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Fires Started Intentionally

Much of the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in Sylmar is a smoldering ruin Saturday. MONTECITO, California (CNN) One of three major wildfires burning in southern California appears to be “human caused,” a spokesman for the state’s fire agency said Sunday.

This is really crazy stuff. It appears that investigators have eliminated “all accidental causes” of the fires that destroyed 210 homes and injured 2 in Santa Barbara County.

Investigators have eliminated “all accidental causes” of the fire that destroyed 210 homes and injured two in the Santa Barbara County since Thursday, and is suspected of arson, the spokesman said Doug Lannon .

“We need the public’s help to identify any activity in or around the afternoon of November 13″ Lannon said.

The fire burned 1940 acres, including a monastery and several homes in the Montecito community, where celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, have homes. It was 75 percent contained by Sunday, Lannon said.

Authorities believe the fire started in the garden of the estate, a private company several acres of property about a mile north of Santa Barbara’s exclusive Westmont College. On Friday, arson investigators cordoned off the estate after several eyewitnesses told authorities they believed the fire originated in this area, according to Lannon.

Other major fires were burning in the northern region of Los Angeles and Orange County, east of Los Angeles. The three blazes have burned 20,000 acres and forced more than 10,000 people to flee their homes, authorities said.

On Sunday authorities were searching through the debris of nearly 500 mobile homes destroyed on Saturday in northern Los Angeles, known as the fire Sayre.

Earlier Sunday afternoon, a third of mobile homes were searched, and no human remains were found.

The police had received no reports of missing persons in the park. Moore said 134 residents had been accounted for, and that others should check with the city authorities.

Los Angeles County Coroner Ed Winter said authorities believe most people in this mobile home park were evacuated, and that the search was a precaution.

The Sayre fire broke out Friday at the end of the steep terrain of the Angeles National Forest on the outskirts of the Sylmar neighborhood, about 20 km north of the city of Los Angeles.

The Sayre fire burned about 9500 acres in the San Fernando Valley and was about 30 percent contained, California.

Nine other homes and 10 businesses were destroyed in Los Angeles Saturday evening, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

Firefighters are struggling to contain the third fire in Orange County, said Lynette Round, a spokeswoman for Orange County Fire Authority.

Firefighters were hoping that strong winds in southern California on Sunday was going to die, to help suppress the blazes.

“If the winds do die down, it will give the firefighters an upper hand on the fight against this,”. This is an wind-driven fire with wind gusts up to 25 miles per hour, it’s giving firefighters a very difficult time. It hopscotched throughout the region.

Round said 168 houses were destroyed or damaged in the area of Orange County. The so-called Triangle Freeway Complex fire also damaged a building in a secondary school.

The outbreak, which has burned 10,475 acres, is not contained at all, and is spreading throughout Orange County, posing threats to Yorba Linda, Corona, Brea, Chino Hills and Anaheim Hills neighborhoods, according to Fire California.

Winds – which have joined with low humidity and unusually high temperatures to help build the fire s even more – were gusting up to 80 mph Saturday. The high temperature in Los Angeles reached 92 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for counties affected after the fire damaged and destroyed hundreds of homes and closed the main highways.

The move frees up any state resources necessary to fight against the fire and makes the country eligible for federal grants.

In Los Angeles, Villaraigosa declared a city emergency early Saturday morning and asked for the public ‘s cooperation in energy conservation as potential blackouts loomed.

Augustin Reyes and his family left their home in Sylmar about 2 am Saturday when they could no longer bear the heat and smoke to encroach into the hills behind their house.

When Reyes returned to survey the scene Saturday afternoon, all that remains are piles of charred rubble.

Reyes dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief as he worried about how to describe the loss to his 7-year-old son.

By Saturday afternoon, people were taking refuge in evacuation shelters set up in three secondary schools in the region, officials said.

Horses and other large animals were taken to a shelter in the park, Hansen Dam. A mobile cage was set up at Sylmar High School, and small animals can be taken to the Mission animal shelter.

