Posts from — August 2010

Position: 22.4N 54.1W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [320°] near 17 mph [28 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 100 mph [160 kph].
Wind Gusts: 105 mph [170 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 175 miles [280 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 40 miles [ 65 km].
Minimum central pressure: 975 mb ↓.

Currently about 650 miles [1050 km] East-Northeast of the Leeward Islands.

The storm has turned more to the North and has started strengthening again. People on Bermuda should start listening to their weather reports.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

The best news is that Greene lost has lost his bid to buy the Democratic nomination for the US Senate. We don’t have to put up with a flood of Jeff Greene ads until November.

This is good news for the hardest working guy in the Florida progressive blogtopia™, Kenneth Quinnell, who has been dealing with Kendrick Meek’s ‘Net effort. His first big campaign is a winner.

For what it’s worth, most people seem to agree that the game changer was when Meek got help from a very popular Democrat, the Big Dog. Bill Clinton can make people feel good, and he knows how to work a crowd.

Update: You can’t buy a Democratic nomination, but the GOP is not that picky. Rick Scott has been chosen by the RPOF to be their candidate for governor.

So, the governor’s race with be: Alex Sink [D], Rick Scott [R], and “Bud” Chiles [I].

The Senate race will be: Kendrick Meek [D], Marco Rubio [R], and Charlie Crist [I].

Update 2: Tea Party = loser in Florida. No tea partiers have won anything in the primaries.

Position: 18.2N 49.8W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [295°] near 18 mph [30 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 75 mph [120 kph].
Wind Gusts: 85 mph [135 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles [220 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 30 miles [ 45 km].
Minimum central pressure: 990 mb ↓.

Currently about 795 miles [1275 km] East of the Lesser Antilles.

The storm apparently sucked in some dry air this morning, slipped back to tropical storm status, and is now re-strengthening.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

I broke these up to avoid overwhelming people.

The Local Puppy Trainer reported on the gathering of the local tea-partiers this past weekend – Fox News regular lights up Tea Party rally: ‘Terrorists are coming in droves’

OKALOOSA ISLAND — Brigitte Gabriel, a prominent activist who says she’s fighting to keep the United States from being overrun by Islam, asked local tea party supporters to join her cause Saturday.

Gabriel, who frequently appears on Fox News, was the keynote speaker at the U.S. Constitution Freedom Rally at the Emerald Coast Conference Center. The event, sponsored by the Emerald Coast Tea Party, drew several hundred people, including local political candidates.

Ms Gabriel is a Lebanese Christian who “was forced to flee to Israel because of the vicious Muslims” beginning in 1974. As long as you don’t know anything about Lebanon during that period you might sympathize. On the other hand, if you are aware of which Lebanese Christians ended up in Israel, you might not. A good place to start would be with what happened Sabra and Shatila camps.

Most Lebanese Christians stayed in their country, but some were concerned about inquiries into certain actions. Israel did not open its borders to just any Christians who wanted to leave, just the “special ones”.

Position: 15.6N 43.2W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [285°] near 20 mph [32 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 85 mph [140 kph].
Wind Gusts: 105 mph [170 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 85 miles [140 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 25 miles [ 40 km].
Minimum central pressure: 982 mb ↓.

Currently about 1205 miles [1940 km] East of the Lesser Antilles.

Danielle has become the second hurricane of the season. It is too far out to know if it will affect land, but it is a danger to shipping. It is still strengthening and looks like it may become the first major hurricane [category 3 and higher] of the season.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

The Local Puppy Trainer covers a man running for Congress in Florida’s 2^nd district – Candidate: Islam is against everything America stands for

PANAMA CITY — A Congressional candidate told local high school and middle school students Tuesday that Islam’s plan is to destroy the American way of life.

“I’m totally against it. If I had my way, it would pretty much be over my dead body,” said Ron McNeil, a candidate for the U.S. House District 2 seat, who was referring to a controversial plan to build an Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero in New York City. “That religion is against everything America stands for. If we have to let them build it, make them build it nine stories underground, so we can walk above it as citizens and Christians.”

Some people in the audience applauded McNeil’s response. However, one student appeared up-set and asked McNeil what gave him or the federal government the right to tell an American that they can’t build an institution.

“This religion’s plan is to destroy our way of life,” McNeil said.

The student responded by saying he did not feel it was a Christian’s place to determine whether Islam is right or wrong.

“It’s our place as Christians to stand up for the word of God and what the Bible says,” McNeil replied.

The last time I checked there isn’t a single reference to Islam in the Bible and a lot of references to being nice, and not judging. There’s also that document called the Constitution that allows non-Catholics to live in Florida, which wasn’t the case when the area was ruled by Spain. There have been Muslims in the United States since the country’s founding, so they aren’t working very hard at destroying our way of life.

