Why Memorial Day Weekend is rad:
1- Acknowledging American troops that died in battle (yes, even in fucked up places and wars like Vietnam and Mogadishu. They didn't choose to go there, blame the brass and politicians). Also, no, Veteran's Day is cool too but Memorial Day is the day for those killed in war.
2- An extra, paid day off work for most people. I don't get one but I can take any day off I want more or less so it evens out I suppose.
Why Memorial Day Weekend is garbage (in no particular order, except for the first one):
1- Stinky hippies
2- Traffic, traffic, traffic
3- RV's (see rabble from 04/30/10)
4- ATV's
5- Battling 20,000 people at Sasquatch, many of whom are stinky hippies.
6- Rednecks
7- Everything is closed
8- Folklife
9- Most rivers are closed or high with runoff
10- The weather usually sucks
11- Camping with lots of the above people around.
And the list goes on... Rabble-B
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Quote of the Week
This was tucked in an article I posted earlier this week but it's so great I have to highlight it.
"I think now we are beginning to understand that we cannot trust BP." - D-Mass. Rep. Ed Markey
NO FUCKING SHIT ED! A million barrels or so later... Rabble-B
"I think now we are beginning to understand that we cannot trust BP." - D-Mass. Rep. Ed Markey
NO FUCKING SHIT ED! A million barrels or so later... Rabble-B
I Want Da Gold!
So Awesome. I wonder if it will dispense me a 24k gold grill or a gold plated 9mm. Rabble-B
A GOLD to go ATM debuts in Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace Hotel
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- As economic fears drive gold prices to new highs, the creator of a gold-dispensing ATM is attracting attention around the globe.
Germany-based GOLD to go, which is currently churning out 50 gold machines a month to meet a recent jump in demand, launched its first ATM in Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace Hotel earlier this month and opened its second in Germany last week.
The golden ATM's next destinations are the Bergamo Airport in Milan, Italy, all major airports in Malaysia, one of Russia's biggest banks and an undetermined location in Turkey.
By making gold investing as easy as buying a candy bar from a vending machine, GOLD to go hopes to attract average buyers to the gold market.
"We are going to make gold public with these machines," said Thomas Geissler, CEO of Ex Oriente Lux AG, which owns GOLD to go. "The prices are so easy to control that we're going to de-mystify gold and make it easier for anyone to buy it."
GOLD to go's ATM looks like a vending machine and dispenses gold coins and bars weighing up to one ounce at prices updated every 10 minutes based on the real-time spot price of gold.
ATM-owners can choose from a variety of other gold items, such as gold Canadian maple leaf coins, South African Krugerrands, and even some custom designs. For example, the special edition gold medallion it engraved with the Palace Hotel's logo was created for the United Arab Emirate debut.
Earlier this month, gold prices hit an all time high of nearly $1,250 per ounce, and the precious metal has continued to climb as euro zone countries struggle with debt and investors worry that the region's problems could spread globally.
Until this uncertainty in the market eases, the demand for gold will only grow, said Carlos Sanchez, a precious metals analyst at CPM Group.
"[The ATM] is just a reflection of the demand from consumers and investors for exposure to gold," he said. "As long as prices continue to trend upward and investors remain concerned over economic and political conditions, I think we'll keep seeing strong demand for safe-haven assets like gold."
Next stop, Italy: Patrizio Locatelli, owner of SE 6, a small company in Italy that pays customers for gold, flew to GOLD to go's factory in Germany to check out the prototype when it was first unveiled.
Locatelli was having a hard time keeping up with the costs of rent and hiring employees, so when he came across the GOLD to go ATM online, he saw it as a golden ticket to an efficient way to expand his business.
"When you see exchange rates going up and down every day with the euro under so much pressure and stocks decreasing, this gold machine seemed like a very sound idea," he said. "In times like these you must think of somewhere else to put your money, and physical gold still has great appeal for everyone."
Locatelli is now launching a GOLD to go ATM in Milan's Bergamo Airport, which he says is one of Italy's fastest growing airports.
"[Bergamo] is a great place for it, because serious international business travelers will stop over here a few times a month at least," he said. "In general you tend to spend more when you're traveling and in a good mood, so you can now use a vending machine to get a present for someone or buy some bullions as an investment."
After a three-month testing period at Bergamo Airport, Locatelli said he hopes to introduce gold ATMs in every airport in Italy as well as major community centers and banks.
Not for serious investors? While the ATMs could be a hit with wealthy travelers, the idea is unlikely to catch on with serious investors, said Jeffrey Nichols, managing director at American Precious Metals Advisors.
"It's an interesting phenomenon, and I can see that wealthy and high-net-worth travelers might make impulse splurges on gold bars or coins, but I can't see a serious investor buying gold through a vending machine," he said.
Jon Nadler, senior analyst at Kitco Metals, agreed, saying that he would be surprised if investors bought into the new invention, because unlike the spot market, ATMs don't take your gold back when you want to sell it.
"Gold is a two-way market, so I would like to see that same machine buy back that gold and spit out cash," said Nadler. "A gold-dispensing ATM is great, but a real ATM also accepts deposits."
Nadler also said that GOLD to go's higher prices may be a deterrent, especially to investors who want to purchase large amounts.
