homes.
Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091208/wl_afp/brazilweatherdeaths_20091208183609
Graveyard on the shore for thousands of starfish as storm throws them from the sea on English beach
December 9, 2009 - More than 10,000 were left high and dry on the sands after choppy seas washed them from their feeding grounds. And unfortunately, nearly all perished, unable to get back to the safety of the water. The graveyard of orange and pink extends more than a quarter of a mile along the golden sands of Holkham Beach in Norfolk.
It's a long stretch of beach and there were just thousands of them littering the shore line for as far as you could see.
The starfish, which washed up early last week, may have been victims of dredgers scraping the seabeds for mussels, their favourite food. The process could have dislodged the feeding starfish and the currents carried them to the shore. Strandings tend to occur once a year or once every two years.
'They are also most common between November and March - the time of the year when we experience bigger tides.'
It's a long stretch of beach and there were just thousands of them littering the shore line for as far as you could see.
The starfish, which washed up early last week, may have been victims of dredgers scraping the seabeds for mussels, their favourite food. The process could have dislodged the feeding starfish and the currents carried them to the shore. Strandings tend to occur once a year or once every two years.
'They are also most common between November and March - the time of the year when we experience bigger tides.'
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1234177/Thousands-starfish-carpet-Norfolk-beach-storm-throws-sea.html#ixzz0ZDSJe945
Obama for World President?
... If this is indeed Obama's fantasy, then it is shared by a sizeable portion of the world's population: a poll taken in Sept. '09 by the BBC indicated , at that time, that a large proportion of the global sample favored Obama as world president; and my Google search of "Obama, world President," turns up more than 120,000,000 posts.
So here is my answer to questions concerning Obama's electoral ambitions: he aims to fill an as yet unformed position, that of World President, and - as in the past - he uses his current presidency as a launching pad toward that more grandiose goal.
Barack Hussein Obama was raised abroad, and - possibly for global electioneering purposes - he keeps his foreign name. In addition, it becomes increasingly evident that our exotic president has bought into the alien, Third-World view of the US as a dangerous bully: a prime source of pollution, a nation too powerful, and too undisciplined in the use of power, and as such a leading danger to Humanity. Thus, campaigning as the "Good American," Obama apologizes around the world for America's sins, he genuflects before Saudi and Chinese tyrants, he negotiates with our sworn enemies while down-grading our allies, he weakens the U.S. militarily and economically while permitting the Iranians to construct nukes, and he builds up the prestige of the heretofore discredited, America-bashing UN.
This is the Audacity of Defeat: Obama is engaged in a redistribution of power, though now on a global rather than a domestic scale. Thus, he gives away pieces of America's prestige, in his eyes to detoxify it, and to build up the as yet unrealized world coalition that he hopes one day to lead.
As Napoleon discovered in the snows of the Russian winter, grandiose dreams of world dominion are never realized. However, those who pursue that hectic fantasy can cause terrible trouble before they are stopped. In this age of proliferating nukes, we cannot afford such dreamers. This should be the winter of Obama's discontent ...
READ MORE:
http://www.rightsidenews.com/200912097680/politics-and-economics/obama-for-world-president.html
Obama Has Authority to Sign Climate Deal
... Environmental groups have long argued that Obama can commit the US to much higher emissions reduction targets and sign a legally binding climate treaty. Kassie Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity(CBD) told The Nation: "The President already has the authority and in fact a mandate to reduce greenhouse pollution under the Clean Air Act. And to say that he can't come to Copenhagen and commit the US to emissions targets is false. Ninety percent of international agreements are authorized through executive agreements, so it is incorrect to say that his hands are tied by the need for a two-thirds vote in the Senate for ratification." ...
