Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Moment to Remember

Solar eclipse shrouds Asia in daytime darkness

TOKYO, Japan – Millions of Asians turned their eyes skyward Wednesday as dawn suddenly turned to darkness across the continent in the longest total solar eclipse this century will see. Millions of others, seeing the rare event as a bad omen, shuttered themselves indoors.

Chinese launched fireworks and danced in Shanghai. On a remote Japanese island, bewildered cattle went to their feeding troughs thinking night had fallen. And in India, a woman was crushed as thousands of viewers crowded the banks of the Ganges for a glimpse.

Starting off in India just after dawn, the eclipse was visible across a wide swath of Asia before moving over southern Japan and then off into the Pacific Ocean. In some parts of Asia, it lasted as long as 6 minutes and 39 seconds.

The eclipse is the longest since July 11, 1991, when a total eclipse lasting 6 minutes, 53 seconds was visible from Hawaii to South America. There will not be a longer eclipse than Wednesday's until 2132.

The celestial event was met by a mixture of awe, excitement and fear.

Cloudy skies and rain damped the show in many areas, but villagers in the town of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges in India, got one of the best views.

Thousands of Hindus took to the waters to cleanse their sins. The eclipse was seen there for 3 minutes and 48 seconds.

The gathering was marred when a 65-year-old woman was killed and six people injured in a stampede at one of the river's banks where about 2,500 people had gathered, said police spokesman Surendra Srivastava. He said it is not clear how the stampede started.

Others in India, though, were gripped by fear and refused to come outdoors. In Hindu mythology, an eclipse is caused when a dragon-demon swallows the sun, while another myth is that sun rays during an eclipse can harm unborn children.

"My mother and aunts have called and told me stay in a darkened room with the curtains closed, lie in bed and chant prayers," Krati Jain, 24, who is expecting her first child, said in New Delhi.

Clouds obscured the sun when the eclipse began. But they parted in several Indian cities minutes before the total eclipse took place at 6:24 a.m. (0054 GMT; 8:54 p.m. EDT).

On the tiny Japanese island of Akuseki, where the total eclipse lasted 6 minutes and 25 seconds, more than 200 tourists had to take shelter inside a school gymnasium due to a tornado warning.

But when the sky started to darken, everyone rushed out to the schoolyard, cheering and applauding, said island official Seiichiro Fukumitsu.

"The sky turned dark like in the dead of the night. The air turned cooler and cicadas stopped singing. Everything was so exciting and moving," Fukumitsu said.

Some villagers reported that their cows gathered at a feeding station, apparently mistaking the eclipse as a signal that it was dinner time, he said.

"It was rather mysterious," he said. "It must have been a frightening experience for people hundreds of years ago."

Jubilant eclipse watchers in China set off fireworks near the banks of the Qiantang River in coastal Zheijiang province as skies darkened overhead for about six minutes. Visitors from countries including Britain, Germany and Australia joined curious Chinese onlookers. Heavy clouds blocked the full eclipse but watchers saw a partial one.

The river bank in Yanguan village drew an exceptional number of watchers because it was also the site of the world's largest tidal bore, a phenomenon triggered by the eclipse where a giant tidal wave runs against the river's currents.

In Beijing, a thick blanket of grayish smog blotted out the sky.

In coastal Shanghai, eclipse watchers were disappointed by a light drizzle in the morning. As the sky darkened fully for about five minutes, however, watchers became excited.

Holding a big green umbrella and wearing special glasses, Song Chunyun was prepared to celebrate the occasion in a new white dress.

"Although the rain came, I don't want to screw up the mood. I want to enjoy the special day," she said before dancing and singing in the rain with her two sisters.

At a Buddhist temple in the Thai capital Bangkok, dozens of monks led a mass prayer at a Buddhist temple to ward off evil.

"The eclipse is bad omen for the country," said Pinyo Pongjaroen, a prominent astrologer. "We are praying to boost the fortune of the country."

In Myanmar, Buddhists went to Yangon's famed Shwedagon pagoda to offer flowers, fruits and water to ward off misfortune. Some warned their friends and family not to sleep through the eclipse for fear of getting bad luck.

"We all got up early this morning and prayed at home because our abbot told us that the solar eclipse is a bad omen," said a 43-year old school teacher Aye Aye Thein.

Bangladeshis also came out in droves.

"It's a rare moment, I never thought I would see this in my life," said Abdullah Sayeed, a college student who traveled to Panchagarh town from the capital, Dhaka.

He said cars in the town needed to use headlights as "night darkness has fallen suddenly." People hugged each other and some blew whistles when the eclipse began.

Total eclipses are caused when the moon moves directly between the sun and the earth, covering it completely to cast a shadow on earth.

By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press Writer

Monday, July 13, 2009

Carjacking Safety Tips

1) Always keep your doors and windows locked.

