Rabid bobcat attacks 8, dog

TALLAHASSEE - Eight people are getting rabies shots after a bobcat attacked three of them and a dog at a Tallahassee park.

The 25-pound bobcat tested positive for rabies Wednesday, health officials said.

A woman was walking two dogs Monday when the bobcat bit her and one of the pets. A man and woman were scratched or bitten when they held the bobcat until police arrived. [Brave, or stupid? You decide.]

Five other people who tried to help may have been exposed to the animal’s saliva. The dog had been vaccinated against rabies and will be quarantined for 45 days. The
bobcat was euthanized.

Fire conditions getting worse, scores of homes lost in Brevard County

MALABAR — More than 60 homes are feared lost to wildfire in hard-hit Brevard County, where Gov. Charlie Crist today told firefighters he will spare no expense to find the arsonist suspected of setting blazes here and across Florida.

Late this afternoon, four fires remained out of control in Brevard with more than 10,000 acres in flames. Firefighters said only 15 percent of the blazes are contained and more homes are being threatened.

Fire conditions getting worse, scores of homes lost in Brevard County

Polar Bears Listed as Threatened Species

After delaying a decision for several weeks, the U.S. government today listed the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), creating new protections for the bears in their Alaskan habitat.
Polar Bears Listed as Threatened Species in U.S.

Another desperate statement by a Clinton flack

“I think Democrats across the country tomorrow will be asking themselves why Senator Obama — with all of his money, with all of the great press, with voters being told he was the inevitable nominee — why did Senator Obama lose West Virginia by 15 points or so?” Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson asked on NBC’s “Today” show.

Live Coverage - washingtonpost.com

Duh. I have relatives that I love a lot in West Virginia, and I hope they don’t take this personally, but is it even the least bit surprising that there was some bias in favor of Senator Clinton in a state that is made up of predominately ill-educated, older, poor white voters? And who could imagine that it could have anything to do with the preferences of, say, California? Not to bring up the race issue or anything like that…but talk about grasping at straws — and SPIN…

Real Time Satellite Fire Monitoring - Florida

GOES Fire Monitoring - Florida - Satellite Services Division

Fires on Florida’s east coast — Gov declares emergency

Hundreds of residents were under evacuation orders, and firefighters from around the state were called to assist. In Palm Bay, firefighters spent 48 hours battling erratic flames that damaged roughly 50 homes. The Palm Bay fires claimed 3,500 acres and burned into the night. MORE

Mortarboard

The square academic cap, very commonly called a mortarboard (from the French mortier, a type of toque) or Oxford cap, is an item of academic headgear consisting of a horizontal square board fixed upon a skull-cap, with a tassel, or liripipe, attached to the centre. In the UK and the U.S., it is commonly referred to informally in conjunction with an academic gown worn as a cap and gown.
mortarboard - encyclopedia article about mortarboard.

How Gas Prices Work

To the average person, it probably seems as though there’s little rhyme or reason to how gas prices are determined. In this article, we will look at the forces that impact the price of gas at the pump, and we’ll find out where your gas money actually goes.
“How Gas Prices Work”

Maximize Your Car’s Efficiency With ‘Hypermiling’

By now you have probably heard of hypermiling and the 50-90 mpg exploits of Wayne Gerdes. If you haven’t, hypermiling is a set of techniques and practices that seek to maximize a vehicle’s fuel efficiency through careful and calculated driving.

What this means to the average motorist is that you must alternate between driving like my grandmother and bracing against the g-forces as you take turns and exit ramps at 50 miles per hour. Of course, this is the extreme example of what hypermiling is and can achieve. The truth of the matter is that a few simple practices can dramatically improve your car’s efficiency.

Here are a few things we all could learn from hypermiling: …

Maximize Your Car’s Efficiency With ‘Hypermiling’ | Wise Bread

Florida Fire Outlook — Brushfire Safety

AN EXTREMELY VOLATILE FIRE WEATHER SITUATION IS LIKELY LATER TODAY
ACROSS THE PANHANDLE, CENTRAL AND EASTERN FL PENINSULA.

A MUCH DRIER AIR MASS IS CURRENTLY MOVING INTO THE SERN U.S. WITH HIGH PRESSURE. WINDS WILL INCREASE QUICKLY AFTER SUNRISE TO 15-20 MPH BY MIDDAY…WITH HIGHER GUSTS. AS TEMPERATURES WARM INTO THE MID TO UPPER 80S…RH LEVELS WILL PLUMMET TO NEAR 20 PERCENT…WITH LOCALIZED AREAS DIPPING INTO THE 15-20 PERCENT RANGE. THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITY WILL RESULT IN THE POTENTIAL FOR FAST MOVING AND INTENSE WILDFIRES. IN ADDITION…THE WARM AND DRY AIR MASS WILL EXTEND THROUGH A DEEP LAYER…RESULTING IN A HIGH HAINES INDEX. THERFORE…ANY ONGOING FIRES WILL EXPERIENCE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON FIRE UPSCALE GROWTH.

READ THIS: Brushfire Safety