nikeheelss.com

Sunday, January 27, 2008

The following deaths were reported over the past week:

Richard Darman, who was the trustee of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Non-Executive Chairman of the AES corporation, as well as being the aide to five presidents died of Leukemia on Friday. In 1990 he successfully persuaded Congress to raise taxes, despite the fact that former president George Bush pledge to do otherwise.

Sources

• Douglas Martin. “Richard G. Darman, 64, Aide for 5 Presidents, Dies” — New York Times, January 26, 2008
• “HHMI Trustee Richard G. Darman Dies” — HHMI News, January 25, 2008
• “AES Remembers Richard Darman, Chairman of the Board” — Welt Online, January 26, 2008

Thomas Cecil Gray born 11 March 1913 in Liverpool, died 21 January 2008. He died peacefully at home on the Wirral. A requiem mass will be held at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral on 26 January 2008. He pioneered modern Anaesthetic techniques.

Born in Liverpool in 1913, educated at Ampleforth College, he qualified in medicine at The University of Liverpool in 1937. He began his career as a General Practitioner before joining the Royal Army Medical Corps.

He later returned to the University to become Head of the Department of Anaesthesia and was made Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in 1970, retiring in 1976. As Senior Lecturer he established the Department of Anaesthesia at Liverpool University, the ‘Liverpool technique’, based on the triad of unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation, was developed as a result.

Professor Gray was the editor of the British Journal of Anaesthesia from 1948 to 1964. Until recently Professor Gray continued to give occasional lectures at the university.

Professor Gray was presented with a CBE by Her Majesty the Queen and in 1982 was honoured by Pope John Paul II who made him a Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. In 2007 the Liverpool Echo included him in its list of the 700 greatest Liverpudlians, as part of Liverpools 700th anniversary.

Married twice. He married his first wife Marjorie Kathleen Hely in 1937 they had 2 children, she died in died 1978; He married Pamela Mary Corning in 1979, they had 1 son before she died on 5 January 2008. He had four grandchildren.

Sources

• “Professor Cecil Gray, CBE KCSG” — Old Amplefordians, January 25, 2008
• Ben Turner. “Anaesthetic pioneer dies” — Liverpool Echo, January 21, 2008

Marie Smith Jones, who is believed to be the last remaining speaker of the Alaskan language Eyak has died at age 89. She was an activist who supported conservation and the rights of indigenous people. She is survived by her nine children, none of whom can speak Eyak. Her Eyak name was Udach’ Kuqax*a’a’ch, which she translated as “a sound that calls people from afar”.

Sources

• Rachel Shields. “Farewell, Udach’ Kuqax*a’a’ch, the last native speaker of Eyak” — The Independent, January 25, 2008
• “Last Alaska language speaker dies” — BBC News Online, Marie Smith Jones

===

Heath Ledger, Australian actor, 28 ===

According to police in New York City, New York, Australian actor Heath Ledger, 28, has died from a suspected overdose of prescription drugs. He was found by his housekeeper in his Manhattan apartment.

At about 3:26 p.m. EST (UTC-5), the housekeeper was on her way to inform Ledger that his masseuse had arrived when she discovered his naked body on the bed.

Ledger starred in the 2005 movie Brokeback Mountain where he was nominated for the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. He also starred in the 2000 movie The Patriot with Mel Gibson.

Sources

• The Associated Press. “‘Brokeback Mountain’ star Heath Ledger found dead” — CTV News, January 22, 2008
• “Heath Ledger is found dead in US” — BBC News Online, January 23, 2008
• “Actor heath ledger ‘found dead’” — News.com.au, January 23, 2008
• “Actor Heath Ledger Dies” — WLTX.com, January 23, 2008
• “Heath Ledger Found Dead” — Cinematical, January 23, 2008
• Sewell Chan. “Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28” — NyTimes, January 22, 2008
• “Actor Heath Ledger is found dead” — Agence France-Presse, January 22, 2008
• “Heath Ledger found Dead in New York” — Guardian Unlimited, January 22, 2008
• “Heath Ledger found dead” — The Sun, January 22, 2008

Journalist and morning news presenter for CBS died in a snowmobile accident. He was pronounced very soon after the emergency services arrived. Scott Hirschey, a childhood friend of Salerno was driving the snowmobile, was also injured.

Sources

• “CBS 2’s Randy Salerno Dies In Snowmobile Accident” — CBS, January 25, 2008
• “Friend charged in snowmobiling death of Channel 2 anchor Randy Salerno” — Chicago tribune, January 25, 2008

Monday, June 18, 2007

A press room across the street of the White House was evacuated after a bomb sniffing dog had a reaction to a van it was searching. The van was believed to be a transport vehicle for Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Olmert, but some reports also say that it is not known to whom the van belongs.

The evacuated space is where the press gathers before they enter the Press Briefing Room in the West Wing of the White House. It is around the corner from Blair House.

“Police were called, they are on the scene currently attempting to clear the vehicle. The vehicle is part of the delegation that is staying at the Blair House,” said Darrin Blackford, a spokesman for the Secret Service.