2) Park in well-lighted areas and be aware of your surroundings. Try to avoid going to your car alone after dark. Avoid carrying unnecessary valuables in your car or store your valuables out of sight.

3) Pre-planning your route will prevent you from entering undesirable neighborhoods, appearing lost, and having to stop to ask for directions.

4) When possible, drive in the center lane on streets. Avoid getting blocked into the curb lane. If you are involved in a minor traffic accident (rear-ended), motion to the other driver to follow you to a safe, populated, well-lighted area or drive to a nearby police station.

5) If a suspicious person approaches your vehicle, carefully drive away - even if it means you have to run a red light. If you feel threatened by a potential carjacker, honk your horn and drive cautiously to the nearest populated, lighted area. Dial 911 if you have a cellular phone.

6) If confronted, NEVER resist a would-be carjacker. Surrender your keys upon the first request. If it is safe to do so, exit through a car door on the opposite side of the carjacker's location to avoid any physical contact. Remember, carjacking is auto theft and covered by most insurance policies. No auto is worth risking your family's life!

Family Vacations - Travel Tips

Travel Tips

1) Have your vehicle inspected by a mechanic before departing on your vacation. A small problem detected and corrected at home could prevent a lot of headache and expense during your trip.

2) Pack properly. Do not pile items near the rear or side windows that will block your field of vision. This could easily lead to an accident and will definitely increase stress while driving.

3) Don't try to drive too far or too fast in any one day. Preplan your route and stops, and have a good map on hand in case of questions or detours. Also, make reservations for accommodations.

4) Take along duplicate auto keys in the event of an inadvertent lock-out.

5) Reduce your speed in rain and fog to allow greater reaction time. The extreme heat experienced during this time of year causes oils to rise to the surface of the road, creating slick surfaces during wet conditions. Also remember, the roads you are traveling are unfamiliar to you.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Tips Going Vacation

There is a lot of things that we should know and must put in the first list before we are going vacation either alone or by groups.

Travel First-aid Kit.

You don’t want to get caught on the road without the right equipment in the case of an emergency, no matter how small. Why not take along a travel first-aid kit as a precaution?

This list, prepared by the American College of Emergency Physicians, will provide you with the necessary "tools" to handle many medical emergencies.

For the kit itself, a tote bag is recommended because it can hold all the items listed and is easy to carry. Never store your kit in your luggage.

Follow the same precautions with your first-aid kit as you would with any medicine. Store out of reach of children and only use products with child safety caps. Check expiration dates, and throw away any expired medicines. If someone in your household has a life-threatening condition or is under a doctor’s care, carry appropriate medication with you at all times.

Emergency physicians also recommend that you take a first-aid class, learn CPR, and always seek immediate medical attention when you need it.

Aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen: For headaches, pain, fever, and simple sprains or strains of the body. Have at least two aspirin tablets available at all times in case of heart attack, although use as recommended as by your physician. Use appropriate dosages, and make sure the medicine is age-appropriate. (Aspirin should not be used for relief of flu symptoms or given to children.) If traveling with children, add children's Tylenol.

Antihistamine/decongestant cough medicine. To relieve allergies and inflammation. Use appropriate dosages, and make sure the medicine is age appropriate.

Anti-nausea/motion sickness medication

Bandages of assorted sizes, including adhesive bandages. To cover minor cuts and scrapes.

Bandage closures (1/4-inch and one-inch sizes). To tape edges of minor cuts together.

Triangular bandage. For wrapping injuries and making an arm sling.

Elastic wraps. For wrapping wrist, ankle, knee, and elbow injuries.

Gauze in rolls and two-inch and four-inch pads. To dress larger cuts and scrapes.

Adhesive tape. To keep gauze in place.

Sharp scissors with rounded tips. To cut tape, gauze, or clothes.

Safety Pins: To fasten splints and bandages.

Antiseptic wipes. To disinfect and clean wounds.

Disposable, instant-activating cold packs. For cooling injuries and burns.

Tweezers. To remove small splinters, foreign objects, bee stingers, and ticks from the skin.

Rubber gloves. To protect hands and reduce risk of infection when treating open wounds.

Thermometer with case. To take temperatures. For infants under age one, use a rectal thermometer.

Petroleum jelly. To lubricate a rectal thermometer.

Calamine lotion. To relieve itching and irritation from insect bites and stings and poison ivy.

Hydrocortisone cream. To relieve irritation from rashes.

Sunscreen. SPF15 or higher, broad-spectrum.

Inspect repellent. Repellents appropriate for use on children should contain no more than 10-15 percent DEET and 20-30 percent DEET for adults, because the chemical, which is absorbed through the skin, can cause harm. Use as directed.
Change for a pay phone or wireless phone.

Basic first-aid manual/instructions.

Vacation Online