Daily Topics - Thursday & Friday May 27 & May 28 2010
By louisehartmann
Thursday
KPOJ's morning hosts Carl Wolfson and Christine Alexander are filling for Thom today www.620kpoj.com
Friday
Thom is "Live" from Northampton, Mass - Joining Thom in studio are: Tim Carpenter, Executive Director - Progessive Democrats of America, www.pdamerica.org, David Pakman, host of "Midweek Politics" www.midweekpolitics.com and Jo Comerford, Executive Director - National Priorities Project, www.nationalpriorities.org
Plus..."Brunch With Bernie" Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) spends the hour with Thom discussing the issues and answering listener questions www.sanders.senate.gov
Comments
#2
BP wants Houston judge with oil ties to hear spill cases
Facing more than 100 lawsuits after its Gulf of Mexico oil spill killed 11 workers and threatened four coastal states, oil giant BP is asking the courts to place every pre-trial issue in the hands of a single federal judge in Houston.
That judge, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes, has traveled the world giving lectures on ethics for the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, a professional association and research group that works with BP and other oil companies. The organization pays his travel expenses.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/26/94887/bp-wants-houston-judge-with-...
#3
Looks like Thom was right; they were getting ready for the VIP visit
Gulf oil spill: Before explosion, BP was warned to slow down
Hours before the fatal accident that sunk the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, Transocean workers quarreled with BP officials who wanted to go ahead and finish the job despite earlier problems, a rig mechanic told a U.S. Coast Guard investigatory committee Wednesday.
Douglas Brown, the rig’s chief mechanic, testified that three Transocean officials balked at the desire of a BP “company man” to go ahead with a process to clear the riser with seawater. The riser is the connector pipe between the rig and well, and this would have been a final step to finish the exploratory drilling job BP had hired Transocean to complete.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/05/gulf-mexico-oil-leak-...
#4
BP worker takes 5th, making prosecution a possibility
A top BP worker who was aboard the Deepwater Horizon in the hours leading up to the explosion declined to testify in front of a federal panel investigating the deadly oil rig blowout, telling the U.S Coast Guard he was invoking his constitutional right to avoid self-incrimination.
The move Wednesday by BP's Robert Kaluza raises the possibility of criminal liability in the April 20 explosion that killed 11 and five weeks later continues to spew hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico each day.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/26/94884/bp-could-be-held-criminally-...
#5
Apropos of nothing being discussed here today, I had a rather profound experience yesterday that I'd like to share with the community. Some of the longtime members of this blog are aware that I am a bereaved parent - the 9th anniversary of the passing of our only son is approaching. Two weeks ago, the dog that he had chosen for us, a 14-year old Bichon Frise, also passed away, quickly and unexpectedly, despite his advanced age (we will spread this one's ashes over our son's grave on the aforementioned anniversary). About 6 weeks prior to that, our other dog, also a Bichon, and about 6 years old, died of a relatively long-term but never properly diagnosed (IMHO) malady. Last November, our Iguana, who'd been described as "geriatric" by our Veterenarian, also left this world. In summation, Death has been no stranger to my wife and I lately.
Very soon after the younger of the 2 dogs described above passed on, we got a new puppy. Last Friday, the puppy was vaccinated for Leptospirosis. This vaccination is usually given concurrently with the Rabies shot, but given that this is small dog, we decided to separate the 2 vacccines, so he'd had the Rabies shot 3 weeks prior, just to be on the cautious side. Despite our precaution, the puppy had a very bad negative reaction to the Lepto vaccine. He wasn't eating, drinking or eliminating ANY kind of waste, and our often hyperactive puppy was suddenly quite lethargic. We've brought him back to the vet's office daily since last Friday. Yesterday, a blood test revealed kidney damage, and the vet is keeping him at the office and administering IV hydration.
When my wife called me (on the edge of tears) at work to inform me of these developments, I asked if I could take an early exit, and went home to comfort her. All the way home yesterday afternoon, I was saying to myself "I just can't do this anymore - I will never again give my heart to someone or something that's likely to die before me! Too much risk, too much pain."
And therein is the root of the profound experience referred to at the top of this post, because if there's a lesson, or a theme, to my life so far, it's that the sentiment expressed above is nothing but sour grapes. The act of giving your heart to another, whom you truly feel deserves it, does NOT diminish you, but helps you to grow. The risk involved is negligible in the long run - even if the result is loss and pain, the pain is temporary and the loss is a learning experience. When one that you love dies, I have to believe that the love you that you gave is NOT lost - it is multiplied, and both released into the universe, and returned to you.
