ibejim's Blog

Sometimes it's hard to keep you head on straight when things are going dangerously awry all around you. I'd bet that there are more that just the 40 residents of this Florida trailer park that are glad that this 16 year old hero did...


BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. -- A girl's e-mailed cry for help and her photos of rising flood waters saved 40 neighbors trapped in a submerged mobile home park.

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Tiffany Monk, 16, stood outside her Melbourne trailer during Tropical Storm Fay on Thursday and noticed floodwaters slowly overtaking her community on Eau Gallie Boulevard. "There were people trapped in their home," Monk said. "Water was rising and there was no way out. (There were) people with oxygen tanks and wheelchairs and there was no way out. They needed help."Monk snapped photos of Groveland Mobile Home Park and then sent e-mails."You really have to see this," she said in e-mails she sent along with photos of tires floating by in her road. "We are trapped in. Literally, there is no way out.""Finally, I e-mailed the radio station 107.1 and I was like, 'Nobody seems to be coming in here to help us,'" Monk said. "We need help and we are trapped in. And then 20 minutes after that, news people started showing up here."Emergency personnel realized the severity of the situation and sent large trucks to pull out the elderly and disabled people who had a few feet of standing water inside their trailers.Many were taken to the shelter at Sherwood Elementary School in Melbourne. Police then took some people back into their homes to save personal items."I was just trying to help out the best I could," Monk said. "I've learned that if you actually take action then someone might listen to you.""She was worried about the elderly down there and nobody was doing anything," Monk's mother, Connie said. "So, she decided to get on the computer and see what I can get done."


Kudo's to you Tiffany Monk!!

Scientist from Russia and the UK have made a $10,000 wager on weather we are headed into the Icebox, or the Oven.....

Global cooling gains momentum among scientists

Aug 25, 2008 9:40 AM, By Elton Robinson
Farm Press Editorial Staff

Two weeks ago, after writing about the possibility that the Earth may actually be entering a cooling phase, I braced myself for a torrent of icy missives from the global warming crowd suggesting that the heat must have fried my noggin.

By the way, it is very difficult to discuss global cooling in the midst of a summer when temperatures are hovering around 100 degrees and crops are wilting. As one friend and colleague from the sweltering Southwest noted after reading the column, “Please send some of that cooling this way.”

However, one response opened my eyes to the growing community of global warming skeptics out there, most of them merited scientists. I thought it might be worth presenting their thoughts — a little equal time if you will. Marc Marona, a global warming skeptic who works for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works, sent me these excerpts from a U.S. Senate report.

Russian solar physicists Galina Mashnich and Vladimir Bashkirtsev are so convinced that global temperatures will cool within the next decade they have placed a $10,000 wager with a United Kingdom scientist to prove their certainty. The criteria for the $10,000 bet will be to compare global temperatures between 1998 and 2003 with those between 2012 and 2017. The loser will pay up in 2018, according to an April 16, 2007, article in Live Science.

Australian engineer Peter Harris says that the Earth is nearing the end of the typical interglacial cycle and is due for a sudden cooling climate change. “Based on this analysis we can say that there is a 94 percent probability of imminent global cooling and the beginning of the coming ice age.

“Climate is becoming unstable,” Harris went on to say. “Most of these major natural processes that we are witnessing now are interdependent and occur at the end of each interglacial period, ultimately causing sudden long-term cooling.”

Oleg Sorokhtin, merited scientist of Russia and fellow of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and staff researcher of the Oceanology Institute, says to “stock up on fur coats and felt boots! Earth is now at the peak of one of its passing warm spells. It started in the 17th century when there was no industrial influence on the climate to speak of and no such thing as the hothouse effect.

“Carbon dioxide is not to blame for global climate change, Sorokhtin said. “Solar activity is many times more powerful than the energy produced by the whole of humankind. Man’s influence on nature is a drop in the ocean.”

Canadian climatologist Timothy Ball said, “If we are facing (a crisis) at all, I think it is that we are preparing for warming when it is looking like we are cooling. We are preparing for the wrong thing.”

On the impact of carbon dioxide on global temperature, United Kingdom astrophysicist Piers Corbyn said, “There is no evidence that carbon dioxide has ever driven or will ever drive world temperatures and climate change. Worrying about carbon dioxide is irrelevant.”

So there you have it folks — solid evidence from the other side of the global warming fence and critical thinking I’m sure you won’t hear much about outside this space.

To be honest, I’m not sure which global weather consequence is more daunting — to be ice fishing in Florida or planting cotton in Maine. But politicians and the popular press should speak out for the resumption of genuine, open debate on climate change. Global warming is not necessarily a foregone conclusion.

