tagged w/ Current News USA
-
Republican Sen. Richard Burr is the target of a new TV ad campaign that ties him to the oil industry and the Gulf of Mexico spill.
A coalition of four environmental, labor and veterans groups began airing an ad today showing an oil-covered man – identified as Burr – being pulled out of the ocean like a sea bird. The man in the suit is shown being cleaned in a rescue operation, reports Rob Christensen.
“We pulled one out of the water this morning completely covered in oil,” says a man. “The name is Senator Richard Burr.”Republican Sen. Richard Burr is the target of a new TV ad campaign that ties him to... more
-
-
punman
-
added this
-
1 year ago
- |
-
This video of Israeli soldiers (Nahal Brigade's 50th Airborne Battalion) dancing in Hebron was removed from YouTube by the creator on July 5th 2010 just as it started to go viral and captured on screen by Alison Avigayil Ramer
JERUSALEM (AP) — Some Israeli soldiers may have to face the music for a viral video of them dancing on duty.
A video of the soldiers stopping a patrol in the West Bank to dance to American electro-pop singer Kesha's hit "Tick Tock" has been removed from YouTube. But Israeli TV stations picked it up and showed it repeatedly Monday.
The YouTube user who posted it identified the dancers as Israeli infantrymen in the tense Palestinian city of Hebron.
The video shows six soldiers patrolling as a Muslim call to prayer is heard. Then the music changes, and they break into a Macarena-like dance.
The military called the video a "stunt" and said the troops' commanders have been informed. That could mean their next dance will be "Jailhouse Rock."This video of Israeli soldiers (Nahal Brigade's 50th Airborne Battalion) dancing... more
-
-
punman
-
added this
-
1 year ago
- |
-
The Recent Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico is taking its Toll on Ocean Creatures and Protected Marsh areas. Now however, mutations have begun to form from this disastrous oil spill and this newly discovered Pug-Sparrow is the latest of new Mutated Species that are being found near the banks of the Gulf. Scientists describe this newly formed creature as a cross between a pug and a sparrow. Dreamworks Studios already has contracted this newly formed creature to star in its own animated feature coming in the summer of 2012 called "The Pugly Duckling." BP Officials have refused to comment.The Recent Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico is taking its Toll on Ocean Creatures and... more
-
-
punman
-
added this
-
1 year ago
- |
-
-
Little Jimmy's Italian Ice held their first national Italian ice eating championship on Saturday at Raceway Park in Englishtown. The event was one of the messiest and perhaps most difficult eating competitions to get through. Mike Longo of Quanitco, Virginia took home the title, eating over 21 Italian ices. (Video by Adya Beasley / The Star Ledger) competitive eating | http://Italianice.netLittle Jimmy's Italian Ice held their first national Italian ice eating... more
-
-
Oil Spill Recovery, The Gulf Oil Spill Solution with the Voraxial® Separator
EVTN has developed and patented the Voraxial® Separator; a revolutionary and proprietary technology that efficiently separates large volumes of solids and liquids with different specific gravities.
The Voraxial® Separator acts as an in-line, continuous flow separator that can conduct high volume liquid/liquid, liquid/solid or liquid/liquid/solid separation.
Voraxial performs separation without a pressure drop.We have demonstrated that the voraxial separtor is the best solution worldwide to clean up the Gulf oil spill.Oil Spill Recovery, The Gulf Oil Spill Solution with the Voraxial® Separator... more
-
-
What are some possible solutions to the BP oil catastrophe? Do you have any? If so list them and lets see where this goes.What are some possible solutions to the BP oil catastrophe? Do you have any? If so... more
-
-
At a time when millions of Americans are considering how to most effectively resist what seems like government intrusion into most every aspect of their lives, employees of the federal government are knocking at the door to collect personal information.
