Real news, MSM news, and faux news

POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Sunday, April 19, 2026 14:49
VIEWED: 7882
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SIGNYM

Friday, June 28, 2013 6:03 PM

There is real news and then there is the rest. Unfortunately, real news- which is about events that are life-altering for the vast majority of the population- aren't topical, funny, or horrific. It doesn't bring in the advert dollars. If I may use a RW comparison, it's like the overall debt versus the IRS "scandal": one is more important but has all the interest (heh, get it?) of a clock ticking, the other one has the attraction of a dogfight. And who doesn't like a good dogfight, right?

So, in the real news today:

The earth is still warming. Alaska is sweltering in an unprecedented heat wave, Calgary is unprecently flooded. Last year, the Danube was so low that boats lay in the riverbed, this year, there was historic flooding in Bavaria and part of Eastern Europe. The Sierra snowpack reached an unprecedented low. This is what climatologists have been predicting for a long time: Less snowpack, more droughts AND more floods. That's exactly what's happening.

-----------------

Demonstrations in Egypt, Brazil, Argentina etc. You don't hear much about Greece anymore, but Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and most of Eastern Europe are suffering from youth unemployed of 25%+. This does not bode well for places like Pakistan, which has a very large, angry, young population. It doesn't seem to matter whether the system is democratic, semi-democratic, or authoritarian, or capitalist or mixed... modern economies, when tied into international trade, are finding it impossible to stabilize their economies at high employment.

Developed and developing nations are "investing" in Africa: another cheap labor pool to exploit, and a possible market to suck dry. Obama is urged to follow suit, and get in line behind China and Russia before the good deals run out.

-----------------

Fertilizers are killing our oceans and lakes

Gulf of Mexico could see record-sized ‘dead zone’ from pollution this year

Quote:
The Gulf of Mexico could see a record-size dead zone this year of oxygen-deprived waters resulting from pollution, US scientists have cautioned based on government data models. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s forecasts said the dead zone could be as large as New Jersey, or up to 8,561 square miles (22,172 square kilometers).

Dead zones are toxic to marine life and are caused by excessive nutrient pollution due to agriculture runoff. They are influenced by weather, precipitation, wind and temperature.

When there is little oxygen in the water, most marine life near the bottom is unable to survive.

“This year’s prediction for the Gulf reflects flood conditions in the Midwest that caused large amounts of nutrients to be transported from the Mississippi watershed to the Gulf,” NOAA said in a statement.

“Last year’s dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico was the fourth smallest on record due to drought conditions, covering an area of approximately 2,889 square miles.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/26/gulf-of-mexico-could-see-record-
sized-dead-zone-from-pollution-this-year/

Like the record algal bloom in the Great Lakes,

the Gulf Dead Zone is tied to corn farming. Corn is an extremely nitrogen-demanding crop, and farmers spread lots and lots of nitrogen fertilizer on their corn. Half of the corn is destined for ethanol subsidies.

GEEZER

Saturday, June 29, 2013 2:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
So, in the real news today:

The earth is still warming. Alaska is sweltering in an unprecedented heat wave, Calgary is unprecently flooded. Last year, the Danube was so low that boats lay in the riverbed, this year, there was historic flooding in Bavaria and part of Eastern Europe. The Sierra snowpack reached an unprecedented low. This is what climatologists have been predicting for a long time: Less snowpack, more droughts AND more floods. That's exactly what's happening.

And your solution is?
Even if North America and Europe do everything possible to reduce global warming, China, India, South America, and Africa are still going to increase their usage of fossil fuels for the forseeable future. Should we rearrange the deck chairs by reducing carbon emmissions when they're increasing everywhere else, or try to adapt to a changing climate?