Was Al Gore's number one henchman Dr. James Hansen, and, Time Magazine right when they claimed we were headed for another ice age back in the seventies?

Either way, Mr. Robinsons last two paragraphs in the article say a mouthful.

Personally, I don't know who will be collecting in ten years time, but, my money is on the Russians. Why.....Because they factor the sun (solar cycles) into the equation.

Scientist from Russia and the UK have made a $10,000 wager on weather we are headed into the Icebox, or the Oven.....

Global cooling gains momentum among scientists

Aug 25, 2008 9:40 AM, By Elton Robinson
Farm Press Editorial Staff

Two weeks ago, after writing about the possibility that the Earth may actually be entering a cooling phase, I braced myself for a torrent of icy missives from the global warming crowd suggesting that the heat must have fried my noggin.

By the way, it is very difficult to discuss global cooling in the midst of a summer when temperatures are hovering around 100 degrees and crops are wilting. As one friend and colleague from the sweltering Southwest noted after reading the column, “Please send some of that cooling this way.”

However, one response opened my eyes to the growing community of global warming skeptics out there, most of them merited scientists. I thought it might be worth presenting their thoughts — a little equal time if you will. Marc Marona, a global warming skeptic who works for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works, sent me these excerpts from a U.S. Senate report.

Russian solar physicists Galina Mashnich and Vladimir Bashkirtsev are so convinced that global temperatures will cool within the next decade they have placed a $10,000 wager with a United Kingdom scientist to prove their certainty. The criteria for the $10,000 bet will be to compare global temperatures between 1998 and 2003 with those between 2012 and 2017. The loser will pay up in 2018, according to an April 16, 2007, article in Live Science.

Australian engineer Peter Harris says that the Earth is nearing the end of the typical interglacial cycle and is due for a sudden cooling climate change. “Based on this analysis we can say that there is a 94 percent probability of imminent global cooling and the beginning of the coming ice age.

“Climate is becoming unstable,” Harris went on to say. “Most of these major natural processes that we are witnessing now are interdependent and occur at the end of each interglacial period, ultimately causing sudden long-term cooling.”

Oleg Sorokhtin, merited scientist of Russia and fellow of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and staff researcher of the Oceanology Institute, says to “stock up on fur coats and felt boots! Earth is now at the peak of one of its passing warm spells. It started in the 17th century when there was no industrial influence on the climate to speak of and no such thing as the hothouse effect.

“Carbon dioxide is not to blame for global climate change, Sorokhtin said. “Solar activity is many times more powerful than the energy produced by the whole of humankind. Man’s influence on nature is a drop in the ocean.”

Canadian climatologist Timothy Ball said, “If we are facing (a crisis) at all, I think it is that we are preparing for warming when it is looking like we are cooling. We are preparing for the wrong thing.”

On the impact of carbon dioxide on global temperature, United Kingdom astrophysicist Piers Corbyn said, “There is no evidence that carbon dioxide has ever driven or will ever drive world temperatures and climate change. Worrying about carbon dioxide is irrelevant.”

So there you have it folks — solid evidence from the other side of the global warming fence and critical thinking I’m sure you won’t hear much about outside this space.

To be honest, I’m not sure which global weather consequence is more daunting — to be ice fishing in Florida or planting cotton in Maine. But politicians and the popular press should speak out for the resumption of genuine, open debate on climate change. Global warming is not necessarily a foregone conclusion.

Was Al Gore's number one hencheman Dr. James Hansen, and, Time Magazine right when they claimed we were headed for another ice age back in the seventies?

Either way, Mr. Robinsons last two paragraphs in the article say a mouthful.

Personally, I don't know who will be collecting in ten years time, but, my money is on the Russians. Why.....Because they factor the sun (solar cycles) into the equation.

The techies in Redmond are about to download and execute a new version of windows update onto you PC,  Regardless of  weather you want them to, or not.

Microsoft has been downloading windows update executable components onto peoples PC's for years without their knowledge. They finally admitted to this underhanded practice about a year ago. Executable files (those whose file names end with the ".exe" extension)  are files that run when you click on the file name, or, can be programed to run without your knowledge, which is exactly what Microsoft is doing, even if you have windows update setup for 'requiring permission' to download and install updates.

For more info on Windows update and some tips,  Go here...

http://windowssecrets.com/2008/08/14/03-Youll-get-a-ne
w-Windows-Update-like-it-or-not

Keeping you operating system security patches up to date is extremely important! Why spent all that time (and sometimes, money) installing, updating, configuring and running anti-virus and spyware apps if you are going to leave hackers an open door with  a system that isn't kept current with security updates? Even if you are a set it and forget it  type of person, you should go to the windows update site periodically and check you update history to see if the updates have all been installed, and, not corrupted somehow during the process

Heres how...

