DesMoines Pagan Symbols Can Stay if Owner Gets Permit

We decided to go shopping before the zoo, my sister and I!  What a great day we had planned.  And it was going so well!  Out of the six major Thrift World Stores in the Metro area of Omaha, we hit two.  The two nicest ones with the Brand Name clothes!  One on the Northwest side of Omaha and one on the Southeast side of Omaha near the Zoo.

What a great way to end our mini camping trip that just turned in to being a mini stay at my sister's house due to the varying weather that kept popping up!  Instead of staying at the really nice free camp grounds we stayed at my sister's house for a few days, I wasn't going to chance being caught near a big man made lake that had extermly high levels near the banks of the camp ground!

Anyway, after a GREAT haul of a summer woredrobe for both kids from two different thrift shops and then treating the kids to lunch, we headed to Henery Dooley (sp?) Zoo for a nice afternoon.  It started out great!  We hit the Jungle, the Sea Lions, the Garden of Senses, the Cat House, part of the Avaiary, the Gorrila House, the Cat Complex, the feeding time for the smaller tropical birds, the Desert Dome, and the Giaraff House.  With smaller enclousers along the way of course!  Of course pictures are on here!  Enjoy!

While we were just ouside of the New Butterfly House and the Aquareme deciding which one we were going to go in first before we started heading to the town were my van was sitting so the kids and I could head home and my sister and her kids could head home, we heard the tornado sirins go off!  Now I know why so many ppl get killed in public places during storms!  The tornado sirns go off and the majority of the Zoo visitors head for the Goddess Dayum parking lots!  I kid you not!  Well being country girls, my sister and I herd the kids to the aquarememe (sp?) house under the canapoy and bust out our cell phones.  Each of us respectively calling our hubby's, asking them why the hell neither one of them called to tell us there was a storm system heading straight at Omaha!  We informed both of them that we were heading for the storm shelters in the Fish house and we would call once the storm passed.  Then we hearded the kids towards one of the Zoo Workers holding a door open to the basement of the complex leading to the exective offices and we were one of the first groups down. 

There were a few other ppl down there already but what we found the most funny out of this was that everyone single person down there including us, were NOT from Omaha persay but from the surrounding communities and areas!  We are NOT fools!  While the main secruity guy was telling us and the few zoo workers what the plan was, he was getting reports from the weather radio and the few of us that stopped and made calls.  Then he asked us to sit tight, while he and his other crew went outside to go round up the rest of the Zoo visitors and get them inside various zoo complexes till the storm passed.

We had a couple of upset kids of course, my daughter being one of them, and a lot of upset ppl, including ball players that stuck around after the College World Series before they went home.  Those of us from the midwest were laughing and joking and calming the kids down.  We kept telling everyone that we are in one of the safest buildings and don't worry about the animals they know what to do and the zoo workers were making sure they were safe also.  Once all the zoo workers got in the main secruity guy came back in to our basement and said it was pitch black out and winds up to 90-100 miles per hour and they would not know if a tornado hit till after it was clear out.  The lights did go out and thankfull the generator kicked on right away.

After we got the okay to clear out and leave the zoo, we got some pictures of the damage done in side the zoo.  Down trees and one of the heavy glass safety entrance doors to the Wild Kingdom Palliviallion was completely blown off and laid gently down in front of the Pavillion!  I missed that picture! There was hail everywhere!  We had to make our way out of the Eastern Side of Omaha back towards the I-10 exit so we could head to Freemont NE which is an hour Northeast of Omaha, where my van was sitting!  Damage everywhere!  While driving the news said, the Art Festival got hit hard downtown Omaha, there was a boat taken off of a dock in the Missiouri and was dropped on the roof of a house, trees blocking roads, and down electrical poles all over Omaha downtown/metro area!  We stopped on the outskirts of town to feed the kids and the Taco Johns we hit had running TVS.  The area heading to Fremont NE was hit hard also and a semi rig was entangled in electrical wires!  Cars of the road, rigs off the road, and major damage.  This system worked its way into IA and massive damage and two killed on the IA side.

