Finally a Glimmer of Hope For the Disaster in the Gulf? No, Not Really!!

                  28 Days in to the Worst Man-Made Ecological Disaster in History,
                                 (The BP/DeepwaterHorizon/Halliburton Oil Spill)
                                    BP Has Announced Its First (meager) Success.

But Is It Too Little - Too Late?

BP workers have managed to fit a slightly smaller pipe into the larger damaged pipe at the Deepwater Horizon/Halliburton Oil Spill in the "Gulf of Cheney".  They finally, it seems have begun to capture some of the spewing oil.  "Approximately 1,000 barrels a day" BP officials said proudly. "That's about 1/5 or 20%" they gloated.

Now wait just a minute here - I think we need to take a look at that math!
 
1,000 barrels would equal 20%.  If the spill were, as BP continues to claim, only 5,000 barrels a day.  Unfortunately however, All Independent Scientific Sources estimate that the broken well is actually spilling, somewhere between 70,000 and 100,000 Barrels a Day.  So if my math is correct.  They may be only siphoning off as little as 1% of the current spill.

This at a time, when according to the Miami Herald, Scientists are saying the already-spilled oil may be getting closer to South Florida.

Satellite images taken Sunday by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory show that the oil may have already entered the Gulf Loop Current.  Which could pull it through the Florida Keys in about 7 to 10 days.  And, eventually into South Florida according to an analysis by Mitch Roffer, a Florida-based Oceanographer. 

I think it's worth noting that once in South Florida.  The oil becomes a part of the Gulf Stream, which of course runs up almost the entire East Coast of the United States.

I'm sorry BP, but using the equivalent of a "Mile-Long Straw" to suck up a relatively insignificant amount of oil is hardly what I would call a solution.

  Just Thinking


Please feel free to comment below, ( just click on the word "Comments" if the panel is not open). Or you can e-mail me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.  And don't forget to check out my new blog   Agnostic Thinking  found at the following address...    http://www.AgnosticThinking.BlogSpot.Com/  Dedicated just to Agnostic/Atheism, Rational Thinking, Gay Subculture And Related Topics.

President Obama Finally Addresses The BP Oil Spill!

On April 20, 2010 the Worst Man-Made Ecological Disaster in the History of Mankind occurred in the Gulf of Mexico.  Today some 3 1/2 weeks later, President Obama has finally addressed the issue head on and expressed Outrage and Disgust...




While I welcome the President's Moratorium on All New Offshore Drilling.  I Think It Should Be a Permanent Ban and not just a temporary one.  Taking 30 days to further study the issue doesn't sound like genuine outrage and disgust to me.  Nor does it sound like a serious solution.  It sounds more like polite lip service to a politically volatile topic that's too hot to handle right now.

I Would Personally Prefer and Immediate Halt to All Deep Water Drilling (i.e. drilling at depths of more than 1000 feet).  According to the Associated Press, there are at least 30 other drilling platforms currently operating in the Gulf of Mexico alone. They are all using the same kind of reckless technology that made this environmental catastrophe possible. 

Technology that the "Tea Party Crowd" has routinely endorsed by chanting "Drill Baby Drill". 

Technology that the industry has always called "Fail-Safe". 

Technology that John McCain and Sarah Palin called "Proven and Foolproof ". 

Technology that on March 31, 2010 - The President himself called, "Completely Safe and Reliable". 

Then on April 20, 2010 just three short weeks later, this disaster happened.  Now I don't know for sure, if the President is really outraged and disgusted or not.  But I do know this much, I Sure Am!

Just Thinking

 Please feel free to comment below, ( just click on the word "Comments" if the panel is not open). Or you can e-mail me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.  And don't forget to check out my new blog   Agnostic Thinking  found at the following address...    http://www.AgnosticThinking.BlogSpot.Com/  Dedicated just to Agnostic/Atheism, Rational Thinking, Gay Subculture And Related Topics.

BP Oil Spill Is 10 Times Worse Than Estimated!

NPR said today that new data obtained by them shows that oil gushing out of the Deepwater Horizon pipe on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico is at least 10 times the U.S. Coast Guard's original estimate.



The U.S. Coast Guard had estimated that oil was gushing from a broken pipe on the Gulf floor at the rate of 5,000 barrels a day.

But sophisticated scientific analysis of sea floor video made available Wednesday by the oil company BP shows that the true figure is closer to 70,000 barrels a day, NPR's Richard Harris reports.

That means the oil spilling into the Gulf has already far exceeded the equivalent of the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker accident in Alaska, which spilled at least 250,000 barrels of oil.

The analysis was conducted by Steve Werely, an associate professor at Purdue University, using a technique called particle image velocimetry. Harris tells Michele Norris that the method is accurate to about 20 percent. That means the flow could range between 56,000 barrels a day and 84,000 barrels a day.