GOLD to go says that, like any physical gold vendor, it must apply a margin to its items. While the spot price for one ounce of gold was about $1,214 in midday trading on Thursday, GOLD to go was selling a 1-ounce gold bar for 1,044.86 euros, or approximately $1,284.13.
But the ATM's popularity shows how much more available gold is becoming as demand picks up.
"It shows how attitudes toward gold are changing," said Nichols. "Gold is available in more forms and through distributors that make it more accessible for average people around the world to buy gold."
Gold-dispensing ATMs: Coming to a city near you
A GOLD to go ATM debuts in Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace HotelNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- As economic fears drive gold prices to new highs, the creator of a gold-dispensing ATM is attracting attention around the globe.
Germany-based GOLD to go, which is currently churning out 50 gold machines a month to meet a recent jump in demand, launched its first ATM in Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace Hotel earlier this month and opened its second in Germany last week.
The golden ATM's next destinations are the Bergamo Airport in Milan, Italy, all major airports in Malaysia, one of Russia's biggest banks and an undetermined location in Turkey.
By making gold investing as easy as buying a candy bar from a vending machine, GOLD to go hopes to attract average buyers to the gold market.
"We are going to make gold public with these machines," said Thomas Geissler, CEO of Ex Oriente Lux AG, which owns GOLD to go. "The prices are so easy to control that we're going to de-mystify gold and make it easier for anyone to buy it."
GOLD to go's ATM looks like a vending machine and dispenses gold coins and bars weighing up to one ounce at prices updated every 10 minutes based on the real-time spot price of gold.
ATM-owners can choose from a variety of other gold items, such as gold Canadian maple leaf coins, South African Krugerrands, and even some custom designs. For example, the special edition gold medallion it engraved with the Palace Hotel's logo was created for the United Arab Emirate debut.
Earlier this month, gold prices hit an all time high of nearly $1,250 per ounce, and the precious metal has continued to climb as euro zone countries struggle with debt and investors worry that the region's problems could spread globally.
Until this uncertainty in the market eases, the demand for gold will only grow, said Carlos Sanchez, a precious metals analyst at CPM Group.
"[The ATM] is just a reflection of the demand from consumers and investors for exposure to gold," he said. "As long as prices continue to trend upward and investors remain concerned over economic and political conditions, I think we'll keep seeing strong demand for safe-haven assets like gold."
Next stop, Italy: Patrizio Locatelli, owner of SE 6, a small company in Italy that pays customers for gold, flew to GOLD to go's factory in Germany to check out the prototype when it was first unveiled.
Locatelli was having a hard time keeping up with the costs of rent and hiring employees, so when he came across the GOLD to go ATM online, he saw it as a golden ticket to an efficient way to expand his business.
"When you see exchange rates going up and down every day with the euro under so much pressure and stocks decreasing, this gold machine seemed like a very sound idea," he said. "In times like these you must think of somewhere else to put your money, and physical gold still has great appeal for everyone."
Locatelli is now launching a GOLD to go ATM in Milan's Bergamo Airport, which he says is one of Italy's fastest growing airports.
"[Bergamo] is a great place for it, because serious international business travelers will stop over here a few times a month at least," he said. "In general you tend to spend more when you're traveling and in a good mood, so you can now use a vending machine to get a present for someone or buy some bullions as an investment."
After a three-month testing period at Bergamo Airport, Locatelli said he hopes to introduce gold ATMs in every airport in Italy as well as major community centers and banks.
Not for serious investors? While the ATMs could be a hit with wealthy travelers, the idea is unlikely to catch on with serious investors, said Jeffrey Nichols, managing director at American Precious Metals Advisors.
"It's an interesting phenomenon, and I can see that wealthy and high-net-worth travelers might make impulse splurges on gold bars or coins, but I can't see a serious investor buying gold through a vending machine," he said.
Jon Nadler, senior analyst at Kitco Metals, agreed, saying that he would be surprised if investors bought into the new invention, because unlike the spot market, ATMs don't take your gold back when you want to sell it.
"Gold is a two-way market, so I would like to see that same machine buy back that gold and spit out cash," said Nadler. "A gold-dispensing ATM is great, but a real ATM also accepts deposits."
Nadler also said that GOLD to go's higher prices may be a deterrent, especially to investors who want to purchase large amounts.
GOLD to go says that, like any physical gold vendor, it must apply a margin to its items. While the spot price for one ounce of gold was about $1,214 in midday trading on Thursday, GOLD to go was selling a 1-ounce gold bar for 1,044.86 euros, or approximately $1,284.13.
But the ATM's popularity shows how much more available gold is becoming as demand picks up.
"It shows how attitudes toward gold are changing," said Nichols. "Gold is available in more forms and through distributors that make it more accessible for average people around the world to buy gold."
