Recent comments

  • Walker handed over an $81,500 job overseeing state environmental regulations to the son of a wealthy campaign donor   14 years 12 weeks ago

    It's back to Tammany Hall days. Robber Baron days.

  • 7 tons of Radioactive Waste is Flowing into the Ocean Every Hour at Fukushima   14 years 12 weeks ago

    It is absolutely amazing what people will do to their own children for money ! Don't they get it ? Their is no other place to go ! We are all in it together !

  • Thom Hartmann: Tea Party says NO! to taxpayer subsidies for big oil   14 years 12 weeks ago

    No more handouts to corporate-welfare bums!!!

  • Daily Topics - Tuesday April 5th, 2011   14 years 12 weeks ago

    No wonder Republicans aren't concerned with climate change; they can't even concern themselves with a government shutdown that's three days away and which no one denies will happen. They have perfected short-sightedness.

  • Daily Topics - Tuesday April 5th, 2011   14 years 12 weeks ago

    Seton failed to note that one of the reasons that schools were overwhelmed with special needs kids was the unregulated garbage, chemicals, hormone confusers, and transfats in our nutrition-empty foods. Another reason was dioxin and arsenic, etc. in our water -- and lead in our paints, formaldehyde in our carpets and cabinets. Vaccinations clock in here, so does radiation and air-borne pollutants. Another reason -- selling candy and SODAs in schools! Come on.

    Every one of these things are avoidable (and all the others on the long list I have not mentioned). We really must grow to the point where we no longer accept the myth that these ills are necessary evils in our "advanced" society.

    B---S---. The minute we stop accepting them -- they will be gone. We are all guilty of tolerating the poisoning of our bodies and our Precious Earth for far, far too long. It is over. I declare that it is over. We are done.

  • Daily Topics - Tuesday April 5th, 2011   14 years 12 weeks ago

    Everytime the low information Fox victims start expounding about how painful cuts have to be made, and that everyone needs to share the pain and share the sacrifices I ask them one simple question that always shuts them up, unable to answer:

    Name just one sacrifice that is being asked of big business or the millionaire class. Just one single sacrifice.

  • Daily Topics - Tuesday April 5th, 2011   14 years 12 weeks ago

    I saw a commercial last night that said a lot of food manufacturers are taking high-fructose corn syrup out of their products. I realized that their reason for doing this might not be popular pressure, but instead the rising cost of corn due to its use in fuel. If so, we've managed to get two benefits out of ethanol--less use of foreign oil and healthier food.

  • Seven UN workers died & Afghanistan is in the streets because a FL Pastor burned the Koran in March - is this a free speech?   14 years 12 weeks ago

    It's hard to find a perfect analogy for this situation, but perhaps if one could imagine standing with another person in front of a mad man holding a gun and daring him to shoot the guy next to you, it would be close to a nut doing something that he has pre knowledge will cause the death of others as was the case in the burning the Koran. The free speech article of the Constitution is certainly one of the most important rocks in our foundation as a nation, but I don't think it was ever intended to be used as an instrument of death to others -- that's just one of the unintended consequences. Don't know anyway out of the conflict.

  • Daily Topics - Tuesday April 5th, 2011   14 years 12 weeks ago

    I disagree with Thom's statement that some wall street fat cats earn a billion a year.

    No one EARNS $1 billion a year, they acquire it, obtain it, snatch it, steal it,.... but no one, absolutely no one EARNS $1 BILLION a year. There isn't a job out there that is worth $480,770 an hour. No rocket scientist is paid that amount, no lawyer deserves that amount, no doctor (I don't care how good) is that valued. Bankers aren't earning that money either, they are just plain skimming off the top.

    N

  • Daily Topics - Tuesday April 5th, 2011   14 years 12 weeks ago

    I think Thom's statement to the caller who was talking about Republican opinions about the Clinton budget, or should I say their opinions about who voted for it, is spot on and should always be stated to any Republican prior to entering a debate: "Read a book". As it's been said before, Republican'ts can have whatever opinion they want, but facts are facts, no matter how much they desire to change them. I swear it seems that the Republican't party as a whole read Orwells 1984, and found the concept of constantly editing history to align with party views double plus good. In fact dumbing down the people with words (or lack of words) seems to be a good concept to them too, don't bother to refutiate me either. I'm beginning to think that secretly they hold Orwells books as sacred texts.

