POLISH PRESIDENT, WIFE AND OTHERS DIE IN PLANE CRASH

By Debbie Bulloch



A plane carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski and much of the nation's ruling elite crashed landed in the Russian city of Smolensk on Saturday killing all 96 people on board.

The Tupolev Tu-154 jet was carrying Kaczynski and his wife, the military chief of staff, central bank governor, deputy foreign minister, members of parliament and other top officials to a ceremony for thousands of Polish troops massacred by Russian forces in World War II.

The passengers included General Franciszek Gagor, chief of Poland's armed forces, central bank governor Slawomir Skrzypek, deputy foreign minister Andrzej Kremer, Kaczynski's wife Maria, and scores of MPs, historians and other officials, Polish officials said. All were to attend a memorial service in the Katyn Forest, near the crash scene, where 22,000 top Polish officers and troops were killed by Soviet troops 70 years ago. Russia has never apologized for the massacre of Polish citizens.

We offer our most sincere condolences to the brave people of Poland in this very difficult moment.

To my Polish-American brothers and sisters I offer you a warm embrace.

IDENTITY OF MYSTERY FRENCH HERO IS FINALLY REVEALED

By Debbie Bulloch



The identity of the mystery French tourist, who jumped into New York’s East River to save a two-year old girl, has been finally revealed.

Since last Saturday's brave river rescue captured the imagination of New Yorkers, the identity of the French man who plunged into the river's icy waters had remained a mystery. Well, the mystery has finally been revealed.

The mystery rescuer is 29 year-old Julien Duret. Monsieur Duret resides in
Lyon France.

M. Duret was visiting New York City with friends when he saw little Bridget Sheridan fall into the icy river. Duret immediately jumped into the water, he was followed into the river by Bridget’s father, David Anderson. Duret picked up the girl from the water and then handed it to her dad.







To read more about M. Duret’s heroics, click here: Rescue Was Not on Frenchman’s Vacation Itinerary

(Photos are copyrighted by the New York Daily News. All rights are fully reserved by teh copyright holder.)

MYSTERY FRENCHMAN HELPS RESCUE GIRL

By Debbie Bulloch



New York City can be a vast, faceless metropolis. People on the streets always seem to be in a hurry to get from Point A to Point B. They always walk fast, and stare straight ahead, and avoid contact with others. But on a bright, sunny Easter Weekend afternoon, the Big Apple became a very friendly place for a little, two year old girl.

The little girl, Bridget Sheridan, and her parents were walking up a gang plank to board a ship docked at New York’s South Street Seaport. It was a beautiful spring weekend and Bridgette’s parents had decided to take their little girl to the circus.

All of the sudden, something went terribly wrong. Somehow, Bridget slipped through a guardrail and fell some 15 - 20 feet (4.6 – 6.1 meters) into the river below. New York’s East River is not a good place to go for a swim. The currents are vicious, the waters are murky, and on the first weekend in April, the river is a bone-chilling 40 F (4.45 C) degrees.



The “Rule of 50” states that the average adult has a 50/50 change of surviving a 50-yard swim or 50 minutes in 50 F (10 C) water.

At that point, the odds for Bridget’s surviving her Easter Weekend fall into the icy waters were bleak.

Her father, David Anderson, driven by paternal instinct did what almost every father would do; he dove into the river to rescue his daughter. But even a father, determined to save his child’s life, is no match for the East River’s strong currents and cold waters. That is when a Good Samaritan jumped into action, assuring that Bridgette and her father would live to see Easter Sunday.

An unidentified French tourist - who onlookers say rushed toward the scene without hesitation—leapt after Bridgette’s father into the cold waters. The Frenchman helped to keep the father maintain a hold over Bridgette. By that time, other people formed what the New York Daily News described as a "'human chain of good Samaritan rescuers." The Frenchman took Bridgette from her father and lifted her to the others who had remained on the ship, who then passed her to her mother.



The mystery Frenchman has not been seen since Saturday afternoon. After jumping into the water fully clothed, not even pausing to take his phone from his pocket, the Frenchman simply climbed out of the river, got in a cab, and left.

"I'd like to offer him my congratulations and best wishes,” Bridget’s mother told the newspapers, “and I want to talk to him personally."