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Death by Kindle
But what about censorship? Yeah buddy, you can't censor a printed piece of paper clutched in someones hand. Sure, you could censor subsequent editions of a publication but you cannot censor what is already physically written on a piece of paper. You could destroy it but that would involve relieving that person of their piece of paper. That also might involve killing that person and that might lead to revolution and well, that's a whole 'nother rabble. Anyway, with digital media 'the man' or Amazon or whoever in any country could change the text of any book ever written. How about that? No more controversial, bold, establishment questioning, creative writing. I'm sure some books, maybe The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, because it's so racey, or whatever else could be digitally banned only to be forgotten about completely in a few years. Ever read We, Brave New World, 1984, Farenheit 451? Only what they want us to read I suppose. Well, fuck that and Fuck Kindle! Kindling would be a more appropriate name. I think it's be more constructive to burn it, inhale the fumes and write about your experience while high on Kindling. Rabble-B
PS- Cheers to any author, like Sherman Alexie, who refuses to allow their books to be digitially published. Also, if anyone wants to publish my rabbles in a weekly newsletter format or something like that let me know so I don't have to publish all this crap on the internet either.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Repeat Rabble
For anyone who hasn't read the rabble below I want to re-post it because traffic and retarded drivers piss me off so much.
But what this rabble does not address is driving in the rain. Simply put, it's not hard. Slow down a touch (do not slow to a crawl!), remember it takes longer to stop and use common sense. For our international readers, I live in Seattle, WA USA and it's a fairly wet corner of our lovely planet. It's a beautiful place when the sun's out (not an invitation to move here though) but shit man how do you not know how do drive in the rain? Let me put that another way. Why does my commute time double when it rains? It's because all the stupid fucking people on the road stick their head further up their asses than normal and hope and they pull out just long enough to take a peak at the road just hoping they haven't plowed into a guard rail yet before they stick it right back in. For fuck's sake people, how did you even get a license? Rabble-B
How can it possibly be that enough people can decide from one day to the next to drive or not drive on a particular stretch of highway, the same one that I happen to commute on and turn it from a smooth 20 minute drive into 40 minutes of pain? For the life of me I cannot figure it out and it happens often. It's not like this is Friday of Labor Day weekend and 10,000 extra assholes are headed to the Gorge to get stoned and see DMB. No, it's the fucking middle of the week, sunny or rainy, the difference in volume of traffic from say a Wednesday to a Thursday is ridiculous and I suffer for it. I already despise other drivers enough but I truly don't understand where all these people come from and why they all decide to clog up the freeway on the same day. Sometimes on these days I just want to get away from another driver on the road because they are making me uncomfortable for some reason. So why is it that I pass them, see them fade away in my rearview, only to come up behind them 5 miles later?
After contemplating this for years and today too, on the way to work I also thought about all the different types of dipshit drivers that endanger or just irritate me everyday. So, below are a few examples.
Driver Profiles
The Asshole: This moron realizes there are lots of other people on the road but doesn't give a shit. Usually they're driving 85 in a 60, weaving in and out of traffic and gets pissed off when stuck behind a car in the far right lane that's doing the speed limit. Causes collisions and near collisions behind them and either has no idea or is uninterested. Also believes semi trucks can magically stop on a dime because they'll cut 10 feet in front of one to get into the far right lane where they subsequently gets stuck behind that car doing the speed limit.
The Oblivious: Has no idea where they are or where they're going. May not even know they're driving. Varies speed from 45 to 90 on the freeway and wanders in and out of their lane. Often merges or changes lanes without signaling or looking, just assuming there's no one in their blind spot. May or may not stop at a stop sign. Is totally unaware that the only way driving is possible is because everyone agrees to a set of rules and more or less follows them, in other words, this person has never read of heard of Rosseau's The Social Contract. As a result doesn't realize people on the road are trying to get somewhere and is thoroughly offended when you honk at them for driving like a retard. (May be mistaken for someone on a cell phone that's just not paying attention but there's no cell phone involved.)
The Reader: Is on a long road trip, possibly drives everyday for work. Motors along in the far right lane and sets the cruise control to exactly the speed limit and opens up to chapter 6. May end up in the ditch because they weren't at a stopping point. War and Peace anyone? Pass this person quickly.
The Aged: Anyone (except my grandfather who somehow manages to drive extremely well for being 80, though it may be due to the fact that he drove a concrete truck for over 40 years and learned to deal with those listed above and below) eligible for even partial Social Security due to their age. They often fall into the oblivious category too but generally just drive 15mph under the speed limit (even if the limit is 25) and on the freeway stay in the far right lane or even on the shoulder if available to drive on in daylight hours.
The Cliche: Nothing original here. He is middle aged, overweight, bald, hates his wife, and bought a sports car and feels the need to drive it at mach 3. I like fast cars too but you sir, are a fucking idiot. Besides you couldn't afford a cool car like an Aston Martin DB7, Porsche 911 or even a BMW M3, no you are driving around a 2009 Chevy Camaro base model and run it at redline to make people think it's fast. Fuck off (unless your name is Alex McDonald and you drive a Ferrari 328GTS then you are a badass). Rabble-B
But what this rabble does not address is driving in the rain. Simply put, it's not hard. Slow down a touch (do not slow to a crawl!), remember it takes longer to stop and use common sense. For our international readers, I live in Seattle, WA USA and it's a fairly wet corner of our lovely planet. It's a beautiful place when the sun's out (not an invitation to move here though) but shit man how do you not know how do drive in the rain? Let me put that another way. Why does my commute time double when it rains? It's because all the stupid fucking people on the road stick their head further up their asses than normal and hope and they pull out just long enough to take a peak at the road just hoping they haven't plowed into a guard rail yet before they stick it right back in. For fuck's sake people, how did you even get a license? Rabble-B
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Get off the Road!