Another analysis by Eugene Chiang, a professor of astrophysics at the University of California Berkeley, calculated the rate of flow to be between 20,000 barrels a day and 100,000 barrels a day — both higher than the Coast Guard's estimate.

But the pipe is spewing both Oil and Natural Gas and the BP does not make it clear how much is oil and how much is gas.

"BP has always said there is no way to measure the amount spilling from the pipe," Harris said.

But, he said, the uncertainty could be reduced if BP would share more information with the scientists.

Gee, I wonder why they're not choosing to do that? 

P. S.  The Obama Administration is still standing by its March 31st decision to Expand Offshore Oil Drilling.  In fact,  just yesterday the President gave his support to the  Lieberman, Kerry Energy Bill   which calls for the same.

Just Thinking

Please feel free to comment below, ( just click on the word "Comments" if the panel is not open). Or you can e-mail me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.  And don't forget to check out my new blog   Agnostic Thinking  found at the following address...    http://www.AgnosticThinking.BlogSpot.Com/  Dedicated just to Agnostic/Atheism, Rational Thinking, Gay Subculture And Related Topics.

Please Tell President Obama to Stop All New Offshore Oil Drilling Now!

You would think that in light of the current Oil Spill Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico a moratorium on all offshore wells would be a given.  But apparently not, President Obama still seems to be standing by his decision to Expand rather than Stop offshore drilling.  If you are as outraged by this as I am.  I urge you to consider signing this petition from the Sierra Club...

 Targeting: The President of the United States

 Sponsored by: Sierra Club
 
The BP Deepwater Horizon drilling-rig disaster is expected to become one of the largest oil disasters in North American history. It has claimed the lives of 11 workers and now threatens Gulf coast waters, beaches, wildlife and communities.

We need President Obama to stop all new drilling off America's coasts immediately and permanently. The Gulf coast will be impacted by this tragedy for years to come and President Obama has the power to make sure this never happens again.

Instead of risking our lives, our coasts, our clean air, and our security by perpetuating our addiction to oil, it's time to build a clean energy economy that means more jobs, less pollution, and real energy independence

Sign this petition and tell President Obama stop the expansion of is dirty, dangerous, and deadly offshore oil drilling -- permanently.

Just click on the following link to sign the petition...

                          Click Here To Sign The Sierra Club Petition 


Just Thinking

Please feel free to comment below, ( just click on the word "Comments" if the panel is not open). Or you can e-mail me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.  And don't forget to check out my new blog   Agnostic Thinking  found at the following address...    http://www.AgnosticThinking.BlogSpot.Com/  Dedicated just to Agnostic/Atheism, Rational Thinking, Gay Subculture And Related Topics.

Drill Baby Drill! Drill Baby Drill! Drill Baby Drill!

At the 2008 Republican National Convention John McCain, Sarah Palin, and the Republican National Committee all assured us that it was perfectly safe to open up more of our Coastal Waters and even some of our National Parks to additional oil drilling.   Drill baby Drill was the chant as the crowd went absolutely wild and big oil executives smiled! 

Which is why I suppose environmentalists everywhere cheered when the Republicans lost the election later that same year.  Their victory was short-lived, however, as it was later to be revealed that big oil may have actually won anyway. 

On March 31 of this year President Obama  announced  his own plans to expand offshore oil drilling.  A position he had adamantly opposed during the presidential campaign.  But now viewed as a Safe and Viable Option. 

President Bush had tried for years and years to expand oil drilling off the coast of Florida. 

President Obama seems to have accomplished it in less than 15 months. 

And now less than three weeks after President Obama's announcement,  This Happens...

That's Right,  "Tragedy in the Gulf"  - when 11 Men Die in an Oil Rig Explosion off the Coasts of Louisiana and Florida.  This as we were being assured that modern technology had made such drilling Virtually Safe and Risk Free.

As the oil rig eventually sinks.  BP officials, the US Coast Guard, and the administration are all once again assuring us that despite the unfortunate loss of life an environmental disaster has been averted because no oil is leaking from the sunken rig.

Then just a few days later, this happens...

Officials reveal that last week’s oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico has created a Catastrophic Oil Spill. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the sunken Deepwater Horizon oil rig is now leaking an average of a 42,000 gallons of crude oil per day. BP, which leased Deepwater Horizon from Transocean LTD, is working to clean up the mess, which poses a major threat to the fragile Gulf ecosystem.  An area that is used as a source for over 40% of America's seafood.

Not to mention the fact that the spill is just days away from coming ashore on the Florida and Louisiana coastlines.

