Is the government doling out free golf carts this holiday season? If you heard that some where you heard it right. According to a lot of my golfing buddies, IRS has made a ruling that many golf carts which run on electricity are qualifying for the green tax credit (electric car credit).

If you are an avid golfer and you have been holding out on this one, now is the best time to make this purchase and get a lump sum credit from Uncle Sam as well.

There is a federal credit which provides on an average $4200 to $5500 for the purchase of a non polluting electricity run vehicles.

Even though it looks like a loophole, I am pretty sure the intention was to promote green vehicles that use modern technology, somehow the golf carts also got covered within the ambit of this.

To me they look like cash for golf carts instead of cash for clunkers. If you play golf and you want to get your own golf cart, I say, go for it now!

Meteor Shower November 2009 video is amazing.  The November 2009 meteor shower was is being watched by many.  From November 13-20, 2009 the meteor shower is best seen after 1:30 AM EST.  The peak was estimated to take place early this morning, but enthusiasts can still view the shower for a few more days.
The Leonid meteor shower is an annual event that takes place as the earth travels through Comet Temple-Tuttle.  As the earth approaches the comet and as the comet comes closer to the sun, it sheds clumps of material that sprinkle our nightly sky.

If you haven’t seen a shower like this, it is worth waking up early or going to bed late to see.  Make sure you have a telescope to see the best views.

NASA’s Web site has a Fluxtimator that allows you to see when the shower will be best viewed in your area.  You can use this to plan when you will see the meteor shower.

How to Celebrate the Meteor Shower during November 2009:

If you have children, have a “meteor shower” party with them to make viewing it very special for them. Make star shaped cookies and find free printable solar system and space coloring pages online.  Learn about how the event occurs, and describe it to your child.  Have them help you make a story book that discusses the event.

If you don’t have children, grab a bottle of chilled wine, a telescope, and a blanket and sit out in the night sky with someone special and watch the beautiful event.  This will be a romantic evening at home, and a unique date that doesn’t cost anything.

If you are in the city and can’t get great views of the meteor shower, find the November 2009 meteor shower video online.

Sources:

NASA.com

The National Hurricane Center (see photo) said it is an “extremely dangerous hurricane Rick continuing to strengthen” because it grew from a category 1 to a category 4 storm in only 36 hours; and may strengthen to a category 5 storm by tonight.

Acapulco residents were warned that the hurricane may trigger landslides and flooding.

If it stays on its current path with a gradual northern turn, then it may hit landfall in Baja Wednesday or Thursday.

At 6:15 EST this morning NASA bombed the moon this morning (twice) in an attempt to discover if there is water on the moon and they launched a rocket directly at it.

To view the video stream event, click here. Then click on play most recent video.

NASA describes the reasoning that future lunar explorations will be less expensive if there is no need to transport water from Earth.

The missile was expected to travel at twice the speed of a bullet and impact the south pole of the moon; and it should create large debris area…large enough to be seen from Earth, according to the NASA website.

CNN has been airing the public reaction to blasting the moon, and many comments have been negative with many people saying to leave the moon alone.  

Although the video is blurry and to the non-scientist doesn’t make a lot of sense, it is interesting to listen to.   Scientists seem to be very happy with the results.

Kelly Ann Waltz was attacked by her pet black bear on Sunday and died in Ross Township, PA, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.  Kelly Ann Walz, 37 entered the 15 x 15 cage to feed the 350-pound bear and clean its cage, and the bear mauled and killed her.  A neighbor shot and killed the bear.  The woman also had a permit to keep a Bengal tiger and an African lion, and several visits from investigators showed everything was in order.

In August, a 78 year old man was attacked by a black bear near a Utah campsite.  The bear was looking for food, and attacked the man while he was sleeping in a cot near a creek.  The man’s family shot the bear, and it wandered off and died 150 feet from the campsite.

Although people enjoy watching bears in the wild, bear attacks are on the rise, according to Bear Planet.  Just learning a few safety steps may save a life.  Never look a bear in the eye, don’t run away, and making loud noises may startle them into attacking.  Keeping bear spray with you is helpful if hiking or camping in wooded areas, according Bear Planet.

For more information and photos, click here.

A tsunami warning has been issued for American Samoa after a massive earthquake hit 120 miles southwest of the island this morning.  Residents have been warned of a possible tsunami threat after a massive 7.9 earthquake struck in the ocean about 120 miles Southwest American Samoa.  The earthquake is 10 times the size of the earthquake that struck San Francisco in 1989.

The tsunami warning was issued by the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for Tonga, Niue, Kermadec Islands, American Samoa, Samoa and Fiji.

“An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicentre within minutes to hours. Authorities in the region should take appropriate action in response to this possibility,” the Center said.

CNN just reported that a 10 foot wave hit did hit the nearby islands, and that tsunami is expected to hit Hawaii in several hours, at a much reduced speed.

Yesterday we had reported about the flooding in Atlanta, Georgia but now the situation has gotten even worse when the city got about a foot of a rain fall.

The waters from rivers and rains are flowing in to the city. According to pictures released by various media one can even make out that the Six Flags in Atlanta is totally flooded and covered with water.

All you can see is the Ferris Wheel protruding out of the muddy water. But that’s not all, about 6 lives have been lost due to the torrential rains and subsequent flooding.

In a heart breaking soon, video captured showed a man clinging by the tree and trying to save his baby but unable to do so.

Many are calling it the 100 year storm, a historic flooding, but the worst may yet to be come as it is still continuing. But that’s not all, the water is so freezing cold that people are bound to get affected by hypothermia as well.

To check the CNN’s reporting, coverage, and video of this event, click below:

Atlanta Flooding Video

Atlanta Flooding initial reports, School, Roads Closing

Atlanta’s city is under water, with 22 inches of rain since last week, and a foot of that fell in a 24 hour period. The rivers and streams have filled the streets and flooded houses. 9 people have died including a 2-year-old child that was ripped from her father’s arms as he tried to hang onto branches to keep them from floating away in the flood, and many more are missing.

In Atlanta schools are closed, roads are closed, cars are under water, fire trucks cannot get out to help people, and the only way to get around right now is by boat. Many people have been evacuated from their homes and lives.

Heavy rains over the weekend in Atlanta have shut down the city. Two  people have been killed (one of them tried to drive through standing water), traffic is at a standstill, almost all of the schools have been closed, and a boil water order has been issued because of water main breaks in the area. Fire trucks are stuck and cannot get out to help people.

The media is urging people to just stay home at least for the morning. The local Channel 2 Action News said that all of Atlanta’s creeks and rivers are approaching flood level.  Additional rain is expected today.  The Lake Lanier water level has risen four inches since Saturday, but the risk of it overflowing is minimal, because of recent water shortages that lowered the lake by several feet.

Here is a public service announcement of school closings: Gwinnett County school officials announced at 8 a.m. that all schools in the Gwinnett County school system are closed Monday due to severe weather.

Gwinnett County joined Carroll, Douglas, Paulding and Stephens’s counties in closing all schools because of heavy rain and flooded roads. Promise Christian Academy in Paulding and Lithia Christian in Litha Springs were also closed as well as St. John Neumann Catholic School. Opening at Ivy Prep Academy in Norcross was delayed until 10 a.m.