Carnival circus

Carnival Cruise Lines has another crisis! The year started with the sinking of the Costa Concordia and was followed by her sister ship having an engine fire which stranded thousands of passengers and crew for days without power, air conditioning, working kitchens etc.

Now it is revealed that another Carnival cruise ship sailed pass a stranded fishing boat with 3 fishermen, without offering aid or calling for assistance. Days later the fishing ship was found with two dead and a struggling third fisherman.

Maritime law, in addition to the moral responsibility, requires ships to offer assistance to others in distress.

More lives affected by the decisions of the Carnival Cruise Line.

More information at:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2012/04/19/19655166.html

Province delays again

The provincial government has been side stepping the issue of making fire sprinkler systems mandatory in long term care and retirement facilities for the past 10 years.

With 3 inquests in the past couple of years that have recommended sprinklers and a report by the Ontario Fire Chiefs, you would think that the decision would be close at hand.

With the inquest about to start on Monday into an Orillia retirement home fire that resulted in 4 deaths and 11 critical injuries to residents, the province attempts to pre-empt the logical recommendations by asking the Fire Marshall to take the next year to study the issue. While it may seem like sprinklers would only be a year away, the issue then has to go through the political system required to create new laws. This can take many months.

More lives will be lost in the mean time.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1160739--fire-marshall-to-conduct-review-on-seniors-homes

100th Anniversary of the Titanic

Today is the 100th anniversary of the Titanic striking the iceberg. This has resulted in numerous specials and articles about the event and other major cruise ship sinkings.

One that got my attention was a study of 18 liner sinkings. The issue that caught my attention was the fact that Captains and Crew often survived while leaving passengers. And women and children were much more likely to parish demonstrating that it was rare for women and children to be first. This was discouraging as I have believed in the responsibility to put children and women first.

It does reinforce the point that we are all responsible to ensure we know what to do in an emergency. Especially on a cruise ship.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2012/04/14/19632891.html

Army Base Buried in Avalanche

An avalanche has buried an army base in the Himalayan mountains in Pakistan. At this point in time all 135 people at the base are missing. The base is located at an incredible 18,000 ft elevation. Rescue efforts are continuing.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/07/world/asia/pakistan-avalanche/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Amazing Power of the Storm

This past week a storm ravaged the state of Texas including heavy rain of 2 inches per hour and several tornadoes which damaged more than 1,100 homes. New 3D satellite images show the storm clouds were more than 8 miles (12.8 km) tall.

http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/06/this-weeks-texas-storm-towered-8-miles-high/?hpt=us_c2

Nuclear Reactors shut down

Nuclear reactors at a power plant in California have been shut down after encountering a number of problems. This is just the latest in a rash of issues in nuclear power plants around the world in the past year.

If you live within 20 km of a nuclear power plant you need to have a evacuation plan for the safety of your family. The risk is low, but still exists.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/06/us/california-nuclear-plant/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

NYPD Presence Everywhere

When you are in Manhattan it appears that the NYPD are everywhere... and that is what they want to feel. As a tourist it makes you feel safe. As a bad guy it would make you take a second look. This elevating platform with cameras mounted on it is located in Times Square, keeping an eye above the crowds.

Bus Stop Ad by FEMA

During a recent trip to New York City I saw this FEMA advertisement on a bus stop in Manhattan reminding people to be prepared.

Airliner Safety Not What We Expect in Canada

The federal Auditor General has come out with a report that questions the safety of air travel in Canada. Transport Canada is only completing 30% of the mandated inspections of airline companies and when major issues are identified with the industry it can take Transport Canada 10 years to address them.

Unfortunately, this can lead to a lower level of safety when flying. The question is: will it take a major crash before they take action to resolve these issues?

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1155743--auditor-general-raises-red-flag-over-transport-canada-s-oversight-of-aviation-safety