Police searched the van using a robot and blocked off streets around the area to vehicle traffic, but at 4:30 p.m. (eastern time), authorities gave the “all-clear” for personnel to be allowed back into the building.

The “suspicious” van was parked in front of Lafayette Park. Other areas near the White House were also evacuated including Pennsylvania Avenue, on which the White House is located, and the Jackson Square Press Center, because “of an abundance of caution.”

Olmert is currently a guest in the Blair House which is located across the street from the White House. Olmert is expected to meet with United States President George W. Bush to discuss the Palestinian government and other issues. It is not known if Olmert was inside the house at the time of the incident.

It is not known why the dog reacted to the van, but nothing was found inside it after the Secret Service searched it.

Saturday, July 15, 2017

On Wednesday, Italian football club Juventus announced an agreement with German club Bayern Munich for a one-year loan of Brazilian winger Douglas Costa for a fee of €6 million, to run until June 30, 2018.

26-year-old Douglas Costa joined Bayern in 2015 under Pep Guardiola’s management from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk. In two seasons at the Allianz Arena, Costa has scored fourteen goals and provided 27 assists, making 77 appearances in total. He won two consecutive Bundesliga titles, a DFB Pokal, and a DFL-Supercup. Before joining the Bavarian club, the left-footed winger won five consecutive Ukrainian Premier League trophies.

In the agreement with Bayern, Juventus can exercise an option to buy the player for €40 million before July 1, 2018. Bayern may receive an additional €1 million subject to conditions in the contract. Bayern Munich’s chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said, “We had serious and constructive talks with Juventus’ representatives. All of FC Bayern’s financial demands have been met”.

Upon asking why he joined Juventus, Costa told the Juventus’ interviewer that he “had always dreamed of playing” with the Old Lady and said he was “delighted to be part of” Juventus’ team.

Saturday, December 2, 2006

As families fled their homes in the early morning hours on Thursday October 26, there was no warning. The Esperanza Fire southeast of Los Angeles and West of Palm Springs, California, had ballooned under the influence of Santa Ana winds to more than 19,000 acres as of the morning of October 27. No time to get the animals, no time for crates or even a leash. Sadly, owners left behind not only their horses, lamas, donkeys, chickens, rabbits, but also their dogs and cats.

Many of the families who did manage to evacuate their pets found themselves in the parking lot at the Fellowship in the Pass Church Red Cross Shelter where a MuttShack Animal Rescue team caught up with them.

Pam Anderson, Director of the emergency Red Cross shelter said that many people with animals had come and left.

The air was thick with smoke, and ash was raining down on the parking lot where dog owners, not able to take their dogs into the shelter were camping out in pup tents and in their cars.

Those who could afford it checked themselves into pet friendly hotels in nearby towns.

Some were prepared. Jane Garner, a small dog breeder was able to get all her animals out, and had set up her puppy runs alongside her RV in the parking lot. Others were not doing too well, having left home without as much as a leash.

The same scenario played out at the Red Cross shelter at Hemet High School. Animals were being boarded in vans, trailers and cars and small travel crates.

When MuttShack Animal Rescue arrived, a small fracas had sent several dogs off in different directions, running out of the school parking lot down busy streets necessitating an instant rescue response.

The Incident Command for the Esperanza Animals, Ramona Humane Society in San Jacinto welcomed MuttShack‘s offer to help at the shelters.

Ramona Humane Society had recently published a notice in their Newsletter about the newly passed “PETS Act” and warned owners not wait until a major disaster such as an earthquake or fire to prepare. “Be proactive to ensure that your pet will be taken care of.”

MuttShack and PetSmart Charities set up ad hoc facilities for the animals at both shelters.

The Red Cross shelter, run by Madison Burtchaell of the Orange County Red Cross was very accommodating about allowing a small emergency pet shelter adjacent to the School.

Barbara A. Fought of PetSmart Charities, an organization that works with animal welfare organizations and provide assistance in disasters, provided crates and emergency supplies.

MuttShack and Red Cross volunteers, Martin St. John, Tom Hamilton, and Steve Meissner helped assemble the crates to secure a safe environment for evacuated pets.

It was a great relief for evacuees who had camped out in the parking lot to finally leave their vehicles and relax at the shelter, setting up their cots to grab some sorely needed rest.

Firefighters and residents reported loss of wildlife and animals. The Esperanza fire burned 34 homes, consumed 40,000 acres and cost five Firefighters their lives before it was contained four days later on October 30. Firefighting operations cost nearly $10 million.

MuttShack Animal Rescue is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization active in disasters and dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and care of lost or discarded dogs, cats and other animals.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

NASA is beginning the final preparations for next Wednesday’s launch of the Dawn probe, aboard a Delta II rocket. The Dawn probe, costing over US$250 million, will visit the dwarf planet Ceres and the asteroid Vesta. The launch was originally planned for mid-June, however due to a damaged crate, shipping delays, and a damaged solar panel, NASA chose to delay it until now. Last week the spacecraft was delivered to the launch pad, and engineers performed tests to ensure that it is ready for launch. Today, the payload fairings were installed, and the probe is ready for its launch next week onto its 5 billion kilometer (3.2 billion mile) mission.

