One more reason I am glad I don't work the Day Shift at the Mall

At Least One Person Shot At Omaha Mall

OMAHA, Neb., Dec. 5, 2007

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(CBS/AP) At least one person was shot Wednesday at a busy Omaha mall, and police locked down the shopping center while they searched for a gunman.

It was unclear whether the shooter was still inside the mall or whether other people were wounded at the Westroads Mall. Two people were seen being removed on stretchers, and rescue workers were taking more stretchers inside the building.

Omaha television station KETV reported that an elderly man was shot inside the Von Maur department store.

CBS News affiliate KMTV says there are unconfirmed reports of at least five people shot in Mall. There are reportedly two suspects, a white male and a black male, both wearing camouflage.

A witness, Todd Trimpe, told KMTV that he saw police apprehend a man who was hiding under a bus stop bench outside the mall. Trimpe said the man was dressed in camouflage.

Keith Fidler, a Von Maur employee, said he heard a burst of five to six shots followed by 15 to 20 more shots. Fidler said he huddled in the corner of the men's clothing department with about a dozen other employees until police yelled to get out of the store.

Fidler said he did not see the shooting but saw a person lying still by an elevator as he was leaving the store.

A woman who answered the phone at an Old Navy clothing store said 20 to 30 customers were huddled with employees in a back storeroom.

"All we know was people were running and screaming down the hallway by Von Maur saying there was a shooting, and then they locked us down," said the woman, who said her name was Heidi.

Police were allowing some people to leave the mall, but no one was permitted to enter.

President Bush was in town Wednesday for a fundraiser in Omaha, but left about an hour before the shooting.

© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Atlantis STS-122 Status report - 10:45 EST 2007-12-05

CBS NEWS STS-122 STATUS REPORT: 05
Posted: 10:45 AM, 12/5/07

By William Harwood
CBS News Space Analyst


SR-05 (12/05/07): Weather still 90 percent 'go;' countdown proceeding smoothly

=================================

10:45 AM, 12/5/07, Update: Weather still 90 percent 'go;' countdown proceeding smoothly

Engineers at the Kennedy Space Center are preparing the shuttle Atlantis for fueling and launch Thursday on a long-awaited mission to deliver Europe's Columbus research lab to the international space station.

With forecasters continuing to predict a 90 percent chance of good weather, NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding told reporters today there are no technical problems at pad 39A that would delay the start of fueling at 7:06 a.m. Thursday. Launch is targeted for around 4:31:44 p.m.

"After lots of hard work and preparation, I'm pleased to report Atlantis and her crew are finally ready to fly with the Columbus module," Spaulding said. "The countdown is going very smoothly, really no issues to report."

Engineers loaded the shuttle's fuel cell system with hydrogen and oxygen late Tuesday, permitting up to three launch attempts in a row, if necessary, while still preserving the option to extend the mission two days to add a fourth spacewalk. The additional spacewalk is wanted for a detailed inspection of a contaminated solar array rotary joint in the space station's main power truss.

But the launch window closes Dec. 13. If Atlantis isn't off the ground by Friday or Saturday, the team will stand down to reload the shuttle's fuel cell system before a final attempt or two at the end of the window.

Spaulding said the fuel cell loading operation went well, but engineers are troubleshooting a small leak in a ground vent system. The issue will have no impact on launch, but if Atlantis is delayed long enough to require a fuel cell "top off" with fresh hydrogen or oxygen, the leak might require repairs.

Earlier, the ground team repaired three small areas of damage to the external tank's protective foam insulation.

The only other problems involve post-Columbia improvements to monitor foam loss from the external tank and to measure possible debris impacts on the ship's critical wing leading edge panels.

Two issues are affecting external tank documentation. The tank will separate from Atlantis in orbital darkness but even if good lighting was available, a software problem would hinder the crew's ability to downlink whatever pictures might be snapped by a camera mounted in the shuttle's belly. The pictures will be stored on board, however, for post-flight analysis.

A troublesome firmware upgrade to the ship's wing leading edge impact sensor system apparently will prevent any data collection during the climb to space and throughout the mission.

LeRoy Cain, director of shuttle integration at the Kennedy Space Center, said Tuesday it was safe to proceed with launch because the external tank umbilical camera photography and the wing leading edge sensor system are used primarily as backup methods for detecting critical damage to the shuttle's heat shield and foam loss from the external tank.

As always, he said, the crew will carry out detailed heat shield inspections using laser scanners and high-resolution cameras the day after launch and again, after the shuttle undocks from the space station. In addition, the station crew will photograph the shuttle's underbelly during final approach to look for signs of damage, a now-standard part of every post-Columbia mission.

