Thursday February 16, 2012

Alphaape's past comments

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    Alphaape

    There are simply too many racist Americans who cannot and will not accept a black man as president.

    @Taka313: I am a Black man from the deep south, and I disagree. I don't care for some of his politics like I have had disagreements with other presidents. His race has nothing to do with it.

    Especially when the last guy was so evil.

    What makes you say that "W" was so evil. Couldn't that be considered as racist? He may not be of the same religious belief as you, so are you saying that just because he was a different denomination that they are evil? That is what you get when you try to bring some sort of racism into the picture.

    You don't like "W" and that is your right. Why can't people call the current president 'evil' without having racism charges hurled at them.

    After all, when "W" was president, we had high gas prices, and we were involved in 2 wars. Now we have high gas prices, and involved in 3 wars. So is he just as evil?

    Posted in: Obama releases full birth certificate to end controversy

  • 0

    Alphaape

    How does this even apply?? Seriously? A DUI is not the same as a birth certificate which he already had to show to even get in the White House. You people deliberately keep missing the point. He WAS upfront about it. He didn't LIE about it not existing. I can't believe you're comparing the two.

    @kokorocloud: It applies on principle. Yes a birth certificat and DUI are two different things. But if asked if you have one, I can somewhat see how one may try to hide a DUI since it may indicate some criminal activity or dealings with the courts, but a birthcertificate is a matter of identification.

    You can't get a passport without one. Can't get a security clearance without one. It is required for so many legal reasons, then why would a person who wants to be the head of our government be hesitant to show it?

    At least Trump did state after all of this that he wants to move on to more important matters. But what I suspect is that from now on, every time Trump is mentioned in the press it will be because of this issue, and not on the issues.

    Posted in: Obama releases full birth certificate to end controversy

  • 0

    Alphaape

    Back in 2000, when "W" had denied that he had a received a DUI, Fox News released his arrest report. "W" lost support from some American voters in the popular vote, since he was seen as a liar.

    "W" came out and did state that he did have a DUI, he manned up to his mistakes. But the issue I see with this release is that Obama couldn't do it up front. If there was nothing wrong with it, he should have just said so. Trying to play politics with your own "truth" says a lot about a person. That they are not really that honest, and will do anything to get ahead and get the edge over an opponent.

    We know that McCain was not at the top of his USNA class, and that he crashed a few planes before getting shot down. "W" had a DUI and some drug usage and a few failed business. With Obama, we know very little.

    “We’re not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers,” the president said.

    I agree with the President. Now that we know he is a US citizen, what is he going to do about $5/gal gas.

    Posted in: Obama releases full birth certificate to end controversy

  • 0

    Alphaape

    But when all you can see is total devastation where people's lives have been taken and the 'lucky' ones have lost everything, then it's very difficult for me to see anything amusing in the situation.

    @Heda Madness: If you would do a study of human emotions, you will see that it is a tendency for humans to take totally horrific and tragic situations and try to make light of them. This doesn't mean that they take lightly the devistation, but that if you can laugh at a bad situation, you still have some sort of humanity left in you and still have the strenght to look at your situation and look at the big picture.

    So a few people make a joke about a man sitting in a chair. But, at least when I made comments, I thought about that at least he is still alive. He may or may not have lost it all, but he still has life, and a chance to start all over again. That doesn't mean that it will be easy, but I think he has a lot better chance at making a change for the better than being dead.

    Joking in terrible situations is a matter of fact. If you ever read any of the old US slave narratives about their situation, you will find they made light of many negative situation.

    Posted in: Home alone

  • 0

    Alphaape

    If it was his home, he must have had a nice, large one. I have been in many homes, and have not seen any living room areas large enough to fit that type of sofa and love seat. It looks almost American style, except that it has the typical low height of Japanese sofas.

    Posted in: Home alone

  • 0

    Alphaape

    If the drugs were legal. this wouldn't have happened..

