Thursday, May 30, 2013

Why you shouldn't allow a debt collector to debit your bank account

John Redmann: Power of Attorney It's never a good idea to let a debt collector make monthly debits from your bank account. But what if a collector says it only accepts payments that way?

Can you get arrested for not paying a debt?

John Redmann: Power of Attorney
Debt collectors will often tell you that you could go to prison for not paying them. Is that true? Can you be arrested for not paying a debt? We discuss that in the clip below.

Chicken Safety


There are certain labor-intensive recipe phrases that can make the most diligent cook roll her eyes. "Do I really have to do that?" we wonder. Leave your Do I Really Have To Do That? questions in the comments and they shall be answered, saving us all a lot of needless trouble. My mom taught me how to roast a chicken when I moved into my first apartment as the cornerstone of a weekly meal plan. First step: rinse and pat it dry. Cleanliness is next to godliness, right? Watch: How to make an easy roast chicken Pull that chicken out from under the faucet. This might come as a shock, but the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a division of the USDA, advises against washing raw poultry, beef, pork, lamb or veal before cooking. Why? Some bacteria on the chicken can be dislodged with a little water and will splash all over your sink, counters, and nearby dish rack as you rinse. This is called cross-contamination, and it freaks the FSIS out for good reason; it's a great way to get food poisoning. Let's transition from kitchen to bathroom for a gross yet illustrative example. Think of the toilet. Every time you flush with the lid open, a fine mist of bacteria rises from the bowl. This is why your toothbrush should be kept a safe distance away. "The same is true of the kitchen sink," explained Kemp Minifie, senior editor at Epicurious. "When you wash off the chicken, the chicken juices get sprayed everywhere," That nearby dish rack with clean spoons you eat yogurt with in the morning? They're your toothbrush in this metaphor. "Yum, eh?" Other bacteria on the chicken is so firmly attached, no amount of water can dislodge it, rendering washing your chicken not only potentially dangerous, but useless. "People think they are washing off bacteria but they really aren't," Brian Buckley, chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education told us. "[There's] no need to wash." Here's your new and improved poultry plan of attack: 1. Hands-off "The trick is to get your poultry onto the baking pan with the minimum amount of human contact," advised Minifie. 2. Wash up (but not the bird) Anything that's come into contact with the chicken needs to be cleaned. That includes your hands, cutting boards, and utensils. While your chicken is cooking, "wipe down your counters with hot soapy water. Better yet, follow the cleaning with a sanitizing solution of 1 tablespoon plain, old-fashioned liquid bleach in 1 gallon of water," suggested Minifie. 3. Use a thermometer This is the secret to squashing bacteria on raw chicken and other meats, and the only effective way to remove food-borne pathogens. "Anything yucky on the poultry will be killed if you cook it to the proper temperature, 165 degrees Fahrenheit," advised Buckley. Final verdict: No, you really don't have to wash your chicken, in fact, you shouldn't. Instead, move your chicken directly onto the baking pan, wash your counters, and use a thermometer to make sure it's reached a safe internal temperature. Then safely feast!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Crocheted Afghan Repair Tutorial


AllFreeCrochetAfghanPatterns Have you ever had to repair a crocheted afghan? This tutorial may come in handy one day. How To Repair a Crocheted Blanket: http://ow.ly/ltUHw

Gun Safety


The Right To Bear Arms Any additional tips?

Centralized debt collection is a work in progress in La.

Centralized debt collection is a work in progress in La.: BATON ROUGE (AP) — Lawmakers looking to boost dollars for state expenses are trying to reach a compromise to centralize and toughen debt collection efforts, with estimates that the move could drum ...

Dial® Every Day Contest

Dial® Every Day Contest

Makeup Preview, 2013 Trends: MAC All About Orange Collection - Lipstick, Cremesheen Glass, Eyeshadow Quad, Nail Lacquer, Powder Blush | BeautyStat.com

Makeup Preview, 2013 Trends: MAC All About Orange Collection - Lipstick, Cremesheen Glass, Eyeshadow Quad, Nail Lacquer, Powder Blush | BeautyStat.com

No Name Shawl | AllFreeCrochet.com

No Name Shawl | AllFreeCrochet.com

GIVEAWAY: Laura Geller Beauty Signature Superstars Collection - Supersized Packaging Of Best-Seller Products - Sponsored | BeautyStat.com