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International Space Station Welcomes Space Shuttle

Space shuttle Endeavour prepares to dock with the international space station, nearly 220 miles above Earth. (CNN) Space shuttle Endeavour docked Sunday with the international space station, where the shuttle crew will help install more living space.

The shuttle also carrying mission specialist to replace Sandra Magnus station flight engineer Greg Chamitoff, docked at the station just after 5 pm ET about 212 miles above northern India.

Chamitoff, who has been on the space station for almost six months, welcomed his ride home with enthusiasm.

“You are beautiful,” said Chamitoff by radio. “I’m smiling from ear to ear.”

The seven crew members of the shuttle and station crew members were expected to greet each other at about 7 pm ET, after the opening of their vehicle doors.

Before docking, the shuttle did a nine minute backflip so station astronauts could take high-resolution images of the shuttle’s thermal-protection system, NASA said. NASA will look at the pictures for damage caused on the Endeavor, which launched Friday.

It was a gash on the wing of the Columbia space shuttle that caused the destruction and death of seven astronauts during re-entry on February 1 2003.

During their stay, the astronauts to the station will increase the living space to accommodate room for six instead of three. They’ll install more places to sleep, another bathroom, a better water supply system, more exercise equipment and a larger refrigerator.

The people aboard the space station is to grow to six next spring.

Also on tap are four space walks focusing on the station’s two Solar Alpha Rotary Joints, which allow the solar panels to follow the sun.

The shuttle is also transporting Thanksgiving dinner, turkey, candied yams, stuffing and dessert, as it won’t be back to earth until November 29.

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LA Sayre Fire Threatens Power Cuts

Much of the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in Sylmar is a smoldering ruin Saturday. LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) - Raging wildfires threatened lines of high voltage transmission along Southern California’s Interstate 5, causing the utility that serves Los Angeles to orchestrate rotating power cuts in some neighborhoods for nearly an hour Saturday .

Four firefighters were injured and more than 10,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in northern San Fernando Valley driven by wind-Sayre Fire, named after the street where she was first spotted in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles.

The fire Sayre, which owns over 6500 acres burned since its start Friday night, was one of the three, at least, affecting the Los Angeles area Saturday.

In Santa Barbara County, the Tea fire was contained around 40 percent after destroying more than 100 homes and burning 1800 acres since Thursday.

The south of Los Angeles, a brush fire that started in Corona has been moved in Yorba Linda, destroying at least 30 houses and 800 hectares for 1000 sweaty, according to CNN affiliate KTLA.

(4 hours ET) Saturday, the Sayre fire was 10 percent contained, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

The Sayre-fueled brush fire broke out Friday afternoon in the steep terrain of the Angeles National Forest on the outskirts of Sylmar, about 20 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

It covered 1500 acres and threatened at least 1,000 homes just three hours after it was reported, according to the spokesperson Los Angeles Fire Armando Hogan.

On Saturday afternoon, people were taking refuge in evacuation shelters set up in three secondary schools in the region, officials said.

Horses and other large animals were being taken to a makeshift shelter at Hansen Dam Park. A mobile kennel was established in Sylmar High School, where small pets could be brought into the Mission animal shelters.

The fire was moving 1 mph, said Los Angeles Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Mario Rueda, forcing the closure of most roads in the valley, including Interstate 5, 405 and 210.

The I-5 corridor through the city of Sylmar is an important energy corridor carrying utility for the city ‘s Department of Water and Power and other utilities from plants in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest.

“The LADWP closed off these lines to ensure the safety of firefighters and the public. Power was turned off for the Mid-City, Crenshaw and Harbor Gateway neighborhoods for 45 minutes.

Augustine Reyes and his family left their home in Sylmar for about 2 hours on Saturday when they could not stand the oppressive heat and smoke invading the mountains behind their house.

When Reyes returned to survey the scene Saturday afternoon, all that remained were heaps of charred rubble.

Reyes dabbed her eyes with a bandana as he worried over how to describe the loss to his 7-year-old son.

“He’s autistic and doesn ‘t do well with change, so this will be very difficult to explain to him,” said Reyes.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency to Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon after the fire damaged destroyed more than 165 homes and closed major highways.

