SW PA SNOW STORM UPDATES

Hey Storm Family,
Here are some Southwestern Pennsylvania updates as of Sunday evening:

STAY OFF THE ROADS FOR TONIGHT-again, unless you are emergency, hospital, or security personnel, please stay home.

100% of main roads have been reached, but only 10% of tertiary roads, so...it's dangerous, be careful tomorrow.

Bad news, there is more snow expected Tuesday into Wednesday for the mid-Atlantic region. Yikes-3 to 6 inches.

34 municipalities are still under a state of emergency. Allegheny County believes it may last for 7 days.

The National Guard is on its way to Pittsburgh to help out. Snow removal is a top priority, as well as getting the lights and heat back on for so many. Keeping warm is essential.

IF YOUR HEAT IS OUT-you can dial 911 for a ride to a Warm Center. Please check on your neighbors and elders.

DO NOT PUT GENERATORS INDOORS!!!!!!!!!
Carbon Monoxide will build up and it will KILL YOU! A father and daughter in McKeesport have already died from a gas/propane generator. It needs to be outside and away from the house.

REMOVE HEAVY SNOW FROM YOUR FURNACE EXHAUST. CO can build up because of that blockage, too.

TRASH PICKUP IN THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH HAS BEEN HALTED INDEFINITELY!
Don't risk injury trying to put your trash out.

Vehicles blocking streets in the city of Pittsburgh will be towed beginning Monday. This is so they can plow and open up streets. Try to get your vehicle early in the day if you can and move it.

8,000 Duquesne Light customers still have their power out. Monday evening by midnight for most; those who have individual problems between their home and the pole will be addressed by Wednesday.

82,000 Allegheny Power customers have their power out. Here's the worse news: they will not commit to a schedule of how long it will take to get it on.

Schools are closed-if yours hasn't yet reported, give them heck, because they should be now.

It is entirely possible that depending on where you live and how much snow you have and will get between Tuesday and Wednesday, you may not ever get those kids in school this week. Get ready.

Falcon and Dove wishes all of you well. Stay safe, and be careful.
Peace

PennDOT to PA Residents: STAY OFF THE ROADS

Hello Pennsylvania Family,
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has a message for you this Saturday night: STOP DRIVING ON THE ROADS! Really. They are pissed. They can't clean the snow off the roads if you keep trying to drive on the roads. There is a State of Emergency for the entire commonwealth, so it is important that unless you are emergency personnel (police, fire, EMS, hospital personnel, security, military, etc.) you are not supposed to drive.

If your boss says you are, tell him or her that the penalty right now for getting stopped driving tonight is a suspension of driving privileges; yes, your license can be suspended. That would suck, so here's a solution: don't drive. It is not worth the risk or injury to be driving when the roads are so bad. There are people who haven't been home for at least 24 hours because they can't get home. If they can wait until tomorrow, so can you:)

Be safe Family. We care.
Peace,
Falcon and Dove

SNOW DISASTER UPDATES IN PENNSYLVANIA

Hey Everyone,
Some important updates:

Penn-American has lost their water treatment plant, so all 180,000 users are supposed to conserve water. Includes baths, showers, etc. Sorry. They had a power outage.

PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE IS CLOSED westbound from Breezewood to the Ohio line. There are disabled vehicles everywhere, but particularly from Somerset to Donegal. Advice, stay off the roads.

Gov. Rendell has just declared a Sate of Emergency and an Emergency Declaration. Stay off the road unless you are emergency personel, and don't try to clear this all at once.

Southwestern PA is socked in with about two to three feet of snow, depending on where you are. Shovel carefully and take frequent breaks. Don't try to go anywhere in a car, period. Give yourself plenty of fluids and stay warm.

IF YOUR POWER IS OUT
bundle up and stay warm. If you are CLOSE to a fire hall, they have been turned into Warm Centers. I mean, like you can walk to the fire station in less than 5 minutes on a normal day. Any further than that, stay put. A short walk in this depth of snow would be like a decathelon for many of you. Take care of yourselves.

Peace, and love to you all.
Falcon and Dove

SNOW SLAPPING EVERYWHERE IN THE EAST!

Hello World Family,
State of Emergency everywhere in the eastern portion of the U.S. Family, don't even think you are driving anywhere. If you have a snowmobile and live near an interstate or main road, please check and make sure that no one is freexing in those abandoned cars.