Quote:
Demonstrations in Egypt, Brazil, Argentina etc. You don't hear much about Greece anymore, but Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and most of Eastern Europe are suffering from youth unemployed of 25%+. This does not bode well for places like Pakistan, which has a very large, angry, young population. It doesn't seem to matter whether the system is democratic, semi-democratic, or authoritarian, or capitalist or mixed... modern economies, when tied into international trade, are finding it impossible to stabilize their economies at high employment.

And your solution is?

Got jobs for hundreds of millions when heavy equipment, automation and computers reduce the bodies needed to do the work necessary to provide for everyone?

Quote:
Developed and developing nations are "investing" in Africa: another cheap labor pool to exploit, and a possible market to suck dry. Obama is urged to follow suit, and get in line behind China and Russia before the good deals run out.

Unlike the U.S. government, China and Russia don't care about rights of Africans. They'll gladly bribe dictators and arm them to get plum deals. Wanna go to war with the Chinese and Russians over better government for Africa?

Quote:
Fertilizers are killing our oceans and lakes

Gulf of Mexico could see record-sized ‘dead zone’ from pollution this year

Quote:
The Gulf of Mexico could see a record-size dead zone this year of oxygen-deprived waters resulting from pollution, US scientists have cautioned based on government data models. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s forecasts said the dead zone could be as large as New Jersey, or up to 8,561 square miles (22,172 square kilometers).

Dead zones are toxic to marine life and are caused by excessive nutrient pollution due to agriculture runoff. They are influenced by weather, precipitation, wind and temperature.

When there is little oxygen in the water, most marine life near the bottom is unable to survive.

“This year’s prediction for the Gulf reflects flood conditions in the Midwest that caused large amounts of nutrients to be transported from the Mississippi watershed to the Gulf,” NOAA said in a statement.

“Last year’s dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico was the fourth smallest on record due to drought conditions, covering an area of approximately 2,889 square miles.”

And food - which a lot of folks can barely afford - gets more expensive.

As one of my old bosses - who I didn't particularly like but respected - said, "Don't bring me problems. Bring me solutions."

"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

PIRATENEWS

Saturday, June 29, 2013 12:54 PM

Working on an investigative report about the 'Jamaican Lottery' Scam, which turns out is based mostly in USA. NEWS SCOOP! $400,000 stolen from my dad so far this year, $25,000/day going to the scammers as we type. Death threats against me and my family. Kidnapping of my father by a convicted felon who spent 10 years in Crime College. But law enforcement won't touch it 'because its outside our jurisdiction' -- which is why the scammers in USA pretend to be in Jamaica. Also indictations the 'Jamaica Lotto' kingpin in my Hometown USA may be in Witness Protection as a police-salaried 'confidential informant' with immunity from prosecution for his current crime spree.

MAGONSDAUGHTER

Saturday, June 29, 2013 1:26 PM

Quote:
And your solution is?

Got jobs for hundreds of millions when heavy equipment, automation and computers reduce the bodies needed to do the work necessary to provide for everyone?

That's got nothing to do with the unemployment rate in Europe, which is in fact due to " a combination of complex factors, including the globalisation of finance; easy credit conditions during the 2002–2008 period that encouraged high-risk lending and borrowing practices; the 2007–2012 global financial crisis; international trade imbalances; real-estate bubbles that have since burst; the 2008–2012 global recession; fiscal policy choices related to government revenues and expenses; and approaches used by nations to bail out troubled banking industries and private bondholders, assuming private debt burdens or socialising losses." wiki

1KIKI

Saturday, June 29, 2013 2:51 PM

Even if North America and Europe do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to reduce global warming ... (cites?)

I'm not sure why you're including Europe - their per capita emissions are roughly half ours.

[img]

[/img]

So IF the US was really doing SOME of what we could be doing, our emissions would be cut in half - more in line with Europe's per capita use. And IF the US was really doing EVERYTHING POSSIBLE that we could be doing, our emissions would be cut to a fifth - more in line with Cuba's per capita use.

And you point was? Oh, you didn't really have one.

And your solution is?

