Boat accident. And a lot of oil

[evilneko]

DERAILMENT

I commend those who have stayed on topic. So forgive me, because I’m going to derail a bit here since it seems my most vocal critics refuse to stay on the subject…

 

Amusing, coming from the one who has perpetuated the derailment. You showed your true colors when, despite my intention being quite clear, you twisted my words in a pathetic attack on me.

 

Anyway, your rejection of reason is clear, thus it is pointless to continue. So let us get back to the boat accident and the lot of oil. I have a topic within that scope which I think may spark some decent debate, and hasn't been mentioned (here, anyway) yet. And that is Obama's moratorium on drilling. The ban has been highly controversial, and the judge who overturned it has received a lot of flak, praise, and death threats.

 

Depending on who you ask, the moratorium either affects very few people, or tens of thousands. Personally, I think those in the former camp need to learn a few things about economics. Anyone see this post by bben46? Yeah. The spill itself is not the only thing affecting people's jobs. Thousands of people have little to no work and thus are getting little to no pay or just plain making a lot less revenue because of the moratorium alone. And these aren't low-paying jobs, either. Pay for the rig workers ranges from 50,000 to upwards of 80,000 yearly, and many of those workers only work half the year. Now they have less money to spend, which is never a good thing when the overall economy's in a recession.

 

There really was no good reason for the ban. Heck, it wasn't even good politics.

[species5478]

Amusing, coming from the one who has perpetuated the derailment. You showed your true colors when, despite my intention being quite clear, you twisted my words in a pathetic attack on me.

 

Anyway, your rejection of reason is clear, thus it is pointless to continue. So let us get back to the boat accident and the lot of oil. I have a topic within that scope which I think may spark some decent debate, and hasn't been mentioned (here, anyway) yet. And that is Obama's moratorium on drilling. The ban has been highly controversial, and the judge who overturned it has received a lot of flak, praise, and death threats.

 

Depending on who you ask, the moratorium either affects very few people, or tens of thousands. Personally, I think those in the former camp need to learn a few things about economics. Anyone see this post by bben46? Yeah. The spill itself is not the only thing affecting people's jobs. Thousands of people have little to no work and thus are getting little to no pay or just plain making a lot less revenue because of the moratorium alone. And these aren't low-paying jobs, either. Pay for the rig workers ranges from 50,000 to upwards of 80,000 yearly, and many of those workers only work half the year. Now they have less money to spend, which is never a good thing when the overall economy's in a recession.

 

There really was no good reason for the ban. Heck, it wasn't even good politics.

 

Well…how long do you want to keep this up? I'm like the Energizer Bunny. I can keep writing…and writing…and writing… Just to be clear, I never knew you. Nor said anything to you. Our very first interaction involved you, saying this about my definition of science…

 

You appear to have a fundamental misunderstanding of science. Perhaps your mistake lies in confusing the vernacular use of theory with the scientific one.

 

Facts are important, yes, but facts themselves are little more than data points, nigh useless on their own. Theory is far from a means to an end. Theory is the end, for the most part. Facts are only the beginning, the foundation upon which theory is built. Theory ties the facts together, and explains why these facts are, and how they are related. A collection of facts only gets you so far, like copy/pasting a program from a webpage into a compiler gets you a workable program, but without understanding how or why it does what it does, you cannot change it around to do something different. That understanding is what theory is, and it's absolutely crucial.

 

These are your exact words and display a prime example of the derailment which you instigated, and Mr. Ham started. If there was any attack made, you initiated it. Yet, here you are criticizing me for defending the validity of my definition. Pathetic, indeed. I am not so juvenile that you can misconstrue your stance when it is convenient. At the very least, own up to your devices and stand by your convictions; because whether on topic or not, if someone attempts to correct me with misinformation, I feel it's only right to respond with the truth. And dismissive remarks, or a retreat back into the topic after you further instigated your point, can't conceal your inapt recognition of truth. I'm displaying source material and quoting well known sources in my defense while your information seems to originate from thin air. I was trying to give you space, so that you could save face, especially after I mentioned Steven Hawkings. Since you seem incapable of understanding science or the concept of "taking a hint", I'm now speaking to others who possess the cognitive abilities of reading, interpretation, and who understand basic definitions on a grade school level. Now then…let's examine the word science.