PITTSBURGH-we have around 19-23 inches, depending on where you live. In the Laurel Highlands, I can't even count...maybe approaching 30. We are completely buried.

Family, do not try to shovel everything at once! It is a heavy, wet, dangerous snow.
YOUNG PEOPLE-we need you! Help your neighbors. Take shifts, don't do too much at once. By tonight, this stuff will cool in the temps and turn into a concrete like substance. You need to move it, but do it slowly-I don't want any of you having to make a trip to a hospital.

Speaking of hospitals, some have a code black in the Pittsburgh area. If you need to go, call on the way to make sure they are open.

We will get through this. World Family, thanks for your prayers and support. Everyone pull together.

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Oscar Nominations: Some surprises

Hey World Family,
The Oscar nominations have some surprises, some omissions, and some downright…huh?!

So, for the most part, the major nominations were predictable. Having 10 Best Picture nominations this year, but still only five Best Directors meant someone was going to be left out. Although the top pics have expanded, I still think they missed a few.

Of course, Avatar, An Education, A Serious Man, and Inglorious Basterds made the cut-Precious did, too, and Falcon is thrilled about that. Up in the Air is still going strong, and The Hurt Locker, one of the most powerful films Falcon and Dove have seen in a long time is also in the hunt. The Blind Side and Up round out the 10, along with District 9.

Okay, I just don’t get it. I admit it. District 9 is full of visual flaws every time I see something from it. I don’t like the story, I thought the editing left something to be desired. If we were gonna go sci-fi to round out the top 10, I would have had Star Trek in there: very well produced and directed. J.J. Abrams is a stone cold genius, and the ensemble actors assembled were perfect-something that is very difficult to do with a franchise like Star Trek has been. Star Trek has 4 Oscar nominations by my count, that is pretty darn good. District 9 is also nominated for Visual Effects, along with Avatar of course, and Star Trek, which left out Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which got a Best Cinematography nomination, and should have. I can’t believe voters sat in the 15 minute bake-off of each of the seven remaining films and decided District 9’s visual effects held up to the stuff done in HP: HBP’s use of Squirt and Maya. If I have left some of you behind on this one, don’t worry; just pick up a couple of copies of Cinefex magazine and it will explain it all.

Falcon also wants to go on the record for saying that we all enjoyed Up a lot. Should it be nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay when Avatar isn’t for the latter? Heck, no. Sorry, it just wasn’t that good. Cute, entertaining, but just not that good. Yes, I liked the love story, and I get the whole ‘wanting to get away from it all’ and ‘hero failure’ (Christopher Plummer will work forever-love you!) and I loved Dug the dog-I quote him frequently, but it just isn’t what I would have considered Oscar worthy in nomination for Best Picture, sorry. If I was going to nominate an animated feature from 2009 for Best Picture, it would be Coraline (which is nominated for Best Animated Feature Film, along with Up, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, and a surprise, The Secret of Kells, very cool) hands down. Magnificently realized stop-motion hand built animation with a strong story (although subtle, which may have left some in the dark about a couple of thematic overtones), organic POV, and stunning visual effects-Falcon just doesn’t think this film got enough attention. Glad it is nominated for Animation, though.

Most nominations is a tie between Avatar and The Hurt Locker. Both these films rock so no worries there. Did you know that Kathryn Bigelow, the director of The Hurt Locker and also the winner of this year’s Director’s Guild of America award (DGA) is the ex-wife of James Cameron? I think it’s hysterical that they are nominated against each other frequently for Oscar-they are both good natured about it, and wish the best for each other. That’s nice.

Favorites nominated: Colin Firth, in A Single Man-he is very talented and versatile: Falcon and Dove are glad he is getting some strong recognition recently for his outstanding work. Lee Daniels for Precious-enough cannot be said about how great this work is. Mo’Nique is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, along with Gabby Sidibe for Best Actress and Lee for Best Director. This has been an outstanding year for film, and this film, its director, and its talent, stand high above the din. Lee Daniels is a gifted visionary, and deserves all of the accolades he receives. Stanley Tucci is one of my favorite actors, ever-he is superb in The Lovely Bones. Meryl Strep did Julia Child well, and this is coming from one of Julia’s biggest fans, Falcon. Stanley Tucci is also in Julie and Julia, and we loved him in that as well.