We got detoured outside of a town between Omaha and Fremont due to massive damage and accidents.  Where I got a phone call from Randy when he got home.  My dog Spud died during the day yesterday!  Randy was upset and of course the kids and I were very upset also, but we also knew the dog was going to end up dying on us.  Spud was the dog with the unknown seizures.  At first Randy thought he somehow choked while he was outside on the chain but when he went up to examine Spud, there was plenty of slack in the chain and the collar would have slipped right off of his neck (we made sure that it could slip off if he was caught up when running or on the chain if something would have happened).  The way Spud was laying and his facial features, you could tell he had a massive siezure.  So trying to find our way on back country roads and county paved hiways we didn't know to get back into Fremont, we had upset kids and nobody was out directing the traffic.  My sister and I again being country girls said fuck it and got on a country road and started heading towards the sun because Northwest was where we wanted to head.  We picked up a truck in front of us from our home area just a different county and he had the same idea.  We got rerouted via the roads with no help from anyone due to big trees, silos, fencing, and other debries in the mushy gravel roads!  A normal 1 hour drive from Omaha to Fremont took 2 hours!

Once we got to a lil town Southeast of Fremont which would have been the quickest route we got denied by a State Trooper directing traffic.  Nobody was allowed into town where a small lake was surrounded wiht houses and such due to the damage!  They weren't letting anyone through not even family members of the town or land owners with no houses.  Ambulances and Fire trucks were all over the town and two of the rural fire trucks were making their way towards the other road leading to Fremont.  We just turned around and followed the fire trucks into Fremont.  Finally!  Fremont NE had no major damage.  Some trees down and some windows broken but no major damage.  Then we pull up into the truck stop where we left my van.  I got a lovely suprise!  My rear windsheild was blown out or a rock got kicked up in the storm!  I have no rear windshield now!  Nothing was stolen.  But everything was glass covered clear up to the front seat and everything was water logged!  Thank GODS I had what ever paperwork I did have in there in sacks and covered up!  My Leadership Manual alone would have cost me 100 some dollars to replace if it got water logged or damaged somehow!

So I called Randy yet again and told him we FINALLY made it into Fremont but I would be still a lot later because we had to clean up the glass and find places for the kdis to sit with out getting cut up!  Thankfull we were able to pull a couple of the pillows from underneith my tent that dind't have glass on it and give those to the kids to sit on.  My sister handed over one of her towels so I could sit on it while driving.  And then we rearrange the back so none of my Thrift shop finds, my tents, sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, or other camping gear would go flying out for my hour drive home!  I ended up pulling over twice on the way home to rearrange my back but FINALLY my normal two hour drive ended up being a 4 hour and 45 minute drive and we made it home at 8:45pm.  where we promptly unloaded the van and shop vaccued it out so I could get some plastic on the windshield due to more storms coming this weekend.

After we got that done, we gave Spud my Fat Man Dog a burial worthy of a King.  See we couldn't bury him.  The ground is too wet and his smell would draw the local wild dog pack and the local coyote pack.  Not to mention all the other wild critters int he area.  So we took my lovely burn pile Randy made up for me this weekend and gave Spud a Funeral Pry.  We didn't want any other anmals digging him up and eating on him.  Randy loaded him on the bonfire and I threw some sage, cedar chips, and sweet grass all over Spud and we said a lil blessing for him and said our goodbyes.

Now today, I get to call his old family and inform them that he is gone.  I am doing laundry from the back of my van and going to take the kids down to my girl's house because they are still stressed from last night.  A lil fun down at Aunties house and coming home about the time Daddy gets home from work will do them good. 

Now I am off to throw another sleeping bag into the wash!  Pictures to come after this post!

MIT SUMMER PROFESSIONAL COURSES

The MIT Professional Institute will be offering the following course this summer.

Combating Bioterrorism/Pandemics: Implementing Policies for Biosecurity [17.60s] July 28-30, 2008

“The threats of bioterrorism and global pandemics pose new challenges for public health, law enforcement and national security agencies. All these agencies face new biosecurity priorities, including learning to collaborate with each other. Yet agencies have deeply embedded professional norms and organizational cultures, which resist change.

