Pull! Push!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Weather: Tropical Depression No. 6
In the parish of St. Michael, unusually strong (dare I say howling?) gusts of wind along with rain, are affecting us tonight. No doubt a result of Tropical Depression No. 6 passing to the south-southwest of Barbados.
According to NHC's PA2 (Public Advisory No. 2), TD6 is approaching tropical storm strength as it heads toward the Winward islands. Click here to read the NHC's Tropical Depression SIX Public Advisory Number 2.
According to NHC's PA2 (Public Advisory No. 2), TD6 is approaching tropical storm strength as it heads toward the Winward islands. Click here to read the NHC's Tropical Depression SIX Public Advisory Number 2.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Barbados: Reports Of New Collapse!
UPDATED ON AUG 28, AT 11:11 AM B'DOS TIME:
If you're looking for photos/video of the collapse/disaster area from the media, blogs, etcetera, click here.
ORIGINAL POST:
From Barbados Free Press:
"10:49pm Barbados Time - Monday 27, 2007 - Voice of Barbados Radio
New Collapse At Rescue Site
Voice of Barbados Radio live reporting now. Not sure how bad.
Attorney General Dale Marshall is being briefed and he will then speak to the media.
Barbados Defense Force team members about to go back down into the hole!
Rain is starting to impact the recovery efforts."
If you're looking for photos/video of the collapse/disaster area from the media, blogs, etcetera, click here.
ORIGINAL POST:
From Barbados Free Press:
"10:49pm Barbados Time - Monday 27, 2007 - Voice of Barbados Radio
New Collapse At Rescue Site
Voice of Barbados Radio live reporting now. Not sure how bad.
Attorney General Dale Marshall is being briefed and he will then speak to the media.
Barbados Defense Force team members about to go back down into the hole!
Rain is starting to impact the recovery efforts."
Barbados: Apartment Collapses Into Cave. The (Incomplete) Story In Pictures
Above: Photo from Barbados Underground and Cheese-on-bread! Originally from The Nation (I think).
Above: Photo from Barbados Free Press, originally from The Barbados Advocate.
Above: A picture from Barbados Free Press, originally from The Nation newspaper. Read their story: "Just a matter of time!"
Above: Four pictures submitted by a reliable friend. The pictures themselves were taken by Steve Sandy. The first two pictures show construction or excavation works going on in the area immediately behind(?) the collapse. From what little I've heard and know, the construction or excavation was in progress before the collapse.
Above: A video of the Brittons Hill cave-in from Voice of Barbados Radio (VOB 92.9)
Above: Two pictures from Barbados Free Press. The first shows, what appears to be, the rescue team. The second, personnel in the cave.
Above: Another picture from Barbados Free Press. According to BFP, the photo was from Nation News. Notice the car being hauled out of the cave. Notice the size of the car in comparison to the size of the cave.
Above: A picture from Barbados Undergound.
Above: Three pictures from Barbados Free Press. These pictures were taken by BFP Reader 0.
Above: An arrow on a Google Map image indicates where the cave-in took place. The image is from Barbados Free Press, I'm not sure who they got it from.
Above: Photo from Barbados Underground and Cheese-on-bread! Originally from The Nation (I think).
Above: Photo from Barbados Free Press, originally from The Barbados Advocate.
Above: A picture from Barbados Free Press, originally from The Nation newspaper. Read their story: "Just a matter of time!"
Above: Four pictures submitted by a reliable friend. The pictures themselves were taken by Steve Sandy. The first two pictures show construction or excavation works going on in the area immediately behind(?) the collapse. From what little I've heard and know, the construction or excavation was in progress before the collapse.
Above: A video of the Brittons Hill cave-in from Voice of Barbados Radio (VOB 92.9)
Above: Two pictures from Barbados Free Press. The first shows, what appears to be, the rescue team. The second, personnel in the cave.
Above: Another picture from Barbados Free Press. According to BFP, the photo was from Nation News. Notice the car being hauled out of the cave. Notice the size of the car in comparison to the size of the cave.
Above: A picture from Barbados Undergound.
Above: Three pictures from Barbados Free Press. These pictures were taken by BFP Reader 0.
Above: An arrow on a Google Map image indicates where the cave-in took place. The image is from Barbados Free Press, I'm not sure who they got it from.
Barbados: Apartment Collapses Into Cave
UPDATED AT 12:02 pm B'DOS TIME: This e-mail just in (as is) from a reliable friend of mine: "they havent found anyone yet, there was just a live press conference and they said they are now going from rescue to recovery and they need to do it fast cause a wave is supposed to start affecting the island at 1pm and that will further compromise the area. The Miami Dade rescue unit has said they is very little hope of anyone surviving, they have sent in the dogs and other equipment and have heard nothing."
UPDATED AT 11:43 AM B'DOS TIME: Folks, I cannot provide confirmation of this. One friend of mine heard that four people have been found dead. Another friend heard, via a radio report, that the baby may have been with a member of the family and was not at home when the collapse occured. Also, the dogs that came with the Miami Dade team, have not found any signs of life.
ORIGINAL POST:
I've just gotten home (about 2 AM). Where I was is of no importance (The Gap), where I drove past, however, is.
Without thinking about and realizing it, I found myself in the Brittons Hill area, enroute to home. I stopped for the lights somewhere in the Dalkeith area (sorry, I'm not good with places). These are the traffic lights just before the Brittons Hill post office. Going straight would've taken you past the post office. I was waiting to turn left. I looked ahead and saw two huge yellowish, cranes towering above all else. Bright, white light flooded the surrounding area. Lights that reminded me of the National Stadium at night. It's a scene that's impossible to miss.
From my position, the cranes appeared motionless. No audible sounds of activity either, at least, none that my ears could discern. I made a left turn and then a right at the next set of lights. Drove past the Shell(?) gas station on my right. Another view of the site. Again, the two huge cranes in plain view, surrounded by the flood lights. No motion, no sounds. All quiet.
I had my camera with me and thought about stopping to take a picture of the cranes and the lights. Thankfully, common sense got the better of me and I continued my drive home. Stopping on the road at two in the morning, by yourself, is generally not a good idea.
I don't know, but I can only hope that, judging by the motionless cranes and stillness of the area, the missing family was found and rescued in time.
Barbados Free Press has pictures of the disaster and Barbados Underground has a picture of the remains of the apartment building that collapsed.
"Rescuers get moving at 10:30 a.m." From The Advocate's website.
"Stress runs high on disaster site" From The Advocate's website.
UPDATED AT 11:43 AM B'DOS TIME: Folks, I cannot provide confirmation of this. One friend of mine heard that four people have been found dead. Another friend heard, via a radio report, that the baby may have been with a member of the family and was not at home when the collapse occured. Also, the dogs that came with the Miami Dade team, have not found any signs of life.
ORIGINAL POST:
I've just gotten home (about 2 AM). Where I was is of no importance (The Gap), where I drove past, however, is.
Without thinking about and realizing it, I found myself in the Brittons Hill area, enroute to home. I stopped for the lights somewhere in the Dalkeith area (sorry, I'm not good with places). These are the traffic lights just before the Brittons Hill post office. Going straight would've taken you past the post office. I was waiting to turn left. I looked ahead and saw two huge yellowish, cranes towering above all else. Bright, white light flooded the surrounding area. Lights that reminded me of the National Stadium at night. It's a scene that's impossible to miss.
From my position, the cranes appeared motionless. No audible sounds of activity either, at least, none that my ears could discern. I made a left turn and then a right at the next set of lights. Drove past the Shell(?) gas station on my right. Another view of the site. Again, the two huge cranes in plain view, surrounded by the flood lights. No motion, no sounds. All quiet.
I had my camera with me and thought about stopping to take a picture of the cranes and the lights. Thankfully, common sense got the better of me and I continued my drive home. Stopping on the road at two in the morning, by yourself, is generally not a good idea.
I don't know, but I can only hope that, judging by the motionless cranes and stillness of the area, the missing family was found and rescued in time.
Barbados Free Press has pictures of the disaster and Barbados Underground has a picture of the remains of the apartment building that collapsed.
"Rescuers get moving at 10:30 a.m." From The Advocate's website.
"Stress runs high on disaster site" From The Advocate's website.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Barbados: Apartment Collapses Into Cave. Cries For Help Have Faded
UPDATE: Click here to see where the Brittons Hill area is, via Google Maps.
The map is centered around what I think is, the Brittons Hill area. If you zoom out, you should able to orient yourself by looking for familiar landmarks. For example, the junction and set of traffic lights at the bottom of Collymore Rock (a.k.a Lower Collymore Rock).
If you were leaving Bridgetown and approaching the lights and you turned left, you'd be in the Bellville area. If you turn right, you'll pass (on your left) the two buildings at Chelson Park (Royal Bank of Canada being one of the companies there). If you went straight across the junction, the first major building on your left would be the offices of IBM, the next left would be the Bishop's Court Hill area, next right turn would be the Brittons Hill area. These are, ofcourse, rough directions and should be treated accordingly.
Thanks to "Adrian2," a BFP reader, who made the Google Maps suggestion.
Click here for an interesting comment by BFP reader "Petros" on the geology of Barbados.
ORIGINAL POST:
This from the CBC website:
"Apartment block collapses into underground cave. Family trapped since early morning
Sunday, 26 August 2007
Efforts are underway to rescue a family of four trapped underground after part of the apartment building they were living in collapsed into a cave, early Sunday morning.Police, fire and Disaster Emergency Management Agency officials were out in full force on the scene in St. Michael where the incident occurred about 4:45 a.m.
