Writing early for day 44, I’m still quite tired from my busy week and battling the intense heat. At 8:20 AM it has cooled to 80° at my desk, but today may be the start of a few less horrid days. Here’s hoping.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:45 (average 5:53). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Fantasy Football Reminder:
The live online draft for our fantasy football league is today at 11 AM Pacific, 12 Noon central, 1 PM Mountain and 2 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time. My mama had a special word for players who do not attend: Lunch! 😉
Short Takes:
From NY Times: More than two years after Congress passed a landmark law meant to prevent the importation of contaminated food that sickens Americans, the Food and Drug Administration proposed rules on Friday that for the first time put the main onus on companies to police the food they import.
Major food importers and consumer advocates generally praised the new rules, but the advocates also said they worried the rules might give the companies too much discretion about whether to conduct on-site inspections of the places where the food is grown and processed. They said such inspections must be mandated.
I’m OK with this as long as there is sufficient oversight to ensure strict accountability. Left completely to Wal-fart, a 1% per year customer death rate would fall within their acceptable parameters.
From Common Dreams: The pristine Arctic ice of the North Pole has now melted into a lake.
A time-lapse video, produced by Jake Bialer with images captured by a webcam erected near the North Pole Environmental Observatory—shows the state of Arctic sea ice since 2000 and documents the dramatically altered landscape as global warming takes its toll.
A picnic by a lake is always fun, but the North Pole is NOT the place for a lake, especially a man-made one.
From Crooks and Liars: Consumer Watchdog, a nationally recognized nonprofit consumer group, has reviewed corporate, industry and government data and found that pipeline developers and the Canadian government intend to use the controversial Keystone XL pipeline to raise the price of Canadian tar sands oil on the global market by shipping oil directly to the Gulf. This would raise U.S. gas prices in the Midwest by up to 40 cents a gallon.
“Keystone XL is not an economic benefit to Americans who will see higher gas prices and bear all the risks of the pipeline,” said report author Judy Dugan. “The pipeline is being built through America, but not for Americans.”
The plan is for Americans is put our environment at risk and pay more for gas, so that Big Oil can suck up more profit, and increase the size of that North Pole lake. I say NO! Here’s the petition!
Cartoon:
22 Responses to “Open Thread–7/28/2013”
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From Common Dreams (link in today's PP) "Fossil fuel industry vultures celebrate such melt as they eye untapped oil and gas drilling sites and potential shipping channels now accessible through the newly formed Arctic waters. However, a recent study reveals that continued Arctic melting may spell both a climate and economic "catastrophe" if the billions of tons of methane trapped beneath Arctic permafrost become released into the environment, triggering "massive feedback loops and dramatically increas[ing] the rate of global warming." "
This meltwater at the North Pole could very possibly stop the Gulf Stream from flowing – which may not bother those who live in North America immediately, but all these deep water currents that keep our oceans alive are linked – and if one link in the chain fails, what will happen to the others? What will happen to the fish stocks and other ocean life if they can't breed or find food where they always did? What will happen to the temperatures of continents without the deep water currents to even out temperatures? Help!
Very well said, Pat. It would have a similar effect on the Japanese current ion the pacific, so the Pacific NW, where I live, would be effected very similarly to the UK.
3:49 It seemed as though time was flying today.
4:30 Just like fantasy football, I kept running out on the clock!
4:08 Patty was very timely today.
TomCat, it use to be that a minute under the average was a clear winner. Now it only guarantees a 4th place finish.
And I claim it! Mashed!
Fantasy Fottball ~ I'm all signed in and ready to go.
The draft was fun even though I din't know what I was doing. I guess I'm all set. I did submit a few waivers based on the GURU's recommendations.
Patty, I can pretty well guarantee you that you won't be last. 😉
No, I have a reservation for that!
Puzzle — 4:30 Just like fantasy football, I kept running out on the clock!
Fantasy Football — So I have my team based on whether I liked the sound of the name. Very scientific! Ultimately though, I figured out rather late, that some of my choices were made at the wrong time when I wasn't able to draft because it wassn't my turn. I tried to watch the byes but I may have goofed. So what do you think? In week 1, whenever that is, I meet Mitt's team. That jock needs to go in the laundry!