    N

  • 7 tons of Radioactive Waste is Flowing into the Ocean Every Hour at Fukushima   14 years 12 weeks ago

    I'm not an engineer or a scientist, but it seems to me that if the plants are leaking radiated water from multiple points, & the"junk shots" aren't stopping the plumes from spreading into sea water (I'm having a weird Deja vu moment aka BP) the thing to do is contain the spill with a massive retention wall. Drive pilings into the sea bed some distance from shore, then make a wall between them with stacked horizontal rails. They do this all the time for high-rise foundations. Then line the inside of the wall with something watertight and start filling it up with sand to absorb the contaminated water until they can get this thing under control. Then later they can figure out how to encase it permanently. But as long as they just let it wash out to sea....nevermind.

  • Seven UN workers died & Afghanistan is in the streets because a FL Pastor burned the Koran in March - is this a free speech?   14 years 12 weeks ago

    Free speech is debatable, with the obvious limit of yelling fire in a crowded theatre (because it causes death).. Burning their bible inflames millions if not billions, that will surely cause the deaths of more then the 7 that already died.. Still it is a slippery slope.. So I am not really sure, because free speech is so important..

  • 7 tons of Radioactive Waste is Flowing into the Ocean Every Hour at Fukushima   14 years 12 weeks ago

    Scientists should be put in control. These are the people who knew from day 1 what was likely to occur. The site should have enacted containment and dismantling procedures immediately. That is what the consulting scientists would have advised, but as usual they were ignored by The Board of Directors. That is the way of the destruction of the world.

    The TEPCO Board of Directors is part of The Carlyle Group Pacific Rim Holdings. There can be no doubt that as heavily embroiled in Japan as Pepsico, Disney and Carlyle are, that Tokyo Disney is one way or another a major stockholder in TEPCO.

    XXXXX

  • Stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship American jobs overseas....   14 years 12 weeks ago

    Has been created keeping in view of the IT-professionals. This site will help you "Professionals" to quickly and efficiently locate many opportunities that exist. It's user friendly tool to help you match your own Specifications, Qualifications and Requirements.Cirencester jobs

  • 7 tons of Radioactive Waste is Flowing into the Ocean Every Hour at Fukushima   14 years 12 weeks ago

    Seven Tons very hour and don't forget about the bombs going off in these wars. Just think of the dust floating around to add, x-rays to your teeth, microwaves , phones. who knows what these satellites can do and Navigators, neclear subs, plants wide spread. What about the upper atmosphere flying in a airplane, through clouds will you be exposesd ? Perhaps some day science will learn to tranmute radio atoms into no-radio atoms, "Not today. For now its Electrocution style! Shut all nukes them down, Stop the war pollutions and lets live together to generate healthy people and a healthy planet.

  • Are the Koch Bros and their Tea Party followers shutting down the Government now?   14 years 12 weeks ago

    The Koch brothers are angels compared to the evil george soros. He destroys economies for fun and the left worships him.

  • Are the Koch Bros and their Tea Party followers shutting down the Government now?   14 years 12 weeks ago

    I sure hope they are. Here we are burrying our children in debt and the democrats won't even give up liberal entertainment (NPR) and cowboy poetry. What a bunch of freaking jokes you are.

  • One-party Republican rule in America   14 years 12 weeks ago

    Really, attacking the Koch brothers while the democrats are so in bed with EVIL george soros and companies like GE. Give me a break.

    Also, i notice you are not complaining about your tax cuts. I thought you actually cared about the social programs for the poor. Oh wait, you are a democrat, you only weant hand outs for yourself.