 

"science" means "knowledge." It comes from the Latin word, "scire," "to know." The baseline definition of "science," then, is human knowledge.

 

And since Mr. Evil doesn't want to believe individuals such as Steven Hawkins, let's go with a standard, Webster's dictionary definition.

 

Webester's Dictionary Revised Edition 2010-

 

Sci´ence

 

n. 1. Knowledge; knowledge of principles and causes; ascertained truth of facts.

 

The concept of ascertaining facts may be too big of a concept for Mr. Evil to understand. Let's give him a secondary source by which to reference how one ascertains facts in correlation to science.

 

http://swiontkowski....on-science.html

 

Mr. Evil may require an additional definition befitting his level of interpretation, so let's try…

 

American Heritage Dictionary-

 

sci·ence (sī′əns)

 

noun

 

1. Archaic the state or fact of knowledge; knowledge
2. systematized knowledge derived from observation, study, and experimentation carried on in order to determine the nature or principles of what is being studied
3. any specific branch of scientific knowledge, esp. one concerned with establishing and systematizing facts, principles, and methods, as by experiments and hypotheses: the science of mathematics

Notice the phrases; establishing and systematizing facts…as by experiments and hypothesis? A hypothesis and a theory have synonymous meanings. They are guesses, and ideas whose aim is to find a conclusive theorem or fact. Theorizing defines a process of thought, and not the establishment of its intended result. If you have a theory, you do not have an answer. You have an educated guess or, hypothesis. Most people use their theories, to establish facts. But not Mr. Evil…so in case this is going over his head again...let's note a different medium…

 

Academic Press of Science & Technology-

 

1. the systematic observation of natural events and conditions in order to discover facts about them and to formulate laws and principles based on these facts. 2. the organized body of knowledge that is derived from such observations and that can be verified or tested by further investigation. 3. any specific branch of this general body of knowledge, such as biology, physics, geology, or astronomy.

 

But I'm sure the Academic Press must be wrong, too. Let's see what a person with a PhD has to say…

 

 

Science is an intellectual activity carried on by humans that is designed to discover information about the natural world in which humans live and to discover the ways in which this information can be organized into meaningful patterns. A primary aim of science is to collect facts (data). An ultimate purpose of science is to discern the order that exists between and amongst the various facts

Dr. Sheldon Gottlieb; in- a lecture series at the University of South Alabama

 

Of course, why would Mr. Evil believe a doctor? I'm sure he'd have some clever reason for rejecting or misinterpreting Gottieb's words so, we may as well end on subjective note…

 

 

A carpenter, a school teacher, and scientist were traveling by train through Scotland when they saw a black sheep through the window of the train.

"Aha," said the carpenter with a smile, "I see that Scottish sheep are black."

"Hmm," said the school teacher, "You mean that some Scottish sheep are black."

"No," said the scientist glumly, "All we know is that there is at least one sheep in Scotland, and that at least one side of that one sheep is black."

 

[species5478]

Video kinda sucks...but the point being made, was great...

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ptg-5Puk6So

[species5478]

Just a friendly reminder...

It's been over 80 days, and oil continues to spill into the gulf...

[Asciri]

Ive deleted my own post because I think it was "too controversial."

 

I think it's really bad though and they need more help to try and close the well

[Keanumoreira]

DERAILMENT

I commend those who have stayed on topic. So forgive me, because I’m going to derail a bit here since it seems my most vocal critics refuse to stay on the subject…

 

Amusing, coming from the one who has perpetuated the derailment. You showed your true colors when, despite my intention being quite clear, you twisted my words in a pathetic attack on me.

 

Anyway, your rejection of reason is clear, thus it is pointless to continue. So let us get back to the boat accident and the lot of oil. I have a topic within that scope which I think may spark some decent debate, and hasn't been mentioned (here, anyway) yet. And that is Obama's moratorium on drilling. The ban has been highly controversial, and the judge who overturned it has received a lot of flak, praise, and death threats.

