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Author Topic: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014  (Read 769785 times)

Offline fritzkep

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #510 on: September 19, 2013, 07:55:48 PM »
Fritz, thank-you so much for providing these links !  Whenever someone does that, it is so very helpful.  It's already a lead story on CNN, but I think the story is so important, people should read the original.  And I wonder if some of us will take "yes" for an answer.
 
  I do think the Pope is trying to find a balance between a call to spiritual strictness, and condemning people.  Promiscuity, for example, is contrary to a spiritual life, IMO. He's not giving a blessing to all forms of anything goes.  But that would be for another thread.  Here, the news is that NONE of this Pope's attack on Pharasaical ways, can be retracted. He's said them, they stand, and he's just getting started.
  This has enormous implications for the gay community.  Pope Francis has repeatedly brushed to the side "intrinsic disorder", condemnation, and disinclusion.  In the above articles, he said he does not want gays to be or even feel injured by the church.  This is in line with the fact that straights have stuff going on, a LOT of stuff, and picking on one group is phony and un-Christian.
 
  There are also, believe it or not, huge political implications for the U.S.  For decades, the bishops have been the patsy of the fundamentalists, placing theological dogma above social justice, and aligning with them.  Pat Robertson has been one to play this card heavily. And so a huge swing vote, Catholics, now have to ponder the Pope's message the next time they go vote.  And conservative Catholic political leaders are really up the creek without a paddle.
  Anyone who doubts political implications to papal statements should remember, a mostly Protestant U.S., was stomping on the emerging labor unions in the 1860's era.  Pope Leo XIII issued the encyclical Rerum Novarum, (Of New Things), which included a condemnation of suppression of worker's rights as sinful.  The pressure to outlaw unions vanished.
  Habemus Papam  :).  And the worst he's done so far, is to annoy atheists, by suggesting they are welcome in heaven, too. Gosh, the audacity  :D.

Exactly. Here's hoping to an end of the Pharisee era, having begun perhaps in 1978, or at the end of the Second Vatican Council, for at least a little while since it will always return sometime. May he live healthily and long.

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Offline CellarDweller115

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #511 on: September 19, 2013, 10:19:01 PM »
House Republicans approve deep cuts to food stamps

By Chris Casteel

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House narrowly approved Republican legislation on Thursday that would cut nearly $40 billion from the federal food stamp program and require more people to work in order to receive the assistance.

Democrats charged that the bill would cut nearly 4 million Americans from the program — including 170,000 unemployed veterans — and mean 210,000 children will no longer qualify for free meals at schools.

“This legislation is preying on people,” House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, of California, said.

The bill passed 217-210; every Democrat in attendance and 15 Republicans voted against it.

http://newsok.com/house-republicans-approve-deep-cuts-to-food-stamps/article/3884659

Offline CellarDweller115

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #512 on: September 19, 2013, 10:21:15 PM »
Hundreds of snakes found at man's suburban NY home
 
September 19, 2013

SHIRLEY, N.Y. (AP) — An animal-control officer had hundreds of snakes, including two 6-foot Burmese pythons, at his home, where he ran an illegal side business selling them, authorities said Thursday.

There were 850 snakes worth half a million dollars in a detached garage at the Shirley home of Richard Parrinello, including the Burmese pythons, which are illegal in New York state, officials said.

"There is a reason why Burmese pythons are illegal," said Suffolk County SPCA Chief Roy Gross, citing the deaths of two young boys in New Brunswick, Canada, who were killed by an African rock python while they slept last month.

http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Hundreds-of-snakes-found-at-man-s-suburban-NY-home-4827539.php

Offline brokebacktom

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #513 on: September 20, 2013, 04:46:05 AM »
House Republicans approve deep cuts to food stamps

By Chris Casteel

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House narrowly approved Republican legislation on Thursday that would cut nearly $40 billion from the federal food stamp program and require more people to work in order to receive the assistance.

Democrats charged that the bill would cut nearly 4 million Americans from the program — including 170,000 unemployed veterans — and mean 210,000 children will no longer qualify for free meals at schools.

“This legislation is preying on people,” House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, of California, said.

The bill passed 217-210; every Democrat in attendance and 15 Republicans voted against it.

http://newsok.com/house-republicans-approve-deep-cuts-to-food-stamps/article/3884659


Fuckin' pigs. Who are hurt most buy these cuts are CHILDREN. Fuckin' Pigs.