GIVEAWAY: Laura Geller Beauty Signature Superstars Collection - Supersized Packaging Of Best-Seller Products - Sponsored | BeautyStat.com

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Mortgages


My suggestions would be, never a mortgage lien for loans nor the re finance deals. One of the biggest steps you can take toward financial security is paying off your mortgage. And, for most people, doing so is an exceptionally sweet accomplishment because it is often 30 years in the making. Getting rid of a large chunk of your monthly housing (you’ll still be on the hook for taxes and insurance) not only makes it easier to sleep at night, it also lowers your annual expenses significantly, meaning that your savings will go farther in retirement. [More from Manilla.com: Manilla Mini: How to Simplify Your Retirement Expenses] There are certainly arguments both for and against paying off your mortgage early (especially in this ultra-low interest rate environment). Many financial experts recommend making sure you are saving enough for retirement and have a healthy emergency fund before tackling your mortgage but if the idea of owning your home outright as quickly as possible is appealing to you, here are some steps you can take to make that goal a reality. Buy a house you can afford. The first step toward clearing your housing debt is to make sure that that debt is manageable. If you are just getting started on the path to homeownership, keep this in mind. Your home will likely be the most expensive thing you ever buy and keeping your housing expenses to an affordable level will make paying off your mortgage a much more reasonable goal and leave you with a greater deal of financial flexibility down the line. [More from Manilla.com: Financial Tracking & Budgeting Tips] Throw bonuses at it. Most people should make it a goal to live off of their base salaries rather than their total compensation since bonuses are never guaranteed. If you are successfully doing that, earmark your bonuses or any unexpected cash from stock options, tax refunds or other income streams towards paying off the mortgage on your main residence. Seeing your balance decrease after you throw a large chunk of cash at it can also really help motivate you as you work towards a complete payoff. Refinance. This is a no-brainer if you have haven’t already done so in the past few years (and, perhaps, even if you have as rates have continued to fall). If you refinance your mortgage at a lower rate, more of your payment each month will go to principal rather than interest. However, even if your monthly payment drops, you should continue paying your old, higher amount and your balance will drop even faster. If you have a lot of room between your income and expenses, you may even want to consider a 15-year mortgage. Just make sure that you don’t take cash out during your refi or you’ll find yourself farther from your goal. [More from Manilla.com: Personal Budgeting Tips] Free up expenses. If you cut the cable and save $60 this month, start paying an extra $60 toward your monthly mortgage payment. If your car insurance goes down by $30, add that, too. If you pay off your car next month, start sending that extra $250 to your mortgage company. These “little” amounts add up quickly. Find a mortgage calculator online and play around with the particulars of your mortgage’s amount, length, and rate. You’ll be surprised just how many years you can shave off if you commit extra money to accelerating your paydown – just $100 extra each month can shave 3.5 years off of a 30-year $300,000 mortgage at 5 percent!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Tornado Coming....Grab A Helment


http://news.yahoo.com/tornado-coming-grab-helmet-084500057.html

Save your life: Eat tomatoes and mozzarella


http://www.marketwatch.com/story/save-your-life-eat-tomatoes-and-mozzarella-2013-05-22?siteid=yhoof2

Dangerous Michigan HogWeed


http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Michiganders-warned-of-dangerous-hogweed/-/1719418/14862730/-/dbkqr6z/-/index.html

