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Finally Al Fayed listed his claims … CRACKPOT!!!!!!

Claim: Diana and Dodi were murdered.

Mr Fayed says Diana knew she would be killed in a car crash leaving Prince Charles free to remarry and because she was feared for her landmine campaign and the threat to the monarchy of her marrying a Muslim.

Evidence: Diana’s fears of murder contained in the “‘Mishcon note” prove to be rambling and mostly inaccurate.

She believed Charles wanted to wed royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke and Camilla would be killed for the same reason.

She also claimed her car brakes would be tampered and that she expected to die in a helicopter crash.

In August 1997 when Diana died, a new Labour Government was already committed to outlawing landmines.

Diana had already had a serious two-year relationship with Muslim surgeon Hasnat Khan. This did not cause her life to be threatened.

Claim: Prince Philip hated Diana and sent her letters that made her cry.

Evidence: The correspondence at the height of the divorce battles showed how appreciative she was of her Dear Pa, as she called him and his attempts to heal the rift with Charles.

Claim: Diana was pregnant.

Evidence: The chambermaid on the Fayed yacht Jonikal bore witness to Diana’s contraceptive pills.

Just days after the crash even Fayed’s loyal PR Michael Cole officially dismissed pregnancy claims as untrue, a claim he later retracted.

Claim: Diana and Dodi were engaged

Evidence: Nobody supported this claim.

Claim: Dodi had bought Diana an engagement ring

Evidence: Diana told Paul Burrell and Rosa Monckton that any ring from Dodi would go firmly on the third finger of her right hand.

The ring according to friends was taken by Diana to be a “friendship ring”.

Claim: The murder conspiracy cover-up involved among many others Lords Mishcon, Condon, Stevens

Evidence: Condon denied the allegations and said it would have been the betrayal of his life’s work.

Stevens has demanded a retraction from Mr Fayed, and Mishcon is described by fellow lawyers as having done everything in his power to help his royal client.

Claim: Bodyguard Trevor Rees Jones worked for MI6

Evidence: Fayed’s lawyer Michael Mansfield QC admits there is no evidence that Mr Rees, who was injured in the crash, has ever been connected to the intelligence services.

Mr Fayed has refused to apologise for the slur.

Claim: Henri Paul was not drunk

Evidence: His bar bill at the Ritz showed he had two Ricards before he drove Diana and Dodi.

Claim: MI6 had a plot to kill Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic identical to the Diana “murder” plan

Evidence: Renegade spy Richard Tomlinson is the only man to claim such a plot existed. He has since partly retracted his claims.

Claim: Photographer James Adanson drove his Fiat Uno at the Mercedes on the orders of MI6

Evidence: A French police report says Adanson was in Corsica on that day

Stephen Glover

Appalling showman he may be, but Al Fayed has done us all a favour

Occasionally I still feel proud to be British.I experienced one such moment when I heard reports of Mohamed Al Fayed’s performance at the inquests of his son Dodi and Diana, Princess of Wales, at the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday.

Until then I had taken the view that the inquest is a costly process that has caused needless pain to several innocent people, not least the Princess’s sons, and is propagating lunatic conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact.

Moreover, I had thought that, whatever the outcome of the inquest, the conspiracy theorists will never rest, and will continue circulating their madnesses until the end of time.

Monday changed my mind.

There is probably not another country in the world in which Mr Al Fayed would be allowed to say such things – to accuse the Duke of Edinburgh of being a Nazi and a murderer, and to implicate the entire British and French Establishments along with a cast of hundreds, if not thousands, in a plot to kill Diana.

But whereas many people will say that it is ridiculous to give Mr Al Fayed a podium from which he can declaim his wholly unsubstantiated allegations, I am now glad that he was given the opportunity.

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Hurting: Al Fayed’s claims are the painful result of losing his son

For he is a leader of a cause – the cause being that Diana was bumped off.

Not everyone who believes this is necessarily totally crazy, and I admit there was a time when I almost came to sympathise with it myself.

On Monday, though, this cause collapsed in a most spectacular manner as its chief and most influential proponent unveiled it in all its magnificent implausibility.