MIT experts and affiliates explore the obstacles to implementation and strategies to overcome them.”

http://web.mit.edu/mitpep/pi/courses/combating_bioterrorism.html

FORUM ON BIOSECURITY [Reprint]

“The International forum on biosecurity will be held in Amman (Jordan) under the title ‘Confronting Biological Threats: Biosecurity, Biological Weapons Nonproliferation, and Regional Cooperative Mechanisms.’ This forum will take place in Amman, Jordan on October 27 – 29, 2008. The event brings together academic experts and practitioners from governments, inter-governmental organizations, academic institutions, civil society and the private sector.” (Arab Institute for Security Studies; 02Jun08).

http://www.acsis.org/announcements.asp#1

Ennis trial hears of Ricin find

“A jury in the Central Criminal Court has heard that the lethal toxin Ricin was found in the prison cell of a former Las Vegas poker dealer accused of conspiring with a Clare woman to kill her partner and his two sons. Detective Garda Gerald Fahy told Ms Una Ní Raifeartaigh that he had received intelligence which led him to suspect that the toxin was hidden somewhere in Mr Essam Eid’s cell in Limerick Prison where he had been held since his arrest following the burglary of the Howard family business in September 2006.” (The Irish Times; 20June08) http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0620/breaking92.htm

More than 100 doses of tetanus vaccine given during local floods [Iowa]

 “Hamilton County Public Health administered 101 doses of tetanus vaccine to workers and volunteers helping with the recent flooding events, according to Shelby Kroona, public health administrator. She reported the figures to the Board of Health during its regular session Thursday. Kroona said the agency had been scheduled to conduct a bioterrorism drill this month, but the weather related events of the past two weeks allowed the department to put into action many of the drill elements. They were then able to assess the agency’s strengths and weaknesses in the disaster. Kroona said her agency was able to immediately begin administrating tetanus shots at no cost to the flood workers. She added that the agency needs to formalize the instant command procedures and roles, as well as make better use of alerts and information from the Health Alert Network.” (The Daily Freeman Journal; 20June08; Anne Blankenship)

http://www.webstercitynews.com/page/content.detail/id/501601.html?nav=5006

Report on the social and ethical challenges of synthetic biology

“An independent report on the social and ethical challenges associated with research into synthetic biology has been published this month (see press release). The report, ‘Synthetic Biology: social and ethical challenges’, has been written by Andrew Balmer and Paul Martin of the Institute for Science and Society at the University of Nottingham and was commissioned by the BBSRC’s Bioscience for Society Panel. The report begins by giving an overview of synthetic biology and summarising the main areas of research in this field. It then goes on to review the main social and ethical issues raised in public debate and the corresponding policy responses. The key issues were identified as uncontrolled release, bioterrorism, patenting and the creation of monopolies, trade and global justice and creating artificial life.” (PHG Foundation; 20June08; Dr.

Sowmiya Moorthie)

http://www.phgfoundation.org/news/4250/

Kennedy-Burr Bill Targets Potential Threats From Within Bio-Research Labs

“As the fear of biological attack spurs an expansion of high-security research labs, a new threat has emerged from a place receiving less attention — the labs themselves. Sens. Edward M. Kennedy , D-Mass., chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Richard M. Burr , R.-N.C., who formerly headed the Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness Subcommittee, have introduced legislation (S 3127) to check that risk.” (CQ Politics; 19June08; Matt Korade)

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=hsnews-000002901336

Preparing for terror's aftermath [Valencia, California]

“From biological warfare to bomb attacks, local health officials prepared for the worst case scenarios Wednesday at a training session at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. Health care professionals ranging from law enforcement to firefighter trained this week to be able to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive weapon warfare.” (The Signal; 19June08; Katherine Geyer)

http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/2433/

Maryland to seek Superfund status for Fort Detrick dump site

“Maryland’s environmental secretary, hoping to speed the cleanup of ground water tainted by an old Army dump, has asked federal regulators to add the site at Fort Detrick to a list of the nation’s most polluted places. The Army says it has spent $43 million since 1992 to remove industrial and laboratory waste dumped decades ago in unlined trenches, but it has yet to clean up the contaminated ground water.” (The Herald; 18June08) http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=196702&format=html