NY Times — When I consider the likes of Monsanto and Wal-Fart etc, I would worry about the ethics of the companies — the worship of their god, the almighty dollar in profits, may just push some over the line. Likewise, I am not confidet that the feds will maintain sufficient oversight and strict accountability. I can just hear the first company caught with a problem — "But, I didn't know the gun was loaded!"
Common Dreams — A sad, very sad commentary on the state of the Arctic and the planet! And the Canadian Conservatives and American Republicanus/Teabaggers insist there is no such thing as climate change. Would also not surprise me to see that the Russians and the Chinese don't put much stock in climate change. The desolation of the Arctic and the Antarctic are part of their beauty, but as humans have encroached on that desolation, so they are changing and destroying that beauty and the wildlife.
Crooks and Liars: Consumer Watchdog — This is one time that I can say "Stand your ground!" Don't let the Keystone XL be born! Shoot the bastard! Petition signed.
Interesting, yesterday there was a TranaCanada ad on the internet of course aimed at Canadians, perhaps British Columbians. Although BC's premier previously said 'No", I think there could be reason to worry about a flip-flop. Certainly the provincial NDP has flip-flopped some. The Rt disHonourable Stephen Harper, our Prime Minister (unfortunately) has his constituency in Alberta so he has more of a vested interest in this subject. He also is recognised as being not environmentally friendly. Here's the ad.
The Keystone XL will:
Minimise environmental impact
Create jobs
Enhance energy security
with a caveat to "click" to learn about other benefits.
Canadian oil sands make up a small amount of global emissions — a very small amount 0.0016
When I think back, TransCanada admitted to lying regarding employment benefits so that the US government would take up the project. Of course a number of Republicanus/Teabaggers have financial interests in various companies involved so are more than willing to sell their souls to the company store.
What is also sad is that if the Keystone XL does not go through, and the Enbridge Northern Gateway doesn't go through, there are two other possibilities — through to the Arctic Ocean (arghhhhhh!!!!!) and eastward to Québec and on to I believe Maine for export oversees. This whole thing disgusts me!
We've already seen what happens with trains carrying crude — Lac Mégantic and a second derailment in Alberta. Although not tar sands, there was an accident with 35,000 litres of aviation fuel spilling into a creek in BC when the tanker went off the road and flipped — this was for helicopters fighting forest fires. It has poison the entire water suppy for several towns — no toilets, no water to wash with, no drinking water — in the midst of a hot summer. I hope it doesn't end up in the water that waterbombers are using to fight fires!
Cartoon — An interesting piece of history that I never knew about.
Do you pick race horses the same way, by the sound of their name?
The only time I went to the races, that is exactly what I did! I won about 50% of the time.
Many NFL players may be horses asses, but your technique will nit work on them.
But you still beat me!
That was quite a performance. Two of the fellows, whose names you liked are so bad that, althgough they are on the available players list, they have not even been invited to a training camp. You need to do some major surgery with free agents. using the 'add player' option oin your 'My Team oage.
And, if they knew the gun was loaded, they didn't know the bullets would work.
Amen!
Sadly the most viable, but least likely solution for Canada is to abandon the Tar Sands.
It shows that the Republican response to Veterans has not changed.
Jig Zone Puzzle: 7:25 –
Who will pay for the damage? Bad idea…!
Humanity! Even the wealthy won't be able to escape nature's fury, although they may be able to buy themselves a little more time.
Lynm beat me to it. We shall ALL pay for the damages.
NY Times, This is a start. I read labels everytime I shop now, to find the country of origin. I do not buy food from Wal Mart, but even the local groceries have imported food. My husband brought home a bottle of apple juice that was made in China. We did not drink it.
CommonDreams, Why don't these idiots realize that we will all suffer the consequences of the melting of the North Pole? I am in Kentucky, it is currently 56 degrees at midnight. This is the end of July, it should be at least 68 to 70 degrees here. I am not complaining,mind you, but this is abnormal.
Consumer Watchdog: The XL Pipeline will benefit no one but the oil companies. The Republicans in Ky are shouting "jobs" but I am willing to bet the good jobs will be brought from elsewhere, the jobs will all be temporary and we will be left with all the risks.
That is smart thinking.
Too true!
Bingo!
Cartoon – Talk about being punished for being poor. It's not new.
This is just how Republicans responded the last time they trashed the economy.