Saturday, May 18, 2013

How To Spot A Liar


Most people at least try to be honest — but we all end up lying anyhow. We tell people they look great when they don’t. We "pretty up" some details when delivering bad news. And we justify these minor deceptions by convincing ourselves nobody will get hurt. Some lies are much bigger and more harmful — such as the ones that in recent years that led to an epidemic of bad mortgages, the peddling of toxic subprime securities and the collapse of the housing and financial markets. Dishonesty and distrust seem to have become so commonplace that scholars have intensified research into why people lie and how to tell when they’re doing it. A new study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and Harvard Business School highlights some of the differences between two types of liars: the traditional kind, who say things they know aren’t true, and “deceivers by omission” who deliberately withhold information to obfuscate what they’re talking about. And it turns out the outright liars are more effective at deception. The researchers — Lyn M. Van Swol and Michael T. Braun of Wisconsin and Deepak Malhotra of Harvard — set up a series of transactions among 104 test subjects, giving them the choice of either lying or telling the truth. They also measured the participants’ behavior during the transactions, hoping to identify commonalities among liars and truth-tellers. The 3 habits of outright liars Outright liars typically engaged in three giveaway habits: They talked more than others, they swore more often and they spoke more often in the third person, as if referring to a distant “him” or “her” rather than “you” or “me.” The researchers dubbed such chatty, profane talk the “Pinocchio effect,” since the more you lie, the more words you use. “The discomfort and unpleasantness of having to maintain and defend a lie may have led to non-strategic leakage of profanity,” the study says. “Being polite and pleasant requires self-control, and if one’s resources are being depleted by trying to appear truthful, then one is likely to behave in a ruder, more inappropriate fashion.” Liars also tended to talk more to justify their explanations. Omitters, by contast, spoke less and sometimes left uncomfortable silences in the conversation. They typically made terse statements, offering little elaboration. That was the opposite of the Pinocchio effect. Truth-tellers came somewhere in the middle, sort of like a control group. There was one exception: When truth-tellers were suspected of lying, they talked more, in an effort to prove their truthfulness. Honesty in business Honesty obviously matters in a business environment, where it’s important to know whether to trust somebody you’re considering making a deal with or bringing into a project. So one takeaway might be to seek out business partners who seem neither excitable nor tight-lipped. There are many caveats, of course, needed to account for extroverts, introverts and potty-mouths, so maybe the real focus should be on watching for striking changes in an individual’s demeanor, which could indicate that a usually honest person is telling a fib. People listening to lies in the study, however, tended to trust the outright liars more than the soft-spoken deceivers, probably because gaps in a conversation make people more uncomfortable than a stream of babble. The sinister implication is that anybody trying to lie will probably have better luck boldly stating an untruth than meekly talking around it. There are many other ways of lying these days than simply doing so in conversation — by sending deceptive emails or text messages, embellishing an online profile or Photoshopping an Instagram image, to name just a few. There’s still little research on lying in the digital age, and how it might be changing business and culture. What is known is that Americans are becoming more skeptical and less trusting, while at the same time digital technology is becoming pervasive. Sounds like a hypothesis to be tested.