    @nisegaijin: yes it would have still happened. If you read the article, the boy was 16. If they legalized it, to match the current drinking age of 20, they still would have been breaking the law, contributing to the deliquency of a minor.

    Also, just because it is legal dosen't mean that it will make accidents like this not happen. Legal stimulants, and a person takes them not knowing that they may have a negative body reaction still makes them just as dangerous.

    Posted in: 3 men arrested for allegedly dumping body of 16-year-old boy

  • 0

    Alphaape

    According to Japanese employees, men get used to beautiful co-workers in three months, and start paying more attention to the quality of their work rather than their physical features.

    I spent 20 years in the USN, and they drilled it in our heads to not fraternize with each other, in regards to the sexual type.

    Even before this, I have always lived by the old maxim "you don't have a dog s***t in your own backyard, you're liable to step in it."

    Considering the long hours many people work in the office, the last thing I would want to do is date someone who reminds me of work. When I leave, I want nothing to do with work, I prefer to have my own friends from other venues that I will not have to worry about what happens at my off time finding it's way into the rumor mill at work.

    Posted in: Men act stupid when talking to beautiful women, study shows

  • 0

    Alphaape

    Before 1990, it was generally understood that a person in Japan would complete school, interview once with one company, then stay with that same company until retirement. After the stock market crash in 1990, this situation changed dramatically.

    It used to be like that in America, but I think that thinking went out in the 60's.

    Lifetime employment at one company is no longer guaranteed, young people interview at several organizations and do not secure employment immediately after graduation. The issue that occurs is that many young people are reacting as if this is cause for shame and guilt and if the family has the means,

    Not that I am really athletic, but don't these same "young turks" learn that you can't win all the time and no shame in trying? Don't they ever see sports teams who take to the field after a loss and continue to play?

    One question I have, are these mostly men? Are there many women who fit this category also?

    Posted in: 'Hikikomori' disorder could complicate Japan quake recovery

  • 0

    Alphaape

    “Every year, when new female employees join the company, and they are quite attractive, male co-workers from all divisions start asking them out immediately,” he says. “It makes them less focused on work.”

    How about the men and women learning not to mix work and pleasure at the same place. There are many places (besides the bar scene) that men and women can meet.

    “But I can’t deny that I still get rattled sometimes when a real beauty visits us at the office.”

    I am sure that his wife does not want to hear this.

    Posted in: Men act stupid when talking to beautiful women, study shows

  • 0

    Alphaape

    , 63,000 tons of nuclear waste still sits in 'temporary' storage (in pools of water, as at Fukushima 1) at the power plants where it was created.

    @cleo: a lot of that is water that is waiting to be transported to a storage facility.

    The plan to store all this waste deep inside Nevada's Yucca Mountain was put on hold because the site was deemed unsuitable as a permanent storage base.

    A lot of that had to do with the No-nuke lobby using the US court system to halt the storage there. They have other locations in Utah that they use.

    If the US, with all that empty land, cannot find anywhere to permanently store its nuclear waste, how can tiny crowded Japan hope to do any better?

    I would recommend that Japan hollow out one of these many moutains around and store it there. If they can build the NORAD complex inside of a moutain that is supposed nuclear bomb proof; and nK burrows into mountains to hide their weapons, I believe with the proper engineering controls it could be done. Yes I know we have earthquakes in Japan, but if you use that as an objection, then we really shouldn't build anything in Japan.

    Posted in: Anti-nuke

  • 0

    Alphaape

    @cleo: I think that Japan was trying to do nuclear on the cheap. Germany takes care of its waste by sealing it and burying it in a remote location. In the US, they bury the stuff in old salt mines in Utah and states out west. That is not the best answer, but for right now it gets the job done.

    I see with Japan is that they will not make those types of decisions for the long run. Storing the material in open (I should say not hardened pools) is totally unexcusable. As I have always stated when I hear that there isn't enough room in Japan for big building projects or that only a small portion of the land is fit for growing, why not take some of these areas, like hollowing out a mountain and placing it there. They do that in the US and I have not heard of major problems. It is the people who run the businesses here in Japan, in my opinion who are not really thinking this thing through.