READ MORE:
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/copenhagen/504239/obama_has_authority_to_sign_climate_deal
Huge explosion rocks American Acryl plant near Seabrook, Texas
Posted on December 9, 2009 at 9:04 AM
Updated today at 10:42 AM
* Photos: Explosion rocks Seabrook area
* Home video: American Acryl blast
* Raw aerials: Crews fight fire at plant near Seabrook
SEABROOK, Texas—A huge explosion rocked a plant near Seabrook Wednesday.
It happened just before 9 a.m. at American Acryl, located in the 12100 block of Port Road at Highway 146 in Pasadena.
A thick, black cloud of smoke was visible for miles over the area. Fire was still burning at the plant about an hour after the blast, but crews appeared to be getting it under control.
Shelter-in-place orders were issued for Seabrook, League City and Kemah via automated messages from city officials. Residents should turn off their air conditioners and heaters.
Clear Creek ISD placed all schools south of Seabrook and east of I-45 under a shelter-in-place. Students there will stay indoors with the air and heat off until further notice.
District spokeswoman Elaina Polsen said all the children and teachers are fine and classes are continuing.
The schools included in the shelter-in-place are Armand Bayou Elementary, Bay Elementary, Brookwood Elementary, Clear Lake City Elementary, Falcon Pass Elementary, Ferguson Elementary, Goforth Elementary, Hyde Elementary, League City Elementary, McWhirter Elementary, Mossman Elementary, North Pointe Elementary, Ralph Parr Elementary, Robinson Elementary, Stewart Elementary, Ward Elementary, Whitcomb Elementary, White Elementary, Clear Creek Intermediate, Clear Lake High School, League City Intermediate, Seabrook Intermediate. Space Center Intermediate, Victory Lakes Intermediate, Clear Path Alternative School and the Clear View Education Center.
Kemah city manager Bill Kerber told 11 News at 10:40am that although the smoke from the explosion had generally cleared, he was waiting for word from the Fire Department about whether the air in the area was safe enough to lift the shelter-in-place. He said an automated phone system would let residents know when the alert was lifted.
Viewers in Bacliff, San Leon, Clear Lake, Dickinson, La Marque, Texas City, League City, Seabrook and Friendswood all reported hearing and feeling the blast.
"The explosion was strong enough to shake our building. We are located in Baytown by the Hwy 99 and FM 1405 intersection," one viewer e-mail read.
"FYI-I live in League City (Hwy96 near 146) and I felt and heard the explosion from there. It was loud and clear. Thought it was a home explosion b/c it sounded so close," another viewer reported.
"I’m directly south of the plant. I had just sat down at my computer, by a north window, when I heard the BOOM then felt the percussion," a viewer reported.
"This explosion took place just around the corner from our office. It violently shook our building. Thinking it was a car that had ran into the building, we ran outside to see the 1st plume of smoke from this explosion," viewer Jacob Varisco said in an e-mail.
It was unclear what caused the explosion. No injuries were reported.
A viewer in Seabrook reported a chemical smell permeating the air around 9:40 a.m.
The American Acryl plant makes acrylic acid, a building block for plastics.
A Shoreacres official said the chemical that was released was toluene.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, toluene is a respiratory tract irritant. It’s described as clear and colorless and has a distinctive smell.
The ATSDR said toluene can affect the nervous system. In low to moderate levels, it can cause tiredness, confusion, weakness, memory loss, nausea, intoxication, loss of appetite, loss of hearing and color vision loss. The symptoms usually stop as soon as exposure ends.
High levels of toluene can affect the kidneys, and inhaling high levels in a short time can cause unconsciousness and even death, the ATSDR said.
The effects of toluene in children are similar to those seen in adults.
Check back for more information as this story develops.
Source:
http://www.khou.com/news/Huge-explosion-rocks-plant-in-Seabrook-78865017.html
RELATED:
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7161089&rss=rss-ktrk-article-7161089
Updated today at 10:42 AM
* Photos: Explosion rocks Seabrook area
* Home video: American Acryl blast
* Raw aerials: Crews fight fire at plant near Seabrook
SEABROOK, Texas—A huge explosion rocked a plant near Seabrook Wednesday.
