Don’t eat the ‘shrooms

MoonHowler
Death Cap Mushrooms

With all the rain  in the past month, mushrooms have popped up all over, tempting people to do the unthinkable.  Their mothers much not have warned them about touching toad stools.  Several people have picked the fungus and stir fried it up, only to get deathly ill.  At least 2 area men have avoided a liver transplant.  According to the Washington Post:

Physicians offer the cautionary tale of Frank Constantinopla, 49, who after a Sept. 12 rainstorm looked in wonder at his backyard in Springfield, Va. “Oh, there’re so many mushrooms,” Constantinopla recalls thinking. “They look so lovely; I’m so lucky.”

Constantinopla plucked a handful and stir-fried them with noodles.

“They tasted good.”

Problems set in within hours and continued for days. Constantinopla and his wife grew weak, their stomachs ached, they vomited. Two days later, Constantinopla went to a local emergency room and was transferred to Georgetown University Hospital for a possible liver transplant

Doctors broke the news: Those lovely mushrooms were Amanita phalloides, a toadstool commonly known as the Death Cap.

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Flood Victims to be evicted by PWC on Friday

MoonHowler

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From insidenova.com:

An estimated 150 to 175 individuals from 35 to 40 families from the Marumsco and Holly Acres mobile home parks were left homeless when more than 10 inches hit the U.S.1 corridor in Woodbridge last Thursday. The heavy rainfall caused massive damage to the parks; 66 out of 108 units in the Holly Acres park were declared unsafe to inhabit.

Many of the displaced flood victims are staying at the Dale City Recreation Center because they have no where else to go.  This arrangement will be very short-lived because the county is shutting the shelter down at 5 p.m. on this coming Friday.

Those still staying at Dale City Recreation Center – between 35 and 40 families – have until Friday at 5 p.m. before they have to leave the Red Cross-administered facility. Many of those families came to speak to the board on Tuesday, relaying their plight.

 Prince William Countydoesn’t have Section 8 housing vouchers at this time. And Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart reiterated to the crowd gathered at Tuesday’s meeting that the county could not provide permanent housing to the victims of the storm.

Residents and community activists appealed to the county at the BOCS meeting. 

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Eric Cantor does fancy back-pedaling

MoonHowler

 

Huffington Post:

RICHMOND, Va. (AP/The Huffington Post) — House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says he never suggested that disaster funds for victims of Hurricane Irene should be held up by budget concerns.

The Virginia Republican told reporters after meeting constituents on Wednesday in Richmond that the House has already found sufficient savings to provide billions in dollars in disaster relief for victims of Irene, the hurricane that pummeled the East Coast this past weekend.

Cantor says it is the Democratic-led Senate that is holding up legislation that would authorize funds for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

He adds: “There are no strings attached. We found the money.”

Cantor forgets that we all heard what we heard on video.  How strange that after he gets guff from all sides about making insensitive remarks in the event of a major US natural disaster, he finds the money?  This is a fast job of back-pedaling and it is very obvious that Cantor was just trying to score some points with his conservative base. 

There are some things that just aren’t subject to  the ‘cut the spending’ mantra of Cantor’s tea party politics.    Meanwhile, where is Katia?  Hopefully Katia is blowing out to see.  Many areas in the Northeast still haven’t seen the last of the ravages of Irene. 

Was Cantor trying to tell us that Harry Reid made him make those stupid remarks?  Yea, that’s the ticket.  Harry Reid made him do it.

 

 

And the sea shall reclaim what is hers…..

MoonHowler

 

On Hatteras Island:

The Outer Banks was under-reported.  Obviously this area isn’t the touristy area,  but it is certainly dramatic.

At what point do we just decide that man wasn’t supposed to inhabit this narrow archipelago?  At what point does someone, not sure who, decide that this area is just off limits to building? 

The Oregon Inlet was formed from a breach during a hurricane.  Other parts of the long series of barrier islands have been carved out, reshaped, and reshaped again over the years.  The landscape is fragile and ever-changing. 

