LaLaLa: Can't Get Her Out of My Head: A Kylie Minogue Trivia Book

My friend Etienne di Cosimo has written a new trivia book, about international pop superstar Kylie Minogue!!! 

Pop Goddess. Diva. International Superstar. Soap Star. Fashion and Style Icon. Gay Icon. Sex Symbol. Humanitarian. Cancer Survivor. Fair Dinkum Aussie Girl. These superlatives can be used to describe only one person: The incandescent Kylie Minogue! Can't Get Her Out of My Head: A Kylie Minogue Trivia Book by Etienne di Cosimo is the ultimate love letter written for Kylie's millions of fans from across the four corners of the globe and is the perfect gift for all "Lovers"...

US Kylie fans can order the book through Amazon US: Can't Ger Her Out of My Head: A Kylie Minogue Trivia Book while UK fans can order the book here!

Mainstream Media: Scientists Crack Mystery of Siberian Craters & News Isn't Good

A news article in The Washington Post  has confirmed that the cause behind those massive and mysterious craters in Siberia is perhaps not-so-mysterious after all: Earth Changes!

I actually had figured the cause was indeed the eruption of methane gas plumes from beneath the melting permafrost, a full week before this "official" announcement was made in the mainstream media, which has stated the cause is a potential "game changer" for life on Earth. It is all goes part and parcel with the immense changes taking place across the entire globe, which we are all witness to at the present time. 

News of the craters in Siberia was quickly followed by news of the formation of a large lake in the deserts of Tunisia, which formed [practically] overnight, and has been viewed as a miracle by the people in the region. Thousands have flocked to bathe in the "miracle" waters of the mysterious lake, even as authorities warn the waters may contain radioactive elements. The water has changed colors over the week, from its initial turquoise hue to a mossy green color. The science and mechanics behind the formation of the lake has not been given an "official" explanation, although tectonic plate activity has been mentioned is some articles. You can read more about the Miracle Lake in Tunisia:

Then, curiously enough, two more news stories involving lakes or other bodies of water entered the news: First, Lake Superior's water temperature dropped from the mid-60s to a chilly 38 degrees in less than 24 hours, in the middle of summer. The amount of energy required to heat or cool trillions of cubic tons of water in such a short amount of time is mind-boggling! Then, the citizens of Toledo, Ohio, endure a water ban, as it was revealed toxic algae blooms growing on Lake Eerie had tainted the city's water supply.   

Will this be the last of the incredible Earth Changes to report about here on this blog? I sincerely doubt it. I wrote the following in a recent Facebook post, which I believe serves well here:

I'll be blunt and to the point, as there is no time to be mysterious. Whether you have been following any of my posts over these past few years or not is of little or no consequence. We all live in a state of denial to some degree, but there are some things we (collectively) cannot ignore.

You don't need to ignore massive events taking place in some remote corner of the world, especially when you can view these same events now, right outside your front window. You are already being affected by the domino effect of these "once in a thousand year" events, which are taking place every day now and at a frantically increasing pace. These events are not going to stop because you wish to deny or ignore them, and will indeed increase, as that is the only logical direction the current sequence can take.

You are being affected by these events each time you go to the grocery store and watch as the prices of the things you buy continue to increase, almost daily. You are being affected by these changes each time you fill up your car with fuel. You are being affected by these changes each time you open up your insurance bill. You are being affected by these events as they take a toll on your health (mental and physical) and the health of your friends, family and even your pets.

Many people say, "Why worry, when there's nothing I can do about [these changes]". That's definitely not the truth and is a defeatist attitude that will not serve you well in a crisis, when lives are on the line. Just like in cases of alcoholism or drug addiction, facing the truth of your situation is the first step in the battle. Preparing yourself physically and mentally is another thing you can do. When armed with the truth, you can make plans to protect yourself, your property and your family. 

