This Paradise is hidden in smoke and fire

Mother natures wrath on Northern California

This picture was taken by Alan Sheckter a local resident of the Paradise/ Magalia area hidden in the woods on northern California's Sierra mountains. This was a scene that people living in this area had to get used to as fires sparked by lightning ripped through the mountains and forced thousands of people to evacuate from their homes not knowing if their home would be there when they got back. The whole valley was filled with smoke from Chico to Sacramento and beyond from the fires that have caused 70,000 plus acres for the whole state that has burned. The fire that is directly effecting the people of Paradise, Magalia, Concow area is called the Camp Fire which has burned 23,000 plus acres. This has brought fire fighters from other states and countries like Canada, Mexico, Australia just to name a few. The fires are suspected to continue for weeks maybe months, but the fire fighters have done some serious damage in controlling the blazes. Though many homes are destroyed in all the blazes, there has been many more that are safe for the time being because of the brave fire fighters from all over the country and the globe. This has effected me personally being that I live in Northern California and seeing all the smoke, ash, fires around makes me really appreciate what those guys do. Not that I didn't before, but seeing them in action doing what they do best puts them on the top of the list of Real Heroes in my opinion. There could have been more losses so far, but luckily it hasn't done as much damage as these fires are supposed to.

Taught how to steal bikes

Know how to steal a bike?

I am sure most people at one point has had their bicycle stolen. In the Netherlands, you can be taught how to steal a bike by a dutch cyclist group. The intent is for the bike rider to be more aware of how to secure their bicycle. You are showed how to pick locks and how to securely lock up your bike. This is something I can see backfiring as I am sure there are a lot of people that would take advantage of this to help them steal bikes faster and more efficiently. This could pose a problem for the Netherlands, as that it relies heavily on bicycle transportation with 18 million bikes in use. The new students that go to the city are big targets for bicycle thieves. So the group is traveling across the country to share their lessons with students and people alike to make them more aware of how theft is done to their bikes and how to prevent it.

Is the price of Amazon Beef worth the cost?

Amazon beef demand rising as trees fall

There is a lot of things going on down in the Amazon rain forest, and it is not looking for cures for diseases or cancer. Its to raise cattle for the consumption for people world wide. The rising demand for this beef that is certified free of FMD (Foot Mouth Disease) is crippling the Amazon rain forest at a high rate. 60% of the deforestation in the Amazon is due to cattle ranches. This boom has been happening especially due to other countries that had problems with FMD that obviously could not export tainted beef. The Brazilian government is trying to get involved to help regulate the deforestation, but no such luck is happening yet. With the scare of FMD its making countries all over the world want to get their beef from a safe place, but at the cost of not being able to possibly find something we haven't discovered yet that could be profound for the history of mankind.

Man killed by cannonball

Dangerous hobby

In early February of this year, a man by the name of Sam White of Chester Virginia was blown up when a civil war cannonball exploded while trying to restore it. Mr. White had been taking up this hobby full time ever since he had retired from delivering packages for UPS in 1998. He was very passionate about what he did, collecting things as small as bullets amongst other things at various old civil war battlegrounds. He was well educated in the things he was collecting and performed all the disarm of all live munitions. The particular Cannonball that was being disarmed was a naval cannonball which is more powerful and the fuse is more complex than the infantry cannonballs. He had 18 more in his driveway waiting to be restored when the explosion happened. Mr. White had also restored over 1600 shells for museums and collectors. When the cannonball exploded, a piece of shrapnel had lodged itself in the porch of a neighbors house a quarter mile away.

Knife stuck in back

Would you know if a 6" knife was in your back?

A man by the name of Yury Lyalin of Moscow Russia had been out drinking with friends after work, went home and everything was good. Then the next day, Yury went over to get some breakfast out of the fridge when his wife noticed the handle of a knife sticking out of his back. (not the one shown) He apparently did not notice the 6" knife in his back when he went to sleep and still didn't notice it when he had awaken the next morning. He was rushed to the hospital and the knife was removed leaving no damage to vital organs. Even though Yury did not think much of it, prosecutors are looking to possibly charge one of his drinking buddies with a crime that could lock him up for up to 8 years in prison.

Mass violence erupts in Sao Paulo

Losing all control

700 inmates of a gang called the First Command of the Capital, or PCC were transferred to a maximum security prison. As a result the gang retaliated by attacking police stations and blowing up buses. About 40 other jails had violent uprisings and only 11 are fully contained with 120 people still being held hostage. The gang also threw Molotov Cocktails at bank branches and going to police stations and opening fire on officers with automatic weapons. About 39 officers and guards were fatally wounded and 38 gunmen declared dead so far. This has been an ongoing war between the State Authorities and the PCC since the gang was originated in 1993. It was reported that in 2003, 50 or more police stations were attacked, but that time there were only 3 fatalities and 12 wounded.

Plane crashes in California neighborhood

Be glad this is not your home!

A Cessna 310 was flying from San Diego to Compton California. There were two men in the aircraft and were taken away to the hospital both being in critical condition. In one of the homes, a woman is in critical condition and the other occupant in the same home had minor injuries. In the other home, there was just one woman and she was reported to having chest pains. It has not been determined how this crash happened.