Exciting Cebu

US Marine charged with murder of Filipino transgender http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_289563/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=iuzQ0Ltg (from @AP) https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/VLKU5EzVR6y

The spending bill before Congress right now will remove many of the restrictions placed on derivatives a couple of years ago. Yet here is more evidence that the banks that cook these things up can't be trusted. Maybe gridlock wasn't such a bad thing. Easing of derivatives regulations is a Republican backed item. FINRA fines 10 banks over Toys R Us IPO conduct http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268743/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=fvGPLNMf (from @AP) https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/dsHJzpmy9kU

Wow  Malala Yousafzai asked a very good question, "Why is it so easy to build a tank but so hard to build a school?" Awesome little lady is 17 years old and the youngest to receive a nobel prize. #malalayousafzai   #nobelpeaceprize https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/cZXE2qTSvcq

I have a question, say there are nukes that will strike NYC, Los Angeles and Atlanta in three days. Would it be okay to use torture to stop it. If we knew that torture would stop it, give us the information we need to stop it, would torture still be wrong? And I mean something clear, such as a burning off someone's toes, one at a time. Or removing their skin. Dang, I'm a mean SOB. LOL Where did I come up with that. Like the X2 unit said, "Remind me to never piss you off". LOL Now I am against torture but sometimes maybe, just maybe the ends do justify the means. I'd have to say yes. I torch those toes. Maybe it is the wrong decision but some needs to show me why. I'd torch other body parts to get that information. Honestly, I'd rather someone else do it.  We shouldn't want anything unless we are also willing to do it. https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/W4ttxJZwpxe

Hungry people in evacuation centers. If you give then give only to agencies that directly distribute aid. Otherwise, it may get misused. I heard from Jessie in Tacloban it is bad there. She is scared. #typhoon #typhoonruby #philippines https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/RoXAh1WUawu

As far as Cebu is concerned Typhoon Ruby / Hagupit it does not appear to be a major event. I am including a screen shot of underground weather's forecast. It will be a bit windy and rain Could be some street flooding. Could even be a mudslide or two around the province. But people are stoking up on supplies. Like a snow prediction in the Southern USA.  #cebucity #typhoon #hagupit #typhoonruby #cebu #supertyphoon https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/QUxiYKiDJX3

It appears the PAGASA website has more traffic than it can handle at the moment. I am having trouble getting it to come up. I did manage to get this graphic.  At this time, Landfall in the Philippines is expected at around 8am Saturday morning. Philippines time.  I couldn't get a real good capture of this on my phone and couldn't get it to come up on my PC at all. :) #philippines   #supertyphoon   #typhoon  #hagupit #tyhpoonruby   #supertyphoonruby https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/cjM4DEh8jwB

Warning Super Typhoon Ruby Hagupit expected to make landfall in Eastern Visayas and Luzon This storm is now a Cat 5 super typhoon and is expected to have a storm surge of 18 feet or 5.5 meters with crashing waves and rip currents. Rain may be in excess of 300mm an hour near the center of the storm. The storm now is projected to make direct landfall just north of Sorsogon in the and the Bicol Region.  Do NOT remain on the coastline if at all possible in these areas. The graphic below is a 48 hour projection of anticipated locations for Cat 1 winds OR STRONGER. The dot in the center represents Ruby's current location. Orange is 60% and the lavender is 70%. Deep purple is 100% or current location. Let's hope the people of the Philippines have learned from Typhoon Yolanda. A category 5 typhoon is not to be taken lightly. It isn't just another storm. Let's hope that these hundred year storms are not becoming 1 year storms. It is pretty clear they are having trouble projecting this storm's path but it is getting closer now and PAGASA has it is virtually the same path. Yesterday, some had it missing the Philippines and some had it taking this path. PAGASA had it on this path and the Philippines weather agency seems to be better at predicting the path of storms in the Philippines. http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com #typhoon   #supertyphoon   #ruby   #hagupit   #philippines https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/FqQ8cyMA1Bq

