en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/260903 Comments by Xavier http://www.komonews.com/news/national/120464169.html#IDComment145170850 Why do extreme religious groups think bringing suffering to the world will bring them more glory? Why is there a tendency in religion to equate suffering with holiness? Where did this group jump off the boat and start thinking self-mutilation is the way into God's favor? Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:37:53 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/120464169.html#IDComment145170850 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/120075359.html#IDComment143938852 PART 2 OF THIS EXCERPT FROM A RELIABLE (NON-BOLD-FACE-LYING) MEDIA RESOURCE Toxic chemicals 'in the air' Two-year-old Gaven Tillman of Pass Christian, Mississippi, has been diagnosed with severe upper respiratory, sinus, and viral infections. His temperature has reached more than 103 degrees and he has been sick since last September. "He has been seen by nine different doctors and had twenty-four doctor & ER visits," Shirley Tillman, his grandmother and former BP oil cleanup worker said, "Some of his diagnoses include severe inflammation of his upper sinuses, upper respiratory infections, ear infections, sore throats, headaches, fever, vomiting & diarrhea." Both Shirley and her husband Don's blood tested positive for chemicals from BP's crude oil, but now Gaven's blood has tested positive as well. "We expected to find BP’s toxins in our bodies after working in the VOO [Vessels of Opportunity] program," she added, "But we did not expect our two-year-old grandson to test positive for having them too, with levels higher than ours. He has not been to the beach and has not eaten any seafood. Therefore, it is in the air." Dr Riki Ott, a toxicologist, marine biologist, and Exxon Valdez survivor, said that: "The dispersants used in BP's draconian experiment contain solvents such as petroleum distillates and 2-butoxyethanol. Solvents dissolve oil, grease, and rubber", she continued, "It should be no surprise that solvents are also notoriously toxic to people, something the medical community has long known". "They evaporate in air and are easily inhaled, they penetrate skin easily, and they cross the placenta into fetuses." "For example, 2- butoxyethanol [in BP’s Corexit dispersants] is a human health hazard substance; it is a fetal toxin and it breaks down blood cells, causing blood and kidney disorders", Ott said. Pathways of exposure to the dispersants are inhalation, ingestion, skin, and eye contact. Health impacts include headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pains, chest pains, respiratory system damage, skin sensitization, hypertension, central nervous system depression, neurotoxic effects, cardiac arrhythmia, and cardiovascular damage. They are teratogenic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic. Since last July, scores of Gulf residents, fishermen, and clean-up workers who have blamed the aforementioned symptoms they are experiencing on the chemicals from BP's oil and dispersants. "I have critically high levels of chemicals in my body,” 33-year-old Steven Aguinaga of Hazlehurst, Mississippi said. Aguinaga and his close friend Merrick Vallian went swimming at Fort Walton Beach, Florida, in July 2010. "At that time I had no knowledge of what dispersants were, but within a few hours, we were drained of energy and not feeling good,” he said, "I’ve been extremely sick ever since.” According to chemist Bob Naman, these chemicals create an even more toxic substance when mixed with crude oil. "I’m scared of what I’m finding," Naman, who works at the Analytical Chemical Testing Lab in Mobile, Alabama, added, "This is an unprecedented environmental catastrophe." Aguinaga’s health has been in dramatic decline. "I have terrible chest pain, at times I can’t seem to get enough oxygen, and I’m constantly tired with pains all over my body,” Aguinaga explained, "At times I’m ****ing blood, vomiting dark brown stuff, and every pore of my body is dispensing water.” And Aguinaga's friend Vallian is now dead. Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:41:21 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/120075359.html#IDComment143938852 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/120075359.html#IDComment143937511 YOU CAN'T TRUST THIS MEDIA SOURCE (ASSOCIATED PRESS) ANYMORE HERE ARE TWO EXCERPTS FROM A RELIABLE JOURNALISTIC SOURCE ON WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING: Ed Cake, a biological oceanographer, as well as a marine and oyster biologist, has "great concern" about the fish kills over the last year, which he feels are likely directly related to the BP oil disaster. Cake’s assessment for sea turtle and dolphin populations in the Gulf is bleak. "The two models of the turtles and dolphins indicate that something is drastically wrong in the marine environment, that I believe point towards the demise of these vertebrates in the Gulf." Underscoring his concern, a new study published in Conservation Letters this March reveals that the true impact of BP’s oil disaster on wildlife may be gravely underestimated. The study argues that fatality figures based on the number of recovered animal carcasses will not give a true death toll, which may be 50 times higher than believed since most carcasses sink before they are spotted. Cake believes the National Marine