I was somehow reminded of one of those scenes when a man attached to flimsy-looking paper wings stands on a bridge, convincing onlookers despite their good sense that he is about to achieve the wonders of flight, and then plunges into the river like a stone.

I say this without having any animus whatsoever against Mr Al Fayed.

We must never forget he lost a son, and has lived with the anguish ever since.

It is also impossible not to admire the vividness of some of his expressions.

Some of us will have smiled, a little ungallantly perhaps, at his calling Camilla Parker Bowles (as she was) a “crocodile”.

His suggestion that the Duke of Edinburgh’s family name “ends with Frankenstein” also made me laugh.

As well as being a grief-stricken father, Mr Al Fayed is a brilliant showman with fine comic touches.

He even began his tirade by saying that he was not going to make any allegations, thereby instantly lowering the spirits of all the assembled journalists, lawyers and inhabitants of the public gallery.

Allegations then flew out of him like sparks from a furnace.

The point about these allegations is that they implicate so many people from so many different walks of life as to be utterly incredible.

Apart from the “Nazi” Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles, there is Tony Blair and (probably) the then Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, MI6, the British Ambassador in Paris, the French ambulance service, the French security service, various doctors, the chauffeur Henri Paul, Diana’s brotherinlaw Lord Fellowes, the CIA, and others too numerous to mention.

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Tragedy: Diana and Dodi’s deaths were almost certainly an accident

Then there are those allegedly involved in a cover-up.

These include Herve Stephan, the French judge who conducted an inquiry in Paris; the former Metropolitan Commissioners, Lord Stevens and Lord Condon; Diana’s sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale; and the Princess’s lawyer, the late Lord Mischon.

Between them, so Mr Al Fayed, claimed, they suppressed a vital piece of paper, bearing the Princess’s initials, which would have corroborated his story.

In the entire history of the world there has never been a plot to murder someone involving so many people.

As Mr Al Fayed describes it, this was not so much a plot as a mass movement.

Some may object that he should have limited his cast of conspirators to more manageable numbers, but of course he could not do this.

Mr Al Fayed is obliged to implicate everyone for his theory to have the status of a theory.

Everybody has to be involved, like bees in a hive, each working tirelessly towards the same end.

His problem is that his theory then collapses under the weight of its own preposterous contradictions.

For while we might conceivably credit a plot involving three or four players, one necessitating the collusion of hundreds of people in several countries is beyond the reach of reason.

That is why I am so glad Mr Al Fayed had his day in court.

He has done us all a great service by demonstrating the sheer impossibility of his theory which, until Monday, he had never adumbrated at such length.

In his view of things, thousands of people are implicated: even a stray BBC reporter outside the Royal Courts of Justice was publicly accused by him of being an MI6 toady.

No doubt he will say I am one – and you too, if you agree with what I say.

I accept that there are some victims of this generally beneficial process.

Diana’s sister and her brother-in-law cannot enjoy the suggestion that they were party to a conspiracy to murder.

I imagine Prince Charles may well be annoyed or upset by the allegations against him – though I hope the Duke of Edinburgh is more amused than he is angry.

Then there are the people who were only doing their jobs properly – doctors and ambulancemen, for example -who will not relish being accused of being part of a murder plot.

MI6 is understandably irritated, as was shown yesterday by the intervention of its former director-general, Sir Richard Dearlove, who dismissed Mr Al Fayed’s allegations.

MI6 operatives and their families who have been identified by Mr Al Fayed could conceivably have been put at risk.

All this is unfortunate, but it is a price worth paying if the suggestion that Diana, Princess of Wales was murdered by the British and French Establishments has at last been put to rest.

There will always be a hardcore of fanatics who will continue to believe that she was killed – just as there are a few people who maintain the world is flat – but after Mr Al Fayed’s evidence on Monday, it will surely no longer be possible for those who pride themselves on their rationality to continue to believe that Diana was murdered in the way he described.

As for Mr Al Fayed, he will probably cling to his theories until the moment he dies.

I am afraid I still think what I thought in the week after Diana’s death – that if any one living individual bears a responsibility for her death it is Mr Al Fayed, in whose care she was supposed to be.