So, that's the lesson for today, friends and neighbors - give your love, freely and fully, to any creature that you feel is worthy of it. Yes, there is risk involved, but the payoff is far greater.
#6
BP a Teaching Moment
When we have a disaster like the one in the gulf one of the highest priorities should be to learn from the disaster. The government must step in and be a witness, gather scientific data and invite experts in to learn and contribute. Keeping the knowledge proprietary is a disservice to the public and the industry.
Further, the industry should be required to pay for universities to come up with ways to handle these kinds of disasters. Perhaps a practice deep-water drilling platform should be funded.
#7
Carl and Christine, yes, the United States of Hell is a very screwed up country.
#8
I was beginning to worry that nobody else was going to post anything today! I certainly did not intend my post (#5) to shut down the blog for the day! :)
#9
re: #8 fewer people listen therefore fewer people visit this site when thom;s away, i'll wager...
#10
BP needs training wheels
#11
You have my condolences (not that it helps much).
Life can be both wonderful & tragic. It's just the way it "is".
#12
Carl and Christine do a good job in Thom's absence. People need a respite from committing from time to time. I find committing can be emotionally draining for me.
#13
@mstaggerlee, the death of a parent's child is a devastating experience. A dog is an animal but it is still part of the family. When our dog died, we did not replace it.
#14
What concerns me of a youngster's death is the loss of human potential. It is a potential that we will never experience or see.
#15
Former President Obama is a pathetic non-leader. He is a joke to most of the world.
http://original.antiwar.com/engelhardt/2010/05/27/the-american-century-is-so-over/
#16
Obama is too naive to lead America and her interests. He is in way over his head and he seems to be drowning in his naivete. Obama had a press conference and I did not listen to it. His rhetoric turns me off. I voted for a loser and not a leader.
#17
Taking the challenge from Thom from a while back, I have created a pledge for Tea Partiers to take: http://www.teapartypledge.info
#18
Carl and Cristine are talking about nude beaches; In the US, call 'em Cellulite Cities and Speedo Spoilviews. Maybe in some other countries, humans still look like humans.
#19
I have yet to hear anyone talk about the how the Mississippi out flow carries around to the East Coast. That this outflow is pointed amost directly that the oil rig that went down, and how this may likely be pushing the underwater oil plumes as well as the oil slick into the loop current and up the East Coast. Hell the oil rig is referred to as Mississippi Canyon 252 on NOAA. I can't believe that all the scientists that are reviewing this are missing this major flow and its effects. Heck, satellite photos clearly show that the fresh water of the Mississippi doesn't dissepate until well up the East Coast.
Has anyone here heard anyone discuss this in any media source?
N
#20
Re:
It seems to me that Obama is serving the corporations who put him in office quite well.
#21
To those out there calling for a boycott on BP, why not consider a real solution instead, start using public transportation and call for others to do so too.
Its far easier for an individual to change their lifestyle than it is for that individual to change a corporations' policies.
N
#22
Deepak Chopra | Three IntentionsIn this interesting interview with BloombergUTV, Deepak Chopra talks about the necessary shift in our society from capitalism to conscious capitalism. ...
threeintentions.com/tag/deepak-chopra/
#23
@Maxrot re #21: wish it were that easy. all cities don;t have sufficient public transportation, small towns and rural areas, none. esp. in the west. Our country for the past 80 years has been designed around the personal automobile. Buses arent that much better, 'cause they, too, are subject to traffic. Here in Texas, if you ride your bike to work, you will be sweating when you get there, and sweat is a no-no- in today's society.
#24
@harry, well so... do nothing then. If it's not easy, its not worth doing I guess.
N
#25
It's true that corporations create wealth, just not wealth for society.
#26
re #24: that's what they say on the Simpsons, so its gospel with me. My bumper sticker says "I feel better since I lost hope." :)
#27
Re; Corporations create wealth
So the bottom line is that it's all about greed. It's all about me, me, me and the hell with everyone else.
This type of behavior needs to be shunned by society. We need to stop tolerating bad behavior.
#28
RE: Obama is too naive . . .
