BP Irony

Thanks To Keith at BagOfNothing

Big Picture: Landslide lake in Pakistan

Five months ago, on January 4th, 2010 in the remote Hunza River Valley of northern Pakistan, a massive landslide buried the village of Attabad, destroying 26 homes, killing 20 people, and damming up the Hunza River. As the newly-formed lake grew, authorities rushed to evacuate and supply those affected in the landslide area and upstream. The lake is now over 300 feet deep and 16km (10 mi) long, submerging miles of highway, farms and homes. Earlier this week, the lake reached the top of the natural dam, and began to spill out - rapid erosion of the landslide debris has authorities worried about a potential breach, and locals have been evacuated as officials monitor the developing situation. Special thanks to the Pamir Times for sharing their photos and coverage of this event. (38 photos total)

Click the image to see the full collection.

Big Picture: Caught in the oil

A short entry - AP Photographer Charlie Riedel just filed the following images of seabirds caught in the oil slick on a beach on Louisiana's East Grand Terre Island. As BP engineers continue their efforts to cap the underwater flow of oil, landfall is becoming more frequent, and the effects more evident. (8 photos total)

Click the image to see the full collection.

Not The Best Way to Fly Out of DFW Airport

...extraordinary video captured early yesterday morning at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Took place at the north toll plaza, which served as a launching ramp for one drunk driver trying to exit the airport in a hurry. DFW spokesman David Magana confirms: "The driver was, as you might guess, suspected of inebriation and investigated for such and arrested for such."

...after the driver went all General Lee, she got out and made a call on her cell, at which point the vehicle went boom. Hard to believe the "driver only suffered minor injuries"

More information was just published. Go to the Star_Telegram Sky Talk Blog for more info and the police report.

Big Picture: A rough week for Guatemala

In just the past seven days, residents of Guatemala and parts of neighboring Honduras and El Salvador have had to cope with a volcanic eruption and ash fall, a powerful tropical storm, the resulting floods and landslides, and a frightening sinkhole in Guatemala City that swallowed up a small building and an intersection. Pacaya volcano started erupting lava and rocks on May 27th, blanketing Guatemala City with ash, closing the airport, and killing one television reporter who was near the eruption. Two days later, as Guatemalans worked to clear the ash, Tropical Storm Agatha made landfall bringing heavy rains that washed away bridges, filled some villages with mud, and somehow triggered the giant sinkhole - the exact cause is still being studied. (34 photos total)

Click the image to see the full collection.

12 events that will change everything

Scientific American has posted a fine, interactive feature it bills as 12 events that will change everything.

The magazine says that when and if each of these events occur they will "forever reshape" how we think about ourselves and how we live our lives. Maybe. In reviewing the list it struck me that some events were far more transforming than others.

Found this interesting. Not saying I agree with it, just found it interesting.

US Birth Tourism becoming flourishing business

Millions of foreign tourists visit the United States every year, and a growing number return home with a brand new U.S. citizen in tow.

Thousands of legal immigrants, who do not permanently reside in the United States but give birth here, have given their children the gift of citizenship, which the U.S. grants to anyone born on its soil.

The number of U.S. births to non-resident mothers rose 53 percent between 2000 and 2006, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Total births rose 5 percent in the same period.

Among the foreigners who have given birth here, including international travelers passing through and foreign students studying at U.S. universities, are "birth tourists," women who travel to the United States with the explicit purpose of obtaining citizenship for their child.

Catering to the women is a nascent industry of travel agencies and hotel chains seeking to profit from the business.

Click the image to read the full article.

Thanks To Keith at BagOfNothing

The space station. The shuttle. And the sun.

wanted to make sure you saw the following remarkable photos of the International Space Station, with space shuttle Atlantis attached, transiting the sun on May 22.

They were taken by Thierry Legault (see his Web site for larger versions) using a Takahashi TOA-150 refractor telescope. The complex transited the sun in 0.49 seconds.

Click the image to see another picture and a link to the originals.