Low approval rate for vets' chemical tests claims

“The Veterans Affairs Department has granted only 6 percent of health claims filed by veterans of secret Cold War chemical and germ warfare tests conducted by the Pentagon, according to figures obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. Veterans advocates called the number appallingly low. By comparison, about 88 percent of processed claims from Gulf War vets were granted as of last year, according to VA documents. More than 90 percent of processed claims from Iraq and Afghanistan vets were granted as of earlier this year.” (Associated Press; 19June08; Erica Werner) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h6mM70jju27eQpAELACuysUGpHOAD91DF4FG0

Oregon to allow Army to burn waste at depot

“The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission agreed Thursday to allow the Army to resume burning agent-contaminated waste -- like rags and protective suits -- at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. The decision came after the commission accepted a report commissioned by the Department of Environmental Quality that concluded that burning nerve agent, poisonous gas and its waste posed minimal health and environmental risk.” (Tri-City Herald; 20June08; Mary Hopkin) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/217840.html

Neighbors of Hill AFB Alerted of Combat Drills [Utah]

“Utah's Hill Air Force Base is about to go on alert. The base is running a practice drill next week to get an idea of how people there would do in a chemical combat environment.” (KUTV; 19June08)

http://www.kutv.com/content/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=0d88a917-abc7-41e9-8d1d-4c56365ca893

The influence of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on oxidative stress and nitric oxide synthesis in stimulated macrophages treated with a mustard gas analogue

“Sulphur mustard gas, 2, 2a-dichlorodiethyl sulphide (HD), is a chemical warfare agent. Both mustard gas and its monofunctional analogue, 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulphide (CEES), are alkylating agents that react with and diminish cellular thiols and are highly toxic. Previously, we reported that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) significantly enhances the cytotoxicity of CEES in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages and that CEES transiently inhibits nitric oxide (NO) production via suppression of inducible NO synthase

(iNOS) protein expression. NO generation is an important factor in wound healing.” (7th Space Interactive; 20June08) http://7thspace.com/headlines/285012/the_influence_of_n_acetyl_l_cysteine_on_oxidative_stress_and_nitric_oxide_synthesis_in_stimulated_macrophages_treated_with_a_mustard_gas_analogue.html

Colorado wants mustard gas destroyed

“Colorado health officials ordered the Defense Department to speed up its destruction of mustard gas at a chemical weapons depot, saying the military had ignored requests to do so. Health department spokeswoman Jeannine Natterman said Wednesday's order affecting the Pueblo Chemical Weapons Depot was mandatory. About 2,600 tons of the gas are stored at the site.” (Los Angeles Times; 19June08; Associated Press) http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-na-pueblo19-2008jun19,0,7289585.story

CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.

By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith

Special to American Forces Press Service

June 12, 2008 - Governors in four of six Midwestern states affected by heavy rains and subsequent flooding called out more than 2,000 National Guard members this week as flood waters forced residents from their homes, left thousands without power and damaged infrastructure. The severe weather began in the region June 4 and continued for several days, with flood waters continuing to rise today. It included heavy rains, tornados, hail, severe lighting and, in one instance, nearly 11 inches of rain near the Indianapolis area within a matter of hours.

Many officials were comparing the floods to the Midwest's historic "Great Flood of 1993," which caused an estimated $15 billion in damage.

National Guard members in Indiana, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Iowa were continuing their support to civil authorities with manpower and equipment today. Helping them were additional Guard members from neighboring states.

In Indiana, Gov. Mitch Daniels called out more than 1,300 Guard members to assist in evacuations, search and rescue, security, road blocks, sandbagging, and other emergency assistance missions. President Bush declared much of central Indiana a major disaster area.

