I’ve been debating on how to archive the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti since there isn’t one article or report that has summarized the disaster appropriately. After 96 hours, one thing that is significantly clear is that the loss of life in this poor country is tremendous — estimates of the number of dead range from 30,000 to 500,000.
No photo or news clip is appropriate, but it is safe to say that no matter the effort and actions being implemented, we’ll be too slow. Hopefully the outpouring of aid will soon make it from the airport in Port au Prince “securely” to the people who are thirsty, hungry, injured and homeless. My prayers go out to the people of Haiti and all the volunteers doing their best to care for them. I’ll include a FoxNews clip (below) of reporter Jonathan Hunt who has been on the ground for 3 days … and is showing frustration that aid isn’t getting to suffering people.
I received a phone call from my neighbor a few minutes ago concerning a wounded and limping coyote on her back porch (previous post). By the time I retrieved my voicemail it was too late to do anything as the county sheriff arrived and the critter headed off into the ravine. A brief search with our dog did little and probably frighten him away even further … this is probably not the last we’ll see of from him. (attached are photos from her cellphone)
I would have thought that the unusual mid-winter fog would have disappeared by 10:30 in the morning … I guess not? (test post ‘again’ using Palm Pre to richc.myarchive.us)
A friend sent me this knowing how our dog reacts to ‘critters’ in the yard.
A pit bull was in his backyard in southern California, minding his own business, when a porcupine invades his territory. The brave, but stupid pit bull immediately challenges the porcupine!
Bad decision…the porcupine won this short contest.
Follow up:
A vet sedated the dog and then removed a total of 1,347 quills. The dog survived and has, hopefully, learned a valuable lesson.
While monitoring what my friend Pete Bethune has been up to since he and his biodiesel powered boat Earthrace circumnavigated the world in 2008, it was with distress to see the unique boat destroyed (see previous posts). In 2009 the futuristic boat joined up with an anti-poaching marine wildlife conservation organization Sea Shepherd which utilized the futuristic trimarian which was Earthrace, now Ady Gil. It is now in operation with larger Sea Shepherd vessels and takes advantage of its open ocean speed to keep up with the hunter ships used by the Japanese to kill whales. The current task is to protect as many whales as possible from the Japanese whalers who are, according to Sea Shepherd, “operating illegally” and “targeting endangered and protected whales in an established international whale sanctuary in violation of a global moratorium on commercial whaling, in violation of the Antarctic Treaty and in contempt of an Australian Federal Court order.”
On January 5th (press release) however, things changed in the so called “Whale Wars” as it is dubbed by the television program Animal Planet. The Ady Gil was aligned, engine off, in a parallel position with the larger Sea Shepherd vessel as the Japanese whaling security ship, the Shonan Maru No. 2, charged toward their position. The Ady Gil crewmembers were on sleek fiber decks as they watched Shonan Maru No. 2 head toward them showing their starboard side and spraying water. (video taken from it below). A change of course is seen by the Shonan Maru, presumably they intended to be closer to the Ady Gil, but collision occurred between the smaller fiber composite Ady Gil and a larger steel ship.
To some this may have looked like an accident, to others a mistake by the Ady Gil, but to most the Shonan Maru No. 2, operating under speed is seen to make a purposeful starboard course change taking directly towards the new and effective Sea Shepherd vessel. For those noting that the Ady Gil started it engines and moving forward just prior to impact, this is true … but those familiar with handling a boat at sea know that directional control and maneuvering speed is effective in the forward direction (not reverse). Besides, no captain risks his life, a crew and boat ramming using a small plastic boat with large a steel ship operating at nearly full speed – other than a terrorist with a bomb. Conclusion: either the captain/crew of the Shonan Maru purposefully made a direction change with intent to ram the Ady Gil, or they purposefully directed their ship towards the Ady Gil with the intent to disrupt with their bow wave and water canons – a mistake that caused the collision.
It should also be noted that Sea Shepherd does not use aggressive tactics beyond lights, lasers, sound and positioning which requiring the whaling ships to alter course in their mission to protect whales. While this is a frustration to factory ships operating from Japan that harvesting whales, Sea Shepherd is within their legal rights according to international maritime law and intentional collisions should be prosecuted. Without repercussions or an independent investigation, the “Whale Wares” will escalate and loss of human life will be the outcome.
Sea Shepherd’s Mission Statement
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.
Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations.
Although I rarely forward emails since I dislike the spam filling up my box, I do once in a while get the urge to share. Here’s a snippet worthy of thought as the our elected representatives continue in a direction to take over reform health care. Will they break their streak and run it efficiently or go further in debt while asking taxpayers for more money? Do we really need to ask that question …
To President Obama and all 535 voting members of the Legislature,
It is now official, you are ALL corrupt morons:
The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.
Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.
Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.
War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to “the poor” and they only want more.
Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.
Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.
The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.
For many years I’ve contemplated buying a fairly expensive reference style book — one that I really don’t currently need, but have wanted. Since I had a few Christmas dollars to spend (thanks Mom H.) I figured now was the perfect time add the $60.00 628 page book to my library.
After spending a few days searching for a used book, I opted to just purchase a discounted but new copy, and although the book World Cruising Routes 6th edition by Jimmy Cornell isn’t really new (published 2008), nor is it necessarily new from the perspective of when it was originally printed (1st printing 1987), the latest edition has been updated with better ‘route notations’ and includes GPS route planning additions. Jimmy Cornell has also included a third circumnavigation and extended the tropical storm season durations by an extra month due to increased number of powerful late season storms this past decade.
For many cruising sailors planning extended sailboat passages and ocean crossings, Cornell’s book is a must have. For now I’m just a ‘wannabee’ bluewater sailor, but suspect that I’m not the only armchair sailor to be planning dreaming about sailing to distant places. (for those who follow @RichC on Twitter, ‘yes’ this was the book I spilled my dinner on)
🙂
Who doesn’t enjoy a Palm Pre cellphone sunset photo?
I’ll start with something simple that sooths my aching head … a beautiful winter sunset in Cincinnati Ohio (photo above) … and conclude with a very short comment regarding our Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter (EAA284) meeting on Sunday – one that had a subject over my head.
One of our chapter members, Brian Cooper, is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s Aerospace Engineering program. He spent a couple hours with his Powerpoint display and CAD drawings discussing his new aerobatic airplane design which utilizes advance composite technology. His goal was to reduce weight and increase strength, something all performing aerobatic pilots seek. The three areas where his design differs from most of the current aerobatic biplanes is in the “D” wing leading edge, lack of strut supports and weight reduction based on a relatively new lightweight engine choice. His currently CAD based project is based on research and testing during hands-on scaled projects at UC, but is being constructed as a one off project in is shop. During the next few years, we’ll hopefully have the opportunity to see this design under construction and perhaps even some flight testing? Thank you Brian for enlightening us.
No comment is necessary after watching the Cincinnati Bengals once again disappoint their fans in a tough post season loss to the New York Jets. About the only thing to say is that the better team won … at least on this particular Saturday evening.
As for more positive thoughts, Brenda and I enjoyed moving our son back into his dorm at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio). We found the Christmas decor a welcome site for a guys dorm room and the room was neater than expected? He and his roommate did a good job of being festive, although may have gone a bit overboard with the tape? Work hard Taylor and make this semester a good one.
96 hours, one thing that is significantly clear is that the loss of life in this poor country is tremendous — estimates of the number of dead range from 30,000 to 500,000.
