Phil Mickleson is a study in contrasts in his golf game.  He’s a gambler who goes for amazing shots, making some of them, but a player who plays with precision around the greens.  He’s a player who has won dozens of tournaments, but a brain freeze cost him a US Open.  However, there is no doubt where his priorities lie.  When his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, he did not hesitate, immediately cancelling all plans, including playing on the tour, to be with his family.

     Mickleson’s family has grown up in front of golf fans, starting with finishing second to the late Payne Stewart in the US Open in 1999, with Payne cupping Phil’s face in his hands, telling him just after Stewart’s winning putt went down not to worry about the title, that it would never mean nearly as much as the impending birth of Phil’s first daughter.  From there to the sight, over and over, of Phil’s wife and little girls running onto the green to help him celebrate a tournament win, including three majors.

      I’m not a huge Phil fan, but I absolutely applaud his dedication to his family and wish his wife Amy the very best in her recovery.  Here’s hoping all goes well, and we see Phil back on the course soon, back to a normal life with a wife who is cancer free.

Many Americans view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer and Labor Day as the unofficial end of the season. “Unofficially” speaking this summer will be the longest possible.

Memorial Day, which is on the last Monday in May, is on its earliest day possible this year, May 25th. Meanwhile, Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is on its latest day possible, September 7th.  The key word here is unofficial.

Meteorologically speaking, summer occupies the months of June, July and August in the northern Hemisphere… but it still isn’t the official start of summer. One look at the 2009 calendar reveals that summer officially starts on June 21st. It marks the summer solstice and the astronomical and official start to summer.

To understand the way the seasons work, let’s back track to the first of spring. On the vernal equinox the northern and southern Hemisphere’s receive an equal amount of light, and days occupy nearly the same amount of time as the nights.

But on the day following the vernal equinox, the northern Hemisphere will begin to tilt towards the sun. By the time the summer solstice arrives (June 21), the earth tilts as far towards the sun as possible. This marks the longest day of the year. In Green Bay the sun will rise at 5:07 AM and set at 8:40 PM, which converts to over 15 hours of daylight.
But on the very next day, the northern Hemisphere will begin to tilt away from the sun, and we will slowly head towards another long Wisconsin winter… sorry I had to bring it up.

So as you fire up your grill this weekend, and soak in all of the activities that Memorial Day weekend offers, remember that while it will feel like summer, the official start to the season is still a few weeks away.

Until Next Time,

Meteorologist Andrew Thut

One of the most damaging thunderstorms in Wisconsin’s history struck the area 9 years ago today. There was a weak tornado from this thunderstorm that briefly touched down just outside of St. Nazianz, but no damage was reported. The damage, however, from this storm was as a result of large hail and straight-line winds. It caused $122 million dollars in damage. Just to give you some perspective, the costliest tornado in Wisconsin’s history caused $84 million (adjusted for inflation) worth of damage. That was the F5 tornado that struck Barneveld in 1984.

You might be wondering how this could happen? But when you put the event in perspective, it makes sense that it was more costly than the Barneveld tornado.  Hail damaged more than 1,000 homes in Omro and Chilton. In addition, most homes in a mobile home park in St. Nazianz were overturned or knocked off their foundation by the straight-line winds.

Most severe weather in this part of the nation occurs in the afternoon and evening, when instability is highest, but this storm struck before noon on May 12th of 2000. The supercell thunderstorm developed to the north of a warm front which was located along the Wisconsin/Illinois border.

Below is a radar image taken at 10:30 am. At this time the storm was producing large hail over western and central Waushara counties. The highest reflectivity represents the area where the large hail fell. Hail the size of baseballs was reported in Red Granite.

The line from A to B represent a cross-section shown below.

As you can see the top of the storm reached nearly 60,000 feet in the atmosphere.

The supercell didn’t lose strength as it continued to advance through Winnebago, Calumet and Manitowoc counties. Straight-line winds reached 80 mph in Chilton, with speeds of 100 mph in St. Nazianz (EF1 tornadoes have estimated wind speeds around 100 mph) In both locations there were also reports of hail larger than the size of a golf ball. The wind-driven hail shredded west facing sides of homes and businesses.

This storm was so significant that its effects were even visible from space. Below is a false color satellite image taken one week after the storms passed. The green areas represent vegetation while the pink/brown color represents urban areas or bare soil. It is easy to identify pink/brown line from Lake Winnebago to Manitowoc, that is the same path the storm took.