Acting Commissioner of Police Bertie Hinds said engineering experts had to determine whether the area was safe enough to proceed with the rescue attempt, but just after 10 a.m., a two-man team was sent in.
He said they had heard voices crying for help up to four hours after the incident. But he said those cries have become fainter and up to 8 a.m., no one else was heard.
Three other families living in the apartment building managed to get out safely and temporary shelter is being provided for them in a nearby school.
Residents within 500 feet of the area have been evacuated in the interest of safety but officials say they will have to make a determination on whether the area will be declared a disaster area.
Prime Minister Owen Arthur, other government officials and Opposition Leader, David Thompson went on the scene as efforts progressed.
Arthur described the incident as a catastrophe and said he has put a team in place to manage the situation."
The map is centered around what I think is, the Brittons Hill area. If you zoom out, you should able to orient yourself by looking for familiar landmarks. For example, the junction and set of traffic lights at the bottom of Collymore Rock (a.k.a Lower Collymore Rock).
If you were leaving Bridgetown and approaching the lights and you turned left, you'd be in the Bellville area. If you turn right, you'll pass (on your left) the two buildings at Chelson Park (Royal Bank of Canada being one of the companies there). If you went straight across the junction, the first major building on your left would be the offices of IBM, the next left would be the Bishop's Court Hill area, next right turn would be the Brittons Hill area. These are, ofcourse, rough directions and should be treated accordingly.
Thanks to "Adrian2," a BFP reader, who made the Google Maps suggestion.
Click here for an interesting comment by BFP reader "Petros" on the geology of Barbados.
ORIGINAL POST:
This from the CBC website:
"Apartment block collapses into underground cave. Family trapped since early morning
Sunday, 26 August 2007
Efforts are underway to rescue a family of four trapped underground after part of the apartment building they were living in collapsed into a cave, early Sunday morning.Police, fire and Disaster Emergency Management Agency officials were out in full force on the scene in St. Michael where the incident occurred about 4:45 a.m.
Acting Commissioner of Police Bertie Hinds said engineering experts had to determine whether the area was safe enough to proceed with the rescue attempt, but just after 10 a.m., a two-man team was sent in.
He said they had heard voices crying for help up to four hours after the incident. But he said those cries have become fainter and up to 8 a.m., no one else was heard.
Three other families living in the apartment building managed to get out safely and temporary shelter is being provided for them in a nearby school.
Residents within 500 feet of the area have been evacuated in the interest of safety but officials say they will have to make a determination on whether the area will be declared a disaster area.
Prime Minister Owen Arthur, other government officials and Opposition Leader, David Thompson went on the scene as efforts progressed.
Arthur described the incident as a catastrophe and said he has put a team in place to manage the situation."
Barbados: Apartment Collapses Into Cave
UPDATED: A reliable friend of mine has information from someone who lives nearby:
This via e-mail:
1.The apt is brittons cross road (the one way). A little ways past the st. pauls primary school.
2. Its ONE apt, part of another and 2 garages that fell into the cave.
3. They were building and additional building for a pre-school or nursery.
4. The apt building is located above the mouth of the cave.Instead of at either side or a little futher back where the roof of the cave is not so high.
ORIGINAL POST:
Barbados Free Press is all over it:
Family of four missing.
Apartment was built on known cave that goes down 100 feet.
Entire area (Brittons Hill?) may be evacuated as several cracks are being seen.
Heavy equipment on site to remove the roof of the collapsed building.
Prime Minister to address the country at 5 PM today.
This via e-mail:
1.The apt is brittons cross road (the one way). A little ways past the st. pauls primary school.
2. Its ONE apt, part of another and 2 garages that fell into the cave.
3. They were building and additional building for a pre-school or nursery.
4. The apt building is located above the mouth of the cave.Instead of at either side or a little futher back where the roof of the cave is not so high.
ORIGINAL POST:
Barbados Free Press is all over it:
Friday, August 24, 2007
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"
Lolcat's are either just plain stupid, or flat out hilarious. I'm leaning towards the latter. Like 'em? Be sure to check out the definitive lolcats archive: I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER? Also, click here to view a few lolcat images that I created.
Lolcat's are either just plain stupid, or flat out hilarious. I'm leaning towards the latter. Like 'em? Be sure to check out the definitive lolcats archive: I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER? Also, click here to view a few lolcat images that I created.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Mexico Expert(?)
I saw this intereview a few days on ago on CNN and I still can't stop thinking about it. Hurricane Dean was, at the time, either approaching or already interacting with Mexico and CNN was interviewing this guy, this "Mexico Expert." No disrespect to CNN, or to the guy in particular, but he (to me at least) didn't look like a Mexican. In fact, he looked and sounded very North American.
This made me wonder, what qualified him to bill himself as an expert on Mexico? Did he live in Mexico for a period of time, did he study there, does he have family or relatives from, or living there, does he vacation there frequently? Is he familiar with the plights of Mexicans? Has he slummed around in Mexico, that is, has he lived the good life and the bad life? Is he aware of Mexico's history, is he up-to-date on Mexican current events and so on and so forth.
In the interest of full disclosure, with the exception of border crossing, illegal immigrants, cheap mexican labour issues, sombrero's, middle america, tacos, enchiladas and something about the water not being safe to drink, I haven't a clue about Mexico. As such, you'll never find me proclaiming to be an expert on that country or any other country for that matter.
So that's what made me wonder...how does one go about claiming to be an expert on Mexico in particular and other countries in general. There's obviously a way, if not, then why would he be called a "Mexico Expert?"
This made me wonder, what qualified him to bill himself as an expert on Mexico? Did he live in Mexico for a period of time, did he study there, does he have family or relatives from, or living there, does he vacation there frequently? Is he familiar with the plights of Mexicans? Has he slummed around in Mexico, that is, has he lived the good life and the bad life? Is he aware of Mexico's history, is he up-to-date on Mexican current events and so on and so forth.
In the interest of full disclosure, with the exception of border crossing, illegal immigrants, cheap mexican labour issues, sombrero's, middle america, tacos, enchiladas and something about the water not being safe to drink, I haven't a clue about Mexico. As such, you'll never find me proclaiming to be an expert on that country or any other country for that matter.
So that's what made me wonder...how does one go about claiming to be an expert on Mexico in particular and other countries in general. There's obviously a way, if not, then why would he be called a "Mexico Expert?"
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Presenting: The Java Bean Group Comic
Folks, it is with great pleasure that I present to you the (mis-adventures?) of The Java Bean Group, also known as TJB, in comic form!
For those of you who are unaware (which is pretty much everyone), The Java Bean was the name of a local coffee establishment that our small circle of friends used to frequent. After all, it was owned and operated by people from our own group.
Many a night (and early morning) found us hanging out at "The Bean." There was food, drinks, coffee, computers, high-speed Internet and games! No doubt, Call Of Duty was a big favourite (and still is). Players screaming bloody murder as bullet-proof and bullet-dodging game characters escaped, what appeard to be, certain death.
Sadly, the coffee shop folded and TJB moved into cyberspace by way of a private e-mail list. Members still frequently gather to play volleyball and for a social drink in The Gap.
Our discussions and debates are legendary as is the amount of nonsense we talk about. So when it was suggested that some of our hi-jinx and stories be drawn up in comic form, with a bit of fiction thrown in to protect the innocent, it was quickly agreed upon by everyone.
Thanks to artistic talents of Aguin and to the TJB group for inspiration, our first comic is complete. It may be the last, but that doesn't matter. It was a suggestion that was thought of, approved and executed by members of our group.
Like it or lump it World, The Java Bean Group comic is here!
Folks, it is with great pleasure that I present to you the (mis-adventures?) of The Java Bean Group, also known as TJB, in comic form!
For those of you who are unaware (which is pretty much everyone), The Java Bean was the name of a local coffee establishment that our small circle of friends used to frequent. After all, it was owned and operated by people from our own group.
Many a night (and early morning) found us hanging out at "The Bean." There was food, drinks, coffee, computers, high-speed Internet and games! No doubt, Call Of Duty was a big favourite (and still is). Players screaming bloody murder as bullet-proof and bullet-dodging game characters escaped, what appeard to be, certain death.
Sadly, the coffee shop folded and TJB moved into cyberspace by way of a private e-mail list. Members still frequently gather to play volleyball and for a social drink in The Gap.
Our discussions and debates are legendary as is the amount of nonsense we talk about. So when it was suggested that some of our hi-jinx and stories be drawn up in comic form, with a bit of fiction thrown in to protect the innocent, it was quickly agreed upon by everyone.
Thanks to artistic talents of Aguin and to the TJB group for inspiration, our first comic is complete. It may be the last, but that doesn't matter. It was a suggestion that was thought of, approved and executed by members of our group.
Like it or lump it World, The Java Bean Group comic is here!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Hurricane DEAN: Gone, But Not Forgotten
With Dean no longer a threat to Jamaica, the work involved to return to normalcy is probably well underway. However, it is not completely over. Dean is now a CAT 5 hurricane and heading towards Yucatan.
An unexpected result of Dean's passing has been the huge increase in web traffic to this little blog. At the time of this post, it has attracted 553 hits (or 785 page views). As funny as this may seem, that's a huge number for this site.
