Indian disaster management infrastructure will be ready by 2010

New Delhi, Jan 23 Nearly 80 percent of infrastructure for disaster management will be in place by 2010, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) vice-chairman N.C. Vij said here Thursday.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day Skoch summit 2009 here, Vij said the government had identified 242 disaster-prone districts and come out with guidelines for preparing disaster management plans.

Vij added that the NDMA was currently working on five major projects, including cyclone and earthquake risk mitigation, improving the communication network, creation of a National Disaster Response Force and a school safety programme.

Urban Development Secretary M. Ramachandran said increasing urbanisation was creating new perspective to disaster management.

“It’s important that new buildings are earthquake-resistant, the security establishment has the necessary skills to tackle urban disasters and the health system is geared up to meet any emergencies,’ he said.

Sarah Palin Deserves Praise For Alaska Energy Guide

By Robert Paul Reyes

During the 2008 presidential campaign Sarah Palin chanted "drill baby drill" almost as often as she invoked "Joe the Plumber." But Palin is smart enough to know that her campaign slogan represents a myopic approach to solving our energy problems.

I don't often applaud Palin, but I give her kudos for announcing a bold and comprehensive energy guide for the state of Alaska.

"Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin released 'Alaska Energy - A First Step Towards Energy Independence'. The guide sets goals of 50 percent of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2025. The guide, put together by the Alaska Energy Authority and Energy Coordinator Steve Haagenson, identifies and prioritizes energy project, puts into place legal and government structures to allow projects to go forward, and identifies potential funding sources. The guide does not present a plan for action, but presents options for communities to develop their own renewable resources." http://www.energycurrent.com/index.php?id=3&storyid=15386

I urge the press to lay off Palin's interesting persona and complicated family life and give her visionary energy plan some attention. The price of gas is slowly creeping up again, let's not wait until it hits 5+ per gallon before we get serious about energy conservation.

The Democratic governors need to get with the damn program, it's a shame that Republican Gov's Palin and Schwarzenegger are the ones taking energy conservation the most seriously.

Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.

Robert Reyes

Tips for Safe Overtaking

When you make the decision to overtake, it is worth bearing in mind, this may be the last decision you will ever make. For this reason it is essential that you get it right first time, every time.

• 1.  Overtaking should always be done from the right side for right hand wheel drive. If the vehicle in front flashes the signal for right turn, you can overtake from the  left.

• 2. Before embarking on the manoeuvre, evaluate the distance and speed of the car in front.

• 3. Also evaluate the hazards that could exist and prove to be threatening.

• 4. Never overtake in blind areas such as bends in roads, corners, near junctions,  crossroads, and intersections. In such areas, the driver of the vehicle ahead is not   able to have a clear vision of what is behind and passing which may eventually result  in an accident.

• 5. Place the car on the lowest possible gear depending on the speed of your car. This  does not mean that if you are already driving at a speed of 80 km/h, you will have to lower down to the 1st gear. Reduce gears to slow down your car for safe overtaking.

• 6. While overtaking, make sure that you maintain a safe distance with the vehicle ahead.  This will help you drive your car in flow with the moving traffic.

• 7. Fast acceleration and unnecessary speeding is dangerous just before overtaking. If in  case you do accelerate, the distance required for safe overtaking reduces rapidly and could result in an accident.

• 8. You can either flash your car’s headlight or blow the horn to draw attention to your intention to overtake. This will help the drivers ahead and behind you know that you are attempting to overtake.

• 9. Try and make eye contact with the driver of the car you are passing. This ensures that  the driver of the vehicle ahead has seen you and is sure that you are going past.

• 10. The vehicle behind you may also overtake at the same time that you are. Stay alert to this and be cautious. Give clear indications of your plan to driver of the vehicle  behind you.

• 11. After overtaking, move to the centre of the road and then accelerate as fast as you can to maintain the speed and distance differential.

• 12. Constantly keep an eye on passing vehicles and try to merge with the flowing traffic rather than spacing yourself away from it.

• 13. Overtaking on crowded and busy city roads is dangerous due to numerous signals that  are exchanged by drivers. Traffic congestion and different sized vehicles add to the  problem. In such cases, avoid overtaking as far as possible and enjoy a slow and safe   drive.

• 14. When being overtaken yourself and in case there are approaching vehicles, be sure to   slow down a little to let the other driver pass by safely.