Offline Marge_Innavera

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #514 on: September 20, 2013, 06:28:11 AM »
If the nutjobs were noticed, diagnosed and fettered with either forced medications or confinement, it would be a violation of their civil rights. So the rest of us can kiss OUR civil rights good-bye.

You know, there are quite a few people here who have made quite a few 'nutjob' statements over the years.  And all of us know people in RL that we just can't figure out.  People who are introverted are often suspect in Western culture where gregariousness and the ability to run one's mouth 24/7 are close to sacred obligations.  And, as everyone here knows, "nutjobs" included gay people for a long time.  There are radical atheists who will be very quick to tell you that they consider anyone with a religious belief to be delusional.

It is not a "violation of our civil rights" to fail to arrest, imprison and "treat" people on the grounds of not conforming to a norm.  Humankind has a ghastly history of brutality to those who are 'different', including but not limited to burning alive and destruction of the victim's brain via electricity used as "therapy"; when the Nazis started pruning their population they started with the developmentally disabled and yes, the mentally ill.  It's quite likely that some of the people they murdered were undoubtedly potentially dangerous but I doubt anyone would argue today that this form of population 'cleansing' is defensible  --  especially since it's now at a safe distance of several decades.  In St. Joseph (MO) there's a psychiatric museum about the history of mental illness; everyone who thinks that anyone peculiar should be locked up should visit it.

If a noticeable dangerously deranged people slip through the cracks, it's not because of civil rights laws.  And it shouldn't be in the least surprising considering the loss of community in the Western world and especially in the US.  People literally don't know their neighbors anymore and sometimes not even family members; so mental illness is now able to fly under the radar until it reaches a lethal level, just as physical illnesses have long been able to do.  
« Last Edit: September 20, 2013, 06:37:08 AM by Marge_Innavera »
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Offline doodler

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #515 on: September 20, 2013, 09:23:31 AM »
And the beat goes on.
The next time some poor misunderstood badly raised unloved guy on Twinkies shoots up an office or runs his car into a crowd or slips some poison in the church supper's potato salad, we'll hear the same weeping and wailing about why it happened.
In 2010, 606 people (all ages) were accidentally killed by guns.
Almost 3000 teens (15-19) die in traffic accidents a year.
1100 kids under 19 drown each year.
44 kids under 5 died of heat stroke in hot cars in 2013.
HIGH school sports account for 1.2 million trips to the ER annually.

Offline morrobay

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #516 on: September 20, 2013, 10:52:56 AM »
Typhoon hits Fukushima and weakens containment even more

By JG Vibes
September 18, 2013

On Tuesday, the operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant said that over 1,000 tons of contaminated water was dumped into the sea after a typhoon hit the area.

Typhoon Man-yi hit Japan on Monday, causing heavy rains and uncontrollable floods.

“Workers measured the radioactive levels of the water collected in the enclosure walls, pumping it back into tanks when the levels were high,” said a TEPCO official.

“Once finding it was mostly rain water they released it from the enclosure, because there is a limit on how much water we can store.”

The Tokyo Times reported that:

 

The utility said the rainwater was discharged from barriers at seven locations and contained strontium 90, which can cause bone cancer if ingested. The beta radiation given off by the strontium did not exceed the government’s limit of 30 becquerels per liter, it said.

Tepco said the radiation level of the water overall, including strontium 90, which accounted for about half of the beta ray emissions, maxed out at 24 becquerels per liter.

In areas where water samples were highly toxic, however, Tepco took a different approach and transferred it elsewhere through makeshift pumps. One of those areas contained rainwater that was emitting 170,000 becquerels per liter, far higher than allowed.

Additionally, both TEPCO and the UN continue to raise the acceptable levels of radiation, so just because the government says its healthy, doesn’t mean that it actually is.

This is still small when compared to the 300 tons of contaminated groundwater that has been leaking into the sea every day for years.

 
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Offline doodler

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #517 on: September 20, 2013, 11:44:43 AM »
Not that there is anything that can be done, but is this site being monitored only by Japan?
In 2010, 606 people (all ages) were accidentally killed by guns.
Almost 3000 teens (15-19) die in traffic accidents a year.
1100 kids under 19 drown each year.
44 kids under 5 died of heat stroke in hot cars in 2013.
HIGH school sports account for 1.2 million trips to the ER annually.