    If Germany can handle their nuke wastes and they don't have a lot of room to spare, why can't Japan. As many tunnels and caves here in Japan, I am sure that they can find a way to handle their wastes.

    Posted in: Anti-nuke

  • 0

    Alphaape

    And you know, you're going to have a very difficult job convincing me that the hazardous waste from fluorescent bulbs is anywhere near the problem that hazardous waste from a nuclear plant is.

    @cleo: I respect your opinions and glad to have this discussion with you. I do hope that those "egg heads" who are making these decisions at least look at all sides like we are trying to do here.

    You are right about the differences in severity of what could go wrong comparing nuclear to solar. I don't have the answers but I think that we should keep doing the research. This was a bad situation, but I can only count three major nuclear accidents (this one, 3 Mile Island, and Chernobal). So what are the other major nuclear disasters that have occured? I am sure that there are some, but I think the controls that have been put in place have helped to eliminate them.

    As far as fluorescent bulbs, it's all about volume. Think of how many bulbs are in use in the city you are in. At one point, they will have to be replaced. True it is a small amount of mercury in them, but that stuff adds up. Look at all of the hype about the use of plastics (bags, bottles) and its pollution effects.

    We are going to have the same thing about mercury. If you remember, there was the scare of mercury in the tuna and other seafood years back, but now those same environmental groups are now saying its ok to use bulbs with mercury in them. I found that hard to believe and think that it will be a big problem once a state like CA makes it mandatory, and the disposal problem will become an issue.

    Posted in: Anti-nuke

  • 0

    Alphaape

    @cleo: I couldn't put the link in, but the story is dated 6 March 2011.

    Posted in: Anti-nuke

  • 0

    Alphaape

    @cleo: The article was from the LA Times named : "Grand dream loses sheen in glare of daylight"

    The point I was trying to make was, that when situations like this come up, the first thing most people who are anti-nuke or fossil fuels do is come up with these plans of "going green" and start stating how it will be easy to convert rooftops and vacant areas with solar panels and how much more efficient it will be. If you get a chance to read that article, you will see that in a city like LA, that probably has more days of sunlight year round than Tokyo (with probably the same amount of smog), they can't really get it done.

    I think those who keep going with that mantra are just as bad as the people who say that nukes are the only way. We must be able to make due with both methods, and not just shut something off with no real plan because it sounds good.

    Just remember, CA has mandated that light bulbs be changed from the incandesant to the flouresant (sp??). But those new bulbs just can't be thrown away, because they contain mecury (which gets heated into vapors while the light is burning). So in the future we they will have a situation where they may reduce energy usage (I'm still not sure about that), but will create another hazard, the hazardous waste from the bulbs. But at least, they will be going green and they should feel good about themselves.

    Posted in: Anti-nuke

  • 0

    Alphaape

    @cleo: Do a Google search on the LQ Community College director who wasted almost a $100 million (more I think) on try to get the campus' on the green energy. They invested in a wind tunnel that barely generated enough energy to burn a light bulb (at around couple million), and their plan to put solar panels on the roofs of parking structures was a flop. I think I posted the article here awhile back for another post on green energy.

    Posted in: Anti-nuke

  • 0

    Alphaape

    We are going to have think collectively, not individually. We are going to have to deal with intricacies (see the solar panel debate above) which will work as Nature is anything if not intricate, and eschew the caveman approach of single solutions such as nuclear power.

    @Ranger Miffy: Not sure what you mean by "collective thinking" but I thought that the whole point of research is to look at all options and provide the best solution. What we have had on both sides of this issue is single minded agenda thinking. Look at the Global Warming issue. Those who believe in the scientific community and elsewhere have it in their mind that there is no more debate (to paraphase Al Gore), yet they are not willing to listen to reasons why such things are carbon credits are not going to do anything.