Got jobs for hundreds of millions when heavy equipment, automation and computers reduce the bodies needed to do the work necessary to provide for everyone?

And YOUR solution is .... ???? More of the same that got us this problem? C'mon big boy, cough it up.

Unlike the U.S. government (cites?), China and Russia don't care about rights of Africans (cites?). They'll gladly bribe dictators (you mean, unlike us?) and arm them to get plum deals. (cites?)

You mean the US ISN'T and WASN'T arming, funding and supporting Mubarek, the Saudi royal family, Zine el Abidine Ben Ali (we were for him 1987-2011 before we were against him), Nursultan Nazarbay, et al? This has also been discussed before, and, again, you have nothing to add to the topic except your very tired old propaganda about how the US is always! for freedom! and democracy! all around the globe! and we're ALWAYS! the GOOD GUYS! and THEY'RE the BAD GUYS! and blah blah blah blah ...

So, do you have anything substantive to add to the topic?

And food - which a lot of folks can barely afford - gets more expensive.

"According to the World Resources Institute, global per capita food production has been increasing substantially for the past several decades." WIKI

So OBVIOUSLY the problem isn't one of 'supply' and 'demand' - because per capita, the supply has gone up. So you tell me Geezer, what's the problem? How can price be going up when supply is going up?

So there - an example of why I think you're the just another boring, predictable, mindless, and dishonest poster. Like the others of your ilk, you have added not one interesting, new, salient or factual element to this discussion - or to ANY discussion I have ever read since day 1. The only difference between you and PN is that he at least provides links to the drivel he spews. Your one point of dsitinction, as found in your very own name, is your claim to be THE old fart around here. A point I have duly noted in my replies.

This reply, BTW, was an illustration for someone about the meaninglessness of your posts. After this, I won't be respondng to you, since, as always, you add N.O.T.H.I.N.G.

ENJOY YOUR NEXT FOUR YEARS!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - HERE'S LAUGHING AT YOU OLD FART!

SIGNYM

Saturday, June 29, 2013 5:21 PM

Quote:
:So, in the real news today:

The earth is still warming. Alaska is sweltering in an unprecedented heat wave, Calgary is unprecently flooded. Last year, the Danube was so low that boats lay in the riverbed, this year, there was historic flooding in Bavaria and part of Eastern Europe. The Sierra snowpack reached an unprecedented low. This is what climatologists have been predicting for a long time: Less snowpack, more droughts AND more floods. That's exactly what's happening.- SIGNYM

And your solution is?
Even if North America and Europe do everything possible to reduce global warming, China, India, South America, and Africa are still going to increase their usage of fossil fuels for the forseeable future. Should we rearrange the deck chairs by reducing carbon emmissions when they're increasing everywhere else, or try to adapt to a changing climate? -GEEZER

Demonstrations in Egypt, Brazil, Argentina etc. You don't hear much about Greece anymore, but Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and most of Eastern Europe are suffering from youth unemployed of 25%+. This does not bode well for places like Pakistan, which has a very large, angry, young population. It doesn't seem to matter whether the system is democratic, semi-democratic, or authoritarian, or capitalist or mixed... modern economies, when tied into international trade, are finding it impossible to stabilize their economies at high employment.-SIGNY

And your solution is? Got jobs for hundreds of millions when heavy equipment, automation and computers reduce the bodies needed to do the work necessary to provide for everyone? -GEEZER

Developed and developing nations are "investing" in Africa: another cheap labor pool to exploit, and a possible market to suck dry. Obama is urged to follow suit, and get in line behind China and Russia before the good deals run out.-SIGNY

Unlike the U.S. government, China and Russia don't care about rights of Africans. They'll gladly bribe dictators and arm them to get plum deals. Wanna go to war with the Chinese and Russians over better government for Africa? -GEEZER

Fertilizers are killing our oceans and lakes
Gulf of Mexico could see record-sized ‘dead zone’ from pollution this year

Quote:
The Gulf of Mexico could see a record-size dead zone this year of oxygen-deprived waters resulting from pollution, US scientists have cautioned based on government data models. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s forecasts said the dead zone could be as large as New Jersey, or up to 8,561 square miles (22,172 square kilometers).