Kickstarter Campaign for New Book Atrocities: Secrets from the Past

"The images I saw when I first began to research my father's native Bosnia were so horrific, they chilled me to the bone." Marina, "Atrocities: Secrets of the Past"

The Kickstarter campaign for my new book has launched and I need any and all support to help make it successful! You may view and support the project here: Atrocities: Secrets from the Past by Miguel Dante

From the author of Evangeline, Alive & Well: A Story of Hope in Haiti comes a new story...

When 13-year-old Marina decides to do a school report about her father's native Bosnia, she uncovers a horrifying family secret, in Atrocities: Secrets from the Past by Miguel Dante.


I am currently writing my new children's book Atrocities: Secrets from the Past and am in need of funds to do the research necessary to complete my writing and to produce a book suitable for young adults to read. The book is about the Bosnian "genocide" that took place during the 1990s, a topic which has been virtually forgotten by the world at large, but certainly not by the people who endured it...and lost loved ones and family members, as an estimated 250,000 people were killed. All funds raised will aid in my research of this very important part of recent history, and will help young adults understand that these horrific events can and still take place in our world.

The story is about a thirteen-year-old girl who decides to do a school report on her father's native Bosnia. Marina's father has never told his daughter much about his life in Bosnia during the war and before emigrating to the United States, and she is naturally curious about her heritage.

Her research puts Marina in contact with a survivor of the Bosnian "death camps" and "ethnic cleansing" that take took place during the 1990s. Ayna's story of survival is riveting and drives Marina to learn more about the atrocities that took place in Bosnia during the genocide. As she delves deeper into the shameful and horrifying story of unimaginable cruelty and violence, she uncovers a secret so shocking, it will forever change everything she thought she knew about her life and her once-perfect family.

Marina must now decide what to do with the information she has discovered, a decision that will alter the course of her life and change history. Atrocities: Secrets of the Past is a moving and emotional story of the power of truth, the bonds of family and the supreme importance of justice...

All money raised will be used to research the topic of the book, to help with travel expenses to Bosnia and to locate survivors.

My challenge will be to locate survivors of the Bosnian genocide that will be willing to tell me of their experiences during the war years. In many cases, the memories of what happened to them will be beyond comprehension, and a majority of the people may not be able or willing to relive their horrifying experiences.

I am certain, however, there will be some survivors eager to tell their story, to ensure that people remember what took place in Bosnia and to prevent similar atrocities from taking place again, anywhere in the world.

For donations over $1, you will receive a shout-out in my blog, plus I will tweet, blog or help promote any projects you may have with Kickstarter!

For donations of $50 or more, you will receive an autographed copy of my book, Evangeline, Alive & Well. 

For donations of $200 or more, you will receive a digital copy of the completed book, with your name in the acknowledgements section!

Any help and or support will be greatly appreciated!

Kickstart my book Atrocities: Secrets from the Past!  

World's Tallest Water Slide Looks Extremely Scary!

Video of the world's tallest, fastest water slide under construction at Kansas City's Schlitterbahn Water Park are giving a first glimpse at what will certainly be the most terrifying water slide in the world.

Appropriately named "Verrückt", German for mind-blowing, intensely insane, the slide will be an astonishing 17-stories tall. Thrill-seekers will have to climb up 264 steps to reach the top platform of the Verrückt Mega-Blaster, where visitors will load into a four-person inflatable raft for the death-defying journey down the slide, reaching speeds of up to 65 miles-per-hour! (Good thing you will be in the water, in case you pee your swimming trunks in fear!)

The new attraction is set to open this Memorial Day weekend. Watch the video below to get a first-person POV of what the thrill ride has in store for passengers!

Aquí Viene el Sol: China Debe Mostrar Vídeo del Sol en Pekín Pesadamente Contaminado

Si le gustara vislumbrar el sol en la capital China de Pekín, usted puede olvidar de simplemente alzar la vista en el cielo, cuando las posibilidades son el grande, brillante, calentando al portador de la vida será completamente escondido detrás de una capa profunda, oscura y peligrosa de la contaminación asquerosa!