Until Next Time,
Meteorologist Andrew Thut

Walk up and down a supermarket’s produce aisle and you’re likely to see a lot of fruits and vegetables labeled “Grown in Mexico.” What if, say, you pick up some peppers from Mexico and toss them in a salad – are you at risk of getting swine flu?
Curiosity about swine flu’s ability to survive on produce inspired one of the questions in this edition of “Ask AP,” a weekly Q&A column where AP journalists respond to readers’ questions about the news.
If you have your own news-related question that you’d like to see answered by an AP reporter or editor, send it to newsquestions@ap.org, with “Ask AP” in the subject line. And please include your full name and hometown so they can be published with your question.
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On “Dancing With The Stars,” are the celebrity contestants and professional dancers paid by the season or the number of shows they remain on?
Bill Hart
Canton, Ohio
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Networks generally don’t disclose what they pay on-air talent, including the professionals on “Dancing With the Stars.”
But the contract of the dancing competition’s youngest celebrity, made public because she’s under 18, shows us that at least the contestants are compensated for sticking around.
In order to participate in this season’s competition, Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson had to have a judge approve a minor’s contract. That agreement spelled out that Johnson receives $125,000 for appearing on the show and the finale, and makes significantly more per week the longer she lasts. For weeks three and four, Johnson will receive $10,000 per week; for the final two weeks, she would receive $50,000 a week.
There are no such public records filed in Los Angeles that indicate how the pro dancers are paid.
Anthony McCartney
AP Entertainment Writer
Los Angeles
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How long do swine flu germs live on produce? I bought peppers from Mexico yesterday, as I do most weeks. I had a very bad flu (102 fever) five weeks ago.
If a worker was sick and did not know it, could coughing or handling the produce, without enough hand-washing, make this a source of contagion?
(And I mean no disrespect to the workers – it is hard to maintain perfect sanitary behavior all the time, while under pressure to get lots of work done.)
E. Bresler
Rhode Island
—
Imported produce is not an influenza threat. Flu viruses can live on hard surfaces like doorknobs for only a few hours. And flu specialists say there’s no evidence that any strain of flu has ever been transmitted by any kind of food.
Lauran Neergaard
AP Medical Writer
Washington
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Each year, the flu vaccine is made up of a mixture of “expected” viruses, such as H3N4 plus H5N2. Why don’t they just include everything each year from H1N1 to H5N5?
Fred Clark
Albuquerque, N.M.
—
That would be unworkable.
First, there are 16 known versions of hemagglutinin (the H) and nine neuraminidases (the N). But these basic surface proteins aren’t the whole story. There are numerous subtypes of each – with new ones mutating all the time – and the fall vaccine attempts to match the three most-circulating subtypes.
This fall’s vaccine, for instance, includes a version of H3N2 called Brisbane/10.
Lauran Neergaard
AP Medical Writer
Washington
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Have questions of your own? Send them to newsquestions@ap.org.

Earlier this morning on Good Day WI we aired a story on some Wisconsin doctors and what they think about all the “doctor speak” on Fox’s hit show HOUSE.

That inspired a conversation between Pete and I and how his mom loves the show and wants the DVD’s for Mother’s Day. He talked about how she often gets into shows one or two years AFTER they premiere.

It’s happened to me before. A friend of mine encouraged me to watch Party of Five after it had been airing for awhile and then it became MY FAVORITE. I even got a chance to visit the set in Hollywood and meet most of the stars. I was in heaven..

Anyhoo.. Thinking of that made me miss that show. And Felicity. And Gilmore Girls. I’m trying to think of a show I’m watching now that I’ll miss. Maybe BONES. That show rocks. But it’s not the touchy-feely kind of aforementioned show.

I know. I know. It’s just TV. But it’s my escape.. And I like to escape with GOOD people and GOOD stories.

Have a GOOD DAY.