• 15. Safe overtaking methods will prevent a number of road accidents which are not uncommon on Indian roads.

Impact of Contraceptives on women

A new study has shown that contraceptive methods can have a significant impact on women’s sexual pleasure and satisfaction.
The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University have found that many women think condoms decrease sexual pleasure.
On the other hand, those who use both hormonal contraception and condoms report higher overall sexual satisfaction.
“The public health community has paid little attention to women’s sexual experiences with contraceptive methods, especially condoms,” said Stephaine Sanders, associate director of The Kinsey Institute and a co-author of the study.
“If women think condoms detract from sexual pleasure, they may be less inclined to use them consistently,” she added.
During the study, women admitted condoms make sex less pleasurable, while those who used only hormonal methods-such as the birth control pill-were unlikely to associate their method with decreased sexual pleasure.
When asked about the effect of contraceptives on sexual enjoyment, women who used condoms either alone or with hormonal methods reported decreased sexual pleasure.
However, while considering overall sexual satisfaction, which goes beyond the immediate sexual moment and includes factors such as sexual self-esteem and relationship satisfaction,
women who used both condoms and hormonal methods reported the highest levels of sexual satisfaction.
The findings revealed that only 4 percent of women who relied on hormonal methods of contraception reported decreased pleasure, but hormonal users reported the lowest overall sexual satisfaction scores.
While 23 percent of women who used both condoms and hormonal methods reported decreased pleasure, they had the highest sexual satisfaction scores.
Women who used condoms alone or along with a hormonal method were six to seven times more likely to report decreased sexual enjoyment compared to those who used hormonal methods only.

Two get death sentence in China milk scandal

Shijiazhuang (China), Jan 22 (Xinhua) Two men were sentenced to death Thursday by a local court in connection with the China tainted milk scandal in which about 296,000 infants suffered kidney stones and other urinary problems.Zhang Yujun, who produced and sold melamine-laced “protein powder”, was convicted of endangering public security and given capital punishment by the Shijiazhuang Intermediate People’s Court, while the other man Geng Jinping was convicted of producing and selling toxic food.
The court had announced it would sentence 21 defendants implicated in the scandal Thursday afternoon. However, it said that nine of them would be sentenced at other courts.
The nine people were tried at the courts in Zhaoxian, Xingtang, Luquan and Wuji Counties, all under the jurisdiction of Shijiazhuang.
Among the 12 people who were convicted Thursday afternoon, two were given death penalty, one with suspended death, three jailed for life and the other six jailed between five years and 15 years.
Tian Wenhua, former board chairwoman of the Sanlu Group that is at the heart of the scandal, was convicted of manufacturing and selling fake or substandard products and sentenced to life in prison. Three other former executives of Sanlu were jailed for 5-15 years.
The Ministry of Health said it was likely the tainted milk scandal killed at least six babies. Another 296,000 infants suffered kidney stones and other urinary problems.
Apart from the 21 defendants who have been sentenced or tried, Chinese police have so far arrested 39 suspects over the tainted milk powder scandal, said Zhang Deli, chief procurator of the Hebei Provincial People’s Procuratorate. But it is unclear when they would go on trial.

India Weather Report

Jan 22(Reuters) - Following is the weather report detailed by
India

CHIEF FEATURES (Based on 0830 hours IST observations)

A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect western
Himalayan region during next 4 days with main activity on 24th
and 25th. Isolated to scattered rain/thundershowers are also
likely over plains of northwest India on 24th and 25th.

Current Meteorological conditions suggest that minimum
temperatures are likely to increase gradually over northwest
and adjoining central  India during next 3-4 days.

The lowest minimum temperature of 3.6° C was recorded at
Halwara (Punjab) in the plains of northwest India.

Forecast valid upto 0830 hours IST of 25th January, 2009

LOCAL WEATHER REPORT:

---------------------

Departure              
Departure

Max Temp   from Normal   Min Temp   from
Normal    24 Hour

--------------Deg Celcius--------------

Rainfall

(MM)

------    -----------   -------- 
-----------    -------- New Delhi            21.2        0.0   