It is great to see The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (go Chris Plummer, again!) get a couple of noms, as well as Sherlock Holmes got one-we thought this one might get a little more. Documentary Feature nominee, Food, Inc. is an insightful work-nice to see it acknowledged for its strong character and unblinking interviews. The Messenger is nominated for Best Original Screenplay, and yet not Best Picture? A strange omission, me thinks. Woody Harrelson was outstanding in this film; nice to see his Best Actor in a Supporting Role nomination.

CUROSITIES:
Best Makeup-just how much makeup difficulty was there in Il Divo? I didn’t see it, so I don’t know…someone let me know.

About The Blind Side…great story, good film. Oscar is pushing it. Do I love Sandra Bullock? Absolutely. Do I think this is a Best Actress performance? Nope. She was very uncomfortable with a lot of this role, and frankly, it shows. I love her films, and believe that she will one day be cast in a role that truly shows all of her spectrum. This is not the role, and this is not the film.

It feels good, it’s a true story, but when aligned with such strong performances in this category, Falcon would be disappointed that an Oscar would go to someone who has said time and time again in interview that they didn’t do their best work. We hope this category is given its full consideration and this isn’t a gimme. There are some tremendous performances nominated this year; let’s look at the ones that feel good… and the ones that don’t. I think the woman she portrays should have a bronze statue in her honor, but this category is stiff this year with tremendous performances.

Gabby Sidibe should not be written off as a one time; she is incredibly gifted and versatile-I hope she works a whole lot more. Screenwriters: write some strong women roles for these talented actresses. Hollywood: put some money behind the projects. Helen Mirren is stellar, and Carey Mulligan should get more than a passing glance for her performance in An Education. It is a Best Picture nomination-a joy to behold.

Missed-well, there’s a lot. It was a great year for film. The technical categories being narrowed down to three every year bothers me. Why three? Why not five? Five would be better. Art Direction is five; Cinematography is five-let’s do five (at least five) in all of them.

Quentin-now what are you going to do now that you are accepted by the establishment?! Hehe

The Academy Awards will be on March 7. Until then, everyone place your proverbial bets. There will be lots of discussion. In the meantime, we will be back to the issues of the day.
Every day is a new day.
Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Air Starck: Wind Turbines for Urban Communities and Residential Use

Hey World Family,

The buzz around Philippe Starck’s new design for a small wind turbine that can harness wind from any direction and starts at a mere $3,500 has been mixed, mostly because some fail to understand the potential of this urban air revolution.

Pramac has developed Revolution Air:a series of vertical axis windmills that harness it all, quietly, and can even gather torrents and exhaust blasts-there is a twin blade and a triple blade model. They are small, so less likely to pull in wildlife that could be harmed by other types of windmills when installed on their migratory paths.

The original research concerning these small but mighty designs were done in Britain, and clearly the researchers were only focused on assessment for their arena, not the U.S. and other urban markets world wide. The design has tremendous potential since what won’t work in London will do just fine in places like: the East Coast of the U.S., Chicago, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Hawaii, The Pacific Northwest, The Caribbean, India, The West Coast of Africa, New Zealand, etc. The research just wasn’t broad enough, or frankly, visionary enough.

Here’s the thing: many urban areas have strong wind currents that must work around structures. This design makes that a snap, since it will harness currents from any direction. It is noiseless, so that’s a bonus. It is small, so less disruptive, and best of all, cheap and easy to install…for the most part. Urban areas that have large tracks of land where buildings have been demolished can make use of a ‘farm’ of these windmills, and small businesses and neighborhood ‘co-ops’ could save millions of dollars, lower the proverbial carbon footprint, and bring some strong energy independence to those who need it the most.

Here’s one of the most important points: it reduces the carbon footprint big time. Communities where clearer air is so important could use these with schools, senior centers, hospitals, and reduce their dependency on dirty coal. Combine this kind of technology with retrofitting and energy saving appliances, as well as community farms, personal gardens, and improved wastewater infrastructure…well the improvements could be huge. You won’t have to wait for this one-the Italian developer is ready to move this product this year. Very nice.

The triple blade can do 400W, and there is even a kilo version. This small wind turbine is huge. We should pay attention to it, and communities should start to look at ways to bring this kind of design to their doorstep.