 

Depending on who you ask, the moratorium either affects very few people, or tens of thousands. Personally, I think those in the former camp need to learn a few things about economics. Anyone see this post by bben46? Yeah. The spill itself is not the only thing affecting people's jobs. Thousands of people have little to no work and thus are getting little to no pay or just plain making a lot less revenue because of the moratorium alone. And these aren't low-paying jobs, either. Pay for the rig workers ranges from 50,000 to upwards of 80,000 yearly, and many of those workers only work half the year. Now they have less money to spend, which is never a good thing when the overall economy's in a recession.

 

There really was no good reason for the ban. Heck, it wasn't even good politics.

 

I don't mean to butt in, but this little quarrel between you and Species is pointless and will most likley get you banned. I would like to remind both of you that fighting and the discussion of politics is prohibited on Nexus. Please reframe from simple arguments because Species your my friend and I know your better than that and would hate to see both of you booted from the site.

[Aurielius]

I have tried to have a balanced point of view relating to BP's fiasco in the gulf, believing that the company needed to remain viable in order to pay for the damages but this article from Reuters made my blood boil. Up to this point I was not in favor of stringing BP up by it's heels, however if true we should revoke BP's drilling permits within US jurisdiction. Then bankrupt the SOB's.

 

The Senate committee said on Thursday it will ask officials of BP Plc to testify after the UK-based oil giant acknowledged that it had lobbied the British government in 2007 to agree to transfer Libyan intelligence officer Abdel Basset al-Megrahi to Tripoli. The company said it was concerned that his continued imprisonment in Scotland could negatively affect an offshore oil drilling deal with Libya."BP told the UK government that we were concerned about the slow progress that was being made in concluding a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya," BP said in a statement.

~Reuters

 

Abdel al-Megrahi was the only individual convicted of direct involvement in the Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am #101 in 1988. I know that this is a lateral movement of this thread but it does relate to the good faith issue of BP's conduct which is now in doubt in my opinion.

[ginnyfizz]

I was under the impression that the US Government were already about to revoke BP's drilling permits, which would damage the American economy even more than it would damage BP since BP are by far the biggest player in the offshore drilling stakes (as well as being a company that is mainly US owned) and if they go belly up, so does the greater part of the show in the Gulf . Smart move, Mr President, and yes I am being sarcastic.

 

I cannot believe some of the stuff I am reading about this. As a proud Briton who, nonetheless, admires the people and the nation of the USA, and who can see the faults both of my own country and of BP for sure, I am disturbed by the determination that people seem to have in this case to condemn BP without trial, and the attendant anti-British xenophobia that is being generated. Led by a President with a personal axe to grind (or so he thinks) against the British and a pressing need to try and divert attention from trouble at home. I have had plenty to say about the death of civil liberties in my own country and the seeming abolition of Habeas Corpus and the presumption of innocence. I little thought that I would see the United States going the same way of kicking into touch that same presumption of innocence.

 

I'm no friend of Abdel Basset el Megrahi, and my idea of what would be the correct thing to do with him involves "Three yards of cord and a sliding board". And if it is true that BP lobbied on behalf of this filthy murderer, it is utterly contemptible. And also utterly irrelevant to the case relating to the oil spill. It neither proves or disproves their bona fides in the oil case. Now my opinions of the European Court Of Human Rights are also unprintable, but were I the lawyer representing the BP board, I'd be advising my clients that the ECHR would overrule any extradition warrant even if the UK Government were to grant it. There will be no trial at all if this pre-judging goes on.

[species5478]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COv8U_wsLTA

 

LISTEN FOR THE "WOW", IT'S FUNNY...

 

This footage is slightly outdated, because the leak has been stopped for about two days now. If everything continues to work, this might be the end of the leak. I really hated this leak, and damage it's done to the environment. But I must admit that I'm impressed with the work done to contain the problem.

[Surenas]

I'm not impressed cos It merely reveals the lack of engagement in the development of scenarios and effective repair and prophylaxe mechanism (e.g. near-ground back pressure or cut-off valve segments) in the forefront of such a catastrophe. It was easier and cheaper at first to downplay the event for weeks...