Atlantis commander Steve Frick and his crewmates were briefed on the progress of the countdown early today.

"At this point, I'm pleased to report that all of our launch systems and the launch teams are ready and more importantly, Atlantis and her crew are ready to open a gateway for this newest voyage of Columbus," Spaulding said.

Forecasters, meanwhile, are predicting near ideal weather for Thursday's launch attempt, calling for only a 10 percent chance of low clouds in the area. The odds are 80 percent "go" Friday and 60 percent favorable on Saturday.

"The vehicle's looking good and the weather's looking good, too, both here at Kennedy Space Center and at the TAL (trans-Atlantic landing) sites," said weather officer Kathy WInters.

"We'll have a cold front that's going to be moving through tomorrow morning but it's going to be dry and so we're not expecting any weather with it. So the only thing we have just a slight concern for is if we get any cold air, strato-cumulus clouds that come in from off the water, that would be a low-cloud/ceiling issue. But really, overall we have just a 10 percent chance of KSC weather prohibiting launch."

At least one of NASA's three emergency runways in Spain and France should be acceptable all three days, but the weather at emergency runways in New Mexico and California could be a problem Friday and Saturday, with a chance of showers at both sites.

=================================

CNG in EU Report on Alternative Fuels

Natural Gas (CNG, LNG) and Autogas (LPG)

Motivations
Natural gas:
•   Comparatively clean burning process
•   Commercialisation of CNG could pave the way for other gaseous
fuels such as biogas (biomethane) and/or hydrogen
•   CNG could be mixed with biogas (biomethane)
LPG:
•   Comparatively clean burning process
•   Is easily available at low costs
•   Commercialisation could pave the way for other gaseous fuels
 (DME, 
hydrogen)

Challenges
•   Natural gas and LPG are based on fossil feedstock
•   Availability of natural gas: transport sector might have to
compete with other sectors; Europe might have to compete with other
regions (China, India)


Central Controversies
•   Could a gaseous infrastructure pave the way to a so-called
 "H2-age"?

•   To what extend does CNG or LPG open the way for a market
penetration of Biomethane or DME and, thus, serve as a keystep on the
way to clean fuels.

Source and characteristics

The central difference between Natural Gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas
(LPG) is that Natural Gas can be found in nature whereas LPG is an
artificial by-product from refining processes or can be extracted from
natural gas. LPG, also called Autogas, is a mixture of butane, propane
and low amounts of other gases. It commonly fuels Otto ICEs but can
also be used in diesel engines.

Further, it is important to note that LPG, propane and butane are
"automatically" generated during the extraction of natural gas and the
processing of methane. So, there is some flexibility in terms of
feedstock

Natural gas can often be found beneath oil basins. It is a gaseous
fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane (CH4). It nearly needs no
processing for the use in automobiles which is a decisive advantage in
terms of feasibility. The actual composition of Natural Gas may vary
widely between countries, depending on the gas origin. Since the
energy density of natural gas is low compared to diesel, the fuel has
to be stored in compressed form as so called Compressed Natural Gas
(CNG) or liquefied (LNG) at a very low temperature of -161°C.
Accordingly, LNG offers a higher energy density than CNG, but CNG is
much easier to handle.

CNG can be transported in pipelines over long distances; the transport
of LNG in specialised "reefer" vessels becomes more and more common
but is comparatively costly. In terms of security the storage of both
CNG and LPG is not dangerous.

Autogas can be compressed to a liquid at very low pressures. In this
form it is used in conventional spark-ignition engines with only small
alterations. The main modification required is the provision of an
alternative fuel tank and supply to the engine (STEPS, 2005). Both
Natural gas and LPG offer high octane ratings.

Deliverability, competitiveness and contribution to energy security

The natural gas and LPG pathways are already commercialised and
compete with each other as well as with conventional gasoline engines
– even if market shares in the EU are (still) marginal. Especially
bivalent CNG-cars which can be powered by conventional fuels as well
as by CNG have the potential to increase market shares quickly. For
example the Opel Combo CNG has a 200 bar CNG-tank which allows a range
of about 360 km. If CNG runs empty the vehicles switches automatically
to gasoline which is stored in a 15 litre tank and provides for
another 150 -170 km. Driving performance of both fuels is equal.
"There are more than 4.7 million natural gas vehicles (NGVs) in
operation around the world today; nearly 557,000 in
Europe alone. These include passenger cars, light vans, delivery
trucks, garbage trucks and urban buses" (ENGVA 2006;
http://engva.org/Content.aspx?PageID=63).