You see a lot of different national flags flying from ships that navigate international waters, but there are a few flags you rarely see – including the red, white and blue.
Curiosity about shipping companies’ decisions to fly certain countries’ flags more than others inspired one of the questions in this edition of “Ask AP,” a weekly Q&A column where AP journalists respond to readers’ questions about the news.
If you have your own news-related question that you’d like to see answered by an AP reporter or editor, send it to newsquestions@ap.org, with “Ask AP” in the subject line. And please include your full name and hometown so they can be published with your question.
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We’ve been hearing about losses with the U.S. Postal Service, yet I see they have issued new stamps featuring “The Simpsons.” Did the USPS pay for the rights to use those images or did creator Matt Groening pay the USPS?
Rebecca Moeller
Socorro, N.M.
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Neither – no money changed hands in the creation of the new “Simpsons” stamps.
“Groening drew the images that appear on the stamps, but was not paid for his services,” said Joanne Veto, senior manager of public relations and promotional communications at the Postal Service. “The Postal Service does not charge nor does it accept financial compensation when choosing images to appear on stamps.”
The Postal Service has several other rules about commemorative stamps – everything from a ban on portraying living people to a policy that historical events can be commemorated only “on anniversaries in multiples of 50 years.” Many of the rules can be found on this page of the USPS Web site: http://www.usps.com/communications/organization/csac.htm
Randolph E. Schmid
Associated Press Writer
Washington
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How and why do cargo ships choose certain countries to flag their ships? Why does it seem that there aren’t that many U.S.-flagged ships?
Daniel Lippman
Washington
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The one-word answer? Money.
A number of shipping companies choose to fly “flags of convenience” – or a flag of a country different from that of a ship’s owners.
The system started with help from the U.S. government after World War II; the idea was to bring in extra revenue for developing nations and to provide more flexibility for the world’s shippers. But now, these countries are used by shipping giants because of their relatively loose regulations and far lower costs.
There are about 30 countries in the world that shipping companies regularly choose from – concentrated in Central America and the Caribbean, but also including far-off landlocked countries like Mongolia. These countries often have little or nothing to do with the company, but flying a flag of these countries can bring costs down dramatically.
Everything from ship registration and annual fees to taxes and labor costs are generally far lower – saving a shipping company millions annually per ship in some cases. And lighter regulations, fewer environmental restrictions and lower labor standards also make it much easier for ship owners to register ships in these countries.
This process, although practiced by many major shippers – including Maersk, the Danish owner of the recently pirated Alabama – often draws ire from organizations looking for more accountability and fairer labor practices.
The Alabama, though, was an exception to this widely practiced rule. It is one of only about 200 U.S.-flagged vessels currently operating in international waters. Most ships carrying food aid from American agencies – as the Alabama was – are legally required to be U.S.-flagged. All military cargo is also required to be transferred on U.S. ships.
Samantha Bomkamp
AP Transportation Writer
New York
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I received a phone call from a man claiming to be from the U.S. Grants Department, saying I had been awarded a grant for $4,500. He stated that to receive this grant I had to go to the nearest Western Union and call their customer care number and talk to his supervisor, who would tell me what to do.
He said I would have to pay an $89 fee, which would be refunded.
Is this a legitimate thing or is it just another scam? The man did ask for me by name. He also asked if my address was correct. He told me that I would have to present a valid picture ID.
I cannot afford to be taken, even if it is only for $89.
Phyllis Lipham
Ranburne, Ala.
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This is a scam, and a common one. The thieves behind it can make big money, even if they only persuade a few hundred people to go along.
Authorities are often hard-pressed to help, because it can be hard for agencies to work across state or national lines, and if the dollar amount swiped from you is small, it might not be worth their time to investigate.
Money-transfer services are a low-tech but very slick way to conduct fraudulent transactions because they’re essentially anonymous. All the criminals typically need to pick up their fraudulent “fee” is a photo ID – easily faked – and the routing number assigned to the transfer, which the victim provides.
The system is designed for ease of use and hence is easy to abuse as well. This is why the money-transfer services all advise against sending money to strangers.
Jordan Robertson
AP Technology Writer
San Francisco
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Have questions of your own? Send them to newsquestions@ap.org.

You should have seen the look on his face. It was like an open book. Here I was SO PROUD that I planted some seeds and got them to sprout.. and he had THE LOOK. I’m talking about Mark Konlock – Horticulturist for the Green Bay Botanical Garden. It wasn’t disappointment. It was almost a look of pity.
Turns out I was doing everything wrong. I planted the seeds way too close together. I guess you are only supposed to put ONE seed in each compartment. I put MANY. Also turns out you’re supposed to MIST the plants with water. I DOUSED them. I also needed to give them more sunlight. Move them around the house, he said, throughtout the day where the light is best. (sure, I’ll do that in between picking up kids from school and changing diapers)   And, he says the plants need food.