Citizens and non-citizens alike, ‘the feds’ want the names of each and every person staying at the address, regardless of whether the individual actually lives there or merely surfs the couch. To consider a household questionnaire complete, the federal government will walk away from your front door with a profile of each person that includes date of birth, ethnic and racial designations. They will also ask the way in which each person listed is related to each of the others. Thus, a skeptic nation raises its collective eyebrow when this stranger at the door, speaking on behalf of The United States of America, gives every assurance that the confidentiality of the information they collect is under the strict protection of Title 13 of the U.S. Code. You are not alone if you find these assurances, made on behalf of the federal government, incredulous. Calling themselves patriots, scores of Americans prepare to stand against this intrusion by the U.S. federal government, which they perceive as indicative of tyranny and repression, by refusing to participate in the 2010 Census. While this is an idea that certainly resonates with many of the federal government’s detractors, clearly, it is an ill-considered position, an ill-advised action. As an act of civil defiance, failure to provide basic identifying information and demography to the U.S. Census Bureau is convenient and risk free, though a questionable tactic in defense of personal freedom.
In fact, an individual who refuses to fulfill their civil obligation to participate in the Decennial Census, as mandated by the U.S. Constitution, makes a hollow, meaningless gesture. With zero risk to that person’s well-being or personal liberty, it is a petty stance taken in contrast to that of the men and women, who, throughout our nation’s history, put themselves at tremendous risk to stand against injustice – even sacrificing their life to defend against legitimate threats to our nation and its ideals. I have yet to hear or read any rational argument to lend credible support to the idea that conducting a thorough accounting of the people within our borders constitutes a threat to anyone’s ability to pursue life, liberty and happiness – much less national security. What is irrefutable, is that a refusal to comply with Title 13 is direct subversion of the U.S. Constitution. Defend the constitution, and if conscience or values demand an act of civil disobedience: subvert the government, not the constitution!
There is a profound legacy in the United States of ordinary people initiating extraordinary social change acting on such conviction. Nowhere in that legacy will you find subversion of the U.S. Constitution as the catalyst for any change in the best interest of Americans.
As an Enumerator doing non-response follow up for the 2010 Decennial Census, I counter frequent resistance and hostility with a brief review of American Civics 101. In Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, just after establishing the Legislative Branch of Government, the framers of the constitution mandate that a Census of the entire nation be taken every ten years. The constitutional reason for conducting the census is fundamental: apportioned representation requires an accurate accounting of the population. If we don’t want our government to take this constitutional duty seriously, we may as well call the whole thing off! Without the Census, there can be no representative democracy. Another historically significant detail I will mention, is that the basic line of questioning on the 2010 Census questionnaire is the same as the 1790 Census. These are, in essence, the questions that Thomas Jefferson and James Madison came up with for the first census!
Propagating ill-founded chatter that casts the federal government in the role of ‘big brother’ conducting a sinister, albeit banal, violation of our civil rights is dangerous because it diverts attention away from real threats to our civil liberties. Again, rather than a defense of the Constitution, there is subversion. Historically, when large numbers of people are drawn to false conclusions based on fictional versions of real circumstances - it never ends well. Those who choose to undermine the constitution in a less anonymous manner than that of a ‘census scofflaw’ often find themselves held in contempt or ridicule by their contemporaries. The more fortunate of these are forgotten by history. Refuse to complete a census questionnaire and you will likely just be forgotten. After all, the reason that so many in this country are able to trace their ancestry to the earliest days of the republic is that after 72 years (and only after 72 years) the information becomes invaluable public record. Alternately, consider how many data bases on which your personal information surely resides – utility companies, banking, credit card companies, department stores, medical facilities, publishing companies, as well any web site with which you register – every one a profit driven enterprise. With no incentive or capacity to do anything other than use it for statistical purposes, personal information is considerably safer in the hands of the U.S. government.