"First, identify any updates that didn't get installed properly by going to the Windows Update or Microsoft Update site. Choose Start, Windows Update (or Microsoft Update) or Start, All Programs, Windows Update (or Microsoft Update).

In XP, click Review your update history on the left; in Vista, choose View update history. XP shows failed updates with a red X; in Vista, the word "failed" appears in the Status column. (Note that some updates may have failed to install on their first attempt but succeeded subsequently.)"

Personally, I prefer to go the 'manual' route. I have had more than failure with the 'automatically download and install updates' setting. Microsoft releases security patches on the second tuesday of every month.

These lobbyist wield a ton of power and influence in Washington. Polititicans on both sides of the aisle are kowtowing to them more often than not. Humanity has become secondary to their agenda of controlling more and more aspects of our daliy lives.

Sound far fetched?

The following article, by award winning writer Dr. Walter E. Williams, shows some of the problems that they have already caused, and, some scary scenarios that could possibly unfold in our future.....

A Country At Mercy Of Environmentalists

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS | Posted Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:30 PM PT

Let's face it. The average individual American has little or no clout with Congress and can be safely ignored. But it's a different story with groups such as the Environmental Defense Fund, Sierra Club and Nature Conservancy.

When they speak, Congress listens. Unlike the average American, they are well organized, loaded with cash and well positioned to be a disobedient congressman's worse nightmare. Their political and economic success has been a near disaster for our nation.

For several decades, environmentalists have managed to get Congress to keep most of our oil resources off-limits to exploration and drilling.

They've managed to have the Congress enact onerous regulations that have made refinery construction impossible.

Similarly, they've used the courts and Congress to completely stymie the construction of nuclear power plants. As a result, energy prices are at historical highs and threaten our economy and national security.

What's the political response to our energy problems? It's more congressional and White House kowtowing to environmentalists, farmers and multibillion-dollar corporations such as Archer Daniels Midland.

Their "solution," rather than to solve our oil supply problem by permitting drilling for the billions upon billions of barrels of oil beneath the surface of our country, is to enact the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. That mandates that oil companies increase the amount of ethanol mixed with gasoline.

Anyone with an ounce of brains would have realized that diverting crops from food to fuel use would raise the prices of corn-fed livestock, such as pork, beef, chicken and dairy products, and products made from corn, such as cereal.

Ethanol production has led to increases in the prices of other grains, such as soybean and wheat. Since the U.S. is the world's largest grain producer and exporter, higher grain prices have had a huge impact on food prices worldwide.

Congress and the environmentalists aren't through with us. If you're bothered by skyrocketing food and energy prices, wait until Congress reintroduces its environmentalist-inspired Climate Security Act, so-called cap and trade.

Cap and trade is deceptively peddled as a free-market solution to the yet-to-be-settled issue of man-made climate change. Under its provisions, companies would be able to emit greenhouse gases only if they had a government allowance.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that a 15% cut in emissions would raise the annual average household's energy cost by $1,300.

Since energy is an input to everything we use, we can expect everything to become costlier, resulting in a reduction in economic growth.

There's a hateful side to cap and trade that's revealed by asking the question: How will it be decided who received how much allowance to emit greenhouse gases?

Congress could sell the allowances and/or give them away to favorite constituents. You can bet the rent money that a new army of lobbyists, with special pleadings, will descend on Washington to lobby Congress. And you can be sure that campaign contributions and favoritism will play an important role in the decision of who receives what allowances.

Much worse than that is the massive control government would have over our economy and lives. Congress might decide that since tobacco use is unhealthy, it might not issue allowances to tobacco companies.

While many Americans might applaud that, how many would like Congress to refuse to issue allowances to companies that produce food that some people deem unhealthy such as french fries, sodas, canned soups and potato chips?

Congress might deny, or threaten to deny, allowances to companies that in its opinion didn't hire enough women and minorities. The possibilities for control over our lives would be endless and could include nuisance-type edicts such a requiring us to buy a permit to barbecue in our backyard.

The thirst to wield massive control over our economy helps explain the near religious belief in man-made global warming and the attacks on scientists and others who offer contradictory evidence.

Copyright 2008 Creators Syndicate,

 

 

Penn & Teller have an interesting view on environmental extremeist. The following link contains three videos that I found to be entertaining and informative. Each video is a little over nine minutes long,  and,  contain language that some may find offensive. (not too bad though)

http://www.climatechangefraud.com/content/view/178/
218/