National Guard Bureau officials reported that a variety of Guard equipment was being used to assist emergency responders in Indiana and its affected communities, including 35 5-ton trucks, 37 Humvees, five UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, 26 potable water trailers, 17 light-medium tactile vehicles, and five buses. Still other special equipment and personnel include members of the West Virginia National Guard's 53rd Civil Support Team, as well as an RC-26B Metroliner reconnaissance aircraft.

"We are here for the citizens of Indiana," said Army Capt. Andy Weaver in an Indiana National Guard news report. Weaver and other Guard members helped evacuate at least 256 patients from a flooded hospital June 8 in Columbus. "Even though some of our soldiers have been affected by the flooding, they are here helping out the community. This is where they feel they should be," he added.

Indiana Guard members also were delivering Red Cross supplies, equipment and personnel to the town of Worthington. They delivered 7,200 gallons of water to the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency and provided self-contained shower units to the town of Hope in Bartholomew County.

In Iowa, Guard officials reported many lakes, rivers and streams were at near-record levels, flooding communities and forcing many Iowans out of their towns and homes. Gov. Chet Culver mobilized at least 640 Guard soldiers and airmen for state active duty to assist in the state's disaster response. The governor declared 40 counties as disaster areas.

The Guard members are partnering with federal, state, county and local officials in at least 11 counties and are providing generator support and emergency drinking water. Other Guard members are involved in sandbagging and transportation, as well as securing bridges.

A band of storms that moved across West Virginia on June 5 caused severe flooding that forced Gov. Joe Manchin to declare a state of emergency for at least 15 counties.

At least 97 West Virginia Guard members responded to affected areas with military dump trucks, Humvees, water supplies, backhoes and other equipment to assist residents and local responders as river levels climbed. The Guard members were removing debris with their equipment in at least five counties.

The Wisconsin National Guard mobilized at least 80 soldiers and airmen. The soldiers were providing potable water and sandbags to flooded counties. Officials reported that soldiers of 2nd Brigade were tasked to deliver 20,000 sandbags to Dodge County and the village of Mukwonago. Guard soldiers from 147th Aviation were assisting in aerial damage-assessment missions for military and state leaders. The other states flew similar aerial assessment missions for their leaders.

Army Spc. Cassandra Groce from the Kentucky National Guard reported today that an RC-26B from 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian, Miss., arrived in Wisconsin yesterday to fly over dozens of affected areas in the state to provide live video. A similar Guard aircraft from West Virginia flew missions over flooded areas of Indiana.

The capability allows engineers on the ground to plan reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and was employed after Hurricane Katrina. It was tested during last year's Guard response to the California wildfires and is now being used for the first time in the flooded states, Groce reported.

Army Master Sgt. Paul Gorman from the Wisconsin Guard reported yesterday that 924th Engineer Detachment dispatched engineer elements to team up with civilian engineers at key damage sites in three heavily affected counties. A Wisconsin Guard UH-60 Black Hawk from 147th Aviation Battalion also provided aerial assessment, Gorman reported.

In addition, 54th Civil Support Team brought communication, liaison and combat-lifesaver capabilities to support the ground-based engineer element in western Vernon County.

(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves with the National Guard Bureau.)

Some people are disappointed. I am not.

I think 10% is respectable in a state like Iowa. On a side note, I won't be visiting the state anytime soon.

Basing your campaign on the Constitution, free markets and the principles of the Founding Fathers puts you behind immediately.

Ron Paul promises nothing but liberty. He promises to get the government off of our backs. He doesn't promise you free health care.  

I watched some of the speeches last night. They were all filled with a bunch of emotional BS. Paul leaves emotion out of it. He tells it like it is. He's not a successful politician.

Voters don't want to hear about economics. They apparently want to hear about how much free stuff they can get from the government. Well, guess what, nothing is free. Where do you think the money comes from?

I keep hearing other candidates talking about change. It rings hollow. How is it a change? I guess it could be if you consider change to be going from big government to bigger government.

The change will eventually run out!