  • One-party Republican rule in America   14 years 12 weeks ago

    Really, the Democrats ran away like a bunch of cowards and you people are whining about the republicans passing it anyway. Boo hoo hoo.

    it is time someone stood up for the tax payers against the corrupt goon unions that elect corrupt democrats to negotiate with that abuse the tax payers to buy votes.

    We all know that democrats only support unions woith other people's money. That is why they would never drive an american car unless they build them and then it is maybe 50/50.

  • Seven UN workers died & Afghanistan is in the streets because a FL Pastor burned the Koran in March - is this a free speech?   14 years 12 weeks ago

    I find it amazing how some people, like Jones, get almost giddy with the thought of WWIII or the apocolypse. How in any way does a person who espouses hate so much think he is somehow going to be spared or even exhalted for his behaviour. I think we all agree he is being a turd but so are those who are committing such horrible murders. Are not most current day religions monotheistic? Are these people fighting over who has the awesomest prophet? Really everyone needs to stop.

  • Seven UN workers died & Afghanistan is in the streets because a FL Pastor burned the Koran in March - is this a free speech?   14 years 12 weeks ago

    This pastor should know better! By advertising this act around the world is a act of violence. This pastor obviously has no regard for people's feeling or beliefs. I know people who may not agree with me on some subjects and that's just fine. I have respect for them all the same, And I will say ~ Variety is the spice of life! " Makes the world go round! " It's simply amazing . "Who would think or Who could think of such a thing? NO ONE!

  • Seven UN workers died & Afghanistan is in the streets because a FL Pastor burned the Koran in March - is this a free speech?   14 years 12 weeks ago

    We Americans need to get over ourselves! Just because we can doesn't mean we should. That man intentionally incited anger when he made sure he was live streaming the burning of the Koran. He knew what would happen, he'd been told. He and his followers have the blood of innocents on their hands.

  • One-party Republican rule in America   14 years 12 weeks ago

    I read that Republican Paul Ryan's budget has MORE tax cuts for the WEALTHY in it ! The Greedy Koch Brothers own the Republicans and the Tea Party. Republicans & the Tea Party are woven from the same cloth as Tricky Dick Nixon. December, 2010 Republican Tom DeLay was convicted of money laundering. The GOP & the Tea Party are disciples of SATAN & get graft from the evil Koch brothers. Republicans are greedy CROOKS AND LIARS, and are evil Plutocrats and evil Libertarians. They are possessed by the GREED of the DEVIL. The evil Koch brothers give graft to the Republicans & the Tea Party. Republicans & the Tea Party give big tax breaks to the wealthy, yet stomp on middle class families, Senior citizens, women, Blacks, Hispanics, YET Republicans & Tea Party give massive tax cuts to the wealthy like Tyrant Trump, Koch Oil Tycoon Brothers, Steve Forbes, monopolist Bill Gates, Mayor Bloomberg, Bush Family Oil Dynasty. Boycott evil Koch Industries and Georgia Pacific.

  • 7 tons of Radioactive Waste is Flowing into the Ocean Every Hour at Fukushima   14 years 12 weeks ago

    Excellent points above, particularly the Clovis point (pun intended) and the naturally motivated on-site management idea. Here's my take ...

    The 7 tons an hour figure describes the flow through the crack in the top of a shaft east of the Unit 2 turbine building. Making the reasonable assumption that the poisoned water flowing into the ocean is the same as the water in the turbine building basement and the water in the shaft at the other end of the building, there are several radioactivity measurements for that water. The 'same water' assumption is also weakly supported by the same above-the-surface radioactivity measurement of 1 Sievert per hour [Sv/hr] in all three places.
    The radioactivity in Unit 2 turbine basement was given on 3/27 as 13,000,000 or 1.3e7 Bq/cc, where Bq abbreviates the Becquerel, the count of ionizing events per second and cc = cubic centimeter.
    A flow of 7 tons per hour >~ 7,000 kg/hr = 7,000 liters/hr ~ 2 liters/s or ~ 2,000 cc/s, where units are: kg = kilogram, hr = hour, s = second.
    After a little calculation the rate is: [7,000,000 cc/hr][ 1.3e7 Bq/cc ] = 9.1e13 Bq/hr or [2,000 cc/s][ 1.3e7 Bq/cc ] = 2.6e10 Bq/s
    Therefore, I-131 activity dumped in the sea by just this one leak is 9.1e13 Bq/hr = 91,000,000,000,000 Becquerels per hour
    To put that in scale the release of I-131 from Chernobyl was 1.8e18 Bq total = 1,800,000,000,000,000,000 Becquerels CTBTO estimated total.
    So, this one leak pouring directly into the sea represents 5e-5 or about 0.005% of Chernobyl's I-131 every hour.