Phoenix Rising From The Gulf


Phoenix Rising from the Gulf The BP Gulf Oil Spill Revealed Skip to content Home About ← EPA Grossly Misrepresents The Toxicity Of Corexit Used In Gulf Of Mexico Dispersant Use Like Corexit Sees Precipitous Decline Worldwide → The Gulf of Mexico is Dying Posted on July 7, 2012 by concernedcitizensofflorida A Special Report on the BP Gulf Oil Spill By Dr. Tom Termotto It is with deep regret that we publish this report. We do not take this responsibility lightly, as the consequences of the following observations are of such great import and have such far-reaching ramifications for the entire planet. Truly, the fate of the oceans of the world hangs in the balance, as does the future of humankind. The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) does not exist in isolation and is, in fact, connected to the Seven Seas. Hence, we publish these findings in order that the world community will come together to further contemplate this dire and demanding predicament. We also do so with the hope that an appropriate global response will be formulated, and acted upon, for the sake of future generations. It is the most basic responsibility for every civilization to leave their world in a better condition than that which they inherited from their forbears. After conducting the Gulf Oil Spill Remediation Conference for over seven months, we can now disseminate the following information with the authority and confidence of those who have thoroughly investigated a crime scene. There are many research articles, investigative reports and penetrating exposes archived at the following website. Particularly those posted from August through November provide a unique body of evidence, many with compelling photo-documentaries, which portray the true state of affairs at the Macondo Prospect in the GOM. Phoenix Rising from the Gulf http://phoenixrisingfromthegulf.wordpress.com/ The pictorial evidence tells the whole story. Especially that the BP narrative is nothing but a corporate-created illusion – a web of fabrication spun in collaboration with the US Federal Government and Mainstream Media. Big Oil, as well as the Military-Industrial Complex, have aided and abetted this whole scheme and info blackout because the very future of the Oil & Gas Industry is at stake, as is the future of the US Empire and War-Making Machine which sprawls around the world and requires vast amounts of hydrocarbon fuel. Should the truth seep out and into the mass consciousness – that the GOM is slowly but surely filling up with oil and gas – certainly many would rightly question the integrity, and sanity, of the whole venture, as well as the entire industry itself. And then perhaps the process would begin of transitioning the planet away from the hydrocarbon fuel paradigm altogether. It’s not a pretty picture. The various pictures, photos and diagrams that fill the many articles at the aforementioned website represent photo-evidence about the true state of affairs on the seafloor surrounding the Macondo Prospect in the Mississippi Canyon, which is located in the Central Planning Area of the northern Gulf of Mexico. The very dynamics of the dramatic changes and continuous evolution of the seafloor have been captured in ways that very few have ever seen. These snapshots have given us a window of understanding into the true state of the underlying geological formations around the various wells drilled in the Macondo Prospect. Although our many deductions may be difficult for the layperson to apprehend at first, to the trained eye these are but obvious conclusions which are simply the result of cause and effect. In other words there is no dispute concerning the most serious geological changes which have occurred, and continue to occur, in the region around the Macondo wells. The original predicament (an 87 day gushing well) was extremely serious, as grasped by the entire world, and the existing situation is only going to get progressively worse. So, just what does this current picture look like. Please click on the link below to view the relevant diagrams and read the commentary: An AUTOPSY of the BP Gulf Oil Well at the Macondo Prospect As the diagrams clearly indicate, the geology around the well bore has been blown. This occurred because of drilling contiguous to a salt dome(1), as well as because of the gas explosions which did much damage to the integrity of the well casing, cementing, well bore, well head, and foundation around the well head. Eighty-seven straight days of gushing hydrocarbon effluent under great pressure only served to further undermine the entire well system. Finally, when it was capped, putting the system back under pressure forced the upsurging hydrocarbons to find weaknesses throughout the greater system, which revealed all sorts of compromised, fractured and unsettled geology through which the hydrocarbons could travel all the way to the seafloor and into the GOM. (1)“The rock beds in the vicinity of a salt dome are highly fractured and permeable due to stress and deformation which occur as the salt dome thrusted upwards.” (Per BK Lim, Geohazards Specialist) We also have faults* to deal with in this scenario of which there are both deep and shallow. Depending on the current vital stats of the blown out well, especially its actual depth; the number, location and severity of the breaches throughout the well system; the pressure at the wellhead; as well as the type and status of geological formations/strata it has been drilled into, these faults will become prominently configured into the future stability of the whole region. Larger faults can open up much greater opportunities for the hydrocarbons to find their way to the seafloor via cracks and crevices, craters