In Los Angeles, Villaraigosa a city declared  a state of emergency early Saturday morning and called for the public’s cooperation

The Sayre fire jumped the I-5 Saturday, and headed west toward areas burned by fire last month in Sesnon Porter Ranch.

About 500 mobile homes in the Oakridge Mobile Home Park near Sylmar structural were among the victims. At least 5,000 residents of Sylmar, were ordered to flee early Saturday.

Gusting winds of up to 80 mph pushed the flames into canyons and rugged terrain, where firefighters battled to contain it. The temperature reached 90 degrees in the Valley, with moisture in remainder only 10 to 15 percent.

Residents in Granada Hills and Puerto Ranch communities were among those ordered to leave their homes Saturday, said Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Michel Moore.

“This fire is moving so quickly that they can ‘t wait,” said Moore, warning residents not to wait until they see flames.

John Tripp of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said his department was helping bulldozers, hand crews and water-dropping helicopters to extinguish the effort. A dozen helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, were to be available until Sunday morning, he said.

Tripp said firefighters were trying to stand in front of the fire and create lines of control, especially to keep it from spreading farther north toward Santa Clarita. Twenty-five teams of emergency, equal to 125 engines, were being used, he said.

At the Olive View Medical Center in Sylmar, about 200 patients were sheltered in place as flames approached, according to hospital spokeswoman Carla Nino.

The hospital lost power early Saturday, and there were problems with emergency generators, but they finally kicked in, Nino said.

Five children and six adults in the intensive care unit were evacuated by ambulances to other medical institutions, as well as the hospital’s nursery caught fire. Empty cribs were outside the building.

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Chopper Tattoo’s

I was searching for something entirely different the other day and came across this website that was quite interesting.

If you’re not interested in tattoos then this article is probably not for you, however if you have at least a small interest in tattoo’s then this site may offer a few options that you may not have considered.

It makes sense that if you are going to get a tattoo then you probably should spend a good amount of time getting the design right – right?

I mean, it’s there for life yeah. So why wouldn’t anyone want to make sure that the design they eventually pick is going to be the right.

The only way to do this is to be exposed to as many tattoo designs as possible before even entering a tattoo parlour.

Anyway, if you’re interested then check out this Chopper Tattoo Review.

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New Planets Found – First Images Released

Artist's conception of the multiple planet system as captured by the Gemini Observatory on Hawaii. (CNN) - The first pictures of planets outside our solar system were released today in both studies.

Using the latest techniques in the technology space, astronomers from NASA and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory used direct-imaging techniques to capture images of four new planets orbiting stars discovered outside our system Solar.

“After all these years, it is incredible to have a photo showing not one but three planets,” said Bruce Macintosh physicist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California.

“The discovery of HR 8799 is a crucial step towards the ultimate detection of another Earth,” he said.

Unfortunately none of the planets are able to sustain human life, scientists said.

Both sets of research results were published Thursday in Science Express, a journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

A team of American and British physicists and astronomers, using the Gemini North and Keck telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, to observe both star HR8799 and to find the three new planets.

Scientists estimate that HR8799, is about 1.5 times the size of the sun, is 130 light years from Earth in the constellation Pegasus. The different planets of this global family, is an estimated seven to 10 times the mass of Jupiter.

Astronomers say the star is too low to detect with the human eye, but observers could probably see it with binoculars or small telescopes.

“This discovery is the first time that we have had images directly from a family of planets around a normal star outside our solar system,” said Christian Marois, the chief astronomer in the Lawrence Livermore laboratory study.

Around the same time, NASA astronomers in orbit using the Hubble Space Telescope surprised the space community to locate a fourth planet.

NASA ‘s newly discovered planet, Fomalhaut b, is estimated at about three times Jupiter’ s mass and 10.7 billion kilometers from its host star, Fomalhaut. NASA ‘s images show Fomalhaut B orbiting the bright star Fomalhaut in the south, which is said to be 16 times brighter than our sun and 25 light-years away in the constellation Piscis Australis (southern fish).