After contemplating this for years and today too, on the way to work I also thought about all the different types of dipshit drivers that endanger or just irritate me everyday. So, below are a few examples.
Driver Profiles
The Asshole: This moron realizes there are lots of other people on the road but doesn't give a shit. Usually they're driving 85 in a 60, weaving in and out of traffic and gets pissed off when stuck behind a car in the far right lane that's doing the speed limit. Causes collisions and near collisions behind them and either has no idea or is uninterested. Also believes semi trucks can magically stop on a dime because they'll cut 10 feet in front of one to get into the far right lane where they subsequently gets stuck behind that car doing the speed limit.
The Oblivious: Has no idea where they are or where they're going. May not even know they're driving. Varies speed from 45 to 90 on the freeway and wanders in and out of their lane. Often merges or changes lanes without signaling or looking, just assuming there's no one in their blind spot. May or may not stop at a stop sign. Is totally unaware that the only way driving is possible is because everyone agrees to a set of rules and more or less follows them, in other words, this person has never read of heard of Rosseau's The Social Contract. As a result doesn't realize people on the road are trying to get somewhere and is thoroughly offended when you honk at them for driving like a retard. (May be mistaken for someone on a cell phone that's just not paying attention but there's no cell phone involved.)
The Reader: Is on a long road trip, possibly drives everyday for work. Motors along in the far right lane and sets the cruise control to exactly the speed limit and opens up to chapter 6. May end up in the ditch because they weren't at a stopping point. War and Peace anyone? Pass this person quickly.
The Aged: Anyone (except my grandfather who somehow manages to drive extremely well for being 80, though it may be due to the fact that he drove a concrete truck for over 40 years and learned to deal with those listed above and below) eligible for even partial Social Security due to their age. They often fall into the oblivious category too but generally just drive 15mph under the speed limit (even if the limit is 25) and on the freeway stay in the far right lane or even on the shoulder if available to drive on in daylight hours.
The Cliche: Nothing original here. He is middle aged, overweight, bald, hates his wife, and bought a sports car and feels the need to drive it at mach 3. I like fast cars too but you sir, are a fucking idiot. Besides you couldn't afford a cool car like an Aston Martin DB7, Porsche 911 or even a BMW M3, no you are driving around a 2009 Chevy Camaro base model and run it at redline to make people think it's fast. Fuck off (unless your name is Alex McDonald and you drive a Ferrari 328GTS then you are a badass). Rabble-B
Friday, May 21, 2010
Quote of the Week
"You're not a hot dog!"- Quoting Laura Kirby while she kicked a bookshelf laying on the sidewalk and in frustration of still being a 6 block walk from a hot dog. Rabble-B
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Did you think they were telling the truth?
This article is great. I mean, come on, when could we ever trust a big oil company? And you knew it was going to be a fucking mess when Haliburton was involved. Pull your head out of your ass people (that means you congress). I love the part about the professor from Purdue. He came out with those figures a couple weeks ago and BP blew him off and claimed he over inflated the figures. Well, guess what?... Rabble-B
Washington (CNN) -- BP acknowledged Thursday that the gusher of oil pouring from its damaged Gulf of Mexico well is bigger than estimated to date, as new video showed a cloud of crude billowing around its undersea siphon.
Company spokesman Mark Proegler said Thursday that the siphon is now drawing about 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) a day up to a ship on the surface. That's as much as government and company officials had estimated the spill was pouring into the Gulf every day for a month. Proegler declined to estimate how much more oil was escaping.
BP America Chairman Lamar McKay said Wednesday the figure used by the oil spill response team had a degree of uncertainty built into it. But figures by independent researchers have run up to many times higher: Steve Wereley, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University, told CNN's "American Morning" that the spill could be as big as 20,000 to 100,000 barrels a day.
And members of Congress released video from the company that showed much more oil pouring out of the damaged well than the siphon was capturing.
"Most of the oil is gushing like mad out there, with just a little bit being siphoned off, which tells you there is a much greater volume than BP said," California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, the chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said Thursday.
And Rep. Ed Markey, who leads a House subcommittee investigating the disaster, told reporters, "I think now we are beginning to understand that we cannot trust BP."
"People do not trust the experts any longer," said Markey, D-Massachusetts. "BP has lost all credibility. Now the decisions will have to be made by others, because it is clear that they have been hiding the actual consequences of this spill."
The Obama administration Thursday ordered BP to release all data related to the massive oil spill, telling the company that Americans deserve "nothing less than complete transparency."
The order, delivered in a letter to British-based BP Group CEO Tony Hayward, demands that BP release sampling and monitoring plans, internal investigation reports and video from the company and its contractors.
"In responding to this oil spill, it is critical that all actions be conducted in a transparent manner, with all data and information related to the spill readily available to the United States Government and the American people," wrote Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Lisa Jackson, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
They concluded, "The public and the United States government are entitled to nothing less than complete transparency in this matter."
The spill began with an April 20 explosion and fire that sank the drill rig Deepwater Horizon two days later. Eleven workers were lost with the rig, which was owned by drilling contractor Transocean and hired by BP.
The resulting slick now threatens the coastal marshes of southeastern Louisiana, where brown, syrupy oil made it past protective booms and into the wetlands near the mouth of the Mississippi River on Wednesday.