11.3        3.0

0.0 Mumbai               35.1        4.0         
18.0        3.0

0.0 Chennai              30.1        1.0         
20.1        0.0

0.0 Kolkata              26.5        0.0         
14.4        0.0

0.0 Ahmedabad            27.8       -1.0         
16.4        4.0

0.0 Bangalore            29.0        0.0         
15.4        2.0

0.0 Bhopal               25.4       -1.0         
11.0        1.0

0.0 Bhubaneshwar         32.7        4.0         
18.4        2.0

0.0 Chandigarh           21.4        0.0          
8.0        2.0

0.0 Dehradun             24.8        6.0          
8.6        3.0

0.0 Goa                  33.3        2.0         
14.9        1.0

0.0 Guwahati             26.2        2.0         
15.0        5.0

0.0 Hyderabad            32.0        3.0         
13.6       -1.0

0.0 Jaipur               22.9        0.0         
11.0        3.0

0.0 Lucknow              22.8        0.0          
9.2        2.0

0.0 Nagpur               32.0        3.0         
12.6        0.0

0.0 Patna                25.5       -1.0          
--         --

0.0 Pune                 31.7        2.0         
12.3        1.0

0.0 Srinagar             11.0        6.0          
0.2        2.0

0.0 Thiruvananthapurm    32.7        1.0         
21.5       -1.0

0.0 Raipur               29.3        1.0         
13.6        0.0

0.0 Shimla               20.7       12.0         
10.7        9.0

0.0 Ranchi               25.0        2.0         
11.0        0.0

0.0

NORTHWEST INDIA

[J & K, H. P., UTTARAKHAND, PUNJAB, HARYANA , DELHI, WEST
UP]

Isolated rain/snow is likely over Jammu & Kashmir and
Himachal Pradesh during next 48 hours and fairly widespread
thereafter.

Isolated rain/snow is likely over Uttrakhand after 48
hours.

Rain/thundershowers are likely at a few places over Punjab
and isolated over north Haryana and Chandigarh from 24th
onwards.

Mainly dry weather is likely over the rest region.

EAST INDIA

[EAST UP, JHARKHAND, BIHAR, ORISSA,, WEST BENGAL & SIKKIM ]

Mainly dry weather is likely over the region.

NORTHEAST INDIA

[Arunachal Pradesh, NMM& T,  Assam, Meghalaya,]

Mainly dry weather is likely over the region.

SOUTH INDIA

[TN, AP, KERALA,, KARNATAKA, LAKSHADWEEP, ANDAMAN & NICOBAR
ISLANDS]

Isolated rain/thundershowers are likely over Nicobar
Islands.

Mainly dry weather is likely over the rest region.

WEST INDIA

[GOA, MAHARASHTRA (OTHER THAN VIDARBHA), GUJARAT,
RAJASTHAN]

Isolated rain/thundershowers are likely over west Rajasthan
from 24th onwards.

Mainly dry weather is likely over the rest region.

CENTRAL INDIA

[M.P, CHHATTISGARH, VIDARBHA]

Mainly dry weather is likely over the region.

Weather Outlook from 0830 hrs IST of 25th January, 2009 to
0830 hrs IST of 27th January, 2009.  (Based on numerical
weather products):

Decrease in precipitation activity and fall in minimum
temperatures is likely over northwest India from 26th onwards.

Scattered rain/thundershowers are likely over Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya. Note: 'TRACE' means that rain
fell but there was not enough rainfall to measure.

Rebels to boycott India's national day

Government forces tightened security Wednesday in a remote northeast Indian state after separatist rebels urged residents to boycott upcoming Republic Day celebrations and join a general strike.
The rebels, who are seeking independence for Assam state, have carried out shootings and bomb attacks in previous years during the national holiday, which marks the adoption of the Indian charter on Jan. 26, 1950.
At least 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in fighting between government forces and separatists during the past three decades in Assam state.

"We believe in a political process to resolve the conflicts satisfactorily. But we are firm about countering India's military repression of our struggle," four insurgent groups said in a joint statement.
The United Liberation Front of Asom, the state's largest separatist group, was leading the boycott call. The other groups involved were the Kamatapur Liberation Organization, the Manipur People's Liberation Front and the Tripura People's Democratic Front.

"We will fight to the last for our sovereign independence. There can be no compromise on this issue," they said in the statement.

The rebels accuse the central government of exploiting Assam's rich natural resources without investing in the development of the region.

Authorities stepped up security, intensifying search operations and establishing extra checkpoints across the state.

"We have deployed additional forces," said G.M. Srivastava, the Assam state police chief.

"We are not taking chances ... (in our efforts) to step up the vigil to thwart attempts by militants to create terror," he said.