After her dramatic rescue, little Bridget was tended at the scene by paramedics. She could be heard crying – a very good sign. Bridget may not be alive today if Good Samaritans had not quickly jumped to her aid. Pictures taken at the scene show that the girl was already pale — almost blue — from her exposure to the cold water.

On an Easter Weekend, in a large, impersonal city, Good Samaritans jumped into action to rescue a little girl in big trouble.

One special Good Samaritan from France risked his own life to save another man’s child. Then, like a true superhero, he disappeared into the crowd not stopping to claim the crowd’s adulation that was rightfully his or the parents’ grateful “thank you.”

On that sunshiny day, the world truly became a smaller place and the brotherhood and sisterhood of humankind became a little stronger.

To the mystery hero: Merci beaucoup!

(Photos from the New York Daily News. Copyright 2010 by Eric Stringer. All rights reserved.)

STRONG EARTHQUAKE ROCKS MEXICO AND PARTS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

By Debbie Bulloch




A powerful earthquake in Baja California rocked the U.S.-Mexico border region Sunday, collapsing a parking structure south of the border and causing power outages in both countries as it sent out seismic waves felt from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and Arizona.

The 7.2-magnitude quake struck at 3:40 p.m. about 19 miles southeast of Mexicali, a bustling commerce center on the Mexican side of the border where trucks carrying goods cross into California. More than 900,000 people live in the greater Mexicali area.

It was the largest earthquake in the region in nearly 18 years and was followed by aftershocks or distant "triggered" earthquakes on both sides of the border, including a 3.1 quake in the Malibu-Santa Monica area.

Here are the quake details from the U.S. Geological Service:


Earthquake Details

Magnitude 7.2
Date-Time Sunday, April 04, 2010 at 22:40:40 UTC
(Sunday, April 04, 2010 at 03:40:40 PM, Pacific Standard Time at epicenter)

Location 32.128°N, 115.303°W
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) (poorly constrained)
Region BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
Distances 26 km (16 miles) SW (225°) from Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California, Mexico
60 km (38 miles) SSE (165°) from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
62 km (38 miles) SW (233°) from San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico
167 km (104 miles) ESE (105°) from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

Here is a list of the biggest quakes in recent California history, measured by magnitude:

7.3, Landers, Calif., June 28, 1992, three deaths

7.2, Cape Mendocino, Calif., April 25, 1992

7.2 (estimate), Southeast of Mexicali, Mexico, April 4, 2010

7.2, Off coast of Northern California, June 14, 2005

7.1, Hector Mine, Calif., Oct. 16, 1999

7.0, Honeydew, Calif., Aug. 17, 1991

7.0, Cape Mendocino, Calif., Sept. 1, 1994

6.9, Loma Prieta, Calif., Oct. 18, 1989, 63 deaths

6.7, Northridge, Calif., Jan. 17, 1994, 60 deaths

6.6, San Simeon, Calif., Dec. 22, 2003, 2 deaths

6.6, Off coast of Northern California, June 16, 2005

6.5, Off coast near Eureka, Jan. 9, 2010

6.2, Joshua Tree, Calif., April 23, 1992

6.0, Central California, Sept. 28, 2004

5.9, Humboldt County, Feb. 4, 2010

5.6, Sierra Madre, Calif., June 28, 1991, two deaths

5.6, San Francisco Bay Area, Calif., Oct. 30, 2007


Stay tuned for further details as this story continues to develop.

SUNDAY MORNING MUSIC - CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION

By Debbie Bulloch




















A perfect song for a super mellow Sunday morning!

Tommy James & the Shondells - Crystal Blue Persuasion



Crystal Blue Persuasion – Lyrics

Look over yonder
What do you see?
The sun is a'rising
Most definitely
A new day is coming
People are changing
Ain't it beautiful
Crystal blue persuasion
Better get ready
To see the light
Love, love is the answer
And that's all right
So don't you give up now
So easy to find
Just look to your soul
Open your mind
Crystal blue persuasion
Mmm, mmm-mmm
It's a new vibration
Crystal blue persuasion
Crystal... blue persuasion
Maybe tomorrow
When he looks down
On every green field
And every town
All of his children
And every nation
They'll be peace and good brotherhood
Crystal blue persuasion
Yeah
Crystal blue persuasion
Aha
Crystal blue persuasion
Aha
Crystal blue persuasion
Aha

Have a wonderful Sunday!