Before Dean came into the picture, I was lucky to get at most, 50 hits per day. Then I started tracking Dean and that's when the traffic started to climb. What really sent it shooting was, I think, two things: 1) The fact that Barbados was the 'first country' that Dean was going to pass. Look at a map of the Caribbean and you'll see what I mean. 2) The post entitled: "Hurricane DEAN: Pictures From Barbados." Google loved that. This blog showed up on the first page of results for the query: "hurricane dean pictures."
Now that Dean has passed (and hit) other countries, and now that other people have taken pictures and uploaded them to the web, the traffic to this site will steadily decline. I'm already seeing it happen. Over the weekend, I was getting anywhere between 20 to 30+ hits per hour. The last hour resulted in only 11. Google is probably tired of this blog and is finding other pages. As such, my position in Google's returned results page is starting to drop.
This is not a big deal. Don't get me wrong, it was exciting while it lasted. I never intended to attract huge numbers to my blog by covering natural (or man made) disasters. It just happened. Why? A friend of mine (who works in the newspaper biz) had this to say on my amazement at the increase in traffic:
"nothing boost blog hits like bad weather or war..."
Indeed. A similar situation is the way most of us slow down while driving to observe a car accident on the highway. Or why we watch the television whenever there are reports of violence and mayhem, or read about such things online, or in the print media. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It appears to be human nature.
In conclusion, I wonder, is it reasonable to ask why we (or a decent-sized portion of the human population) are fascinated or intrigued by death, destruction, violence, suffering, mayhem and that sort of thing? Or is the answer to that question obvious?
An unexpected result of Dean's passing has been the huge increase in web traffic to this little blog. At the time of this post, it has attracted 553 hits (or 785 page views). As funny as this may seem, that's a huge number for this site.
Before Dean came into the picture, I was lucky to get at most, 50 hits per day. Then I started tracking Dean and that's when the traffic started to climb. What really sent it shooting was, I think, two things: 1) The fact that Barbados was the 'first country' that Dean was going to pass. Look at a map of the Caribbean and you'll see what I mean. 2) The post entitled: "Hurricane DEAN: Pictures From Barbados." Google loved that. This blog showed up on the first page of results for the query: "hurricane dean pictures."
Now that Dean has passed (and hit) other countries, and now that other people have taken pictures and uploaded them to the web, the traffic to this site will steadily decline. I'm already seeing it happen. Over the weekend, I was getting anywhere between 20 to 30+ hits per hour. The last hour resulted in only 11. Google is probably tired of this blog and is finding other pages. As such, my position in Google's returned results page is starting to drop.
This is not a big deal. Don't get me wrong, it was exciting while it lasted. I never intended to attract huge numbers to my blog by covering natural (or man made) disasters. It just happened. Why? A friend of mine (who works in the newspaper biz) had this to say on my amazement at the increase in traffic:
"nothing boost blog hits like bad weather or war..."
Indeed. A similar situation is the way most of us slow down while driving to observe a car accident on the highway. Or why we watch the television whenever there are reports of violence and mayhem, or read about such things online, or in the print media. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It appears to be human nature.
In conclusion, I wonder, is it reasonable to ask why we (or a decent-sized portion of the human population) are fascinated or intrigued by death, destruction, violence, suffering, mayhem and that sort of thing? Or is the answer to that question obvious?
Hurricane DEAN: Jamaica, UNCONFIRMED Reports Of Looting
The following information was recieved, as is in some cases, via e-mail and IS UNCONFIRMED:
Apparently stores are close and there is looting and shooting going on in Jamaica.
A Jamaica-based manager of a regional commercial enterprise, says it doesn't seem as though there was much damage there from his vantage point.
(We are not sure where in Jamaica he is based).
What I can CONFIRM is this:
A friend of mine has family in Jamaica and they've been calling trying to make contact, but have not gotten through as yet.
From the Go-Jamaica Huricane Dean Watch blog:
'Dean' batters Portland
Firemen 'abandon' Port Royal station
Shelters in need of more supplies
(We are not sure where in Jamaica he is based).
What I can CONFIRM is this:
From the Go-Jamaica Huricane Dean Watch blog:
'Dean' batters Portland
Firemen 'abandon' Port Royal station
Shelters in need of more supplies
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Hurricane DEAN: Jamaica
It appears that the Jamaica Gleaner has a Hurricane Dean blog up and running. Click here to view it.
[via Barbados Free Press]
I'm no weather forecaster, but after looking at this animated Atlantic Satellite map (taken at 00:00 GMT Aug 20), it looks like the eye of Dean passed extremely close to Jamaica. Despite this, Jamaica must have still taken an extremely severe pounding from Dean.
[via Intellicast.com]
[via Barbados Free Press]
I'm no weather forecaster, but after looking at this animated Atlantic Satellite map (taken at 00:00 GMT Aug 20), it looks like the eye of Dean passed extremely close to Jamaica. Despite this, Jamaica must have still taken an extremely severe pounding from Dean.
[via Intellicast.com]
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Hurricane DEAN: Jamaica (Not Queens, The Island!)
Aug 24 UPDATE: I've removed the weather map that was here because it wasn't a static map and has changed several times. Hurricane Dean has now come and gone.
Jamaica. Population: 2,780,132 (July 2007 est.). Birthplace of reggae. Home to international superstars like: Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Sean Paul, Beenie Man and several others. Ian Fleming, the author, lived in Jamaica and used the island as a setting in a few of his James Bond novels. The Rastafari movement and dreadlocks, a symbol of the movement, emerged out of Jamaica.
These little bits of trivia, while not worth mentioning in light of Hurricane Dean's deadly approach, hopefully give you something to identify with, in case you've never been, or know anyone from Jamaica. Like Hurricane Gilbert that devasted the island in '88, killing around 45 people and costing some $4 billion in damages, Dean will no doubt be just as terrible, maybe worse.
Category 4 (may change to 5) DEAN heads for Jamaica:
From Jamaica Gleaner: Full alert! Hurricane emergency workers summoned, shelter managers on standby
From The Jamaica Observer: Dean on course. Jamaica on hurricane watch as power storm approaches
From The Drudge Report: FLASH: Could be unprecedented event for Jamaica; direct hit with 150 MPH sustained winds [topping Hurricane Gilbert’s 135 MPH winds [Sept. 1988] and Charlie’s 100 MPH winds in 1951]… Population of Jamaica is nearly 3 million people; and is 49th most densely-populated country in world…
From AccuWeather.com: Dangerous Dean Eyeing Jamaica
From CNN.com: Dean's threat spreads across Caribbean and into space
From Bloomberg.com: Hurricane Dean Heads for Dominican Republic, Jamaica (Update2)
Jamaica. Population: 2,780,132 (July 2007 est.). Birthplace of reggae. Home to international superstars like: Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Sean Paul, Beenie Man and several others. Ian Fleming, the author, lived in Jamaica and used the island as a setting in a few of his James Bond novels. The Rastafari movement and dreadlocks, a symbol of the movement, emerged out of Jamaica.
These little bits of trivia, while not worth mentioning in light of Hurricane Dean's deadly approach, hopefully give you something to identify with, in case you've never been, or know anyone from Jamaica. Like Hurricane Gilbert that devasted the island in '88, killing around 45 people and costing some $4 billion in damages, Dean will no doubt be just as terrible, maybe worse.
Category 4 (may change to 5) DEAN heads for Jamaica:
From Jamaica Gleaner: Full alert! Hurricane emergency workers summoned, shelter managers on standby
From The Jamaica Observer: Dean on course. Jamaica on hurricane watch as power storm approaches
From The Drudge Report: FLASH: Could be unprecedented event for Jamaica; direct hit with 150 MPH sustained winds [topping Hurricane Gilbert’s 135 MPH winds [Sept. 1988] and Charlie’s 100 MPH winds in 1951]… Population of Jamaica is nearly 3 million people; and is 49th most densely-populated country in world…
From AccuWeather.com: Dangerous Dean Eyeing Jamaica
From CNN.com: Dean's threat spreads across Caribbean and into space
From Bloomberg.com: Hurricane Dean Heads for Dominican Republic, Jamaica (Update2)
Friday, August 17, 2007
Hurricane DEAN: Two Dead In Dominica, One Dead In St. Lucia, Widespread Damage
From TheDominican.net:
A woman and her son died after been buried by a landslide in Campbell; the woman’s body has been retrieved and that of the son is still missing;
There is extensive crop damage; particularly bananas;
Several homes lost their roofs and there was some structural damage to buildings across the island;
The Roseau river overflowed its banks and at one point crested over the bridge;
From CBC.bb:
At least one person was confirmed dead and a massive clean up campaign was under way in St. Lucia Friday, as Hurricane Dean left a trail of destruction to the island's infrastructure during its trek across the Eastern Caribbean
More information on Dean's passage through the Caribbean:
From Pull! Push! Pictures from Barbados taken on Aug 17
From The Bajan Reporter, Barbados' Official Emergency Shelter List For 2007
From CNN.com, Dean strengthens to Category 3 hurricane, heads to Gulf of Mexico
From ABC News, Hurricane Dean hits Caribbean
From NZ Herald, Hurricane Dean blows into Caribbean
From Forbes.com, Hurricane Dean Gains Power in Caribbean
From Bloomberg.com: Hurricane Dean Intensifies, Passes Lesser Antilles (Update 7)
From CBC.bb:
At least one person was confirmed dead and a massive clean up campaign was under way in St. Lucia Friday, as Hurricane Dean left a trail of destruction to the island's infrastructure during its trek across the Eastern Caribbean
More information on Dean's passage through the Caribbean:
From Pull! Push! Pictures from Barbados taken on Aug 17
From The Bajan Reporter, Barbados' Official Emergency Shelter List For 2007
From CNN.com, Dean strengthens to Category 3 hurricane, heads to Gulf of Mexico
From ABC News, Hurricane Dean hits Caribbean
From NZ Herald, Hurricane Dean blows into Caribbean
From Forbes.com, Hurricane Dean Gains Power in Caribbean
From Bloomberg.com: Hurricane Dean Intensifies, Passes Lesser Antilles (Update 7)
Labels: Caribbean, Dominica, hurricane, life, Martinique, St. Lucia, weather
Hurricane DEAN: Pictures From Barbados
Aug 19 UPDATE: I've added a few pictures from a friend. These were taken between Aug 16 and 17. Scroll down past mine and you'll see them. All of the pictures on this page were taken in Barbados.