“Our Hubble observations have been incredibly demanding. Fomalhaut b is 1 billion times weaker than the star, “Hubble astronomer Paul KALAS said. “We started this project in 2001, and our persistence paid off.”

Previous planet-hunting efforts have relied on the traditional Doppler, or “swing” technique, which works by measuring the gravitational influence of a planet exerts on its host, or a relative, a star. By studying these gravitational “tug-of-wars, astronomers have been able to study a star or the speed of light to infer the presence of a planet.

In all images documented, the three objects have been found to be in orbit in a sense against clockwise around HF8799, proving they were planets and not just objects basic aligned by chance in the image.

According to the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia, there were 322 planets outside our solar system. The latest results bring the total to 326.

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Bengal Tigers Maul Singapore Worker To Death

A rare Bengal white tiger at the Singapore Zoo in 2005. SINGAPORE (AP) - The Singapore Zoo had three white Bengal tigers mauled a zoo cleaner to death after the man jumped into a moat surrounding their enclosure.

Biswajit Guha, the Singapore Zoo ‘s assistant director, said the tiger pounced on Mondong bin Nordin, 32 years old from Malaysia.

The tigers weighing over 220 pounds (100 kg) each.

Guha, colleagues said zoo workers managed to distract the tiger and Nordin benefit from it, but he died on the way to a hospital.

He said in a statement on Thursday that a Malaysia contract worker jumped into the moat and was attacked by three white tigers. He said: “Unfortunately the worker succumbed to his injuries.”

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Wacky World Record – Thousands Pursue

Bartenders in San Francisco, California, pour whiskey Monday in a bid to mix a record-setting Irish coffee. (CNN) - Thousands of people worldwide may find the big payoff Thursday for countless hours spent perfecting some of the most ridiculous feats.

More than 200,000 people in 18 countries hope to make the “Guinness World Records” book with a variety of accomplishments rather strange for this day and age.

Students of the University of Bournemouth in the UK plan to get over 100 participants to establish a record for most people dressed as Superheroes.

Several Germans to are set to break a record for most extraction of grape juice by Treading on them.

And in New Zealand, would-be record holders chase glory in a race to set the fastest time to Peel and Eat – what else? – A kiwi fruit.

The conduct of unusual activities worldwide unfold as part of Guinness World Records Day. The publishers of “Guinness World Records” – universally recognized as an authority on the first record of success – began to celebrate the day in 2004, one year after the book sold its 100 millionth copy.

“We are very pleased to see that people are still enthusiastic and eager to achieve their objectives in the turmoil of the global market,” editor Craig Glenday said in a prepared statement.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, displays his studious later Thursday in an effort to enter the record books for most people reading simultaneously. Brazil will try to beat the world record for the largest bread, and Japan hopes to clock the fastest execution of 100 meters on all fours.

Various locations in the United States are also in on the act.

New York will try for most grains of rice sticks eaten in a minute, and Oak Park, Illinois, will host the largest dog wedding. Sports network ESPN will televise the attempts of the fastest egg and spoon race mile and the most apples cut in mid-air with a sword.

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Obama’s New Dog Is A Chihuaha?

Dale Jacquef says an Alaskan Klee Kai, like his dog Laska, would be great with the Obama girls' friends. (CNN) - Goldendoodle? Bernese mountain dog? Irish Wolfhound? Chihuahua?

After selecting a chief of staff, President-elect Barack Obama quickly turned to the more urgent to find the perfect puppy for his daughters, Sasha and Malia.

“We have two criteria that must be reconciled. The first is that Malia is allergic, it must be hypoallergenic, ” Obama said Friday in Chicago, Illinois. “On the other hand, our preference would be to get a dog from a shelter. ”

Gail Hurson, who lives outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania, shared the view of many iReporters who want Obama to find a shelter dog. She added that the puppies have loving owners and a place to call home.

“Mr. Obama, I say give your two daughters a puppy of their own, and give these dogs a second chance, as this country is going to get now that you got elected to lead us on the right track, ” Hurson said in his IReport.