and chasms. In fact the numerous leaks and seeps throughout the seafloor surface, which are quite apparent from various ROV live-feeds, give testimony to sub-seafloor geological formations in great turmoil and undergoing unprecedented flux. *“Once the oil gets into the shallow faulted zones, we have an uncontrollable situation. The place where most of the oil and gas is coming out is at the foot hills of the continental shelf as shown in figure 134-1 in the article “BP continues to dazzle us with their unlimited magic”. The discovery by WHOI of the 22 mile long river of oil originated from these leaks. So the leaks will be mainly along the faults where I have marked (shallow) in “What is going on at West Sirius” and deep strike-slip faults (red line) on fig 134-1.” (Per BK Lim, Geohazards Specialist) Just how bad is this situation? There are actually three different ongoing disasters – each more grave and challenging than the previous one – which must be considered when assessing the awesome destruction to the GOM by the Oil & Gas Industry. I. A single gushing well at 70 – 100,000 barrels per day of hydrocarbon effluent for 87 days into the GOM at the Macondo Prospect along with two smaller rogue wells II. Numerous leaks and seeps within five to ten square miles of the Macondo well with an aggregate outflow of an unknown amount of hydrocarbon effluent per day into the GOM III. Countless small gushers and mini-spills, leaks and seeps, throughout the Gulf of Mexico, where oil drilling has been conducted for many decades, with an aggregate outflow into the GOM that can not even be estimated, but is well in excess of any guesstimate which would ensure its slow and steady demise (not too unlike the petrochemical cesspool known as the Caspian Sea). It is the last scenario which we all face and to which there is no easy or obvious solution. The truth be told, there currently does not exist the technology or machinery or equipment to repair the damage that has been wrought by the process of deep undersea drilling, especially when it is performed in the wrong place. Therefore, wherever the oil and gas find points of entry into the GOM through the seafloor, some of these leaks and seeps will only continue to get worse. Here’s why: Methane gas mixed with saltwater and mud makes for a very potent corrosive agent. Under high pressure it will find every point of egress through the rock and sediment formations all the way up to the seafloor where it will find any point of exit that is available. The longer and more forcefully that it flows throughout the fractured area, which is dependent on the volume, temperature and pressure at the source of the hydrocarbons, the more its corrosive effects will widen, broaden and enlarge the channels, cracks and crevices throughout the sub-seafloor geology, thereby creating a predicament that no science, technology or equipment can remedy. Dire realities of the methane hydrate predicament The Macondo Prospect in the GOM is just one of many throughout the oceans of the world where the seafloor has beds of methane hydrate locked in place by very high pressure and low temperatures. Likewise, there are myriad repositories and large “reservoirs” of methane clathrates in the sub-seafloor strata, and especially within the more superficial geological formations, which are being greatly impacted by all oil and gas drilling and extraction activities. It does not take much imagination to understand how the upsurging hydrocarbons (very hot oil and gas under high pressure) are quickly converting the frozen methane hydrate to gas, thereby causing innumerable “micro-displacements”, the cumulative effect of which will translate to larger “macro-displacements” of rock, sediment and other geological formations. When you factor in this constant vaporization of methane hydrates/clathrates both sub-seafloor as well as those scattered around the seafloor surface to the existing scenario, this devolving situation becomes that much more difficult to effectively remedy. With the resulting shifts and resettling and reconfiguration of the entire seafloor terrain and underlying strata occurring in the wake of these dynamics, we are left with a situation that is not going to get better through the use of even more invasive technology and intrusive machinery. Question: How many times can you grout a seafloor crack that was caused by an underlying superficial fault after drilling into an old mud volcano? Answer: “In the attempt to seal the oil from oozing through the faults, BP resorted to high pressure grouting. Basically it is like cementing the cracks in the rock by injecting grout (cement mixture) at high pressure. The way they do this is by drilling an injection hole into the shallow rocks and pumping in the grout. The grout in “slurry” state will permeate into the cracks, cure and seal up the cracks. However it is not working because of the presence of gas and oil. It is like super-glue. You need to clean the surfaces before you apply the glue; otherwise it won’t stick and will come off eventually after a few days or weeks. That is why we can see a few blown out craters – shown in my article – Is the last rite for the Macondo Well for real?” (Per BK Lim, Geohazards Specialist) Likewise, how do you fill a newly emerging gash in the seafloor which is caused by a deep fault due to low level seismic activity, or worse, a full blown earthquake?! Seismic activity in the GOM and the uptick in earthquakes in the Mississippi River Basin and surrounding region The oil and gas platforms that were in operation throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico in 2006 (per Wikipedia). We now come to the most serious issue regarding the relentless drilling for oil and