He should have ensured that she was not driven at breakneck speeds across Paris by a drunk.

His failure of care, though, is far less serious than the appalling allegations of murder which he has made against so many people.

What one can say in his defence is that he has paid for it with the death of his son – and that is enough of a blow to drive anybody mad.

Once in a while it’s nice to be treated isn’t it?

Well, today was one of those days… we got to take a sneak preview of Aquatica!

Yes, SeaWorld’s new water park…. and it’s grrrrreeeeaaaatttttt!

Once you set foot into Aquatica, you immediately experience the vastness of nearly 60 acres of lush landscape inspired by the vivid color, stunning flora and carefree personality of the South Sea Islands. Crystal-blue rivers wind through hidden grottos and refreshing waterfalls, while rich greenery and bright flowers adorn towering rock formations.

Aquatica features some of the most thrilling water rides in the world with 36 water slides, six rivers and lagoons, and more than 80,000 square feet of beach area… and it just feels bigger than any of the other water parks in Orlando.

The park’s signature attraction plunges riders in clear tubes through a crystal-blue lagoon with black-and-white Commerson’s dolphins. Guests feel as if they are flying beneath the sea among these beautiful animals. While similar in coloration to SeaWorld’s icon, Shamu, these dolphins are also distinctly different. In addition to being much smaller, they are also fast, agile swimmers – making them the perfect inhabitants for this lively park. As you enter the viewing window after your ride, take a look above you and you will see the size of the dolphin compared to Shamu!

Aquatica’s attractions offer equal emphasis on high-energy thrill rides and immersive swimming experiences. A colorful mix of racing tunnels, raft rides and rivers offer crashing surf and high-speed thrills, while pools, lagoons and lazy rivers invite guests to enjoy slower pace.

Many of the park’s attractions even offer dual experiences within the same ride. Two immense wave lagoons create the world’s only side-by-side wave pools that can be operated independently or together. Though side-by-side, each lagoon offers a very different experience: one with crashing waves and 5-foot swells, the other with a gently rolling surf. Nine different wave patterns can be created throughout the two pools, with the ability to generate one immense wave, or even “dueling” waves.

Winding rivers throughout Aquatica also offer two different journeys from serene to extreme. One river carries guests through gentle waterfalls, past exotic birds and into an undersea grotto with thousands of colorful fish. An adjacent river offers pure thrill, jetting riders through rolling rapids, rushing geysers and racing waters.

Colorful eight-lane racing slides, triple-drop raft rides, double inner tubes, and a 6-story family ride round out the mix of thrills.

Even the littlest swimmers will enjoy one-of-a-kind attractions at Aquatica. One of the world’s largest interactive water play areas includes a colorful rain fortress that towers 60 feet above a 15,000-square-foot pool. The entire family can zoom together on slides and blast water cannons. In a separate children’s pool, even those Aquatica guests not old enough to walk can still slide down tubes with Mom and Dad in specially built rafts.

Plenty of wide, sand beaches, refreshing lagoons and cool shade from towering oaks and exotic trees create the ultimate water park for guest comfort. Personal cabanas dot the shoreline for those who desire a private retreat. The entire park is designed to limit wait times and provide easy access to rides, attractions and even restaurants. Those who don’t want to leave the comfort of their lounge chair can even enjoy beachside waiter service from $175 per cabana. All of this allows more time for carefree family fun.

Aquatica will be the natural complement to a full day’s adventure at SeaWorld Orlando, and create a trio of SeaWorld parks in Central Florida that collectively provide experiences found nowhere else in the world. It’s a great addition to Orlando and we hope our guests enjoy the facilities.

More photo’s can be found at our web site http://www.floridaleisureblog.com/aquatica/aquatica.htm and to book your home http://www.floridaleisure.com

Starting on March 17, 2008, Florida Leisure (www.floridaleisure.com) will unveil one of the most fun and innovative bargain hunts ever with their online Easter Egg Hunt.  Check out to be kept up to date with the details and the most spectacular winning prize ever offered.

Samantha Roberts named Miss Silver Spurs and Ryleigh Tyson named Little Miss Silver Spurs

Two talented young women from Osceola County have been chosen to represent the rodeo community for the next year.