Over the weekend, BP inserted a piece of pipe into the larger of the two leak points and began drawing oil from the undersea gusher, located about a mile underwater, up to a ship on the surface. It also has been laying booms out along barrier islands and spraying hundreds of thousands of gallons of chemical dispersants on the surface and near the sources of the leak.
But that element of the response came under new fire as well on Thursday, as the Environmental Protection Agency ordered BP to find a less toxic chemical to use to break up the oil.
The EPA gave the company a day to pick a new substance and three days to start using it instead of the current dispersant, known as Corexit 9500. The chemical has been rated more toxic and less effective than many others on the list of 18 EPA-approved dispersants, according to testimony at a congressional hearing Wednesday.
"Because of its use in unprecedented volumes and because much is unknown about the underwater use of dispersants, EPA wants to ensure BP is using the least toxic product authorized for use," the agency said in a statement announcing the order. "We reserve the right to discontinue the use of this dispersant method if any negative impacts on the environment outweigh the benefits."
Corexit 9500 includes petroleum distillates, propylene glycol and a proprietary organic sulfonic salt, and prolonged contact with it can cause eye or skin irritation, according to the manufacturer's material data safety sheet. The document warns that "repeated or prolonged exposure may irritate the respiratory tract."
But BP says Corexit is biodegradable, has been approved by the EPA and the Coast Guard and is "readily available in the quantities required" by a response plan approved by the government before the spill.
"It has been very effective in causing the oil to form into small, isolated droplets that remain suspended until they're either eaten by naturally occurring microbes, evaporate, are picked up or dissolve," the company said. But it added, "At the same time, we are conducting ongoing assessment of alternative or supplemental dispersant products."
Meanwhile, BP is readying a new attempt to plug the leak for Sunday by injecting a large amount of heavy "mud" -- a fluid used as a lubricant and counterweight in drilling operations -- into the well bore. If that succeeds, the well will be cemented shut, officials have said.
"Everything is being done to make sure that happens," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, whose department oversees offshore oil drilling, told CNN's "American Morning" Thursday. "We have the best scientists in the world who are overseeing what is going on. So, we are hopeful that it will happen soon."
Salazar said BP, which leased the rig from Transocean, has tried many techniques to stop the leaking. and the government will do all in its power to hold them accountable.
"They're putting a lot of hope on that Sunday," he said. "We'll see if it happens."
Salazar announced Wednesday that he was dividing the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, which regulates oil exploration, into three divisions. The agency has come under fire since long before the spill, and Salzar said it would be reorganized to separate what he called the conflicting duties of regulating oil companies and collecting royalties from them.
"We inherited here what was a legacy of an agency that essentially was rubber-stamping whatever it was that the oil and gas industry wanted," Salazar said. "We have been on a reform agenda from Day One."
Another Democrat, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, called on Washington to send more oil revenues sent to Gulf Coast states to help businesses and communities affected by the spill. Landrieu is a strong booster of offshore drilling, but told reporters Thursday the spill has been "a horror movie right now in front of us."
Landrieu said she wants almost 40 percent of oil revenue the federal government collects from leases in the Gulf Coast region to immediately go to the affected states instead of waiting until 2017. While offshore oil is a federal resource, she said, Gulf Coast states bear "almost 100 percent of the risk."
BP: Oil gusher bigger than we estimated
May 20, 2010 5:42 p.m. EDT
New video shows oil rig shortly after explosion
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Company spokesman Mark Proegler said Thursday that the siphon is now drawing about 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) a day up to a ship on the surface. That's as much as government and company officials had estimated the spill was pouring into the Gulf every day for a month. Proegler declined to estimate how much more oil was escaping.
BP America Chairman Lamar McKay said Wednesday the figure used by the oil spill response team had a degree of uncertainty built into it. But figures by independent researchers have run up to many times higher: Steve Wereley, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University, told CNN's "American Morning" that the spill could be as big as 20,000 to 100,000 barrels a day.
And members of Congress released video from the company that showed much more oil pouring out of the damaged well than the siphon was capturing.
"Most of the oil is gushing like mad out there, with just a little bit being siphoned off, which tells you there is a much greater volume than BP said," California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, the chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said Thursday.
And Rep. Ed Markey, who leads a House subcommittee investigating the disaster, told reporters, "I think now we are beginning to understand that we cannot trust BP."
"People do not trust the experts any longer," said Markey, D-Massachusetts. "BP has lost all credibility. Now the decisions will have to be made by others, because it is clear that they have been hiding the actual consequences of this spill."
The Obama administration Thursday ordered BP to release all data related to the massive oil spill, telling the company that Americans deserve "nothing less than complete transparency."
"In responding to this oil spill, it is critical that all actions be conducted in a transparent manner, with all data and information related to the spill readily available to the United States Government and the American people," wrote Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Lisa Jackson, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
They concluded, "The public and the United States government are entitled to nothing less than complete transparency in this matter."
The spill began with an April 20 explosion and fire that sank the drill rig Deepwater Horizon two days later. Eleven workers were lost with the rig, which was owned by drilling contractor Transocean and hired by BP.
The resulting slick now threatens the coastal marshes of southeastern Louisiana, where brown, syrupy oil made it past protective booms and into the wetlands near the mouth of the Mississippi River on Wednesday.