In light of this and the recent West Virginia coal mine disaster, it should be clear that we need to find a way to end our dependency on fossil fuels.  Drill Baby Drill Is Obviously Not the Answer!

Did you know that China is actually the world leader in researching Wind, Solar, Hydrogen and Other Alternative Energy Resources. 

  Just Thinking 

Please feel free to comment below, ( just click on the word "Comments" if the panel is not open). Or you can e-mail me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.  And don't forget to check out my new blog   Agnostic Thinking  found at the following address...    http://www.AgnosticThinking.BlogSpot.Com/  Dedicated just to Agnostic/Atheism, Rational Thinking, Gay Subculture And Related Topics.

A Mothers Day Story!

The following is an animated Mother's Day story from NPR's  StoryCorps.  It features Joshua Littman, a 12-year-old boy with  Asperger's  Syndrome,  interviewing his mother, Sarah.  Joshua’s unique questions and Sarah’s loving, unguarded answers reveal a beautiful relationship that reminds us of the best—and the most challenging—parts of being a mother.
 

Q&A from StoryCorps on Vimeo.


Happy Mother's Day Everyone! 

Just Thinking

Please feel free to comment below, ( just click on the word "Comments" if the panel is not open). Or you can e-mail me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.  And don't forget to check out my new blog   Agnostic Thinking  found at the following address...    http://www.AgnosticThinking.BlogSpot.Com/  Dedicated just to Agnostic/Atheism, Rational Thinking, Gay Subculture And Related Topics.

Miami's MAST Academy Is Strong Contender for Presidential Commencement Speech

President Obama recently promised to speak at a high school's graduation somewhere in the United States later this year.  To be considered, he asked schools to submit a 3 to 4 minute video and a brief essay about their accomplishments. 

The competition has been narrowed down to six finalists, and I'm happy to report that Miami's Maritime And Science Technology school  Mast Academy  has made the final cut. Take a moment to view the video they submitted...





Blog update: 

Congratulations to Kalamazoo Central High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the winner of the 2010 Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge!

   http://www.whitehouse.gov/commencement

And congratulations once again to Miami MAST Academy for making the top finals and being honored as one of the best high schools in the country.

         Just Thinking

Please feel free to comment below, ( just click on the word "Comments" if the panel is not open). Or you can e-mail me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.  And don't forget to check out my new blog   Agnostic Thinking  found at the following address...    http://www.AgnosticThinking.BlogSpot.Com/  Dedicated just to Agnostic/Atheism, Rational Thinking, Gay Subculture And Related Topics.

Rush Limbaugh Promised to Leave the Country, And Move to Costa Rica If Health Care Reform Passed - But Apparently He's Not a Man of His Word!

.
No he's is not, since unfortunately he still resides right here in South Florida.  Broadcasting His Deceitful Misleading Diatribes from His Home in Boca Raton on a Daily Basis.  Which for Me, Is Much Too Close for Comfort!

But Perhaps There Is Hope!  Now comes word that the  DSCC  (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) Wants to provide him with a an airplane ticket and a boarding pass

to his stated destination of choice,  Costa Rica  If you take a moment to read the Boarding Pass, you'll notice that Rush is booked on the very full of hot air and well known airline  TEA BAG AIR   the ticket is of course class appropriate (none) and will include his  Frequent Liar Miles  as well as a full three course meal (so there'll be no chance of the big fat buffoon wasting away during the flight).  It seems they thought of everything, they even remembered to make it a One Way Ticket.

So if you'd like to encourage The Great Rushbo to accept the ticket and get the F*ck Out of the Country Now, than please join me and others by signing this DSCC petition.  Click Here To Sign 

Wouldn't it be great if he really left?  Yes, I realize he could still broadcast from down there, but at least he wouldn't be living so uncomfortably close. 

Just Thinking

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And don't forget to check out my new blog   Agnostic Thinking  found at the following address...   

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Rush limbaugh is a Big Fat Liar

Miami in the News - We're Number One!

-
That's Right, Of the 10 Major U.S. Cities in Economic Free Fall - Miami Is Number One!

According to  Forbes Magazine We Have the Worst Housing Market in the Nation.  Since I've been looking to sell my house for about three years now.  That's certainly no surprise to me. 

But it's not just South Florida that's in Economic Free Fall.  Apparently the entire Sunshine State is doing badly.  In addition to Miami and Ft. Lauderdale the top 10 list also included Tampa, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville and Orlando.  That means a total of Six Florida Cities are among the Worst in the Nation.  The list also included other notoriously bad economic markets, like Phoenix Arizona, Las Vegas Nevada and Southern California in general.  But Miami and Fort Lauderdale were tied for number one.  Here's the entire list...

Forbes Magazine U.S. Cities in Economic Freefall.