    In a couple weeks (~300 hours), at a figure of 0.005% per hour, just this one leak at Dai-Ichi will quietly spit out 1.5% of a level 7 nuclear disaster's worth of I-131 right into the sea. It is possible that a greater quantity of radioactivity has flowed out through the discharge canals that carry the surface run-off from Units 1 through 4 than has poured into the sea through this one crack. The I-131 levels that went 12x, 18x and 40+x late last week were measured a half kilometer south of that discharge point. Add in the next few weeks and one can easily see fractions of Chernobyl's I-131 that look like 1/4th or one-half as liquid effluent into the sea over a couple months. And this is besides all the airborne I-131 that mostly rains back into the sea after being sent aloft by explosions, fires and heat as smoke and steam.

    Fukushima Dai-Ichi is a level 7 disaster for the North Pacific.

    As to solutions for making the radiotoxic solution not pour into the sea: TEPCO can not even dump it on the ground and let the earth filter it because it is too toxic. If there is too much and it pools up, the workers can't work near it. If it drains and filters down through the soil the earth will likely become even more radiotoxic than the original water. At 1 Seivert per hour near the water, the waste being dumped is truly deadly. The LD50 for exposure to 1 Sv/hr is 6 hours, meaning half the people exposed to this water for six hours in a day will die.
    The fact that they are already dumping waste water with a lower level of radioactivity into the ocean to make room for this high level waste from the basements and tunnels says that TEPCO has run out of tank space. They are bringing in a huge empty aquarium barge (and presumably more miles of firehose) but the waste is flowing into the ocean now. The cement and junk shot attempts have failed. If they really do plug the leak it may well spill over the top of the shaft and then either contaminate the area around the shaft (driving the workers away) or just go right back to flowing into the ocean again.
    When they run out of tank space again, that's it - liquid waste will go into the ocean. Without the regular circulation system, they pump many tons of water into the reactors and the leaky fuel pools every day. The restoration of the normal coolant circulation requires that this water be both removed and kept out of the turbine building basements and kept much lower in the tunnels under them. They currently have to pump out the basement drains of the stable Units 5 and 6 which have subsurface low level radioactive seepage overfilling the sump and threatening equipment - this is going straight in the ocean. TEPCO may already be approaching the point where they have to dump the tons of high level waste into the sea just to be able to work on these terminal nukes.
    The myth of the nuclear power industry maintaining near perfect control of radioactivity has devolved towards dumping high-level waste into the ocean because otherwise the failed-over nuclear plant would become so radiotoxic that one day's work there would be fatal. Yet another layer in the multi-layer SNAFU of nuclear power.

  • Seven UN workers died & Afghanistan is in the streets because a FL Pastor burned the Koran in March - is this a free speech?   14 years 12 weeks ago

    I do not agree with either answer option. I feel that book burning of any kind is an inane act. Apart from that, you are burning the "free speech" of the "writer" of the book. The man in Florida who did this, appears to be a bit of a tippler, if you go by the appearance of his face and nose... perhaps he should be burnt. He looks easily ignitable. Hey, this would be impressive on his part: Set yourself on fire pastor, like Buddhist monks sometimes do.

    I am not a titfortatter, but recently in cleaning out my dead inlaws' garage, we found two ratty looking, insect eaten Bibles. No idea why they were where they were. It appears to indicate a sense of general disillusionment. If we plan a public burning in the hardly ever used, very pristine looking Weber kettle out back this Saturday at 2 PM, would that settle the matter? 8-}

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