Samantha Roberts, a 19-year-old Kissimmee resident and Osceola High graduate, was crowned Miss Silver Spurs 2008 on Tuesday night at the Silver Spurs Arena. Ryleigh Tyson, a 9-year-old from Hickory Tree Elementary, followed Wednesday night and was crowned Little Miss Silver Spurs 2008.

Both events led up to the 120th Silver Spurs Rodeo of Champions at Osceola Heritage Park. It began Friday, and events continue at 2 p.m. today.

As the rodeo queen, Roberts will promote the Silver Spurs Riding Club through community events and speaking engagements. The nine Miss Silver Spurs contestants were judged in areas such as congeniality, being photogenic and horsemanship.

This was Roberts’ first big win in a series of rodeo pageants throughout the state. Until Tuesday, Roberts had begun to grow accustomed to placing second. She has been a member of the Miss Silver Spurs court for the past three years and was first runner-up in Miss Teen Rodeo Florida in 2006 and Miss Rodeo Florida in August. In both state contests, her highest marks came in horsemanship and congeniality.

“I’m sorry, this just really hasn’t sunk in yet,” she said after being crowned. “I’m really looking forward to meeting new people this coming year and really getting out into the community.”

In the fall, Roberts plans to pursue an associate’s degree at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville and then transfer to the University of Florida and become licensed as a veterinary technician.

“I was able to job shadow a local vet and have been around horses and other large animals all my life,” she said. “It’s what I know I would be good at doing.”

Roberts is the daughter of Phil and Regina Roberts. Members of her court include first runner-up and horsemanship recipient Ricki Rae DeAngelis from St. Cloud second runner-up Shannon Dore from St. Cloud; and Miss Photogenic Emily Moore from St. Cloud.

Ryleigh was a first-time competitor and said that her favorite part was meeting the other girls. She hopes to claim the title of rodeo queen when she is older.

“I think it’s important to educate people about the rodeo community, and I want to get out there and do that,” she said.

Her court includes first-runner-up Kaitley Shirah, second runner-up Kyndall Brown, Miss Congeniality Katie Solomon and Photogenic Alicia Cordero.

Ryleigh is the daughter of Clay and Teri Tyson of St. Cloud.

All Miss and Little Miss Silver Spurs contestants must reside in Osceola County.

For information on the winners and rodeo events, go to silverspursrodeo.com.

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard used a Superman outfit plus great creativity and leaping skills to win a spectacular National Basketball Association Slam Dunk Contest here on Saturday.

The flamboyant 22-year-old American was a runaway winner with 78 percent of the votes from viewers by internet and text messaging to defeat cupcake-aided 2007 winner Gerald Green of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the finals.

“It means a lot to me. This one was really for the big men,” Howard said. “People say big men don’t look good dunking. I really wanted to win it for all the big men. I love dunking – 90 percent of my shots are dunks.”

Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter were among the high-leaping heroes who excited crowds to win the slam dunk throne in past years but few stars have taken part recently. But the sparkle has returned with a vengeance.

“We decided we were going to1 add as much flair and personality to the dunk contest as we could this year. I think the dunk contest is back,” Howard said.

It was the first time a high-tech vote system had been used to crown an NBA slam dunk king, although five former NBA greats such as Julius Erving and Magic Johnson who had judged the first round unanimously saw Howard as the winner.

Howard wore a blue Superman tunic and red cape on a first-round alley-oop dunk after having electrified the crowd by slamming in a left-handed dunk after first bouncing the ball off the rear side of the backboard.

“People like to see that. They don’t want to see the same old dunk. People want something with some spice,” Howard said. “This year all the guys tried to bring some spice to the dunk contest.”

Howard, who will start for the Eastern Conference in Sunday’s 57th NBA All-Star Game, received perfect scores of 50 for both first-round dunks to advance while Memphis’ Rudy Gay and Toronto’s Jamario Moon were eliminated.

“The first one I’ve been working on it for about two years but I could never really get it down. I had my legs under me and got it down,” Howard said.

“The Superman dunk, I wanted to get the crowd into it, put some of my personality in it with the Superman cape. To make the dunk after that was unbelievable. The cape and the Superman outfit, I think it really worked.”