We suffered minimal damage (if any at all) from DEAN. Other countries, in particular St. Lucia and Dominica, suffered much worse. As I type this (just after 1715 hrs), DEAN is probably ripping through Jamaica, wreaking havoc and causing widespread damage. I do not have pictures of these other countries, so if you're looking for some, you won't find any. Sorry.
Left home at around 7:30 this morning, headed to the office. Before rushing out, I grabbed my digital camera and took a few pictures of the drive up.
Somewhere in the Pine, St. Michael. No branches, or leaves littering the road. Looks clean to me.
Still in the Pine, St. Michael (I think).
St. Michael area. Heading towards the roundabout before Bussa Statue, where I will turn left and go up the new highway.
A section of the new extended highway. What was once two lanes (up and down) will soon become four lanes (two up, two down, I think).
Still on the highway, heading north. Will soon reach the roundabout by BS&T and First Caribbean Int'l Bank (Warrens, St. Michael). Folks, this is usually a busy road, especially early in the morning with people rushing to and fro. Not today though.
Same as above.
Welcome to Warrens, St. Michael. The dome shaped building off to the left is BS&T's motor vehicle dealership (is it still owned by BS&T?). State owned and operated, the blue and yellow-striped bus negotiates the roundabout.
Approaching the roundabout. Simpson Motors, would be to my right, Shell gas station and Cheffette, to my left. I'm heading right, passed Simpson Motors.
Arch Hall fire station coming up on my left. Must be close to, if not in, St. Thomas by now. By this point, the amount of rain falling had increased in comparison to my drive through St. Michael.
Can't remember which highway this is. But I would've driven through the junction where you can turn left to go to Westmoreland, or turn right and go to Apes Hill. Must be somwehere in St. James.
Ahh, St. Lucy. Top of the island.
DEAN was passing close to the north of the island. This coconut tree survived. The winds could not have been that bad. I rarely saw any debri on the road along the way to work.
I'm less than a minute away from the office. No major road hazards encountered along the way. Just alot of rain, difficult to see the road at times, but not impossible once you take your time and stay alert.
A few pictures from a friend:
Before DEAN. Welches Beach, Christ Church, Aug 16th at around 5:00 PM.
On the day of DEAN. Welches Beach, Christ Church. Aug 17th at around 9:30 AM.
The beach behind KFC, Hastings, Christ Church. Aug 17th at around 2:00 PM.
We suffered minimal damage (if any at all) from DEAN. Other countries, in particular St. Lucia and Dominica, suffered much worse. As I type this (just after 1715 hrs), DEAN is probably ripping through Jamaica, wreaking havoc and causing widespread damage. I do not have pictures of these other countries, so if you're looking for some, you won't find any. Sorry.
Left home at around 7:30 this morning, headed to the office. Before rushing out, I grabbed my digital camera and took a few pictures of the drive up.
Somewhere in the Pine, St. Michael. No branches, or leaves littering the road. Looks clean to me.
Still in the Pine, St. Michael (I think).
St. Michael area. Heading towards the roundabout before Bussa Statue, where I will turn left and go up the new highway.
A section of the new extended highway. What was once two lanes (up and down) will soon become four lanes (two up, two down, I think).
Still on the highway, heading north. Will soon reach the roundabout by BS&T and First Caribbean Int'l Bank (Warrens, St. Michael). Folks, this is usually a busy road, especially early in the morning with people rushing to and fro. Not today though.
Same as above.
Welcome to Warrens, St. Michael. The dome shaped building off to the left is BS&T's motor vehicle dealership (is it still owned by BS&T?). State owned and operated, the blue and yellow-striped bus negotiates the roundabout.
Approaching the roundabout. Simpson Motors, would be to my right, Shell gas station and Cheffette, to my left. I'm heading right, passed Simpson Motors.
Arch Hall fire station coming up on my left. Must be close to, if not in, St. Thomas by now. By this point, the amount of rain falling had increased in comparison to my drive through St. Michael.
Can't remember which highway this is. But I would've driven through the junction where you can turn left to go to Westmoreland, or turn right and go to Apes Hill. Must be somwehere in St. James.
Ahh, St. Lucy. Top of the island.
DEAN was passing close to the north of the island. This coconut tree survived. The winds could not have been that bad. I rarely saw any debri on the road along the way to work.
I'm less than a minute away from the office. No major road hazards encountered along the way. Just alot of rain, difficult to see the road at times, but not impossible once you take your time and stay alert.
A few pictures from a friend:
Before DEAN. Welches Beach, Christ Church, Aug 16th at around 5:00 PM.
On the day of DEAN. Welches Beach, Christ Church. Aug 17th at around 9:30 AM.
The beach behind KFC, Hastings, Christ Church. Aug 17th at around 2:00 PM.
Hurricane DEAN: Afermath(?)
Intermittent, heavy showers continue to drench the north of the island (click here for a map, look for St. Lucy). In Christ Church, the southernmost parish, a friend of mine tells me via IM, that "nuff" (Barbadian for "plenty") rain is falling in the Hastings area.
DEAN continues to gain strength (as per NHC advisory no. 17) and is expected to become a major hurricane. At the time of this post, it appears to be marching through the islands of the Lesser Antilles.
Click here for Public Advisory 17, from the National Hurricane Center.
Click here for the Atlantic Infrared Satellite image, from Intellicast.com
DEAN continues to gain strength (as per NHC advisory no. 17) and is expected to become a major hurricane. At the time of this post, it appears to be marching through the islands of the Lesser Antilles.
Click here for Public Advisory 17, from the National Hurricane Center.
Click here for the Atlantic Infrared Satellite image, from Intellicast.com
Hurricane DEAN: The Day After(?)
It's just after 7:30 in the morning. The skies are still overcast, it's raining and strong breezes and sudden gusts of wind, are both putting in an appearance. I have heard that the ALL CLEAR has been given. Time to head up north, to the office (and also, where DEAN's affects would've been felt most). Looking at the latest satellite map, it looks as though we are feeling the tail effects of DEAN.
Hurricane DEAN: All Quiet
It's just after one in the morning. Where I live, in St. Michael, we've had hardly any rain, no high winds (but a few short gusts), no thunder and no lightning. I'm unaware as to what is happening around the rest of the island.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Hurricane DEAN Now CAT 2
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 100 MPH...160 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DEAN IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. STRONGER WINDS...ESPECIALLY IN GUSTS...ARE LIKELY OVER ELEVATED TERRAIN. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST BEFORE THE HURRICANE REACHES THE LESSER ANTILLES.
[snippet via National Hurricane Center]
Hurricane DEAN is near latitude 14.0 north. This is good (for Barbados). Over the last several hours, it has slowly turned northwards. At the time of this post, the skies are overcast (where I live, near the south of the isle) and we've already experienced periods of heavy, followed by light showers.
[snippet via National Hurricane Center]
Hurricane DEAN is near latitude 14.0 north. This is good (for Barbados). Over the last several hours, it has slowly turned northwards. At the time of this post, the skies are overcast (where I live, near the south of the isle) and we've already experienced periods of heavy, followed by light showers.
Hurricane DEAN
Despite the fact that it looks like Hurricane DEAN may pass to the north of the island, there is a tropical storm warning in effect for Barbados.
No doubt many people will stock up on supplies, clear their property of loose debri, secure windows, etcetera. One can never be sure with hurricanes. Current news reports indicate that DEAN will begin affecting us tonight.
Fifty-two years ago, Hurricane Janet (the most powerful hurricane of the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season), hit Barbados as a Cat 3. It eventually made it to Cat 5 status and left widespread damage and loss of life in its wake. Since then, Barbados has been extremely lucky and has avoided a hit from the majority of hurricanes, if not all, since Janet.
********************************************************
000
WTNT34 KNHC 161224
TCPAT4
BULLETIN
HURRICANE DEAN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 12A...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042007
800 AM AST THU AUG 16 2007
...CORRECTED REPEAT SECTION PRESSURE...
...STRENGTHENING DEAN SPEEDS TOWARD THE LESSER ANTILLES...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF DOMINICA AND ST. LUCIA. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.
A HURRICANE WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE ISLANDS OF MARTINIQUE...GUADELOUPE AND ITS DEPENDENCIES...SABA...AND ST. EUSTATIUS. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED FOR SOME OF THESE ISLANDS
LATER THIS MORNING.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR BARBADOS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
********************************************************
Click here to read the remainder of the advisory.
[via National Hurricane Center]
No doubt many people will stock up on supplies, clear their property of loose debri, secure windows, etcetera. One can never be sure with hurricanes. Current news reports indicate that DEAN will begin affecting us tonight.
