Signs of the Times #247

Associated Press, [Sep 2] ‘More than 300 people aboard a North Atlantic cruise ship became sick with a Norwalk-type virus, causing the vessel to cut its voyage short and head for New York. At least 322 passengers fell ill during an outbreak aboard the Regal Princess, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said. The ship was bound for New York from Copenhagen, Denmark on a 16-day trip. It was expected to dock in New York Harbor early Tuesday, cutting its voyage short by two days. The norovirus - which includes Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses - caused thousands of cruise ship passengers to fall ill last year. It can cause diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting for 24 to 48 hours.’

 

Signs of the Times #246

Scientists Say Glaciers Are Melting at Alarming Rate [Sep 2] Montana, http://www.ABCNews.com ‘Snow and glaciers can be viewed as far as the eye can see. But for scientists who study glaciers, all they see are remnants of glaciers, which are melting and shrinking at an alarming rate. ... Now there´s proof of just how fast the massive blocks of moving ice are retreating. For the first time in 35 years, the USGS has conducted an exhaustive photographic evaluation of the million-acre park. By comparing historic photos taken around the turn of the 20th century, scientists can point to a rapidly diminishing number of glaciers.’

 

Signs of the Times #245 (from godlikeproduction Message Board)

Something is most definitely building up here [Sep 5] in the shaky isles of New Zealand www.stuff.co.nz ‘Southerners were shaken again last night with an earthquake striking at 8.40 PM. At 6.1 on the Richter scale the quake, centered 60km west of Te Anau and 25km deep, was the largest since one measuring 7.1 rattled the south on August 22. Last night´s quake was followed at 9.13PM by a 4.8 aftershock. [and from another poster] http://www.volcanolive.com/volcanolive.html You will see that they report an EQ in Townsvilee Queensland on Aug 12. Try and find this in the IRIS, USGS or Europe database. You won´t. [and from another poster] I rarely look at the USGS. They have too bad a history of not reporting. I follow the Real Time Seismicity page http://www.emsc-csem.org/cgi-bin/ALERT_all_messages.sh or Red Puma. [Note that even this EMSC site drops quakes, as recently for a 5.6 in China]

 

Signs of the Times #244 (from godlikeproduction Message Board)

What´s going on? Finland http://www.helsinki-hs.net/news.asp?id=20030902IE5 (Not heard on news) Russia http://www.gateway2russia.com/st/art_129957.php (Not heard on news) Mexico (Not heard on news) [and from another poster] You left out Sydney, Australia: ‘Merrill Lynch Sydney Operations Hit By Power Blackout [Sep 1] ‘all trading operations have been transferred to its Melbourne office due to the overnight power blackout in Sydney´s business district.’ http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/030901/1858000958_1.html [and from another poster] Finland verified, I live here so I think I know when we have blackout.

 

Signs of the Times #243

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2003-09/03/content_1060037.htm ‘A power outage left at least 3 million Mexicans in the southern Yucatan peninsular without electricity on Tuesday [Sep 2], the authorities said. The blackout occurred before dawn in Mexico's southern states of Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo and parts of Tabasco and Chiapas. By afternoon, power had been returned to about 80 percent of the affected area, civil protection officials said. The fault, which automatically shut down power lines, could have been caused by lightning or a mudslide, said the Federal Electricity Commission. The popular coastal resort of Cancun in Quintana Roo state was hardest-hit by the power loss. Many tourist centers used their own generators to keep facilities running. Cancun is to host a major World Trade Organization conference next week.

 

Signs of the Times #242

Big Power Failure [Sep 1] hits Malaysia http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7131501%255E1702,00.html ‘A power outage today blacked out parts of peninsular Malaysia and temporarily disrupted operations at the country's main airport, officials said. The outage occurred around 10 AM in at least four northern states in peninsular Malaysia, a spokesman for Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia's main power utility company, said. Officials believed a problem with electricity cables might have triggered the outage. ... The outage lasted for at least an hour at the $US2.4 billion Kuala Lumpur International Airport, a spokesman for airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings said.

 

Signs of the Times #241 (from godlikeproduction Message Board)

Just got back [Sep 2] from a weeks stay in Yellowstone. A lot more camping areas have been closed off besides around the Lake. The fish are floating dead in the streams, and the lake is closed. A very strong smell of H2SO4 (sulfur). People were leaving due to smell. [and from another poster] There is a large dead zone of animals and vegetation. Immediately outside this dead zone, vegetation has stopped growing and animals are migrating out of the area. New geysers and mud pots are springing up daily. You can physically see the ground bulging up, not only at Yellowstone Lake, but in several places in the park. They have closed more areas to the public than is being reported.

 

Signs of the Times #240

Crop Failure Blamed on Excess Rain in Maritimes http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/08/17/weather_crops030817 ‘Thick smog and endless rain continued to cover most of Atlantic Canada on Sunday, bringing added worry to farmers faced with rotting crops.’ Central America Alarmed at Crop Failure http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/monitoring/media_reports/1451675.stm ‘Newspapers in Central America bear stark witness to the food crisis facing the region as a combination of drought and flooding devastate vital crops.’ Crop Failure Pushes Mauritanians to the Edge http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/0/4a38ea243d7a5138c1256ca70054622a?OpenDocument ‘Mariam Mint Eli is planting sorghum seeds between the cracks in the parched earth that is her field, the desperate act of one who has little expectation of harvesting anything edible but has little choice. Mariam´s crops have almost completely failed this year, the result of a total lack of rain between July and September in the Affolé region of southern Mauritania. She is now attempting to sow seeds for a second time, in the face of the fact that the next rains are not due for another nine months.’

 

Signs of the Times #239

Foreign Grain Output Spirals Downward http://www.fas.usda.gov/wap/circular/2003/03-08/Wap%2008-03.pdf Wheat Harvest Estimated To Be the Worst in at Least Twelve Years; Corn Crop Reduced by Drought http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad/highlights/2003/08/Central_Europe/index.htm ‘USDA estimates central Europe´s 2003/04 wheat production at 22.2 million tons, down 27 percent from last season’s near-average crop of 30.5 million. Harvested area is forecast at 7.9 million hectares, down 17 percent or 1.6 million hectares from last year. Yield is forecast at 2.8 tons/ha, well below the 3.4 t/ha average. The paltry 2003/04 wheat total stems from a combination of less planted area and poor yields. Producers faced a particularly short 2003 fall planting window, wedged between an unusually late summer harvest, heavy October rains, and an early onset to winter. These events delayed or prevented autumn sowing activities. In addition, winter was particularly harsh, having left higher than normal winterkill, including significant frost damage in early spring. Finally, since March, drought became especially destructive to wheat plants as they progressed through critical growing periods.‘

 

Signs of the Times #238 (via email to Nancy)

Here in Spain I keep watching the nature signs. The Sun now seems to me to have this characteristic form of the icon of a heart, rather than that of a circle, in sunrises. The brightness of the Sun light has never been so intense. It's almost makes a person blind if one begins to look at it straight on! The sky appears with this a pinkish colour. In some regions here there are almost constant and very chaotic storms. Some days ago a strange disaster took place in the oil processing facilities in the region of Castilla-La Mancha. Also, some days ago, another accident took place in the tunnels of the new express speed railway line - between Madrid and the city of Avila. Well, the authorities are saying (as always) that they will investigate.