Still I think the point was made. If you have the patience. And the know how. Or someone nearby with the know-how.. then you CAN grow your own veggies for a lot less than buying at the grocery store.

One pack of green beans will be enough for me, my neighbor, and extra to spare. All for $1.17.
I’m going to give it a go this year. Trying to cut back and this will be a fun way to see if I can do that.
I’ll still buy a lot of my veggies in the produce section. And at the farmer’s market. I might even check out some local greenhouses and buy some of their starter plants.

We’ll keep you posted on the growing. Good Day’s executive producer is taking some home, too.
If you have any questions about your own gardens Mark says he’ll answer our questions. So send them here and I’ll have him take a look. At the end of the summer, we’ll take some of our veggies and compare prices at the store.

Pretty Cool Idea. Not as easy as it looks. Good luck fellow gardeners!

Is it possible to make a car that runs on water?
No, not some sort of amphibious station wagon with inflatable bumpers – a car that relies on water as the fuel that makes the engine go. It’s an idea that showed up in a magazine more than seven decades ago. But can it really work?
That’s one of the questions in this edition of “Ask AP,” a weekly Q&A column where AP journalists respond to readers’ questions about the news.
If you have your own news-related question that you’d like to see answered by an AP reporter or editor, send it to newsquestions@ap.org, with “Ask AP” in the subject line. And please include your full name and hometown so they can be published with your question.
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What happened to the bodies of the three pirates killed by Navy snipers as they were holding the captain of the Maersk Alabama?
Dan B.
New Mexico
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The bodies of the three slain pirates remain in the morgue aboard the USS Boxer, Navy Cmdr. Jane Campbell says. The bodies were transferred to the Boxer, a large amphibious assault ship, from the smaller USS Bainbridge, the ship from which Navy SEAL snipers shot and killed them.
The Pentagon has been working with officials in Puntland, a peaceful region of Somalia, and the International Committee of the Red Cross in hopes of either finding their families or otherwise disposing of the bodies of the Muslim men in a respectful way.
Lara Jakes
Associated Press Writer
Washington
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I was reading an article from Modern Mechanix dated December 1935 about G.H. Garrett inventing a car engine that ran on water. It says he used an electrolytic carburetor that broke up water into gases and then forced the hydrogen into the combustion chambers for fuel. It also says the only thing that needed to be changed on the engine was adding an oversized generator.
Is this just a hoax, or is this real? If it’s real, why aren’t the auto manufactures expanding on this?
Mike Durand
Sunset, Texas
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Hydrogen has been used for years in the transportation sector. Astronauts used it to visit the moon; buses chug through today’s cities powered by it; and the Hindenburg used it to float (though we know how that ended).
G.H. Garrett did get his device to work, and he reportedly rode it around his hometown of Dallas. But splitting hydrogen from water requires power, and the power output from this device is usually equal to the power needed to get the hydrogen out of the water.
In other words, you’d need just as much energy to power your car as you do now. You’d just have a slightly different type of engine, and you’d have to bring along some water.
Today, the closest thing to Garrett’s invention is likely an HHO generator, which splits a combination of water and other chemicals into a type of gas – mostly hydrogen – that can supercharge an internal combustion engine’s efficiency.
Car owners can outfit their engines with the devices using any number of kits, most of which are available on the Internet.
The physics and chemistry of the process, though, tend to be inefficient and some users report they do little to improve a gasoline engine’s performance. That’s why major automakers haven’t used the technology more.
(Be careful if you decide to install one of these devices, as tampering with your engine could void your car’s warranty.)
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and it’s a great energy source. That hasn’t been lost on automakers, which have been actively developing a fleet of cars powered just by hydrogen, bypassing Garrett’s design altogether.
The latest technology uses fuel cells, and mixes hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity for a motor. The only emission is water.
Hydrogen isn’t found alone on Earth, and it’s best separated from other elements commercially and in large batches. Hydrogen refueling stations, akin to gas stations, have popped up in some states, most notably California.
The difficulty of getting more hydrogen cars on the road is not just the lack of a distribution network, but also public perception. Most Americans can’t shake the image of the Hindenburg exploding over a New Jersey airfield, and are reluctant to use the same fuel that led to the dirigible’s demise.
Of course, most people drive around sitting on gallons of gasoline. That fuel is certainly flammable, too.
Ernest Scheyder
AP Energy Writer
New York
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We see many numbers about the mortgage crisis but not a total picture. How many residential properties have mortgages that are over 50 percent paid, 25 to 49 percent paid, zero to 24 percent paid, and less than zero percent paid (aka “upside down”)?
Jon Boston
Marshalltown, Iowa
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The mortgage crisis does not involve every homeowner in America, because about 30 percent of them do not have a mortgage. Although homeowners who paid cash for their property or have paid off their mortgage have been indirectly affected because the rash of mortgage defaults and foreclosures have pushed down home values in much of the nation.
Of the residential properties with first mortgages in the U.S., 92 percent of homeowners had less than 50 percent equity in their homes as of the fourth quarter of 2008, Moody’s Economy.com reports.
Nearly 27 percent of homeowners with first mortgages were “upside down,” meaning they had no equity in their home, according to Moody’s Economy.com.
Adrian Sainz
AP Real Estate Writer
Miami
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Have questions of your own? Send them to newsquestions@ap.org.