Giving our rational nature the benefit of doubt, let us assume for now that the federal government is not guilty of some Orwellian conspiracy, but that in fact, much like free and transparent elections, the census is a critical, non-negotiable institution required for democracy. What the U.S. Census Bureau is perhaps then guilty of is a failure to communicate – specifically a failure to educate. Consider this: When enumerating, I encounter resistance on a daily basis. In most situations (defining ‘most situations’ as an unscientific four out of five), I am able to provide a quantifiable paradigm shift for even those offering the most hostile resistance. This conversion is accomplished in less than two minutes with that same review of U.S. Civics I convey in the paragraph above. In other words, significant numbers of people living in this country do not know the history of, or understand the critical nature of the Census. Provide the history as a basis for that understanding and people have a different attitude altogether. So how important is the knowledge that the Census is mandated in Article 1 of the constitution, or that Thomas Jefferson developed the basic questions still in use today? As long as we are content with an America where the interest of a privileged few are disproportionally represented at the expense of everyone else – then not very. The ignorance spawned by one or two missing pieces of information can defect the attitude of a generation. The collective will is as feeble as any one individual’s understanding of what is at stake is deficient. To the extent that the Census Bureau began a year in advance to provide the kind of message and information that would persuade the greatest number of people to comply - perhaps a simple history lesson would suffice. For while nothing quite distracts like rumor of a fresh government conspiracy; nothing compels an American quite like real constitutional and historical precedent.
Rex Taylor Smith is a 2010 Decennial Census Enumerator working on non-response followup in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood.At a time when millions of Americans are considering how to most effectively resist... more
-
-
THIS IS MY SOLUTION FOR SEALING THE BP OIL LEAK
Please note: This rod is approximately 20 to 25 feet long and quite heavy. The diameter is just under 2 feet right below the ball valve.
This image has been updated on 06/12/2010. The initial image is below in a following entry
.
If British Petroleum does decide to cut the "Blowout Preventer," that is just above the well, this will expose the raw shaft into the well. It is vertical without any bends or debris and this will give them a straight shot down the well. This metal rod is telescoped in design so that it is smaller on the tip and gradually graduated into a larger diameter. The final diameter is fairly close tolerance to that of the well pipe. This end, (the top), of the metal rod has a series of O-rings or seals that will assist in sealing the final stage but it is the tight tolerance of the final diameter that will actually accomplish the seal. The top of the rod will basically have an oversize head on it so it will stop the rod from descending any further down the well than is desired. The rod I have shown is tapered or telescoped so it will allow the oil pressure to bypass the rod initially upon insertion. Once it has entered the pipe, the weight of the rod is more than adequate to overcome any of the oil pressures being exerted as it is approximately 20 to 25 feet long, and about 21 inches in diameter at the sealing end. The well pipe will guide the rod accordingly down the throat due to the telescoping shape of the rod. Once it bottoms out against the head and the top of the fresh cut pipe, the seal will be complete. The well will be plugged permanently but the rod still has the ability to be removed if needed.
The rod can be made of stainless steel or whatever is best for this application. It can be solid or if desired it can be hollow for the purpose of still pumping oil. The ring on top would still need to be present for any continued modifications or repairs. A ball valve would need to be implemented into the design as shown in the diagram and a series of in-flow ports would need to be added along the lower extremities of the rod for the oil to enter and flow through the rod. It would be a good idea to have two ball valves, (not shown), one on top of the other in case of failure of one or the other.
If the rod is hollow, then it needs to be longer so the loss in weight would be regained. The weight needs to be sufficient to force the rod into the well pipe and cause it to seat. This would seal the well as there would be no place for the oil to find a by-pass.
I have other solutions that will work if the decision is to plug the up-riser and the pipe that has currently been the focus.
JuliusBC
Inventor/designerTHIS IS MY SOLUTION FOR SEALING THE BP OIL LEAK
Please note: This rod is... more
-
-
This is a great objective report on the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan--no fluff, just a fact-based intel report on the ship's history, the incident, rescue/salvage efforts, and a little backgrounder.
The above is a picture of the corvette itself.
http://www.militaryfactory.com/ships/detail.asp?ship_id=ROKS-Cheonan-PCC772This is a great objective report on the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan--no fluff, just a... more
-
-
There's at least 10 times as much oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico than official estimates suggest, according to an exclusive NPR analysis.