¡Los niveles de contaminación en una de las ciudades del mundo más grandes son tan altos, el gobierno ha comenzado ahora a transmitir el metraje de una salida del sol hermosa en pantallas grandes en el Cuadrado Tianamen ocupado de Pekín en una tentativa de animar la población deprimida!

La nación ha estado luchando con la contaminación durante décadas, cuando las industrias y los mil millones de coches ponen muy concentraciones tóxicas de contaminadores en el aire y el agua. La calidad de aire se ha empeorado en días recientes, cuando se estancó el aire combinado con el tiempo frío, haciendo la población quemar más carbón para calentar residencias y negocios. Los rascacielos de la ciudad fueron completamente escondidos de la vista en la niebla tóxica densa, y los peatones tuvieron que llevar puestas máscaras quirúrgicas mientras andando para impedir respirar los vapores tóxicos en sus pulmones. La nube de niebla tóxica de China puede ser vista del espacio, y a menudo viaja por el viento para atizonar el aire de países vecinos Corea y Japón.

El aire peligroso y la contaminación del agua molestan prácticamente el país entero, cuando las oportunidades de avanzar la economía han sido más importantes que la protección de la calidad del ambiente natural. Este ha creado una catástrofe ambiental preocupante que muchos expertos pronostican para ponerse sólo peores y pondrán la población en peligro, en particular el muy joven y el mayor.

Here Comes the Sun: China Broadcasts Rising Sun Footage in Smog-Choked Beijing:

If you would like to catch a glimpse of the sun in the Chinese capital of Beijing, you can forget about simply looking up in the sky, as chances are the large, bright, warming bearer of life will be completely hidden behind a deep, dark and dangerous layer of disgusting pollution!

The pollution levels in one of the world's largest cities are so off-the-charts, the government has now started to broadcast recorded footage of a beautiful sunrise on large LED screens in Beijing's bustling Tianamen Square in an attempt to cheer up the put-upon and depressed population!

The nation has been grappling with out-of-control pollution levels for decades, as countless industries and billions of automobiles dump highly toxic levels of pollutants into the air. The air quality has worsened in recent days, as stagnated air combined with a cold snap, causing the population to burn more coal heaters to warm residences and businesses. The city's skyscrapers were completely hidden from view in the dense smog, and pedestrians had to wear surgical masks while out walking to keep from breathing the toxic soup into their lungs. The Chinese smog cloud can be seen from space, and often travels by wind to blight the air of neighboring countries Korea and Japan. 

Serious air and water pollution plagues virtually the entire country, as opportunities to advance the economy have taken precedence over protecting the quality of the natural environment. This has created a troubling environmental catastrophe that many experts forecast to only grow worse and will place the population at risk, in particular the very young and the elderly.

Top 10 Most Important Stories from 2013 You Didn't Hear About

There were so many important news stories from 2013, but I have selected the ones I feel are highly important —and almost completely ignored by mainstream media—from the past year:

10: Crisis in the Canary Islands: Recently-formed Underwater Volcano & Increased Seismic Activity Threatens El Hierro Island and  Residents: Full Story Here:

9: Grab That Dough: Government in Cyprus Decides to Steal 20-40% of Citizen's Bank Savings:  Full Story Here:

 8: New Island Emerges off the Coast of Pakistan after 2013's Most Powerful Earthquake: Full Story Here:

7: The Pacific Is Dead: Boat Journey from Australia to San Francisco Chronicles an Ocean Eco-System in Complete Collapse: The Pacific Is Broken:

6: The Dark Lagoon: The Once Glowing Fajardo Bio-Luminescent Lagoon in Puerto Rico Suddenly Goes Dark after Centuries of Thrilling Visitors: Full Story Here:

5: Year Without the Butterfly: The Yearly Migration of Millions of Monarch Butterflies to Mexico Sees Sudden Collapse of Colony: Shrinking Monarch Butterfly Population

4: European Science Advisory Council Warns Extreme Climate Change Threatens the Very Future of the Continent: Complete Story Here:

3: After Police Force Goes on Strike, Córdoba, Argentina, Falls into Complete Lawlessness in Less Than 24 Hours:  No Law & Disorder in Argentina

2:  Scientific American Journal Admits Chemtrails are Part of Geo-Engineering Experiment to Contain Climate Change Nightmare: We Admit It, "We're Desperate!"