Dead zones are toxic to marine life and are caused by excessive nutrient pollution due to agriculture runoff. They are influenced by weather, precipitation, wind and temperature.

When there is little oxygen in the water, most marine life near the bottom is unable to survive.

“This year’s prediction for the Gulf reflects flood conditions in the Midwest that caused large amounts of nutrients to be transported from the Mississippi watershed to the Gulf,” NOAA said in a statement.

“Last year’s dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico was the fourth smallest on record due to drought conditions, covering an area of approximately 2,889 square miles.”
-SIGNY

And food - which a lot of folks can barely afford - gets more expensive.
As one of my old bosses - who I didn't particularly like but respected - said, "Don't bring me problems. Bring me solutions." -GEEZER

I re-quoted the whole thing discussion in a more contiguous format so there's no lack of context and it will be easier to respond.

I've got solutions to all of these. But instead of asking me for them, why don't you come up with some of your own?

------------------------

I picked these crises because we cause 100% of them.

Since we're causing 'em, we can fix them, right?

And, as we're causing them simply by... doing what we usually do and thinking how we usually think, it seems obvious th

GEEZER

Sunday, June 30, 2013 1:15 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1kiki:

Even if North America and Europe do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to reduce global warming ... (cites?)

I'm not sure why you're including Europe - their per capita emissions are roughly half ours.

[img][/img]

Your map is energy consumption, not carbon emissions. Also 10 years old.

"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

MAGONSDAUGHTER

Sunday, June 30, 2013 3:26 AM

Quote:
And your solution is? Even if North America and Europe do everything possible to reduce global warming, China, India, South America, and Africa are still going to increase their usage of fossil fuels for the forseeable future. Should we rearrange the deck chairs by reducing carbon emmissions when they're increasing everywhere else, or try to adapt to a changing climate?

So is your solution to do nothing? How about being world leaders in this stuff?

Taking active steps so that your country is cleaner and greener generally, has less waste, more recycling. How about encouraging investment in energy efficent products and discourgaing growth in dirty industries?

Tell me where the negatives are in any of this? Because who wants to live in a tip or a wasteland?

1KIKI

Sunday, June 30, 2013 3:28 AM

2010

[img][/img]

Europe, still half, or less, than the US. Cuba 1/10 of US.

Did it change anything? Yes, it made my argument stronger. So thanks for pointing that out, old fart.

Now, do you have any solutions?

Yeah, I thought not.

ENJOY YOUR NEXT FOUR YEARS!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - HERE'S LAUGHING AT YOU OLD FART!

1KIKI

Sunday, June 30, 2013 3:46 AM

So, if I were going to do anything about global warming -

Well, of course the first thing I'd do is go on a massive energy efficiency/ solar power/ wind power/ fuel-cell vehicle/ program. They are things we can do RIGHT NOW - without having to completely reinstall the infrastructure. Plus honestly, there's a lot of benefit to having a distributed electric-grid power source, and being free of imported energy to run our vehicles.

I'd look at carbon sequestration, especially man-made wetlands (1) and biochar (2).

(1) https://www.agronomy.org/story/2013/jun/mon/farming-carbon-study-revea
ls-potent-carbon-storage-potential-of-man-made-wetlands

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar

I'd require large flat-roofed commercial buildings to install EITHER highly reflective coatings (to reduce heat gain and loss) OR solar panels.

Water is going to be a serious problem. We'll have intense rain episodes which will flood and then drain away, followed by prolonged droughts. I'd start serious water conservation efforts to catch the rain and allow it to infiltrate the ground, replenishing ground water, streams, lakes, and rivers.

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