gas throughout the Gulf of Mexico. The map above clearly illustrates the density of drilling throughout the northern GOM as of 2006. Likewise, the map below demonstrates the extraordinary and increasing intensity of these very same operations off the coast of Louisiana alone. Green lines represent active pipes (25,000 miles in all). Yellow dots represent oil rigs. The map that follows, however, tells a story which demands the attention of every resident of the GOM coastline. The video link below the map shows the development timeline of the successively deeper wells being drilled during the last decade. Of course, with greater depths come much greater risks, as the technology and machinery have not been proportionately upgraded to accommodate the extraordinary demands and unforeseen contingencies of such a speculative and dangerous enterprise*. *Oil and gas drilling in seawater depths of over 4000 feet, and through 15,000 to 25,000 feet of the earth’s crust and mantle, is considered extremely dangerous to those from whom reason and common sense have not yet fled. Click on the map to enlarge. Gulf of Mexico Oil Rigs: 1942-2005 It’s critical to understand the location and current activity of the various faults which exist throughout the GOM and how they connect to the New Madrid Fault Line, as well as other major faults at much greater distance. There does appear to be a emerging uptick in earthquake activity in the greater Louisiana area, as well as contiguous regions in the GOM as demonstrated by unprecedented, albeit low level earthquakes. Correlations between these earthquakes/seismic activity and major operations at the Macondo Prospect have been alluded to in our previous postings, as well as by many recent articles explaining the inevitable subsidence which occurs when prodigious volumes of oil and gas are removed through drilling in the GOM. Just how much oil and gas have been removed from the GOM since drilling first began there in the ’30s? More significantly, how might substantial movements of the GOM seafloor (due to undersea volcanoes and earthquakes) affect the 28,000+ unmonitored and abandoned wells which are highly concentrated south of the Louisiana coastline?! 24,486 permanent and 3,593 temporarily abandoned wells in the Gulf of Mexico Earthquake Activity in Gulf of Mexico Prompts 2003 Study for MMS Gulf of Mexico Subsea Structures May Be in Seismic Danger Zone – Part 2 Now then, the question remains just how vulnerable has the GOM been made to a truly catastrophic event, ending up with an overwhelming displacement of water producing tidal waves, in the aftermath of an undersea earthquake. There is no question that the ceaseless fracturing of the seafloor and fissuring of the sub-seafloor geological strata by the Oil & Gas Industry has set up a quite conducive environment for HUGE unintended consequences. We leave it up to the experts to conduct the necessary risk assessments, which will most assuredly let loose a sea of red flags about what Big Oil has done, and is currently doing, in (and to) the Gulf of Mexico. Furthermore, we are deeply concerned that, if a permanent moratorium on all new oil and gas drilling and extraction in the GOM is not put into place poste haste, the coastal communities will remain in a very precarious situation. The most immediate concern relates to the combination of ill-advised drilling activity (conducted in spite of geohazard assessments/recommendations) with unpredictable seismic events, which could trigger undersea landslides at the shelf edge causing massive water displacement. Worsening GOM predicament is reflective of the status quo around the globe Now consider the following scenario: that this very same predicament, which we have all witnessed in the Gulf of Mexico, is happening wherever oil and gas drilling is conducted in the various water bodies throughout the planet. Therefore we can multiply the Macondo Prospect disaster a hundred times and still not come close to the impacts that these ongoing gushers and spills, leaks and seeps are having the world over. Perhaps the BP Gulf Oil Spill was the defining moment in modern history when all the nations of the world community were called by Mother Earth herself to begin transitioning the planet away from the Hydrocarbon Fuel Paradigm. After all, we may never get another chance! Transitioning The Planet Away From The Hydrocarbon Fuel Paradigm Tom Termotto, National Coordinator Gulf Oil Spill Remediation Conference Tallahassee, FL OilSpillSolution@comcast.net SKYPE: Gulf_Advocate http://oilspillsolutionsnow.org/ Author’s Note: This short reality check was made possible by BK Lim, Geohazards Specialist (Click here for CV), whose research and analysis of the BP Gulf Oil Spill have proved invaluable to ferreting out the truth of this unprecedented environmental devastation. BK provided figures 137-06, 136-3, 1h and 137-01 including the commentary, which only an experienced and highly skilled geohazards expert could furnish with authority. He is also responsible for many of the articles/essays posted on this website, as well as some that are linked to this article. ADDENDUM: There are two very significant topics, which have been not been discussed in this report, that beg for acknowledgement and further attention in light of the title: The Gulf of Mexico is Dying Both of these problems are highly consequential and therefore merit separate papers in order to give them the treatment they deserve, if we are to understand why the GOM is slowly dying. Until those papers are completed, we offer the following short summaries: #1 The wanton and indiscriminate use of the dispersant, Corexit, turned an extremely serious regional disaster into an unmitigated global catastrophe. How