2009 hurricane predictions, plus storm names | Yahoo! Green

"2009 hurricane and tropical storm names - Atlantic
Ana
Bill
Claudette
Danny
Erika
Fred
Grace
Henri
Ida
Joaquin
Kate
Larry
Mindy
Nicholas
Odette
Peter
Rose
Sam
Teresa
Victor
Wanda


2009 hurricane and tropical storm names - Eastern North Pacific
Andres
Blanca
Carlos
Dolores
Enrique
Felicia
Guillermo
Hilda
Ignacio
Jimena
Kevin
Linda
Marty
Nora
Olaf
Patricia
Rick
Sandra
Terry
Vivian
Waldo
Xina
York
Zelda"

The Rev. Hermon Gaylord Wood | Parish History | St. Andrew's Episcopal Church - Ayer, Massachusetts

"HERMON GAYLORD WOOD, son of Hiram and Mary (Sprague) Wood, was born 19 Jan 1831 in Camillus, New York. He was known throughout his life as either H. Gaylord Wood or simply, H. G. Wood. His father was a farmer and a miller, and for nearly 40 years Senior Warden of Trinity Church in Fayetteville, New York. He prepared for college at Cortland Academy in Homer, New York."

The Rev. Hermon Gaylord Wood Parish History St. Andrew's Episcopal Church - Ayer, Massachusetts:

Tornado briefly touches down in Mesa County

"GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) Meteorologists have reported a rare occurrence in Mesa County: a tornado.
The National Weather Service in Grand Junction says a tornado briefly touched down in a rural area near Mount Garfield before dissipating shortly before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Mount Garfield is northeast of Grand Junction.
Meteorologist Jeff Colton says a Weather Service employee was driving in the area and saw it happen. No damage or injuries were reported.
Colton says it's just the ninth tornado to be documented in Mesa County since 1950.
The Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northern Mesa County and southern Garfield County but canceled it around 3:50 p.m."
Colorado Wire - cbs4denver.com:

Its a.... BABY!

11 weeks 6 days

Grandchild number 4

Spring snowstorm shuts down Colo., Wyo. roads

"DENVER (AP) — More than a foot of wet, heavy snow closed highways and canceled flights in parts of Colorado and Wyoming on Friday, snarling traffic and forcing school closures and flight cancellations.
The American Red Cross was looking for more space Friday night after the shelter it opened for stranded travelers in Idaho Springs filled to capacity with more than 200 people.
Power lines weighed down by snow tripped system circuit breakers and knocked out electricity for more than 16,000 customers in Colorado.

Up to 3 feet of snow was expected by Saturday night in the mountains above 6,000
feet, forecasters said. Nearly 3 feet already had fallen in Rocky Mountain
National Park about 60 miles northwest of Denver. "

The chilly weather forced a return to heavy coats and snow boots for some who
already had packed away their winter clothes.

The Associated Press: Spring snowstorm shuts down Colo., Wyo. roads:

More People Want to Pack Heat on Streets

"In Mesa County close to 3,000 people have been issued a concealed weapons permit. But while Amanda Davis and her dog Heineken aren't packing heat today she could if she wanted to.
'I do think they are a good idea, I have one of my own,' says Davis.
And she is not alone. 'My husband just got a concealed weapons permit,' says Tammy Reece.
In February of last year 53 people applied for concealed weapons permits. Last month that number almost tripled to 147. Heather Benjamin with the Mesa County Sheriff's Office says, 'there is absolutely no concern.'" Video

More People Want to Pack Heat on Streets:

Radon: The Silent Killer

"Every year more than 20,000 Americans are diagnosed with a terminal disease caused by a radioactive gas known as radon. Experts say in most cases those people didn't even realize they were being exposed to the gas, or that it was happening right in their homes. While deadly if left untreated, they say it can easily be fixed.
Radon -- it's odorless, tatsteless, colorless, and deadly.
'It is the second leading cause of lung cancer, first for non-smokers,' said Anna Maylett Rice, Mesa County Indoor Air Quality Specialist.
Health experts from Montrose to Mesa County say it's all around us here in Western Colorado. They say radon forms as uranium decomposes below the ground -- and because the Western Slope has a lot of uranium in the ground naturally, the chances of residents being exposed to radon is much higher than other parts of the country."
More
Radon: The Silent Killer:

Proud of your name? Join the club

"HAYLEY MICK
From Friday's Globe and Mail
March 5, 2009 at 9:59 PM EST
Wendy Russ says it started back in elementary school. Classmates chimed 'Wiinndy' every time it got blustery outside. After that, it only got worse.
Teenage boys snickered when the Wendy's fast-food chain came out with the slogan: 'Where's the beef?' Then came the 'hot, juicy burger' campaign. 'You can imagine how that went over,' says Ms. Russ, who lives in Arkansas.
Still, she loved her name because it's different 'but not weird.' So as the Internet heated up in the early 1990s, she snapped up wendy.com — which soon became a beacon for Wendys worldwide."

"So those Freds are going to have to watch out," Ms. Russ says.

The site now represents an organization of 90 members who've bonded over nicknames (Wendikins, Wendorama, Wendy Lou Who) and favourite movie characters (Wendy Darling of Peter Pan). A revamp of the website is now in the works; there's even talk of a Wendy convention.

globeandmail.com: Proud of your name? Join the club:

(Note: I have been a member of the World Wide Wendy's since 1996 -- http://www.wendy.com/)

The Canadian Solution

"Canadian banks are typically leveraged at 18 to 1--compared with U.S. banks at 26 to 1.
Published Feb 7, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Feb 16, 2009"

The legendary editor of The New Republic, Michael Kinsley, once held a "Boring Headline Contest" and decided that the winner was "Worthwhile Canadian Initiative." Twenty-two years later, the magazine was rescued from its economic troubles by a Canadian media company, which should have taught us Americans to be a bit more humble. Now there is even more striking evidence of Canada's virtues. Guess which country, alone in the industrialized world, has not faced a single bank failure, calls for bailouts or government intervention in the financial or mortgage sectors. Yup, it's Canada. In 2008, the World Economic Forum ranked Canada's banking system the healthiest in the world. America's ranked 40th, Britain's 44th.

I could go on. The U.S. currently has a brain-dead immigration system. We
issue a small number of work visas and green cards, turning away from our shores
thousands of talented students who want to stay and work here. Canada, by
contrast, has no limit on the number of skilled migrants who can move to the
country. They can apply on their own for a Canadian Skilled Worker Visa, which
allows them to become perfectly legal "permanent residents" in Canada—no need
for a sponsoring employer, or even a job. Visas are awarded based on education
level, work experience, age and language abilities. If a prospective immigrant
earns 67 points out of 100 total (holding a Ph.D. is worth 25 points, for
instance), he or she can become a full-time, legal resident of Canada.

More... Zakaria: The Canadian Solution Newsweek Voices - Fareed Zakaria Newsweek.com:

(Rockport) Local artist paints White House holiday card - Community - VillageSoup

I suppose this might be my last year on the list -- but at least it has the correct address and no forwarding sticker.

Rockport) Local artist paints White House holiday card - Community - VillageSoup: "ROCKPORT (Dec 19): Each December, envelopes of yuletide cheer make their way across the country's small towns and big cities. This year, the White House holiday card, designed by one local artist, will grace the mailboxes of millions."

Lawson was recognized for his work designing the 2008 holiday card during a
reception at the White House on Dec. 3. He said the White House was
spectacularly decorated with 29 Christmas trees and breathtaking ornamentation.