Something to think about…  when does man admit he has lost to Mother Nature? 

Most recent from the Town of Duck:

 

What the news channels aren’t telling us from the Outer Banks

MoonHowler

Apparently sound side is getting it much worse than ocean front.  The wind drives the water out of the sound and when it comes back, things flood. 

The first picture is the sound with no water,  second is when it came back.    It seems all the reporters are covering the beach, which hasn’t flooded much.  But the problems are on the sound side.

 

 The above picture is from the sound.

All the water came back.

These pictures are from the Duck Area, I believe.

Cantor says no disaster relief without spending cuts

MoonHowler

Is Eric Cantor nuts?  Millions of people are facing down a category 3 hurricane headed towards the major cities on the east coast.  Is this the kind of news they need to hear?

According to businessinsider.com:

A spokesperson for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) said that if there is any damage caused by Hurricane Irene requiring federal disaster funding, the money would have to be balanced out by spending cuts elsewhere in government.

 We aren’t going to speculate on damage before it happens, period,” his spokesperson Laena Fallon told TalkingPointsMemo. “But, as you know, Eric has consistently said that additional funds for federal disaster relief ought to be offset with spending cuts.”

If the storm causes damage while passing over highly populated areas as predicted, help from the federal government might not be quick in coming.

Already states from North Carolina to New York have declared states of emergency in preparation for the storm.

Part of governments job is protecting its citizens.  There are times that people do all they can do to take care of themselves and it still doesn’t cut it.  Obviously it can’t send an army to stop a hurricane, so it must help rebuild and repair.  What is Eric Cantor thinking?  Is he playing tough guy or is he just stupid and insensitive? 

Hurricane Agnes 1972–UFB!

MoonHowler

Thanks to Chris Pannell for the use of the black and white  pictures.  I saw some of this with my own two eyes.  Lake Jackson was also horribly impacted.  I had a friend lose her entire house on Old Lake Jackson Drive.  To those of you who came to the area after Agnes, nothing will ever be the same. 

The Flatbranch Project still is a work in progress–Westgate’s own version of never again would its residents have to be picked off of roof tops.  Much of the credit for the project being re-energized goes to Ed Wilbourn.  He is a former resident of the area although I am not sure if his family was there during Agnes. 

First of all, meet Hurricane Agnes:

                                                                                 

 

 

 

 

 

Hurricane Agnes meets Manassas:

Page over:

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Earthquake not enough excitement for you?

MoonHowler

If the Earthquake wasn’t enough excitement for you, there is always Hurricane Irene who stands a good chance of coming in to our lives.  So while we are on guard for aftershock tremors, we can prepare for the hurricane.

It looks like it is getting harder to dodge the hurricane bullet.  What will you do to prepare?  Any good tips for those of us who live inland?

Climate Change-the new wedge issue

MoonHowler

 

Melting Glacier in Glacier National Park: Before and After

The Washington Post:

“Climate change has become a wedge issue,” said Roger Pielke Jr., a University of Colorado professor who has written extensively on the climate debate. “It’s today’s flag-burning or today’s partial-birth-abortion issue.”

Historically, climate change has ranked near the bottom of issues that voters care about as they evaluate presidential candidates. It wasn’t a factor in 2008’s primary season or general election. The major parties’ nominees endorsed the scientific consensus and believed that the government should curb carbon emissions.

In fact, John McCain, back in 2007  clearly said to voters,

“I do agree with the majority of scientific opinion, that climate change is taking place and it’s a result of human activity, which generates greenhouse gases.” He made global warming a key element of every New Hampshire stump speech.

So what has changed?  It appears that some Republican candidates are trying to  out-conservative each other.  Others have stuck with scientific thought.  Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman have both indicated  that they  agree with the majority of scientific opinion, that climate change is taking place.   It’s a result of human activity and that green house gases are a by product of this human activity:

The nominal GOP front-runner, Mitt Romney, drew sharp fire from conservatives when he said in June that he accepts the scientific view that the planet is getting warmer and that humans are part of the reason. Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman Jr. (R) on Thursday tweeted: “To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.”