Green had a cupcake with a single lit candle in the middle placed on the back iron of the rim in the first round and blew out the candle as he jammed the ball through the hoop.

“I figured he had something like that planned. I thought that was very impressive,” Howard said. “At first I thought he was going to take the cupcake and try to eat it then make the dunk. If he had done that he would have won.”

Green opened the final with a between-the-legs one-handed slam but Howard answered with a between-the-legs pass followed by a left-handed bounce off the backboard and a right-handed grab and jam move to a thunderous ovation.

“I didn’t think I was going to do that dunk but I was getting a lot of calls from my friends and they said I’ve got to let the world see it,” Howard said. “I had to do it.”

Green took off his shoes and made a between-the-legs pass and dunk in sock feet but Howard finished by attaching a miniature rim to the bottom right corner of the backboard, placing the ball on the little rim, then grabbing it and making a windmill slam dunk into the real hoop.

Don’t know about anyone else but I think this season of “The Apprentice” is one of the best ever. Like most people I thought the gloss had gone off a TV show that really was struggling to come up with something new.

Series after series we’ve had the same format; brand name company sets a challenge, contestants fight each other to win, there’s a winner and there’s a loser and then someone gets to hear The Donald’s famous word’s “You’re Fired“. Enthralling stuff in season one and two but the later seasons were desperately missing something and I was  hoping that one day we might actually see the real trials and tribulations of the small business owner on the show. You know, the guy desperately trying to make his business work…. the guy fighting for the American dream… not some corporate fat cat who’s never had to make pay roll in his life.

So,  a brilliant move by Mark Burnett and his team rescued the show. Bring in the celebrities. Not that we should be surprised by this move by the likeable Brit as he has managed to regurgitate and resuscitate his other reality show “Survivor” for season after season. Anyone wanting a good read should go out and get his book “Jump In!”… I wholeheartedly recommend it.

But back to the plot, last week we saw it thicken as Piers Morgan was quickly set upon by his own teammate, Stephen Baldwin. Quite comical to see Baldwin go running to Trump “because I can’t work with Piers”… loser.. hypocrite. Yes, hard to believe but this was the same guy who was thoroughly enjoying watching the ladies embarrassment as the all time biggest rat from “The Sporanos”, Vincent Pastore turned one way and then another as he tried to work out which team he wanted to work for…. at least he had the decency to quit when he still couldn’t work it out…. another loser.

So, we’re now left with a choice of Carol Alt, Lennox Lewis, Marilu Henner, Nely Galan, Omarosa, Piers Morgan, Steven Baldwin, Tito Ortiz or Trace Adkins as our winner. Some choice eh? Who you rooting for?

Personally, I found it a great shame that Gene Simmons got himself fired. There’s much talk in business circles about that…and the common consensus is that he’d had enough of the show and just wanted out. The astute folks out there point out that he’s a businessman and the tv coverage alone would have been great for him… I guess the truth will come out one day.

 One thing that can’t be denied though is that Gene was head and shoulders above the rest of them. Gene gets business. Anyone watching his “Family Jewels” TV series will know that but what you may not know is that Simmons has his fingers in more pies than most. First of all there’s the fact he kept all the rights to the rock band he co-formed… ”KISS“… a clever and smart move by a man in an industry not know for brains. But that was 30 years ago and whilst KISS continues to entrall their fans, Simmons has quietly gone about creating an empire.

There’s Simmons Abramson Marketing, Gene Simmons Moneybag, Simmons Comic Group, Simmons Books, Simmons Records, Simmons Audio Visual and even his own magazine called Gene Simmons Tongue! If you then consider that Gene is also the Chairman of the Board at NGTV.com you’ll begin to understand this guy is serious about business.

Back to the Apprentice, Simmons obviously had other things on his mind…like the delectable Shannon Tweed for instance…now there’s another lesson… how do you stay happily unmarried for 22 years? Beats me… but I digress. The Apprentice this season has rekinded so much interest that a new series has already been agreed. Yep, that’s right season two of “The Celebrity Apprentice” will premiere in January 2009. Now that’s some kind of come back for Trump and Burnett… and it gives more credance to the fact you should never give up in life even when you think you’ve gone as far as you can with something.