As the Delta II launches, three stages of rockets will propel the probe towards its first target. With the help of ion thrusters, it will reach Mars in mid-2009. Using Mars’ gravity, the probe will speed up and proceed towards the first asteroid, Vesta, in late 2011. After orbiting for seven months, it will leave Vesta in mid-2012, and arrive at Ceres in 2015. After making scans of Ceres, it will enter an orbit around Ceres that will ensure that it does not impact the asteroid for half a century. This is required due to the United Nations’ “Outer Space Treaty”, which states that “harmful contamination” of these asteroids must be avoided.

The targets of this mission, Ceres and Vesta, couldn’t be less alike. Ceres (diameter 975 km, 600 miles) is larger than Vesta (578 km, 350 miles). This makes Ceres approximately the size of Texas. NASA believes Ceres could contain water beneath its outer crust because, like Earth, its inner layers are heavier than the outer layers, and Ceres’ outer layer is lighter than water. Vesta, on the other hand, is the size of Arizona, and has a surface of volcanic rock, which astronomers believe came from its hot inner layers. Vesta also has a large crater – almost 500 km (300 miles) across – on its southern pole. The collision that caused this likely blasted enough rock into space to fill a container 160 by 160 by 80 km (100 by 100 by 50 miles).

The probe will make several observations of these asteroids: it will compare the makeup, shape, size, and densities, analyze craters, and determine mass, gravity, rotation. To determine the makeup, the probe carries a mapping spectrometer, and tools to map emissions of neutrons and gamma rays. Using this information, NASA can compare the formation of these bodies to learn more about our solar system, for example, to test a theory which states that a number of stony meteorites may be debris from Vesta.

There’s one more piece of equipment aboard the probe: A small silicon chip containing the names of 350,000 people who submitted their names to the “Send Your Name to the Asteroid Belt” campaign. After next week’s launch, the spacecraft will deploy its solar panels and undergo two months of testing before it begins the cruise to Mars.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Buffalo, New York – The preliminary hearing for a lawsuit against the Elmwood Village Hotel proposal has been pushed back to August 10, 2006.

The hotel would require the demolition of at least five properties owned by Hans Mobius, 1109-1121 Elmwood and would cause the closure of several businesses. Already, two businesses, Skunk Tail Glass and Six Nations Native American Gift Shop have relocated, outside the Elmwood Strip. Don apparel, H.O.D. Tattoo and Mondo Video still remain on Elmwood; however, Mondo Video is planning on moving to a new location. The hotel will be 72 rooms and will cost at least 7 million dollars to build. Savarino Construction Services Corporation would be in charge of building the hotel and Wyndham Hotels would operate it.

Attorney Arthur Giacalone says that the court date was pushed back because “the court apparently felt it did not make sense to proceed with oral argument on 7/27 if Savarino is going to re-start the process.” Giacalone also stated that the decision to adjourn until August 10 “was not my idea.” On July 13, 2006 Savarino announced that they were withdrawing the proposal to “resubmit” it to “shed the lawsuits” against the proposal.

Savarino was allegedly supposed to resubmit the proposal by the end of last week but so far has not done so. The final meeting of Buffalo’s Common Council for the summer occurred today. The Council will not meet again until September.

“If they [Savarino] took no action today, re the hotel, [that is, accepting the new application, or rescinding the prior rezoning resolution], nothing official will happen for the next 6 weeks or so,” added Giacalone also saying that if this is the case, “the court may not be willing to hear oral argument on 8/10 since we will still be up in the air about what’s going on.” Giacalone also states that he is unsure about “what they [the Common Council] did today.”

Despite the call for a “do-over” of the proposals process, Giacalone still states that his client’s position of the “pending lawsuit will not be ‘moot’ or ‘academic’ unless and until the Common Council rescinds its prior vote(s) that approved the rezoning” for the buildings on Elmwood and one property on Forest Avenues.

Sam Savarino, CEO of Savarino Construction has been contacted, but has not replied to any e-mails. Area councilman Joseph Golombeck has also been e-mailed, but also has not replied.

Saturday, January 1, 2005

The National Archives of Australia have, as part of their standard document release cycle, released thirty year old documents from the Whitlam government.

The centre piece of the 1974 archives are a series of documents from the Australian Cabinet and the Treasury pertaining to the attempt to obtain a $US4 billion loan by the Whitlam government from the Middle East. The obtaining of these loans and the scandal generated became collectively known as the “Loans Affair,” and contributed significantly towards the dismissal of the Whitlam government by Sir John Kerr the following year.

The documents from Treasury, which include descriptions of both the loan itself and the people involved in arranging them, are scathing. The “Points that might be made” document of December 13, 1974 clearly states that Treasury believed the distinct possibility that the loans might be part of “a confidence trick of major proportions”. Minutes from another meeting five days later state the “incredulity” on the part of the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York regarding the viability of the loan.

Those documents now available comprise the beginning of the Loans Affair, from the initial offers to the end of 1974. The remainder of the Loans Affair documents, as well as everything else from 1975 will be released on January 1, 2006.