I fail to see what a zoning decision in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City has to do with who represents Florida’s 2^nd Congressional district. Oh, yes, dude, you were pwned by that kid when you couldn’t respond to his question.

It’s Monday in Australia and no one is sure who won the election. Last time I looked Labor had 73 to the conservatives 70 with three seats still undecided. Independents are down to 3 seats and the Greens have 1. The guess/prediction is a 73-73 draw with the winner being the party that promises the independents the best package.

I was off the ‘Net for a while due to more severe than normal thunderstorms this afternoon. When the lightning is close enough to essentially suck the electricity out of your display it is time to shut things down, even if you have battery back-up. So far this month we have had 4 days without rain, 4 days with just rain, and 14 days with thunderstorms. It’s time to find out what an “ell” is and where you get “gopher wood”. The fireants are hoarding magnolia leaves.

That is an artist’s conception of what the Park51/Cordoba House project will look like. You will never get that view after it’s built because the two-lane street is one-way with parking on both sides and the building across the street has an awning over the the sidewalk.

The building is going to be a standard glass and concrete box that is 13 stories high and is going in the north side of Park Lane. It will not have a view of “Ground Zero” unless you have x-ray eyes because south of it is 100 Church Street, a 20-story office block, and, if that wasn’t there the next block south is another 20-story office block.

Because all of the streets in the area are one-way, if you see this building on the way to “Ground Zero”, you are either lost, or being ripped off by a cab driver.

If you are interested, this is what a mosque in Manhattan looks like. The article talks about the site and building requirements needed for a mosque.

Position: 14.2N 35.9W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [315°] near 13 mph [20 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 50 mph [80 kph].
Wind Gusts: 60 mph [ 95 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 70 miles [110 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1000 mb ↓.

Currently about 770 miles [1240 km] West of the Cape Verde Islands.

It looks like it will become the second hurricane this season sometime tomorrow.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

And apparently they aren’t happy with either major party.

You need 76 seats in the parliament for a majority, and it doesn’t look like either party will manage to win that. There are 5 seats, four won by independents and one taken by the Green party that would seem to hold the balance.

It is possible they will have to have another election, but even if someone forms a government, it probably won’t last long.

Position: 11.3N 32.6W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [290°] near 8 mph [13 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 45 mph [ 70 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1008 mb.

Currently about 600 miles [970 km] West-Southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

Invest 95 has organized and could win a name at any time.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Satellite images indicate that showers and thunderstorms associated with a low pressure area located about 550 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands have become much better organized during the past few hours. Environmental conditions are favorable for a tropical depression to form during the next day or so as the low moves west-northwestward at 5 to 10 mph. There is a high chance – 60 percent – of this system becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.

Forecaster Blake

The story changes. Everyone remember the great news announced by Carol Browner and Dr Jane Lubchenco of NOAA that almost all of the oil in the Gulf was gone?

Well, McClatchy reports that under oath at a Congressional hearing that view has altered: Scientists say Gulf oil to linger, Obama’s estimates rosy

The government’s report, produced by senior officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey, claimed that at least half of the oil that spilled from BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig was gone from the environment and much of the remainder is degrading rapidly underwater.

Several independent scientists have slammed the report, noting that it counted as part of the spill some 800,000 barrels that were siphoned immediately to surface ships, giving an incorrect impression of how much oil was discharged into the Gulf. Earlier this week, researchers from the University of Georgia reported that 70 to 79 percent of the spilled oil remained in the water, and that far less oil had evaporated than the government claimed.

Bill Lehr, a senior scientist with NOAA, acknowledged at Thursday’s hearing that only 10 percent of the spill had been skimmed or burned off by recovery efforts. Anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of the discharged oil remains in the Gulf in some form, much of it broken up by chemicals, he said.

When Lehr said it would take another two months to release the data and algorithms that were used in the report, Rep. Edward Markey, the Massachusetts Democrat who chaired the hearing, said that was unacceptable.

“This report … is giving many people a false sense of confidence regarding the state of the Gulf,” Markey said.

For some reason, under oath Dr. Lehr isn’t quite as “Don’t worry, be happy” as his boss, Dr. Lubchenco, but he is still trying to prevent people from seeing the data for themselves. This secrecy by the administration and BP is a major reason no one trusts them.

I have a “news flash” for the Obama administration – just because the media that covers you is dumber than dirt, doesn’t mean that everyone is that ignorant.

Another Freeloader

Whireeeeeeee!

[Editor: This Southern Toad [Anaxyrus terrestris] reluctantly moved out of the cat food when I approached. They eat bugs, so I don’t object too much.]

Friday Ark