World events

Heehehe they said the froggies were affected by earth movement in the area and possibly low frequency waves and stuff, and that such mass movements of froggies are usually observed before major earthquakes.

What kind of cocktail is a Sony Vegas?

Having spent a couple of weeks in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill was a very hot topic of conversation. It's going to ruin many people's livelihoods and have a disastrous impact on the economy (the fact that some people were killed in the explosion was barely mentioned, which was odd).

Now I see the understandable response from the American government, with BP now agreeing to setting up a $20bn fund for compensation. (I have to say I've been disappointed by the bizarrely xenophobic rhetoric from President Obama, constantly referring to the company as "British Petroleum" though it changed its name many years ago and is more than 50% American owned.)

And my mind has turned to the Bhopal tragedy in India, over 25 years ago. I saw a show on tv about it a couple of months ago, read an article in the paper a few weeks ago. An energy company (Union Carbide) was responsible, through lax safety protocols, for an explosion and gas leak. Sound like a familiar tale? Only that particular leak didn't just destroy livelihoods, it destroyed lives - 3,000 at the time and estimates vary between 15,000 and 25,000 people who have since died as a result of toxic chemicals leaking into the water supply. (There has never been a proper attempt at a clean-up and according to some reports, further pollution continues to enter the city's water supply even today.)

That company was 100% American owned. So, where's the Americans' response? There have been five different presidents in office since the tragedy, which continues to have horrific consequences, yet none has done anything about it. I wonder how the 500,000 people in Bhopal who have to drink and wash in toxic water feel when they read that the US government has managed to force an energy company to set aside $20bn to compensate Louisiana fishermen and Florida hoteliers? I'm not criticising the response to the Gulf oil spill, by the way - but the contrast in response is truly striking.

Americans are well known for their xenophobia mate; no matter how progressive they want to appear from time to time, and anti-racist and open-minded, the average american citizen thinks Europe is a country.

And polar bears walk the streets of Oslo!

Wait...there are other countries?

And in reverse I think that many of you have a lot to learn about America. The world would be a lot better off if California had there way in enviromental issues. It is the 5th largest government in the world. I've never referred to any of you from Europe as wackos and I hear that on this board, other boards, as well as people from Minnesota. Believe me if I went back 200 years and I had moved west to east I'd be tar and feathered for many of the comments I've made such as complaining how stinky I am when I fill my car with gas in this state. California has a vapor control system. According to this state bringing my canvas bags to the market to have them put groceries is wrong. We're losing jobs because of this. And god the day I complained about the brown pelicans being killed because of those plastic 6 pack can holders. They get caught in their beaks and die because people litter. I shouldn't be worried about a few fucking birds. Makes me want to throw up on the person who said it.
Thomas

34 million cars has a lot to do with that Martijn. Your a wacko because you care about pelicans. Explain the logic in that one to me please, please, please. I'm dying for an explanation.

Not against the law. I have to remind the clones everytime I come in to not use their plastic bags. In fact one of them got damn irritated because he had to remove stuff from the plastic bags. He was too fast for me and questioned why I wouldn't take them until I said loudly I don't want the fucking bags!!! Put them in my canvas bags or I shop elsewhere. They think I'm wacko because it is going to cause them a lot of aggrevation. By the way our warehouse called Costco has never used bags. You get your groceries/supplies in a cardboard box which of course brought merchandise to the store in the first place.

for a brief moment I lost it. It got his attention so it was well used

What a tragic incident.

And yes, most of that looks extremely amateurish.

International Burn a Koran today; YOU can do it too.

What a stupid thing. All this accomplishes: record koran book sales, and profit, which may or may not go to some companies that fund terrorism.

So the Chilean miners are being pulled up tonight. Are we seeing a future Hollywood film in the making?