1: Russian Carrier Loaded with Missiles Miles off the Coast of Britain a Few Days before Christmas, Was a War Game Move by Russian Government to Test UK Response Time: Full Story Here:

The Altered Sky: A Geo-Engineering Experiment Gone Awry

The eastern sky this morning, facing the sun. Grid pattern chemtrail spraying starts early morning and always in the direction of the rising sun. This usually starts in the pre-dawn hours, but was not observed by me during the week of Christmas and New Year. Pilots obviously had the week off from work! Guess even the massive duty of altering the climate needs a week's vacation!

The western sky away from the rising sun. Notice any differences? No chemtrails or grid patterns seen from entire western horizon. Airplanes do not fly in this region of the sky, opposite of the rising sun? Of course they do. Does this make sense? Sky is noticeably opaque now, no longer the cerulean blue of memory; color absorption from what is being sprayed into atmosphere? By early-afternoon, the grid pattern will fan out into "clouds" that will cover the entire sky horizon, filtering out the sun.

The first photograph shows heavy sky spraying, the morning before the Polar Vortex is "scheduled" to collapse in Central North America, a "rare occurrence", which will bring coldest temperatures to region in almost thirty or forty years, depending on which weather agency you hear. Rare Collapse of Polar Vortex Makes Parts of Canada & US Colder Than Mars!

In case you were wondering if I was imagining things or not, it was [quietly] confirmed in the prestigious Scientific American Journal that Geo-engineering WAS indeed taking place and would turn Earth's beautiful blue sky white: Geo-Engineering Could Turn Blue Sky White:  (Just replace the word Could with IS CURRENTLY TURNING and you have a clearer picture of what is taking place.)

My main question now is: How Is This Helping? If the main intent of the Geo-engineering program was to contain the rapid acceleration of climate change that we are all hopelessly witnessing and being victimized by, then obviously this experiment is a vast failure! Or is the intent more nefarious than what is being told? Both Russia and China have admitted to developing their own climate change programs. (The United States has not been so forthcoming.) It is not too difficult to see how this technology can be used as a weapon of mass destruction as well.

The video below is of a top Russian government official declaring on live news that the nation did possess a climate weapon, capable of crippling another country, mainly the United States. 

More Questions Than Answers: The Truth About Comet ISON?

Did an amateur astronomer capture a photo of ISON debris field?

There are still questions whether Comet ISON has survived its trip through our solar system, and it certainly never lived up to the hype of "Comet of the Century". Initially, it was believed that ISON disintegrated after perihelion in late November, but it was spotted shortly after emerging from behind the sun. Now, an amateur astronomer has captured photographs of what is believed to be ISON's debris cloud [above photo].

This information comes from a public forum regarding the astronomer's discovery:

 "I tried imaging of the ephemeris of C/2012 S1 ISON at 11,000 feet above sea level. There looked to be some faint and vast elongated object near the direction on the frame showing some amount of IFN, integrated flux nebulae, though I can not confirm it the remnant of the comet. The object was faint as IFN.

I will image the ephemeris area again in the coming days, and I may be able to confirm it, if it moved as expected. The object looked vast and faint, and telephoto lens of focal length 150mm - 300mm may be suitable for imaging."

Best Wishes,
"hiro" (Dec 29)


Later, NASA tweeted apparent confirmation of the astronomer's discovery: "Could this dark diagonal "shadow" be the remains of comet #ISON?"  [Nice of them to post second-hand information, as they should be so forthcoming!]