Over the weekend, BP inserted a piece of pipe into the larger of the two leak points and began drawing oil from the undersea gusher, located about a mile underwater, up to a ship on the surface. It also has been laying booms out along barrier islands and spraying hundreds of thousands of gallons of chemical dispersants on the surface and near the sources of the leak.
But that element of the response came under new fire as well on Thursday, as the Environmental Protection Agency ordered BP to find a less toxic chemical to use to break up the oil.
The EPA gave the company a day to pick a new substance and three days to start using it instead of the current dispersant, known as Corexit 9500. The chemical has been rated more toxic and less effective than many others on the list of 18 EPA-approved dispersants, according to testimony at a congressional hearing Wednesday.
"Because of its use in unprecedented volumes and because much is unknown about the underwater use of dispersants, EPA wants to ensure BP is using the least toxic product authorized for use," the agency said in a statement announcing the order. "We reserve the right to discontinue the use of this dispersant method if any negative impacts on the environment outweigh the benefits."
Corexit 9500 includes petroleum distillates, propylene glycol and a proprietary organic sulfonic salt, and prolonged contact with it can cause eye or skin irritation, according to the manufacturer's material data safety sheet. The document warns that "repeated or prolonged exposure may irritate the respiratory tract."
But BP says Corexit is biodegradable, has been approved by the EPA and the Coast Guard and is "readily available in the quantities required" by a response plan approved by the government before the spill.
"It has been very effective in causing the oil to form into small, isolated droplets that remain suspended until they're either eaten by naturally occurring microbes, evaporate, are picked up or dissolve," the company said. But it added, "At the same time, we are conducting ongoing assessment of alternative or supplemental dispersant products."
Meanwhile, BP is readying a new attempt to plug the leak for Sunday by injecting a large amount of heavy "mud" -- a fluid used as a lubricant and counterweight in drilling operations -- into the well bore. If that succeeds, the well will be cemented shut, officials have said.
"Everything is being done to make sure that happens," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, whose department oversees offshore oil drilling, told CNN's "American Morning" Thursday. "We have the best scientists in the world who are overseeing what is going on. So, we are hopeful that it will happen soon."
Salazar said BP, which leased the rig from Transocean, has tried many techniques to stop the leaking. and the government will do all in its power to hold them accountable.
"They're putting a lot of hope on that Sunday," he said. "We'll see if it happens."
Salazar announced Wednesday that he was dividing the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, which regulates oil exploration, into three divisions. The agency has come under fire since long before the spill, and Salzar said it would be reorganized to separate what he called the conflicting duties of regulating oil companies and collecting royalties from them.
"We inherited here what was a legacy of an agency that essentially was rubber-stamping whatever it was that the oil and gas industry wanted," Salazar said. "We have been on a reform agenda from Day One."
Another Democrat, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, called on Washington to send more oil revenues sent to Gulf Coast states to help businesses and communities affected by the spill. Landrieu is a strong booster of offshore drilling, but told reporters Thursday the spill has been "a horror movie right now in front of us."
Landrieu said she wants almost 40 percent of oil revenue the federal government collects from leases in the Gulf Coast region to immediately go to the affected states instead of waiting until 2017. While offshore oil is a federal resource, she said, Gulf Coast states bear "almost 100 percent of the risk."
"Wyoming is not at risk of this oil spill. New Mexico is not at risk in this oil spill. You know, Kansas is not at risk in this oil spill," she said. "The states at risk, the economies at risk, are the people of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, and other coastal states, potentially even up the Atlantic."
What the fuck KFC?!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Pebble Mine
Shit, it's been way to long and I've got a lot of rabblin' pent up in me so I'm going to educate you all on the wonderful (read, completely fucked up) proposed Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska. Hope you packed a lunch.