It happened just before 9 a.m. at American Acryl, located in the 12100 block of Port Road at Highway 146 in Pasadena.A thick, black cloud of smoke was visible for miles over the area. Fire was still burning at the plant about an hour after the blast, but crews appeared to be getting it under control.
Shelter-in-place orders were issued for Seabrook, League City and Kemah via automated messages from city officials. Residents should turn off their air conditioners and heaters.
Clear Creek ISD placed all schools south of Seabrook and east of I-45 under a shelter-in-place. Students there will stay indoors with the air and heat off until further notice.
District spokeswoman Elaina Polsen said all the children and teachers are fine and classes are continuing.
The schools included in the shelter-in-place are Armand Bayou Elementary, Bay Elementary, Brookwood Elementary, Clear Lake City Elementary, Falcon Pass Elementary, Ferguson Elementary, Goforth Elementary, Hyde Elementary, League City Elementary, McWhirter Elementary, Mossman Elementary, North Pointe Elementary, Ralph Parr Elementary, Robinson Elementary, Stewart Elementary, Ward Elementary, Whitcomb Elementary, White Elementary, Clear Creek Intermediate, Clear Lake High School, League City Intermediate, Seabrook Intermediate. Space Center Intermediate, Victory Lakes Intermediate, Clear Path Alternative School and the Clear View Education Center.
Kemah city manager Bill Kerber told 11 News at 10:40am that although the smoke from the explosion had generally cleared, he was waiting for word from the Fire Department about whether the air in the area was safe enough to lift the shelter-in-place. He said an automated phone system would let residents know when the alert was lifted.
Viewers in Bacliff, San Leon, Clear Lake, Dickinson, La Marque, Texas City, League City, Seabrook and Friendswood all reported hearing and feeling the blast.
"The explosion was strong enough to shake our building. We are located in Baytown by the Hwy 99 and FM 1405 intersection," one viewer e-mail read.
"FYI-I live in League City (Hwy96 near 146) and I felt and heard the explosion from there. It was loud and clear. Thought it was a home explosion b/c it sounded so close," another viewer reported.
"I’m directly south of the plant. I had just sat down at my computer, by a north window, when I heard the BOOM then felt the percussion," a viewer reported.
"This explosion took place just around the corner from our office. It violently shook our building. Thinking it was a car that had ran into the building, we ran outside to see the 1st plume of smoke from this explosion," viewer Jacob Varisco said in an e-mail.
It was unclear what caused the explosion. No injuries were reported.
A viewer in Seabrook reported a chemical smell permeating the air around 9:40 a.m.
The American Acryl plant makes acrylic acid, a building block for plastics.
A Shoreacres official said the chemical that was released was toluene.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, toluene is a respiratory tract irritant. It’s described as clear and colorless and has a distinctive smell.
The ATSDR said toluene can affect the nervous system. In low to moderate levels, it can cause tiredness, confusion, weakness, memory loss, nausea, intoxication, loss of appetite, loss of hearing and color vision loss. The symptoms usually stop as soon as exposure ends.
High levels of toluene can affect the kidneys, and inhaling high levels in a short time can cause unconsciousness and even death, the ATSDR said.
The effects of toluene in children are similar to those seen in adults.
Check back for more information as this story develops.
Source:
http://www.khou.com/news/Huge-explosion-rocks-plant-in-Seabrook-78865017.html
RELATED:
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7161089&rss=rss-ktrk-article-7161089
SteveQuayle.com | Let Them That Have Eyes and Ears Hear and See the Word of the Lord (No News Today)
Let Them That Have Eyes and Ears Hear and See the Word of the Lord
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Matthew 13:13-15)
_____________
Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. (Acts 13:41)_____________
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7)_____________
For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. (Luke 21:15-17)_____________
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 25:1-13)_____________
And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children. (Luke 7:31-35)_____________
These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19)_____________
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. (John 9:4) News will resume tomorrow – please do not phone the webmaster. No additional information is available at this time.