Fisheries Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been remiss in determining the cause of the deaths. "In the year since the spill began, NOAA admits to doing no tissue sampling, which to me is scientifically incredible, for if you have forensic samples, you are bound by protocols to have them analysed right away so they do not degrade, unless your purpose is not to know what is killing these dolphins", he said. In February the Obama administration, via the National Marine Fisheries Service, issued a gag order to force marine scientists who were contracted to document the spikes in dolphin mortality and to collect specimens and tissue samples to keep their findings confidential. Bleak prognosis Dolpins and sea turtles can be considered the canaries in the coalmine in the Gulf since they are at the top of the food chain and directly reflect what is happening to the marine environment in which they live. "Adult dolphins systems are picking up whatever is in the system out there, and we know the oil is out there and working it’s way up the food chain through the food web and dolphins are at the top of that food chain." Cake explained: "The chemicals then move into their lipids, fat, and then when they are pregnant, their young rely on this fat, and so it’s no wonder dolphins are having developmental issues and still births". Since last fall, Dr Wilma Subra, a chemist and Macarthur Fellow, has been conducting tests on seafood and sediment samples along the Gulf for chemicals present in BP’s crude oil and toxic dispersants. "Tests have shown significant levels of oil pollution in oysters and crabs along the Louisiana coastline", Subra said, "We have also found high levels of hydrocarbons in the soil and vegetation." Cake, who lives in Mississippi, said: "In the past months we’ve lost the young of the year population of dolphins in this area. We are not seeing any young of the year dolphins in the Mississippi and Alabama coastal area. The question is, for us as humans, could we withstand a similar impact if all our children were born dead because of environmental pollutants? I would say we could not." It has been more than 31 years since the 1979 Ixtoc-1 oil disaster in Mexico's Bay of Campeche, and the oysters, clams, and mangrove forests have still not recovered in their oiled habitats in seaside estuaries of the Yucatan Peninsula. It has been over 21 years since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil disaster in Alaska, and the herring fishery that failed in the wake of that disaster has still not returned. Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:38:15 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/120075359.html#IDComment143937511 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment143704056 and I should spell "your" as "you're" but you didn't catch that one huh? Relax, it's sarcasm. But apparently not so much. Sun, 17 Apr 2011 19:07:31 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment143704056 http://www.komonews.com/news/business/120004959.html#IDComment143703666 Come on people, give the rich a break! I know a couple guys who are still stuck driving last year's BMW 7 series. Now how are they gonna resell that car and let it trickle down to all you little people? Rich got it tough, rich got it bad y'all!! I heard another guy had to fire all his illegal immigrant house help too. Job loss when rich don't get tax breaks, duh! Sun, 17 Apr 2011 19:04:50 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/business/120004959.html#IDComment143703666 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119976164.html#IDComment143454749 cotus said "This isn't a difficult problem to solve. " Hoo hoo ha ha! And where are you going to find the money in a country that thinks gov't spends too much? Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:09:41 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119976164.html#IDComment143454749 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119694289.html#IDComment142264248 OK to convict her, but she deserves an extremely short sentence, like 4 months with time served IMO. She has already suffered enough, probably more than most people will suffer in their entire lives and she still has a ways to go with these memories. There was no maliciousness. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:43:54 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119694289.html#IDComment142264248 http://www.komonews.com/news/local/119563429.html#IDComment141696365 As every conservative knows, the future is about the rich staying comfortable with their tax cuts, it's not about the younger generation, trying to make a better future. Us rich need our money, all of it, so we can die with everything. We can't go on funding "higher education". Every one knows higher ed is just a way for undeserving greedy ADMINISTRATORS to make a lot of money. ADMINISTRATORS are like UNIONS, they caused all the problems in this country, including the housing crisis and 3 wars. It's not the rich special interests corrupting gov't. Heck no! And it's not the stupid tEa Partiers who think the UNIONS are stealing all the money rightfully meant for the CEOs. Young people need to buck up and pick up the smashed pieces of this country after all the old greedy farts have shat all over the place. Learn your place Liberals! You are the new peons. The conservative elite will rule once again like in Feudal times! Long live the rich conservative. All the rest, get to work, every member of your family, even children, making me richer, or else die because you're just looking for handouts. You're either working for me or you're looking for handouts. The only thing I fear, as a conservative, is the democracy movement spreading to this country, like what happened in Egypt. Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:34:55 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/local/119563429.html#IDComment141696365 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139982043 Ooh your on to something RN1, nobody can pay for governemnt, especially the rich!! Better make those lazy liberals get to work. I hate Liberals. Yes SPENDING IS THE PROBLEM. THE ONLY CURE TO NOT SPEND ANYTHING. GOVERNMENT IS ENTITLED TO NOTHING. ELIMINATE SS, MEDICARE, MEDICAID AND LET RICH PEOPLE TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING. DUH. Hey Liberals, your so dum. Mon, 4 Apr 2011 21:26:09 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139982043 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139981033 Yes ver veritas, regulation is the highest cost not taxes are the highest cost. If only government would stop regulating business could really go at it. It would be like Viking invaders - so free! America needs more Viking businesses to rape and get the gold. Regulation is like a bad word. Did you know Atlas Shrugged at the regulations? He did as Ayn Rand prophesied!!! Lucky we have many conservative posters here to keep the discussion intelligent! God Bless the corporations for fighting the government and the regulation. Now get to work liberal! Pay my taxes and make me money. Ha ha. Liberals so dum. Mon, 4 Apr 2011 21:21:40 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139981033 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139980140 Yes dredd, you are on to something. Businesses pay too much taxes. It's like super high, approaching 100% of costs. It is the biggest cost and since every business has to pay taxes it is an unfair advantage. Yes liberals like to punch therselves in the face because they're paying taxes anyway so why make someone else pay. It's so dum the liberals. Liberal is like a bad word. Consevative are right. Ha Ha get it?!! Right = right i.e. conservative. Ha Ha. Mon, 4 Apr 2011 21:17:26 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139980140 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139979459 No fast eddy, your dum and yore an idiot. Why don't you become conservative and smarter? duh. Mon, 4 Apr 2011 21:14:13 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139979459 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139979202 rainydaiz, No I'm not being sarcastic! Why would you say that? Are you a dum liberal. I am a conservative which means I am a superior race to your dum liberals. You should pay for the programs that make welfare mothers rich. For having babies!! Welfare mothers are taking the country down. If the rich had more money, then the welfare mothers would have to get a job. Then the country would right itself and houses would be less expensive. Also unions have destroyed this country and caused the housing crisis. Mon, 4 Apr 2011 21:12:55 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139979202 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139978488 Yes swoons, liberals fail at everything and conservatives are always right and never make mistakes. Only liberals can fail so extraordinarily at everything. Liberals are failures. Ha Ha. We should give more money to rich people and make poor people pay more because liberals are dum. Mon, 4 Apr 2011 21:09:32 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139978488 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139699100 The Republicans are always right and never make mistakes! If you look at these programs, you will see that you can cut 100% of them. What we need is more tax cuts for the rich so the middle class can get to work paying off the national debt with the jobs created by those tax cuts. The more tax cuts you give to the rich the more jobs you will have. It's like a 1 to 1 ratio. I bet when this $4 trillion cut to spending happens, we'll have like 4 trillion jobs because the CEO are really looking to hire more people. It's like the first thing they teach you in business school. 'Business 101' , Harvard, when you open a business the first thing you do is get tax cuts so you can hire people. That is the number one criteria. Before you secure any capital to start a business make sure you secure a tax cut first. Then, you can hire your first employee and the rest is easy. God bless Glenn Beck for teaching me this important lesson. Hey Liberals, yore dum. I wish gov't would get out of our way, I have enough guns to protect myself. Sun, 3 Apr 2011 18:20:53 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/119147574.html#IDComment139699100 http://www.komonews.com/news/local/119124509.html#IDComment139691436 Highly paid executives once again show that high salaries really do attract top talent. I'm also glad we gave the rich tax breaks so they can innovate like they did with the cost cutting on Deep Horizon and not have to cut jobs. Meanwhile the middle class picks up the tab which is appropriate because the rich CEO's need that money to innovate and create jobs. Tax breaks for the rich create jobs. Just the other day this CEO took his tax