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Teenager killed by Mexican vampire bat

MoonHowler

  • WARNING:  Video is very graphic.

    Huffingtonpost.com:

    U.S. health authorities have announced the first death by a vampire bat in the United States.

    According to the AFP, on July 15, 2010, a 19-year-old man was bitten by a vampire bat in Michoacan, Mexico. Ten days later, the migrant farm worker left for the U.S. to pick sugar cane at a Louisiana plantation. He fell sick, presenting symptoms of fatigue, shoulder pain, numbness in his left hand and a drooping left eye.

    Tests later confirmed that the teenager had rabies.  There is no cure for rabies and the youth died within days after his family took him off life support.  The only time rabies can be stopped is before the onset of symptos.  This is the first human death from vampire bat rabies in the United States.  To date, no vampire bats exist in the United States. According to the CDC:

     “Although vampire bats currently are found only in Latin America, research suggests that the range of these bats might be expanding as a result of changes in climate. Expansion of vampire bats into the United States likely would lead to increased bat exposures to both humans and animals (including domestic livestock and wildlife species) and substantially alter rabies virus dynamics and ecology in the southern United States.”

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    • Sea levels rising at fastest rate in 2100 years

    MoonHowler

    From Huffingtonpost.com  :

    WASHINGTON — Sea level has been rising significantly over the past century of global warming, according to a study that offers the most detailed look yet at the changes in ocean levels during the last 2,100 years.

    The researchers found that since the late 19th century – as the world became industrialized – sea level has risen more than 2 millimeters per year, on average. That’s a bit less than one-tenth of an inch, but it adds up over time.

    It will lead to land loss, more flooding and saltwater invading bodies of fresh water, said lead researcher Benjamin Horton whose team examined sediment from North Carolina’s Outer Banks. He directs the Sea Level Research Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania.

    The predicted effects he cites aren’t new and are predicted by many climate scientists. But outside experts say the research verifies increasing sea level rise compared to previous centuries.Read More

    Joplin, Missouri–A story of heartbreak and a story of courage

    MoonHowler

    Joplin, Missouri was practically wiped off the face of the earth last Sunday.  The tales coming out of this town are heartbreaking.  I have never heard such tales of horror.  Now this town braces for another round of bad weather.  Surely this town won’t get hit a second time.

    Of particular interest is the story of the graduate, on the way home from graduation, who was sucked out of his family car and has not been seen since.  What does a tornado do with people?  Are people dumped down, miles from home? 

    This spring has been a nightmare, between Tuscaloosa and Joplin, the two areas hardest hit. These locations are not the only areas hit and not the only areas where people have lost their lives, but their names will be synonymous with the Titanic after the dust settles.  Flooding is a horrible problem for those living along the Mississippi River.  Billions of dollars have been lost in crops, homes,, human life.  Weather predictors say 18 hurricanes will be nameable.  That’s a lot of hurricanes.

    Until man can control his environment, we will always be at the mercy of Mother Nature.  And yes, she is still a bitch.   We can put men and women in space.  We can predict hurricanes.  We cannot control volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding (to some degree) lightning or tornadoes.  We are at their their mercy and may always be. 

    Towns like Joplin simply make me speechless. 

     

    Tornadoes–nearly 300 killed

    MoonHowler

    A recent spate of tornadoes  has left more than 280 people dead, 5 of them in southwest Virginia.  50 Virginians were injured.  The governor has declared a state of emergency.  This move will allow Virginia agencies to assist local governments with clean up. 

    According to the Washington Post:

    Tornado warnings were issued across the D.C. suburbs early Thursday morning. Fast-moving bands of storms packed high winds and torrential rains. A funnel cloud formed over Point of Rocks in Frederick County shortly before 7 a.m., according to the National Weather Service, but there were no reports of tornadoes touching down in the immediate area Thursday morning.

    There were widespread reports of damaged trees, including one that fell across Route 109 in Barnesville and another that landed on an electric line in Middleburg, according to the Weather Service.

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