Tom Tomorrow in The Modern World some the real situation up:
http://www.thismodernworld.com/arc/2009/TMW2009-08-05colorlowrescopy.jpg
#29
re: comic strip "Marlys" heres the wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynda_Barry
#31
@Mysterious Floating Head: thanx for the tom tommorow reminder, I bookmarked it this time. I used to read it and a bunch of other great comic strips in the Austin Chronicle, an alternative weekly, but then they made the type too small. Now they need to issue a free magnifying glass with each copy. ever read "Marlys"? about a little girl in the Austin Chronicle or elsewhere? its a hoot! "makes me wanna holler!"
#32
The oil catastrophe is dooming Obama. He is a lame duck president. I am presently calling him, former President Obama.
#33
If Joe Sestak is elected Senator in November, I would like to see Joe Sestak challenge Obama in the 2012 primary for the presidency. Obama is a definite loser and he is too naive to lead our country.
#34
Yes, I have Marlys but only occasionally and in passing. It appears in several local “free” newspapers . . . Which I only reach for while waiting for your lovely spousal unit (wife) on those all so rare occasions that I am the one left waiting.
#35
@gerald re: "former President Obama"
The nation will never be so lucky . . . Expect a full eight years in office from President Obama. Truth is the oil catastrophe will have little effect on the Obama Administration. If President is a lame duck, it is because he and the DLCers consistently choose to just a tad less that the absolute minimum possible. This means six plus more years of utter morass.
#36
re:#34: YOU'RE the one who took her off my hands? THANX!!
#37
Alan Grayson’s The War is Making You Poor
http://salsa.mydccc.org/o/30019/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=34
#38
Cost of War website: http://www.costofwar.com/
#39
Amy Goodman spoke with Clint Guidry, president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association yesterday. Mr. Guidry said he knew the dangers of crude oil and its VOC (volatile organic chemicals) from past supervisory experience in a refinery so Mr. Guidry bought respirators for friends and neighbors doing cleanup work and they reported back to him that: BP ordered that the cleanup workers remove the respirators or they would be fired. The bastids!
Of course, Mr. Guidry also reports that the hospitalized clean-up workers have chemical poisoning symptoms. And there is the point that there are certainly others who got sick but didn't go to hospital - some of this cleanup is being done as day labor - I Guess the cleanup workers generally have no health benefits.
#40
Re: The cost of war
The cost of the U.S. global empire should be paid for by the corporations whom it benefits, and not be put on the credit card to be paid for by taxing the general population.
#41
@rladlof, I believe that the Democrats have better leaders than Obama. Obama is the Grand Experiment that failed. People are beginning to believe that Obama jump into a water too deep for him. If our dead dog ran as a Democrat in 2008, she could have beaten McCain/Palin.
#42
Obama not the same as Bush?
Obama moving us out of Iraq, and into Afghanistan, and so the U.S. empire continues.
Granted Obama is more affable, but beyond the rhetoric, the actual polices are pretty much the same.
#43
@Drichards, we're not OUT of Iraq. we're just out of sight. we still occcupy 18 bases.
#44
@gerald: Of course, the DEMs have better leaders than Barack Obama. We can file that under “No, duh.” I have two observations to send back:
1. President Obama and the DLCers purged the Democrats from the DNC Party apparatus ten minutes after the election when they unceremoniously showed Governor/Doctor Dean the door.
2. History telling us that primary challenges to sitting Presidents result in the alternate party winning . . . (And a wishy-washy, mediocre, just-right-of-center is better any and every day than a jack-booted thug.)
We will dance with what we got and love it OR the slow-burn in our guts will eat us up.
#45
pass the rolaids...
#46
Mysterious Floating Head - I think Obama will actually go left or see a primary challenge in 2012.
#47
Flashback to yesterday with Carl & Christine:
I know I did not log in yesterday to say so BUT the segments with Dr. Riki Ott, the marine toxicologist, were brilliant. Props to all three of them.
#48
Harry
If my memory serves me correctly, Thom said to the caller that Obama is not the same as Bush, and used the example of Obama pulling out the troops from Iraq.
I tend to agree with the caller who said that Obama's policies were pretty much a continuation of Bush's policies.
#49
@LeMoyne: I would vote for Alan Grayson & Anthony Weiner quicker than a heartbeat . . .
#50
@Drichard re:#48: I agree..did I say something to make you think otherwise?
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http://amconmag.com/article/2010/jul/01/00010/