First Prophet Enhanced Electronic Warfare System Rolls Off Production Line at General Dynamics
Battlefield commanders and warfighters will soon be able to quickly and accurately detect, identify and deter a wide range of signal emissions
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Part of the Army's initiative to rapidly field signals intelligence capabilities that address the challenge of intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (ISR) recently rolled off the production line in Scottsdale. A team led by General Dynamics C4 Systems delivered the first Prophet Enhanced tactical signals intelligence system before a group of military customers including Brig. Gen. Thomas Cole, program executive officer for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors for the U.S. Army.SOURCE General Dynamics C4 Systems
Bernanke must go: Ben Bernanke has been an abysmal failure as chairman of the US Federal Reserve. I'm voting against his reappointment
Wednesday 9 December 2009 13.30 GMT
Under Bernanke's watch, the value of risky derivatives held at our nation's top commercial banks grew from $110tn to more than $290tn, 95 per cent of which are concentrated in just five financial institutions. While Bernanke was asleep at the wheel, Warren Buffett, as early as 2003, called derivatives "financial weapons of mass destruction" and warned that they posed a "mega-catastrophic risk" to the economy.
Bernanke failed to prevent banks from issuing deceptive and unfair financial products to consumers. Under his leadership, mortgage lenders were allowed to issue predatory loans they knew consumers could not afford to repay. This risky practice was allowed to continue even though the FBI warned in 2004 of an "epidemic" in mortgage fraud that had the potential to become "the next S&L crisis".
READ MORE:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/dec/08/ben-bernanke-bernie-sanders
Cave's Sun Update | December 9, 2009 at 9:00 AM CDT
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/sunspots/
Update - A small sunspot may have just rotated onto the eastern limb.
Notice that 'flame' (the guys on the science forum called it a 'lick')
Notice that 'flame' (the guys on the science forum called it a 'lick')
'Extremely dangerous' blizzards move into Midwest
1 hour ago
DES MOINES, Iowa — A fierce winter storm was leaving dangerous ice, heavy snow and vicious winds in its wake as it slogged eastward Wednesday, threatening to wreak havoc on commuters in the Upper Midwest and closing schools across New England.
More than a foot of snow was expected in parts of Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, where the National Weather Service warned of "extremely dangerous blizzard conditions" and near whiteout driving conditions. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph could build snow drifts between 8 and 15 feet tall.
Parts of New England also girded themselves for bone-chilling wind gusts and snow accumulations of up to a foot by the end of the day.
"It's horrible out there," said Todd Lane, an assistant manager of a Quik Trip convenience store in Des Moines, where several inches of new snow was reported overnight.
Although business was fairly normal overnight, it nearly all came from snow plow drivers — most looking for coffee and energy drinks, he said.
"Outside of the city there's 15-foot drifts and people are stuck in them," Lane said the drivers told him. "It sucks and it just keeps on coming."
Between 4 and 6 inches of snow fell in western and central Michigan, while blizzard warnings also covered parts of Nebraska, Kansas and Minnesota.
"For the most part, we're telling people to stay home," said Roger Vachalek, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Des Moines. He said if motorists get stranded, "you might end up being out there for quite a while."
In the West, pounded by rain and snow earlier this week, bitter wind chills as low as 40 below were sweeping across portions of southern Montana. The biting winds also were moving across Wyoming and South Dakota, according to the National Weather Service.
By the time the storm moves off the Maine coast Thursday night, it may have affected as much as two-thirds of the country, said Jim Lee, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines.
"It's a monster of a storm," Lee said.
Maine and New Hampshire could see snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches capped off by rain and sleet in the evening. In northern New York, as much as a foot of snow was expected to accumulate Wednesday and more than 3 feet was expected by the week's end near the Great Lakes.