so? The dispersants Corexit 9500 and 9527 both served to interact with the oil in such a way that much of it sank to the bottom. It also caused much dispersed oil to be held in suspension within the water column, as well as carried with the currents to and fro in amounts which can only be guessed. There is an emerging consensus that, because of the overwhelming volume of Corexit which was dispensed throughout the GOM, the Loop Current, which has historically guaranteed the flow of the warm Gulf waters into the Gulf Stream Current, has been fundamentally altered. The most obvious consequence was to profoundly slow down the turnover of water into and out of the GOM. By curtailing this natural, rejuvenative process, the Gulf has become a more stagnant body of water, with significantly less opportunity to cleanse itself. Even the normal hurricane pattern in the GOM slackened precipitously this past hurricane season, thereby diminishing much churning and mechanical action which can be helpful to the natural breakdown of petroleum and its many byproducts. Of course, the real unknown here is how dramatic and lasting the effects a stalled Loop Current will have on the Gulf Stream’s influence on the weather of Great Britain, Continental Europe and the contiguous land masses. By many accounts the recent meteorological developments, especially in Northern Europe, are being viewed with great apprehension about what the future weather patterns will bring? Many are concerned that a tipping point has already arrived and that this sea change will irrevocably transform a way of life. What else do we know about Corexit from an environmental health perspective? How many times have we all heard that dispersed oil is at least four times more toxic than oil alone? Here are the test results from the EPA study, as well as the EPA link: (1) 10.72 parts per million (ppm) of oil alone will kill 50% of the fish test species in a normal aquatic environment within 96 hours. (2) 25.20 parts per million of dispersant (Corexit 9500) alone will kill 50% of the fish test species in a normal aquatic environment within 96 hours. (3) 2.61 parts per million of dispersed oil (Corexit-laden) alone will kill 50% of the fish test species in a normal aquatic environment within 96 hours. National Contingency Plan Product Schedule Toxicity and Effectiveness Summaries “Crude oil has proven toxicity at 1 part per million, with constituents like benzene exhibiting genotoxicity in the parts per billion range. The dispersants have made the oil “disappear,” according to the mainstream media, and yet we have marine toxicology documents PROVING that the dispersants PREVENT the natural break…down of some constituents of the oil, e.g. the lesser soluble hydrocarbons such as naphthalene.” (Per Gulf Oil Spill Truth) Not only is the dispersed oil much more toxic, it is now virtually impossible to remediate in its current micronized or nano-sized state. Disappeared they did to the oil, and so did they to the various technologies and methodologies which would have been effective in cleaning up oil alone. Now we are left with a predicament that requires a form of mitigation which must be conceived, before it can be tried and tested. In the meantime the entire GOM food chain (including those who continue to eat the seafood) is concentrating these newly formed toxic byproducts in their tissues, the effects of which will gradually wend their way through the bodies of each and every organism that is exposed to them. Just how poisonous to life dispersed oil is we may not know for years, nor does any government-funded research institution seem to be in a hurry to find out! Both Corexit 9500 and 9527 were sprayed liberally for many months both on the GOM surface, as well as undersea. The officially reported amount is shown below; the covert spraying continues to this very day in volumes which can only be determined by reviewing the disbursement records at Nalco Holding Company. The photo above (Fig. 137-06) , in addition to much anecdotal evidence, unequivocally demonstrates continued dispersant use up to this very day, which therefore indicates a much higher volume used throughout the GOM. Surface dispersant used: 1, 072,514 gallons Subsea dispersant used: 771,272 gallons Total dispersant used: 1,843,786 gallons Consider what Wikipedia has to say about 9527: “Corexit 9527, considered by the EPA to be an acute health hazard, is stated by its manufacturer to be potentially harmful to red blood cells, the kidneys and the liver, and may irritate eyes and skin.[14][24] The chemical 2-butoxyethanol, found in Corexit 9527, was identified as having caused lasting health problems in workers involved in the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.[25] According to the Alaska Community Action on Toxics, the use of Corexit during the Exxon Valdez oil spill caused people “respiratory, nervous system, liver, kidney and blood disorders”.[16] Like 9527, 9500 can cause hemolysis (rupture of blood cells) and may also causeinternal bleeding.”