Could the recent increase in fireball explosions around the globe over the past two weeks be attributed to ISON's rather substantial debris cloud? Initially, NASA confirmed that the Earth would pass directly through the debris cloud starting in late-December through early January of 2014. Then why did the "experts" scratch their heads, play dumb and say the large fireball explosion witnessed over a large part of the Midwest in the US on Tuesday of last week was "mysterious"? As I tweeted yesterday, "No Mystery Here: Strange Midwest #Fireball Perplexes Astronomers: http://bit.ly/Jpazc0  #ISON #Meteor #Comet

What is the connection between NASA's confirmation only yesterday that the Sun had flipped its magnetic poles on its regular 11-year cycle? Did the sun interact with ISON, causing it to explode into billions of smaller particles? If an amateur astronomer in Australia can detect the comet's remnants with a small, store-bought telescope, why can't a government agency with a $10 Billion yearly budget make the same discovery and announce it to the general population?

Is there a connection between the reversal of the solar poles and  geologic and climatic instability? The record for the number of volcanoes that have erupted in a calendar year has been shattered in 2013 at 85 eruptions (and this will probably grow today, the last day of the year, as the troubling earthquake swarm in the Canary Islands continues. Edit: Although I was only joking, sure enough, Mt. Sinabung in Indonesia erupted once again today!!!) The Webbot Project has released many reports over the past decade, detailing events that would be taking place on Earth in the months leading up to and immediately following the solar magnetic flip. Many of these events have already come to pass; many are too frightening to list here. What are the effects of these solar changes on human and animal health, including our mental well-being? Evidence strongly suggests that times of great social upheaval/unrest take place during increased solar activity or solar changes, including the weeks and months leading up to the magnetic flip. Are the recent spate of mass animal deaths observed globally connected to these solar changes in any way?

Is there a connection between the Earth being bombarded with space dust as it passes through cometary debris trails and the outbreaks of plagues? There is strong evidence to suggest that several outbreaks of the Bubonic Plague throughout the world took place around the time of major comet's passing close to the Earth [Comet Negra]. Is this the reason why for centuries people panicked whenever a comet was observed in the skies? Is this where the ancient folklore of the living dead derived? In the classic film "Night of the Living Dead", it is the passing of a comet that causes the dead to rise up from the graves. Director George Romero has stated that he was inspired by this ancient folklore associated with the passing of comets and the effects on human health that have been observed over the centuries. It is theorized that some comets are comprised of large amounts of cyanide, a potent toxin. Many of the symptoms attributed to the Plague of the Middle Ages are strikingly similar to cyanide poisoning.

There are obviously more questions than answers when it comes to Comet ISON, the truth about how comets have "impacted" the earth over the years (they don't have to strike the earth directly to do us harm), and how changes in solar behavior also changes life as we know it on Terra Firma. Everyone needs to draw their own conclusions about the extreme confluence of events taking place in all aspects of life at present (socioeconomic, geopolitical, geological and climatic) and how changes taking place "far, far away" have a powerful influence.

Crisis in the Canary Islands: New Volcano Threatens to Erupt

Residents of the tiny island of El Hierro in the Canary Island chain off the coast of Africa are preparing for the worst after a series of strong earthquakes shook the region, creating landslides and fraying nerves of the local population.

The earthquake swarm culminated with one of the largest tremors ever recorded in the region, a magnitude 5.4, which hit the island yesterday afternoon, local time. The earthquake swarm began only 48 hours earlier, when seismologists noted a significant uplift in the ground near the submarine volcano of approximately seven centimeters. Local agencies designated to monitor the volcano raised the alert level to "Yellow" only yesterday morning, signifying an increased potential for the volcano to erupt.

The burgeoning volcano emerged from the sea only two years ago, following a series of similar earthquake swarms. A methane plume was noted rising from the sea bed shortly before the initial eruption of the new volcanic system.

More than 550 earthquakes rattled the area between Monday and Wednesday of this week, also centered on or near El Hierro. About 30 of the earthquakes were greater than magnitude 3 on the Richter Scale. Scientists and vulcanologists believe the seismic activity to be related to the movement of magma beneath the volcano. Similar earthquake swarms have been noted in the days and weeks leading up to major eruptions of other volcanic systems throughout the world.