Offline Tony_

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #518 on: September 20, 2013, 01:44:29 PM »
.... People who are introverted are often suspect in Western culture where gregariousness and the ability to run one's mouth 24/7 are close to sacred obligations.  ......  
   This post, in its entirety, really spoke to the dilemmas we have, and the regular cruelties of the present and past. Including the decline of family and friendship relationships preventing any sensible warnings.
  All of it spoke better than I ever could.  I just quoted the above, as there are few who would have said that part. People ARE anti-introvert, and we are tending towards being an extrovert-blob society, easily manipulated.  Towards what, I do not know.

Offline janjo

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #519 on: September 20, 2013, 02:34:15 PM »
And the beat goes on.
The next time some poor misunderstood badly raised unloved guy on Twinkies shoots up an office or runs his car into a crowd or slips some poison in the church supper's potato salad, we'll hear the same weeping and wailing about why it happened.

How do you know it won't be you?
One in four people suffer from mental illness at some time in their lives..
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Offline doodler

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #520 on: September 20, 2013, 02:45:49 PM »
People may be introverted... we used to call it shy but the psych-experts have to have a less plain talk label... but no more these days than ever. These days ,more  are stupid and lazy, not to mentioned entitled. So called "social" media is what passes for human interaction, even within families. Anyone who doesn't know a son or brother or father is "disturbed" is either not paying attention or in denial. It may be more more difficult with neighbors, since most people don't have interaction, except in the negative, with those who live next door or down the block. Co-workers fall between those two groups, but even then, people usually have some idea someone's a little "off." Of course, in all circumstances, it is not polite or politically correct to mention it.

Believe me, if these mass murderers were women or teenage girls, something would have been done about it already.

But, sigh, boys will be boys and they are more aggressive than girls.
In 2010, 606 people (all ages) were accidentally killed by guns.
Almost 3000 teens (15-19) die in traffic accidents a year.
1100 kids under 19 drown each year.
44 kids under 5 died of heat stroke in hot cars in 2013.
HIGH school sports account for 1.2 million trips to the ER annually.

Offline oilgun

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #521 on: September 20, 2013, 03:01:12 PM »
It's one thing to be introverted and another if you admit that you "hear voices".  I think that's an obvious red flag and your right to "bear arms" should be immediately revoked.  I mean you can lose your driver's licence if your doctor determines you are an alcoholic.
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Offline doodler

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #522 on: September 20, 2013, 03:49:40 PM »
How do you know it won't be you?
One in four people suffer from mental illness at some time in their lives..


Mental illness is the excuse we give everyone who doesn't "fit in." There is a mental illness category for everything.

And it won't happen to me because
1) I'm female and females do not murder groups of people
and
2) if I ever put a bullet in someone, they will see it coming and deserve it and I won't pretend I didn't mean it.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2013, 03:56:15 PM by doodler »
In 2010, 606 people (all ages) were accidentally killed by guns.
Almost 3000 teens (15-19) die in traffic accidents a year.
1100 kids under 19 drown each year.
44 kids under 5 died of heat stroke in hot cars in 2013.
HIGH school sports account for 1.2 million trips to the ER annually.

Offline doodler

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #523 on: September 20, 2013, 03:51:36 PM »
It's one thing to be introverted and another if you admit that you "hear voices".  I think that's an obvious red flag and your right to "bear arms" should be immediately revoked.  I mean you can lose your driver's licence if your doctor determines you are an alcoholic.

Gee, not here. And losing your license sure doesn't mean you stop driving.
In 2010, 606 people (all ages) were accidentally killed by guns.
Almost 3000 teens (15-19) die in traffic accidents a year.
1100 kids under 19 drown each year.
44 kids under 5 died of heat stroke in hot cars in 2013.
HIGH school sports account for 1.2 million trips to the ER annually.

Offline doodler

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Re: News and Current Events - 2013 to 2014
« Reply #524 on: September 20, 2013, 03:55:15 PM »
NOT going back! Why does she have to defend her decision?


Amanda Knox on Retrial: 'Everything Is at Stake'
ABC News

American student Amanda Knox on Friday defended her decision not to return to Italy for a new appeals trial over the 2007 killing of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/amanda-knox-retrial-stake-20315901
In 2010, 606 people (all ages) were accidentally killed by guns.
Almost 3000 teens (15-19) die in traffic accidents a year.
1100 kids under 19 drown each year.
44 kids under 5 died of heat stroke in hot cars in 2013.
HIGH school sports account for 1.2 million trips to the ER annually.