Fifty-two years ago, Hurricane Janet (the most powerful hurricane of the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season), hit Barbados as a Cat 3. It eventually made it to Cat 5 status and left widespread damage and loss of life in its wake. Since then, Barbados has been extremely lucky and has avoided a hit from the majority of hurricanes, if not all, since Janet.
********************************************************
000
WTNT34 KNHC 161224
TCPAT4
BULLETIN
HURRICANE DEAN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 12A...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042007
800 AM AST THU AUG 16 2007
...CORRECTED REPEAT SECTION PRESSURE...
...STRENGTHENING DEAN SPEEDS TOWARD THE LESSER ANTILLES...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF DOMINICA AND ST. LUCIA. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.
A HURRICANE WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE ISLANDS OF MARTINIQUE...GUADELOUPE AND ITS DEPENDENCIES...SABA...AND ST. EUSTATIUS. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED FOR SOME OF THESE ISLANDS
LATER THIS MORNING.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR BARBADOS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
********************************************************
Click here to read the remainder of the advisory.
[via National Hurricane Center]
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Tropical Storm DEAN Public Advisory No. 6
***DEAN slightly stronger***
***Max. sustained winds 50 mph***
***Predicted track has it going North of Barbados***
***Strengthing expected over the next 24 hrs***
000
WTNT34 KNHC 150247
TCPAT4
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM DEAN ADVISORY NUMBER 7
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042007
1100 PM AST TUE AUG 14 2007
...DEAN A LITTLE STRONGER...
INTERESTS IN THE LESSER ANTILLES SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF DEAN.
AT 1100 PM AST...0300Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM DEAN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 12.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 42.3 WEST OR ABOUT 1295 MILES...2085 KM...EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES.
DEAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 18 MPH...30 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH...85 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 50 MILES...85 KM FROM THE CENTER.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1000 MB...29.53 INCHES.
REPEATING THE 1100 PM AST POSITION...12.0 N...42.3 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 18 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...50 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1000 MB.
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 500 AM AST.
$$
FORECASTER BROWN
[via National Hurricane Center]
***Max. sustained winds 50 mph***
***Predicted track has it going North of Barbados***
***Strengthing expected over the next 24 hrs***
000
WTNT34 KNHC 150247
TCPAT4
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM DEAN ADVISORY NUMBER 7
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042007
1100 PM AST TUE AUG 14 2007
...DEAN A LITTLE STRONGER...
INTERESTS IN THE LESSER ANTILLES SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF DEAN.
AT 1100 PM AST...0300Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM DEAN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 12.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 42.3 WEST OR ABOUT 1295 MILES...2085 KM...EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES.
DEAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 18 MPH...30 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH...85 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 50 MILES...85 KM FROM THE CENTER.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1000 MB...29.53 INCHES.
REPEATING THE 1100 PM AST POSITION...12.0 N...42.3 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 18 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...50 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1000 MB.
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 500 AM AST.
$$
FORECASTER BROWN
[via National Hurricane Center]
Tropical Storm Dean
Tropical Storm DEAN Public Advisory:
000
WTNT34 KNHC 141433
TCPAT4
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM DEAN ADVISORY NUMBER 5
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042007
1100 AM AST TUE AUG 14 2007
...DEAN FORMS IN THE DEEP TROPICS...MIDWAY BETWEEN AFRICA AND THE LESSER ANTILLES...
INTERESTS IN THE LESSER ANTILLES SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF DEAN.
AT 1100 AM AST...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM DEAN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 11.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 39.4 WEST OR ABOUT 1030 MILES...1660 KM...WEST OF THE SOUTHERNMOST CAPE VERDE ISLANDS AND ABOUT 1490 MILES...2400 KM...EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES.
DEAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 23 MPH...37 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH...65 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES...55 KM MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1004 MB...29.65 INCHES.
REPEATING THE 1100 AM AST POSITION...11.7 N...39.4 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 23 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1004 MB.
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 500 PM AST.
$$
FORECASTER AVILA
[via National Hurricane Center]
Computer Model Hurricane Forecasts. Pay close attention to the BAMM model and where it shows DEAN passing, almost on top of Barbados.
[via Weather Underground]
000
WTNT34 KNHC 141433
TCPAT4
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM DEAN ADVISORY NUMBER 5
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042007
1100 AM AST TUE AUG 14 2007
...DEAN FORMS IN THE DEEP TROPICS...MIDWAY BETWEEN AFRICA AND THE LESSER ANTILLES...
INTERESTS IN THE LESSER ANTILLES SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF DEAN.
AT 1100 AM AST...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM DEAN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 11.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 39.4 WEST OR ABOUT 1030 MILES...1660 KM...WEST OF THE SOUTHERNMOST CAPE VERDE ISLANDS AND ABOUT 1490 MILES...2400 KM...EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES.
DEAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 23 MPH...37 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH...65 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES...55 KM MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1004 MB...29.65 INCHES.
REPEATING THE 1100 AM AST POSITION...11.7 N...39.4 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 23 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1004 MB.
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 500 PM AST.
$$
FORECASTER AVILA
[via National Hurricane Center]
Computer Model Hurricane Forecasts. Pay close attention to the BAMM model and where it shows DEAN passing, almost on top of Barbados.
[via Weather Underground]
China Bans Reincarnation, Plans To Takeover The Moon!
Described by Mathew Philips as one of history's "more absurd acts of totalitarianism," China has banned Tibetan Buddist monks from reincarnating without permission.
According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, this is "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation."
[via Digg]
In other news, the Beeb informs us of China's big push for the Moon. Part of which includes sending a spacecraft to Earth's satellite in three years' time and also plans for a Chinese space station.
[via BBC]
According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, this is "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation."
[via Digg]
In other news, the Beeb informs us of China's big push for the Moon. Part of which includes sending a spacecraft to Earth's satellite in three years' time and also plans for a Chinese space station.
[via BBC]
Labels: China, life, news. religion, politics, space
Monday, August 13, 2007
Movie "Review": Sunshine
Good or bad, I like sci-fi movies. This is not a "proper" review of Sunshine, but here goes anyway: The sun is dying, and the earth is trapped in a "solar winter." The spaceship Icarus II sets out towards the center of the solar system, equipped with a a "stellar bomb."
The bomb contains the Earth's remaining supply of uranium and dark matter. It is proposed that the detonation of the bomb will create "a big bang on a small scale," as Capa (played by Cillian Murphy of 28 Days Later) puts it, and therefore will re-ignite the sun. The cast also includes Cliff Curtis, of Live Free or Die Hard and Chris Evans, who I'm a bit tired of as a result of his hijinx in the Fantastic Four movies.
That's the basic plot. Some of the links above will, no doubt, lead you to spoilers and more teasers. Follow them at your own risk. I believe Sunshine is one of those pictures that you'll either like, or not. Like The Fountain, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris.
Go and see it for yourself and form your own opinion, or leave a comment if you've seen it already.
The bomb contains the Earth's remaining supply of uranium and dark matter. It is proposed that the detonation of the bomb will create "a big bang on a small scale," as Capa (played by Cillian Murphy of 28 Days Later) puts it, and therefore will re-ignite the sun. The cast also includes Cliff Curtis, of Live Free or Die Hard and Chris Evans, who I'm a bit tired of as a result of his hijinx in the Fantastic Four movies.
That's the basic plot. Some of the links above will, no doubt, lead you to spoilers and more teasers. Follow them at your own risk. I believe Sunshine is one of those pictures that you'll either like, or not. Like The Fountain, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris.
Go and see it for yourself and form your own opinion, or leave a comment if you've seen it already.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
World Drinking Map
Planning a trip with your chums? Wondering how old you have to be in order to purchase "spirits?" Have a look at the World Drinking Map before you head out the door and be sure to read the DISCLAIMER at the bottom of their page.
[via Digg]
[via Digg]
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Stolen: Apple PowerBook G4
An Apple PowerBook G4 was stolen yesterday (in Barbados). The serial number of the unit is: W843839VQRV. If you know something and you feel like squealing and ratting someone out, then contact David at dacpile(at)yahoo.com, his client is willing to "pay to recover it."
On a related note, Ars Technica has an article on software that helps you recover your stolen Mac.
[Thanks for the Ars Technica link Paul]
On a related note, Ars Technica has an article on software that helps you recover your stolen Mac.
[Thanks for the Ars Technica link Paul]
Friday, August 10, 2007
Meteor Shower, Aug 12/13
Lloyd Alter over at TreeHugger tells us to be on the lookout for The Perseid Meteor Shower. The show starts on August 12 at around midnight and lasts until around 2:00 AM, Monday.
[via Digg, TreeHugger, ESA Portal]
[via Digg, TreeHugger, ESA Portal]
Labels: space
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
1 Billion Chinese Can't Be Wrong, Or Can They?
The total number of human beings alive on the Planet Earth is, as of July 2007, 6.6 billion. Of that 6.6 billion, it is estimated that China's population is around 1.3 billion. China also has the largest number of active troops, estimated at around 2,255,000.
So it was out of pure curiousity that I read The Economist's article on China's "long march to be a superpower." While it may sound a bit silly, the most interesting part of the article, for me, was reading that since the 1980s, China has bought four aircraft-carriers. One of them, the Kiev, was once in the possession of the Soviet Union and is now a tourist attraction!
China was also no. 2 in the world when it came to 2006 oil consumption figures, with first place going to the United States and third place, Japan. According to a 2004 article on the BBC's website, China's rapidly expanding economy has created a huge demand for the fossil fuel.