The 2011 eruption of the underwater volcano created havoc on the island, home to some 10,000 residents, as the poisonous gases and debris emitted from the volcano affected the island's fisheries, the main source of jobs and income. Thousands of residents in the island's main village of La Restinga were also forced to evacuate as a precautionary measure.

Local agencies are monitoring the situation on a twenty-four-hour basis and are keeping the island on evacuation advisement, should a more violent earthquake or eruption take place. The region has long been a favorite vacation spot for Europeans, who flock to the sub-tropical island chain's world-famous beaches.

Rare Ice Phenomenon in Colorado River, Population Conditioned for Climate Change

Update: December 16, 2013: Looks as if the European Science Council's warning to the continent about the increase in damaging and deadly storms over the region could already be playing out...in a Day After Tomorrow type scenario! Preliminary reports from various weather bureaus are calling for a series of up to 5 major storm events to sweep over northern parts of Europe (affecting Ireland and the UK) between now and Christmas! That is just over a week away! The first system, Winter Storm Emily, is expected to pound Ireland and the UK beginning on Thursday, bringing hurricane force winds and coastal flooding to the region. Satellite imagery is showing the formation of additional cyclonic systems directly behind Emily, so this situation definitely needs to be monitored. More information about Emily may be viewed here: Emily Set to Pound Ireland, UK: 
Series of winter storms before Christmas?

A rare phenomenon known as an ice stream or ice dam has been witnessed and captured on film in Colorado!

The amazing video of the ice stream racing down the San Miguel River in Colorado was caught on camera by Sheriff's Deputy Bill Masters who stood on a bridge overlooking the normally tranquil waters.

While such scenes are not uncommon in more remote regions such as Alaska because of glacial debris, they are highly unusual in more populated areas such as Colorado. They are also more common in the Spring season when warmer temperatures begin to thaw out deposits of thick ice from around rivers and other large bodies of water.

This is yet another sign in a long and growing list of once rare climatic phenomena that are taking place now on a daily basis. The population of the planet has by now become so inured with bizarre and deadly weather events happening every day that the majority of people no longer pay any attention to the news reports, until they are directly affected by them, of course.

Take into consideration the European Science Council's recent warning to the citizens of Europe that deadly and increasingly powerful storms would continue to batter the continent for at least "the next 30 years." The human cost of this will be incalculable, as will the financial burden from these events. The report is another example of the conditioning language being released via the global media to ease the idea of catastrophic climate change onto the general populace by making the events seem "normal" or innocuous, when clearly they are not. The Science Council's full report may be viewed here: European Science Council Issues Dire Warming about Future Climate Change!

As if more evidence was needed, the Middle East was battered by a once "highly rare" snow storm (Alexa), that dumped heavy snow and brought bitingly cold temperatures to Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Cairo, Egypt, saw its first measurable snow in over 110 years! Even the fact that these storms are being given names (which was once only the domain of powerful hurricanes and typhoons) can be viewed as a conditioning agent to make climate change seem more appealing and acceptable to the populace.

I fully anticipate more conditioning language to be associated with a never-ending list of unusual and deadly weather or geological events to continue unabated over the next days, weeks and months. Stay tuned and stay safe.

The Shape of Things to Come: Is Something Out There?

In response to anomalous SECCHI images:

The only thing any of us can do at this point is assume, since the agencies entrusted with tracking objects such as this are not exactly being forthcoming, especially considering the billions of tax payer dollars they use to fund these projects, ostensibly in an effort to "save humanity" (as if it is worth saving). This object (Hercolobus, Nibiru, Nemesis, The Destroyer, Planet X, Wormwood, et. al) could be responsible for the influx of comets (ISON, Encke, et. al.) arriving in our solar system from the Oort Cloud as it passes through.

As to the validity of these images, I cannot say for sure if they are genuine or just another anomaly, but there certainly have been a great many "anomalies" being viewed over the past several years.