Concerning the market diffusion of CNG and LPG, the situation in
Europe is not homogeneous. A crucial factor is the number of existing
filling stations. In order to enable a successful transition to a
mass-market product CNG and LPG need a dense network of filling
stations. Whilst LPG is rather widespread in several European
countries, CNG filling stations might be hard to find in many regions.
In addition, stations are often situated in larger cities or in
industrial areas but not along the highway network. On the other hand,
there are countries such as Portugal, Italy and Germany where a
relative dense network of CNG-fuelling stations is currently emerging
(see figure 8). For example in Germany the energy supplier E.ON
announced in autumn 2006 that it will build 150 CNG pumps at filling
stations along German Highways.

Many observers see natural gas as the next dominant fossil fuel on a
global scale. From the supply side, a coverage of, for example, 10% of
general fuel demand by CNG would not add too much to the overall
consumption of natural gas in Europe. On the other hand CNG-
contribution to the energy security is clearly restricted by the fact
that natural gas is a fossil
resource which is not available endlessly (see DWV 2006, 12). Natural
Gas and also LPG are imported to a large extent in the EU from
politically sensitive regions which significantly reduce their
potential contribution to Europe's mid-term energy security. A large
scale use of natural gas in the transport sector would lead to an
overall increase in demand which has to be satisfied – at affordable
prices. Furthermore, if you consider the phasing out of coal and
nuclear power, the overall demand for natural gas is expected to grow
strongly. Transport has to compete with the generation of electricity
and heating.

Regarding LPG the JRC study points out: "The net effect of an increase
in the use of LPG for automotive purpose would be to increase
imports." (JRC, 2006, 30). Of course, the same is true for natural
gas. LPG is popular because of its usually low costs. Currently
several automakers (Citroen, Daewoo, Fiat, Ford, Peugeot, Renault,
Saab, Volvo and others) sell models
equipped with bi-fuel models that run equally well on both LPG and
gasoline. It is comparatively simple to retrofit a vehicle with LPG
equipment. In most cases LPG vehicles are bivalent which allows them
to drive on both, petrol and LPG.
stations are rather widespread in Europe and that around 4.4 million
vehicles are fuelled with
LPG. However, as the STEPS report states, "the penetration on the
total vehicle fleet of LPG
has limited chances, given the nature of the resource itself, which
may be seen either as a
"surplus" in upstream oil production or as a by product of refining."
(STEPS, 2005)

An important detail: Both LPG and natural gas vehicles are exempt from
the London congestions charge. The mid-term effect of such regulations
should not be underestimated. If similar regulations are applied to
other European cities, market penetration of those fuels might become
intensified.

Energy balance, emissions and contribution to climate security

As a fossil fuel, CNG and LPG face similar problems as oil: they are
finite resources and contribute to global warming. The advantages of
natural gas as a fuel are the comparatively clean burning process and
the low content of carbon. Significant reductions of particulate
matters,

NOx and CO emission are possible. Related to GHG emissions, balancing
is not easy and depends on various factors. The JRC (2006, 4)
comments: "The WTW GHG emissions for CNG lie between gasoline and
diesel, approaching diesel in the best case". The same study estimates
that beyond 2010 GHG-emissions become lower than those of diesel since
greater engine efficiency gains are predicted for vehicles equipped
with engines that are optimised for the use of CNG. The STEPS report
points out (2005, 51): "Natural Gas has nearly zero sulphur level and,
thus, negligible sulphate emissions, while causing low particulate
emissions because of its low carbon to hydrogen ratio. Evaporative
emissions are low too, requiring little control.

Due to its low carbon-to-hydrogen ratio, it produces less carbon
dioxide per GJ of fuel than either gasoline or diesel. However,
exhaust emissions of methane, which is a greenhouse gas, are
relatively high. It has low cold start emissions due to its gaseous
state and a superior antiknock behaviour due to its high octane
factor, thus allowing higher compression ratios, favouring engine
efficiency and operation under turbocharged conditions".

Primarily because of the lower carbon content LPG induces less exhaust
emissions than petrol. Also on a WTW-basis, CO2 benefits of LPG are
significant compared to those of petrol.

LPG's well-to-wheel energy consumption falls below that of gasoline
but above that of diesel (STEPS 2005). Regarding WTW energy and GHG
emissions balance, the JRC study concludes for LPG coming from the
Middle East: "LPG's GHG emissions lie between diesel and CNG and
energy between gasoline and diesel. Although not explicitly shown in
the graph,
transport distance has a significant impact, representing about 25% of
the WTT energy in this case" (JRC, 2006, 30).