So it was out of pure curiousity that I read The Economist's article on China's "long march to be a superpower." While it may sound a bit silly, the most interesting part of the article, for me, was reading that since the 1980s, China has bought four aircraft-carriers. One of them, the Kiev, was once in the possession of the Soviet Union and is now a tourist attraction!
China was also no. 2 in the world when it came to 2006 oil consumption figures, with first place going to the United States and third place, Japan. According to a 2004 article on the BBC's website, China's rapidly expanding economy has created a huge demand for the fossil fuel.
6 Million People, 117 Degrees And No Water
"For the past 24 hours, Baghdad has had virtually no running water. Major parts of the city of six million people have lacked running water for six days, while daily high temperatures have ranged from 115 to 120 degrees. The tiny amount of water dripping through the pipes is causing many of those who must drink it to suffer acute intestinal illness.
According to reports, not enough electricity is available to run Baghdad's water pumps. This in a country with vast energy resources."
[via Digg, Signs of the Times News]
Water Crisis
1.1 billion people live without clean drinking water
2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation (2002, UNICEF/WHO JMP 2004)
3 900 children die every day from water borne diseases (WHO 2004)
[via World Water Council]
Bet you're thirsty now, right? Better get a drink before the well runs dry.
According to reports, not enough electricity is available to run Baghdad's water pumps. This in a country with vast energy resources."
[via Digg, Signs of the Times News]
Water Crisis
[via World Water Council]
Bet you're thirsty now, right? Better get a drink before the well runs dry.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Peak Oil, Did You Miss It?
In case you did, click here to see view my short post on Peak Oil. If you're concerned about the future of oil, this may be worth reading. You should also spend some time going through some of the links in the post.
Don't Be Alarmed!
Folks, you may or may not have noticed that some of the words in my blog posts are now double underlined. This is a result of an ad revenue system called Kontera that I've signed up with. I discovered this system after reading about it on John Chow dot Com.
In addition to the Google Ads that I run, this will hopefully become an additional, viable source of ad revenue. This revenue will be used to offset the cost of running this site, as well as my other site, and to expand both of them.
In addition to the Google Ads that I run, this will hopefully become an additional, viable source of ad revenue. This revenue will be used to offset the cost of running this site, as well as my other site, and to expand both of them.
Labels: blogging
Ocean Park, Part Two
There are, as is often said, two sides to every coin (and to every story). I recently added my two cents to The Bajan Reporter's post concerning the death of marine life at Ocean Park Barbados.
While checking through my site's referral logs, I noticed a visit from Ian's article about Ocean Park. I checked through the comments and noticed one by Mitchel Hird. This person, it appears, is the Head Curator of Ocean Park and had this to say in response to Ian's post:
************************************************
"Dear Bajan Reporter
It was with no small measure of surprise and disbelief that I read your article “Barbadian Marine Habitat Under Fire….”
I am the Head Curator at Ocean Park. I have worked for the last 14 years in Public Aquariums around the world and am a qualified marine biologist.
Public aquariums are a powerful tool in the fight to conserve marine life and to educate the public, acting as centers for research and conservation. In the two years since opening, more than 20,000 local students have visited Ocean Park to learn about the island’s natural marine heritage.
The readers of Bajan Reporter might reasonably ask why they have been confronted with an apparent litany of damning accusations about Ocean Park. I will address these accusations below before discussing the motive.
1. Mortality rates: Contrary to the article, losses at Ocean Park for display animals are very low. This is not by accident. We invest in an extensive staff, purpose-built filtration and what is, in my opinion, one of the best- equipped aquarium laboratories for our size in the world. We have a specialist consultant veterinary company under contract that is flown over on a regular basis; and still further specialist support from world- leading diagnostic laboratories in London. A large proportion of the fish you will see at Ocean Park are caught by local fisherman. They are either destined to be sold at the fish market or are the accidental by-catch of modern fishing methods and will be thrown away dead or used as bait. We work with local fisherman to preserve these otherwise doomed fish. Due to the fishing methods used for catching food fish, we are occasionally presented with fish that are simply too badly damaged to survive.
2. Quarantine/ Sea Rescue: The article mentions fish being held in “crowded and confined conditions.” Our quarantine is spacious and state of the art. Animals are medicated with the best and most current drug therapies and their welfare is placed above all else.
3. Nutrition: The article refers to animals being poorly nourished. Ocean Park’s budget for food is in excess of $50,000 a year. We import well over 20 different types of food from all over the world. In point of fact, the clams we feed our new eagle rays are the same as those you’ll find on your plate at Sandy Lane! We are one of only a handful of public aquariums in the world using next-generation gel diets and tailor-made vitamin supplements.
4. Jumping fish: The large Gouramy that was found dead was the result of a break-in, during which someone attempted to catch and steal fish from the displays. The commotion caused by the nets being dragged through the displays caused the fish to jump. Security has since been further improved. Out of interest, the giant Gouramy was in fact a rescued animal, donated by a gentleman in Bridgetown who had kept the fish in a barrel for the last 2 years!
5. Decoration: The theming materials you will see around the park, such as the artificial coral, wood and fake foliage were bought and installed by a specialist theming company from Europe. Contrary to the article, we have absolutely no live coral on site.
6. Injured animals: The photographs of the injured rays suggest that the animals were injured at Ocean Park. The animal in question—a spotted eagle ray—was caught by local fishermen and was destined for Oistins Fish Market. The ray had been bitten on the flank by a shark or other predatory animal, prior to being caught. The spotted eagle ray was medicated and rehabilitated from its wound, which in the wild, would likely lead to its death. The ray now inhabits a lagoon-themed display that holds almost a quarter of a million liters.
7. Conservation statement: Within “Barbadian Marine Habitat Under Fire,” there is a picture of an old conservation sign. This sign is clearly not on display. It is actually in our workshop being used as a splash guard for a painting project—note the paint pots behind. This sign was taken down almost a year ago. It is a fact that Ocean Park is involved in numerous environmental projects, which merit its receipt of this year’s Environmental Excellence Award, presented at the independently-judged Barbados Tourism Awards. Some examples of these projects include:
• Tilapia farming trial aimed at reducing the pressure on local fisheries
• Water recycling
• “Clean-Up” Barbados Project
• Various smaller initiatives aimed at enhancing environmental education and reducing the park’s impact on natural resources
We have also been working for some months now on two new projects which are expected to yield important results in the coming year. These being:
• Collaborative scientific study with Oxford University on blood iodine levels in wild and captive sharks
• Participation in an international, interdisciplinary research project into endangered fish species around Barbados
8. Dolphins: The comments made by the author regarding Ocean Park’s plans for an interactive dolphin exhibit are ill-informed and misleading. This type of misinformation does nothing to further the cause of conservation. Instead it tarnishes the efforts of the new generation of marine mammal exhibitions that seek to protect and educate. Comments linking the collection of Dolphins for public aquariums as “reminiscent of the capture of slaves” whilst suggesting a connection with bloody Japanese Dolphin hunts are aimed at pandering to the fears of readers rather than having any factual merit.
It is disturbing to me that an individual would go to such lengths to spread such ill informed, malicious and, I would suggest, libelous accusations about Ocean Park. One wonders what would motivate an individual in this direction. Professional and personal ethics guide me to refrain from pointing the finger in this reply. I will simply state that Ocean Park has been the target of several destructive incidents and actions in the recent past. These combined with the accusations made by the articles source suggest internal knowledge of the Park, as well as a vindictive motive possibly stemming from prior dismissal. We are seeking advice from our solicitors in this regard.
I am surprised that the author of the article did not choose to question the motives or qualifications of his or her source. I would have expected that Ocean Park would have been contacted and given an opportunity to respond. If the author of “Barbadian Marine Habitat Under Fire” had put as much effort in to researching facts as he or she did into producing a story replete with fabrications and deceptive pseudoscience, perhaps the article would have read differently. I would suggest that the next time a story drops like “manna from the sky,” the Bajan Reporter display a helping of journalistic integrity by taking the time to investigate the validity of a source.
Whilst Ocean Park is a business, working with live animals dictates that a responsible environmental attitude and strong ethics are always present. Ocean Park’s doors are open. Visiting members of the public and members of the press have a standing invitation for a guided tour of the behind-the-scenes facilities, after which I hope all concerned would draw their own conclusions.
Mitchel Hird
Head Curator
Ocean Park"
************************************************
Assuming that this person is indeed who they claim to be, they've offered a standing invitiation (extended towards the public and to the press), for a behind-the-scenes, guided tour of the facility.
Awfully decent of them to make that offer. Remember, they didn't have to respond in the first place. Furthermore, the fact that they did respond is, in my humble opinion, more important because they have chosen to do so in a public forum. This too, should be applauded.
Ian, it looks like the ball is in your court. Why not take them up on their offer and have a look at the place?
While checking through my site's referral logs, I noticed a visit from Ian's article about Ocean Park. I checked through the comments and noticed one by Mitchel Hird. This person, it appears, is the Head Curator of Ocean Park and had this to say in response to Ian's post:
************************************************
"Dear Bajan Reporter
It was with no small measure of surprise and disbelief that I read your article “Barbadian Marine Habitat Under Fire….”
I am the Head Curator at Ocean Park. I have worked for the last 14 years in Public Aquariums around the world and am a qualified marine biologist.
Public aquariums are a powerful tool in the fight to conserve marine life and to educate the public, acting as centers for research and conservation. In the two years since opening, more than 20,000 local students have visited Ocean Park to learn about the island’s natural marine heritage.
