Earthquake Hits New York City

LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy and Newark airports were closed temporarily for inspections and are now operating normally.  Verizon and AT&T say cellphone networks are clogged due to high volume of calls and the NYPD is asking residents to only call 911 in the event of a serious emergency.

How to Survive an Earthquake?

During the Earthquake:

• If you are indoors, stay there. Quickly move to a safe location in the room such as under a strong desk, a strong table, or along an interior wall. The goal is to protect yourself from falling objects and be located near the structural strong points of the room. Avoid taking cover near windows, large mirrors, hanging objects, heavy furniture, heavy appliances or fireplaces.
• If you are cooking, turn off the stove and take cover.
• If you are outdoors, move to an open area where falling objects are unlikely to strike you. Move away from buildings, powerlines and trees.
• If you are driving, slow down smoothly and stop on the side of the road. Avoid stopping on or under bridges and overpasses, or under power lines, trees and large signs. Stay in your car.
• http://geology.com/articles/earthquake-safety.shtml

The Empire State building from the High Line

The Empire State building a view from the High Line

The Empire State building from 34th St and 8th Avenue

Related articles

• Earthquake Hits New York City Area And Northeast (newyork.cbslocal.com)

Scientists reverse evolution with snouted chicken

“Scientists have rewound 65 million years of evolutionary history by tweaking chicken DNA to create embryos that grow alligator-like snouts rather than beaks.”

“Chickens and other birds are thought to have descended from dinosaurs through a series of genetic changes.

But by altering the DNA of chicken embryos in the early stages of their development, scientists are able to undo the progress made by evolution and give them qualities they lost millions of years ago.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/evolution/8707125/Scientists-reverse-evolution-with-snouted-chicken.html

Vagina casts make for the Great Wall of Vagina (via lookhowfarwevecome)

I know you’ve heard about the Great Wall of China, but have you ever heard of the Great Wall of Vagina? See the link if you’re not offended by nudity and perhaps you might be intrigued to cast one yourself.

Now there’s art reinforcing the fact that every vagina is different. Yay! Sculptor Jamie McCartney has spent years making casts of hundreds of women’s vaginas. Some are old, some are young, some have piercings, some are transgendered and some have had cancer. We think it’s an amazing exhibit. Check out pictures and more. Make sure to watch the 14 minute documentary documenting the last six months of sculptor five-year project. >> … Read More

via lookhowfarwevecome

A Day at the Beach in Barcelona

After a long walk from the hotel to the Basilica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia, which I had the intention of viewing from the inside, and perhaps even enjoying a quiet moment of reflection, I was surprisedto see this church besieged by youngsters celebrating World Youth Day.

This celebration is from August 14-24 in Madrid and Barcelona where more than a million young Catholics are expected to crowd into Madrid this week ahead of a visit by Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate World Youth Day.

After enjoying a Paella in a small restaurant that I had passed by on my pilgrimage to the church I had two choices.  Continue walking North towards Park Güell or head to the beach to see sun worshipers.

Don’t look at the pictures if find the human body offensive.

If You Dated an 80 Year-Old Poor Man, I’d Say You

Image via Wikipedia

did it for love.  But if you dated this man because he was filthy rich, then I’d say you did it for the money, thereby becoming just another well paid prostitute.

Adriana Ferreyr is suing George Soros for $US 50 million.  He had promised to buy her an apartment worth $US1.9 million, but reneged on the deal.  She claims he broke the news to her while lying in bed, that he had given the apartment to another “girlfriend.”

Sean Delonas Cartoon – NYPOST.com.

Related articles

• George Soros, the Girlfriend and the Apartment (dealbook.nytimes.com)
• George Soros sued for $50 million (telegraph.co.uk)
• George Soros gets violent in bed (rt.com)

Earthquakes: Who’s Next to Suffer the Worst Losses

In an article in Forbes magazine dated February 8, 2010 the question of  who’s next to suffer the worst losses if hit by an earthquake, lists  Kathmandu, Nepal at the top with an estimate of 69,000 predicted deaths.  Next on the risk scale is a city I just visited.   Istanbul, Turkey. Seeing the city and walking through many

neighborhoods I can only agree with the probability that the death toll would be very high.  My first impression of the city from the top of my hotel was of how poor the  city below me looked. Roofs patched with aluminum, brick and mortar construction, a very densely populated city with buildings not exceeding six stories.   Very few green spaces and most of the construction is on inclined planes.  The death toll and degree of destruction has more to do with economics  and engineering and not the geology, the study found. The study by  GeoHazards International, a nonprofit research group based in Palo Alto, California  continues the list with Delhi, India, a city I’ll be visiting in the near future,  38,000 predicted casualties, following that is Quito,Ecuador at 15,000, Manila, Philippines 13,000, Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Pakistan 12,500, San Salvador,  El Salvador 11,500, Mexico City, Mexico 11,500, Izmir, Turkey 11,500,  and tenth on the list Jakarta, Indonesia 11,000. Notice that Port-au-Prince, Haiti was not on this list prepared in 2001. In earthquake-prone regions of developing nations the building codes  have improved as well as the preparation for disasters. Case in point is Chile where a massive earthquake struck the country causing less than 1000 deaths.

Fighting the Illegal Slaughter of Elephants by Alex Shoumatoff

Vanity Fair, August 2011.  ”We are greeted by the nauseating stench of rotting flesh.  Fifty yards from the blood trail, the dead, decomposing elephant is kneeling in a poll of its own fluid, which is swarming with flies.  The carcass was covered with branches by the poachers so it wouldn’t attract vultures, which would alert the Kenya Wildlife Service’s pilots who make daily flyovers to its presence.  Its face is gone, hacked off by machete: no eyes, no trunk, no tusks.”

Such is the gruesome scene nourished by the demand from China’s “suddenly wealthy” who on their way to make riches for themselves have no concern for anything, including other people and the environment, let alone animals.

Agony and Ivory

Related articles

• Agony and Ivory (ourcompass.wordpress.com)
• Ivory burned to highlight elephant killings (msnbc.msn.com)

Colombia 3 Costa Rica 2

After leading 1-0 in the 56th minute, Colombia found themselves losing after two quick goals by Costa Rica in the 63rd and 65th minute.  Colombia managed to tie the score on a cross that was headed in by Franco.  Costa Rica’s goalkeeper could have be given an assist in this goal, with only 11 minutes to play.  In the third minute of extra time Colombia was awarded a dubious penalty kick, that the Costa Rican players contested vigorously.  James left footed it to the right of the goalkeeper who guessed right by was unable to stop Colombia from scoring.

http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/news/newsid=1489759/index.html

 

Vietnam Vet returns to New York