Hundreds of schools across New York's eastern half were closed or delayed the start of classes Wednesday. Schools also were closed in parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
Hundreds of flights were canceled at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Tuesday; all departures were canceled out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and only a few were scheduled at Des Moines International Airport.
The storm drenched California with rain, blanketed the mountain West with snow and brought 100 mph winds to New Mexico earlier this week. More than 20 inches of snow fell over Flagstaff, Ariz. — more than four times the record of 5 inches set in 1956.
At least five deaths were blamed on the weather, including an Arizona hunter who was killed Monday night when a large pine tree snapped and crushed him as he slept in a tent. The driver of a sport utility vehicle that plunged 90 feet off an icy road into the Texas Panhandle's Palo Duro Canyon also died.
Heavy rain hit some parts of the South with more than 4 inches reported in spots in New Orleans. A possible tornado was reported near Lake Pontchartrain, the National Weather Service said.
Cold temperatures also were threatening California crops, where only about 10 percent to 15 percent of the navel and mandarin orange crops have been harvested, said Bob Blakely, director of industrial relations for the California Citrus Mutual.
"We've got a lot on the line," Blakely said. "Both of them combined you're probably looking at over a billion dollars in fruit hanging out there on the trees."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g-WqKbY64oAqC7RR_lsu1h9nMHFwD9CFPHJ84
NaturalNews.com | Today's Featured Stories - December 9, 2009
Jon Barron, Daniel Vitalis featured on NaturalNews Talk Hour this Thursday
(NaturalNews) The NaturalNews Talk Hour presents a very special holiday event with exclusive offers by two of the most celebrated nutritional companies recommended by NaturalNews. "Surthrival in the 21st Century" and "Cold & Flu Secrets Revealed" begins...
How fragile we are: Why the complexity of modern civilization threatens us all
(NaturalNews) The fragility of our modern human civilization did not become clear to me until I began living full-time in South America. As a resident of Vilcabamba, Ecuador, I've grown accustomed to the idea of knowing where the things I consume come...
Fluoride Causes Premature Births, Brain Degradation, Bone Loss, Cancer and Hormone Disruption
A recent study conducted by researchers from the State University of New York (SUNY) found that fluoride ingestion may be responsible for causing premature births. Presented to the American Public Health Association at its annual meeting...
Pfizer caught in yet more science fraud: Company altered study findings for Neurontin drug
(NaturalNews) Research into internal company documents has revealed that Pfizer Inc. tampered with the results of at least 16 study reports about its epilepsy drug, Neurontin. In order to expand...
Hemp Protein: Eat the Nutrients
Researchers claim that if no other food is consumed, hemp seeds could sustain a human life for a few months without causing nutrient deficiency problems. In fact, hemp protein was used in Europe during tuberculosis outbreaks to reverse the...
Silver (and copper) bullets kill disease-causing bacteria
(NaturalNews) In 1999, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) handed down a dictate against products known as colloidal silver -- tiny silver particles suspended in a liquid base.
How a Healthy Diet Can Prevent Depression
The World Health Organization predicts that depression will become the second highest cause of the global disease burden by 2020. Why is this? Many people consume a diet high in bad fats, fried, refined and sugary foods. Studies show that...
Injury added to insult: Dyes injected for imaging are more dangerous than the MRIs
(Natural News) By now most Natural News readers are aware of the dangers from excessive CT scans, X-Rays, and other imaging health screenings. But what about those dyes injected into your body for the purpose of increasing image contrast and clarity? If...
Find Your Health Magic Bullet (Opinion)
Everyone is looking for the health "magic bullet". We all want to be well and not plagued with sickness or infirmity. We are looking for that one thing that is both simple and effective and above all requires little effort on our part. Unfortunately...
Plant Disease Devastating Vegetable Crops in Eastern U.S.