The readers of Bajan Reporter might reasonably ask why they have been confronted with an apparent litany of damning accusations about Ocean Park. I will address these accusations below before discussing the motive.
1. Mortality rates: Contrary to the article, losses at Ocean Park for display animals are very low. This is not by accident. We invest in an extensive staff, purpose-built filtration and what is, in my opinion, one of the best- equipped aquarium laboratories for our size in the world. We have a specialist consultant veterinary company under contract that is flown over on a regular basis; and still further specialist support from world- leading diagnostic laboratories in London. A large proportion of the fish you will see at Ocean Park are caught by local fisherman. They are either destined to be sold at the fish market or are the accidental by-catch of modern fishing methods and will be thrown away dead or used as bait. We work with local fisherman to preserve these otherwise doomed fish. Due to the fishing methods used for catching food fish, we are occasionally presented with fish that are simply too badly damaged to survive.
2. Quarantine/ Sea Rescue: The article mentions fish being held in “crowded and confined conditions.” Our quarantine is spacious and state of the art. Animals are medicated with the best and most current drug therapies and their welfare is placed above all else.
3. Nutrition: The article refers to animals being poorly nourished. Ocean Park’s budget for food is in excess of $50,000 a year. We import well over 20 different types of food from all over the world. In point of fact, the clams we feed our new eagle rays are the same as those you’ll find on your plate at Sandy Lane! We are one of only a handful of public aquariums in the world using next-generation gel diets and tailor-made vitamin supplements.
4. Jumping fish: The large Gouramy that was found dead was the result of a break-in, during which someone attempted to catch and steal fish from the displays. The commotion caused by the nets being dragged through the displays caused the fish to jump. Security has since been further improved. Out of interest, the giant Gouramy was in fact a rescued animal, donated by a gentleman in Bridgetown who had kept the fish in a barrel for the last 2 years!
5. Decoration: The theming materials you will see around the park, such as the artificial coral, wood and fake foliage were bought and installed by a specialist theming company from Europe. Contrary to the article, we have absolutely no live coral on site.
6. Injured animals: The photographs of the injured rays suggest that the animals were injured at Ocean Park. The animal in question—a spotted eagle ray—was caught by local fishermen and was destined for Oistins Fish Market. The ray had been bitten on the flank by a shark or other predatory animal, prior to being caught. The spotted eagle ray was medicated and rehabilitated from its wound, which in the wild, would likely lead to its death. The ray now inhabits a lagoon-themed display that holds almost a quarter of a million liters.
7. Conservation statement: Within “Barbadian Marine Habitat Under Fire,” there is a picture of an old conservation sign. This sign is clearly not on display. It is actually in our workshop being used as a splash guard for a painting project—note the paint pots behind. This sign was taken down almost a year ago. It is a fact that Ocean Park is involved in numerous environmental projects, which merit its receipt of this year’s Environmental Excellence Award, presented at the independently-judged Barbados Tourism Awards. Some examples of these projects include:
• Tilapia farming trial aimed at reducing the pressure on local fisheries
• Water recycling
• “Clean-Up” Barbados Project
• Various smaller initiatives aimed at enhancing environmental education and reducing the park’s impact on natural resources
We have also been working for some months now on two new projects which are expected to yield important results in the coming year. These being:
• Collaborative scientific study with Oxford University on blood iodine levels in wild and captive sharks
• Participation in an international, interdisciplinary research project into endangered fish species around Barbados
8. Dolphins: The comments made by the author regarding Ocean Park’s plans for an interactive dolphin exhibit are ill-informed and misleading. This type of misinformation does nothing to further the cause of conservation. Instead it tarnishes the efforts of the new generation of marine mammal exhibitions that seek to protect and educate. Comments linking the collection of Dolphins for public aquariums as “reminiscent of the capture of slaves” whilst suggesting a connection with bloody Japanese Dolphin hunts are aimed at pandering to the fears of readers rather than having any factual merit.
It is disturbing to me that an individual would go to such lengths to spread such ill informed, malicious and, I would suggest, libelous accusations about Ocean Park. One wonders what would motivate an individual in this direction. Professional and personal ethics guide me to refrain from pointing the finger in this reply. I will simply state that Ocean Park has been the target of several destructive incidents and actions in the recent past. These combined with the accusations made by the articles source suggest internal knowledge of the Park, as well as a vindictive motive possibly stemming from prior dismissal. We are seeking advice from our solicitors in this regard.
I am surprised that the author of the article did not choose to question the motives or qualifications of his or her source. I would have expected that Ocean Park would have been contacted and given an opportunity to respond. If the author of “Barbadian Marine Habitat Under Fire” had put as much effort in to researching facts as he or she did into producing a story replete with fabrications and deceptive pseudoscience, perhaps the article would have read differently. I would suggest that the next time a story drops like “manna from the sky,” the Bajan Reporter display a helping of journalistic integrity by taking the time to investigate the validity of a source.
Whilst Ocean Park is a business, working with live animals dictates that a responsible environmental attitude and strong ethics are always present. Ocean Park’s doors are open. Visiting members of the public and members of the press have a standing invitation for a guided tour of the behind-the-scenes facilities, after which I hope all concerned would draw their own conclusions.
Mitchel Hird
Head Curator
Ocean Park"
************************************************
Assuming that this person is indeed who they claim to be, they've offered a standing invitiation (extended towards the public and to the press), for a behind-the-scenes, guided tour of the facility.
Awfully decent of them to make that offer. Remember, they didn't have to respond in the first place. Furthermore, the fact that they did respond is, in my humble opinion, more important because they have chosen to do so in a public forum. This too, should be applauded.
Ian, it looks like the ball is in your court. Why not take them up on their offer and have a look at the place?
Peak Oil. What It Is And Why You Should Be Worried
Peak Oil. Ever heard of it? No? Then you need to hear about it. Sooner or later, it will affect you and everything around you.
Is Peak Oil Real?
"As first expressed in Hubbert peak theory, Peak Oil is the point or timeframe at which the maximum global petroleum production rate is reached. After this timeframe, the rate of production will by definition enter terminal decline. According to the Hubbert model, production will follow a roughly symmetrical bell-shaped curve."
[via Wikipedia, Peak oil]
"Peak Oil is the simplest label for the problem of energy resource depletion, or more specifically, the peak in global oil production. Oil is a finite, non-renewable resource, one that has powered phenomenal economic and population growth over the last century and a half. The rate of oil 'production,' meaning extraction and refining (currently about 84 million barrels/day), has grown in most years over the last century, but once we go through the halfway point of all reserves, production becomes ever more likely to decline, hence 'peak'. Peak Oil means not 'running out of oil', but 'running out of cheap oil'. For societies leveraged on ever increasing amounts of cheap oil, the consequences may be dire. Without significant successful cultural reform, economic and social decline seems inevitable."
[via Energy Bulletin]
Top 3 World Oil Producers and Consumers (2006)
(Thousand barrels per day)
Top 3 World Oil Producers
1. Saudi Arabia 10,719
2. Russia 9,668
3. United States 8,367
Top 3 World Oil Consumers
1. United States 20,588
2. China 7,274
3. Japan 5,222
[via Energy Information Administration, Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government]
Is Peak Oil A Myth?
"Peak oil is a scam designed to create artificial scarcity and jack up prices while giving the state an excuse to invade our lives and order us to sacrifice our hard-earned living standards."
"Earlier this year Saudi Arabia reportedly increased its crude reserves by around 200 billion barrels. Saudi oil Is secure and plentiful, say officials.
Is this the normal course of behavior if we are currently at the peak for oil production? The answer is no, it's the normal course of action for increasing production.
There have also been reports that Russia has vastly increased its reserves even beyond those of Saudi Arabia. Why would they do this if they believed there would be no more oil to get hold of? It seems clear that Russia is ready for unlimited future production of oil.
There is a clear contradiction between the peak oil theory and the continual increase in oil reserves and production."
[via Prison Planet.com, The Myth Of Peak Oil]
Oil, Oil, Everywhere...
[via WSJ Article, Manhattan Institute]
Only time will tell if Peak Oil is real, or if it's a myth.
Is Peak Oil Real?
"As first expressed in Hubbert peak theory, Peak Oil is the point or timeframe at which the maximum global petroleum production rate is reached. After this timeframe, the rate of production will by definition enter terminal decline. According to the Hubbert model, production will follow a roughly symmetrical bell-shaped curve."
[via Wikipedia, Peak oil]
"Peak Oil is the simplest label for the problem of energy resource depletion, or more specifically, the peak in global oil production. Oil is a finite, non-renewable resource, one that has powered phenomenal economic and population growth over the last century and a half. The rate of oil 'production,' meaning extraction and refining (currently about 84 million barrels/day), has grown in most years over the last century, but once we go through the halfway point of all reserves, production becomes ever more likely to decline, hence 'peak'. Peak Oil means not 'running out of oil', but 'running out of cheap oil'. For societies leveraged on ever increasing amounts of cheap oil, the consequences may be dire. Without significant successful cultural reform, economic and social decline seems inevitable."
[via Energy Bulletin]
Top 3 World Oil Producers and Consumers (2006)
(Thousand barrels per day)
Top 3 World Oil Producers
1. Saudi Arabia 10,719
2. Russia 9,668
3. United States 8,367
Top 3 World Oil Consumers
1. United States 20,588
2. China 7,274
3. Japan 5,222
[via Energy Information Administration, Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government]
Is Peak Oil A Myth?