1. Tie -  Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

2. Tie - Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida

3. Tie - Riverside and San Bernardino, California

4. Jacksonville, Florida

5. Phoenix, Arizona

6. Orlando, Florida

7. Tie - Los Angeles and Long Beach, California

8. Sacramento, California

9. Las Vegas, Nevada

10. Providence, Rhode Island

It's worth noting that this list by no means represents the worst economies in the country, but rather the cities who have fallen most since the Bush Recession began in 2007.  Forbes used a combination of economic statistics to compile the list, including unemployment rates, housing prices, new construction permits and several other pertinent economic factors.

Just Thinking

Please feel free to comment below, ( just click on the word "Comments" if the panel is not open). Or you can e-mail me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted. 

And don't forget to check out my new blog   Agnostic Thinking  found at the following address...   

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Oil Rig Explodes in Gulf Of Mexico!

A "Deepwater Horizon" drilling rig, operated by BP oil Corporation, exploded today in the Gulf of Mexico. 17 platform workers were injured and at least 11 others are still unaccounted for.

This is a picture of the rig before the explosion.

Remarkably, according to BP officials, little or no oil has leaked into the Gulf of Mexico as a result of this explosion.  Apparently something called a "Blowout Preventer" has automatically shut the oil well down and prevented what could have been a major catastrophe.

I sure hope they're right, otherwise this could prove to be the kind of disaster that environmentalists have so often warned us about.


Just Thinking


Please feel free to comment below, ( just click on the word "Comments" if the panel is not open). Or you can e-mail me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.  And don't forget to check out my new blog   Agnostic Thinking  found at the following address...    http://www.AgnosticThinking.BlogSpot.Com/  Dedicated just to Agnostic/Atheism, Rational Thinking, Gay Subculture And Related Topics.

Mount Limbaugh and other Volcanic Eruptions in the News!

-
The Volatile Mount Limbaugh, Erupt's Again as he declares...
 
"... If There Is a Future Incident Such As The Oklahoma City Bombing,  the Blame Is Squarely on the Shoulders of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama."

Well, of course, now doesn't that make perfect sense.  If there's another act of domestic terrorism.  It will clearly be the fault of Bill Clinton.  All because the former president, accurately and appropriately warned us that conditions today are eerily similar to those that existed in 1995.

The Volatile, Incendiary, Rebellious and Riotous Rhetoric from the Right will have had Nothing to Do with It.

Rush, Glenn, Sean and other seditious talkshow hosts who have been continually and deliberately fanning the flames of discontent in this country, will have played no role in any new act of Domestic Insurgency.

The fact that right-wing militia groups and tea party sympathizers have held demonstrations and protests today in all 50 states, Celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing will obviously be irrelevant. 

The fact that where permitted by law, and has encouraged by the likes of Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann, many of these protesters will be armed,  Well All of That Will Be Irrelevant Too!


The only thing that matters is - that if anything does happen, according to Rush, it'll all be Clinton's fault...

Rush Limbaugh, whose outlandish opinions and inflammatory rhetoric routinely fire up wingnuts coast-to-coast has really outdone himself this time. 

Just Thinking

Please feel free to comment below, ( just click on the word "Comments" if the panel is not open). Or you can e-mail me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted. 

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Sarah Palin Is Laughing All the Way to the Bank!

ABC News  reports that since Sister Sarah stepped down as Governor of Alaska last July.  She has earned some 12,000,000 + dollars!  Well,  Thank You Jesus and how about a big "Okey-Doke" for that! 

Sarah of course claims.  The only reason she traded in her 125 grand a year salary for 12 million was to be closer to the people.  She's so Good That Way!  - She Cares, She Really Cares!

Now comes word that Ms. Palin has signed A Multimillion Dollar a Year Contract with Discovery Communications.

That's right, the Environmentally Friendly Group, Home to the "Science Channel",  "Animal Planet", "Planet Earth",  TreeHugger.Com  and of course the Discovery Channel;  will actually be hosting A Well-Known Anti-Environmentalist Like Sarah Palin.

If you agree that this is totally and completely absurd, I urge you to sign the  Credo Action Petition  asking Discovery to Cancel the Program.  It will only take a minute or two of your time and you never know.  It just might make a difference.   Click Here To Sign The Petition 

Also, help spread the word and ask your friends to sign too.

Just Thinking

Please feel free to comment below, ( just click on the word "Comments" if the panel is not open). Or you can e-mail me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted. 

And don't forget to check out my new blog   Agnostic Thinking  found at the following address...   

http://www.AgnosticThinking.BlogSpot.Com/  Dedicated just to Agnostic/Atheism, Rational Thinking, Gay Subculture And Related Topics.