Evolution has been a cornerstone of biology for more than 100 years, but don’t try to tell that to many of the thousands of people who posted comments on Florida‘s Department of Education Web site.

“The last time I went to the zoo, the monkeys weren’t evolving into man,” read one comment.

“Evolution is not proven and we should not brainwash our children with this concept,” stated another.

The State Board of Education is to vote Feb. 19 on controversial new science standards that for the first time would require teaching evolution in Florida’s public schools. The new standards are intended to beef up lackluster science education in schools.

The standards list evolution as one of 18 “big ideas” students must understand by the time they graduate. They call evolution the “fundamental concept underlying all of biology” and say it is “supported by multiple forms of scientific evidence.”

But those academic phrases have ignited a theological controversy across the state.

Since the standards became public in October, more than 10,000 people logged on to the Florida Department of Education’s Web site to denounce, and in some cases, praise the new blueprint for science education. An additional 450 sent letters. State education officials added more public hearings to their schedule, with the last taking place today in Orlando because so many people were clamoring to share their views.

Opposition in North Florida

The outrage has been the loudest in North Florida, where school boards blasted the standards, parents threatened to boycott state tests or pull their kids from public schools, and state lawmakers vowed to push for a new law requiring evolution to be taught as theory.

These opponents argue that evolution — the idea that all living things evolved from a shared common ancestry — is not a fact and conflicts with their religious faith.

“I have no problem with them hearing about evolution. I just don’t want them to hear a one-sided fact,” said LeVon Pettis, a Panhandle father who may look for private schools for his daughters if the standards are adopted as is. “If you’re going to teach evolution, then also throw in creationism and intelligent design,” said the pastor of Evangel Worship Center in Marianna.

The idea makes educators who helped devise the new standards cringe.

They argue that creationism, the biblical story of how God created living things, and intelligent design, an argument that an “intelligent cause” better explains living things than evolution by natural selection, are based on religion.

Those beliefs, educators say, are not scientific explanations and cannot share space in a curriculum with evolution.

Science education lagging

The educators who framed Florida’s new science standards worry that the old argument over evolution is overshadowing a more important issue: the sorry state of science education in Florida’s classrooms.

Updated standards, they say, would bring focus and depth to science instruction.

“I think it’s a tremendous improvement over what we have now, and I hate to see it rejected on the basis of how evolution is treated,” said Alice Winn, a biology professor atFlorida State University who helped write them. “That would be a complete travesty.”

Many students who enroll in state universities are unprepared to tackle college science or math classes, Winn said.

Florida high-school students typically struggle on national science tests, and fewer than half are proficient on the science section of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

‘Giant step’

The current teaching standards, adopted in 1996, avoided controversy by avoiding the word, though they require teaching the concepts of evolution put forth by Charles Darwin in 1859.

That timidity is part of the reason Florida earned an F in a 2005 national standards review.

“You have to really deal with it or you’re not teaching it properly,” said Lawrence Lerner, one of the national reviewers and a retired physics professor atCalifornia State University, Long Beach.

Lerner called the new standards a “giant step in the right direction” — almost an A.

The Florida Department of Education calls its push for better math and science instruction “solutions for Florida’s future,” and the state revised its math standards without controversy last year.

But with science, the conflict is widespread and deeply felt. It can be seen on the state board, in dueling legal memos and in the public comments left on the Education Department’s Web site.

State board member Donna Callaway told the Florida Baptist Witness in December that she planned to vote against the standards because evolution would be taught to the exclusion of other theories of origin of life.

Board member Roberto Martinez wrote in an e-mail to the Orlando Sentinel that he supports the new standards.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sent the state board a memo praising the new standards and citing court cases that have made teaching “creationism and all its variants” illegal.

A Pinellas County law firm sent the board a memo warning that the new standards could become part of a “government sanctioned, anti-religious movement.”

Argued since ‘Monkey Trial’

Evolution has long been controversial in the classroom and in the courtroom. The 1925 Scopes “Monkey Trial” inTennessee saw a biology teacher charged with a crime for teaching Darwin’s theories. Eighty years later, a federal judge ruled against a Pennsylvania school board that mandated teaching intelligent design alongside evolution.

State Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna, who represents nine Panhandle counties, said her part of the state is “very conservative” and that the revised standards clash with many residents’ beliefs.

Coley has urged the state board to ensure evolution is taught as a theory, not a fact. She said she and other lawmakers will push to make such a requirement state law if the board approves the standards as is.

“I think it would be irresponsible to present it like that in our public schools,” Coley said.

Florida Citizens for Science, which favors the changes, says 10 school boards in North Florida have passed resolutions opposing the new standards. The association keeps track on its Web site under a headline that reads, “Those not in favor of a good science education, raise your hand.”

Touchy in Central Florida

In Central Florida, where many public schools have taught evolution for years, the outcry has been muted. But in a sign of how touchy the topic is, theSeminole County school district last week asked its teachers not to publicly discuss evolution — then later said they were free to voice their personal opinions.

“I support evolution,” said Diane Smith, a Volusia County School Board member. “It’s what belongs in a science classroom.”

Bonnie Mizell, the science coach at Howard Middle School in Orlando, agreed. She helped write the new standards and wants them approved as is. To her, the big news isn’t evolution but the new focus on in-depth, hands-on lessons that will help students “really see the wonders and the possibility of science.”

It’s Saturday morning and I’m  surfing the web,  I found this article on our local Channel 9 news channel website that brought absolute joy and gratefulness to my heart, but at the same time complete sadness. So, I thought I’d share…

In Castalian Springs, Tenn., authorities are still marveling at finding 11-month-old Kyson Stowell alive, lying face down in the mud and 150 yards from where his home once stood.

“It looked like a baby doll,” said David Harmon, a firefighter who had already combed the field once looking for survivors. “He was laying there motionless … and he took a breath of air and started crying.”

The body of the boy’s mother was found in the same field.

The child was discharged from a hospital Thursday and was in the care of his grandparents.

The extent of the damage was still being tallied Thursday in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas, two days after the storms.

The death toll in Tennessee’s Macon County now stands at 14, Macon County Mayor Shelvy Linville told CNN.

Of the 59 people killed, 34 of those were in Tennessee. The deaths also include 13 in Arkansas, seven in Kentucky and five in Alabama, emergency officials said.

Tornadoes pulled houses from foundations, pummeled mobile homes and collapsed warehouses.

Residents are preparing to tackle cleanup in the five states ravaged by the nation’s deadliest set of twisters in more than two decades.

Emergency teams, utility workers and insurance representatives streamed into five southern states hard-hit by tornadoes earlier in the week.

Officials were only beginning to tally how much the tornadoes would cost.

President George W. Bush will travel to Tennessee Friday to assess damage and try to comfort residents.

Offering federal support, he said, “Prayers can help and so can the government.”

“Our administration is reaching out to state officials,” Bush said Wednesday, adding that he spoke with the governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. “I wanted them to know that this government will help them; but more importantly, I wanted them to be able to tell the people in their states that the American people hold them up and — hold those who suffer up in prayer. This was a bad storm that affected a lot of people in a variety of states.”

Rescue crews have moved door to door to find victims of Tuesday night’s twisters. They were unleashed by a storm that swept through Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama. Teams from Federal Emergency Management Agency have been sent to the region and activated an emergency center in Georgia.

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen surveyed the damage from a helicopter and said, “It looks like the Lord took a Brillo pad and scrubbed the ground.”

A company spokesman said no one was killed in a huge explosion at a natural gas pumping plant in Tennessee.

The Nisource Gas Transmission spokesman said no one was working at the plant Tuesday night when it erupted in flames. He said a tornado likely hit the plant, causing the fire.

About 200 yards from the edge of the gas plant, Bonnie and Frank Brawner picked through the rubble of their home for photographs and other personal items. The storm sheared off the second story of the home and the remaining ceiling over the first floor was partially caved in.

“We had a beautiful neighborhood, now it’s hell,” said Bonnie Brawner, 80.

The nearby Castilian Springs post office was destroyed, and there was one confirmed death, WSMV-TV in Nashville reported.