HAPPY EASTER

Happy Easter from the whole gang at Between Homes.





Have a terriic Sunday!

VENTURA COUNTY WILL SPEND $3.1M TO HELP THE HOMELESS

By Debbie Bulloch



Recently, two members of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors have begun discussions to put county funds into a program to ease the plight of homeless people in Ventura County.

(NOTE: County governments are organized local governments authorized in state constitutions and statutes and established to provide general government in an area generally defined as a first-tier geographic division of a state. There are 58 counties in the state of California. The Board of Supervisors is the governmental unit for the county. In Ventura County, there are five Supervisors, each Supervisor is elected from a different area of the county.)

Because of its mild weather, open fields and extensive coastline, Ventura County has attracted a number of homeless people. Naturally, the influx of a homeless population has created a great deal of controversy. While many people support government plans to help ease the problems that homeless individuals face, there is an equal number of people who strongly oppose any plans by the government to help the homeless.

In the past, Ventura County has undertaken several initiatives to help the homeless. Funding for the initiatives, however, has always been, and continues to be, a major source of debate. Two County Supervisors have taken the lead in finding funding for these programs.

As a long-time advocate on behalf of the homeless, I applaud the two Supervisors for taking steps towards ending the suffering of homeless people. It is a disgrace of epic proportions that one of the richest countries in the world should do so little to help its own people. It is equally a shame that Ventura County, one of the richest counties in California (and the entire nation) should stand idly by while the least amongst us suffers the indignities of living without a roof over their heads.

It should be noted, however, that government action is not the ONLY solution to the homeless crisis. We as individuals can, and should, take steps to help eradicate this problem. Governments, private businesses and individuals must all work together to make sure that no man, woman or child should have to sleep on our cities’ sidewalks while struggling to eke out a living.

To read the entire article, please click here: Ventura County Supervisors Propose Investing $3M to Help The Homeless

Finally, as it is usually the case, the article about county spending on the homeless triggered a number of responses from the newspaper’s readers. Many of the responses were in opposition to the spending plan. That is to be expected; many of the people who read the online version of the newspaper are part of a small, but vocal, crowd that opposes any type of government spending if they think it will raise their taxes.

One response and the reply to that response, however, bear noting. Here, for your reading pleasure, are some of those “enlightened” responses. I have omitted the names of the writers, but if you click the link above and read the full article, you will see their screen names.

##############################################

FIRST COMMENT:

No more taxes for homeless! Can we just agree to send them to Canada? I believe that Igloos are cheaper than a one bedroom home in Oxnard. I feel this is a more compassionate solution.

REPLY TO COMMENT:

In response to B….C….:

No more taxes for homeless! Can we just agree to send them to Canada? I believe that Igloos are cheaper than a one bedroom home in Oxnard. I feel this is a more compassionate solution.

****

Why pick on Canada?

Why don't we send them to Mexico, along with their citizens that are here illegally and taking advantage of our tax paid social programs?

Our state budget deficit will probably disappear after we send back one quarter of the illegal immigrants in the U.S., that have chosen California as the land of opportunity for free services, food and health care.

REPLY TO RESPONSE:

>>Why pick on Canada?<<

Why don't we send them to Mexico, along with their citizens that are here illegally and taking advantage of our tax paid social programs?

Well if they came here from Mexico, and you send them back to Mexico, they'll just return to the US. It will be like a yoyo, an eternal string where Mexicans will zip up, go back down, zip up, go back down. Didn't you see "Up In Smoke"?

I think they will stay put in Canada. I believe they would have a better chance, what with so many moose running around as a food source.

#############################################

These comments reflect: (1) a deep ignorance (Canadians do not live in igloos), (2) a racist mentality ( suggesting that Mexican immigration, legal or otherwise, is the cause of homelessness in the U.S.), and (3) still more ignorance (moose don’t roam around all over Canada, you just can’t shoot a moose out on the streets of a Canadian city and make moose burgers out of it).

My apologies to all Canadians who do not live in igloos.