At NPR's request, experts analyzed video that BP released Wednesday. Their findings suggest the BP spill is already far larger than the 1989 Exxon Valdez accident in Alaska, which spilled at least 250,000 barrels of oil.
BP has said repeatedly that there is no reliable way to measure the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by looking at the oil gushing out of the pipe. But scientists say there are actually many proven techniques for doing just that.
Steven Wereley, an associate professor at Purdue University, analyzed videotape of the sea-floor gusher using a technique called particle image velocimetry.
A computer program simply tracks particles, and calculates how fast they are moving. Wereley put the BP video of the gusher into his computer. He made a few simple calculations and came up with an astonishing value for the rate of the oil spill: 70,000 barrels a day — much higher than the official estimate of 5,000 barrels a day.
The method is accurate to a degree of plus or minus 20 percent.
Given that uncertainty, the amount of material spewing from the pipe could range from 56,000 barrels to 84,000 barrels a day. It is important to note that it's not all oil. The short video BP released starts out with a shot of methane, but at the end it seems to be mostly oil.
"There's potentially some fluctuation back and forth between methane and oil," Wereley said.
But assuming that the lion's share of the material coming out the pipe is oil, Wereley's calculations show that the official estimates are too low.
"We're talking more than a factor of 10 difference between what I calculate and the number that's being thrown around," he said.
At least two other calculations support him....
*more at link
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126809525There's at least 10 times as much oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico than... more
-
-
The new UK Prime Minister David Cameron is shaping his government, after his Conservative Party formed an historic coalition with the Liberal Democrats.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg is to be the new deputy prime minister, with four colleagues also getting cabinet jobs.
Posts confirmed so far include George Osborne as chancellor and William Hague as foreign secretary.
Mr Cameron vowed to set aside party differences and Mr Clegg urged doubting Lib Dem voters to "keep faith with us".
The coalition is the first time the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have had a power-sharing deal at Westminster and the first coalition in the UK since the Second World War.
**Do you think the coalition will last? Or will it collapse like the last indecisive election in 1974?**
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/8676607.stmThe new UK Prime Minister David Cameron is shaping his government, after his... more
-
-
If you're reading this article sitting down—the position we all hold more than any other, for an average of 8.9 hours a day—stop and take stock of how your body feels. Is there an ache in your lower back? A light numbness in your rear and lower thigh? Are you feeling a little down?
These symptoms are all normal, and they're not good. They may well be caused by doing precisely what you're doing—sitting. New research in the diverse fields of epidemiology, molecular biology, biomechanics, and physiology is converging toward a startling conclusion:
Sitting is a public-health risk. And exercising doesn't offset it.
...more at link
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_19/b4177071221162.htmIf you're reading this article sitting down—the position we all hold more... more
-
-
-
A McHenry County man convicted of raping and murdering a 3-year-old girl he was baby-sitting in 1962 has been freed from state custody for the first time in nearly 48 years.
Gary Welsh, 70, was released today when a McHenry County judge agreed to a long list of strict conditions under which Welsh must live.
Welsh will be required to stay in a Rockford apartment found for him by the state, and cannot leave except for sex offender treatment or other approved activities.
Welsh cannot operate a vehicle or visit schools, parks, theaters or bars. He also cannot own a home computer, go online, view pornography or use alcohol or drugs.
Any violation could land him back in state custody.
--Associated Press
http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2010/04/08/08032303/index.xmlA McHenry County man convicted of raping and murdering a 3-year-old girl he was... more
-
-
parents coming? better get rid of the beer, girls, and porn on your computer...
-
-
-
It seems blue M&Ms and blue Gatorade share a secret ingredient for possible rehabilitation of spinal injury patients: Brilliant Blue G (BBG).