Additional Applications and pathways

Both, CNG and LPG, can be mixed with biomass derived gases (Biogas and
DME; see Biofuels section)

Blends of hydrogen and natural gas are discussed and tested (see
hydrogen chapter).

Prospects

CNG technology is feasible in the transport sector and has the
potential to bring at least mid term improvements in terms of energy
security and GHG emissions – whereby it is crucial that real
"gas-engines" are being developed. But in particular its possible
contribution to energy security strongly depends on the overall demand
on natural gas. It is likely, that CNG
vehicles will become at least established for niche applications (e.g.
in larger fleets, in inner cities). LPG is a relatively uncomplicated
technology. It offers environmental benefits at relatively low costs.
It is becoming rather popular in several European countries. Since
both, CNG and LPG, are based on fossil feedstock they must be
considered as bridging technologies. They might help to pave the way
for "cleaner" gaseous fuels such as hydrogen, biomethane or DME.

"The paradigm shift from liquid to gaseous fuels will create enormous
new business opportunities—initially mainly for methane-powered
vehicles, but eventually also for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles" Peter
Boisen, former Volvo executive and chairman of ENGV Europe; quoted in
ENGV 2006.


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The real meaning of the season?

Yes, the True meaning of Christmas.

Keith Olberman channels Tom Tomorrow

Why the Hollywood Writers are striking.....

Chief Seattle's words.

THIS EARTH IS PRECIOUS

How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

ALL SACRED

Every part of this earth is sacred to my people.

Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man.

The white man's dead forget the country of their birth when they go to walk among the stars. Our dead never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the mother of the red man.

We are part of the earth and it is part of us.

The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers.

The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man--all belong to the same family.

NOT EASY

So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy land, he asks much of us. The Great Chief sends word he will reserve us a place so that we can live comfortably to ourselves.

He will be our father and we will be his children. So we will consider your offer to buy our land.

But it will not be easy. For this land is sacred to us.

This shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water but the blood of our ancestors.

If we sell you land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you must teach your children that it is sacred and that each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people.

The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father.

KINDNESS

The rivers are our brothers, they quench our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes, and feed our children. If we sell you our land, you must remember, and teach your children, that the rivers are our brothers, and yours, and you must henceforth give the rivers the kindness you would give any brother.

We know that the white man does not understand our ways. One portion of land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs.

The earth is not his brother, but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on.

He leaves his father's graves behind, and he does not care.

He kidnaps the earth from his children, and he does not care.

His father's grave, and his children's birthright, are forgotten. He treats his mother, the earth, and his brother, the sky, as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads.

His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only a desert.

I do not know. Our ways are different from your ways.

The sight of your cities pains the eyes of the red man. But perhaps it is because the red man is a savage and does not understand.

There is no quiet place in the white man's cities. No place to hear the unfurling of leaves in spring, or the rustle of an insect's wings.

But perhaps it is because I am a savage and do not understand.

The clatter only seems to insult the ears. And what is there to life if a man cannot hear the lonely cry of the whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around a pond at night? I am a red man and do not understand.

The Indian prefers the soft sound of the wind darting over the face of a pond, and the smell of the wind itself, cleaned by a midday rain, or scented with the pinion pine.

PRECIOUS

The air is precious to the red man, for all things share the same breath--the beast, the tree, the man, they all share the same breath.

The white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes.

Like a man dying for many days, he is numb to the stench.

But if we sell you our land, you must remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh.

And if we sell you our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where even the white man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow's flowers.

ONE CONDITION

So we will consider your offer to buy our land. If we decide to accept, I will make one condition: The white man must treat the beasts of this land as his brothers.

I am a savage and I do not understand any other way.

I've seen a thousand rotting buffaloes on the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing train.

I am a savage and I do not understand how the smoking iron horse can be more important than the buffalo that we kill only to stay alive.

What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit.

For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.

THE ASHES

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of your grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin.

Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother.

Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

This we know: The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know.

All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.

Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth.

Man did not weave the web of life: he is merely a strand in it.

Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

Even the white man, whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny.

We may be brothers after all.

We shall see.

One thing we know, which the white man may one day discover, our God is the same God. You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land; but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white.

This earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator.

The whites too shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Contaminate your bed, and you will one night suffocate in your own waste.

But in your perishing you will shine brightly, fired by the strength of God who brought you to this land and for some special purpose gave you dominion over this land and over the red man.

That destiny is a mystery to us, for we do not understand when the buffalo are all slaughtered, the wild horses are tamed, the secret corners of the forest heavy with scent of many men, and the view of the ripe hills blotted by talking wires.

Where is the thicket? Gone.

Where is the eagle? Gone.

The end of living and the beginning of survival.