"Peak oil is a scam designed to create artificial scarcity and jack up prices while giving the state an excuse to invade our lives and order us to sacrifice our hard-earned living standards."
"Earlier this year Saudi Arabia reportedly increased its crude reserves by around 200 billion barrels. Saudi oil Is secure and plentiful, say officials.
Is this the normal course of behavior if we are currently at the peak for oil production? The answer is no, it's the normal course of action for increasing production.
There have also been reports that Russia has vastly increased its reserves even beyond those of Saudi Arabia. Why would they do this if they believed there would be no more oil to get hold of? It seems clear that Russia is ready for unlimited future production of oil.
There is a clear contradiction between the peak oil theory and the continual increase in oil reserves and production."
[via Prison Planet.com, The Myth Of Peak Oil]
Oil, Oil, Everywhere...
[via WSJ Article, Manhattan Institute]
Only time will tell if Peak Oil is real, or if it's a myth.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Today Is Grand Kadooment Day!
Grand Kadooment, while signalling the climax, is without a doubt, one of the most widely anticipated events of the Crop Over Festival. Folks, if you haven't figured it out by now, yes, today is a public holiday in Barbados.
With Caribbean-flavoured music blaring in the background and the sun high in the sky (hopefully), a sea of several thousands revellers, all dressed in brightly coloured, imaginative (and quite often skimpy) costumes, 'jump up,' dance, bump and grind their way from the National Stadium to the Spring Garden Highway.
A short video clip of Kadooment Day, Crop Over 2006
Another short video clip of Kadooment Day, Crop Over 2006
[via Barbados.org]
History of the Barbados Crop Over Festival
[via Fun Barbados]
With Caribbean-flavoured music blaring in the background and the sun high in the sky (hopefully), a sea of several thousands revellers, all dressed in brightly coloured, imaginative (and quite often skimpy) costumes, 'jump up,' dance, bump and grind their way from the National Stadium to the Spring Garden Highway.
A short video clip of Kadooment Day, Crop Over 2006
Another short video clip of Kadooment Day, Crop Over 2006
[via Barbados.org]
History of the Barbados Crop Over Festival
[via Fun Barbados]
Saturday, August 4, 2007
"When Vodka is your poison." LITERALLY.
"Thousands of Russians may have been poisoned by bootleg alcohol containing medical disinfectant causing drinkers' skin to turn yellow before they fall dangerously ill or die."
The opening paragraph of John Sweeney's story on the thousands of Russians who may have been poisoned by bootleg alcohol containing medical disinfecatant. I was watching Sweeney on the BBC this evening. Had to quit the TV and finish reading about his story on the Web.
Sweeney notices something about the light, or lack of it, that eats the soul in Russia, that makes you drink. Apparently one in six Russians is an alcoholic. As a result, President Putin introduced laws that seem to have had the effect of tripling the price of vodka, as well as threatening dire penalties if people drank moonshine a.k.a samogon in Russian.
But what else is there to do if your fellow countrymen (and countrywomen) love the stuff and can't afford the store-bought vodka? No problem. You bootleg it or you moonshine it and let the black market take care of the rest.
You also run the risk of drinking the stuff and ending up in the hospital a short while later. With yellow skin. And yellow eyes. Not the normal, healthy looking white. But yellow. I saw Sweeney on the TV, in Pskov, visiting a hospital filled with people who are suffering from drinking this liquid. These people were yellow and have died from this.
Sweeney ends his article by stating that when 'Extrasept,' a medical disinfectant and an additive to the moonshine, was tested on human liver cells, it killed every single one.
The opening paragraph of John Sweeney's story on the thousands of Russians who may have been poisoned by bootleg alcohol containing medical disinfecatant. I was watching Sweeney on the BBC this evening. Had to quit the TV and finish reading about his story on the Web.
Sweeney notices something about the light, or lack of it, that eats the soul in Russia, that makes you drink. Apparently one in six Russians is an alcoholic. As a result, President Putin introduced laws that seem to have had the effect of tripling the price of vodka, as well as threatening dire penalties if people drank moonshine a.k.a samogon in Russian.
But what else is there to do if your fellow countrymen (and countrywomen) love the stuff and can't afford the store-bought vodka? No problem. You bootleg it or you moonshine it and let the black market take care of the rest.
You also run the risk of drinking the stuff and ending up in the hospital a short while later. With yellow skin. And yellow eyes. Not the normal, healthy looking white. But yellow. I saw Sweeney on the TV, in Pskov, visiting a hospital filled with people who are suffering from drinking this liquid. These people were yellow and have died from this.
Sweeney ends his article by stating that when 'Extrasept,' a medical disinfectant and an additive to the moonshine, was tested on human liver cells, it killed every single one.
"Two Moons On Aug 27"
This e-mail landed in my Gmail account today:
*********************************************
Subject: Two moons
Subject: *Two moons on 27 August*
*27th Aug the Whole World is waiting for.............*
Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August.
It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will
cultivate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be
sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am. It will look like the earth
has 2 moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287 .
Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it
again.
*********************************************
After running it by Google, it turns out that it was true, back in 2003. Furthermore, according to the Urban Legends and Folklore section of About.com, the same e-mail made an appearance back in 2005 and 2006.
*********************************************
Subject: Two moons
Subject: *Two moons on 27 August*
*27th Aug the Whole World is waiting for.............*
Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August.
It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will
cultivate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be
sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am. It will look like the earth
has 2 moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287 .
Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it
again.
*********************************************
After running it by Google, it turns out that it was true, back in 2003. Furthermore, according to the Urban Legends and Folklore section of About.com, the same e-mail made an appearance back in 2005 and 2006.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Barbados' Ocean Park: The Big Fish Tank In The Sky?
On June/6/2007, The Nation newspaper ran an article announcing the $10m expansion plan for the island's lone marine aquarium, Ocean Park Barbados. One of the new additions will be a pool to allow "interactive swimming with dolphins."
That's an ambitious plan, but I'm not so sure that keeping dolphins at Ocean Park is a good idea. Unless of course, the proper support and environmental systems are in place and maintained by trained personnel, like say, a Marine Biologist, or someone similar.
In the interest of full disclosure, the only fish I like are the ones that I've already tasted and eaten at the dinner table. I've never been to Ocean Park and have never owned an aquarium. I have however been fishing. In a tiny boat. In choppy water. I shall not make the same mistake twice.
Thus, I quickly lost interest in the article. Until recently. Ian Bourne over at The Bajan Reporter has published a hard-hitting, in-depth analysis (complete with pics), of the fish deaths at Ocean Park that have occurred over the last year. Ian appears to have first hand knowledge of this foul play (or is it fish play?), since he openly admits to withholding his source's name for legal reasons.
Based upon what I've read concerning the planned expansion and in addition to the information I read at The Bajan Reporter, the Company should consider investing a portion of that expansion money into the hiring of an expert/professional and attempt to fix whatever is wrong at the Park. Alternatively, conduct an internal investigation into the cause of the deaths that have been blogged by Ian & Co. Do this before the dolphins get involved and before any further marine life is lost.
That's an ambitious plan, but I'm not so sure that keeping dolphins at Ocean Park is a good idea. Unless of course, the proper support and environmental systems are in place and maintained by trained personnel, like say, a Marine Biologist, or someone similar.
In the interest of full disclosure, the only fish I like are the ones that I've already tasted and eaten at the dinner table. I've never been to Ocean Park and have never owned an aquarium. I have however been fishing. In a tiny boat. In choppy water. I shall not make the same mistake twice.
Thus, I quickly lost interest in the article. Until recently. Ian Bourne over at The Bajan Reporter has published a hard-hitting, in-depth analysis (complete with pics), of the fish deaths at Ocean Park that have occurred over the last year. Ian appears to have first hand knowledge of this foul play (or is it fish play?), since he openly admits to withholding his source's name for legal reasons.
Based upon what I've read concerning the planned expansion and in addition to the information I read at The Bajan Reporter, the Company should consider investing a portion of that expansion money into the hiring of an expert/professional and attempt to fix whatever is wrong at the Park. Alternatively, conduct an internal investigation into the cause of the deaths that have been blogged by Ian & Co. Do this before the dolphins get involved and before any further marine life is lost.
CONFIRMED! Accident Was A Rumour
Rumours of another road accident that claimed one or two lives yesterday have proven to be false.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
RUMOUR/UNCONFIRMED: Report Of Another Accident
It's unconfirmed and may very well turn out to be a rumour (a disgusting and wreckless one at that), but a friend of mine asked if I heard of another accident in the Haggatt Hall area that claimed the lives of one or two people. Thankfully, I've heard of no such thing.
Four People Dead In Crash
Not even a full week has passed since Barbados' worst motor vehicle accident since 1945 and this morning, Barbadians woke up to discover that another four lives had been lost:
4 MORE DEATHS [ via The Nation]
MULLINS ROAD TRAGEDY [via The Advocate]
With a population of just 280,946 people, Barbados is a small country. Smaller than most major cities and towns. Everyone knows everyone here. It's often said that you can find a Barbadian anywhere in the world. No doubt many Barbadians locally and overseas are saddened by the recent road accidents and by the subsequent loss of life.
4 MORE DEATHS [ via The Nation]
MULLINS ROAD TRAGEDY [via The Advocate]
With a population of just 280,946 people, Barbados is a small country. Smaller than most major cities and towns. Everyone knows everyone here. It's often said that you can find a Barbadian anywhere in the world. No doubt many Barbadians locally and overseas are saddened by the recent road accidents and by the subsequent loss of life.