Only one small side effect, you might turn blue temporarily...like this adorable mouse did.It seems blue M&Ms and blue Gatorade share a secret ingredient for possible... more
-
-
To promote its new alien-invasion series, ABC is creating the shock of something inexplicable appearing in the skies over New York. Starting Friday, October 23, 2009, the Giant Red Letter V-- written by skywriting planes-- will begin to appear over New York landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, the network says, to promote "V," a remake of the 1980s miniseries that begins next month. ABC won't specify which landmarks will be getting the giant V treatment, but it will go on for several days. New Yorkers can expect to see the sky graffiti overhead early Sunday October 25, 2009 and again on Halloween October 31, 2009.
Cities being subjected to the campaign include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia. Both New York and Los Angeles are set to be “V’d” several times.
There’s been so much turmoil around the release of V, an ABC sci-fi series based on a 1980s NBC show and mini-series, that I started to dismiss it. ABC broke up the premiere so that the show would debut as a mini-series before going to full series in the spring. That news came after production came to a halt for a complete series overhaul. Something was going very wrong.
At least ABC’s marketing team seems confident enough in the show to pull out all the stops, promo-wise. THR reported yesterday on a skywriting promo that will feature a red “V” over US cities. Now ABC has released the list of cities, including New York, Boston, Minneapolis and Los Angeles. (Not shockingly, Cleveland is absent from the list. Oh well.)
Check out the complete list of cities after the jump.
October 23 — 9:00 a.m. Boston, MA
October 23 — 9:00 a.m. Minneapolis, MN
October 24 — 9:00 a.m. San Francisco, CA
October 24 — 9:00 a.m. Seattle, WA
October 24 — 9:00 a.m. Orlando, FL
October 25 — 9:00 a.m. Chicago, IL
October 25 — 12:00 p.m. Hollywood, CA
October 25 — 9:30 a.m. New York, NY
October 25 — 2:15 p.m. Philadelphia, PA
October 26 — 12:00 p.m. Tempe, AZ
October 26 — 9:00 a.m. Atlanta, GA
October 27 — 12:00 p.m. Dallas, TX
October 28 — 4:15 p.m. Austin, TX
October 28 — 9:00 a.m. Las Vegas, NV
October 31 — 12:00 p.m. Hollywood, CA
October 31 — 12:10 p.m. Hollywood, CA
October 31 — 12:20 p.m. Los Angeles, CA
October 31 — 12:00 p.m. Santa Monica, CA
October 31 — 9:00 a.m. New York, NY
October 31 — 9:15 a.m. New York, NY
October 31 — 9:30 a.m. New York, NY
October 31 — New York, NY (throughout the morning)
November 3 — 12:00p.m. Hollywood, CA
November 3 — 12:10 p.m. Hollywood, CA
November 3 — 12:20 p.m. Los Angeles, CA
November 3 — 12:00 p.m. Santa Monica, CA
V premieres Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 8 p.m. on ABCTo promote its new alien-invasion series, ABC is creating the shock of something... more
-
-
punman
-
added this
-
2 years ago
- |
-
Juarez, Mexico has become a war zone featuring the sort of ghastly crimes Americans thought only happened in Africa a la 'Blood Diamond'. Drug cartels waging all-out war have plunged Juarez into a melee of retaliatory violence. The situation is worse than previously reported by Vanguard eight months ago. (http://current.com/items/89845362_narco-war-next-door.htm)
These are some of the most disturbing quotes:
" New figures released to CNN on Wednesday by Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz indicate the death toll for this year has already surpassed 2,000 homicides -- almost 400 more murders than the total count for 2008.
"It has been 22 months of this war, and it hasn't stopped. The violence has increased, and the possibility that it will stop is becoming more remote," Reyes Ferriz told CNN in a phone interview."
"A government source close to the investigation told CNN about a case where a relative of a drug cartel member was tied to two trucks and stretched until his arms where ripped apart. Dismemberments and beheadings have become a common method of retaliation."Juarez, Mexico has become a war zone featuring the sort of ghastly crimes Americans... more
-
