Green Tides In California
signonsandiego - Kristina Rebelo of Carlsbad wasn't prepared for the scene she saw Wednesday at the foot of Pine Street in Carlsbad.
"My husband and I have been going to Frazee, Tamarack, or Buccaneer every single day of the year -- after work and on weekends -- and we have never seen these conditions," Rebelo said, noting that the conditions persisted Thursday. "People were trying to stay out of it. It actually looked like a behemoth can of slime-green paint had been unceremoniously dumped into the Pacific Ocean."
What Rebelo saw was the result of a green algae that has invaded the southern California coastline from San Diego to Los Angeles. Local beachgoers reported seeing greenish tints in the water at Black's Beach, Windansea, Scripps Pier and Torrey Pines in recent days.
Ocean experts at the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System, a multi-agency science team, said algae-tinged water is harmless even if it is a little slimy.
Some forms of algae are toxic but there are no documented health hazards related to swimming or fishing in areas with Tetraselmis, the microscopic algae blamed for the discoloration, scientists said. It has been found in concentrations of 15 million cells per liter of seawater.
"The foam has persisted this week, though its patchy distribution make it visible only at some beaches and the foam becomes more apparent in the afternoon when the wind and waves mix the surface waters," said an alert on the coastal observing network's website.
It's not uncommon for Tetraselmis algae to be in ocean water but such noticeable blooms are infrequent, said Melissa Carter, a research associate at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which is part of the University of California San Diego. The last time she saw such an explosion was in August 2009, leading to conjecture about what conditions might cause a repeat event.
"There may be some correlation to temperature or surf or light," Carter said. "What are the mechanisms that cause the algae to arrive on the coast That is exactly what we want to know."
She doesn't think it's a function of weather because this summer has been much cooler than last summer. Last year's bloom lasted about a week.
The current bloom was first spotted in Newport Beach in late July, then was reported in Los Angeles before sightings in San Diego County as far south as Imperial Beach.
Carter said Tetraselmis hasn't historically been an organism of concern so there's not much data about blooms in decades past. She said the current growth may present a problem if algae start clogging estuaries and depleting oxygen needed by fish.
This week's green tide is one of several odd occurrences at local beaches this summer. They include tar balls on the beach in Oceanside and numerous large black jellyfish in San Diego Bay.
Serge Dedina, head of the environmental group Wildcoast, reported moderate "red tide" conditions off Imperial Beach on Friday but said they were gone by early this week.
"I've only been surfing since 1977 but do not remember red tide in August since then," he said. "Strange days in California coastal waters."
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MUFON Radio
MUFON Radio - The Mutual UFO Network has launched their own radio show hosted by paranormal skeptic Rick Wood.
The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) has asked paranormal skeptic and radio personality Rick Wood, creator and former host of Audiomartini Radio, to host its new radio program. MUFON has investigated aerial phenomena for more than 40 years. Its mission is the scientific study of UFOs for the benefit of humanity. MUFON Radio will bring the work of MUFON to a wider audience and promote discussion of unexplained phenomena. Wood has hosted a talk radio program (Auiodmartini), based at WEBR in Washington DC, for most of the past ten years. Audiomartini was the longest-running skeptically-based radio show in the world, with affiliates throughout the U.S. and Great Britain.
MUFON Radio will focus on a broad range of paranormal topics to promote discussion among people who disagree, according to Wood. “I want to make sure that both sides are discussed fairly and openly, so that the listeners can decide for themselves what is true,” he said.
MUFON’s new International Director, Clifford Clift, said he hired Wood to bring a different perspective into the MUFON family in hopes of gaining new members, and because “fresh ideas may bring fresh understanding to an age-old mystery. ”
The first MUFON Radio show featured a discussion with a psychiatrist who has studied alleged alien abductions from a social science perspective, with surprising results. Upcoming shows will question whether paranormal events can be explained through prosaic means, or whether there are greater mysteries that science has yet to uncover.
MUFON Radio is a member of Wizzard Media, the largest podcast creator in the U. S.
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Salon Owner Blames Power Provider For Customer's Bald Head
wtva - A trip to the hair salon leaves one customer partially bald. Now owner of the shop and the power provider are in a debate over who is to blame.
When a woman goes into a salon, the last thing she probably expects is to come out partially bald .
"I was getting color put in and the lights went out and there was no way to get it out of my hair in time," the woman, who did not want to reveal her identity, said.
Tessa Mingo, the owner of People's Choice Hair Salon said her customer's hair is the end result of her salon's power being cut off by mistake without warning.
"I know I just paid my bill on the 19th so there was no reason for my power to get cut off," Mingo said.
Mingo showed WTVA News the papers to prove she paid, but she said the money she gave the power association was applied to her residential account rather than her business account. That led to her power being disconnected, and she said it leaves her credibility in question.
Mingo said, "If she goes home to try to explain it to her friends and relatives and family, will they come back?"
WTVA went to the Pontotoc Electric Power Association to get the other side of the story.
WTVA News reporter Kalisha Whitman said, "We received a complaint from a customer saying that her power was cut off at her beauty salon by mistake. Do you have a statement regarding that?"
Bob Wells, the district manager of the Bruce location of the Pontotoc Electric Power Association said, "Only that the fact that we can't discuss customer accounts because a privacy act is involved that would be as far as I can go. I'm sorry."
For the customer the issue is not about who is at fault, but rather the price she had to pay.
"I feel terrible about this situation because I came in and I wasn't expecting to leave out like this," the woman, who did not want to reveal her identity, said.
The power has been restored, but the debate over who is to blame has yet to be resolved. However, the customer said the price she had to pay drastically changed her life.
Pontotoc Electric Power Association does not service the water, however the owner of the salon said she needed the hot and cold water properly remove the chemicals from her customers head. The owner said the hot water did not work as a result of the power being disconnected.
NOTE: I'm not buying this excuse...hard to believe she could not have asked a neighboring business or residence for hot water. Also, hot water heaters store enough water in order get this one rinse done...Lon
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Who Owns You?
Who Owns You? - A Documentary - Trailer from Taylor Roesch on Vimeo
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Here’s a disconcerting thought: for the past thirty years, genes have been patentable. And we’re not just talking genetically modified corn – your genes, pretty much as they exist in your body, can and have been patented. The US government reports over three million gene patent applications have been filed so far; over 40,000 patents are held on sections of the human genome, covering roughly 20% of our genes.
Upset? You’re not alone. Critics argue that the patents stifle potential research into disease, keep new treatments off the market, and bring in serious money to Big Pharma – all by exercising property claims that shouldn’t exist. Continue reading at Who Owns You? 20% of the Genes in Your Body are Patented
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Recent 'Starchild' Video
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NOTE: Lloyd Pye again tells us that the 'Starchild' skull has extraterrestrial DNA...but, again, provides no actual data. I'm not saying that it may not be true...I would just like something other than conjecture at this point. Lon
Fortean / Oddball News - 8/15/2010