break and because he had a tax break he hired a guy. Now the guy he hired didn't make the company any extra money but that doesn't matter, if you give CEO's tax breaks they will hire people no matter the condition of the economy. Glenn Beck is a prophet. Rush Limbaugh is my guide (and he's so darn funny to boot! ha ha lol!) The Republicans know everything and never make mistakes. Hey Liberals, your dum. Liberals cause all the problems. Have you read Ayn Rand. It's like Atlas Shrugged at all these dum liberals. There so dum these liberals. Your dum liberals. Gov't get out of our way because without gov't there would be so much tax breaks and powerful groups wuold never take the place of gov't and we'd live such happy and rich lives with tax breaks. Hey you know any rich guy with tax breaks, I need a job. Oh wait, I'm self-employed. Sun, 3 Apr 2011 17:28:54 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/local/119124509.html#IDComment139691436 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/118705764.html#IDComment137743143 You mean a large company without government regulation and oversight will act in its own self-interest to the detriment of man, country, and world??? Gee, what a surprise [sarcasm]. Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:18:51 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/118705764.html#IDComment137743143 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/118501844.html#IDComment137147179 LockesChild, Your arguments are completely wrong and your viewpoint exceedingly narrow. The Germans build their own solar panels. Every euro taxed is a euro earned in this case. Their economy will take off with this sort of investment. They've already secured 370,000 jobs from last year's investment in renewable energy and that's only going to increase. Germany has a energy surplus, they will not be buying energy from France. The tax on going solar is minimal and will pay the German people back in the long term. Solar panels have a much longer life span than nuclear plants and the "waste" they produce can be recycled - so it really isn't waste. The dumbest thing you say is that you claim everyone is being paranoid about nuclear power then go on to say "Maybe when people start paying thousands of $$ each year for minimal electricity, they will rethink this panicked reaction. " Who's fueling the flames of panic now? You're the one who's trying to whip up fear. I quote you again "just how does everyone like the idea of paying $5000-$10,000/year for electricity? C'mon, living like you are in Burundi isn't so bad...." effin stupid you act against your own self-interest. Unless you're building nuclear plants in which case you're acting against the best interest of this country. The Germans are a very smart people. They are doing everything right. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:36:13 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/118501844.html#IDComment137147179 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/118432604.html#IDComment136798893 Oceans 14: This time Brad Pitt and George Clooney engineer a tsunami to cover up their bank heist! Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:40:36 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/118432604.html#IDComment136798893 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/117897054.html#IDComment136303936 donkjen, "You might notice in all the nuclear threads there are two sets of people. Those who are calm rational and are pointing out emperical information" Sure, go right ahead and give yourself credit for being so calm and rational, but you are not rational. By your own criteria, solar, wind, tidal, and hydroelectric dams are the only way to go if you want to minimize environmental harm. Even if there wasn't this tragedy to remind us all how bad nuclear power can be, we would still have to deal with the nuclear waste on a regular basis. All of it is a potential hazard basically forever. "of which you have yet to provide any emprical or logical replies too." More BS from the politician. YOu can't even connect the tsunami to the earthquake. To you they were two separate events. That is moronic. "The two are *related* but they are seperate events. " Spoken like a true politician. In case you can't put the two together - it was a failure the likes of which you couldn't predict. And you're the one trying to tell us nukes are safe. You are the irrational one. You have no credibility. "Then don't use energy. GO live inthe woods. There is no perfect energy source. They all have benifits and all have drawbacks. Unfortunatelly too many people only want to key in on the negative aspects. " One person going to live in the woods isn't going to stop the environmental catastrophe that people the likes of you are insisting the rest of us, the rational people of the world, must live with. You are the problem. The rational response is to build solar, wind, tidal, and hydroelectric. Then, restrict use of other energy sources to essential health and military use only. The current state of nuclear technology is not good enough to expand to all parts of the country. Even barring disaster, getting rid of the waste will be a problem we're stuck with essentially forever. Again, don't build nuclear NO MATTER WHAT THE SALESMEN SAY. Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:42:01 +0000 http://www.komonews.com/news/national/117897054.html#IDComment136303936