My theory is that there certainly is "something" out there influencing the Earth in a negative way. Whatever it is, is not only altering the climate and geology of the planet, but this is also manifesting itself on the geopolitical and socioeconomic fronts. It is also affecting human behavior and health, which, in case you hadn't noticed, is off the charts. Even the animals are losing it. The list of things powerful enough to influence all of these different aspects of terrestrial life is extremely short.

There might be three things on this list. One would certainly be the Sun. As the sun is responsible for all of life on this planet, it stands to reason it could also be the cause of the death of the planet. The other would be an extra-solar system object such as the one being discussed here.

Whatever the truth is, we live in fascinating times...

First Ever "Selfie"? Grand Duchess Anastasia Photographed Herself in Mirror in 1914

Could  the 21st century trend of "selfies" (self-photographs taken with a smart phone and a mirror) have been invented almost a hundred years ago by a young member of Russian royalty?

A century before Instagram and Snap Chat became the normal way of sharing photographs to the world at large, the young, enigmatic Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, took a lovely "selfie" of herself using a Kodak Brownie camera, manufactured in 1900, to send to a friend of the family.

Seeing that the teen lived in the magnificently opulent Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe, Russia, (pictured below) at the time,  it is easy to see how she could have been bored! In a letter that accompanied the photograph that was dated October 28, 1914, the young Anastasia wrote, "I took this picture of myself looking at the mirror. It was very hard as my hands were trembling."

Unfortunately, life did not turn out so well for Anastasia: She was murdered along with her entire family by the Bolshevik secret police during the Russian revolution on July 17, 1918, at the young age of 18. Rumors that she had escaped the assassination persisted throughout Europe for years, until the actual location of where her body had been buried was discovered in 2007.

Queen of Denial: Freak Cyclone Cleopatra Pounds Sardinia

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, as the old adage goes...

The residents of Sardinia are busy cleaning up after a freak cyclone by the name of Cleopatra delivered a powerful blow to the Mediterranean island, long a getaway retreat for Europeans looking for a bit of sun, sand and surf.

At least 18 people were killed and thousands left homeless after Cyclone Cleopatra deluged the island with an astonishing 450 millimeters (17 inches) of rain in only an hour and a half overnight.  The torrential rain flooded the streets of cities and villages across Sardinia, off the coast of Italy, sweeping away cars, animals and people and flooding countless thousands of homes. More rain fell on the island in 90 minutes than usually falls in more than half a year, local weather officials announced. The Red Cross has stepped in, providing temporary shelter for the thousands of residents displaced by the unusual weather event.

The disaster in Sardinia comes only days after an unusual November tornado outbreak swept across the US Midwest, with hundreds of tornadoes touching down and causing deaths and destruction across several states. The cyclone also follows the most powerful storm ever recorded, Typhoon Haiyan, which slammed into the Philippines as a post-Category 5 storm, leaving tens of thousands of people dead and destroying entire cities. A freak cyclone struck the coast of Somalia only two days after Haiyan's deadly voyage, killing almost five hundred people and destroying entire villages along the coast of the east African nation. A freak rain storm also struck Saudi Arabia earlier this week, dumping copious amounts of rain on a usually arid region of the world, creating havoc and destruction.

Expect more stories of a similar nature to come in the future as the runaway effects of climate change continues with a vice-like grip on the world's population:

Death Toll in Philippines Expected to Exceed 10,000: "We Don't Have Enough Body Bags"

Typhoon Haiyan's Fury

Update: Alerts have been issued for the Philippines as Tropical Depression Zoraida threatens to form into a tropical storm/typhoon and follow virtually the same track as Haiyan. This will bring more high winds and heavy rains to areas completely devastated by Haiyan, making an already desperate situation even more desperate:


Update II: There are fears that the initial estimate of 10,000 people killed by the horrific Typhoon Haiyan is far too low in the face of this monumental cataclysm. Rescue workers have described the once vibrant Tacloban City as a "corpse-choked wasteland", with rescuers scrambling for body bags and places to bury the dead. Survivors continue to patrol the streets in shell-shocked dismay and silence, searching for surviving family members, mementos as well as food, shelter and fresh water. No city or town in Haiyan's devilish path remain standing. Many communities up the coast have been left virtually inaccessible by the overwhelming debris field, where thousands more people are certainly dead or dying. Conservative damage estimates from the storm are from between $8-15 Billion US, making this one of the most expensive disasters...this year.  The human cost of this disaster is beyond measure.