This is not a toy for rich urbanites, this is possibly another tool to go in the box of community enfranchisement and energy independence on an affordable level for urban and rural areas world wide.

Let’s make sure we stay abreast of these kinds of developments, and don’t allow special interests to remove these tools from our collective grasp.

For more information:
http://www.revolutionair-pramac.com/

Marcellus Shale Announcement from PA Gov. Ed Rendell

News for Immediate Release



Jan. 28, 2010



Governor Rendell: PA Taking Aggressive Action to Protect Public, Environment as Marcellus Shale Drilling Operations Expands

Directs DEP to Hire 68 Additional Staff to Bolster Inspections, Environmental Compliance; New Regulations Planned to Improve Well Safety Standards



Harrisburg – In order to protect Pennsylvania’s residents and environment from the impact of increased natural gas exploration across the state, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced today that the commonwealth is strengthening its enforcement capabilities.



At the Governor’s direction, the Department of Environmental Protection will begin hiring 68 new personnel who will make sure that drilling companies obey state laws and act responsibly to protect water supplies. DEP also will strengthen oil and gas regulations to improve well construction standards. These critical upgrades are designed to prevent gas leaks that can pose risks to the public and water quality.



“Interest in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale formation is greater than ever before and as natural gas prices continue to rise, that interest will only increase,” said Governor Rendell. “In fact, the industry has told us that they expect to apply for 5,200 permits to drill in the Marcellus Shale this year -- nearly three times the number of permits we issued in all of 2009. Given these conditions, an extraction tax is gaining widespread support across our state and I will again ask the General Assembly to enact such a levy. It is fair and affordable to drillers. They know it, and so do members of the House of Representatives who voted for it last year.



“The actions I am announcing today, however, are about decisive, progressive protections for the people of Pennsylvania. We were able to hire 37 additional inspectors and permitting staff in 2009, but the industry’s projected growth in 2010 means that we need additional inspectors to ensure oil and gas companies follow environmental laws and regulations. As I’ve said all along, we want to encourage the development of this resource because it’s a tremendous economic opportunity for the state, but we will not allow that to happen at the expense of our environment.”



DEP performed 14,544 drilling site inspections in 2009 and took 678 enforcement actions against drillers for violations.



The 68 additional personnel will be funded entirely from money generated by new, higher permitting fees that were instituted in 2009—the first such increase since 1984. The new fees were put in place with bipartisan support from the General Assembly, industry and environmental organizations.



The Governor noted that given the need for these additional health and safety personnel and the dedicated funding source that is independent of the state’s General Fund, these new hires are exemptions to the general hiring freeze he instituted last year.



DEP’s work to amend Pennsylvania’s oil and gas regulations will strengthen well construction standards and define a drilling company’s responsibility for responding to gas migration issues, such as when gas escapes a well or rock formation and seeps into homes or water wells. Specifically, he said the new regulations will:



· Require the casings of Marcellus Shale and other high-pressure wells to be tested and constructed with specific, oilfield-grade cement;

· Clarify the drilling industry’s responsibility to restore or replace water supplies affected by drilling;

· Establish procedures for operators to identify and correct gas migration problems without waiting for direction from DEP;

· Require drilling operators to notify DEP and local emergency responders immediately of gas migration problems;

· Require well operators to inspect every existing well quarterly to ensure each well is structurally sound, and report the results of those inspections to DEP annually; and

· Require well operators to notify DEP immediately if problems such as over-pressurized wells and defective casings are found during inspections.



“These new draft regulations, which were developed through open meetings with experts in the industry, are designed to give Pennsylvanians peace of mind by bringing our state’s requirements up to par with other major gas producing states or, as in the case of the well casing requirements, to a level that is even more rigorous,” said Governor Rendell.



The new regulations will be offered for public comment on Jan. 29 before going through DEP’s formal rulemaking process.



Interest in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale formation has been increasing. One third of the more than 6,200 oil and natural gas drilling permits DEP issued in 2009 were for drilling in the Marcellus Shale. By comparison, only four of the more than 6,000 permits issued in 2005 were for the Marcellus formation.



For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us.



Media contacts:

Tom Rathbun, DEP; 717-787-1323

Michael Smith, Governor’s Office; 717-783-1116