If you’ve ever watched the movie “Twister” (1996), you’ve probably heard of tornadoes described as an F1, F2, etc. However, when tornadoes are on the ground, it wouldn’t be accurate to call them an F1 or an F2.

Tornadoes are rated based on damage. After a tornado passes through an area, the National Weather Service will survey the damage and rate the tornado based on the Fujita Scale. The Fujita Scale was developed in the early 70s, and each category F0 – F5 is assigned to a different level of damage. Each category is also given an estimate of the wind speeds that occurred in the tornado.

In 2007 the scale was adjusted to provide more accurate estimated wind speeds and it is now called the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

Below are examples of tornado destruction which have all been rated based on the Fujita Scale.

1. EF0, Estimated Wind Speeds 65 – 85 mph

2. EF1, Estimated Wind Speeds 86 – 110 mph

EF0 and EF1 tornadoes are the weakest and most common. They usually last under 10 minutes and cause 5 percent of tornado deaths.

3. EF2, Estimated Wind Speeds 111 – 135 mph

4. EF3, Estimated Wind Speeds 136 – 165 mph

EF2 and EF3 tornadoes can last over 20 minutes and account for 30% of tornado fatalities.

5. EF4, Estimated Wind Speeds 166 – 200 mph

6. EF5 Estimated Wind Speeds Over 200 mph

Only 2 percent of tornadoes are an EF4 or EF5. They account for 65 percent of tornado deaths.

Until Next Time,

Meteorologist Andrew Thut

In light of severe weather awareness week I decided to take a look at the costliest tornadoes in Wisconsin history, while taking inflation into account. A countless number of tornadoes have cost more than a million dollars in damage, and I have narrowed it down to the top 3.

3. Stoughton Tornado

This is the most recent tornado on the list. It occurred on August 18^th of 2005, about 10 days before Hurricane Katrina. This was an F3 Tornado with estimated wind speeds over 150 mph. Unfortunately, one man was killed and 23 other were injured from the tornado which passed through rural Stoughton, just southeast of Madison. 89 buildings were destroyed or heavily damaged, and the estimated cost of destruction was $38.3 million.

2. Oakfield Tornado

This tornado is one that is remembered well here in Northeast Wisconsin. It struck on July 18^th, 1996. The twister was rated as an F5 with wind speeds over 250 mph. Wisconsin, since, has not seen a tornado of that magnitude. Fortunately, Oakfield residents took precautions and only 17 people were injured. A number like that is hard to believe considering the tornado destroyed 66 buildings and damaged 130 others. The estimated cost of damage was $55.7 million.

3. Barneveld Tornado

The Barneveld tornado struck on June 8^th of 1984, and destroyed 90 percent of the town, leaving almost everything to rubble except the town’s water tower. The violent tornado claimed 9 people’s lives and injured almost 200 others. The twister was rated an F5 and was on the ground for 36 miles. The estimated cost of damage was $84.1 million.

While these tornadoes cost millions of dollars worth of damage, the dollar amount doesn’t even compare to the costliest tornado ever to strike the United States. In 1966, a tornado struck Topeka, Kansas causing an estimated $1.6 billion.

Until Next Time,

Meteorologist Andrew Thut