Although there is a mixture of monikers For the first dog, many iReporters believe that hope would be a good name.

“I truly believe that with a new president in the White House, there will be hope,” said Teri Satterlund. The Troutdale, Oregon, resident wants the dog ‘s name to reflect Obama’ s message of change.

Barbara Martinez recalled that Malia is allergic to dogs, she suggested that Obama get a Goldendoodle or a Labradoodle. Both races are hypoallergenic and have a mild temperament, ideal for families with children, she said.

Finding a name that Obama would celebrate the African heritage was what led Don Belgard called Ubuntu. The Pittsfield, Maine, resident said Ubuntu is an African philosophy that promotes “peace, harmony and goodwill.”

Because Dale Jacquef shares a birthday with Obama – Aug. 4 – he jokes that he is qualified to give advice puppy. The San Jose, California, claims that his engineer Alaskan Klee Kai is a great success with everyone. “All my girl friends mad at him, then I think it would be good for Obama.”

A Pomeranian Pooch would be perfect for Obama, according to Gina Goodman, who heads a petsitting his home in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

“They would be ideal for Obama sweet little girls because they are like their stuffed animals come to life to play,” she wrote in her IReport.

We will see what the Obama will pick in the up coming weeks / months.

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What kind of dog do you think Obama should get?

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Afghanistan Suicide Bomber Kills 11

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) - At least 11 people, including a U.S. soldier, were killed Thursday when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive in a crowded market in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said.

Afghan authorities and U.S. officials offered information in the immediate aftermath of the attack in the province of Jalalabad.

The first U.S. military said 20 civilians were killed, but later that toll lowered to 10. Fifty-eight other people – all civilians – were wounded, the military said.

A spokesman added that the figures could change as the investigation into the explosion continued.

The military said a suicide bomber entered the market and detonated a bomb. In Jalalabad, police officer said the bomber broke his car into a military convoy of the United States, while the spokesman for the provincial governor said the explosion resulted from a car bomb.

The attack took place in the town of Bati Kot, just outside Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province.

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Severed Foot Found – Tally Is Now 6.

Some of the feet found this year washed up on Westham Island, south of Vancouver, British Columbia. (CNN) - which seems to be a separated human foot in a shoe – perhaps the sixth discovered in Canada ‘s BC in the past 15 months – was found on a river, the Gendarmerie royale du Canada said Wednesday.

Footwear – a left New Balance running shoe – was found about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday on the south arm of the Fraser River through Richmond, British Columbia, police said.

It was presented to the BC Coroners Service for examination and DNA testing, authorities said.

Before Tuesday, five feet – all in sports shoes – was found in southern British Columbia since August 2007. One, a New Balance shoe, was found May 22 on the Kirkland island. That foot has been determined to belong to a female, authorities said.

The provincial coroners said in July that DNA tests determined that two of five feet – a right foot found Feb. 8 and a left foot found June 16 – all were males, but they said that they don ‘t know which foot belonged to which.

What was initially seen as a sixth foot inside a shoe running in June, was determined to be a hoax. Authorities have declared a skeleton animal leg was placed in the shoe with a sole and packed with dried seaweed.

“Obviously, because a hoax was perpetrated earlier, then broadly, we want to proceed with caution [Tuesday with the discovery] until we know exactly what we are dealing with,” said Constable Annie Linteau, spokesman for the RCMP.

The provincial coroners’ service in July said that the five sets of remains found at this point seems to have naturally separated (disarticulated) from the body.”

There was no forensic evidence, or a tool or a trauma marks on the remains suggesting that they are separated in any way other than decomposition, the service said.

The authorities are investigating many possibilities about the origin of the feet, including abuse and the chance they might belong to victims of a plane crash. Missing persons files are also under consideration.

Four of five feet discovered between August 2007 and June 2008 were actually in running shoes manufactured between 2003 and 2004, and the other was made in 1999, according to police. Royal Canadian Mounted Police have released photos of shoes, hoping someone can help identify the remains.

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Forget about the feet and shoes for a minute. My question is whatever happened to the bodies the feet belonged to?

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