It seems this storm has to possible likely paths right now. One not so severe and one more severe. Tropical Storm Risk thinks it will mostly skirt the Philippines coast line. Others have it coming ashore. See the article in the link below. Weather Underground also leans to the same path as TSR. m.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/new-west-pacific-threat-develo/38232221 https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/cMyu17hziYC

I thought it was time to update Typhoon Hagupit. It will get a different name in the Philippines but is not yet in the Philippines Area of Responsibility (PAR) so it hasn't been named AS FAR AS I KNOW, Right now, it is a Category 4 storm. Not a Super Typhoon. The rumors are already flying all over the place about this storm. It is EXPECTED but Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) to decrease in intensity to a cat 3 in 96 hours and to a cat 2 in 120 hours.  It's landfall keeps changing but then TSR never said where it would hit. It is too far out. It trajectory has moved much further north than it was just a few hours ago. It also increased from a cat 2 to a cat 4.  I wouldn't count on this decreasing as much as TSR is predicting. The last few storms were all predicted to get weaker but they just go stronger as they neared the Philippines.  The Philippines gets hit by about 20 typhoons per year. I get people from Florida that think they see a lot of typhoons, you don't. :) Just stay alert because it is still far enough out that it can make a lot of changes between now and Saturday when the Philippines should start rally feeling the impact of this.  People will die because of this storm, mostly in Luzon it appears. It may not be as bad as it looked two days ago but I wouldn't want it near me. My personal hunch is it will be stronger than a cat 2. #typhoon   #superthypoon   #philippines https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/h8GvbFZR7y3

Thinking about the hungry by +Alan Shapiro Alan Shapiro: Thinking about Leftovers. While many of us found our way to our kitchens at 1am for late night turkey and stuffing sandwiches or one last piece of pie, or woke up to a day after breakfast of stuffing with a scoop of sweet potatoes and dollop of cranberry sauce, some of us (too many of us) woke up to nothing even remotely resembling leftovers. Which got me thinking about leftovers... all the leftover space in our cities that could be repurposed, all the leftover food that restaurants too often throw out rather than donate, all the leftover clothes in our closets that might serve a second life warming someone in dire need. What if all the leftovers in our society could be diverted to the "leftovers" in our society?  Maybe we all need to shift a little (lot) more focus over to those left by our society. I'm not trying to make Black Friday any blacker by diverting focus from madly shopping for loved ones, but perhaps if we all bought an extra pair of socks or gloves, food or blankets and found a local shelter...our circle of loved ones would grow and Black Friday might glow a little warmer and brighter. Don't spare change. Make change. #photography   #thoughtsonleftovers   #streetphotography   #streetportraiture   #homeless #alanshapirophotography #googleplusphotographers   #hqspmonochrome   #hqspportraits   #btpportraitpro #dontsparechangemakechange https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/PkKPsdoaHwK

Strong Cat 4 Typhoon Likely Headed for the Philippines. The Tropical Storm Risk site has this storm inbound for the Philippines. Now, they have not predicted that yet but it's current trajectory clearly indicates it. It is to far away to make that prediction I think. At this time I think it is still a tropical storm but is expected to increase in intensity. For now, it is expected to hit Yap. Most storms that it hit Yap also hit the Philippines based on my casual observations. #typhoon #philippines https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/DniZeyY4GKC

Arnold Abbot, A Vet and Hero and a Protestor  He's making a Ripple of Love Here's a guy that gets out there and gets it done. He's 90 years old and a WWII. He's one good example from the Greatest Generation. He faces 60 days in jail for feeding the homeless. Homeless person after homeless person says the hardest thing about living on the streets are the crackheads and the cops. Picture Credit:  Educate yourself about Arnold Abbot with this video: http://youtu.be/o9B7MOqZe3M He's a good man, and you'll see it there. This cop in the picture is a complete jerk. #ripplesoflove https://plus.google.com/112078832938393562132/posts/4x99REd8wUj