[4] COREXIT being offloaded according to strict OSHA procedures The following link offers a more in-depth discussion of how this unprecedented mixture of massive amounts of dispersant, oil, methane and radioactive hydrocarbons have forever altered the energetics of the Gulf of Mexico. It is then much easier to understand the unanticipated and immediate stalling of the Loop Current in light of these critical changes to the GOM fundamentals. Environmental and Health Impacts of the BP Gulf Oil Spill #2 The deeper the geological source of the hydrocarbons, the more radioactive isotopes present in the oil and gas. That hydrocarbons pulled from the bowels of the earth have a scientifically verified radioactive component(s) is the dirty little secret of the Oil & Gas Industry. So secret in fact that, if it were to get out, this single scientific fact would seal the fate of the entire industry. It also undergirds the correct understanding that oil and gas are both abiotic in nature and abiogenic in origin – facts which cast a refreshing light on the notion of Peak Oil. Yes, we have reached Peak Oil, but not because of the untenable Fossil Fuel Theory which has been known to be false by the Oil and Gas Industry since its inception. It has been asserted that the Macondo Prospect sits on a reservoir of abiotic oil the size of Mount Everest, one of the two largest batholiths with proven oil and gas mega-reserves in the GOM. However, that doesn’t make it economically feasible or technologically prudent to extract; nor is it smart to engage in such utter folly, as the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon dramatically demonstrated. Soon after the BP Gulf Oil Spill began there appeared a headline which was more telling than them all: “They’ve Literally Punched A Hole Into Hell: We Need A Crash Alternative Energy Program Now, Assuming We Even Survive” Mantle-generated hydrocarbons come from very young geological formations deep in the earth, and are the product of extremely powerful geo-thermal forces. The presence of radioactive isotopes such as uranium, thorium, radium show up in much greater concentrations the deeper the well bore is drilled into the earth’s crust, and are ubiquitous throughout the mantle. Therefore, the hydrocarbon constituents, which are actually found in the interstitial spaces, porous rock formations and quaternary sediments and are scattered everywhere because of their liquid and gaseous states, exist within and around this highly radioactive environment. How radioactive is the hydrocarbon effluent upsurging from the wells in the GOM that are drilled at 12, 15, 18, 20, 25 or 30,000 feet through the crust and into the mantle? Here’s a link to the American Petroleum Institute website that will partially answer this question: Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) in North American Oilfields Here’s another link to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website page entitled Radiation Protection that shows just how serious this matter has become from an environmental health standpoint. Oil and Gas Production Wastes (Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Materials identified by the EPA) Whenever there is a higher concentration of methane gas in the mix of oil/gas that comes out of any given well, it means that: “The more methane that is present reflects the amount of Uranium and Thorium in the oil reserve. The deeper the oil, the younger the radiological decay is that produces helium.” “Helium is a naturally occurring gas formed in oil reserves. So common that helium detectors have been used to discover oil reserves. Helium is an inert gas known to be a by-product from the radiological decay of uranium and thorium. Uranium and Thorium are known to be in great quantities at greater depths. Yes, radioactive elements occur naturally and can be found and detected in smaller amounts in shallow oil reserves. Oil reserves that do not produce large amounts of methane also lack uranium and thorium. The presence of methane is proportional to the presence of uranium and thorium, both radioactive elements.” “The energy coming from uranium and thorium decay is thought to be the most significant energy source inside the earth,” Tolich said. “So this is the driving engine for things such as tectonic plate movements, volcanoes and earthquake. We are looking for neutrinos, particularly electron antineutrinos … coming from uranium and thorium decay inside the earth. The uranium and thorium is distributed all through the earth in the mantle.” (Per http://oilandgasleaks.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/urgent-radioactive-oil-from-bp-blowout/) Uranium, thorium neutrino research could determine Earth’s age, energy production From our many discussions with those knowledgeable at the OSATF (Oil Spill Academic Task Force) here in Tallahassee, FL, it became evident early on in the spill that the percentage of methane of the total hydrocarbon composition was quite high. Some observed that it appeared to very slowly decrease, yet remained high right up until the capping of the gusher. Hence, we know that this oil spill in the GOM has a very definite radioactive component which must be addressed. Please understand that we are not suggesting that the fish will start glowing with radiation; only that long term exposure to low level radioactivity has its obvious consequences to all living organisms. In the meantime, those living on the GOM coastline ought to introduce copious amounts of seaweed (e.g. kelp) into their diets. Where it concerns the release of radioactivity into the waters, there is simply no way to put this genie back into the bottle within the current scientific paradigm … unless there is alchemical science yet to be revealed or new age technologies to be developed. As we said in the introduction, “It is with great regret that we file this report.” May we all do our part in spreading the awareness of these realities, so that many more of US will be in the position to make informed decisions about where we live, work and play, what we eat, our health and safety, our livelihoods, our families, our communities … … … and our shared environment known as Mother Earth. The Seventh Sign of the HOPI Prophecy: “You will hear of the sea turning black, and many living things dying because of it.” Phoenix Rising from the Gulf phoenixrisingfromthegulf.wordpress.com The BP Gulf Oil Spill Revealed

Saturday, May 11, 2013