    Throwing away nuclear power is also single minded. It is dangerous, but the research needs to be done to find out ways to diminsh the radiaton, or if that is not possible, better ways to treat the victims of over radiation exposure. I think that it can be done. If writers back in the 60's can dream up the idea of warp drive (ala Star Trek), I would think that real scientist would be able to come up with ways to minimize the risk of nuclear wastes, and the other problems that we face.

    Posted in: Anti-nuke

  • 0

    Alphaape

    Adjusting the angle of panels so that they don't reflect directly onto other buildings isn't rocket science.

    @cleo, no it is not rocket science, but when you have a crowded urban area like Tokyo, it will take a bit of rocket science to figure out if it will be worth it. Every angle you adjust, you're either deflecting it into someone else's home/business, or will get cut out by the surrounding buildings.

    Posted in: Anti-nuke

  • 0

    Alphaape

    You've obviously never been in central Tokyo during summer. And what does Tokyo being crowded have anything to do with having clear days so they can use solar power?? It's not a city inhabited by 500-meters tall giants.

    I have been. Add up all of the roof top areas that are not taken by cell towers, and other obstacles and tell me how much acreage you will have.

    or the sides of buildings? The people I know with solar panels on their roofs find them very effective indeed. Tokyo has lots of currently dead space that could easily accommodate lots of solar panels.

    @cleo: solar power for a single use home is a great idea, since the demand for energy for the one home will not be as great for a larger building. Take your average 10 story apartment building. I have seen some in Tokyo that are very narrow, so it may have a lot of units, but doesn't take up as much space as a building in the US may. Placing a solar collector on the top of a narrow building will not produce enough energy to take the entire building off the power grid.

    Also in regards to putting the panels in the city, look up the story about the LA Performing Arts Center. When it first opened, the reflective qualities of the surface were amplified by the concave sections of the Founders Room walls. Some residents of the neighboring condominiums suffered glare caused by sunlight that was reflected off these surfaces and concentrated in a manner similar to a parabolic mirror. The resulting heat made some rooms of nearby condominiums unbearably warm, caused the air-conditioning costs of these residents to skyrocket and created hot spots on adjacent sidewalks of as much as 60 °C (140 °F).

    So installing solar panels you will still get some of those glare problems. Would you want to live across from a panel that beams more than normal intense light into your home?

    I am not against solar, I think in areas where it can be used, it should. But I am not going to say that it is the answer to all of our problems.

    Posted in: Anti-nuke

  • 0

    Alphaape

    Also to my previous post, you always here the same old song about Japan: "it's a small country and not enough land for major development."

    For solar to be truly effective, you will need large areas of open land area so that a maximum number of solar cells can be installed. Where in Tokyo will you find an area like that, clear of obstructions so that you get maximum sunshine?

    I would say grow bio fuel crops in the areas that the J-gov had asked for farmers not to plant, but I guess the burning of the gasohol will probably produce release of contaminated materials.

    Posted in: Anti-nuke

  • 0

    Alphaape

    In addition to geo thermal, solar is also viable - if you factor in all the costs of each. Kuroiwa-san just got elected for Kanagawa prefecture on a platform of 2 million solar installations in the next 2-4 years. That's 1.5 reactors' worth of electricity.

    It's a clear day today (Japan standards), and I still get the haze and cloudy overcast here in Yokosuka. You are going to tell me that in a crowded city like Tokyo, you will have clear days that will allow you to use solar power? I understand that the sun doesn't have to shine directly on the panels, but what is the efficency of the panels when they don't have direct sunlight on them? I can say that on cloudy days, those outdoor solar lights that I have don't burn as long at night on days that had been cloudy. What about in winter, when the days are shorter and you have more chances of overcast? What about during the rainy season, when you get more cloudy days?

    Solar is a good step, but it is not an end all. It will take a combination of solar, nuclear, and fossile fuels (coal and gas turbine) to meet Japan's energy needs.

    Posted in: Anti-nuke

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