The Pebble Mine has the potential to create the largest environmental disaster in recent history but the mine is not yet a reality. It has still to be dug so, in theory, there is still a chance to save Alaska from the horror it will inflict. A Canadian company, Northern Dynasty has proposed to build what would be one of the very largest mines in the world. They want to dig for gold and copper. The is mining for gold and copper involves extremely toxic chemicals like arsenic, cyanide, sulfuric acid and heavy metals like lead and mercury. All those chemicals are dangerous and potentially deadly to humans and critters. They propose to build a giant toxic lake to contain the mine tailings. This lake would cover 20 square miles and be held back by the largest dam in North America. Take a second and think about how fucking retardedly enormous that is. It gets better. They want to construct the mine at the headwaters of the Koktuli River and Upper Talarik Creek, among others. These waterways feed Lake Illiamna and the Nushagak River and eventually find their way to Bristol Bay. The Bristol Bay region harbor the greatest fisheries on the planet. Five species of pacific salmon, rainbow trout, Arctic Char, Dolly Varden, Grayling and more call these rivers, lakes and creeks home. Bristol Bay is a wild and pristine stronghold for animals and fish of all kinds. Now what happens when those ultra toxic mine tailings leak into the surrounding rivers and lakes? What happens when the dam fails (Bristol Bay is a very seismically active part of the world)? All that shit flows downstream and kills everything in its path. No more salmon, trout, whatever. All gone, for some jewelery. Really. Fuck that. A Pebble Mine disaster would make the Gulf Oil spill look like a couple oil spots on your driveway. The Pebble Mine has the potential to destroy millions of fish and render the surrounding environment sterile. Besides the environmental impact the economic impact is huge. The reality is the fisheries in Bristol Bay, both commercial and recreational, are far more valuable than the minerals the mine would yield. 25 million salmon are harvested from Bristol Bay commercially each year. Those are salmon that you buy at the store. You think salmon is expensive now? After the Pebble Mine leaks shit all over the region how much do you think a salmon fillet will go for? The amount of money generated by the entire Bristol Bay fishery is $400 million a year. And that's every year. The mine might produce more money for a short period of time but it is not sustainable. For the hardcore economist the best part is that the state of Alaska gets basically no benefit from the whole operation. Oil royalties for the state are 10%. Mining royalties are 1%. All the money gets funneled into Northern Dynasty. Even though the mine is still in planning stages Northern Dynasty has spent millions on a PR campaign to show the mine in a good light. Northern Dynasty would like you to know that the Pebble Mine would create jobs and bring money into a far flung region of the country already battling poverty, poor education and a harsh environment. People would be much better off with the mine in their backyards. In reality it will ruin the way of life Alaskan have carved out for themselves, often far away from everything else for a reason. The bottom line in this piece of the puzzle is that Northern Dynasty is full of shit and will tell the populous anything to get them on their side. Polls show however, that 75%+ of the native population is against the Pebble Mine construction. That may not matter though because money talks and Northern Dynasty has plenty to spend. Oh, yeah, and Sarah Palin had a great chance to stop the mine in its tracks but didn't. Shes came out against an Alaska state bill that would've effectively ended the battle for the mine due to clean water violations. But, that bill didn't pass. I mean fuckin' a', even the old shit bag Ted Stevens is against the Pebble Mine. So Fuck You Northern Dynasty, Fuck You Canada, Fuck You Sarah Palin, and Fuck You if you support the Pebble Mine. If you buy gold make sure you buy from a company, like Tiffany (seriously) that has vowed not to buy any Pebble Mine gold. But don't buy diamonds from Tiffany, that's a whole 'nother rabble. The rabble barely scratched the surface of the Pebble Mine debacle but read more about it, including more specific statistics, on any or all of the websites below. And watch the film Red Gold. It's really good. Rabble-B
Renewable Resources Coalition
Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska
Red Gold
The Pebble Mine has the potential to create the largest environmental disaster in recent history but the mine is not yet a reality. It has still to be dug so, in theory, there is still a chance to save Alaska from the horror it will inflict. A Canadian company, Northern Dynasty has proposed to build what would be one of the very largest mines in the world. They want to dig for gold and copper. The is mining for gold and copper involves extremely toxic chemicals like arsenic, cyanide, sulfuric acid and heavy metals like lead and mercury. All those chemicals are dangerous and potentially deadly to humans and critters. They propose to build a giant toxic lake to contain the mine tailings. This lake would cover 20 square miles and be held back by the largest dam in North America. Take a second and think about how fucking retardedly enormous that is. It gets better. They want to construct the mine at the headwaters of the Koktuli River and Upper Talarik Creek, among others. These waterways feed Lake Illiamna and the Nushagak River and eventually find their way to Bristol Bay. The Bristol Bay region harbor the greatest fisheries on the planet. Five species of pacific salmon, rainbow trout, Arctic Char, Dolly Varden, Grayling and more call these rivers, lakes and creeks home. Bristol Bay is a wild and pristine stronghold for animals and fish of all kinds. Now what happens when those ultra toxic mine tailings leak into the surrounding rivers and lakes? What happens when the dam fails (Bristol Bay is a very seismically active part of the world)? All that shit flows downstream and kills everything in its path. No more salmon, trout, whatever. All gone, for some jewelery. Really. Fuck that. A Pebble Mine disaster would make the Gulf Oil spill look like a couple oil spots on your driveway. The Pebble Mine has the potential to destroy millions of fish and render the surrounding environment sterile. Besides the environmental impact the economic impact is huge. The reality is the fisheries in Bristol Bay, both commercial and recreational, are far more valuable than the minerals the mine would yield. 