There are terrifying stories coming out of the Philippines this weekend after one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), smashed into the Southeast Asia island nation as a post-Category Five super typhoon on Friday.

Packing sustained winds in excess of 200mph, the storm lay to waste entire cities in the Eastern Samar region of the country. While official estimates on a death toll are not clear at this time, the situation in the Philippines is clearly very grim. Local officials and law enforcement in the region are calling out for global support in the rescue and clean-up efforts, begging for emergency supplies from the international community as well as body bags to contain dead bodies being recovered. In some more remote areas, officials are resorting to burying dead bodies, many unidentified,  in mass graves out of fear of creating a disease epidemic.

Early estimates fear that at least 10,000 people are dead and that many others will perish due to a lack of clean, potable water, fresh food and medicine, especially in more remote regions where towns are completely inaccessible due to debris-clogged roadways. Early reports indicate that a large portion of the country's infrastructure is completely destroyed and could take years if not decades to repair.

The city of Tacloban, which has a population of over 200,000, appears to be completely devastated by the incredible force of the storm, which created a deadly tidal storm surge that swept into the city and damaged or destroyed nearly every building in the entire city. The death toll in Tacloban alone is feared to be in the thousands. A correspondent for the BBC says that thousands of people have sought temporary shelter at the local airport in Tacloban City, which sustained massive damage from Haiyan, many desperate to get flights out of the city, although only emergency aid flights are being allowed to land and leave at this time. Aerial views from the region show miles and miles of city left in complete devastation as far as the eye can see. Thousands of survivors are now roaming the debris-ridden streets in shock, in search of shelter and food. ""People are walking like zombies looking for food," said Jenny Chu, a medical student in Leyte. "It's like a [horror] movie."

The ferocious storm of the century comes only weeks after a series of less powerful storms swept across the nation as well as an intense earthquake which rattled parts of the Philippines and toppled buildings and frayed nerves, leaving more than 300 people dead. 

The storm is expected to make landfall again in Vietnam early on Monday as a far less powerful storm. Over 600,000 people in Vietnam have been evacuated as a precaution from the still dangerous typhoon. New satellite imagery shows a storm currently developing over the same region that spawned Haiyan, with fears a second storm could follow close on its deadly heels.

Update: According to Weather Underground, Typhoon Haiyan is now officially the strongest storm on record, besting the old record set by Hurricane Camille, which devastated the Gulf Coast of the US in 1969:

Graph courtesy of Weather Underground

Oh, Fuuudddgggeee! New Book Celebrates A Christmas Story Film

If you are like me, it simply is not Christmas at my house without at least one viewing of the classic holiday comedy, A Christmas Story! The film about one boy's never-ending quest for the ultimate Christmas present, a Red Ryder BB Gun, has become one of the most beloved holiday movie's of all time.

Watching as Ralphie plots and schemes to get the only Christmas present that matter to him, all of us can remember and relate to that wonderful sense of innocence we possessed as children, eagerly anticipating what Santa would bring for us on Christmas morning. The film is the perfect slice of Americana, representing a time of innocence and wonder long-since gone from our world.

You can celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the cherished film with a new book, You'll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid: A Christmas Story Trivia Book, which takes a loving look back at an incredibly special movie that millions of people the world over love. You can test your knowledge of the film with family and friends...what better way to bring the whole family together on Christmas morning?

The book is now available in both a paperback and Kindle edition, exclusively from Amazon. Simply click on the links below:

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid: A Christmas Story Trivia Book (Paperback)
Kindle Edition