(NaturalNews) The same infectious fungus that caused the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s is now spreading across the Northeastern United States, causing alarm among farmers and raising the specter of another spike in food prices. "People need to realize...
Citizen Journalism Articles from Contributing Writers:
| Fluoride Causes Premature Births, Brain Degradation, Bone Loss, Cancer and Hormone Disruption By Ethan Huff, citizen journalist December 9 - A recent study conducted by researchers from the State University of New York (SUNY) found that fluoride ingestion... |
| Hemp Protein: Eat the Nutrients By Amie Sugat, citizen journalist December 9 - Researchers claim that if no other food is consumed, hemp seeds could sustain a human life for a few months... |
| How a Healthy Diet Can Prevent Depression By Fleur Hupston, citizen journalist December 9 - The World Health Organization predicts that depression will become the second highest cause of the global disease... |
Today's health headlines from across the 'net
(Hand-picked by the Health Ranger for your education and amusement)
- Antidepressants change your personality: Get ready for "cosmetic psychiatry!"
- Social Security will go bust in 2010
- Cancer caused by chemicals in your kitchen?
- Scientist says global warming caused by sun's radiation
- Tamiflu drug useless against swine flu pneumonia
- US govt. seeks to tax tanning salons to raise money for health care reform
- Batteries made out of copier paper coated with carbon nanotubes
- New nanomaterial liquid can be painted on walls to produce batteries
- Sen. Grassley asks medical non-profits for information about money from corporations
- LA hospital caught in patient radiation overdose scandal
- Drinking coffee may lower the risk of severe form of prostate cancer
- Old used computers polluting the planet
Natural News Podcasts | Browse All Podcasts
Health Ranger Report #82: Interview with Suzanne Somers
Suzanne Somers speaks out about the dangers of chemotherapy and real cancer cures being practiced right now by alternative medicine doctors. Hear this amazing interview with Suzanne Somers, authors of "Knockout: Interview with Doctors Who Are Curing Cancer"
Click here to listen now (MP3).
Health Ranger Report #81: Interview with Alex Holland, founder of Asian Institute of Medical Studies
Alex Holland discusses Traditional Chinese Medicine, the structure of Chinese Medicine schools, holistic healing and much more.
Click here to listen now (MP3).
Health Ranger Report #80: NaturalNews Talk Hour - Keeping your kids safe from swine flu
Featuring Jonathan Landsman and the Health Ranger, this show features tips and strategies for protecting your kids from not only the swine flu itself, but also from the swine flu vaccine.
Click here to listen now (MP3).
Health Ranger Report #79: A cure for autism? Interview with Eleni Prokopeas from GreenDivaMom.com
An exclusive interview with Eleni Prokopeas from GreenDivaMom.com about ways to health and reverse autism using natural health and holistic nutrition.
Click here to listen now (MP3).
Health Ranger Report #78: Ecuador Update and Moxxor Opportunity
An update from the Health Ranger about Ecuador, Moxxor, staying adaptable and never getting "stuck" in life.
Click here to listen now (MP3).
Health Ranger Report #77: Interview with Billy Best about "Chemo Boy" Daniel Hauser
An exclusive interview with former fugitive from the chemotherapy police: Billy Best (who healed his own body of cancer using natural therapies).
Click here to listen now (MP3).
Health Ranger Show #76: Interview with Paul Shulick of New Chapter
This exclusive interview with NewChapter founder and CEO covers the philosophy and operations of the New Chapter company and its Luna Nueva gardens in Costa Rica. Also includes details on the new D.A.R.T. technology for analyzing the medicinal compounds of plants in real time.
Click here to listen now (MP3).
Health Ranger Show #75: Interview with Dr. Sherri Tenpenny on the Dangers of Vaccines
Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, author of "Saying No to Vaccines" shares revolting details of what vaccines are made of, how they harm human health and why Big Pharma keeps pushing them on everybody.
Click here to listen now (MP3).
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