25 million salmon are harvested from Bristol Bay commercially each year. Those are salmon that you buy at the store. You think salmon is expensive now? After the Pebble Mine leaks shit all over the region how much do you think a salmon fillet will go for? The amount of money generated by the entire Bristol Bay fishery is $400 million a year. And that's every year. The mine might produce more money for a short period of time but it is not sustainable. For the hardcore economist the best part is that the state of Alaska gets basically no benefit from the whole operation. Oil royalties for the state are 10%. Mining royalties are 1%. All the money gets funneled into Northern Dynasty. Even though the mine is still in planning stages Northern Dynasty has spent millions on a PR campaign to show the mine in a good light. Northern Dynasty would like you to know that the Pebble Mine would create jobs and bring money into a far flung region of the country already battling poverty, poor education and a harsh environment. People would be much better off with the mine in their backyards. In reality it will ruin the way of life Alaskan have carved out for themselves, often far away from everything else for a reason. The bottom line in this piece of the puzzle is that Northern Dynasty is full of shit and will tell the populous anything to get them on their side. Polls show however, that 75%+ of the native population is against the Pebble Mine construction. That may not matter though because money talks and Northern Dynasty has plenty to spend. Oh, yeah, and Sarah Palin had a great chance to stop the mine in its tracks but didn't. Shes came out against an Alaska state bill that would've effectively ended the battle for the mine due to clean water violations. But, that bill didn't pass. I mean fuckin' a', even the old shit bag Ted Stevens is against the Pebble Mine. So Fuck You Northern Dynasty, Fuck You Canada, Fuck You Sarah Palin, and Fuck You if you support the Pebble Mine. If you buy gold make sure you buy from a company, like Tiffany (seriously) that has vowed not to buy any Pebble Mine gold. But don't buy diamonds from Tiffany, that's a whole 'nother rabble. The rabble barely scratched the surface of the Pebble Mine debacle but read more about it, including more specific statistics, on any or all of the websites below. And watch the film Red Gold. It's really good. Rabble-B
Renewable Resources Coalition
Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska
Red Gold
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Trivial Pursuit
You know I always thought I liked trivia, until last night. It's fun to try to answer questions and play board games or bar trivia. Maybe you'll win a beer or something. But as I think about now I really hate trivia. It's garbage that I really don't give a shit about. I also have a problem with what passes for trivia. Pop culture, celebrities, sports, that's truly trivia. Who gives a shit? It doesn't affect the real world. The subjects that intrigue me, history, philosophy, literature, geo-political world geography, are not trivia, they're important to life and affect the way we live and think about our existence as humans interacting with each other and the planet. So, fuck off E! News and US Weekly. Yes, Zach Braff, I sometimes watch Scrubs reruns, they're often amusing, but for what truly matters, your tv shows and movies do not really hold up against civil wars and environmental impacts of strip mining. And your hair is fucking stupid too. So how about we have a game called What You Know About Shit That Matters Pursuit or Bar Real Life Night? What? Give up? The reason we don't have those things is no one would play. So yeah, I hate trivia. Rabble-B
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Yikes!
Just heard about this. I am a casual Dylan listener and I'd always heard this and that about Dylan ripping people off, kind of like Zeppelin, but Joni Mitchell on your ass? Yikes man, better put on your hard hat Bob. Rabble-B
The interviewer asked Mitchell about the folk scene of the 1970s and the different personas that came about during that time, prompting him to say, "The folk scene you came out of had fun creating personas. You were born Roberta Joan Anderson, and someone named Bobby Zimmerman became Bob Dylan."
To this, Joni Mitchell replied:
Bob is not authentic at all. He's a plagiarist, and his name and voice are fake. Everything about Bob is a deception. We are like night and day, he and I.
As for my name, my parents wanted a boy, so they called me Robert John; when I came out a girl, they just added two letter “A's” to that. Then I married Chuck Mitchell; I wanted to keep my maiden name -- I had a bit of a following as Joni Anderson -- but he wouldn’t let me.— Joni Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, April 22, 2010
Some related articles:
Full LA Times Article
Breitbart Commentary
Phoenix New Times
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Sandals With Socks
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Fucking Haliburton
Lets revisit my March 31st post about drilling. I think I remember chastising Obama for expanding oil drilling opportunities in US coastal waters. And then, boom two months later a fucking oil rig of the Gulf Coast explodes, kills 11 people and is currently pumping 200,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean per day! The Exxon Valdez spill that fucked up Prince William Sound spewed 11 million gallons and that was an ecological fucking disaster. Well, were catching up everyday and soon enough this one might beat the Exxon spill and then we can throw a party for most fucked up (human caused) environmental disaster in recent history. Yeah! And the best part, BP who operated the well had no contingency plan in the even t of such a disaster. They didn't feel it necessary to come up with an emergency plan because they didn't think it was likely for anything bad to happen. How the fuck did they get away with that? Put enough money in peoples pockets and energy on the market and safety takes a back seat. Surely not the first time that's happened, this year. I remember something not to long ago about a mine disaster in West Virginia... So sure Obama, this is exactly what we need, more drilling. Maybe it's some ironic timing but you kind of look like an idiot right now.
And guess who's partially to blame? Any guesses? No? Fucking Haliburton! No kidding. Good old Dick Cheney and friends. I read they didn't cause the explosion necessarily but apparently they were contracted to seal the pipeline underwater and did a shit job and the seal burst and is now what's leaking oil all over Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. I can't wait until it gets to the everglades and soaks all those stupid manatees. Those things are such assholes, they deserve to get coated in oil. So cheers to the environment. Suck on this one Earth! To read some real journalism about the incident and spill fallout check out the links below. Rabble-B
Wall Street Journal Article
AP Article
Another AP Article
And guess who's partially to blame? Any guesses? No? Fucking Haliburton! No kidding. Good old Dick Cheney and friends. I read they didn't cause the explosion necessarily but apparently they were contracted to seal the pipeline underwater and did a shit job and the seal burst and is now what's leaking oil all over Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. I can't wait until it gets to the everglades and soaks all those stupid manatees. Those things are such assholes, they deserve to get coated in oil. So cheers to the environment. Suck on this one Earth! To read some real journalism about the incident and spill fallout check out the links below. Rabble-B
Wall Street Journal Article
AP Article
Another AP Article
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