"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken."
-James Dent |
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Greetings!
"June is busting out all over." This popular song from the musical Carousel could apply to April and May as 2011 is on a record pace for tornado activity.
I was recently in Kansas and Missouri visiting family during the tornadoes that hit Reading Kansas, Joplin Missouri and St. Louis. As a child growing up in Kansas City, tornadoes were more of a fascination than something to fear. This is a perfect example of ignorance is bliss. These powerful storms constantly remind us that when Mother Nature takes over we are at her mercy.
In this newletter more about tornadoes, safe rooms, Father's Day, College kids coming home and the U.S. Open.
Michael O'Bryan
President |
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Tornado Statistics
As of May 28th, there have been 1,383 reported tornadoes. 2011 has been an exceptionally destructive and deadly year for tornadoes with an estimated 519 deaths in the U.S.; 322 tornado deaths in the April 27th outbreak and the 140 plus tornadoe deaths in the May 22nd outbreak, make this year the mostl deadly since 1936.
Seventy-five percent of the world's tornadoes happen in the United States. The area where most of them occur is know as Tornado Alley. Most tornadoes only last a few minutes and travel a few miles, but some have been know to last longer and travel over 100 miles. |
Tornado-Safe Room..There's No Place Like Home
The devastating tornadoes that hit the Midwest and Southeast last month have highlighted the need for tornado shelters inside, or close to, homes in tornado-prone areas. A safe room typically costs about $2500 to $5000 to build, a small price to pay to stay safe. The best place for a safe room is in the basement and requires as little as five square feet per person. Quick Tips: No windows, door opening inward - to ensure easy opening after the storm in case of fallen debris, essentials - first aid kit, water, flashlight, emergency radio, blankets, and basic tools. You can find out more about Safe Rooms by visiting FEMA's website at www.fema.gov |
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Wicked Witch of the West
Poor Margaret Hamilton (the witch) was really injured in the scene where the Wicked Witch of the West departs Munchkin land in a huff after Dorothy arrives. She was standing on a trap door and was supposed to disappear down into it quickly when the smoke (followed by fire) puffed up, but during the second take of that scene, the fire came too early and her costume started burning. She suffered second and third degree burns. There truly was 'no Place like Home' for Margaret Hamilton who was unable to work for a month. When she came back, she refused to do any more work with fire. Her stand-in was used instead, and she was seriously burned and hospitalized as well. |
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Waterspout Tornados?
Tornadoes are violent thunderstorms gone wild. But is a waterspout a tornado? By definition - A tornado is vertical column of spinning air from a cumulonimbus cloud that contacts the ground. So is a waterspout a type of tornado? The short answer - No. Waterspouts are similar to tornadoes, but they form in a different manner. Generally, waterspouts are given the honor of being called a "tornado over water". But waterspouts are not truly given the name of a real tornado until they reach land. Regardless of the technicalities one thing is certain; these Waterspout tornados seen off of the Australian Coast are not Dorothy's typical Kansas twisters.
 | | Amazing waterspout 'tornado' caught on camera off Australia |
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Boomerang Kids
Speaking of Australia, "Boomerang Kids" are becoming the norm rather than the exception here in the U.S. This month, college graduates across the U.S. will throw their mortarboards up in the air, pack up their dorm rooms ... and move back into their childhood bedrooms. Thanks to a poor economy and high unemployment rates, more and more young adults are moving back home with their parents after college. In fact, 85 percent of college seniors planned to do just that after graduation last May. And while the situation can be ripe for conflict between parents and their grown children, there are steps you can take to make the situation a positive one for all.
1. Discuss the reasons for the move-in
2. Set clear expectations
3. Set a time limit
4. Establish rules
5. Charge rent
6. Respect each other
7. Stay positive
Recent studies also show that the return of these "Boomerang Kids" to the nest is also leaving many parents with
increased blood pressure and empty refrigerators. |
Father's Day
is celebrated on the third Sunday in June as a compliment to Mother's Day. It is an occasion to celebrate the contributions that father's have made in our lives. The first time Father's Day was held was in 1910. President Nixon officially recognized Father's Day as a Holiday in 1972.
Daddy's gonna Eat your Fingers- I was packing for my business trip and my three year old daughter was having a wonderful time playing on the bed. At one point she said, 'Daddy, look at this', and stuck out two of her fingers. Trying to keep her entertained, I reached out and stuck her tiny fingers in my mouth and said, 'Daddy's gonna eat your fingers, 'pretending to eat them. I went back to packing, looked up again and my daughter was standing on the bed staring at her fingers with a devastated look on her face. I said, 'What's wrong, honey?' She replied,'What happened to my bogey?' |
Coming Home After 61 years
The son of a U.S. soldier, killed during the Korean War, is getting ready to lay his father to rest--61 years after he died. Sergeant First Class James Caldwell's remains were excavated from a mass grave by the North Korean government in the 90's, and turned over to the United States. DNA helped identify the remains at the POW-MIA Accountability Center. Johnston Caldwell was a toddler when his father disappeared in 1950. For Caldwell, he and his sister said their goodbyes years ago. "I lost my dad when I was a kid, only 4 1/2 years of age," Caldwell said. James Caldwell's remains are being flown to Volusia County, Florida where they will be met by a full military honor guard, as well as the president of the local Korean War Veterans Association, Robert McGuire. According to McGuire, Caldwell's family is lucky. Many more families are still waiting for word of their loved ones. Caldwell will be laid to rest at Greenwood Cemetery next to his wife. |
U.S. Open
The United States Open Championship will be played this year at the Congressional Country Club. It is the second of the four major championships and is always scheduled to conclude (weather and playoffs not withstanding) on the third Sunday of June, Father's Day. The First Open was played on October 4th, 1895 on a nine hole course in Newport, Rhode Island.
The US Open is open to any professional or amateur with a USGA Handling Index not exceeding 1.4. Tadd Fujikawa, from Hawaii, is the youngest qualifying at 15 years of age. Last years winner was Graeme McDowell from Northern Ireland. |
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